Combining a crossbow with an old powder gun while adding a little bit of automatic rifle essence will probably result in something similar to the Heavy Bowgun from Monster Hunter Wilds, a foldable ranged weapon with interesting functionality that might not be every player’s cup of tea, but it is sure worth giving a try, at least!
Generally speaking, Heavy Bowgun is an upgraded version of its light version that packs a stronger punch at the price of sacrificing movement freedom. It is safe to say that the Heavy Bowgun is more difficult to use than the Light variant, and it requires more practice in the training area to master the weapon.
Related
Monster Hunter Wilds: Light Bowgun Guide
A ranged weapon with different fire mods and a variety of projectile types.
Suitable Playstyle For Heavy Bowgun
Only players succeed with a Heavy Bowgun in chaotic battles that pay attention to their position. Equipping and unequipping this weapon already consumes enough time that it leaves almost no room for mistakes. Using this weapon significantly limits the player’s mobility, and that’s an early and clear message here to anyone hoping for a run-and-gun weapon: just throw that out of your mind!
Similar to its light counterpart, Heavy Bowgun does not feature any combos, though there are some special shots available that can be used in certain situations. When the weapon is equipped, the player can only walk, which is already a massive penalty. To move any faster, the weapon must be unequipped.
Playing solo with a Heavy Bowgun is not impossible, but it could feel quite slow, and beating the bosses may take longer, especially the monsters that move around rapidly, leaving a brief period for the player to stand still and shoot projectiles at them. This is also very true when facing hordes of smaller enemies.
As a small compensation for its low mobility, Heavy Bowgun does not require sharpening like melee weapons. So, it’s always as lethal as it was at the beginning of the battle.
Fire Modes, Charged Attack, And Other Functionalities
While Heavy Bowgun features two fire modes like its light version, there are some differences between the two. The normal fire mode is almost identical to that of the Light Bowgun, as the player can choose from a variety of ammo types, with Heavy Bowgun featuring a few exclusive ammo variants.
Speaking of the enhanced fire mode, however, things are different. The enhanced mode only features a set ammo type with infinite reserve ammo. While the game has not given any name to it, the stats seem similar to the Normal Ammo in the normal fire mode. That being said, the overheating functionality is still there, and the player has to switch back to normal fire mode until the automatic enhancement cools down.
The charged attack in Heavy Bowgun will use its unique rounds. If the player enters ADS mode by holding R2/RT/RMB, then holds down R1/RB/Shift, the weapon will start charging, releasing a burst fire after leaving the key. The difference between this Focus Blast compared to that of Light Gun is that the player literally sits down on the ground when performing this attack with Heavy Bowgun, which prevents any further movement. That said, an evade option will be available that sends the player a bit forward in case the monster moves away after charging the weapon.
Another tip to learn about the functionalities of Heavy Bowgun is guarding. Unlike the Light Bowgun, which comes with a special move for setting up a trap, the Heavy Bowgun features a guard move to protect yourself against incoming attacks. Regarding how sloppy the character gets when using this weighted weapon, this is an essential move to use when the target comes into your melee range. To perform the guard move, press Triangle+Circle / Y+B / R+F, and the character will negate the incoming attack.
Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that Heavy Bowgun has a lower vertical recoil compared to its light counterpart. Since the player is more stationary and holds the weapon with both hands, hitting the targets with the Heavy Bowgun feels easier in the ADS mode.
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Ammo Types For Heavy Bowgun
Before explaining how each ammo type works, it is essential to note that different ammo types come with different effective ranges. The player can identify whether they are in the correct range of the target by looking at the ADS crosshair. If there is an orange aura around the crosshair, this means you are within the effective range of the ammo. Shooting outside the range will result in poor damage output.
Now, let’s take a look at the functionality of each ammo type:
- Normal Ammo: Fires three pellets within a single projectile after pulling the trigger once. Reserve ammo is infinite.
- Pierce Ammo: Armor-piercing ammo that deals multiple damage hits depending on the monster. Reserve ammo is infinite.
- Spread Ammo: Designed for close combat and packs a powerful punch in short range. Resrve ammo is infinite.
- Sticky Ammo: Powerful ammo that lodges in a target and explodes. A headshot with this ammo stuns the target.
- Posion Ammo: Applies poison status effect to the target. High-level monsters may require more than one shot to be inflicted by poison.
- Thunder Ammo: Deals a significant amount of damage to monsters susceptible to Thunder.
- Recover Ammo: Spreads a healing cloud in the impact zone of where it lands.
- Demon Ammo: Spreads a cloud that strengthens attacks in the impact zone of where it lands.
- Tranq Ammo: Used to capture monsters ensnared in traps.
- Slicing Ammo: Ejects sharp blades on impact, which can sever tails.
- Cluster Ammo: Fragments into multiple shells upon impact.
- Wyvern Ammo: Suitable for short range with high destructivity.
- Paralysis Ammo: Applies paralysis status effect to the target. High-level monsters may require more than one shot to be inflicted by paralysis.
- Sleep Ammo: Applies sleep status effect to the target. High-level monsters may require more than one shot to be inflicted by sleep.
- Dragon Ammo: Deals a significant amount of damage to monsters susceptible to Dragon.
- Armor Ammo: Spreads a cloud that strengthens armor in the impact zone of where it lands.
- Exhaust Ammo: Empties a monster’s stamina.
- Water Ammo: Deals a significant amount of damage to monsters susceptible to Water.
- Flaming Ammo: Deals a significant amount of damage to monsters susceptible to Fire.
- Freeze Ammo: Deals a significant amount of damage to monsters susceptible to Ice.
Ammo types can be earned either by purchasing them from the vendors or crafting them in your personal tent. The latter requires you to get the crafting recipes and gather the ingredients. It’s worth noting that each Bowgun model can fire a specific number of ammo types. So, make sure to check the eligible ammo for your equipped Bowgun at your tent before crafting or purchasing an ammo type.
The price tag for different ammo types vary from each other, but the elemental ammo doesn’t cost too much, as you can get each projectile for 20 Zenny. That being said, different vendors sell different ammo types. So, you need to make progress in the story campaign to unlock more camps and meet new vendors across the game’s map to have access to all ammo types. Unlocking recipes is also tied to exploration and story progression.
- Released
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February 28, 2025
- OpenCritic Rating
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Mighty