User blog comment:Lord Loss/Discussion of the Week: Bows/@comment-5771144-20121217131602

I was so pumped when I saw the discussion this week was Bows =D! Love this weapon.

[ Skip to them bottom to avoid this essay, peeps ;) ]

1. "What's your favourite bow?" - Hmmm tough question. If it were based on looks it would be the Barioth Bow (Edleweiss was the fully upgraded version I think it was called in MHP3rd). But I think for Power, Type and Coating selection; I'd opt for MHP3rd's Reverse Shadow Weaver. I think it's a well balanced weapon and the added affinity gives it that extra oumph.

2. "Which is your favourite game to use them in?" - Easy: MHP3rd. I loved the new Arrow Rain feature. It was a great addition to the Bow. Sure it's no huge change, but for what it does and how it affects the battle flow; I think it was a superb mechanic and still is.

3. "How do you like them overall?" - Overall, I think Bow's are a great weapon as I've said already. In a group of hunters, the Bow user can deal constant and consitent damage to the target. As well as applying it the more hard-to-reach parts and the monster's weak points. Add in the fact that there are multiple coatings at the ready, then it's a game changer. The user can Paralyze the target, then the other hunters are able to deal heavy damage without the worry of being slapped in the face by a tail. A great tactical weapon and decent enough damage on its own, the Bow is a great addition to the MH franchise.

However, as with any weapon, there are some faults. Ask any other Monster Hunter player out there and I bet their first comment on Bows would be "Weak damage output." Of course if it did have high damage, the Bow would be very over-used. It may not deal all that much, but it depends how the user is applying it and where. That leads me onto my last point: its difficulty. The Bow is a weapon that takes the understanding of its mecahnics and the understanding of a Monster into consideration. You have to know when you can hold ground and fire an arrow or two. You should know the distance you should be at, what attack may be coming next, the best arrow charge level, etc. The list goes on and this all happens in split seconds during the fight. So learning this weapon takes time like any other, but mastering it takes much longer and is a grueling process of either dying or making mistakes and learning from them.

[Short answer: Reverse Shadow Weaver, MHP3rd and great support weapon with decent enough power] ;)