Hey clanmates!
I get a lot of questions about gunning from inside and outside the clan, and I think in this thread perhaps I can share some of my tips, tricks, and strategies I learned. A majority of it the hard way. I don't claim to be the best (that role is reserved for Kameron), but I've been gunning since HR 1. Below is just a brief overview of using a bowgun. Even if you have no desire to ever use one, this might still be a good read so you can understand what the gunner in your group can and cannot do for you. If you have any specific questions about gunning, please post below and I'll answer your question to the best of my ability. I will edit this post from time to time with more details as well.
The question I receive most often is "Whats the best gunner armor and gun to use?". Gunning is much different than playing a blademaster, essentially its like learning to play all over again if you are/were a exclusive blademaster. The reason I say this is because a blademaster can keep the same armor and simply change his weapon and still be effective. Also a blademaster can use the same weapon (if its a nonelemental, dragon, or status) on every monster and never have the need to change it.
A proper gunner has to change his armor to fit his gun, and change his gun to fit the monster. This means its neccessary to craft many sets of armor and most of the gun parts to be an effective gunner. This gets expensive. And we haven't even scratched the surface about ammo. So the quick answer to the question I stated before is, "there isnt one".
Armor
-------
Gunner armor is generally half the defense of a blademasters of the same type, therefore it means you need to play smart. It is imperative that you max out the armor as soon as you buy it, otherwise you are a liability to your group. If you cant afford it, don't wear it until you do. Your armor needs to compliment your gun as much as possible, as a gunners base damage is low. Your armor should compliment the ammo you intend to shoot. For example, if you intend on shooting primarily elemental ammo, get elemental up.
Gun
-------
A gun needs to be created to specifically destroy the monster you are hunting. Every piece of the gun (barrel, frame, and stock) can carry a certain amount various ammo. This means that the parts you pick can make a gun fire up to 8 rounds until you need to reload or only 1. Also, they only increase the capacity of specific ammo. If you are planning to gun, inspect your ammo capacity on your weapon before you leave to ensure you are able to fire the ammo you are carrying. If you are not gunning, you need to ask your gunner if he is able to fire whatever desired effect you want him to do before you step off. There is nothing that infuriates me more the jackass who tells me to shoot (status) at the target without even saying he wanted it beforehand.
Certain frames and barrels allow rapid fire. This allows multiple "weakened" versions of the ammo you are firing to be shot in a 2-3 round burst. If all rounds in the burst connect, the damage is higher than if you fired them singularly and at the cost of 1 round. The downfall to this is that you are stuck in place until the burst is complete and you have recovered from the recoil. An example of this is like when you fight agnakator and he fires his beam straight ahead. If he missed you, you run up and beat the snot out of him. This is the same thing a monster will do to a rapid fire gunner who fires an ill-timed burst.
Ammo
-------
Ammo is the greatest worry a gunner should have. Your supply is very limited so its important you carry the materials to create more of what you intend to fire primarily. Setup speed combos to whip up ammo in a jiff once you run low. At the same time, its also important you pick your shots. You need to study your target to see where the weakest parts of it is, and focus on those places. if you dont have a clear shot, move until you do. Spraying and praying is a waste of time, money, and a spot in someones party where they could have just had a LS spamming spirit combo indiscriminately. And under no circunstances should you ever, ever, ever, ever use pellet shot in a party. just one tiny pellet can interrupt your fellow melee hunters, and the entire cone will leave them all open for the monsters attack with no means to defend themselves.
Ever.
Nikko's Gun + Armor combos
==========================
This is my favorite combinations of gun and armor that I use. They each have a specific purpose. I encourage that you only use these as a means to understand my play style, and to experiment with your own.
Lagi+ armor and rathalos+ stock, frame, and barrel: This combination allows the gunner to spam rapid fire flaming ammo; useful for tundra monsters.
Diablos+ Head, Body, and Arms, black leather pants, Chakra waistlet with Jaggi barrel, devil's grin frame, and aquamatic needler stock: This combination is used to barrage small wyverns with pierce 1 shot. Gem precision gems and bonus shot.
Full Escadora armor with Jhen barrel, jaggi frame, and rathalos stock: This combination is used to hit multiple areas of a large wyvern wih pierce 2 shot.
*I'll add the rest later, I'm extremely sleepy.
I get a lot of questions about gunning from inside and outside the clan, and I think in this thread perhaps I can share some of my tips, tricks, and strategies I learned. A majority of it the hard way. I don't claim to be the best (that role is reserved for Kameron), but I've been gunning since HR 1. Below is just a brief overview of using a bowgun. Even if you have no desire to ever use one, this might still be a good read so you can understand what the gunner in your group can and cannot do for you. If you have any specific questions about gunning, please post below and I'll answer your question to the best of my ability. I will edit this post from time to time with more details as well.
The question I receive most often is "Whats the best gunner armor and gun to use?". Gunning is much different than playing a blademaster, essentially its like learning to play all over again if you are/were a exclusive blademaster. The reason I say this is because a blademaster can keep the same armor and simply change his weapon and still be effective. Also a blademaster can use the same weapon (if its a nonelemental, dragon, or status) on every monster and never have the need to change it.
A proper gunner has to change his armor to fit his gun, and change his gun to fit the monster. This means its neccessary to craft many sets of armor and most of the gun parts to be an effective gunner. This gets expensive. And we haven't even scratched the surface about ammo. So the quick answer to the question I stated before is, "there isnt one".
Armor
-------
Gunner armor is generally half the defense of a blademasters of the same type, therefore it means you need to play smart. It is imperative that you max out the armor as soon as you buy it, otherwise you are a liability to your group. If you cant afford it, don't wear it until you do. Your armor needs to compliment your gun as much as possible, as a gunners base damage is low. Your armor should compliment the ammo you intend to shoot. For example, if you intend on shooting primarily elemental ammo, get elemental up.
Gun
-------
A gun needs to be created to specifically destroy the monster you are hunting. Every piece of the gun (barrel, frame, and stock) can carry a certain amount various ammo. This means that the parts you pick can make a gun fire up to 8 rounds until you need to reload or only 1. Also, they only increase the capacity of specific ammo. If you are planning to gun, inspect your ammo capacity on your weapon before you leave to ensure you are able to fire the ammo you are carrying. If you are not gunning, you need to ask your gunner if he is able to fire whatever desired effect you want him to do before you step off. There is nothing that infuriates me more the jackass who tells me to shoot (status) at the target without even saying he wanted it beforehand.
Certain frames and barrels allow rapid fire. This allows multiple "weakened" versions of the ammo you are firing to be shot in a 2-3 round burst. If all rounds in the burst connect, the damage is higher than if you fired them singularly and at the cost of 1 round. The downfall to this is that you are stuck in place until the burst is complete and you have recovered from the recoil. An example of this is like when you fight agnakator and he fires his beam straight ahead. If he missed you, you run up and beat the snot out of him. This is the same thing a monster will do to a rapid fire gunner who fires an ill-timed burst.
Ammo
-------
Ammo is the greatest worry a gunner should have. Your supply is very limited so its important you carry the materials to create more of what you intend to fire primarily. Setup speed combos to whip up ammo in a jiff once you run low. At the same time, its also important you pick your shots. You need to study your target to see where the weakest parts of it is, and focus on those places. if you dont have a clear shot, move until you do. Spraying and praying is a waste of time, money, and a spot in someones party where they could have just had a LS spamming spirit combo indiscriminately. And under no circunstances should you ever, ever, ever, ever use pellet shot in a party. just one tiny pellet can interrupt your fellow melee hunters, and the entire cone will leave them all open for the monsters attack with no means to defend themselves.
Ever.
Nikko's Gun + Armor combos
==========================
This is my favorite combinations of gun and armor that I use. They each have a specific purpose. I encourage that you only use these as a means to understand my play style, and to experiment with your own.
Lagi+ armor and rathalos+ stock, frame, and barrel: This combination allows the gunner to spam rapid fire flaming ammo; useful for tundra monsters.
Diablos+ Head, Body, and Arms, black leather pants, Chakra waistlet with Jaggi barrel, devil's grin frame, and aquamatic needler stock: This combination is used to barrage small wyverns with pierce 1 shot. Gem precision gems and bonus shot.
Full Escadora armor with Jhen barrel, jaggi frame, and rathalos stock: This combination is used to hit multiple areas of a large wyvern wih pierce 2 shot.
*I'll add the rest later, I'm extremely sleepy.
