There's a several Longswords in the game that are actually scythes in looks. You can get them early ish.
The sole listed Walkthrough/FAQ on GameFAQs is good enough. The Weapon Guide pretty much does all the min/maxing for you, though it might ruin the enjoyment a bit. The weapon path images there would prolly be better.
Personally, if you use a device with a good browser, RotR's data section is the best resource for equipment. It has an equipment calculator so you can plan your equipment sets and it even lists all materials plus where to get them and the odds of getting them. Spent so much time playing around with this.
http://www.reign-of-the-rathalos.com/mhp2g-mhfu/data-section/
As for choice of soloing, anything really. Hunting Horns just aren't the fastest killers mainly because of you spending time triggering songs. They buffed it significantly in MHP3 though.