If you're diving into *Monster Hunter Wilds* as a solo player, choosing the right weapon is crucial for covering all your bases without backup. Some weapons offer robust defense, others bring sheer power to the table, and certain ones allow you to exploit monster weaknesses with finesse. Here’s a curated list of the top five weapons that will elevate your solo play experience, complete with insights on why they stand out.

Best Monster Hunter Wilds Weapons for Solo Play

• Switch Axe
• Hammer
• Great Sword
• Lance
• Heavy Bowgun

Switch Axe

Mastering the Switch Axe requires time, planning, and patience, but it's well worth the effort, especially for solo play. This weapon offers versatility that surpasses even the Charge Blade, with potent combos in both axe and sword forms. The axe form's wild swing lets you unleash a barrage of heavy hits, while switching to the sword form opens up a range of intricate combos, including the traditional burst attack and chain attacks that can skyrocket your damage output, even with lower-level versions of the weapon.

Hammer

The Hammer stands out not only as a top choice for beginners but also as an excellent weapon for solo players in *Monster Hunter Wilds*. It boasts unparalleled damage potential, allowing you to focus on ailment branches like sleep or paralysis while still delivering devastating blows. Its ability to break weak points and knock monsters down makes it easier to control encounters and maximize your loot from broken parts and wounds, speeding up your hunts.

Great Sword

The Great Sword is the epitome of doing a few things exceptionally well. Despite its slow movement, it compensates with a shield-like function to guard against attacks. Its main attraction is the charged attack, which comes in three levels. Mastering the timing to reach the highest level of charge can be challenging, but even the basic and first-level attacks pack a significant punch, making it a formidable choice for solo players.

Lance

The Lance in *Monster Hunter Wilds* has evolved significantly, offering more than just defensive capabilities. It boasts the game's most powerful guard and thrust attacks, which can lead to multi-hit combos and enhanced mobility options. A new guarding skill uses stamina for more effective blocking, and a ramming attack adds to its arsenal. While it may take longer to finish hunts due to lower damage output compared to weapons like the Great Sword, the Lance's improvements make it a robust choice for solo players.

Heavy Bowgun

The Heavy Bowgun edges out the Light Bowgun in solo play due to its higher damage output and larger ammo capacity. Its burst mode, despite the cooldown, delivers a powerful punch that makes the wait worthwhile. With the ability to equip various ammo types—including endless standard rounds, piercing ammo, and status ailment-coated rounds—the Heavy Bowgun offers unmatched versatility. Its long-range capabilities allow you to safely deal damage without needing to stay close to the monster, making it an ideal weapon for solo hunters.