Monster Hunter Rise – How to pick a weapon
Picking a weapon in Monster Hunter Rise can be daunting, there are 14 to choose from and if you are new to the game then it’s difficult to know where to begin. Today I am going to go over all the weapons, split them down into categories to give you a good place to start plus tell you about the training area so you can find the best weapon for you to get you started easily and quickly in Monster Hunter Rise.
There are 14 weapons in Monster Hunter Rise and each one is different and gives a different feel to the game. One of the first jobs you have is to pick the weapon that works for you, and this can be tricky as there’s no clear answer other than trying them out one by one and seeing what works for you. Even then, there’s nuance and hidden mechanics with most weapons, and you’ll slowly unlock these skills and features as time goes by.
The training area is useful in Monster Hunter Rise as this gives you a place to practice. My best advice would be to pick a weapon, try it out, and see what you like. There’s no right or wrong answer, and it’s all about what you enjoy playing with.
If you want to change a weapon you can do by opening up your item box (this can be found in your home and the hub too) and then selecting Manage Equipment > Change Equipment. Each weapon has various attacks, combos, wirebug attacks and you can see these in Options > Info > Hunter’s Notes > Weapon Controls.
When you first start out the choice for the weapon can be a little overwhelming, but the best thing to do is try them out and see which ones you like. The best weapons at the very start are the weapons that allow you to focus on the Monster you’re trying to Hunt, rather than worrying about flashy features of your weapon – that can come later.
Understanding the attack patterns and behavior of the monsters should be your priority, and when you’re feeling more confident then feel free to try out more complex weapons. There isn’t a ‘right way to play Monster Hunter, just jump in and practice and things will start to click.
Weapon Training
Before diving in with real monsters out there in the field, you can always use the training area to practice with a dummy. The training area can be found in the Buddy Plaza. Once you are in the Buddy Plaza head down to the dock and find the little boat, enter this area and you’ll be taken to the training area. The training area is great as it’ll give you hints and tips on combos and how to use weapons. Before heading out onto a hunt you can test out weapons in the training area, or feel free to test them out on a live monster in hunts. What I tend to do with new weapons is test out new ones on lower star hunting missions, that way when you are learning or make a mistake, then you’re not going to be punished too much.
The weapons can be grouped into categories – Beginner, Advanced and Expert.
Beginner Weapons
Here’s a few suggestions for starter weapons:
The Hammer is a powerful weapon that allows you to deal devastating blows to monsters, although it has more weight to it, so you’re going to be slower when approaching and moving around monsters. With the Hammer, you can charge up attacks and release dealing more damage, and once again it’s easy to focus on what the monster is doing while moving around the monster looking for that opportunity to strike.
Dual Blades are fairly simple as you retain a lot of mobility and you can quickly slash and hack away at a monster with both hands. It’s fairly easy to skip around a monster and press the attack buttons and pull off simple combos while retaining the ability to focus on the monster you are trying to hunt. As well as the regular slashes with the Dual Blades, you can also fire off an additional attack that deals more damage, but it will reduce your stamina meter more… so that’s worth bearing in mind.
The Lance is another straightforward weapon that allows you to poke and prod at monsters to wear them down over time. It’s another weapon that impacts mobility, but given the speed of movement is reduced, that means the Lance can inflict big damage. It’s all about well-timed attacks, counterattacks and methodically taking down your monster. Becoming a master of the Lance is all about patience, so if this sounds like your cup of tea then give it a try.
The Long Sword is another good beginner weapon that helps to teach you about the ability to charge up meters and unleash more complex attacks on monsters. There are other weapons with blades and charge meters in the more complex bucket of weapons, but the Long Sword is good for practicing these more advanced techniques. The Long Sword is more than a great beginner weapon though, it’s very strong in its own right.
The Light Bowgun is the first ranged weapon I’m going to look at, plus it’s probably the easiest one to use. The advantage of weapons with range is that you can stand off monsters and attack at a safe distance. This is a great intro to other ranged weapons and allows you to use different ammo styles, while still keeping the target in your sights.
The Sword and Shield is another good set of weapons to use. You can strike and slash with the sword as well as use the shield for defense. You retain good mobility with the Sword and Shield, meaning you can pretty much dance around a monster when you are hunting them. Good mobility often means you’re giving something else up and in this instance, it’s damage, as it’s not the most powerful weapon in the game. However, deadly once mastered the Sword and Shield is a great place to start.
Advanced Weapons
Once you feel comfortable in the world with monsters and you understand the attack patterns and gain some confidence then I’d recommend moving up the tiers into the advanced weapon category.
The Gunlance combines the benefits of a ranged weapon and the poking capabilities of the lance in one. This also comes with a handy shield, which is great for the defensive side of things when it comes to using this weapon. With the gunlance you can poke and prod the monster as well as fire off ranged ammo. There’s an ammo meter with this weapon too which allows you to take explosive shots at monsters to deliver even more damage. If you like the lance but want something a little more potent, then give this one a try.
The Heavy Bowgun is another range weapon but this requires a little more patience and timing. Attacks must be charged up before letting them go, which does slow down the whole attack process. There are different ammo types to craft which can increase damage over time, and different bowguns have different special ammo depending on which monster you crafted them from.
The Hunting Horn is similar to the Hammer, allowing you to deliver crushing blows to monsters out there in the hunts. The key difference with the Hunting Horn is you play notes as you attack, which can offer up buffs to fellow hunters. The Hunting Horn helps play into the role of the support class, but it shouldn’t be underestimated or dismissed, it’s very powerful in its own right and is one of the most fun weapons out there in the game. I’d recommend giving this one a go once you feel confident hunting monsters.
The Switch Axe is both a Sword and an Axe and offers up the ability to players to switch between the two modes during the fight. This is my personal favourite weapon at the time of creating this guide. This offers great combos and the ability to move in and out of each attack mode really feels fluid, plus you can deliver knockout blows to monsters with relative ease. It’s not the simplest weapon to use by any means, but for me, this is where Monster Hunter really started to click and got me hooked. I’d recommend giving this one a try for sure.
Expert Weapons
These final sets of weapons are the most complex in the game, and once you get comfortable with monsters and different weapon types then I’d recommend giving them a go.
The Bow is a ranged weapon that sounds simple enough at the start, but it requires you to carefully manage stamina at the same time as keeping an eye on the monster. This can often mean restricting your movement if you need to do something quickly, like rolling out of the way for example. Once you work your way through the gears of Monster Hunter and into the latter parts of the game you’ll get abilities, gear, and other items that will help you become an expert with the bow.
The Charge Blade is one of the most complex weapons in the game. First of all, there’s a Sword and Shield component to the attack patterns, but with a nifty combination of buttons, you can merge the two to create an Axe type weapon that can deal massive damage. This one is going to take plenty of practice, so I’d recommend heading to the training area with this one, but once mastered it’s a very satisfying weapon to use, one that allows you the mobility but also the versatility of attacks.
The Great Sword is a signature weapon of expert Hunters. It’s relatively slow compared to other Swords, but it can deal a significant amount of damage. Given the benefits of damage, the trade-off is timing and positioning with this one, and you’re going to need all the skills you learned with the other weapons to perfect the ways of the Great Sword. It’s another one worth putting in some practice with before heading out on Hunts, but once you master this device then Hunting becomes a very satisfying experience.
The Insect Glaive is another advanced weapon, once where you can show off plenty of mobility and skill, as well as dish out plenty of focused damage to monsters. This offers up the unique ability to jump up and spin round monsters with ease, and your little bug companion will offer up buffs depending on where the insect attacks the monster. This is a complex one as you’re going to have to manage how and where you jump with precision, plus understanding the bug and its buffs to effectively take down monsters.
Let me know down in the comments which weapons you’ve been trying out, plus let me know what you want to see in the future regarding weapon focused videos in Monster Hunter Rise.
That’s it for this guide for how to pic a weapon in Monster Hunter Rise. For more Monster Hunter Rise content check out This Week In Video Games on YouTube and subscribe today!