Monster Hunter Outlanders Weapon Tier List (October 2026)

All 7 Weapons by tier
S Top pick	Recommended for almost any squad and playstyle, and the easiest weapons to learn first.
A Strong	Strong picks that need the right squad, a matching Adventurer or careful timing to pay off.
B Solid	Workable on paper, but another melee weapon does the same charge job with more safety.

Monster Hunter Outlanders Weapon Tier List at a glance

Tier	Weapons	Type
S	Long Sword	Melee
S	Bow	Ranged
A	Great Sword	Melee
A	Dual Blades	Melee
A	Lance	Melee
A	Heavy Bowgun	Ranged
B	Hammer	Melee

How many Adventurers use each weapon type

Dual Blades 3

Great Sword 2

Long Sword 2

Lance 2

Bow 2

Hammer 1

Heavy Bowgun 1

No weapon has more roster users than Dual Blades. The Charge Blade is missing because no Adventurer uses it, which is also why it is not ranked here. Chart by Monster Hunter Outlanders Tier List, from the sources below

Our take

For the Fated Adventurer, we would start on the Long Sword. The official guide builds its example around one, so we expect early lessons to match it. This is a day-one call from the official kit, not a tested result.
The Hammer is the closest call on this list. Its official overview adds head stuns and charging on the move, but no guard, so it stays in B for now and could move up once live hunts show how often those stuns land. The Lance could also climb, since its overview lists several guard options.
The Charge Blade is in the game but off this list. It arrives as the eighth weapon type for the Fated Adventurer, and we will rank it as soon as official details give us something real to judge.

How we rank Monster Hunter Outlanders weapons

Safety and forgiveness: How much room the weapon leaves for mistakes on paper: range, guarding, evasion tools, and how tight its timing windows look in the official kit.
Reliable damage: Whether the official mechanics point to damage you can keep up over a whole hunt, rather than damage that hinges on one charge or one full gauge landing.
Squad value: Which roster Adventurers carry the weapon and what they bring to a squad of four, AI squadmates included, plus whether a ranged weapon can keep firing while melee allies hold the front.

Illustration of a Long Sword counterattack — A well-timed Long Sword counter can raise the Spirit Gauge level, which helps the weapon on both safety and damage in our criteria. Illustration by Monster Hunter Outlanders Tier List

Why each weapon is in its tier

S Recommended for almost any squad and playstyle, and the easiest weapons to learn first.

Both weapons pair a clear damage plan with room for error. The official adventure guide hands its example Fated Adventurer a Long Sword, and its timed counters feed the Spirit Gauge. The Bow keeps you out of reach, its official overview adds quick evasive steps and a Perfect Evade that fills the charge at once, and both Adventurers who use it, Luka and Madelyn, sit in S tier on our Adventurer list.

Long Sword: Fast combos and timed counters, some of which raise the Spirit Gauge. The official guide picks it for its Fated Adventurer example.
Bow: Quick evasive steps keep you mobile, a Perfect Evade fills the charge at once, and landed shots unlock more skills.

A Strong picks that need the right squad, a matching Adventurer or careful timing to pay off.

Each A-tier weapon has a clear strength in the official material, but each comes with a condition. Great Sword and Heavy Bowgun reward precise timing, Dual Blades depend on managing the Demon Gauge, and the Lance pays off most when you block at the right moment to set up its stronger counters.

Great Sword: Longer charges mean bigger hits, and a Perfect Evade lets you dodge without losing the charge. The trade-off is slow swings.
Dual Blades: Very fast hits. Your job is gauge management: build it in Demon Mode, then burn it on Archdemon Mode attacks. Three Adventurers use it.
Lance: Quick thrusts behind several guard options. Blocks set up stronger counters, and a rush builds toward an enhanced finisher.
Heavy Bowgun: Several ammo types, and a Perfect Guard reloads instantly. Plan around limited special ammo, and turn to Wyvernheart for heavy fire.

B Workable on paper, but another melee weapon does the same charge job with more safety.

The official Hammer overview now gives us a full picture, and it is a close call. For Squad value, hits to the head can stun the monster, which opens time for everyone. For Reliable damage, you can keep moving while you charge, Spinning Bludgeon repositions you mid-charge, and a full charge enters Mighty Charge. Safety and forgiveness is the weak point: the Hammer cannot guard, so a misread costs more. The Great Sword fills the same charge-for-damage role with guarding and a Perfect Evade that keeps the charge, so the Hammer stays in B, near the top of it.

Hammer: Charges on the move and can stun with head hits, but cannot guard. The Great Sword covers the charge role more safely.

Illustration of a Bow user firing from range — The Bow deals its damage from range, which on paper keeps you clear of many attacks and is a big part of its S-tier spot. Illustration by Monster Hunter Outlanders Tier List

Full notes on the Monster Hunter Outlanders Weapon Tier List

Which weapon should the Fated Adventurer use?

You control the Fated Adventurer and choose how this hunter looks. Unlike the rest of the roster, this hunter is not tied to a single weapon type, so the real question is where to start. Our answer is the Long Sword. The official adventure guide builds its own example around an Assault-class Fated Adventurer carrying one, so we expect the early lessons to fit it best. The Bow is the other strong opener if you would rather stay out of reach while you learn.

Why the Long Sword is S here but its Adventurers are B

Midori and Ryunosuke, the two Long Sword users on the roster, sit in B on our tier list. That is not a verdict on the weapon. This page ranks weapons for the Fated Adventurer you play, while the Adventurer list judges each character’s own kit, built around one weapon of expertise. Midori and Ryunosuke land in B for how their kits work, such as setup time before the payoff or a same-class rival who does the job better, not because the Long Sword is weak. Ryunosuke’s card is a clear case of setup time: Spirit Blade attacks only get much stronger after eating in certain stances to reach Well-fed. Once unlocked, Midori or Ryunosuke can be the Adventurer you control or fight beside you as AI squadmates, and either way their kit, not the weapon alone, decides their value.

How we ranked the weapons

This is a day-one list. We have not played the launch build, so every placement is a paper judgment from official material.

Official weapon overviews now cover seven of the eight weapons. The Long Sword, Great Sword, Dual Blades and Heavy Bowgun have posts on the official site, and the official YouTube channel covers the Hammer, Lance and Bow. Only the Charge Blade has none. We also read the cards of the Adventurers who use each weapon, since they show how the roster builds on it.

Each weapon was scored on three points: how forgiving it looks, how steady its damage looks, and what it brings to a squad of four. Tiers follow the same rules as how we rank: S fits almost any squad, A needs the right squad or conditions, B works but others in the same group do better, and C suits narrow uses. No weapon landed in C.

Why the Charge Blade is not ranked

The game launches with 8 weapon types, and the Charge Blade is one of them. The official launch preview presents it as the eighth weapon type, added for the Fated Adventurer. But there is no official overview for it, and none of the 13 Adventurers on the official roster carries it. Ranking it now would mean ranking a name with no kit behind it. It will join the list once official details or hands-on time give us something to judge.

Melee and ranged at a glance

Five of the seven ranked weapons are melee. The Long Sword leads that group because its counters reward good timing without asking you to sit through a long charge. Great Sword and Dual Blades are strong but more demanding: one lives on charge timing, the other on keeping the Demon Gauge full. The Lance looks sturdy on paper: its overview lists quick thrusts, several guard options and counters that come off a block, and Ouyang Varen’s card adds strong guarding. The Hammer trades the guard away for charging on the move and head stuns, which helps the squad but leaves less room for mistakes. Sharpness never wears down, so no melee weapon loses time to whetstones.

On the ranged side, the Bow stands out. Its overview shows quick evasive steps, charged shots that add arrows and skill power, and a gauge that fills as shots land and opens more skills. Two quite different Adventurers also build on it. Luka brings speed and piercing Thunder Coating arrows, while Madelyn brings medicines and Spores that boost nearby allies. The Heavy Bowgun has more raw firepower through Wyvernheart, but special ammo is limited and the instant reload only comes from a Perfect Guard, so we see it as a timing weapon.

Where to go next

For Adventurer rankings, see our tier list. If you are new, the beginner tier list pairs these weapons with easy Adventurers, and the best team list covers squad building. Launch details are on the version 1.0.9 page.

Who this weapon tier list is for

New players

Start with the Bow or the Long Sword and play in Adventure Mode, which cuts the controls down to three buttons: Attack, Evade and Burst. The Bow lets you learn monster patterns from a safe distance.

Experienced players

If you enjoy timing-heavy weapons, pick up the Great Sword or the Heavy Bowgun. A well-placed Perfect Evade keeps a Great Sword charge alive, and a Perfect Guard reloads the Heavy Bowgun on the spot. If you already know the series, Classic Mode lets you keep the traditional Monster Hunter control layout.

Monster Hunter Outlanders Weapon Tier List changes

No changes since this list was first published.

Monster Hunter Outlanders Weapon Tier List FAQ

What is the best weapon in Monster Hunter Outlanders?

On paper, the Long Sword and the Bow. Both sit in S tier: the Long Sword for fast combos and counters that build the Spirit Gauge, the Bow for safe damage from range. This is a day-one ranking from the official kit, so it may change after testing.

How many weapon types are there in Monster Hunter Outlanders?

Eight at launch. In alphabetical order they are the Bow, Charge Blade, Dual Blades, Great Sword, Hammer, Heavy Bowgun, Lance and Long Sword. We rank seven of them; the Charge Blade waits for official details.

Why is the Charge Blade not ranked?

The Charge Blade arrives at launch as the eighth weapon type, added for the Fated Adventurer. There is no official weapon overview for it, and none of the 13 Adventurers on the official site uses it. With no kit to judge, any placement would be a guess, so we are waiting.

Can the Fated Adventurer switch weapons?

Probably. Handling more than one weapon type is part of the Fated Adventurer as officially described, but how and when you swap is never spelled out, so we cannot confirm it yet. The guide's own example hunter carries a Long Sword.

Which weapon is best for beginners?

The Bow or the Long Sword. The Bow lets you learn from a distance, and the Long Sword matches the example in the official guide. Pair either one with Adventure Mode, which uses only three buttons.

Does Sharpness matter in Monster Hunter Outlanders?

You do not need to carry or use whetstones. Sharpness is still there on melee weapons, but attacking never wears it down. That cuts a chore from melee play and does not change our ranking.

Which weapon fits Support play?

The Bow, on paper, with the Lance close behind. Madelyn is the only Adventurer whose official card mentions boosting nearby allies, and Madelyn uses the Bow. Arkaya uses the Lance, and in the closed beta tests Arkaya's shield went to the whole squad. Haze and Ryunosuke are also Support, but their cards describe no ally buffs.

Written and reviewed by Monster Hunter Outlanders Tier List Team on Oct 28, 2026. First published Oct 28, 2026. Spot an error? Tell us and we will log the fix on our corrections page.

Sources

Official sources we checked facts against, all on Oct 28, 2026. The writing and the rankings are our own.