Bows tend to be one of the more underrated weapon categories in the Monster Hunter games for the fact they normally require an insane amount of hand-eye coordination and skill to wield properly. However, in Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, the turn-based format makes wielding a bow way more user-friendly compared to the free for all style of the mainline games.
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If you've never used a bow in a Monster Hunter game, Stories is definitely an excellent one to start. Bows can do many different things, from status damage to rapid-fire to spread damage. They are a really valuable asset that will come in handy to players.
Daoras Saggitarii
Daoras Saggitarii is a bow that tends to be hit or miss with a lot of people. While it's great for the player versus player setting, it's very difficult to use in monster fights, which of course tends to be the better bulk of the gameplay. Spread-based bows like this are not recommended for when you're fighting a monster that you intend to target certain parts of.
If you are not intending to do a lot of participating in the player versus player setting, it isn't really worth getting.
Demon Helm Bow
The Demon Helm Bow isn't a bad bow at all honestly and if it's your favorite weapon from other games, by all means, craft it. The reason it ranks so low is simply because of how it stands up in terms of meta in comparison to another poison-based bow.
The Crow Bow has the same piercing attack style and poison coating as Demon Helm but with better stats. It doesn't cost that much more to make, which puts Demon Helm into some obsoletion.
Heat Haze
Heat Haze is a piercing weapon with a good sleep coating niche. Frankly, if it was an early game weapon it could rank much higher. However, for a bow that requires points from the materials of trickier midgame monsters like the Seltas Queen, its subpar stats just don't allow it to make the cut here.
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At that point, there are elemental-based bows you're better off getting. Even if the monstie isn't weak to that particular niche, elemental weapons will always do more damage, at least compared to the early and midgame power weapons.
Kulu Arrow
The Kulu Arrow is a really excellent choice for an early game bow that all players should pick as their first piercing weapon. It's very easy to farm materials for (since Kulu Ya Ku is likely one of your first opponents), does good single target damage, and won't cost too much to upgrade.
Kulu Arrow's not some Dreadqueen tier weapon and of course, it doesn't try to be, but it ranks above average for its new player utility.
Blazing Bow
Blazing Bow is one of the first really powerful elemental weapons you'll be able to get. As a fire damage-based bow, it's not only really powerful but will come in handy often since there are many monsties in the game particularly weak to flames, especially some of the postgame bosses like Velkhana.
It is a bit all over the place to get materials to level since Anjanath and Tobi Kadachi are in different regions, which is why it ranks mid-tier. As such, it's definitely worth the trouble.
Feminine Haze
Feminine Haze is a water-based bow that all players should craft because of its straightforwardness to craft. This bow requires a little more to craft and level than the Seltas Queen material and some bug material.
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It's a powerful bow that's really easy to manage. The only catch here really is that if you hate bugs and skeevy things, be prepared to have every goosebump in your body awakened by fighting the Seltas Queen.
Beastking Thunderbow
Beastking Thunderbow is one of the most honorable weapons one can have because it means you've defeated Rajang, who is one of the toughest monsties in the game and in the Monster Hunter franchise as a whole.
Wield this against monsties weak to thunder as you channel the ape's power and you will be an unstoppable force. Monsties weak to thunder include Nergigante, Nargacuga, Pukei-Pukei, and Tigrex.
Giants Bow
The Giants Bow is a weapon that you can get in the postgame setting once you've beaten Gammoth. An ice-based bow with really high stats, this is one of the best assets to invest in.
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However, it doesn't rank as high as other postgame bows for the fact it's a spread-based and not a piercing weapon, which makes its high power seem a bit futile. Gammoth is one of the toughest bosses in the postgame setting and for all that, you deserve something more useful than a spread bow. This is a great choice for player versus player users, however.
Villainous Brace
Villainous Brace is a very unique bow because its affinity is dragon. Weapons with the dragon element work as an advantage on foes such as Pink Rathian, Rathian, Ivory Lagiacrus, Deviljho, and Dreadqueen Rathian.
Its poison coating will be able to damage enemies extra. To get it, you'll need to defeat Deviljho since that's whose material it mostly requires.
Flying Kadachi Strikebow
The Flying Kadachi Strikebow, just like the monstie, has a very misleading appearance. Despite the snowy look, it is a powerful electric bow that doesn't require having to beat any endgame monsties to actually get since Tobi Kadachi is closer to being that of a midgame foe.
Because it's a powerful bow not hard to farm for, it's ranked number one. With a base stat attack of 132, this bow will fry the enemies so hard they'll probably have lightning coming out of their ears and horns.
NEXT: Monster Hunter Stories 2: Complete Monstie List And Their Riding Actions
