Wilds LBG Guide

Monster Hunter: Wilds Light Bowgun Guide

Version 1.3: Updated for TU3

By Dingus, Cylon, Damo, UnkemptHerald, and Scrub

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Contact info: Discord: Dingus dingusassley Cylon cylon_ Damo damo3124 UnkemptHerald unkemptherald Scrub scrubadumb

You can find us all in the #light-bowgun channel in the MHGH discord server:

https://discord.gg/monsterhunter

Special thanks to: AngBata, eichigo, kittibyou, kat, and the rest of the MHGH Bowgun community.

Table of Contents Chapter 1: Weapon Guide

1. About the Authors

2. Introduction to the Weapon

3. Inputs and Basics

4. Mechanics 4.1 Bowgun Mods 4.2 Ammo 4.3 Special Ammo 4.3.1 Adhesive Ammo 4.3.2 Wyvernblast 4.4 Rapid Fire Mode 4.5 Critical Distance 4.6 Mounted Combat

5. Moveset Breakdown/Tech 5.1 Standard Moveset 5.1.1 Firing 5.1.2 Reloading 5.1.3 Chaser Shot 5.1.4 Sidestep 5.1.5 Slide 5.1.6 Focus Blast: Eagle Strike 5.1.7 Special Ammo 5.2 Rapid Fire Mode Moveset 5.2.1 Rapid Firing 5.2.2 Burst Step 5.2.3 Sidestep Reload 5.2.4 Rapid Fire Chaser Shot

6. Playstyles/Gameplay Loop

6.1 Spread 6.2 Pierce 6.3 Normal 6.4 Elemental

7. Hunting Preparation 7.1 Item Pouch 7.2 Ammo Pouch 7.3 Radials and Shortcuts

8. Advanced Player Tips

9. Closing Thoughts

Chapter 2: Build Progression

1. When to Use Progression Builds

2. Story Progression Guide 2.1 Early LR Build 2.2.1 Ore Bowgun 2.3.3 Rey Dau Bowgun 2.4 Late LR Build (Optional) 2.5 Early HR Build 2.6 Alternate Early HR Build

3. Early Post-Game Progression Guide (HR21+) 3.1 HR21 Second Wind Build 3.2 HR31 Second Wind Build

4. Late Post-Game Progression Guide (HR41+) 4.1 FulGore Build

Chapter 3: Endgame Build Guide

1. Build Guide Assumptions 1.1 Skill Priority 1.1.1 Raw Skill Priority 1.1.2 Elemental Skill Priority 1.2 RNG Talismans

2. Artians and Alternatives 2.1 Craftable Bowguns 2.1.1 Fire 2.1.2 Water

2.1.3 Thunder 2.1.4 Ice 2.2 Artian Weapons 2.2.1 Forging Artian Weapons 2.2.2 Reinforcing Artian Weapons 2.2.3 “Save-scumming” Artian Reinforcements 2.2.4 Artian Decos

3. Meta Build Guide 3.1 Pierce Ammo 3.2 Spread Ammo 3.3 Elemental Ammo

5. Alternative Builds 4.1 Normal Ammo 4.2 Peak 5/Ambush 3 Elemental LBG

5. Meme Builds

6. Meta Matchup Chart

7. I’ve Been Away. What’s Changed?

8. FAQs

9. Resources

10. Acknowledgements 10.1: Primary Contributors 10.2: YouTubers 10.3 Heavy Bowgun Friends 10.4: Discord Servers 10.5: Wiggler Team

11. Changelog

Weapon Guide

Chapter 1: Weapon Guide

1. About the Authors

Cylon is a Monster Hunter veteran. He has many years of Bowgun experience, starting with the original Monster Hunter on PS2.

Damo is an avid Bowgunner and spreadsheet enjoyer. Without his time spent coding simulations and various damage calculations, a large part of this guide would have been impossible.

Dingus is a long-time member of the MHGH community and veteran of the series, as well as the author of the original version of this guide. Without his work, this guide would not exist as it does today.

UnkemptHerald is another long-time MHGH community member and Bowgun veteran whose datamining work, testing and input have been invaluable for the research of this guide.

Scrub is an active wilds hunter who makes build and playstyle optimizations. He has edited much of the written guide and provides speedrunning insights.

2. Introduction to the Weapon Light Bowgun (LBG) is a fast and versatile weapon, using its superior mobility and consistent damage to outmaneuver and lock down monsters. While it may not boast the high damage numbers of other weapons, it is able to output chart-topping damage-per-second while still bringing plenty of utility to a hunt, whether it be multiplayer or solo. Compared to previous games, LBG has seen major changes in Wilds.

3. Inputs and Basics Bowguns rely on ammo, most of which has to be purchased or crafted. This will be detailed further in Section 4 of the guide. Light Bowgun heavily plays around the Rapid Fire (RF) Mode mechanic, which is also explained in Sections 4 and 5.

Action Input (M+KB) Input (Controller) Input (PS5) Move WASD Left Stick Left Stick Evade Space A X Fire/Unsheathe M1 RT R2 Aim/Focus Mode M2 LT L2 Sidestep (after firing) Space A X Slide (after sidestep) Space A X Reload R Y Triangle Sheathe E X Square Sprint/Sheathe (while not aiming) LShift RB R1 Enter/Exit Rapid Fire Mode F B Circle

Special Ammo R+F or M4 Y+B Triangle+Circle Focus Blast (while aiming) LShift, hold to charge RB, hold to charge R1, hold to charge Cycle Ammo Scrollwheel up/down LB+ Y/A L1+Triangle/X Cycle Item Pouch Ctrl+Scrollwheel up/down LB+X/B L1+Square/Circle Use Item (while sheathed) E X Square Fire Slinger (while aiming) M3 L3 L3 Chaser Shot (after aiming) firing while F B Circle

RF Chaser (after firing in RF mode while aiming) F B Circle

Burst Step (while aiming in RF mode) Move + M1 + Space Move + RT + A Move + R2 + X

Burst Step (after firing in RF mode while aiming) Move + Space Move + RT Move + R2

Sidestep Reload (while aiming in RF Mode at 0 ammo) Move + M1 + Space Move + RT + A Move + R2 + X

Sidestep Reload (after firing in RF mode while aiming at 0 ammo) Move + Space Move + A Move + X Figure 3A, Basic Input List

4. Mechanics

Figure 4A, bowgun UI elements

Bowguns play very differently and have several unique mechanics to separate them from other weapons, all detailed individually in the subsections below.

4.1 Bowgun Mods

Figure 4.1A, the Customize Bowgun interface

Bowguns uniquely have mods associated with them, which can be selected from the Customize Bowgun menu at camp. Mods in Wilds are fairly simple compared to previous games, mostly affecting only ammo level or capacity (both explained further below in Section 4.2). Which mods are available is determined by the bowgun being customized. Additionally, Special Ammo can be equipped in the Customize Bowgun menu, which is explained in Section 4.3.

Mod Name Mod Effect Normal Ammo Magazine Normal Ammo Capacity +1 Pierce Ammo Magazine Pierce Ammo Capacity +1 Spread Ammo Magazine Spread Ammo Capacity +1 Elemental Boost Magazine Elemental Ammo Capacity +1 Rapid Fire Magazine All Ammo Capacity +1 in RF Mode Special Ammo Magazine Special Ammo Capacity +1 Normal Ammo Powder Normal Ammo Level +1 Pierce Ammo Powder Pierce Ammo Level +1 Spread Ammo Powder Spread Ammo Level +1 Elemental Ammo Powder Elemental Ammo Level +1 Rapid Fire Mod 10% Faster RF Gauge Recovery Special Ammo Mod 10% Faster Special Ammo Recovery Figure 4.1B, Bowgun Mod List

4.2 Ammo

Figure 4.2A, the Ammo Pouch interface

Bowguns fire ammo, which have various effects based on the type and level of the ammo used. Most ammo has to be crafted, but “raw” varieties, Normal, Pierce and Spread, are infinite. Ammo is stored in the Ammo Pouch to be carried with you on hunts. Excluding raw ammo types, all ammo has a limited capacity that can be carried with you at one time. By carrying crafting materials with you, this capacity can effectively be extended; examples of this are included in Section 7.1 of the guide.

Ammo can be refilled at camp either through the Item Pouch menu or through the Ammo Pouch menu. Make sure to build a habit of restocking non-raw ammo between every hunt when using it. Note that after TU2, restocking items also automatically restocks ammo.

Figure 4.2B, the Ammo Info for the Szelatya Clairgun (colloquially known as the Reygun)

Ammo types have a level and a magazine capacity that are both determined by the equipped gun; higher level ammo deals more damage or otherwise has increased effects. Raw ammo types have a maximum level of 3, while other ammo types have a maximum level of 1 or 2. The current magazine is shown in the bottom right of the screen (see Figure 4A) as well as beneath the crosshair while aiming.

Certain ammo can be rapid-fired while in Rapid Fire Mode (detailed in Section 4.4). This is determined by the Bowgun being used and is shown in the Ammo Info for each gun by two orange upward arrows, as shown above in Figure 4.2B.

Ammo Type Description Pouch Limit Normal Deals raw damage Infinite Pierce Deals high raw damage Infinite Spread Deals raw damage, high recoil Infinite Flaming Deals Fire damage 60 Water Deals Water damage 60 Thunder Deals Thunder damage 60 Freeze Deals Ice damage 60 Dragon Deals Dragon damage 4 Tranq Works the same as Tranq Bombs 8 Paralysis Inflicts Paralysis buildup 12 Poison Inflicts Poison buildup 12 Sleep Inflicts Sleep buildup 12 Exhaust Inflicts KO buildup 12 Demon Produces a cloud with Demonpowder effect

3

Armor Produces a cloud with Hardshell Powder effect

3

Recover Produces a cloud with Lifepowder effect

3

Sticky Explodes after delay, headshots stun

9

Slicing Currently HBG-exclusive 12

Cluster Currently HBG-exclusive 3 Wyvern Currently HBG-exclusive 5 Figure 4.2C, Bowgun Ammo List

4.3 Special Ammo

Figure 4.3A, selecting Special Ammo

Light Bowgun can choose between two Special Ammo options, Wyvernblast or Adhesive Ammo. Both are detailed below, but currently the choice does not matter as neither are strong enough to be used regularly in optimal gameplay.

Special Ammo has a recharge time of 100 seconds and a default capacity of 1. The cooldown can be reduced by 10 seconds with the Special Ammo Mod, and the capacity can be increased to 2 using the Special Ammo Magazine Mod.

4.3.1 Adhesive Ammo

Adhesive Ammo fires a projectile which sticks to the monster when it hits. Left alone, it will detonate after 25 seconds, dealing six ticks of damage plus an explosion afterwards. This damage scales with hits that land on the projectile, up to 22, at which point it will preemptively detonate.

● 1-10 hits No additional scaling, will cause 6 ticks of damage followed by an explosion.. ● 11-21 hits Additional 6 ticks, for a total of 12 ticks followed by an explosion. ● 22 hits Preemptive detonation and another 6 ticks, for a total of 18 followed by an explosion. ● Damage is boosted by 20% for both the ticks and explosion by Special Ammo Boost skill. ● Tick damage scales with Raw and can crit. ● Ticks deal slicing damage, and thus can cut tails. ● The final explosion does not deal slicing damage and cannot crit. ● Ticks are affected by hitzones, weakness exploit applies; however, the explosion is hitzone-independent. ● Affected by Element Boost skills, but only on Artian weapons made with that element. ● Affected by Critical Element. ● Not affected by Coalescence. ● Long loading animation, very high recoil. ● Shots that hit Adhesive Ammo give +1 RF Gauge charge (see Section 4.4).

4.3.2 Wyvernblast

Wyvernblast places an explosive at your feet. When hit, it will detonate for Raw damage which is hitzone independent and scales with Raw. It can be detonated up to three times before disappearing.

4.4 Rapid Fire Mode

Figure 4.4A, the orange ammo indicator and RF gauge indicate being in RF Mode

A new change with Wilds is Rapid Fire (RF) Mode. Different guns are able to RF different ammo types, and unlike in previous games, can only do so while in RF Mode. RF Mode uses a gauge, visible in the bottom right of the screen (shown in Figure 4A) which charges slowly over time, and can be charged faster by firing shots and chasers outside of RF mode. While charging, the meter is blue, and upon reaching full charge, it turns orange. Note that you can still enter RF mode without the gauge being fully charged.

While aiming in RF Mode, the ammo indicator in the center of the screen will turn bright yellow/orange and the RF gauge will appear underneath (shown in Figure 4.4A). Only ammo that the weapon is capable of rapid firing can be selected, and instead of one shot, each pull of the trigger will fire a volley of shots, the number of which depends upon the ammo type being fired. In addition, the moveset of the weapon changes, allowing for Burst Step, Sidestep Reload, and RF Chasers to be used, all of which are detailed in Section 5. RF Mode is a massive damage increase, so maintaining uptime on it should be one of your highest priorities on Light Bowgun.

Ammo Type Shots Fired Normal 5 Pierce 3 Spread 2 Elemental 2 Status 2 Sticky 2 Figure 4.4B, RF Volley Table

Ammo Type Charge Gain Per Shot Normal 1 1.0 x 3 ticks (3.0) Normal 2 1.0 x 3 ticks (3.0) Normal 3 1.0 x 3 ticks (3.0) Pierce 1 0.45 x 5 ticks (2.25) Pierce 2 0.44 x 7 ticks (3.08) Pierce 3 0.44 x 9 ticks (3.96) Spread 1 1.0 x 5 (5.0)

Spread 2 0.98 x 6 (5.88) Spread 3 1.0 x 7 (7.0) Element 0 Sticky 0 Chaser (Any Ammo) 4.0 Figure 4.4C, RF Charge Rates (Source)

4.5 Critical Distance

Figure 4.5A, the orange crosshair indicates being within Critical Distance

Bowguns are affected by Critical Distance, which is the range at which your ammo will deal optimal damage. This is indicated by the crosshair turning orange (see Figure 4.5A above). Staying within Critical Distance is an absolute necessity, as firing ammo from outside of it will do significantly reduced damage depending on the ammo fired.. The range of Critical Distance varies based on the ammo type being fired and can be increased by the Ballistics weapon skill.

Ammo Type Penalty Close Penalty Far Normal N/A -90% Pierce -60% -90% Spread -90% -90% Elemental -50% Raw -50% Raw Figure 4.5B, penalties for being outside of Critical Distance by ammo type.

4.6 Mounted Combat

Figure 4.6A, this target dummy is really gonna get it this time

Another new addition to Wilds is the ability to draw and fire your weapon while mounted on your Seikret. While you are aiming a weapon, your Seikret is unable to sprint and will move significantly slower. You are unable to use RF Mode while mounted. Note that firing while mounted incurs a -60% damage penalty.

Overall, this has limited usefulness, but could be a fun way to get off a cheeky paralyze in a multiplayer hunt, or perhaps build some RF gauge against a particularly mobile monster that you’re having trouble dodging.

5. Moveset Breakdown/Tech

While basic inputs were covered in Section 3, this section of the guide will provide a breakdown of what Light Bowgun can do, starting from the basics, along with providing explanations of some unique techniques and interactions.

5.1 Standard Moveset

This subsection covers the standard moveset outside of RF Mode.

5.1.1 Firing

(image needed) Figure 5.1.1A, pew pew

The most basic action on a Bowgun is firing. Firing uses up one ammo from the magazine, does damage, has recoil depending upon the ammo fired, and can be followed up with either a Chaser Shot (Section 5.1.3), a Sidestep (Section 5.1.?), or another shot. Firing can charge the RF Gauge with certain ammo types (Section 4.4).

5.1.2 Reloading

(image needed) Figure 5.1.2A, one sec, gotta feed my gun more bullets

Reloading is a big part of Bowgun gameplay, and one that requires some practice with positioning and timing as it leaves you vulnerable during the animation. Can be triggered automatically by attempting to fire with an empty magazine, or manually with a reload input.

5.1.3 Chaser Shot

(image needed) Figure 5.1.3A, thought I was done, didn’t you?

Chaser shots are a new addition in Wilds, letting us follow up a shot with another 2-shot volley for 1 ammo. Chasers deal higher damage than standard shots but are slower as a tradeoff. Chaser shots always have a fixed RF Gauge recharge rate, regardless of the ammo type fired (see Section 4.4 for more details). Chaser shots are used heavily with certain ammo types to generate RF charge, explained in Section 6.

Chaser shots can be followed by a Slide (Section 5.1.5).

5.1.4 Sidestep

(image needed) Figure 5.1.4A, let me just get out of your way real quick

After firing a shot, it can be followed up by a quick sidestep to either the left or right, depending on the direction inputted. This has brief iframes, and can be followed by a Slide (Section 5.1.5).

5.1.5 Slide

(image needed) Figure 5.1.5A, just gonna slide out of here

Certain actions can be followed up by a slide, which has brief iframes on startup but a decent amount of end lag. Can be useful for repositioning, but is typically avoided in favor of other options. Can engage rapid-fire mode during a Slide.

5.1.6 Focus Blast: Eagle Strike

(image needed)

Figure 5.1.6A, don’t worry, I brought my grenade launcher

New to Wilds, Light Bowgun’s Focus Strike is called Focus Blast: Eagle Strike, often referred to as just Focus Blast, Eagle Strike or Focus Strike. This move can be charged for increased damage and will immediately destroy any wounds in its explosion radius. It has three charges, displayed in the bottom right of the screen above the RF Gauge (see Figure 4A), which each take 35 seconds to recharge after firing.

Can be useful for a quick topple from destroying wounds or used as a wakeup for high damage.

5.1.7 Special Ammo

(image needed) Figure 5.1.7A, why is it so…sticky?

Detailed in Section 4.3. Not used in solo hunts, but may have potential for use in multiplayer.

5.2 Rapid Fire Mode Moveset

This subsection covers moves only usable during RF Mode.

5.2.1 Rapid Firing

(image needed) Figure 5.2.1A, regular shots, but now with extra bullets!

While in RF Mode, the standard fire action is replaced by rapid firing. This fires an additional volley of shots, the number of which depends on the type of ammo used.

5.2.2 Burst Step

(image needed) Figure 5.2.2A

Burst Step allows you to fire while making an evasive dash forward, backwards, left, or right. This has fairly generous iframes and also negates almost all recoil on raw pierce ammo. By holding down the fire input after using Burst Step, Burst Steps can be easily changed by simply inputting move + dodge while continuously holding down fire. This can be maintained even when ceasing to aim, dodging, or hopping off of ledges, so long as the fire input is continuously held.

Very useful as a repositioning tool with iframes attached, as well as a damage-per-second increase for Pierce ammo due to the reduced recoil. Can be followed by chained Burst Steps, Slide (Section 5.1.5), or a Rapid Fire Chaser Shot (Section 5.2.4).

If you’re having trouble chaining Burst Steps, try slowing down. Spamming inputs will result in sliding instead of another Burst Step.

5.2.3 Sidestep Reload

(image needed) Figure 5.2.3A, like a normal reload, but with more iframes.

Can be used after firing the last shot of the magazine with either a standard RF shot or a Burst Step to reload your gun while repositioning. Has iframes, but also has end lag and is a bit slower than a standard reload.

5.2.4 Rapid Fire Chaser Shot

(image needed) Figure 5.2.4A, brrrrap

Can be used after firing or Burst Step to follow up with another volley of shots. The final shot of the volley deals extra damage. Long startup animation and high recoil, not typically used in optimal play except for Spread.

6. Playstyles/Gameplay Loop

This section of the guide details the many playstyles of Light Bowgun, using Spread Ammo, Pierce Ammo, Normal Ammo, or Elemental Ammo.

6.1 Spread

Title Update 2 has revolutionized the way Spread plays. Formerly an immobile and committal ammo, the addition of Seregios’s LBG has drastically increased Spread’s baseline mobility, as its Evading Reload skill allows the player to reposition after every shot without having to reload. Though still committal with its use of Chasers in RF Mode, it is able to deftly maneuver with Sidesteps to scout for the right opening to commit. Additionally, the Bladescale Loading skill rewards careful dodges and aggressive play, giving Spread a very high ceiling for skill expression. All of this culminates in Spread boasting considerable flexibility when approaching a hunt. Though it has a few matchups where it is optimal, Spread is unable to outperform Element against most of the roster (see the Meta Matchup Chart). That being said, it is a much closer alternative than other Raw ammos for players who do not wish to switch loadouts for every hunt.

The gameplay loop for Spread is as follows:

● While in RF mode, the optimal damage rotation is shot -> chaser -> slide -> shot -> chaser -> reload. However, chasers have a very high animation commitment, so this combo should only be used during openings. Otherwise, shot -> Sidestep should be repeatedly used. ● During RF mode, the inputs for shot -> Sidestep can be read by the game as shot -> burst step during Focus Mode. As such, this rotation requires un-aiming before doing a Sidestep. Be careful, however: un-aiming before the second volley is fired will cause it to be fired in the direction the character is facing. ● Sidestep Reload drains stamina and is slower than Standard Reload. As such, Standard Reload should be prioritized; avoid Sidestep Reloads except when necessary to dodge monster attacks. ● When RF Mode falls off, follow the rotation of shot -> Sidestep to recharge the gauge. Un-aiming between shots is not necessary since Burst Steps are not possible outside of RF Mode.

● Bladescale Loading grants 3 free shots with 40% increased damage upon a successful dodge. Maximizing the number of activations of this skill over the course of a hunt is imperative for players who wish to maximize Spread’s potential. Greater emphasis should be placed on dodging through monster attacks and roars. ● Due to Bladescale Loading’s power, it may be prudent to conserve some RF gauge to use when Bladescale Loading is active. Gauge can even be conserved for openings rather than simply engaging RF mode when the gauge is full and emptying it fully. As long as RF gauge does not overcap, it can be creatively used to eke out more DPS (though be careful not to engage/disengage RF mode too liberally, as it takes 0.5s every time). ● If using Corrupted Mantle, equip after or halfway through an RF gauge to boost affinity, raw, and gauge recharge rate. ● If using Evasion Mantle, equip at the beginning of the hunt in order to get the most out of it for the monster’s initial roars. It can also be saved for a difficult portion of a hunt if desired. ● Flash pods are overpowered.

If using a spread LBG other than Seregios’s, the playstyle changes slightly: ● While in RF mode, the optimal damage rotation is shot -> Chaser -> shot -> Chaser -> Reload. However, chasers have a very high animation commitment, so this combo should only be used during openings. Otherwise, RF Spread shots should be repeatedly used. ● When RF Mode falls off, fire standard Spread shots followed by Chasers to maximize DPS. If an opening for a Chaser is unavailable, stick to firing standard Spread shots only. ● Hold a forward movement input during every shot and Chaser to counteract some of Spread’s recoil.

6.2 Pierce

Pierce is a mobile option for Raw, being the only ammo type which gains DPS from chaining Burst Steps. Pierce builds can be used against any monster but will be outperformed by Spread or Element in their respective matchups (see the Meta Matchup Chart).

The gameplay loop for Pierce is as follows:

● While in RF Mode, chain Burst Steps (Section 5.2.2) as much as possible. ● Sidestep Reload drains stamina and is slower than Standard Reload. As such, Standard Reload should be prioritized; avoid Sidestep Reloads except when necessary to dodge monster attacks. ● When RF Mode falls off, fire standard Pierce shots to recharge the gauge. Chasers offer neither increased gauge regen nor increased DPS, and should be avoided accordingly. ● Use Corrupted Mantle after or halfway through an RF Gauge to boost affinity, raw, and gauge charge rate. ● Flash pods are overpowered.

6.3 Normal

While Normal cannot output the same damage as other ammo types, it has a very generous Critical Distance and is an option for casual play.

The gameplay loop for Normal is as follows:

● While in RF Mode, fire standard shots. Use Burst step if required to dodge attacks.

● Sidestep Reload drains stamina and is slower than Standard Reload. As such, Standard Reload should be prioritized; avoid Sidestep Reloads except when necessary to dodge monster attacks. ● When RF Mode falls off, alternate standard Normal shots and chasers to recharge the gauge. ● Use Corrupted Mantle after or halfway through an RF Gauge to boost affinity, raw, and gauge charge rate. ● Flash pods are overpowered.

6.4 Elemental

Light Bowgun has elemental ammo with extremely high elemental values, which makes it a perfect weapon to take advantage of elemental weaknesses. This playstyle is capable of delivering some of the highest damage-per-second possible in Wilds.

The gameplay loop for Elemental is as follows:

● Unlike raw ammos, orange damage numbers do not necessarily equal higher damage; optimal raw hitzones often vary from elemental hitzones. See the matchup guide in Section 4 of Endgame Build for further information. ● While in RF Mode, fire standard shots. Burst Step is a useful repositioning tool, but chaining Burst Steps like Pierce is a DPS loss. ● Sidestep Reload drains stamina and is slower than Standard Reload. As such, Standard Reload should be prioritized; avoid Sidestep Reloads except when necessary to dodge monster attacks. ● When RF mode falls off, alternate standard Elemental shots and chasers to recharge the gauge while maintaining DPS. ● As of Title Update 2.5, poison or exhaust ammo should be used to quickly recharge Rapid Fire gauge if the gun has access to it. This can charge gauge in as few as 5 seconds, compared to 20+ seconds of alternating elemental chasers.

● Due to the animation commitment of Elemental Chasers, alternating Normal Chasers can instead be considered as a significantly safer (but significantly lower DPS) alternative for recharging gauge. ● Use Corrupted Mantle after or halfway through an RF Gauge to boost affinity, raw, and gauge charge rate. ● Flash pods are overpowered.

7. Hunting Preparation

Bowguns are focused more on preparation before hunts than other weapons, and taking the time to optimize your item loadout, ammo pouch and radial menus can save a lot of time in your hunts. This section of the guide will give details and examples on how to make the most of these systems.

Remember to restock your items and ammo between hunts!

7.1 Item Pouch

Figure 7.1A, an example endgame Item Pouch loadout

The Item Pouch holds the items you carry with you on hunts. As mentioned in Section 4.2, most Bowgun ammo must be crafted, and it is recommended to carry materials with you to do so, as this allows for a higher effective ammo capacity.

By pressing LShift for KB+M or L3 for Controller/PS5 in the Item Pouch menu, you can access the Item Loadouts menu where you can save and restore your item pouch loadout. It is highly recommended to make at least one general use item loadout to help with quickly restocking.

Use of pods, particularly flash pods, is highly recommended as they can be used while your weapon is drawn in Wilds. Craft more pods when you have 1 left, otherwise you’ll have to re-equip them which requires sheathing. When using Elemental or Status ammo, it is very important that you clear dragonblight immediately by using a Nulberry.

Item Description Max Potion Used for healing Ancient Potion (Optional) Used as a meal substitute Herbal Medicine/Antidote Used to cure poison

(Optional)

Nulberry Used to cure blights

Mega Demondrug Attack buff

Might Seed (Optional) Attack buff

Demon Powder (Optional) Attack buff

Shock Trap Used for capturing or damage windows in multiplayer

Pitfall Trap (Optional) Used as a backup when Shock Trap is ineffective

Dung Pod (Optional) Used to scare off a monster

Flash Pod Used to stun monsters and stop them from leaving

Luring Pod Used as a backup when Flash Pod is ineffective

Flashbug Phosphor Crafting material for Flash Pods

Snow Herb Crafting material for Freeze Ammo

Flowfern Crafting material for Water Ammo

Fire Herb Crafting material for Fire Ammo

Thunderbug Capacitor Crafting material for Thunder Ammo/Shock Trap

Trap Tool (Optional) Crafting material for Shock Trap/Pitfall Trap

Catalyst (Optional) Crafting material for Max Potion

Mandragora (Optional) Crafting material for Max Potion

Net (Optional) Crafting material for Pitfall Trap

Hot/Cold Drink (Optional) Immunity to environmental effects

Armorcharm Passive defense boost

Powercharm Passive attack boost Figure 7.2B, Recommended Item List

7.2 Ammo Pouch

Figure 7.2A, an example Ammo Pouch setup

The Ammo Pouch holds the ammo carried with you on hunts, as mentioned in Section 4.2. It also determines the order of ammo while cycling through it in hunts. It is recommended to set up your pouch according to personal preference. An example ammo pouch setup is shown in Figure 7.2A above which ensures quick access to Tranq and Paralysis ammo. If you’re often running a Raw build, you may find it beneficial to move Tranq Ammo above Normal or Paralysis Ammo instead.

7.3 Radials and Shortcuts

Figure 7.3A, example Radial menus

Radial Menus (or shortcuts for KB+M players) allow for quick access to anything you may need to use during a hunt without having to spend time scrolling through the item pouch. Figure 7.3A above provides a simple example Radial setup for general use which can be tweaked to your personal preference.

Item Name Slot (Clockwise) Max Potion 1

Flash Pod 2 Pitfall Trap 3 Luring Pod 4 Corrupted Mantle 5 Craft Flash Pod 6 Craft Elemental Ammo 7 Shock Trap 8 Optimal Status Recovery 9 Figure 7.3B, Elemental Radial Item List

Item Name Slot (Clockwise) Might Seed 1 Mega Demondrug 2 Demon Powder 3 Hot Drink 4 Cold Drink 5 Figure 7.4C, Buff Radial Item List

8. Advanced Player Tips

This section of the guide will cover a few tips and tricks for more advanced to expert level players.

● When carrying two Bowguns with you into a hunt, both start with a full RF gauge. This means you can bring two of the same gun and swap between them for a free RF

charge. Your secondary gun’s RF gauge will also continue to slowly recharge while stowed. This requires having duplicates of potentially hard to find decos, and for endgame Elemental setups requires crafting duplicate Artian weapons. ● If possible, Burst Step should be used instead of regular evasion to evade roars and other attacks to improve damage uptime. This does not apply to Spread ammo. ● You can fire a Flash Pod at your feet to immediately detonate the flash on the ground, allowing you to almost instantly dunk a monster out of the air or interrupt a threatening attack. The Blindslider skill makes this reliable even when the monster is not facing you. ● Craft ammo during Chaser Shots while building RF gauge on Elemental builds to minimize downtime. This only applies to Controller players. ● RF Mode can be quickly engaged from almost all evasive actions. ● Mantle cooldowns can be reset between hunts by resting in the tent. This is especially useful to LBG since Corrupted Mantle is so powerful in optimized play. ● Focus Strike, while normally a damage loss, can cause a unique topple when targeting specific monsters during specific attacks (typically available if a monster part glows red after it performs a big attack, e.g. Rey Dau’s face after firing its giant lightning blast). ● Piercing ammos can pass through monsters if the shot does not hit every tick. This can be useful to trigger environmental hazards without worrying about the monster blocking your shot, but can also result in a rock being dropped at the wrong time. Be mindful. ● Buffs from consumables do not tick down when in a Village or Hub. As such, a pre-buffing set with Item Prolonger and Free Meal is useful to extend Mega Demondrug duration to 45 minutes and Might Seed + Demon Powder to 4m30s. Simply switch to this set, use your consumables, then switch back to your regular hunting set (don’t forget!) before departing on a quest. ● Sneak attacks regenerate 30% of the Rapid-Fire gauge and have a 5-minute cooldown per monster. Useful in multi-monster hunts, or after an area transition (may require Ghillie Mantle).

● For multi-monster hunts, it may be beneficial to set up equipment loadouts for each combination of elements: Fire/Water, Fire/Thunder, Fire/Ice, Water/Thunder, Ice/Water, and Thunder/Ice. This will give you full coverage of all element combos, as well as quick options to pick for single monster hunts, but requires having duplicates of decos. However, this does prevent you from switching bowguns mid-combat for a gauge refill, since the element won’t match. ● Additionally, for multi-monster Arkveld hunts, you may want to set up equipment loadouts for each: Raw/Fire, Raw/Water, Raw/Thunder, and Raw/Ice. Altogether with the above tip, this will cover one full page of equipment loadouts and give you a loadout option for every hunt in the game. (Editor’s note: Raw and Elemental builds have diverged somewhat since TU0, so this may be worse than simply changing builds at camp between monsters.)

9. Closing Thoughts

Light Bowgun is in a great place in Wilds, likely the most fun and interactive the weapon has ever been in any title, with a much more varied moveset and gameplay loop. Instead of just aiming and shooting, we have to press, like, two more buttons sometimes!

Build Progression

Chapter 2: Build Progression

1. When to Use Progression Builds

These builds are intended to be used from the beginning of the story through to HR40+, where you are able to begin seriously working towards getting finished meta sets. These builds, for obvious reasons, won’t be as optimized or as high budget as the endgame builds, but should serve as stepping stones to get you to them.

2. Story Progression Guide

Throughout early Low Rank, you’ll just be upgrading your Bowgun a few times. Once you reach Chapter 3 of the story, you may optionally upgrade your armor set, or just continue powering through to early High Rank.

2.1 Early LR Build

Figure 2A, Early Low Rank Build (Builder Link)

2.2.1 Ore Bowgun

Figure 2B, Upgrade to Ore Bowgun (Builder Link)

Upgrade to the Ore Bowgun when you have the materials to do so.

2.3.3 Rey Dau Bowgun

Figure 2C, Upgrade to Rey Dau Bowgun (Builder Link)

After hunting Rey Dau, craft the Rey Dau Bowgun. You’ll be using this for a while.

2.4 Late LR Build (Optional)

Figure 2D, Optional Chapter 3 Upgrade (Builder Link)

This is an optional set upgrade available midway through Chapter 3 of the main story. This build can be skipped in favor of rushing to the Early HR build (Section 2.5) below, but it is recommended to craft if you have the materials available as it provides higher damage and similar defense to that set.

2.5 Early HR Build

Figure 2E, Early HR (Builder Link)

Upon reaching High Rank, you should craft the Hope α set above only if you did not choose to upgrade to Late LR armor (Section 2.4) so that you can maintain enough defense through early HR. The Rey Szelatya II and Challenger Charm I are both craftable with Rathian parts.

2.6 Alternate Early HR Build

Figure 2.6A, Alternate Early HR Build (Builder Link)

This build is an alternate to the build found in Section 2.5, to be used if you chose to make the Late LR Build (Section 2.4). This build has slightly more damage, while the other option is a bit more comfy.

3. Early Post-Game Progression Guide (HR21+)

3.1 HR21 Second Wind Build

Figure 3A, HR21+ Second Wind Build, “based” Damo (Builder Link)

After reaching HR21, you have access to HR Guardian monsters, which unlocks several new skills. This build leverages Second Wind 1 and Constitution 5 to maintain Maximum Might uptime while chaining Burst Steps (see Weapon Guide Section 5.2.2 for an explanation on this mechanic), with Agitator 5, Burst 1 and Ambush 3 for added raw damage.

3.2 HR31 Second Wind Build

Figure 3B, HR 31+ (Builder Link)

HR31 allows you to upgrade your Bowgun again after a certain story quest. What you place in the open 3 slot is up to what decos you have available. Pierce Jewel 3, Salvo Jewel 3, Crit Boost 3 or Precise 3 are possible options, in order of effectiveness.

4. Late Post-Game Progression Guide (HR41+)

4.1 FulGore Build

Figure 4A, FulGore Build (Builder Link)

After reaching HR41 and completing Chapter 6, you unlock endgame equipment. The build above is a middle ground between the HR21 Second Wind build and the endgame meta builds, to be used while working towards making meta sets. If you don’t have a Pierce Jewel, use Salvo or Critical Jewel instead.

Endgame Build Guide

Chapter 3: Endgame Build Guide

1. Build Guide Assumptions

This chapter of the guide assumes that you have, at a minimum, made it to HR50+ and completed the builds in Chapter 2. By this point, you should have at least a basic understanding of LBG’s mechanics and kit, as well as the ability to grind for any gear pieces or decos you may be missing.

All builds in this guide will assume the use of the Village food buff (+5 raw), as well as the Powercharm (+6 raw, acquired by completing the “As Gatekeepers” Optional Quest from Rex in Suja.) Builds also assume the use of Mega Demondrug (+7 raw), Might Seed (+10 raw), and Demon Powder (+10 raw). Despite this assumption, builds will function without these buffs unless specifically stated. All builds assume the use of Corrupted Mantle when available.

1.1 Skill Priority

1.1.1 Raw Skill Priority

Critical Boost 1-5 Increases critical damage up to 140% from 125% at level 5. Most builds will not reach level 5, though. Spread / Pierce / Normal Shots

5% damage bonus to the respective ammo type. Stronger than Critical Boost if average affinity is below 64.5%. Ballistics 1-3 Improves both closeand long-range Critical Distance. 2 points are mandatory for Spread, as it enables point-blank shots. Subjectively more valuable on all raw ammos than even

Critical Boost. Opening Shot 3 Increases Reload speed by 10/15/30% and adds +5/10/15 raw to the first shot of a clip. Attack Boost +3/5/7/8/9 and +0/0/0/2/4% raw. Not currently used in any builds. Figure 1.1.1A, Raw Weapon Skill Priority Table

Agitator 5 High uptimes in hunts where raw is used, +20 raw and +15% affinity buff. Burst 1 +6 Raw at level 1, almost no value at levels past 1. Weakness Exploit 2 10% Affinity on weak hitzones, +5% when hitting wounds. Ambush 3 15% Raw buff for 30 seconds, more valuable on fast hunts. Antivirus 3 Used in every build, only offensive level 1 deco skill. Blindsider 1 Used in spare lvl 1 slots. Flashes are OP. Figure 1.1.1B, Raw Armor Skill Priority Table

1.1.2 Elemental Skill Priority

Fire / Water / Thunder / Ice Attack 3

+20% element and +6 flat element. Mandatory.

Critical Element 3 15% bonus elemental damage on critical hits. Elemental damage has a 1.0x critical multiplier without this skill. Opening Shot 1-3 Increases Reload speed by 10/15/30%. +5/10/15 raw and +10% element to the first shot of a clip. Focus 3 +5/10/20% gauge regen. Allows LBG to spend more time in RF mode. Tetrad Shot 1 +3/6/10 raw and +5% element to the 4th and 6th shots of a clip. +8/10/12% affinity for the 4th shot onwards. Very little value beyond the first point.

Ballistics 1-3 Improves both closeand long-range Critical Distance by 10/15/25%. Rapid Fire Up 5% damage bonus to Rapid-Fire shots. Higher priority on one gun when weapon swapping. Attack Boost +3/5/7/8/9 and +0/0/0/2/4% raw. Can be a sidegrade in some talisman setups Figure 1.1.2A, Elemental Weapon Skill Priority Table

Burst 1 +6 Raw at level 1, almost no value at levels past 1. Coalescence 3 Extremely high value, 30% elemental buff on a 2 slot deco. Max Might 3 Elemental builds allow for high MM uptime, high value for a 2 slot deco. Agitator 5 Good uptime in many hunts, +20 raw and +15% affinity buff. Ambush 3 Huge 30 second raw buff, used in shorter hunts. Weakness Exploit 5 Used in place of Max Might in certain builds. Antivirus 3 Used in every build, only offensive level 1 deco skill. Blindsider 1 Used in spare lvl 1 slots. Flashes are OP. Figure 1.1.2B, Elemental Armor Skill Priority Table

1.2 RNG Talismans

To upgrade from a craftable charm, an RNG talisman must gain a useful weapon skill for free while keeping the same armor skills (e.g. Tetrad Shot 1 + Agitator 1 + lvl 3 armor slot) or gain enough equivalent points of useful weapon skills to outweigh the loss of one point of an armor skill (e.g. Rapid Fire Up + Agitator 1 + lvl 1 weapon slot). Optimal charms will be listed in the Meta Build Guide section, but that exact charm is often not the only way to construct the same set. For example, a point of Agitator is typically interchangeable with a point of Burst and occasionally a point of Maximum Might

or Coalescence. Because of this, there are too many possible talismans to list every useful combination, so you’ll have to use your best judgment based on what you have in your box. Use the skill priority section above as reference, and when in doubt, put your talismans into the set searcher and let it do the thinking for you.

2. Elemental Weapons

In Wilds, armor and weapon skills have been split. This means that armor sets for each element are no longer needed, and you will instead only need to switch your weapon and weapon deco setups. This section will detail the best craftable options for Bowguns of each element as well as explain the mechanics of crafting Artian weapons, which are currently some of the strongest options for elemental bowguns. (For raw guns, the armor sets in Section 3 for their respective ammos will feature the corresponding weapon).

Running two guns of the same element in each loadout is recommended, as Rapid-Fire gauge is not shared between guns. This means that switching weapons mid-hunt will effectively give an immediate gauge refresh, although the secondary gun will need to recharge for up to 4 minutes before doing this again. This allows Light Bowgun to output unparalleled frontloaded damage in the first 60 seconds of a hunt. Figure 2 shows which elemental guns to use for gun 1 and gun 2.

Gun 1 Gun 2

Fire Fire Artian Guardian Rathalos

Water Water Artian Poison Artian

Thunder Thunder Artian/Lagiacrus Thunder Artian

Ice Ice Artian Ice Artian/Hirabami

Figure 2, Best Bowguns Per Element

Artians are typically preferred for Gun 1, as they are able to build around a Salvo jewel (see Section 2.2.4 for details). Lagiacrus’s bowgun is a higher DPS Thunder gun 1 than Artian if and only if all of the following are true: 1. a Rapid-Fire up talisman is used, 2. the armor build has room for 3 points of Thunder Resistance, and 3. ballistics is not relevant in the beginning of the hunt. Gun 2 is optimally a gun with poison (due to its lightning-fast gauge regen), although only Fire and Water have this luxury currently. Ice can use Hiramabi for exhaust which functions similarly to Poison, although its inability to fit Ballistics causes it to suffer vs Rey Dau (currently the only relevant Ice matchup).

2.1 Craftable Bowgun Setups

The subsections in this section cover the craftable Bowgun options for each element and their recommended Decos. Decos are somewhat negotiable, but you should at a minimum be prioritizing:

● Element Attack 3 ● Critical Element 3 ● Opener 1

As of Title Update 2.5, status ammo now regens gauge. This introduces a new playstyle where Poison, and to a lesser extent Exhaust, ammo can be used to quickly refill Rapid Fire gauge. As such, access to these status ammos is premium, to the point where Guardian Rathalos LBG is favored over Fire Artian. Hiramabi LBG did not surpass Artian in testing but is more comfortable due to its lack of reliance on committal elemental chasers to regen gauge. Zoh Shia and Blangonga bowguns are the best craftables if this playstyle is not used.

2.1.1 Fire

Figure 2.1.1A, Guardian Rathalos Bowgun Bowgun Mods: Elemental Ammo Powder, Elemental Boost Magazine

Figure 2.1.1B, Zoh Shia Bowgun Bowgun Mods: Elemental Boost Magazine, Elemental Boost Magazine

2.1.2 Water

Figure 2.1.2, Mizutsune Bowgun Bowgun Mods: Rapid Fire Magazine, Elemental Boost Magazine

2.1.3 Thunder

Figure 2.1.3, Lagiacrus Bowgun Bowgun Mods: Rapid Fire Magazine, Elemental Boost Magazine

2.1.4 Ice

Figure 2.1.4A, Hirabami Bowgun Bowgun Mods: Elemental Ammo Powder, Rapid Fire Magazine

Figure 2.1.4B, Blangonga Bowgun Bowgun Mods: Elemental Boost Magazine, Rapid Fire Magazine

2.2 Artian Weapons

Artian weapons are among the strongest options currently available for elemental builds in Wilds due to their potential for high stats combined with unrivaled slot economy. Artian weapons have to be forged using Artian parts, and have an RNG element in the form of reinforcement. While this may seem daunting at first, there are strategies that can be applied to make this a fairly simple process. This section will explain how to gather the materials and efficiently craft optimal Artian LBGs for each element.

2.2.1 Forging Artian Weapons

Figure 2.2.1, the Artian Forging Interface

Artian weapons are forged at the smithy using parts obtained from hunting Tempered Monsters, of which there are four types:

● Tubes ● Devices ● Blades ● Discs

Artian LBGs are forged with one Tube and two Devices, and so Blades and Discs can be safely disregarded if you do not plan on forging Artian weapons of other weapon types. Each Artian part consists of three properties:

● Rarity 6, 7, or 8

● Element Type Fire, Water, Thunder, Ice, Dragon, Paralysis, Poison, Sleep, or Blast ● Artian Bonus Attack Infusion or Affinity Infusion

For the purposes of this guide, only rarity 8 Artian weapons will be considered. These can be forged only with Artian parts obtained melding or from 7★ and 8★ investigations.

When forging with two or more parts of the same element type, the resulting Artian LBG will be able to fire the corresponding elemental or status ammo. When three of the same type are used, the magazine capacity is increased. While using status parts does allow for use of the corresponding elemental ammo as well, Artian LBGs forged with elemental parts have a higher magazine capacity and are preferred for use in most builds.

Crafting using parts with the Attack Infusion gives the resulting weapon +5 Raw, and parts with the Affinity Infusion give the resulting weapon +5% Affinity. For LBGs, and most other weapon types, only Attack Infusion parts are used. In summary, when forging an Artian LBG for use, you should use three parts of the same desired element, all with the Attack Infusion, and all rarity 8.

2.2.2 Reinforcing Artian Weapons

Figure 2.2.2, the Artian Reinforcement Interface

Forging an Artian weapon is only the first step of the process, after which the weapon needs to be reinforced. Reinforcing an Artian weapon raises its level up to a maximum of 5, adding a new bonus with each level. These bonuses are determined via random seed when the weapon is forged, and can be one of the following for each level:

● Attack Boost +5 Raw ● Affinity Boost +5% Affinity ● Capacity Boost +1 Ammo Capacity (maximum 2)

The ideal rolls for an Artian LBG are 3 Attack Boosts and 2 Capacity Boosts, with the priority being Capacity Boost. Each Affinity Boost is just over a 1% damage loss compared to an Attack Boost, having one or two Affinity Boosts on an Artian will still outperform craftable elemental Bowguns.

Artian weapons are reinforced using materials obtained from Festival Shares through Nata or the Smelting Foundry in Azuz, or by converting monster materials into Oricalcite at the Smelting Foundry.

Each Artian will require a total of 50 Oricalcite to fully reinforce. If the reinforcement bonuses aren’t desirable, the weapon can be Dismantled to return all materials used in reinforcing it while gaining +1 Argecite ore.

2.2.3 “Save-scumming” Artian Reinforcements

Figure 2.2.3, “God Roll” Artian LBG

Because Artian reinforcements are determined when the weapon is forged and not when the weapon is reinforced, this allows for a simple strategy to maximize return of your time, Artian parts, and reinforcement materials:

1. Save the game.

2. Forge an Artian LBG using useless parts. These include status, Affinity infusion, or dragon parts.

3. Reinforce the Artian you crafted. 4. a. If the reinforcement bonuses rolled aren’t usable, dismantle the weapon and repeat from Step 1. b. If the reinforcement bonuses rolled are usable for a build, return to the title menu without saving and then craft an Artian LBG using 3 parts with the desired Element plus Attack infusions, and then reinforce it.

By repeating this process, you can quickly craft Artian weapons for each element.

2.2.4 Artian Decos

Because they have 3-3-3 deco slots, Artian weapons have better skill economy than any currently craftable Bowguns. This subsection offers a few different deco setups that can be employed depending on which decos you have available.

Bowgun Mods used for Artian LBGs are Elemental Ammo Powder and Rapid Fire Magazine.

Figure 2.2.4A, Meta deco setup

Figure 2.2.4B, Budget deco setup

When employing gun switching, gun 1 does not need to run Focus since Gun 2 will be used for the majority of the hunt. The following is an example of a deco setup to maximize the damage of Gun 1.

Figure 2.2.4C, Gun 1 deco setup

3. Meta Build Guide

3.1 Pierce Ammo

Figure 3.1A, Craftable Pierce Ammo Build

Figure 3.1B, God Charm Pierce Ammo Build

One of the first ammo types anyone should try using is pierce ammo. Although overshadowed by Spread with the addition of Seregios’s LBG in TU2, Pierce ammo is still a comfortable 2nd place against Arkveld, while also being solid against many other monsters. The gun mods used here are Pierce Ammo Magazine and Rapid Fire Mod. The Mantle used is Corrupted Mantle.

3.2 Spread Ammo

Figure 3.2A, Craftable Spread Ammo Build

Figure 3.2B, God Charm Spread Ammo Build

Spread is the strongest raw ammo type. However, due to the high recoil, it is also the most dangerous to play. It outdamages pierce in nearly every matchup and beats it by a considerable margin on smaller monsters when pierce won’t get as many ticks. The gun mods used here are Spread Ammo Magazine and Rapid Fire Mod. The Mantle used is Corrupted Mantle or Evasion Mantle.

The build can pick up a point of Weakness Exploit and a 2nd point of Adrenaline Rush if eating for Tumbler Meal Hi (Azuz Meal), at the cost of Moxie. Replace the boots with Regios Greaves.

Rathalos boots are 1:1 interchangeable with Omega boots.

3.3.1 Elemental Ammo

Figure 3.3.1A, Craftable Elemental Ammo Build

Figure 3.3.1B, God Charm Elemental Ammo Build

Elemental ammo boasts the highest damage output of any of LBG’s ammos in all but 3 matchups (Arkveld, Zoh Shia, and Jin Dahaad) while also being incredibly easy to use. The gun mods and decorations used can be found in Section 2.1. The Mantle used is Corrupted Mantle.

Gun 1 Gun 2

Fire Fire Artian Guardian Rathalos

Water Water Artian Poison Artian

Thunder Thunder Artian/Lagiacrus Thunder Artian

Ice Ice Artian Hirabami/Ice Artian Figure 3.3.1C, Best Bowguns Per Element

Figure 3.3.1C shows the optimal bowguns for each element. Note that this assumes the player will bring two bowguns of the same element to a hunt, opening the hunt with Gun 1, swapping to Gun 2 after gauge is spent (staying on it for the majority of the hunt), and swapping back to Gun 1 only to close out a hunt. Guardian Rathalos, Poison Artian, and Hirabami bowguns assume the use of poison or exhaust ammo to recharge gauge. This requires crafting up to 20 additional status ammo mid-hunt.

When running Artians for gun 1, decorations should be adjusted to Rapid Fire Up + Element Attack/Opener + Critical Element/Precise, and the other with the decorations shown in the build images above (or in Section 2.1 for craftables). Decorations on Gun 1 change to Element Attack/Precise + Opener/Precise + Critical Element/Precise if using a Rapid Fire Up god charm. If you do not have Artian guns made, the craftables are solid alternatives that will still effortlessly out-damage raw ammos (save for the 3 aforementioned monsters). If you do not have the exact combo decorations outlined in the build, use Element Attack 3, Critical Element 3, and Opener 3. Focus is the lowest priority of the skills on the weapon. Many craftable options will not be able to fit all this, but they should still be able to fit Element Attack 3, Critical Element 3, and Opener 1.

Artian weapons can also be created with Artian status parts. These give the elemental guns a status on top of their element at the cost of 1 less elemental ammo capacity. Although the lower magazine size amounts to a 3% DPS loss, having Paralysis or Sleep ammo for a guaranteed CC is useful. Poison ammo is particularly useful to regenerate rapid-fire gauge extremely quickly.

If using the Lagiacrus LBG, replace the empty lvl 1 slots and the point of Latent Power with 3 points of Thunder Resistance. A minor build optimization with Lagi A chest and Zoh waist is possible to gain 1 extra lvl 1 slot.

3.3.2 Guardian Rathalos LBG

Figure 3.3.2A, Craftable G.Rath Build

Figure 3.3.2B, G.Rath God Build

White Rathling Phoenix’s higher affinity warrants a slightly different build, as it frequently overcaps affinity with the 2pc Lagi metagolem element build.

Note that the build can gain an extra lvl1 slot if Rapid Fire up + Maximum Might 1 + Antivirus 1 (all base skills) is used on the talisman instead, but it could not be shown due to the limitations of the set builder.

5. Alternative Builds

4.1 Normal Ammo

Figure 4.1A, Craftable Normal Ammo Build

Figure 4.1B, God Charm Normal Ammo Build

Normal ammo is not the strongest against any particular match up. However, it serves as a generalist build. The gun mods used here are Normal Ammo Magazine and Normal Ammo Magazine. The Mantle used is Corrupted Mantle.

Note that an Artian gun can be used for this build. It is slightly weaker but can have a useful status like paralysis or sleep.

4.2 Peak 5/Ambush 3 Elemental LBG

Figure 4.2A, Peak 5/Ambush 3 Craftable Charm (Builder Link)

Figure 4.2B, Peak 5 Ambush 3 God Charm

Not recommended against 9* monsters.

This build is designed for fast hunts where the monster does not have high enrage uptime (e.g. Guardians) or has low enough flinch thresholds that it physically cannot do anything (e.g., Gravios). Even for Tempered versions of these monsters, it’s still a very strong set that has the ability to compete with, and even beat out, the standard meta sets, provided sufficiently high Ambush uptime.

Monsters this set is already known to be strong on: ● All Tier 1 Tempered monsters (except Rathian) ● All Guardian Monsters ● Gravios

Tier 3 Tempereds and 8/9 endgame fights are usually too long; ambush uptime falls off significantly, which allows the standard meta set to pull ahead in DPS. It may still have a niche in non-heroics speedrunning with times lower than 3’30” (author’s speculation).

5. Meme Builds

Sorry, no Grongigas here (yet).

6. Meta Matchup Chart

Figure 6.1, Matchup infographic

Monster Ammo Type Where to Aim Ajarakan Water Head, Front Limbs Arkveld Spread Head, Wing Chainblades Balahara Thunder Head, Neck Blangonga Fire Head, Torso

Chatacabra Thunder Head, Torso, Tongue

Congalala Fire Head Doshaguma Fire Head, Torso Gore Magala Fire Wingarms, Head Gravios Water Belly G. Arkveld Pierce Head, Wing Chainblades G. Doshaguma Fire Head, Forelegs, Chest

G. Ebony Odogaron Water Wounds, Head, Tail Tip

G. Fulgur Anjanath Water Head, Nose, Wings, Tail G. Rathalos Thunder Head, Legs Gypceros Fire Head, Wings Hirabami Fire Head, Neck, Tail Jin Dahaad Spread Head, Tail Lagiacrus Fire Back, Tail, Head Lala Barina Fire Head, Tail, Petals Mizutsune Thunder Head, Back, Forelegs Nerscylla Fire/Thunder Torso, Stinger (Thunder when mantle breaks) Nerscylla Clone Fire Torso, Stinger Nu Udra Water Tentacles Omega Thunder/ Spread

Head (Enmity), Front Legs

Quematrice Water Head, Tail Rathalos Thunder Head, Wings Rathian Thunder Head, Wings Rey Dau Ice Head, Wings, Tail Rompopolo Water Head, Back, Tail

Seregios Thunder Feet, Tail Uth Duna Thunder Head, Forelegs, Veil Xu Wu Ice Head, Mouth Yian Kut-ku Ice Head, Neck Zoh Shia Spread Head, Wingarms Figure 6.2, Matchup Table

7. I’ve Been Away. What’s Changed?

Title Update 1 brought us two new guns, a major nerf to the corrupted mantle and three new armor sets. The Corrupted Mantle nerf means Focus is now more useful than ever before on elemental builds, as it allows normal chasers to fill the gauge in three clips instead of four (editor’s note: normal chasers are no longer considered optimal for element). With this emphasis on Focus 3 for elemental sets, Artian bowguns are still the best for element. However, the Zoh Shia and Mizu guns are the best craftable options for fire, water, and thunder. The new armor brought slight improvements to meta sets. After TU1, Light Bowgun was still one of the strongest weapons in the game. However, it could fall slightly behind Heavy Bowgun in some Elemental matchups.

Title update 1.5 buffed Normal and Spread ammo. The buff to Spread ammo was particularly significant. Pierce ammo was changed to charge RF gauge slower. Overall, Spread became stronger than Pierce, albeit with a risky playstyle. Elemental ammo got a slight rework. Its maximum ticks were reduced to 6 (previously 7), but gained an increased modifier (from 0.55 to 0.58).

Title Update 2 brought 2 new guns, a new Spread gun and a new Thunder gun. The Seregios gun is the new best spread gun. The Lagiacrus gun is the best craftable thunder gun. They also come

with new armor pieces that have niche uses. The Spread gun may also be used for Normal, but only if with very high Bladescale uptime.

Title Update 2.5 increased LBG’s elemental damage by 3%. It also adjusted Ballistics values for raw ammo, and in particular, finally enabled Spread to have point-blank shots at Ballistics 2. The update also introduced RNG talismans, which improved LBG’s damage ceiling by 2-5%. The rates are nowhere near as bad as in Rise. Finally, it added the ability for status ammos to regen gauge at varying rates depending on the type, which enables poison to refill the rapid fire gauge in a mere 5-6 seconds, with exhaust trailing slightly behind.

Title Update 3 introduced the Omega raid, whose armor does not affect LBG sets outside of niche resentment builds. It also featured no weapon balance changes. However, this is when poison/exhaust tech was actually added to the guide, despite it technically being discovered in TU2.5. Arch-Tempered Nu Udra introduced some sidegrade sets that gain 2 points of Counterstrike in exchange for losing 2 points of Evade Window.

8. FAQs

Q: Why do you recommend Pierce/Spread/Normal Up over Crit Boost? A: Crit boost becomes stronger than these decorations once you have 65% or more affinity. However, you need to also factor in that many of your affinity skills will not have 100% uptime. So even if the builder said your affinity is 65%, your average affinity across a hunt will be lower, so you will get more overall value from pierce/spread/normal up. Fortunately some builds shown above have a mixture of both.

Q: Why do some builds prioritize Agitator and others prioritize Weakness Exploit?

A: This mostly comes down to the gun and ammo type being used. In general, weakness exploit (WEX) is worse than agitator (AGI) due to the low base raw stats that our guns have. Elemental sets gain a lot less out of affinity since critical element is only a 15% elemental boost compared to a 25% boost that raw ammo types get (this is without critical boost). The raw from AGI directly increases gun elemental damage, so it will always be prioritised on elemental sets.

Q: Why do you recommend 2x capacity boosts and the rest attack boost for Artian weapons? A: Increasing your clip size directly increases your DPS by reducing the number of reloads over a hunt. This does not just increase the clip size of the elemental ammo, but also the other ammo types on the gun. This allows normals to have a clip size of 4 on the elemental sets which is situationally useful for charging the RF gauge. It also makes pure elemental sets have an even clip size, which is good for most efficient use of chaser shots when charging the Rapid Fire gauge and still maintaining DPS.

Q: How much stronger are Artian elemental weapons compared to their craftable counterparts? A: It depends on the element. On paper the DPS ranges from 1-10%, despite the craftables being able to output competitive DPS during Rapid-Fire mode. This is because Artian weapons refill the Rapid Fire gauge far more efficiently due to being able to slot Focus 3, as well as their larger clip size allowing them to fire 3 chasers per clip instead of 2. Craftables hemorrhage DPS from spending more time outside of RF mode than Artian.

Q: How much damage do I lose if I get affinity rolls instead of attack rolls on my Artian weapons? A: For each time you get an affinity roll instead of an attack roll, you lose just over 1% damage. This means if you were to use affinity parts to create the gun and get 2x capacity and 3x affinity rolls, you lose a total of 7% damage.

Q: Why do you not recommend dragon ammo? A: Despite being powerful per shot, dragon ammo is mostly for speed runners or memes. This is because you can only shoot a maximum of 14 shots before needing to go back to camp.

Q: Why is Blindsider on all your sets? A: Most sets have a free level 1 slot. Flashes are broken given that you can use them without sheathing your weapon. Blindsider allows us to abuse this mechanic to the fullest extent.

Q: How did you calculate all this stuff? A: There is a spreadsheet in the resources section that anyone can download and use to calculate the relative power of builds. It is still being worked on, but it is in a state where it can be used for many useful calculations.

9. Resources

1. MH Wilds Hub Builder

2. Gamecat Armorset Builder

3. Bowgun Data Sheet

4. Bowgun Weapon Tree Reference Sheet

5. Kiranico

6. Damo's Bowgun Calculator

7. Wilds Set Search

10. Acknowledgements

Possibly the most important section in this entire guide, as this would not have been possible without help from all of the names listed here.

10.1: Primary Contributors

● Dingus Wrote the first edition of this guide and helped get everyone in touch so together a solid guide could be written. This guide would not be of such quality if Dingus had not put together a large team of theorycrafters. He also sat in VC for countless hours and gathered practical data that was used to test skills in calculations. ● Damo His Matlab access and ability to streamline the calculations was invaluable in the process of writing this guide. Writing thousands of lines of code took days, but now allows us to compare different builds in a matter of seconds. ● UnkemptHerald His access to information and data helped us get a massive headstart on theorycrafting. He is consistently involved in conversations concerning all aspects of the meta. He was also involved in a large amount of testing and read over all the code that was written by Damo. ● Cylon_ He reformatted and rewrote the guide to follow Wiggler Standards of Style, as well as performed in game testing and gathered data to assist in calculations. ● Scrub Helped to optimize the many iterations of the sets that preceded those in this document. Helped debug code, improved calculations. Gathered frame data. Edited written document.

10.2: YouTubers

● Angbata11 Sharing ideas and helping the team to keep from being tunnel-visioned. ● Phemeto Doing public testing of skills and sharing information. ● LordVietter Spreading knowledge to a wider audience. ● Nyx Testing new ideas on stream ● Kyle Woo/Rolltorest LBG Freestyle speedrunner that helped brainstorm ideas and optimizations

● Mistilteinn TA Wiki Rules speedrunner that helped us understand matchup info thanks to their runs ● Sarah MH TA Wiki Rules LBG speedrunner that gave input to help with matchup info ● WaraBito Active Highly Skilled LBG speedrunner ● Aco Highly skilled HBG Freestyle speedrunner ● Tatsuffy Highly skilled HBG speedrunner showing unique runs that open ideas for new info ● Dolores Highly skilled HBG Freestyle speedrunner

10.3 Heavy Bowgun Friends

● Frostydios Helping to test things when others were unavailable. ● Eichigo Taking the responsibility and creating a temporary album that helped answer people’s questions while this guide was being worked on. ● Kat Focusing on HBG and creating the original matchup sheet, and contributing to various conversations about the meta. ● Lasky Assistance with testing and calculations. ● Jonboy Answering questions when things were really busy.

10.4: Discord Servers

● MH Gathering Hall Where the majority of the ideas were shared and tested. ● MH Hub Where the ideas were shared for testing to a wider audience. ● Demon Tribe Where the builds were tested with immediate feedback from close friends.

10.5: Wiggler Team

● Thank you to Upgreid for providing the format to ensure all guides have the best presentation.

11. Changelog

02/04/2025 Guide revamped to fit Wiggler Standards of Style.

04/04/2025 Guide updated with builds and changes to Chapter 1 Section 6 and Chapter 3 Sections 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4 and 7 for Title Update 1. Cylon

05/04/2025 Added numbers for all ammo types to Chapter 1 Section 4.5 (Thanks Kempy!), minor changes/corrections to Section 4.4. Cylon

06/04/2025 Guide updated to account for Zohgun being good Cylon

28/04/2025 Hybrid sets deleted as focused sets out perform, minor edits Damo

04/05/2025 Update raw meta due to AT Rey Damo

06/05/2025 Updated gear requirements and reworked elemental set to have EW5 and Focus 3 Damo

10/05/2025 Minor edits to build descriptions and fixed in guide links Damo

22/06/2025 -Updated with gamecat sets and optimised normal and spread sets Damo

03/07/2025 Updated with TU2 meta spread set Damo

08/07/2025 Sweeping grammar changes to the entire document. Reordered list of authors in the order of editor permissions Updated “Special Thanks” Section to remove authors of this guide Updated sections 4, 5, 6, & 7. Added new tips to section 8 in the Weapon Guide Updated HR requirements, Village meals, item buffs assumptions for Endgame Section Updated Artian Section to include additional Tempered monsters drops + dismantling info

Updated Meta Guide sections to include preferred mantle and updated descriptions Updated Matchup sheet changing Arkveld to a Spread matchup and updated GDosh & Mizu shot zones Updated “What’s Changed” Section Updated FAQs Section Added Gamecat to “Resources”

• Scrub & UnkemptHerald

10/07/2025 Updated builder links Scrub

12/07/2025 Added Lagiacrus LBG to Alternative Builds. Removed “Gear Requirements” section from Meta Build Guide due to redundancy. Updated Advanced Tips section. Reorganized sections. Fixed Table of Contents.

• Scrub

13/07/2025 Updated shot regen values for section 4.4 Fixed indentation for drop down sections of guides

• UnkemptHerald

28/07/2025 Added Spread to Weapon Guide section. Scrub & UnkemptHerald

16/08/2025 Slightly adjusted recommended hitzones in matchup chart; added matchup infographic. Scrub

21/08/2025 Updated Skill Priorities to include Weapon Skills. Updated “I’ve Been Away, What’s Changed?” section. Scrub

28/08/2025 Updated Pierce, Spread, and Element builds with scuffed images. Scrub

08/09/2025 Removed obsolete builds, added RNG talisman section, updated resources. Scrub & Herald

15/10/2025 Updated build images (no more MS paint!). Integrated Poison & Exhaust ammo tech into the guide (Playstyle/Gameplay Loop, Artians & Alternatives, Endgame Builds, I’ve Been Away, What’s Changed?). Updated matchup chart for TU3. Scrub & Herald

24/10/2025 Updated some sets for AT Nu Udra (nothing really changed tbh). Scrub