Best starter Gunlance builds in Monster Hunter Wilds

The best Gunlance build in Monster Hunter Wilds is the one that doubles down on my favorite weapon's perfect balance of offense and defense. Playing Gunlance is about becoming an unstoppable object, shield at the ready to deflect glancing blows while poking a giant monster with a sharp stick in the gaps between assaults. The same can be said about the weapon's closest cousin, the Lance, but the Gunlance's advantage lies in its shelling combos.

"Shells" are what's fired from the Gunlance's embedded gun barrel—essentially shotgun blasts that deal consistent damage to monsters no matter how hard their skin. They can be fired one at a time, or you can unleash an entire magazine at once in a full blast combo. More on that later.

First I'll go over the Gunlance's optimal playstyle for new Monster Hunter players and explain the big differences made to the weapon for Wilds for returning players. Then we'll talk builds: Suggested armors and weapons that will carry you through Monster Hunter Wilds' Low Rank campaign from beginning to end.

How to play Gunlance in Monster Hunter Wilds

Optimal Gunlance play starts with getting comfortable with your shield, then learning a few bread-and-butter moves and combos to unleash when the monster gives you an opening:

1. Hold RT to block. The Gunlance shield covers a nearly 180 degree radius in front of the hunter and can block most attacks while dealing minimal chip damage.
2. Hold RT and press Y to poke the monster with your lance. This is a quick, safe, and repeatable attack that immediately gets you back into a guarded position.
3. Your best basic combo is the Full Blast: Press Forward + Y, Y+B, and then B to shoot all of your shells at once. From there, follow up with Y and Y to stick the monster with the Wyrmstake, a sticky explosive finishing move.
4. There are two ways to reload: A full reload (RT + B neutral) reloads your shells and the Wyrmstake. A quick reload (RT + B after attack) is a shorter animation that will only reload shells but can be integrated into any combo.
5. Wyvern's Fire: RT + Y + B is the Gunlances ultimate move, a huge stationary blast that takes a few seconds to charge and leaves the hunter vulnerable.

Such is the way of the Gunlance that we've followed for many years now, but Wilds introduces interesting shakeups to the gun poker we know so well. Here are some slightly advanced combat tips new to Wilds that Gunlance mains will want to learn after mastering the basics:

• The Multi-Wyrmstake Full Blast Combo is the Gunlance's new longest and hardest-hitting combo. It begins the same way as the standard Full Blast combo, but shoots shells in an over-the-head arch before immediately firing the Wyrmstake, then it does it all again: Forward + Y, Y+B, Y, Y+B, Y, B or Y.
• Perfect guards: A well-timed guard right as a monster hit connects triggers a Perfect Guard, a guard that won't knock you back and lets you shortcut into combos with Y.
• Shelling with B now lets you sidestep in any direction as you fire, giving the Gunlance more maneuverability to pivot around monsters while dishing out consistent damage.
• Gunlances have two Wyvern's Fire charges now, and immediately following up the first with a second blast will decrease its charge time. This is really useful for getting two Wyvern's Fire blasts off while a monster is stunned or sleeping.

Best Gunlance build for Low Rank

The first build is all about easing you into the Gunlance with some very complimentary perks.

• First weapon: Triple Bayonet 1

Yea it's a little boring, but this basic Gunlance gets you one of the best weapon perks in the game immediately: Guard Up, which lets you block otherwise unblockable attacks and reduces chip damage taken by 30% at level 1. That alone makes this the best starter Gunlance in my eyes, especially since it lets you shrug off almost any attack a Low Rank monster can muster just by holding block.

• Second weapon: Quematrice Culebrina 2

This Gunlance sacrifices our precious Guard Up, but trades it for a level 2 Guard skill, which reduces the knockback and stamina depletion from blocking by 30%. This makes a huge difference against the apex predators you'll be challenging by the middle of Low Rank. Its fire shelling is also stronger than the starter Gunlances, so that's a nice bonus.

• Third weapon: Ajara Gunpike 1

This one is best crafted once you're well acquainted with block timing and sidestepping, because it has no Guard or Guard Up. Instead it has two offensive perks: Offensive Guard, which increases your attack after a well-timed block, and Load Shells, which increases shell capacity. Both of those perks pair nicely with the blast elemental buildup that triggers huge explosions of damage.

• First armor set: Alloy Helm, Alloy Mail, Alloy Vambraces, Alloy Coil, Alloy Greaves

I swear I'm not phoning this one in: The basic Alloy armor set must've been tailor-made for Gunlance mains, because all of its perks are exactly what we're looking for in a starter set. Level 3 Tremor Resistance and level 2 Quick Sheathe are wonderful quality-of-life buffs that make early hunts less annoying, letting you mostly shrug off ground tremors that'd usually get past the Gunlance's shield and mitigate the Gunlance's sluggish sheathe animation in moments of panic.

• Second armor set: Quematrice Culebrina 2, Quematrice Helm, Ingot Mail, Quematrice Braces, Ingot Coil, Quematrice Greaves

This second build is available to craft early on, and you should consider it once you start feeling the need for a raw defense upgrade. The mix of Quematrice and Ingot gear is targeting a few other nice-to-have perks for Gunlance: Flinch Free 3 means your slow combos will be interrupted less often by light monster attacks (though you still take some damage), and Windproof lets you ignore those annoying howls when you inevitably don't block them in time.

• Third armor set: Ajarakan Helm, Ajarakan Mail, Alloy Vambraces, Alloy Coil, Ajarakan Greaves

You know what goes well with a Blast Gunlance that breaks monster parts every six seconds? Partbreaker, the star perk of the three Ajarakan armor pieces in this build. That's pretty much the whole reason to go for this set—that and the significant defense upgrade that comes with Rarity 3 armor. This is what I rocked through the last stretch of Low Rank. The nature of moving to High Rank means you won't want to wear this armor for too long after the campaign is finished, but I couldn't tear myself away from its despicable offensive output for a while.