What are the best skills for the Lance in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Prioritize the weapon's signature damage skills (e.g. Attack Boost, Critical Eye, and the relevant element/status) plus quality-of-life skills. The Recommended Builds section above lists concrete early, mid, and endgame sets.

How do I read Lance motion values?

Motion values represent the damage multiplier of each attack. Higher values hit harder. Combine them with a monster's hitzone value in the EFR Calculator to estimate effective damage per hit.

Is the Lance good for new players?

Difficulty varies by weapon class. Check the Core Combos and Weapon Tree sections to understand its flow and upgrade path before committing to a hunt.

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Lance

Lance • melee

Pending Evidence:MHWilds Field Codex (mechanics summary; verify against official guide)(2026-08-23)

The ultimate defensive weapon. Guard through anything and punish with precise counters and thrusts from a safe distance.

Difficulty

4 / 5

Mobility

1 / 5

Guard

Yes

Style

counter

Traits

Top-tier guarding
Long reach
Counter attacks

Pros

Best defense in the game
Safe poke strategy
Guard counters hurt

Cons

Low mobility
Slow repositioning
Weak against swarms

Wilds Specific Mechanics

Guard Dash to reposition
Precision Guard into counter

Core Combos

Mid Thrust Chain

Mid Thrust I
II
III
Triple Thrust

High Thrust Counter

High Thrust I
II
III
Charged Counter

Leaping Thrust Engagement

Leaping Thrust
Wide Sweep
Mid Thrust III
Triple Thrust

Perfect Retribution

Perfect Guard
Retribution Thrust
Triple Thrust

Grand Retribution Dash

Charged Guard
Power Guard
Grand Retribution Thrust
Dash Attack
Finishing Twin Thrust

Motion Values (MV)

Move	MV	Note
Charged Guard (no light)	1.0x	-
Charged Guard (silver)	1.2x	-
Charged Guard (orange)	1.4x	-
Charged Guard (red)	1.7x	-

Recommended Builds

early

HR Starter

Weapon: Bone Lance

Head: G. Arkveld Helm
Chest: G. Arkveld Mail
Arms: G. Arkveld Vambraces
Waist: G. Ebony Coil
Legs: G. Rathalos Greaves

Guard 3Burst 2Divine Blessing 1

mid

HR Mid-Game

Weapon: Rathian Lance

Head: G. Ebony Helm β
Chest: Rathalos Mail β
Arms: G. Arkveld Vambraces β
Waist: Gore Coil β
Legs: Gore Greaves β

Weakness Exploit 5Critical Boost 3Guard 3Offensive Guard 3Antivirus 3

endgame

HR 50+ Endgame

Weapon: Artian Lance (Para)

Head: Gore Helm β
Chest: Gore Mail β
Arms: G. Arkveld Vambraces β
Waist: Lagiacrus Coil β
Legs: Gore Greaves β

Charm: Counterattack Charm III

Weakness Exploit 5Critical Boost 3Offensive Guard 3Adrenaline Rush 5Maximum Might 3Antivirus 3Counterstrike 3

Weapon Tree

Bone Lance I
- Rathian Lance(poison lineage)