I did a stint with Gunlances for a while, but I find that I'm too reliant on my shield. I like being defensive, really, but I also like something that gave me a good amount of speed. And getting Speed+Defense doesn't seem to be a common thing, I had to settle for just speed and power. I'm actually hoping that the Charge Axe gets me that good mix of mobility with tanking ability that I've been hungering for.