MH1: Weapons
Monster Hunter launched in Japan with 5 weapon classes, Great Sword, Sword and Shield, Hammer, Lance, Light Bowgun and Heavy Bowgun, and for the international release of the game, the Dual Blades were added, in addition of further separating the Bowguns.
Great Sword
The Great Sword allows for powerful wide-reaching swings in exchange for mobility, it can be used to defend from attacks but doing this damages the weapon's sharpness.
Some Great Swords introduced in this game were retooled into Long Swords from the 2nd Generation onwards.
| Notable Great Swords Introduced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Iron Sword | Defender | Ravager Blade |
| Iron Katana | Bone Blade | Bone Katana "Wolf" |
| Serpentblade | Agito | Valkyrie Blade |
| Redwing | Halberd | Finblade |
Sword and Shield
The Sword and Shield was the fastest melee weapon in the original Japanese release, it allows for easy positioning and can defend from most attacks without a sharpness penalty, making it great for beginners and masters alike.
| Notable Sword and Shield Introduced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hunter's Knife | Assassin's Dagger | Bone Kris |
| Viper Bite | Eternal Strife | Poison Battleaxe |
| Red Saber | Weary Finsword | Studded Club |
| Odyssey | Ninja Sword | Catspaw |
Dual Blades
Introduced for the International release, the Dual Blades are integrated into the Sword and Shield paths, these fast weapons trade the ability to defend for a special "Demon" mode that increases damage in exchange for stamina.
| Notable Dual Blades Introduced | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Cutlass | Bone Scythe |
