The Gunlance is a unique weapon that combines physical thrusts with explosive shells. The most critical skill for any Gunlance build is Artillery, which increases shelling damage and adds an extra shell at Level 3.
1. Early Game Gunlance Build #
This build uses the Bone Gunlance and provides two levels of Artillery early on to boost your damage output.
| Part | Item | Key Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Bone Gunlance | Raw Damage |
| Head | Kulu Headpiece (Grade 2) | Lock On Lv. 1 |
| Chest | Basarios Mail (Grade 2) | Artillery Lv. 1 |
| Arms | Girros Vambraces (Grade 2) | Sneak Attack Lv. 1 |
| Waist | Jagras Coil (Grade 4) | Fortify Lv. 1, Rising Tide Lv. 1 |
| Legs | Basarios Greaves (Grade 2) | Artillery Lv. 1 |
2. Endgame Builds (By Shelling Type) #
Normal Shelling (Burst Focus) #
Focuses on the Burst Fire (Full Burst) playstyle. Burst skill increases your physical damage after landing consecutive hits.
| Part | Item | Key Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Royal Burst (Pink Rathian) | Normal Shelling |
| Head | Zinogre Helm (Grade 6) | Burst Lv. 1 |
| Chest | Basarios Mail (Grade 6) | Artillery Lv. 2 |
| Arms | Rathian Vambraces (Grade 6) | Burst Lv. 2, Lock On Lv. 1 |
| Waist | Rathian Coil (Grade 6) | Burst Lv. 1 |
| Legs | Basarios Greaves (Grade 4) | Artillery Lv. 1, Guard Lv. 1 |
Long Shelling (Charged Focus) #
Uses the Insatiable Gunlance (Deviljho) for the strongest charged shells. Focus is essential to reduce the time needed to charge shots.
| Part | Item | Key Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Insatiable Gunlance (Deviljho) | Long Shelling |
| Head | Rath Soul Helm (Grade 6) | Focus Lv. 2 |
| Chest | Basarios Mail (Grade 6) | Artillery Lv. 2 |
| Arms | Diablos Nero Vambraces (Grade 6) | Focus Lv. 1, Resentment Lv. 1 |
| Waist | Rathalos Coil (Grade 5) | Focus Lv. 1 |
| Legs | Basarios Greaves (Grade 4) | Artillery Lv. 1, Guard Lv. 1 |
3. Elemental Build (Wide Shelling) #
Wide shelling favors a poke-shelling style, mixing physical thrusts with single shots. This build uses elemental weapons to exploit monster weaknesses.
| Part | Item | Key Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Jyura Buster (Water) / High Volt (Thunder) | Wide Shelling |
| Head | Pukei Lagoon Hat (Grade 8) | Lock On Lv. 1, Weakness Exploit Lv. 2 |
| Chest | Basarios Mail (Grade 6) | Artillery Lv. 2 |
| Arms | Rath Soul Braces (Grade 6) | Critical Boost Lv. 2 |
| Waist | Rath Heart Coil (Grade 6) | Critical Eye Lv. 2 |
| Legs | Basarios Greaves (Grade 4) | Artillery Lv. 1, Guard Lv. 1 |
Gunlance Combat Tips #
- Artillery Priority: Always prioritize getting Artillery Level 3 first, as it provides an additional shell for your clip.
- Shelling Style: Match your playstyle to the weapon. Normal is for Full Bursts, Long is for Charged Shells, and Wide is for Poke-Shelling.
- Special Skill: Wyvern’s Fire is a massive explosion. Use Special Boost to increase its damage even further.
- Guard: While you can guard monster attacks, hunts in Monster Hunter Now are short; focus on aggressive attacking while using Guard only when necessary.
