Monster Hunter World Bow Maximum Damage Guide by brook930

Command

L2 : Aim
R2 : Normal Shot (1 arrow)
R2 (held)** : Level 1 Shot (2 arrows)
R2 (held longer) : Level 2 Shot (max level and 3 arrows)
Circle : Spread Shot (3 arrows at Normal then 5 at Level 1 and Level 2) R2 + Circle : Raining Shot
L2 + R2 + Circle + Right Stick : Target where to fire Raining Shot Triangle + Circle : Dragon Piercer Shot
Direction Pad + Cross : Dodge in the direction and charge the bow to the Level 1 (after an attack or another dodge it charges to Level 2)
(After dodge) Triangle : Jump and give a blow with an arrow (used to mount)
L1 + Triangle/Cross : Select a coating
Triangle (when bow is pulled out) : Coat arrows with selected coating

Tips : The only way to do a Spread Shot Level 2 is to fire it after a Normal Shot Level 1 (or Level 2) or after a Dodge
Tips : Use the Rocksteady Mantle to avoid the Dragon Piercer Shot being canceled if the monster hit you
Tips : Pressing Cross while standing made you do a little jump back (like lance). Not really useful
Tips : You can dodge toward particular wall to perform a Aerial Shot
Tips : If you don’t move the camera after the Dodge and you shoot, it will auto target the previous spot you shot at

Info : In multiplayer, Raining Shot will hit your teammates causing them to be unable to attack or move. So please don’t use the Raining Shot unless you are clear of any interaction with your mates !

The Dodge Dancing

After a Dodge + Shot you can do it again and again, …, endlessly till your stamina gauge is empty. Now imagine the monster is KO, or paralyzed, and you fire Spread Shot Level 2 successfuly 5 times in a row ( 25 arrows fired in 10sec), that’s the Dodge Dancing. And it’s easy to use since it auto target if you don’t move the camera.

Aerial Shot

Every weapon has an aerial shot when runing toward particular wall (not ivy walls). This attack is as powerful as a Dragon Piercer (but don’t pierce) and shoot 5 arrows. You can choose in which direction to shoot by tilting with the left stick during the climbing animation (see here)

How to evade anything

The Dodge makes you invincible for a short period (like the Superman (running away + jumping)). You can evade anything during it (Tzitzi Ya-Ku’s flash, Pukei-Pukei’s tongue attack, Rathian’s fire ball, …).

How to Knockout a monster

Raining Shot does KO damage (thanks to u/orikalin).
The more you charge it the longer it will last.
Also at Level 2 it will deal double the damages and does a huge amount of hit so easy KO.

How to break monsters’ armor and parts

Like any weapon you must deal damage to it.
Tips : Raining Shot is especially efficient to break monsters’ armor like Barroth mud armor or Radoban bones armor.
Do not waste your Power Coatings if you didn’t break the armor, it won’t do as many damage as it can

How to cut a monster’s tail

Same as the breakable part. You must deal a certain amount of damage to the tail to cut it. But only Dragon Piercer can deal the final cut. Other shot can’t cut the tail but can deal damage.

When to use Power Coatings

As the name said this is the coating dealing the most damages. Since coatings are limited we must not waste them in weak attacks (i.e : not charged) including combos (except Dodge Dancing since only the first attack is weak). So we need to save them for strong attacks (i.e : Level 2 charged).
The idea is to equip this coating when the monster is vulnerable (paralyzed, fell down, trapped, ko, …) so you can charged Level 2 and position yourself without any problems.

What to use if I don’t equip Power Coating or don’t have any left ? Close Range Coating
It does almost the same damage as Power Coating and are infinite.

My personal strategy is to use Close Range during all fight to break armor and solid parts of the monster in order to make sure Power Coating damage will not decreased.
I switch to Power Coating only if the monster as no armor and is vulnerable. Remember in end fight the monster is tired and will idle or fall often making it perfect for Power Coating so if you used them before that you won’t have a lot left to use.

Charge System

As you know the Bow use a Level Charge system, each level doing more damage than the previous one. Thereby we have the Normal Shot (when pressing R2), the Level 1 Charge (when holding R2), and the Level 2 Charge (when holding R2 longer).

And here is the interesing thing. Not only you can charge the Normal Shot but you can Level Charge the Spread Shot, Raining Shot and the Dragon Piercer too !

Combos

With that in mind here are the most efficient combos :

Simple Combo 1 :
R2 -> R2 -> R2
Normal Shot -> Normal Shot Level 1 -> Normal Level 2

Simple Combo 2 (efficient at close range) :
Circle -> Circle
Spread Shot -> Spread Shot Level 1

Simple Combo 3 (efficient at close range) :
Circle -> Circle -> Circle
Spread Shot -> Spread Shot Level 1 -> Raining Shot Level 2

Simple Combo 4 (efficient at close range) :
Circle -> R2 -> Circle
Spread Shot -> Normal Shot Level 1 -> Spread Shot Level 2

Simple Combo 5 (efficient at close range) :
Circle -> R2 -> Circle -> Circle
Spread Shot -> Normal Shot Level 1 -> Spread Shot Level 2 -> Raining Shot Level 2

Dodge Dancing Combo 1 (infinite)
R2 -> Direction + Cross -> R2 -> Direction + Cross -> R2 -> …
Normal Shot -> Dodge -> Normal Shot Level 2 -> Dodge -> Normal Shot Level 2 -> …

Dodge Dancing Combo 2 (infinite close range)
Circle -> Direction + Cross -> Circle -> Direction + Cross -> Circle
Spread Shot -> Dodge -> Spread Shot Level 2 -> Dodge -> Spread Shot Level 2 -> …

Dodge Dancing Combo 3 Max Damage (infinite close range)
R2 -> Circle -> Direction + Cross -> R2 -> Circle -> Direction + Cross -> R2 -> Circle
Normal Shot -> Spread Shot Level 1 -> Dodge -> Normal Shot Level 2-> Spread Shot Level 2 -> Dodge -> Normal Shot Level 2 -> Spread Shot Level 2 -> …
Info : This is the fastest consuming combo of all but does insane damage

Dragon Piercer Combo :
R2 -> R2 -> R2 -> Circle -> (R2 + Triangle + Circle)
Normal Shot -> Normal Shot Level 1 -> Normal Shot Level 2 -> Spread Shot Level 2 -> Dragon Piercer Shot Level 2

Dragon Piercer Max Damage Combo (close range) :
Circle -> R2 -> R2 -> Circle -> (Triangle + Circle)
Spread Shot -> Normal Shot Level 1 -> Normal Shot Level 2 -> Spread Shot Level 2 -> Dragon Piercer Shot Level 2

Info : Keep in mind that the Dragon Piercer combos are efficient if you are well positioned for the Dragon Piercer (maximum damage when the shot go through the monster from its head to its tail)

Range and Damage

Tips : The crosshairs indicate the range. The range increase with the charge Level.

Coating damage comparison

According to my tests in the Training Area with the Pulsar Bow 1 (criticial shots not taking in count) :

Tips : Better charge the Bow when using Power Coating to avoid waste on Normal Shot

Tips : Use Close-range Coating to save your Power Coatings. Use those only when the monster is tired (it will not attack and stand doing nothing), or in a weak position (trapped, felt on the ground, paralyzed, …)

Tips : When the monster is asleep and you are not going to sleep bomb him, charge your bow to Level 2 and perform a Dragon Piercer Shot all the way from head to tail. Don’t forget to be at close range if you are using Close-range coating

With the Simple Combo 1 : R2 -> R2 -> R2

Legend : Normal ( total ) , Level 1( total ) , Level 2 ( total )

With the Simple Combo 4 : Circle -> R2 -> Circle

Legend : Normal ( total ) , Level 1( total ) , Level 2 ( total )

Average Dragon Piercer Damage

Legend : Level 1, Level 2, Level 3

Skills

Armor skills :

Here is a list of useful skills (WIP) :

Constitution : reduces stamina depletion when performing stamina-draining moves such as evading, etc (you lose smaller chunks of stamina per shot)
 

Critical Boost : Increases the damage of critical hits (+30/35/40%)
 

Critical Element : Increases elemental damage when landing critical hits
 

Focus : Increases the fill rate for weapons with gauges and the charge rate for weapons with charge attacks (charge faster)
 

Marathon Runner : slows down stamina depletion for actions which continuously drain stamina (such as dashing) (slows the drain from charging)
 

Special Ammo Boost : Increase the power of bowgun and Dragon Piercer  

Piercing Shots : Increases the attack power of Piercing ammo and Dragon Piercer  

Stamina Surge : speeds up stamina recovery
 

Canteen skills :

Felyne Black Belt : reduces stamina depletion when evading, blocking, or doing certain other actions.

Playstyles

Here are the playstyles you can adopt with bows :

Non-Stop Playstyle

You never charge the bow (unless you must do it). You focus on a series of combo and never stop except to sheathe your bow to chase, heal, …
This playstyle drain a lot of stamina so Stamina Surge and Constitution are a must have

Charging Playstyle

It is the opposite of the Non-Stop Playstyle, you mostly use charged attack.
Thanks to Marathon Runner you will use less stamina when charging and with Focus you will charge faster

Critical Playstyle

Since the bow allows to aim weak spots easier than most weapons this playstyle focus on doing the maximum damages by targeting only those spots.
You might mainly use charged attack (since you need time to position well to aim the weak spot) or combos depending on the monster (if it is moving a lot or not).
Critical Boost and Crtical Element are a must have. You can add to it Marathon or Constitution according to your wishes.

Dragon Piercier Playstyle

Dragon Piercer is the only shot you use
Special Ammo Boost, Piercing Shots are a must have. You can add Focus to charge faster to Dragon Piercer Level 2

Pros and Cons

Pros :

• Deals a lot of damage
• Can cut tail, knockout, and break armor and parts
• Invulnerable to any kind of attacks by dodging
• Lot of mobility
• Powerful with affinity
• Powerful to inflict status to monster (poison, sleep, etc…)

Cons :

• Stamina devourer
• Can’t cancel Dragon Piercer making you unable to move
• Raining Shot interacts with teamates (immobilization)

Hope it helps. If anyone has any suggestions or other tips go ahead :)

Have a good hunt !