Monster Hunter Rise has a curious assortment of weapons to use while on the hunt. Each one offers a gameplay style that is diverse enough that it potentially could carry an entire game. With 14 in total, it can be exhausting to find out which one is right for you.
In the Beginner’s Weapons Guide, the six most user-friendly and easy to pick up options were detailed. Monster Hunter veterans should still take note, because Rise does mix things up considerably. Some weapons that were previously unremarkable have been revamped, and some new mechanics have been implemented to others.
These are advanced and technical weapons, which also happen to have the much higher skill ceiling, and have the highest potential… Just so long as they are in the right hands. Mastering any of these eight weapons in the following guide will completely change the way you look at Monster Hunter Rise.
Fans of Bloodborne will find the Switch Axe to be a familiar weapon. This heavy duty tool of death has two modes of use: the axe setting which is slow but long reaching, and the sword transformation which is faster and has the added bonus of phial utility.
Phials are able to add all kinds of damaging properties to a hunter’s attack. Some may be elemental, and others can be explosive. The trick to becoming an expert Switch Axemen is knowing how to juggle the various modes it has. There are times when axe mode will be more effective than sword, and vice versa. This is compounded with the phials and general avoidance of a thrashing monster attack.
This is a complicated weapon to use, and is not ideal in the hands of a beginner. Most first timers will be confused by it, and to get the most out of it requires a bit of practice and familiarity with Monster Hunter Rise‘s broader systems and mechanics.
The Insect Glaive is the weapon with the highest skill ceiling in Monster Hunter Rise. Becoming a talented Insect Glaive user will have the wielder spend a majority of their attacks in mid-air combat, and chaining long and devastating combos.
The core pillar of this weapon is how it hurls and recoils kinsects, which can also grant stat boosts or area of effect damage. This is a very agile option that uses these critters for precise attacks and barrages of slashes in conjunction with the wire bug to maintain air-time.
Button mashing is not viable at all, and requires a substantial amount of finesse and surgical care. Mastery of this weapon will have hunters heroically dashing and performing outrageous moves air-born while launching kinsects. It can be a lot to keep track of, but this is by far the most technical option for a hunter.
The Heavy Bowgun may look intimidating, but it is in fact a weapon that leans toward support. Any hunter who takes up this option will become very popular in the online mode. Not only can Heavy Bowgunners do damage from a distance, but they also buff the other players too.
Like the other ranged equipment, the Heavy Bowgun can load different ammo types with different effects. It also comes with options for explosives and bolts that can be piercing or blunt, which makes it an all around useful choice against most monsters.
In Monster Hunter Rise, a new feature has been added where Heavy Bowgunners can now charge their shots. Maneuverability has also been enhanced from prior entries, making this a very versatile weapon for players who are willing to offer a support role in the field.
The Hammer is like a blunt Great Sword, but with the added bonus of being able to charge attacks while mobile. This is a great weapon for stunning and causing heavy damage from its charged hits. It may look heavy and cumbersome, but it offers surprisingly decent speed.
The drawbacks of the Hammer is that is lacks blocking options like the Great Sword counterpart. Even though it looks large, the reach is much shorter than it seems, and requires hunters to get up close and personal when going toe-to-talon.
Hammers offer a great, all-around offensive option for those eager to get really aggressive. In the right hands, it won’t matter that the defenses of the wielder will be exposed.
The Hunting Horn is much like a Hammer, but is weaker. It has fewer capabilities in combat, but makes up for it by being the most effective support weapon in the game. Swinging the Hunting Horn around means having to do attacks in a specific sequence in order to play a song which can grant a variety of beneficial stats.
Each Hunting Horn comes with different combinations of songs it can play. This means that it is not always the best choice to go for the strongest available option, because that may result in losing a useful song.
While it may have the simplest combat options, being able to rock out on the battlefield requires a bit of finesse. Hunting Horn users are always helpful in a party, since they can potentially heal the group with the right song; as long as they know how to play it.
Gunlances are slow, but can be devastating in the right hands. The trick to mastering this weapon is the shells that detonate upon penetrating a quarry. This is a very destructive option that is great for breaking off specific monster parts.
Much like the Lance, Gunlances are also defensive. It can block incoming attacks and will demand the wielder to keep the aggro. Gunlancers have very slow and drawn out attacks that have a long cool-down, so any hunter using this will have to bide their time and only strike when the opportunity presents itself.
Good Gunlancers need to be patient. This is a weapon that is best served in a party where aggro can be exchanged and strategies can be formed to maximize damage for when a powerful blow is dealt.
This is the other changing, phial-based weapon alongside the Switch Axe, and it is also a tricky one to wield. What makes Charge Blades different is that it is a much faster weapon type, and it demands a greater understanding of its changing forms.
This can alternate between an axe for big damage, or sword and shield for bashing and defensive options. Mobility is high while in sword and board mode, as well as offering defensive countermeasures and blunt-force attacks. Phials offer a multitude of elemental properties to utilize against foes or explosive damage.
Like the Switch Axe, the Charge Blade has a high skill ceiling and mastery comes down to juggling the different forms and phials. Knowing what to do and when to do it makes this weapon one of the more elaborate yet rewarding option to a proficient hunter.
The Bow is a very risky weapon to take up, and is not ideal while solo. Bowmen would be best to maintain a distance and to provide support with debilitating status effects of targets. The arrows can come in many varieties like poison or paralysis, and this is very useful in a party where slowing down an aggressive Tirgex means the world.
Bows have a fast draw and knock, but the real damage is done when charging a shot. This is why Bowmen are best in a party. Trying to hunt monsters solo with this kind of strategy will result with more time being spent evading attacks; which the Bow is very good at.
Like the Heavy Bowgun, Bows can also provide some support. It has an area of effect overhead shot that can grant buffs to party members, which makes Bowmen desirable in a party. Anyone who found Heavy Bowgun too slow might prefer the Bow, but it comes at the cost of power.
That’s our guide for all the weapons in Monster Hunter Rise. What weapon will you be using? Sound off in the comments below!
Monster Hunter Rise is available now on Nintendo Switch, and 2022 on Windows PC. A demo is currently available, and you can expect our review soon.
