Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Best Weapons Tier List

The Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion had a huge impact on the meta game by giving most of the weapons some much-desired balance. That doesn’t mean that all weapons are now equal, though. There is still room for some weapons to be considered the best.

If you’re looking for Master Rank weapons for your endgame builds, or the most powerful weapons in Monster Hunter World overall, then follow our guide below for a complete breakdown of S, A, and B tier weapons.

Tier S Weapons

Loyal Thunder

• Attack Power: 420
• Affinity: 0%
• Deviation: Low
• Custom Mods: 5
• Special Ammo: Wyvernheart

The only weapon that hasn’t been influenced by the Iceborne rebalancing is the Loyal Thunder heavy bowgun. It is undoubtedly the strongest single weapon in the game right now.

It is also one of the easiest weapons to use, as all you need to do is aim at a monster and shoot. The rest will take care of itself.

It can be upgraded from the Mightning + bowgun, which can be crafted with the help of the Zinogre monster parts:

• 5x Spiritvein Solidbone
• 2x Zinogre Hardhorn
• 3x Zinogre Deathly Shocker
• 1x Large Elder Dragon Gem
• 80000x Zenny

Tier A Weapons

Golden Crescent

• Attack Power: 1015
• Affinity: 15%
• Element Damage: Poison 330
• Phial Type: Power

If your primary weapon is a switch axe, then you’re probably already running the Golden Crescent in your build. It has a high poison damage and absolutely massive attack power and Phial damage.

It is recommended you decorate it with Enhancer Jewel 2, which will improve the Power Prolonger skill and make Golden Crescent twice as powerful when charged up.

This switch axe can be upgraded from Dragonmaiden axe by using the following items:

• 3x Gold Rathian Surspike x3
• 5x Gold Rathian Shard x5
• 4x Gold Rathian Cortex x4
• 1x Rath Gleam x1
• 80000x Zenny

Grinding Mallet

• Attack Power: 1508
• Affinity: 0%
• Element Damage: Paralysis 330

The biggest advantage of the Grinding Mallet hammer is its ability to reach purple sharpness at Handicraft +5. This will instantly increase its already highly potent damage output to enormous proportions.

This weapon can be crafted by slaying two types of monsters: Acidic Glavenus and Vaal Hazak. The full recipe is as follows:

• 2x Vaal Hazak Hardclaw 
• 4x Acidic Glavenus Hardfang 
• 3x Acidic Glavenus Spineshell 
• 1x Glavenus Mantle 
• 56000x Zenny

Luna Eostre

• Attack Power: 1044
• Affinity: 10%
• Element Damage: Poison 420
• Phial Type: Impact

The latest update gave this amazing charge blade an attack and a health augmentation slots, which makes it possible to balance out all the heavy survival builds of the current meta.

There is also no better weapon for impact phial damage, so if you wish to craft it, then you will need to upgrade the Dear Rose blade with the following items:

• 3x Gold Rathian Surspike
• 5x Gold Rathian Shard
• 4x Gold Rathian Cortex
• 1x Rath Gleam
• 80000x Zenny

Wyvern Blade Luna

• Attack Power: 957
• Affinity: 10%
• Element Damage: Poison 420

Longswords are some of the best melee weapons in the game, and Wyvern Blade Luna is the best of them all due to its sheer raw damage.

It already has purple sharpness and 10% affinity, which isn’t hard to push to a full 100% for the highest critical damage in the game.

You can craft this amazing longsword by slaying Gold Rathian monster and upgrading Wyvern Blade Blossom with:

• 3x Gold Rathian Surspike
• 5x Gold Rathian Shard
• 4x Gold Rathian Cortex
• 1x Rath Gleam
• 80000x Zenny

Tier B Weapons

Blackwing Bowgun II

• Attack Power: 351
• Affinity: 25%
• Deviation: Average
• Custom Mods: 4
• Special Ammo: Wyvernblast

Here is a fantastic light bowgun for some fun Rapid Sticky or Rapid Pierce builds that you most definitely won’t regret playing.

This weapon is best utilized alongside another poisonous weapon that can slow down a monster, which you can shoot and finish off with Blackwing Bowgun II.

The crafting recipe of this great weapon is the following:

• 3x Scratched Shell 
• 2x Garuga Fellwing 
• 3x Fancy Beak 
• 1x Large Wyvern Gem 
• 56000x Zenny

Ruinous Perdition

• Attack Power: 667
• Affinity: 0%
• Element Damage: Dragon 360
• Elderseal: High

Ruinous Perdition may not be the prettiest looking lance in the game, but it definitely is the most powerful one.

It is mostly used in exceptionally tanky builds of the Iceborne meta with such decorations like Tenderizer, Guardian/Expert Jewel 4, Guardian/Physique Jewel 4, Vitality Jewel, and Ironwall Jewel.

This lance can be upgraded from the Perdition’s Hand lance and these crafting materials:

• 3x Annihilating Greathorn
• 4x Nergigante Hardclaw
• 5x Eternal Regrowth Plate
• 1x Large Elder Dragon Gem
• 80000x Zenny

Deathlance Vaal Spysa

• Attack Power: 575
• Affinity: 0%
• Element Damage: Dragon 510
• Shelling Type: Long
• Shelling Level: Lv 6

Gunlances are great weapons, because they can be equally well used against any type of monster regardless of the number of main weapons you’re using.

Deathlance Vaal Spysa is arguably the best gunlance in Iceborne, especially when it is used in the healing tank shell with the Zorah armor set and such decorations like Shield Jewel 2 and Magazine Jewel 2.

You’ll need to farm for some Vaal Hazak monster parts to be able to craft this gunlance:

• 3x Vaal Hazak Hardclaw 
• 2x Shadowpierce Fang 
• 5x Deceased Shard 
• 3x Deathweaver Membrane

Acid Shredder II

• Attack Power: 1392
• Affinity: 0%
• Element Damage: Paralysis 420

Here is the greatsword of all greatswords: an Acidic Glavenus weapon with paralysis damage.

Of course, it needs to be pushed to have white sharpness with the help of critical affinity boost, but that would be enough. Acid Shredder II will not benefit too much from Handicraft jewels, as the purple sharpness doesn’t give it any more damage than it already has.

You can craft this massive greatsword with these materials:

• 2x Vaal Hazak Hardclaw
• 4x Acidic Glavenus Hardfang
• 3x Acidic Glavenus Spineshell
• 1x Glavenus Mantle 
• 56000x Zenny

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These are the best weapons in Iceborne. For more Monster Hunter World guides, check out the list below:

• How to Find Hot Spring Stones
• Best Iceborne Greatsword Builds
• Best Iceborne Longsword Builds
• Iceborne Not Loading on PC Fix
• Poogie Outfits