The latest dated editorial ranking found places Charge Blade, Heavy Bowgun, Long Sword, Great Sword, Insect Glaive, Gunlance, Sword & Shield, and Switch Axe in S tier. It ranks Bow, Hunting Horn, Lance, Dual Blades, and Light Bowgun in A, with Hammer in B. The list says it weighs solo clear speed, endgame build ceiling, ease of use, and multiplayer value; it is not an official Capcom ranking.
Monster Hunter Wilds weapon tiers
The placements below are from the MHW Wilds Build tier list updated September 27, 2026. That page identifies its game version as 1.042. The version and its claim that the ranking is stable until a future expansion are the page’s statements; they have not been independently verified against Capcom patch notes.
| Tier | Weapons |
|---|---|
| S | Charge Blade, Heavy Bowgun, Long Sword, Great Sword, Insect Glaive, Gunlance, Sword & Shield, Switch Axe |
| A | Bow, Hunting Horn, Lance, Dual Blades, Light Bowgun |
| B | Hammer |
This is an editorial snapshot, not a measured official ordering. No shared test protocol or official Capcom performance data establishes that one weapon is objectively superior across all hunts and players.
What the tier list measures
The September ranking combines four considerations: solo clear speed, endgame build ceiling, ease of use, and value in multiplayer. Those criteria can pull in different directions: a weapon’s potential at the endgame is not the same question as how quickly a new player can learn it or how much it contributes to a party.
Other lists use different lenses. Scoutflies’ July 16, 2026, Title Update 4 list considers solo and party performance, and discusses Artian weapon optimization and Zoh Shia clear times. Its goal-specific recommendations favor Charge Blade and Insect Glaive for solo speedruns, Great Sword for beginners, and Hunting Horn for party utility. The September ranking’s S placement for Great Sword and A placement for Hunting Horn therefore need not contradict those recommendations: they answer a broader mix of criteria rather than a single goal.
A 2025 PC Gamer list explicitly emphasizes versatility, utility, and feel over speedrunning potential. Icy Veins’ available excerpt names Bow, Gunlance, Heavy Bowgun, and Long Sword in S tier and says it considers ease of use and effectiveness, but the excerpt does not provide a clear update date or full table. These examples show why tier lists can differ; older or partial rankings should not be treated as the current complete order.
Choose a weapon by your goal
If you care most about solo speed
Use the September list as one broad snapshot, then look at rankings specifically built around solo efficiency rather than assuming its S tier is a speedrun leaderboard. Scoutflies’ July 2026 recommendations single out Charge Blade and Insect Glaive for solo speedruns, but that list is older and framed around Title Update 4.
If you are new to the game
The latest broad list includes no dedicated beginner ranking. Scoutflies recommends Great Sword for beginners, while the September list places it in S tier under its combined criteria. Treat that as a starting point, not a guarantee that it will be the easiest fit for every player.
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If you want endgame build potential
Endgame build ceiling is one of the September list’s stated criteria, but its published tier placements do not provide a separate build-ceiling score for each weapon. Use the tiers as an overall assessment rather than reading them as a detailed endgame build guide.
If you mainly play multiplayer
Party utility may matter more to you than solo clear speed. Scoutflies’ July list points to Hunting Horn for party utility; in the September ranking it is A tier. That difference is another reason to match the list’s goal to your own rather than selecting only from its top tier.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does a lower tier mean a weapon is bad?
No. A tier describes a weapon’s placement under a particular list’s criteria; it is not a verdict on whether the weapon can finish the game. The weapon-choice guide says optimized clear times do not determine whether a weapon can complete it. Icy Veins’ available excerpt likewise says every weapon is viable with mastery. Pick for the way you like to hunt, and use the ranking as context rather than a requirement.
Quick Recap
How to read this ranking
- Start with the date and scope: the most current specifically dated ranking here is the September 27, 2026, list, which labels itself version 1.042.
- Check the goal: a list optimized for solo efficiency or party support may produce different recommendations from one combining several factors.
- Do not infer precision the sources do not provide: there are no substantiated damage percentages, usage rates, or controlled completion-time comparisons in these rankings.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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