For many Monster Hunter players, the Heavy Bowgun in World will feel like a bit of a downgrade. Coming from ‘Generations Ultimate with it’s Aerial and Valor mode power spikes, you might be forgiven for writing the weapon off completely. Not so fast however, for the HBG still has some might left in it. The weapon may not be the absolute peak, top of the pile DPS monster that it used to be, but it’s still a powerful tool in it’s own right, and one that you’ll have great fun using throughout World. Much like it’s smaller brethren however, players’ initial foray into the weapon can be a little confusing, what with all of the ammo types and attachments, so we’ve put together a short list of three HBG that are worth getting your hands on in the early game.
Heavy Bowgun #3: Pulsar Shooter
First up on our Heavy Bowgun list is the Pulsar Shooter, of which the name is likely to be familiar to regular readers. Yes it’s yet another of the excellent Tobi Kadachi weapons, but rather than shy away from this and attempt to make alternative recommendations for the sake of variety, we’re just going to lean into the skid. On balance, the weapons made from Tobi Kadachi parts are very good early game weapons, with a select few even scaling well into the late game. Unfortunately this Heavy Bowgun falls into the former category, but for the period in which it shines it does so bright.
As you may or may not know, HBG tend to fall into three categories; Normal, Pierce or Spread. Some versions will have access to more than one of these ammo types, certainly in the case of Normal shots, but they each tend to specialise and perform best with one of them. Generally speaking the Pierce and Spread HBG will have the capability of dealing more damage, though this is dependant on positioning and monster type. Thicker or longer monsters are more ideal for the Pierce type, and monsters that you can approach more easily will see the Spread do well. Normal type do have their place of course, though we’d argue that the LBG is more ideal for such things.
All that being said, the Pulsar Shooter tends towards the Pierce side of the equation. It comes with the ability to fire up to level 3 pierce ammo and, with either a Recoil Suppressor or Reload Assist attachment, it’ll be able to deal a great deal of damage to larger monsters – something early World players will meet in their near future. Per usual with the Tobi Kadachi weapons, this model comes with a nice 10% affinity, which works well with the multi-hit Pierce ammo. The raw damage isn’t the highest, and the additional Ammo choices aren’t fantastic outside of the Paralysis & Thunder options, but the Pierce loading and affinity combine to make this a powerful early choice.
Early Features
- Great Pierce HBG for the early game.
- 10% Affinity works well with Pierce ammo.
- No deviation at all.
- Medium Raw damage.
- High capacity of Thunder ammo is a nice bonus.
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Heavy Bowgun #2: Blazing Assault
From an excellent early game Pierce HBG, we now find ourselves in the exact same position with a Spread model. As noted, Spread Ammo is all about getting up in your opponents face to maximise the damage done, which is ironic really because in the act of crafting this particular model – Blazing Assault – you’ll be having a certain fire spitting T-Rex wannabe all up in your grill. Yes, you’re going to have to take down Anjanath a few times to get your hands on this HBG, but we didn’t say it would be easy now did we?
The HBG itself is a fantastic example of the Spread type. It comes with a high amount of raw damage, which is ideal for all weapons of course, but is amplified significantly by the Spread Ammo. Get up in a monster’s face and you’ll be able to deal massive chunks of damage with every shot, though we’d definitely recommend that you consider putting some Recoil Suppressors on it, thus ensuring your up-close time can be minimised when necessary. The weapon does come with negative affinity, but this isn’t too much of an issue when you’re throwing out so many hits, besides which the raw damage is adjusted to suit, and you’ll be able to mitigate this as you progress with skills like Weakness Exploit.
Why is it just for the early game then? Well, the upgrades to this weapon are pretty good and it’s one of the only viable Fire type HBG in the game, but it’s sadly outclassed by the Nergigante version that you’ll be able to craft at the end of High Rank. For the early and mid game however, Spread HBG don’t come much better than this.
Early Features
- Powerful Spread HBG
- Flaming capacity
- High Raw
- High deviation (doesn’t matter for Spread)
- Good upgrades, though Nergigante Spread is better when you get there
- Prioritise Recoil Suppressor, less time in front of a monster
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Heavy Bowgun #1: Shattercryst
Our previous two Heavy Bowgun have been early game stars, designed to burn bright for a period of time, before burning out and being replaced by bigger and better models. So, how about we make a change and highlight one of the best HBG investments you can possibly make in the early game? Enter the Legiana HBG, otherwise known as the Shattercryst. You’ll need to take down the flighty ice-y one of course, but taking down a Legiana is one of those Monster Hunter rites of passage, so do your best to enjoy it!
In terms of HBG that you can actually craft, the Shattercryst and it’s upgraded versions are the absolute best Pierce HBG that you can get your hands on. The late game will present options, along with a very powerful version from a ‘Golden’ enemy of sorts, but this thing will perform just as well and you can craft it all the way down in Low Rank! The weapon comes with medium raw, as you might imagine, but an excellent selection of ammunition and Pierce capabilities ensure that it always does high damage. We recommend that you put a few Reload Assist and perhaps one Recoil Suppressor on there and then never look back. Use it, upgrade it and keep it by your side throughout World. It even has a good selection of elemental Ammo, Freeze and Flaming in particular.
Early Features
- Amazing pierce HBG
- No deviation
- Both Freeze & Flaming Ammo
- Medium raw, because pierce
- One of the best pierce HBG throughout, even upgraded version
- Reload assist & 1 Recoil Suppressor for good balance, go triple reload if you want quick Pierce 3 reloads
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Categories: Monster Hunter World, Top 5