Choosing the Monster Hunter Rise best weapons will always create some debate as there's so much choice on offer. After all, there are myriad categories of weapon and within each one are even more upgrades to forge and optimize within Monster Hunter Rise. We've settled on the three best Monster Hunter Rise weapons in a tier list for players just starting out in the game. Every weapon in the game is viable but first up are our choices for the Monster Hunter Rise best weapons.
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00:00There will always be debate about the best Monster Hunter Rise weapons.
00:06There are 14 options to choose from, countless upgrade paths, and all of them are valid in some way or another.
00:12Whether you want damage, speed, mobility or range, there is something that will fit the bill and something that will suit your way of playing.
00:18But to help you find that special something, we're going to take a look at what we think are the top 3 choices to get you started, and then take a look at everything else on offer.
00:28The Dual Blades are great for fast, light attacks that get up close and personal.
00:33You'll need to get in the face of the monster and never stop hitting because you can unleash a colossal amount of damage and only stop to avoid attacks coming your way.
00:42Since there's no blocking with two small blades in each hand, dodging is of the utmost importance, and the Dual Blades are all about mobility.
00:50Demon Mode unlocks extra powerful moves at the expense of stamina, and Silkbind attacks increase mobility via Shrouded Vault's fast dash,
00:58while Piercing Bind throws an explosive kunai that gets more powerful as you attack while it's embedded in a monster.
01:05The Longsword is all about heavy attacks, combos and versatility.
01:09It can take time to master, and while it's slow, it hits hard, featuring a staggering amount of combos and potential.
01:16Basic combos deal a solid amount of damage and can be used to launch a range of other attacks and, crucially, fill up the Spirit Gauge.
01:24This can unleash some powerful moves like the Spirit Blade combo or Special Sheath combo, which is lethal.
01:30Silkbind attacks like the Soaring Kick launch you into the air for a big downward slash, while Serene Pose gives you a powerful counter.
01:39The Light Bowgun provides some good, quick range damage if you like to keep a distance.
01:44It's simple to use and offers less damage but more manoeuvrability than the Heavy Bowgun.
01:49For the most part, the Light Bowgun works like a standard ranged weapon and benefits from different ammo types that you can choose to alter the damage and effects you inflict on a monster.
01:58You can also place a Wyvern Blast, which is basically a landmine that can do some serious damage.
02:03In Rise, the Light Bowgun is also more mobile now with a new Step Dodge move.
02:09In terms of wirebug moves, Silkbind Glide dashes you in close to a creature and opens up a new attack potential, while Fanning Vault will fling you over them.
02:18The Greatsword is probably the weapon everyone thinks of when they think of Monster Hunter.
02:22It can deal a massive amount of damage, but its power is countered by slow, heavy swings and a charge time that's required to get the most out of it.
02:30Because it's very slow and deliberate to use, it requires great care to deploy the Greatsword's moveset and actually connect all that high damage.
02:38Wirebug's Silkbind attacks add in a power sheath move that lets you charge an even more powerful blow, while Hunting Edge adds extra mobility and damage via an airborne leap.
02:48The Sword and Shield is a dependable weapon with a decent combination of mobility, combos and damage.
02:54It avoids flashy surprises in favour of just getting the job done.
02:58There are a few simple and fast combos, a shield best used for stunning bashes and a backstep charge move that's great for both making space, closing gaps and landing a good run of damage if all your blows connect.
03:10Its Silkbind wirebug move Windmill unleashes a high damage 360 degree move, while Falling Shadow is a devastating aerial move that closes gaps fast.
03:20The Lance really is a tank weapon. It's big, slow and heavy and hard to wield without skill.
03:25But in return for mastering it, you'll get high damage and some good protective counter and guard potentials.
03:31Master evades for positioning and moves like Counterthrust, which takes you from a guard position to a counterthrust attack, and you can hurt monsters a lot.
03:39The Twinbind's Silkbind move lets you attach yourself to a monster and reel yourself in to attack, while Anchor Rage is a wirebug powered counter that can deal a lot of damage.
03:49Like the Lance, the Gunlance is powerful but requires skill.
03:52It inflicts damage via blank firing shells that ignore a monster's resistance and inflict fixed damage on parts you might not normally reach.
04:00Again, like the Lance, this is really a tank weapon with a powerful block and low mobility.
04:05Its high damage really needs a user with the ability to land their blows.
04:09Its Wyvern Fire and Wyrmstake cannon moves, for example, are two of the hardest hitting attacks in the game but have a big cooldown to deal with once used.
04:17The Hammer is a surprisingly good mix of damage and mobility.
04:21It's a heavy hitter focused on blunt damage which stuns monsters and, despite its size, it's mobile and has a fairly decent attack speed, although it lacks reach and guard options.
04:31To get the best from it, you need to charge attacks, which you can do while moving, and then unleash them to pound a monster's head or body to exhaust and stun it.
04:39That's something its Silkbind spinning bludgeon attack can do fast, while the Impact Crater drops a massive aerial blow.
04:46The Hunting Horn is probably best played as a support weapon in a team.
04:50It deals blunt damage and works well as a weapon, although its real strength comes from the buffs you can use while playing notes as you attack.
04:57In Ryze, this process has been simplified to a few simple attacks that can boost abilities like defense and attack, and open up combos for more powerful buffs.
05:05The Silkbind move's slide beat adds a dash attack, while Earthshaker lets you inflict damage via a line you can impale in a monster's body parts.
05:13The Switch Axe is definitely not a beginner's weapon, as it uses two unique interchangeable forms and adds elemental effects using files.
05:21The axe mode has good range and damage, while the sword mode is faster and uses the files to add elemental damage options to attacks.
05:29There's a lot to take on, and you'll only get the most out of this if you take the time to master the nuances of using, managing and switching between all the possible opportunities.
05:37The Charge Blade is another complex weapon, and like the Switch Axe, it has two forms and a file system to add in elemental damage.
05:44This time the options are a sword and shield configuration that has good movement and guard options, and an axe which is slower, more powerful and dishes out the elemental damage.
05:53Again, not a good choice for a beginner because of the combinations to switch between and master.
05:58This is another weapon with a lot to take in.
06:00Key to using the Insect Glaive is its ability to launch and recall special insects called Kinsex.
06:06These gather extracts from monsters to boost attack speed and knockback protection.
06:11The Glaive is an incredibly mobile weapon, using vaults and dashes to move through the air with incredible fluidity and lands slashing combos to deal damage.
06:20The Kinsex can harvest stat-boosting extracts, deal damage and leave powders that cause elemental damage when monsters run into them.
06:27The Heavy Bowgun's big sell is the ability to use special ammo for different effects that controls how you inflict damage and gives you a great deal of flexibility across different situations.
06:37It also packs a few options to buff teammates, and Rise also adds new tricks like the ability to charge shots to inflict more damage and improve mobility via a sidestep move that's limited only by your stamina.
06:49The bow is very much about high mobile range damage and status effects.
06:53You are able to apply coatings to your arrows that can boost damage or inflict things like poison, paralysis, stun and so on.
07:01It's a fast weapon generally, but you can also charge shots by holding fire and by dashing, meaning you can reposition and avoid attacks whilst building damage.
07:10There's also the Arc Shot, which applies an effect over an area and in Rise these are all support arrows that can buff health, prevent knockbacks and increase affinity, which is how Monster Hunter deals critical attacks.
07:20So there's a rundown of all the weapons in Monster Hunter Rise. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment and stay tuned to GamesRadar for more.