After sinking 40 hours into the Monster Hunter Wilds closed beta testing every melee weapon available, I can confidently say the gunlance is one of the most underrated picks for both casual and veteran players. It blends the defensive stability of a standard lance with the explosive firepower of a handheld cannon, letting you tank even the hardest-hitting monster attacks while dishing out massive damage that ignores even thick armor plating. If you’ve ever written off the gunlance as too clunky or complicated to learn, this guide breaks down everything you need to know to make it your go-to weapon for every hunt.
Gunlance Monster Hunter Wilds Core Mechanics You Need to Master First
Before you jump into slaying Rathian or Anjanath with your new weapon, you need to understand the unique core mechanics that set the gunlance apart from every other melee option in the game. Unlike the regular lance that relies entirely on piercing thrust attacks, the gunlance has two separate damage sources: your melee stabs, which scale with raw attack and sharpness, and your explosive shells, which deal fixed damage based on your weapon’s shelling level and type. Shelling type is the single most important factor to consider when picking a gunlance, as it completely changes how you play the weapon. You’ll also want to pay close attention to sharpness management – your shells don’t consume sharpness, but your melee stabs do, and you won’t be able to fire shells at all if your sharpness drops below red. Guard edge is another hidden mechanic you’ll want to learn, as it lets you block attacks right as you start a thrust or reload animation without taking any stamina damage.
There are three core shelling types you’ll find across all gunlance variants in the game:
You don’t have to stick to one shelling type forever, of course. I switch between normal for solo hunts and wide for multiplayer sessions depending on what my team needs.
Beginner-Friendly Gunlance Combos That Don’t Require Perfect Timing
You don’t need to memorize 15 different complex combos to be effective with the gunlance, especially when you’re first starting out. These simple, timing-friendly combos will get you through almost every early and mid-game hunt without needing to practice for hours in the training area first.
The basic poke and shell combo is your go-to for most situations: press the light attack button three times to do three quick thrusts, then press the heavy attack button once to fire a shell, then reload. This combo is fast, has very little end lag, and lets you stay in guard position almost the entire time, so you can block incoming attacks right away if the monster turns to hit you.
If you’re comfortable with guard points, the guard counter combo will drastically boost your damage output. When you block an attack, press the heavy attack button right after the block connects to fire a point-blank shell directly into the monster’s closest body part, then follow up with two thrusts and another shell. I use this combo 70% of the time on hunts, as it rewards you for blocking attacks instead of running away from them.
Save the Wyvern’s Fire follow-up for when a monster is staggered or knocked down, as it has a long cooldown and a lot of end lag. Wait until the monster is lying on the ground unable to move, then line up your shot directly at its weakest point, fire Wyvern’s Fire, then follow up with a full reload and three quick shells to maximize damage before it gets back up. That’s really all you need for the first 20 hours of play. You can learn more complex combos later, but these three will carry you through almost every hunt.
Optimal Early-Game Gunlance Build for New MH Wilds Players
You don’t need endgame rare gear to make a viable gunlance build, even for some of the harder early-game hunts. This build uses only low-rank materials you can farm in the first two areas of the map, and it works for all three shelling types so you don’t have to swap armor every time you try a new gunlance.
The core of the build is the Kulu-Ya-Ku helm, Jagras chest and gauntlets, and Rhenoplos greaves and waist. You can farm all these materials from monsters you fight in the first 10 hours of the game, no rare drops required. The key skills you’ll get from this build are Guard +3, which lets you block almost all monster attacks without losing stamina or getting knocked back, Shelling Boost +2, which increases your shell damage by 20% and lets you hold one extra shell per reload, and Speed Sharpening +2, which cuts your sharpening time in half so you can fix your sharpness in the middle of a fight without getting hit.
This build does have a small downside: you’ll have -10 to your stamina recovery, so you won’t be able to run as long after a monster if it runs away. But that’s not a big problem for gunlance players, since you’re better off waiting for the monster to come to you anyway instead of chasing it across the map. As you unlock high-rank gear, you can swap pieces out to add skills like Artillery to boost Wyvern’s Fire damage, or Guard Up to block unblockable attacks like monster roars and laser beams. But this low-rank build will get you all the way to the first high-rank hunt without any issues.
Common Gunlance Mistakes to Avoid on Your First Hunts
I made almost all of these mistakes in my first few hunts with the gunlance, so learning to avoid them will save you a lot of frustrating carts and wasted hunt time.
The most common mistake new players make is forgetting to reload after 3-4 shells. If you run out of shells mid-combo, you’ll be stuck fumbling with a reload animation right as the monster attacks, which will almost always get you hit. Get in the habit of reloading any time the monster backs up or roars, so you always have a full clip ready to go when it gets close again.
Another big mistake is ignoring sharpness drops. Even though your shells don’t use sharpness, you can’t fire them at all if your sharpness drops to red level. I’ve had multiple hunts where I forgot to sharpen for 10 minutes, then suddenly couldn’t fire any shells right as the monster entered its enraged state. Keep a stack of whetstones in your item pouch at all times, and sharpen any time you have a 10-second window of downtime.
Don’t fall into the trap of overusing Wyvern’s Fire either. It deals big damage, but it has a two-minute cooldown, and if you use it when the monster is moving, you’ll almost always miss. I only use Wyvern’s Fire when the monster is knocked over, trapped, or staggered, so I can guarantee I hit its weakest point for maximum damage. Finally, don’t use the wrong playstyle for your shelling type. If you’re using a long shelling gunlance, don’t waste its range by getting right up in the monster’s face. If you’re using a wide shelling gunlance, don’t stand far away trying to hit small weak points from across the area. Match your playstyle to your shelling type, and you’ll deal 50% more damage with almost no extra effort.
Whether you’re a long-time gunlance main or trying the weapon for the first time, the gunlance in Monster Hunter Wilds is far more flexible than most players give it credit for. You don’t need to be a pro at complex combos or perfect guard points to be effective, just focus on mastering the core mechanics that fit your preferred playstyle, and tweak your build as you unlock higher rarity gear. Next time you’re picking a weapon for a tough hunt, give the gunlance a shot – you might be surprised how much fun you have blowing up even the biggest, angriest monsters without taking a single point of damage.