The Defender Weapons are easy to upgrade weapons with high stats for their rarity. These weapons are intended for players

 for their rarity. These weapons are intended for players who want to rush the story and get to Master Rank quickly.

While it's tempting for newcomers to try these out immediately and carry them to Master Rank, it may cause bad habits like not aiming for weak points or not learning weapon combos. That said, these weapons aren't as useful later on so they can't act as a crutch forever.

For experienced hunters, this is a good way to try out other weapon types because of their accessibility.

Should I Use Defender Weapons?