The Heavy Bowgun is a machine gun-like weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds that can deal heavy ranged damage while also having great defensive capabilities. Shooting monsters with a barrage of different ammo types is a fun way to hunt, especially with the new mechanics. Nevertheless, to maximize the Heavy Bowgun’s potential, you need the best builds. In this guide, I will provide the best HBG builds and progression, from Low Rank to endgame.
This guide will be updated regularly along with future content!
Heavy Bowgun Gameplay and Combo in MH Wilds
The HBG gameplay in Wilds is not that different from previous entries in Monster Hunter. It still revolves around hitting monsters with a heavy barrage of different ammo types. However, the added mechanics, like Offset Attacks and Power Clash, greatly improve HBG's defensive and mobility options.
HBG has two different modes: Normal Mode and Ignition Mode. You can switch between the modes by pressing Circle. The bread and butter of HBG's Ignition Mode are Wyvernheart and Wyverncounter—Wyvernheart being the iconic machine gun-like barrage of attacks, while Wyverncounter serves as HBG’s Offset Attack.
The best combo starts with Wyvernheart, firing until the gauge is depleted. Once empty, switch to Normal Mode. In Normal Mode, the best ammo types currently are Pierce and Spread. Pierce provides the highest DPS and is effective from close to long range, while Spread is best for up-close engagements. However, Spread has been significantly nerfed in Wilds, causing heavy recoil. Despite this, it remains useful in certain scenarios. Once the gauge is full again, switch back to Wyvernheart and repeat the loop.
Seikret is also a great companion for HBG users, allowing you to ride and unleash hell like a tank. Spread ammo is especially effective while on Seikret since it eliminates recoil, making it a powerful option for close-range damage. However, Wyvernheart cannot be used while riding Seikret, so you'll need to dismount to take full advantage of its firepower.
Another mechanic that greatly enhances HBG is Perfect Guard, which requires precise timing when blocking a monster’s attack. Successfully executing this move grants follow-up options:
- Square for sidesteps
- Triangle for a quick reload
- R2 for a quick counter shot
With that in mind, let's take a look at the builds and progression.
Heavy Bowgun Low Rank Build and Progression
Starting your journey in Wilds, you'll receive the default Hope armor set, which is great due to its Level 3 Divine Blessing. Use it until you face Guardian Ebony Odogaron and Guardian Rathalos, after which you can craft their armor for higher defense and the Burst and Weakness Exploit skills.
Burst 3 provides a significant damage boost early on, whether for raw or elemental attacks, while extra Weakness Exploit increases Affinity, making critical hits more consistent.
For weapons, the easiest and best option in Low Rank is the Iron Assault, which can be upgraded to Level 2 early on. As an alternative, Power Stinger I is a solid choice due to its Level 3 Pierce ammo and Special Ammo boost for Wyvernheart.
Best HBGs for Low Rank
- Iron Assault II
- Power Stinger I
Heavy Bowgun High Rank Build and Progression
Upon reaching High Rank, you can immediately craft the Kut-Ku armor set for increased defense and the extra Agitator skill. However, if you're confident in your survival skills, you can skip this step and wait until you can craft armor from High Rank Guardian monsters.
For weapons, Iron Assault II and Power Stinger I remain excellent choices for this stage of progression. Additionally, upgrading the Blessing Charm to Level 2 will enhance Divine Blessing, providing better damage reduction.
Late High Rank Build
After defeating Guardian Ebony Odogaron, Guardian Rathalos, and Blangonga, you can craft their armor for even greater defense and improved skills.
This build provides:
- Burst 4
- Agitator 4
- Max Might 3
- Divine Blessing 3
- Earplugs 2
These skills significantly boost both damage and defense, making them ideal for facing late-game bosses. Additionally, try to craft the Chain, Exploiter, and Challenger Charms, as they will be essential for endgame builds.
For weapons, you can continue upgrading Iron Assault to Level 3 and Power Stinger to Level 2. Slot them into your primary and secondary weapon slots to easily switch and refresh Wyvernheart mode when needed.
Best HBGs for High Rank
- Iron Assault III
- Power Stinger II
Best Heavy Bowgun Endgame Builds
After reaching HR 40+, it's time to farm and grind for the best jewels and armor sets to maximize the Heavy Bowgun's potential. Here are the best HBG builds in Monster Hunter Wilds:
HBG Endgame 4-Gore Agitator Elemental Build
This build is incredibly effective for elemental matchups. However, it requires extensive farming since you'll need various Artian elemental gear and rare jewels.
This setup is a 4-Gore, Agitator, and Elemental build, designed to dish out massive elemental damage. You'll achieve very high Affinity with Agitator, Antivirus, and Max Might, while Coalescence further boosts elemental damage.
Ballistics and Opening Shot are crucial for this build, along with enhanced elemental attack skills like Blaze or Dragon.
The best part of this build is that you can ride your Seikret and continuously barrage enemies with elemental ammo. This ensures that Max Might remains active, providing a consistent Affinity boost.
For Greifen, the optimal setup includes full Attack infusion, with 3 Attack + 2 Capacity reinforcement. As for elemental weapons, you'll need to craft separate weapons for each element, which requires significant grinding.
HBG Endgame Second Wind Wyvernheart Build
This build focuses on Wyvernheart attacks rather than standard shots. With WEX 5, Agitator 4, and Max Might 3, you'll achieve high Affinity to deal massive critical damage using Wyvernheart.
Focus is essential to quickly fill the Wyvernheart gauge, making it a crucial skill. Additionally, Special Ammo Boost further enhances Wyvernheart’s power.
Second Wind ensures that Max Might remains active at all times, even after multiple dodges.
For weapons, Wild Stinger is the best choice due to its Ignition Mode ST II and Level 3 Pierce ammo. However, Gravios Gigahowl is also an excellent secondary weapon if you want to spam Wyvernheart more frequently.
HBG Endgame 4-Gore Crit Build
The last build is the 4-Gore Crit Build, which significantly boosts Affinity to maximize critical damage output.
Critical Boost enhances the power of critical hits, while Burst and Agitator further amplify your overall damage, making this build incredibly effective.
The Artian HBG setup remains the same, with full Attack infusion and 3 Attack + 2 Capacity reinforcement. However, adding Extra Affinity reinforcement is also a great option, as it further increases your critical hit chance.
Best HBGs for Endgame
- Greifen Raw/Elemental (all Attacj infusion & 3 Attack + 2 Capacity reinforcement)
- Steel Assault
- Wild Stinger
- Queen's Farflier
- Gravios Gigahowl
- Ableben Abzug
There you go! By using these builds, you’ll unleash massive damage by barraging monsters with the Heavy Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds. Remember to make use of your Seikret! There’s no shame in hunting like a king on horseback.
