Capcom's 2021 hit game Monster Hunter Rise is finally getting a major DLC in the form of Sunbreak. Scheduled for release this coming June 30, 2022, Sunbreak is expected to include tons of additional content, including new monster species and endemic life, a reformed hub town, as well as supplemental combat mechanics for the Palamutes and Palicoes.
Gamers excited to play Sunbreak should refresh their memory on some of the top weapons available at their disposal. Because of how strong, vicious, and tough the monsters are in the Monster Hunter franchise, choosing the best weapons can mean the difference between successfully slaying a monster or painfully failing a quest.
Light Bowgun
The light bowgun is a popular beginner weapon in Monster Hunter Rise as it gives players easy access to elemental type damage. And unlike the heavy bowgun, which is cumbersome and slows down the player's normal running speed, the light bowgun is easy to unsheathe and will eventually offer incredibly useful Switch Skills for the player down the line.
What's more, the Light Bowgun has an unmatched reloading speed and can easily target difficult-to-kill monsters, such as the Nargacuga and Rajang. Because it allows players to keep their distance without tampering with their character's movement speed, the light bowgun is a go-to weapon for newbies and is practical for tough quests such as Tempest in the Desert.
Insect Glaive
A lot of Monster Hunter players find the insect glaive to be an intimidating weapon due to its complex and difficult-to-master mechanics. However, learning how to use the insect glaive can be beneficial in the long run as it gives players superior mobility and allows them to easily fight airborne monsters.
The affinity (which dictates the likelihood of performing a high-power attack) of insect glaives remains supreme. Because the insect glaive can launch the player's character in the air, the weapon is super helpful when trying to avoid attacks from the fastest monsters. The Kinsect aspect of the insect glaive also incorporates a customization feature that can improve the weapon's damage, level, and type. While it can be hard to get the hang of insect glaives, the weapon has plenty of benefits that can make it easier for players to beat the game.
Bow
The bow is a beginner-friendly weapon that can help players keep their distance without having to sacrifice the impact of their damage. Using the charged shots of the bow can greatly damage a monster, especially if directed at their weak points. When hunting in a group, the bow also allows the player to adopt a remarkable support role. For instance, a Rampage Bow can change the shot type to Recovery, which when shot at teammates, will stimulate them to recover HP over time.
There are also coatings available for the bow that further enhance the player's attacks and enable them to inflict status-inducing damage. However, users should be careful when using the bow, as it can easily up their character's stamina and needs excellent accuracy to deliver maximum damage to monsters.
Dual Blades
Many consider Monster Hunter Rise's predecessor, Monster Hunter World, as the best game in the franchise. In Monster Hunter World, they introduced a new combat mechanic that makes the dual blades a top weapon. Known as Demon Mode, this mechanic can enhance the player's attack damage and allow them to perform quick high-damage moves.
Dual blades are ideal for gamers who want to quickly hunt their prey. The quick mobility gained using the weapon and the powerful Piercing Bind attack, can greatly impair monsters and prepare them for Wyvern Riding. When using the dual blades, players need to be aware of their stamina as the quick and powerful attacks can do a lot of damage to their stamina bar.
Long Sword
Not a lot of players are fond of the long sword due to its complicated controls and unremarkable mobility. However, mastering the long sword and learning its combos can give players an immense amount of offensive damage while giving them access to powerful counter moves.
The long sword is also partnered with a combat mechanic called the spirit gauge, which enables the player to carry out high damage attacks like Foresight Slash and Iai Slash. While having an extra feature to worry about makes the weapon gameplay a little complex, successfully carrying out combos and being mindful of the spirit gauge makes long sword users formidable solo hunters in the game.
Hunting Horn
In a lot of ways, the hunting horn is extremely similar to another weapon, the hammer. Both are meant to be used in close combat, have high damage, and are capable of stunning a creature when directed on the head. But unlike the straightforward hammer, the hunting horn has a unique mechanic that gives the players useful buffs as long as they hit the right notes indicated on the screen.
A lot of the fans of the Monster Hunter franchise have long avoided the hunting horn as mastering it requires a ton of skill and practice. However, the combat mechanics for the hunting horn was altered in Monster Hunter Rise. In one of the best RPG games of 2021, the hunting horn is more beginner-friendly and does not need carefully timed attacks and strategies to inflict huge damage.
Switch Axe
Monster Hunter Rise gamers who want variety in their combat style should try the switch axe. Having two modes that easily transition to each other, the switch axe gives players the power to quickly change their style if the situation calls for it. Resembling a switchblade, the switch axe has an axe form that flips open into its sword form.
In its axe mode, the switch axe has a huge reach that can effortlessly hit a handful of small monsters in one swing. The axe mode makes the weapon less cumbersome and allows the player to dodge attacks. Meanwhile, enabling sword mode can make it deal undeflectable attacks. Sword mode makes up for its negative effect on movement speed by including phials that can grant power-boosting and status-impairing effects to each attack.
Charge Blade
Similar to the switch axe, the charge blade is another weapon that switches between two modes. Its first form is the high-defense sword and shield form. Using the sword and shield form of the weapon allows the player to gain a good balance of attack, defense, and mobility. What's more, the form also builds up charges, which can be released as high-impact attacks when the player switches to axe mode.
In axe mode, the weapon has a more extensive reach and high damage. In fact, some players even argue that the charge blade has the highest damage compared to other weapons in Monster Hunter Rise. This is mostly attributed to the charged-up element phials, which can give a significant damage boost. Because of the complexity of the charge blade and other weapons, the game is considered by many the leading video game when it comes to hunting mechanics.
Great Sword
The great sword is a basic weapon that is easy to use and master. While it slows down the movement of the player, it allows them to perform a shoulder tackle that can thwart heavy blows. The Wirebug also improves the combat mechanics of the great sword in Monster Hunter Rise. Partnering the great sword with the endemic life can activate aerial charge attacks with hefty damage.
As long as the player perfects their timing and memorizes the weapon's combo, the great sword is a reliable weapon that can land extremely powerful hits.
Sword And Shield
The sword and shield is another great weapon for newbies. With this weapon, a player can swiftly attack a monster and unleashed seamless combos that can get quickly get them out of harm's way. Using the shield for defense does not completely render the player immobile. In defense mode, the player can still use their items and even do blunt attacks using the shield.
This weapon also works in tandem with the newly introduced Wirebugs. Using the sword and shield, the player can perform a Silkbind attack called Windmill which can greatly deplete a monster's HP while granting the player an invulnerability frame.