How Bowgun Modding works in Monster Hunter Wilds

Bowguns in Monster Hunter Wilds can be customized to better suit your moment-to-moment playstyle. If you're not sure how they work, here's everything you need to know about the process. How to Customize Your Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds A Bowgun is nothing without the personal touch you can give it by customizing it. Bowgun upgrades and customization enable you to modify the ammo it uses to better fit your playstyle or situation. There are numerous upgrades that you can use to change your bowgun's parameters. Some alter the primary type of ammo it will use. Others completely change the special ammo mechanic entirely. Regardless, all Bowgun customization is done through the Customize Bowgun menu, found in your Base Camp Tent or at Gemma the Blacksmith. Screenshot by Destructoid Here, you'll be able to modify the Equipped Mods and the Equipped Special Ammo of any of your owned Bowguns. The options under these sections will depend on the Bowgun itself and whether it is a Light or Heavy Bowgun. Light Bowguns can use two Equipped Mods and one Equipped Special Ammo, while Heavy Bowguns can equip two Equipped Mods and two Equipped Special Ammo. For clarity, here's a list of the available mods and special ammo available for both Bowgun types. Light Bowgun Screenshot by Destructoid Light Bowguns have high mobility and fire rounds by quickly using its special Rapid Fire secondary mode and follow-up Chaser rounds. Great for evasion and staying on the move while dealing ranged damage. Equipable Mods Normal Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type by one level Pierce Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type by one level Spread Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type by one level Elemental Ammo Powder - Upgrades any Elemental Ammo type by one level Ammo Powders upgrade Ammo rank by one level, meaning they will be more powerful when fired from a Light Bowgun. Normal Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type capacity by one Pierce Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type capacity by one Spread Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type capacity by one Rapid Fire Magazine - Upgrades the Ammo capacity of all ammo when Rapid Fire is active by one Special Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Special Ammo type capacity by one Ammo Magazines increase the number of shots you can fire before reloading. Rapid Fire Magazine increases all ammo types by one extra bullet when fired in that mode. Equipable Special Ammo Adhesive Ammo - Fires a shrapnel round that sticks to a monster if it connects. Firing on it causes mini-explosions and enhances its final explosive power. Wyvernblast - Places explosive mines on the ground. When struck, they explode for damage. Monsters and other players can hit these mines, but players will not suffer any damage from them. Heavy Bowgun Screenshot by Destructroid Heavy Bowguns have inherently better range and higher damage than Light Bowguns but are much slower to compensate. To counter that lack of mobility, Heavy Bowguns all have access to a shield that can be used when being aimed and not firing. They also have access to Ignition Mode, which allows Heavy Bowguns to fire off different ammo while active. Equipable Mods Normal Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type by one level Pierce Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type by one level Spread Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type by one level Elemental Ammo Powder - Upgrades any Elemental Ammo type by one level Ammo Powders upgrade Ammo rank by one level, meaning they will be more powerful when fired from a Heavy Bowgun. Normal Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type capacity by one Pierce Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type capacity by one Spread Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type capacity by one Standard Mode Upgrade - Switches the Heavy Bowgun specialization from Ignition to Standard and improves Standard Mode damage. If the Heavy Bowgun is already specialized in Standard Mode, this mod will further improve Standard Mode's potency. Ignition Mode Upgrade - Switches the Heavy Bowgun specialization from Standard to Ignition Mode and improves Ignition Mode damage. If the Heavy Bowgun is already specialized in Ignition Mode, this mod will further improve Ignition Mode's potency. Ignition Mod - Increases the rate of recharge for the Ignition Mode gauge. Equipable Special Ammo Wyvernpiercer Ignition - Fires a special round that pierces through enemies it hits, increasing in potency the longer it travels. Wyvernheart Ignition - Fires a cluster of bombs in a wide range in front of you, dealing massive damage if all rounds hit. Note that Ignition Mode is required to be active to use either one of these Special Ammo types. As you can see, there are a lot of options available to Bowgun users looking to specialize their firearms in Monster Hunter Wilds. Not all Bowguns will have access to everythin

Mar 24, 2025 - 13:52

How Bowgun Modding works in Monster Hunter Wilds

Bowguns in Monster Hunter Wilds can be customized to better suit your moment-to-moment playstyle. If you're not sure how they work, here's everything you need to know about the process.

How to Customize Your Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds

A Bowgun is nothing without the personal touch you can give it by customizing it. Bowgun upgrades and customization enable you to modify the ammo it uses to better fit your playstyle or situation. There are numerous upgrades that you can use to change your bowgun's parameters.

Some alter the primary type of ammo it will use. Others completely change the special ammo mechanic entirely. Regardless, all Bowgun customization is done through the Customize Bowgun menu, found in your Base Camp Tent or at Gemma the Blacksmith.

Talking to Gemma in Monster Hunter Wilds — Screenshot by Destructoid

Here, you'll be able to modify the Equipped Mods and the Equipped Special Ammo of any of your owned Bowguns. The options under these sections will depend on the Bowgun itself and whether it is a Light or Heavy Bowgun.

Light Bowguns can use two Equipped Mods and one Equipped Special Ammo, while Heavy Bowguns can equip two Equipped Mods and two Equipped Special Ammo. For clarity, here's a list of the available mods and special ammo available for both Bowgun types.

Light Bowgun

Heavy Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds — Screenshot by Destructoid

Light Bowguns have high mobility and fire rounds by quickly using its special Rapid Fire secondary mode and follow-up Chaser rounds. Great for evasion and staying on the move while dealing ranged damage.

Equipable Mods

Normal Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type by one level
Pierce Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type by one level
Spread Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type by one level
Elemental Ammo Powder - Upgrades any Elemental Ammo type by one level

Ammo Powders upgrade Ammo rank by one level, meaning they will be more powerful when fired from a Light Bowgun.

Normal Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type capacity by one
Pierce Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type capacity by one
Spread Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type capacity by one
Rapid Fire Magazine - Upgrades the Ammo capacity of all ammo when Rapid Fire is active by one
Special Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Special Ammo type capacity by one

Ammo Magazines increase the number of shots you can fire before reloading. Rapid Fire Magazine increases all ammo types by one extra bullet when fired in that mode.

Equipable Special Ammo

Adhesive Ammo - Fires a shrapnel round that sticks to a monster if it connects. Firing on it causes mini-explosions and enhances its final explosive power.
Wyvernblast - Places explosive mines on the ground. When struck, they explode for damage. Monsters and other players can hit these mines, but players will not suffer any damage from them.

Heavy Bowgun

Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter Wilds — Screenshot by Destructroid

Heavy Bowguns have inherently better range and higher damage than Light Bowguns but are much slower to compensate. To counter that lack of mobility, Heavy Bowguns all have access to a shield that can be used when being aimed and not firing. They also have access to Ignition Mode, which allows Heavy Bowguns to fire off different ammo while active.

Equipable Mods

Normal Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type by one level
Pierce Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type by one level
Spread Ammo Powder - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type by one level
Elemental Ammo Powder - Upgrades any Elemental Ammo type by one level

Ammo Powders upgrade Ammo rank by one level, meaning they will be more powerful when fired from a Heavy Bowgun.

Normal Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Normal Ammo type capacity by one
Pierce Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Pierce Ammo type capacity by one
Spread Ammo Magazine - Upgrades the Spread Ammo type capacity by one
Standard Mode Upgrade - Switches the Heavy Bowgun specialization from Ignition to Standard and improves Standard Mode damage. If the Heavy Bowgun is already specialized in Standard Mode, this mod will further improve Standard Mode's potency.
Ignition Mode Upgrade - Switches the Heavy Bowgun specialization from Standard to Ignition Mode and improves Ignition Mode damage. If the Heavy Bowgun is already specialized in Ignition Mode, this mod will further improve Ignition Mode's potency.
Ignition Mod - Increases the rate of recharge for the Ignition Mode gauge.

Equipable Special Ammo

Wyvernpiercer Ignition - Fires a special round that pierces through enemies it hits, increasing in potency the longer it travels.
Wyvernheart Ignition - Fires a cluster of bombs in a wide range in front of you, dealing massive damage if all rounds hit.

Note that Ignition Mode is required to be active to use either one of these Special Ammo types.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available to Bowgun users looking to specialize their firearms in Monster Hunter Wilds. Not all Bowguns will have access to everything listed here, but some combinations will be available, regardless of rarity.

The post How Bowgun Modding works in Monster Hunter Wilds appeared first on Destructoid.