Here's how to play the Heavy Bowgun in Monster Hunter Outlanders: its features, the controls, the basic flow of a hunt, what each ammo type does, the weapons worth crafting, and the adventurers who use it.
Heavy Bowgun Features
Safe to Play, Even for Beginners
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
The Heavy Bowgun attacks while keeping its distance from the monster, and it guards automatically while you're idle, so even beginners can deal damage safely. Normal Ammo from normal shots and the powerful Wyvernheart both deal steady damage, which makes it an easy weapon to pick up.
More Than One Way to Guard
Skill 1 lets the Heavy Bowgun block monster attacks. Time it right and it becomes a Perfect Guard, which also reloads automatically. On top of that, it guards on its own while you're not pressing anything.
Tip Especially as a beginner, remember: when an attack is coming, don't press anything.
Switch Ammo to Fit the Situation
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
The Heavy Bowgun can load ammo with all kinds of traits, such as Wyvern Ammo, which trades a charge-up for high power, and Sticky Ammo, which builds up stun. Once you know what each type does, it's easy to pick the best one for the situation.
Tip Every Heavy Bowgun can load every type of ammo.
Slicing Ammo Can Cut Tails
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Among the Special Ammo you can fire with Skill 2 is Slicing Ammo, which deals severing damage even though the Heavy Bowgun is a shooting weapon. It can cut tails, and the Heavy Bowgun makes it easy to get a line of fire, so even a ranged weapon can go for a tail cut.
Damage Drops at Long Range
Ranged weapons, the Heavy Bowgun included, have an effective range, and your damage drops if you get too far from the target. Outside that range the drop is easy to notice, so always keep a set distance.
Tip The three ammo types the Heavy Bowgun uses for normal shots, Normal Ammo, Pierce Ammo, and Spread Ammo, each have a different effective range.
Heavy Bowgun Controls
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Basic Attack | Shoot. With Special Ammo or Wyvernheart loaded, fires that ammo instead. |
| Skill 1 | Guard. A Perfect Guard reloads automatically. |
| Skill 2 | Special Ammo. Hold it to switch the ammo type. |
| Skill 3 | Wyvernheart Reload: loads Wyvernheart. |
| Sheathe | Sheathe your weapon. |
| Evade | Evade. After a Perfect Evade, evading again does Calm Steps, a long move in the direction you're holding. |
| Ultimate | Ultimate. What it does depends on the adventurer and type. |
| Reload | Reload. Once you're out of ammo, pressing Basic Attack also reloads. |
These are the controls for the Fated Adventurer. Each adventurer has different skills, so Pepper plays differently (see the end of How to Play).
How to Play Heavy Bowgun
Switch Between Special Ammo and Wyvernheart for Damage
Input: Skill 2Basic AttackSkill 3Hold Basic AttackSkill 2
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
On the Heavy Bowgun, Skill 3, Wyvernheart, keeps your damage going, while you pick the right kind of Skill 2, Special Ammo, for the situation. Both refill slowly over time, and faster while you deal damage, so keep attacking with Skill 2 and normal shots.
Tip Damage also refills Skill 2 and Skill 3 faster, not just time.
Fill the Gaps With Normal Shots
Input: Hold Skill 2
Input: (Without loading Skill 2 or Skill 3)Basic Attack
When Skill 2, Special Ammo, and Skill 3, Wyvernheart, haven't refilled yet, attacking with normal shots speeds them up. Each of the three normal-shot ammo types has its own best range and best targets.
Pierce Ammo: Get a Long Line of Fire Along the Body
The longer the line of fire through the monster, the more times Pierce Ammo hits. Line up long monsters from the front or back, and learn to judge by eye how long the line through them will be.
Spread Ammo: Wide Targets or Close Range
Spread Ammo fans out from the muzzle, so the wider the monster, the easier it is to hit. Up close the pellets have no room to spread, so it's easy to land all of them.
Normal Ammo: From a Safe Distance, When Pierce Ammo Doesn't Pay Off
Normal Ammo has a lower damage ceiling than the other two normal-shot ammo types, but it shines when it's hard to get a good line of fire for Pierce Ammo or Spread Ammo. There's nothing tricky about it, so beginners should start with Normal Ammo to get used to the controls.
Choose Your Special Ammo for the Situation
Input: Hold Skill 2Basic Attack
Change your Special Ammo to suit the monster and how you're playing: Slicing Ammo on monsters whose tail can be cut, Sticky Ammo when you can aim for the head, and Wyvern Ammo on a downed monster.
Tip Wyvern Ammo hits harder, so as a rule use Wyvern Ammo for damage rather than Cluster Bomb.
Fire Slicing Ammo When You Can Hit the Tail
Input: (Tail in your line of fire)Skill 2Basic Attack
When you fire Slicing Ammo, make sure you're targeting the tail. Shoot when the head or wings won't block your line of fire, ideally from behind the monster.
Sticky Ammo When You Can Aim at the Head
Input: (Facing the head)Skill 2Basic Attack
Sticky Ammo only builds up stun when it hits the head. You'll often be facing the monster, so fire it between the monster's attacks while using Perfect Guard.
Use Wyvern Ammo on Big Openings Like Downs
Input: (Monster downed or stunned)Skill 2Basic Attack
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Wyvern Ammo is the strongest Special Ammo, but it leaves you open and has a short range. It's much easier to land when the monster is stunned or downed than in normal play.
Go for Perfect Guard
Input: (Timed to an attack)Skill 1
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
On the Heavy Bowgun, a successful Perfect Guard instantly and automatically reloads the ammo you have loaded. It's also quicker than a normal reload.
Tip It also saves you the reload when you switch to Special Ammo.
Don't Stray Too Far
The Heavy Bowgun isn't a melee weapon, but given Perfect Guard and damage falloff over distance, fight at close to mid range rather than too far away. With Spread Ammo especially, close in.
Pepper Plays Differently
In Monster Hunter Outlanders, skills differ from adventurer to adventurer, so the basic flow and controls change too. The damage skills and the effects of the ammo you can load are different, so play to the adventurer you're using. Pepper's page has a guide to how Pepper plays.
Heavy Bowgun Ammo Types
Normal shots (Basic Attack) use Normal Ammo, Pierce Ammo, or Spread Ammo; Skill 2 fires Special Ammo: Sticky Ammo, Slicing Ammo, Wyvern Ammo, or Cluster Bomb. The ratings are out of 3.
Normal shots (Basic Attack)
| Ammo | Rating | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Pierce Ammo | Passes through the monster and hits several times | |
| Spread Ammo | Spreads out from the muzzle; each pellet hits separately | |
| Normal Ammo | Each shot hits once |
Special Ammo (Skill 2)
| Ammo | Rating | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Sticky Ammo | Sticks into the target, explodes and deals Rupture damage | |
| Slicing Ammo | Scatters blades where it hits and deals severing Rupture damage | |
| Wyvern Ammo | Very short range but overwhelming power | |
| Cluster Bomb | Fires in an arc and scatters bombs on impact |
Pierce Ammo
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Passes through the monster and hits several times
The biggest trait of Pierce Ammo is that it keeps dealing damage for as long as it's passing through the monster. If you can get a line of fire from the head or tail of a long monster, it deals many times more damage than hitting it from the side.
Spread Ammo
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Spreads out from the muzzle; each pellet hits separately
Spread Ammo fans out from the muzzle, so the closer you are to the monster, the more pellets hit. Keep in mind that its damage drops unless you're close, which makes it ammo for experienced players.
Tip How easy it is to hit also depends on the monster's size and shape.
Normal Ammo
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Each shot hits once
Normal Ammo deals single hits, so of the normal-shot ammo it has the hardest time racking up damage. But it has a longer effective range than Spread Ammo and deals more reliable damage than Pierce Ammo, which makes it good for beginners.
Sticky Ammo
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Sticks into the target, explodes and deals Rupture damage
The biggest trait of Sticky Ammo is that it builds up stun when it explodes on the monster's head. A stunned monster is in suppression, which gives your party a chance to attack.
Slicing Ammo
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Scatters blades where it hits and deals severing Rupture damage
It's the only Special Ammo that deals severing damage, and the only ammo that lets the Heavy Bowgun cut tails. You do have to hit the tail, though, so it's best when you can attack the monster from behind.
Wyvern Ammo
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Very short range but overwhelming power
Wyvern Ammo has a short range and a charge-up before it fires, but in exchange it has the highest damage multiplier of any Special Ammo. It's a powerful shot you can aim safely at weak points when the monster is downed or stunned.
Cluster Bomb
The footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Trait: Fires in an arc and scatters bombs on impact
On impact, Cluster Bomb splits into small bombs that damage an area. The delay between firing and hitting makes it easy to dodge, and it deals less damage than Wyvern Ammo, so it isn't recommended against large monsters.
Recommended Heavy Bowgun to Craft
These are the weapons in our Heavy Bowgun builds for the Fated Adventurer: one for general use and ones specialized in Fire and Thunder. The builds article has the full armor and skills.
| Build | Weapon | Element | Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| General(Capacity Boost + Affinity) | Radiant Datura Blaster III |  Blast | 382 |
| Fire Element | Heavy Shooter II |  Fire | 268 |
| Thunder Element | Radiant Kadachi Lion III |  Thunder | 251 |
Heavy Bowgun Adventurers and Teams
These adventurers use the Heavy Bowgun. Their rank and review come from our adventurer tier list.
| Adventurer | Rank and review |
|---|---|
 Pepper | Overall rank: SSS
|
 Fated Adventurer(Heavy Bowgun) | Overall rank: SS
|
Adventurers That Pair Well
These are the recommended teammates from each adventurer's guide.
| Adventurer | Recommended teammates |
|---|---|
| Fated Adventurer (Heavy Bowgun) | |
| Pepper |
