
Choosing the right Monster Hunter Now builds is the most critical factor for success in your hunts. As you face increasingly difficult monsters, a well-thought-out combination of weapons, armor, and skills can make all the difference. This guide will provide you with a full breakdown of the best builds for every weapon type, catering to both newcomers and seasoned veterans. We’ll cover everything from raw damage to elemental specializations, ensuring you have the perfect strategy for any monster.
Understanding the Core of Monster Hunter Now Builds
A Monster Hunter Now build is more than just a collection of gear; it’s a strategic setup designed to maximize your effectiveness. These builds are centered on a primary weapon and are then supplemented with armor pieces that provide specific skills. The goal is to create synergy, where the skills enhance your weapon’s strengths and exploit monster weaknesses. Whether you’re looking for a top-tier Monster Hunter Now best build for pure damage or a specialized setup for a tricky monster, understanding these fundamentals is key.
The Current Monster Hunter Now Meta Builds
The meta is always shifting, but these weapons and builds consistently perform at the top. While skill is important, using a meta build can give you a significant edge in difficult hunts.
- Long Sword: Remains a top-tier choice due to its high mobility and Spirit Gauge mechanic, offering both raw and elemental damage options.
- Bow: The undisputed king of elemental damage. A strong Bow build with the right elemental advantage can shred monsters faster than any other weapon.
- Dual Blades: Excels at aggressive, close-quarters combat. A perfect choice for hunters who want to deal rapid damage and inflict status effects.
- Great Sword: The go-to for raw power. A single, perfectly timed True Charged Slash can deal more damage than an entire combo from most other weapons.
Best Bow Builds in Monster Hunter Now
The Bow is a versatile weapon, excelling at ranged combat and elemental damage. The Monster Hunter Now bow build you choose should focus on maximizing both your attack power and critical element damage.

Build Type | Weapon | Head | Chest | Arms | Waist | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginner’s Best | Blooming Arch | Kulu Hood | Jagras Mail | Girros Vambraces | Leather Belt | Kulu Greaves |
Pure Damage | Diablos Bow | Rath Soul Helm | Rathalos Mail | Rathian Vambraces | Rathalos Coil | Jyura Greaves |
Water Build | Aqua Arrow | Rath Soul Helm | Jyura Mail | Jyura Vambraces | Rathalos Coil | Jagras Greaves |
Thunder Build | Usurper’s Rumble | Rath Soul Helm | Kadachi Mail | Zinogre Vambraces | Kadachi Coil | Jyura Greaves |
Ice Build | Glacial Arrow | Rath Soul Helm | Barioth Mail | Barioth Vambraces | Legiana Coil | Jyura Greaves |
Why This Build Works: Elemental builds for the Bow are crucial. Gear like Rath Soul Helm and Zinogre Vambraces provide powerful elemental attack skills that are essential for exploiting monster weaknesses and dealing massive damage from a distance.
Top Dual Blades Builds for Monster Hunter Now
For hunters who love fast-paced, aggressive combat, the Dual Blades are an excellent choice. A great Monster Hunter Now dual blades build prioritizes Attack Boost and Element Attack skills to overwhelm monsters with a flurry of strikes.

Build Type | Weapon | Head | Chest | Arms | Waist | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginner’s Choice | Rending Beaks | Kulu Headpiece | Leather Mail | Girros Vambraces | Leather Belt | Kulu Greaves |
Pure Damage | Thanatos Mauls | Zinogre Helm | Rathalos Mail | Rathian Vambraces | Rathian Coil | Zinogre Greaves |
Water Build | Morning Dawn | Pukei Lagoon Hat | Jyura Mail | Jyura Vambraces | Rathian Coil | Jagras Greaves |
Fire Build | Blazing Hatchets | Anja Helm | Rathalos Mail | Rathian Vambraces | Basarios Coil | Rath Soul Greaves |
Why This Build Works: Dual Blades are about consistent, rapid strikes. This build focuses on maximizing elemental attack skills through key gear pieces like the Rathalos Mail and Zinogre Vambraces, allowing you to drain a monster’s health bar quickly.
The Ultimate Long Sword Builds
The Long Sword is one of the most popular weapons due to its fluid combos and powerful Spirit Blade attacks. A powerful Monster Hunter Now longsword build should focus on maximizing damage and maintaining a high attack flow.

Build Type | Weapon | Head | Chest | Arms | Waist | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starter Long Sword | First Dance | Kulu Headpiece | Jagras Mail | Girros Vambraces | Leather Belt | Kulu Greaves |
Pure Damage | Wyvern Blade “Leaf” | Rathalos Helm | Rathalos Mail | Rathian Vambraces | Banbaro Coil | Kulu Greaves |
Thunder Build | Usurper’s Boltslicer | Pukei Lagoon Hat | Kadachi Mail | Zinogre Vambraces | Kadachi Coil | Jyura Greaves |
Ice Build | Glacial Shotel | Pukei Lagoon Hat | Barioth Mail | Barioth Vambraces | Legiana Coil | Jyura Greaves |
Why This Build Works: Long Sword builds benefit from gear that offers Attack Boost and Critical Eye, which are provided by pieces like Rathalos Helm and Rathian Vambraces. These skills ensure that every Spirit Blade combo hits with maximum force.
Great Sword Builds: Maximize Damage per Hit
The Great Sword is all about patience and timing. A strong Monster Hunter Now greatsword build is designed to land a single, devastating blow. Focus and Critical Eye are your best friends here.

Build Type | Weapon | Head | Chest | Arms | Waist | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginner | Jagras Blade | Pukei Hood | Jagras Mail | Girros Vambraces | Leather Belt | Jagras Greaves |
Pure Damage | Carapace Buster | Pukei Lagoon Hat | Anja Mail | Kulu Vambraces | Banbaro Coil | Jyura Greaves |
Water Build | Aqua Slasher | Pukei Lagoon Hat | Pukei Mail | Jyura Vambraces | Rathalos Coil | Jagras Greaves |
Dragon Build | Berserker Sword | Rath Soul Helm | Rath Heart Mail | Vangis Vambraces | Vangis Coil | Rath Heart Greaves |
Why This Build Works: For a Great Sword, every hit counts. This build focuses on the Focus skill from pieces like the Pukei Lagoon Hat to shorten charge times, while also boosting raw damage to make sure each hit is as powerful as possible.
Powerful Heavy Bowgun Builds
The Heavy Bowgun, or HBG, is a siege weapon in the world of Monster Hunter Now. The Monster Hunter Now heavy bowgun build you want should boost your ammunition’s elemental damage and reload speed.

Build Type | Weapon | Head | Chest | Arms | Waist | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginner’s HBG | Jagras Assault | Leather Headgear | Jagras Mail | Girros Vambraces | Leather Belt | Jagras Greaves |
Water Build | Water Cannon | Mizutsune Helm | Lumu Mail | Jyura Vambraces | Pukei Lagoon Coil | Rath Soul Greaves |
Fire Build | Flammenkanone | Anja Helm | Lumu Mail | Anja Vambraces | Pukei Lagoon Coil | Rath Soul Greaves |
Ice Build | Daora Grande | Banbaro Helm | Lumu Mail | Barioth Vambraces | Legiana Coil | Rath Soul Greaves |
Why This Build Works: Heavy Bowgun builds are all about maximizing the efficiency of your shots. The gear in this table is chosen for skills that boost elemental ammo damage and improve reload times, allowing for more consistent DPS from a safe distance.
An Easier Way to Get Your Builds with LocaRun
Farming rare monster parts for your Monster Hunter Now builds can be a serious grind. It often requires you to travel to specific locations, and sometimes, those are hard to reach. That’s where a location changer like LocaRun comes in. It’s a tool designed to help you streamline the hunting process by letting you manage your in-game location virtually. For example, to farm the Diablos parts needed for the powerful Great Sword build, LocaRun lets you teleport to a desert biome instantly, saving you travel time and speeding up your build progression.

Key Features of LocaRun:
- Instantly teleport your in-game character to any location in the world to find the monsters or materials you need.
- Set your character to walk, jog, or run along a custom path. This mimics natural movement and helps you cover ground efficiently.
- LocaRun includes a cooldown timer that automatically tracks and displays the appropriate waiting period between long-distance teleports, helping you avoid soft bans.
- The app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
A Simple Guide to Using LocaRun:
Step 1. Begin by downloading and installing the LocaRun application on your computer.
Step 2. Use a USB cable to connect your mobile phone to your computer.

Step 3. On the map within the LocaRun software, pinpoint your desired location and click the “Move Here” button to teleport your GPS.

Step 4. Once your location is set, you can open Monster Hunter Now and start hunting for the parts needed for your builds in your new virtual spot.
FAQ About Monster Hunter Now Builds
Final Thoughts on Your MHN Builds
The key to mastering Monster Hunter Now builds is not just following a guide, but understanding why a build works. By prioritizing skills that complement your weapon and exploit a monster’s elemental weaknesses, you can create a build that is uniquely yours and incredibly effective. Remember, tools like LocaRun can also be a game-changer, helping you gather the necessary materials for these advanced builds much more efficiently. Use this guide as a starting point, experiment with different combinations, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a top hunter.
Want to learn more? Check out our other guides on location changing:
- How to Share Location on iMessage – Real, Live, or Fake in 2025
- How to Change Your Location on Roblox in 2025 (The Easy Way)
- How to Hide My Location on iPhone Without Them Knowing
- How to Send a Fake Location on WhatsApp: A Comprehensive Guide

Hi, I’m Danny, a cybersecurity expert with 15+ years in digital privacy. I lead Locarun’s technical content on geolocation security solutions. My industry background helps me translate complex privacy technologies into practical strategies for protecting your online identity. I’m dedicated to empowering users with effective tools to control their digital footprint through our GPS location changer.