Monster Hunter Now gives you no shortage of weapons to choose from. In addition to the six different weapon types, many weapons will have an elemental stat next to its raw damage. Obviously, using a weapon with an element that corresponds with a monster’s weakness will inflict bonus damage. But do elemental weapons work against other monsters in Monster Hunter Now?
As useful as elemental weapons are in Monster Hunter Now, they’ll only help you out against monsters that are specifically weak to that damage type. Similarly, armor that grants elemental damage bonuses will only take effect against corresponding monsters, so don’t totally specialize in one element. The two exceptions to this rule are Paralysis and Poison. While these look like elements on your stat screen, they actually build up status ailments you’ll inflict on monsters. With enough hits, your enemy will suffer from the corresponding status condition. These don’t require an elemental weakness to work, so you can build armor sets around these if you wish.
Are elemental weapons good in Monster Hunter Now?
Even though each elemental weapon only works against a limited roster of monsters, they are very powerful. In fact, you are almost always better off crafting and leveling up weapons of the core elements. The bonus damage you’ll inflict really adds up, and beating monsters within the stringent time limits becomes more of a struggle as you progress. Even if you have to spread out your resources juggling multiple weapons, you’ll often still come out on top.
Meanwhile, crafting multiple armor sets with elemental focuses may be a bit of a harder sell. You’ll really want that extra defense to avoid getting one-shotted, and skills like Divine Blessing will always help you out. If you’re struggling to meet the DPS check for a specific monster, crafting armor to boost elemental damage may be worthwhile. Just make sure to prioritize what’s holding up your progression before you go all-in on every armor bonus you can find.
