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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

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Light and Heavy Bowgun

By
Vincent Lau

Light Bowgun

Heavy Bowgun.

Overview

The Light/Heavy Bowgun are two of three Gunner weapons. With their own special armor and Ammo, Gunner weapons are distinctly different from Blademaster weapons, with their own complexities and intricacies that must be mastered to become an adept Gunner. Gunner Armor, first off, has half the defense of Blademaster armor, enforcing the rule of firing from a range to prevent yourself from getting hit in the first place. In higher ranks, the low defense of Gunner Armor means even with it on, you are very liable to being one-hit killed by attacks that would leave a Blademaster still with a hefty bar of health.

There are three traits that should be considered when working with Bowguns. Reload Speed is how fast you can reload your Bowgun. Recoil is how much delay there is after firing a shot. Deviation is how much a shot will veer to the right or left of your intended target. Because of the highly individualized nature of each Bowgun, experiment around with different Gunner skills to come up with the perfect set!

The Light Bowgun and the Heavy Bowgun are very similar, differing in power and mobility. The Light Bowgun allows you to run while the weapon is unsheathed, and in return is weaker. The Heavy Bowgun, meanwhile, is incredibly powerful, but incredibly slow, crippling you down to a slogging walk if you do not sheathe your weapon. Thus, the Light Bowgun allows more wiggle room for positioning, but the Heavy Bowgun relies on very precise planning.

Pros (LBG)

  • Great for inflicting status

  • Can hop to the side and to the back, and still have access to a forward roll

  • Rapid Fire allows shooting multiple shots at the cost of only one ammo

  • Highly mobile weapon
    Pros (HBG)

  • Very high raw power

  • Siege Mode immobilizes you in exchange for firing off a huge volley of shots for enormous damage.

  • Shield is attached that can block in an emergency
    Cons (LBG)

  • Low raw power
    Cons (HBG)

  • Heavy weapon, limited mobility

  • Slow sheathing speed
    Cons (both)

  • Maintaining Ammo stores can be very costly

  • Gunner Armor has low defense

**Attack** **Controls**
Unsheathe weapon and reload simultaneously R+X+A
Fire A
Hop (LBG only) or roll B
Go into scope view (allowed precise targeting) R
Go into quick aim mode Hold R, press R again to cancel
Scroll through ammo Hold L, scroll up with X and down with B
Seige Mode (HBG only) or reload all bullet clips (LBG only) X+A

On Removing the Limiter

Rare 6 Bowguns and above get the opportunity to remove a part of the weapon known as the Limiter.

Removing the Limiter on Light Bowguns will give you a 10% attack boost, larger ammo capacity, and allows you to switch ammo types without having to reload, but you lose the ability to Rapid Fire and your overall movement speed is reduced.

Removing the Limiter on Heavy Bowguns will remove the ability to evade right after firing, makes you even slower, and removes Siege Mode, but you gain a 10% damage boost, larger ammo capacity, and your shield will become more durable. Depending on the situation for both Light and Heavy Bowguns, carefully consider if you want to take the Limiter off. It is not permanent, though, so don’t think so much on it that you get a headache!

Bowguns also come with multiple peripheral parts you can attach for a pretty penny. Experiment around, you can add and remove them to your leisure without having to use monster materials.

Usage Tips

Know the difference between the myriad of shots. Experiment around with what you like, and be careful when picking elemental shots. When using elemental shots, aim for the area of the monster that takes the largest hit. If you choose to use a Light Bowgun to inflict status, it’s highly recommended that you remove the Limiter so that you can switch between Ammo easily.

If you are using any kind of non-elemental, non-status ammo, there is an optimal range . Too close or too far and damage is cut. You will know when you are within this optimal range if the screen shakes as you fire.

Recommended Skills

Because Bowguns are so highly individualized, you will eventually have a myriad of custom armor sets for exactly the skills you need. To get you started though, here are a few good skills to have on hand universally. Evade Distance Up is preferred over Evasion+1/+2 because it increases your roll distance, which is particularly useful for the Heavy Bowgun which is otherwise heavy and has a slow sheathing time. Quick Sheathe is also great for the Heavy Bowgun to allow you to swiftly put your weapon away and run to reposition or avoid an attack. Status Attack Up and Elemental Attack Up are good for increasing the power of those respective shots. Depending on the Bowgun, recoil and precision skills will also be useful. Experiment to see what works best for you.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Capcom
  • Platforms,
    3DS
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    31 March 2015
  • Last Updated
    7 December 2020
  • Guide Author
    Cassie Sun, Vincent Lau

Share this free guide:

En route to Val Habar, what begins as a bumpy ride in the great desert quickly descends into the fight of your rookie hunter’s life, as a dangerous Elder Dragon appears out of nowhere, threatening to level your ride and the town ahead.

After somehow surviving the attack, your efforts impress the Caravaneer and you’re quickly enlisted into the Caravan. Your mission? To discover the secret of a mysterious “Article”, which will almost surely involve hunting bigger and deadlier monsters in a magical, colorful world that is the world of Monster Hunter.

Overwhelmed? Not so sure what to do? This guide will give you the reference point you need to not only complete the solo campaign with flying colors, but look awesome while doing so!

  • Information regarding Key Quests for both Caravan and Gathering Hall quests.
  • Tips for becoming the best hunter possible–from preparations to Palicos.
  • Breakdown of the 14 unique weapon types and how to wield them to their full potential.
  • Detailed maps and insights for all of the major hunting grounds.
  • Inside scoop on every monster you will face in battle (select postgame monsters pending).

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