Ranking and even discussing the best weapons in any Monster Hunter game is a fickle thing. After all, each and every weapon has its own benefits that work in certain situations. In Monster Hunter Rise, Capcom has once again given us a strong argument to try out all the weapon types the game has to offer — 14 in total. Some are ideal from afar, others are great up close, and some cover a wide range of situations.
Since your performance in Monster Hunter Rise has a lot to do with your gear, we’ve decided to take a look at the best weapon types to start out with — while highlighting specific weapons under each category. Again, keep in mind that all the weapon types in the game are viable in some way or another, but some are easier to use, making them ideal for new players. Which weapon you should use will also depend on the monster you’re facing off against, so there can’t be a catchall list that encompasses the best weapons since so many of the game’s choices are viable.
However, there are some weapon types that newcomers tend to gravitate toward, and those are the ones we’ll be highlighting in this post. These are the best beginner weapons in Monster Hunter Rise.
Recommended reading:
- 15 essential tips for starting Monster Hunter Rise
- How to upgrade your armor in Monster Hunter Rise
- Monster Hunter Rise: How to farm honey and other essential items
Hunting Horn
Let’s start things off with a weapon type that has come a long way since its introduction into the series: The Hunting Horn. While the Hunting Horn is of course known for its role as a support weapon, it has changed quite a bit in Monster Hunter Rise. In this entry, it’s become much more of a primary method of attack, meaning you no longer need to hang back and perform melodies to buff your team (though that tactic is still viable in this game).
Capcom has increased the Hunting Horn’s speed of attack, so while it’s still way slower than something like the Dual Blades, you’ll find it to be way faster than it was in previous entries. Because of this, it has climbed to the top of players’ preferred weapon types, especially since you can perform certain melodies to give your team a boost. That’s one of the unique features of the Hunting Horn: It hits hard and is still a fantastic support weapon type, giving you the best of both worlds.
With each Hunting Horn, you’re given a list of melodies that correspond to certain button prompts. For instance, pressing X twice in succession might be a melody that temporarily boosts your team’s defense. Pay attention to the list of melodies below your health and stamina bar so you know what buffs the weapon has. With that in mind, it’s always smart to watch your team’s health. If you see one or more of them start to get close to being eliminated, play a tune that grants health recovery. The same goes for poison or any other ailments that negatively affect you and your team.
The interesting thing is that these button prompts are all tied to certain attacks. Think of them like button combos in a fighting game. You don’t actually need to land each attack on an enemy to play the melody. That means you can play the melody outside of combat to still reap the benefits of it. But experienced players will tie the combo into an attack on the monster for maximum effectiveness. Expert hunters will consistently unleash all the attacks that make up a certain melody over and over again to continuously buff the entire team. Keep all this in mind when using the Hunting Horn, as it’s one of the more complex weapons in the game.
Below are a couple Hunting Horns we recommend (though many are excellent choices):
Magia Charm III
“A hunting horn preferred by women. Its feminine tones echo across the battlefield.”
Stats
- Rarity: 4
- Attack: 170
- Element: Ice 16
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 0
Melody Effects
- Health Recovery (S)
- Sonic Barrier
- Health Recovery (S) + Antidote
Upgrade materials
- Gracium x 2
- Monster broth x 3
- Blossom cricket x 3
- 8,800z
This Hunting Horn is part of the Magia skill tree and is an excellent support weapon due to its multiple health recovery Melody Effects. Thankfully, it isn’t too difficult to craft — just make sure you’ve made the two prerequisites first: Magia Charm I and Magia Charm II. One of the best features of the Magia Charm III is that it includes a health recovery melody as well as an antidote melody.
This is great for taking down those pesky monsters that dish out poison attacks. And while its attack of 170 isn’t the best in the game, it’s effective enough to have no trouble taking down early- to midgame monsters. Plus, this weapon deals Ice elemental damage, so you’ll want to utilize it against monsters that are weak to this element.
Fortissimo
“After multiple upgrades, the enhanced Heavy Bagpipes emit a beautiful, delicate sound.”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 180
- Element: None
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 15
Melody Effects
- Sonic Wave
- Stamina Recovery Up
- Attack Up
Upgrade materials
- Fucium Order x 3
- Bishaten Tailcase+ x 2
- Ore+ 10pts
- 12,000z
The Fortissimo is a heavy-hitting Hunting Horn that has high sharpness, damage, and useful melody effects. This weapon falls into the Ore Tree, and as expected, you’ll need to create the four prerequisites to make it. These include Wind Horn, Metal Bagpipe I, Great Bagpipe, and Heavy Bagpipe I. The Fortissimo features melody effects that boost your team’s attack and stamina while dishing out Sonic Wave attacks.
The nice thing is that, despite having multiple prerequisites, the Fortissimo isn’t too complicated to craft — and you’ll likely have many of the materials needed to create it without making much of an effort. Its damage of 180 is certainly nothing to scoff at, and it will serve you well during midgame battles.
Dual Blades
Next up, let’s take a look at the Dual Blades — a weapon type that has been in the Monster Hunter series since the first release (though they were called the Dual Swords then). They make their return in Monster Hunter Rise and are once again ideal for up-close, fast-paced attacks. In fact, the Dual Blades are the fastest weapon type in the game, allowing you to swing multiple times in quick succession before running out of stamina.
With that in mind, you’ll absolutely want to have lots of defense when using this weapon type since you have to be up close to your enemies when dishing out attacks. This leaves you vulnerable to attacks from the monster you’re facing, so the higher your defense, the better. The Dual Blades are also great for allowing you to be more mobile since they’re superlight weapons that keep you on your toes. Because of that, you’ll want to be familiar with the game’s movement and be ready to roll and dodge a lot as needed.
Interestingly, the Dual Blades have various effects that you can trigger by pressing a certain button on your controller. These include Piercing Bind and Demon Mode Blade Dance. These skills unleash temporary debuffs on the monster, giving the Dual Blades a support-style element that works in conjunction with its fast-paced nature. Many of the weapon types in the game have support features, so you’ll always want to be aware of what they are so you can chain their effects into your normal attack combo.
These are some of the Dual Blades we recommend:
Kulu’s Lasher
“Dual Blades that take out two Kulus with one stone, being both light and strong.”
Stats
- Rarity: 4
- Attack: 160
- Element: None
- Affinity: 20%
- Defense bonus: 0
Upgrade materials
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Scale+ x 4
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Hide+ x 2
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Beak+ x 1
- Bird Wyvern Gem x 1
- 12,000z
With the Kulu’s Lasher Dual Blades, you’ll likely enjoy its relatively high affinity of 20%, which is effective at granting you with more critical attacks. Its damage of 160 is respectable, and when combined with its affinity, it’s ideal for executing high damage output. This weapon is part of the Kulu-Ya-Ku tree and has two prerequisites: Kulu’s Peck I and Kulu’s Peck II. Thankfully, obtaining the materials for the Kulu’s Lasher is relatively simple and shouldn’t cause much difficulty since the Kulu-Ya-Ku is one of the easier midgame monsters.
Talon Twins
“The Talon Carvers’ upgraded form. Able to cleave flesh from bone with ease.”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 200
- Element: None
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 0
Upgrade materials
- Bishaten Talon+ x 4
- Barroth Claw+ x 4
- Volvidon Claw+ x 2
- 12,000z
Unlike the Kulu’s Lasher, the Talon Twins don’t have an affinity boost, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. Their base damage is 200, making them extremely useful for midgame encounters. These Dual Blades feature relatively high sharpness, and while they might cause you some trouble to craft, they are absolutely worth it due to their damage per second (DPS) output. The Talon Twins are part of the Bone tree and require four prerequisites, including Bone Hatchets II, Wild Hatchets, Talon Carvers I, and Talon Carvers II.
Long Sword
The Long Sword weapon type is yet another staple in the Monster Hunter series, and for good reason. It’s fast, features high DPS output, and allows you to attack from a distance, keeping you safer than you would be when using something like the Dual Blades. The Long Sword is fairly complex due to its Spirit Gauge mechanic, which can be used to deal high damage if managed properly.
Without getting too far into the weeds of how this works, you can effectively use a slew of different moves to increase your Spirit Gauge from white, to yellow, and red — with red being the most useful in terms of damage. With this in mind, you’ll always want to increase your Spirit Gauge by consistently executing various combos.
The other thing you’ll want to take note of with the Long Sword is that you can actually counter your enemy’s attacks with this weapon. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but once you get used to it, you can chain together attacks with counters to continue your momentum while dealing lots of consistent damage. This weapon type has a slew of different attacks, so you’ll want to get familiar with the moveset before tackling the more difficult monsters.
These are some recommended Long Swords for newcomers:
Canine Katana II
“A Long Sword made of bones enmeshed with intimidating Jaggi fangs.”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 200
- Element: None
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 0
Upgrade materials
- Eroded Husk x 3
- Jyuratodus Fang+ x 2
- Jaggi Hide+ x 4
- 12,000z
A great Long Sword for midtier battles is the Canine Katana II, due in part to its high damage of 200. This isn’t easy to obtain since it’ll require you to take down a few high-level monsters, but if you’ve got a decent team with you, you’ll have an easier time when grinding for materials. The main reason to give this one a try is for its speed, damage, and ease of use. It has manageable sharpness as well and will work effectively against low- to midlevel enemies. The Canine Katana II is part of the Bone tree and has four prerequisites including the Serrated Jaw I, Serrated Jaw II, Serrated Maw, and Canine Katana I.
Kulu Slicer
“An enhanced Kulu Katana. Even lighter and sharper, it deals a swift, humane death.”
Stats
- Rarity: 4
- Attack: 160
- Element: None
- Affinity: 20%
- Defense bonus: 0
Upgrade materials
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Scale+ x 4
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Hide+ x 2
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Plume+ x 1
- Bird Wyvern Gem x 1
- 12,000z
For those looking for an easy-to-craft Long Sword that still works effectively for midgame encounters, look no further than the Kulu Slicer. Much like the Kulu’s Lasher Dual Blades, the Kulu Slicer is made of Kulu-Ya-Ku parts, which are easy to obtain since defeating that creature won’t pose much of a threat. It doesn’t do as much base damage as the Canine Katana II, but it has a 20% affinity boost, which makes it extremely effective for dealing critical attacks. This weapon won’t work well for endgame fights, but is great for tackling high rank quests, at least at first. This is part of the Kulu-Ya-Ku tree and has two prerequisites: Kulu Katana I and Kulu Katana II.
Charge Blade
The Charge Blade is excellent for beginners due to the defensive elements provided by its shield. However, you can actually switch the weapon to become offensive only, giving it more versatility than some of the game’s other weapons. Since this weapon type is so versatile, it’s great for newcomers, as you’re able to experiment with its various functions, from defense to attack to mobility. From our experience, the Charge Blade tends to hit hard and is an effective alternative to the Sword-and-Shield combo.
Another thing you’ll want to be aware of with this weapon is that you can switch it from a sword to an ax. The shield part of the set can be attached to the top of the sword to transform it into an ax, almost like a trick weapon from Bloodborne. The ax transformation is a lot slower than the sword but deals high amounts of damage, which is ideal when the monster is staggered or toppled.
The Charge Blade is truly underrated, partially because it seems overly complicated to use. But in practice, it’s intuitive and can be used in a variety of situations when you learn to master it. Its long list of combos are fun to experiment with, and thanks to its transformation mechanic, can work up close and from afar. Figuring out when to use the ax and when to use the Sword and Shield can put you at an advantage in the heat of battle.
We recommend these Charge Blades:
Kaiser Blade
“The Elite Blade’s upgrade. This high-class weapon uses only the finest materials.”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 190
- Element: None
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 0
- Phial type: Impact Phial
Upgrade materials
- Fucium Ore X 6
- Royal Ludroth Claw+ x 4
- Quality Bone x 2
- Ore+ 10pts
- 12,000z
We like the Kaiser Blade because of its high attack of 190. This is plenty of damage to take down the strongest midtier monsters. You’ll also find that its sharpness, along with its various combos and speed, is easy to manage. This is part of the Ore tree and has five prerequisites, including Hyperguard I, Hyperguard II, Regas Hyper, Elite Blade I, and Elite Blade II. The nice thing is that you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the resources needed for the Kaiser Blade as long as you know your way around the Royal Ludroth.
Pounder of Rice
“You get a rice cake! And you get a rice cake! Everyone gets a rice cake!”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 210
- Element: None
- Affinity: None
- Defense bonus: 20
- Phial type: Impact Phial
Upgrade materials
- Bishaten Fur+ x 3
- Peal Hide x 3
- Mega Barrel Bomb x 3
- Kamura Ticket x 3
- 13,200z
Simply put, the Pounder of Rice is no joke. This weapon does high damage, has a great defense bonus, and just looks cool to wield. It does more damage than the Kaiser Blade but is harder to actually craft. That doesn’t make it less desirable, though. It’s part of the Smithy tree and has two prerequisites: The Ricebane I and the Ricebane II. It’s not easy to craft since you’ll need so many high-level resources, but obtaining them is well worth the trouble for this high-damage weapon. And thanks to its defense boost of 20, you won’t get hit as hard while using this weapon.
Bow
Finally, let’s dive into one of the best weapon types in the game: The bow. Of course, the bow allows you to attack your enemies from afar, allowing you to preserve health while focusing less on high defense since you’re less likely to get hit. It’s an underutilized weapon because, on the surface, the bow doesn’t seem to do much damage, and many players like to attack monsters up close. But if you learn how to use the bow and learn which ones to craft, you can absolutely dominate with this weapon type.
The cool thing about the bow is that you can charge it multiple times to deal much more damage. Each weapon has its own charge levels, which indicate the number of times it can be charged and its spread level. The other thing to consider is that you can apply various coatings to your bows, each with its own abilities. For instance, you can use the close-range coating to deal more damage up close or the poison coating to consistently drain your enemy’s health by poisoning them.
Bows also have arc shots, which have their own benefits. Some have high affinity, others use an effect called “brace,” and others can actually recover health. Since there are so many factors that affect the bow, you’ll find it to be a versatile piece of equipment that works as a support or offensive weapon. It’s — once again — perfect for newcomers since it allows you to hang back and avoid damage.
Here are some bows we recommend:
Master Hunter’s Bow
“Upgrade of the Hunter’s Bow. It is a symbol of a veteran hunter who means business.”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 200
- Element: None
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 0
- Arc shot: Brace
Charge shot
- Level 1: Spread level 2
- Level 2: Spread level 3
- Level 3: Spread level 4
- Level 4: Rapid level 4
Upgrade materials
- Eroded Husk x 3
- Slagtoth Hide+ x 4
- Jyuratodus Fang+ x 1
- Bone+ 10pts
- 12,000z
This bow is part of the Bone tree and deals high amounts of damage with multiple charge shot levels. It features 200 attack, which is well enough to take down high-level midgame creatures with ease. Its Brace arc shot is fantastic, as it temporarily negates knockback, meaning you can continue to unleash a flurry of shots upon your foes. It is relatively difficult to craft, but again, we recommend taking the plunge since it’ll come in handy. It has five prerequisites: Bow Gun I, Bow Gun II, Hyper Bow Gun, Hunter’s Bow I, and Hunter’s Bow II.
Hunter’s Proudbow
“Upgraded version of the Hunter’s Stoutbow, featuring ample power and potential.”
Stats
- Rarity: 5
- Attack: 190
- Element: None
- Affinity: 0%
- Defense bonus: 0
- Arc shot: Affinity
Charge shot
- Level 1: Pierce level 2
- Level 2: Pierce level 3
- Level 3: Pierce level 4
- Level 4: Spread level 4
Upgrade materials
- Novacrystal x 2
- Barroth Claw x 3
- Basarios Carapace x 2
- Ore+ 10 pts
- 12,000z
The Hunter’s Proudbow is comparable to the Master Hunter’s Bow, but with a few key distinctions. Its base attack is slightly lower at 190 but features affinity as its arc shot, which increases your chance at landing a critical hit. It also deals pierce with its charge shots and is slightly easier to craft. The Hunter’s Proudbow is part of the Ore tree and has five prerequisites: Iron Bow I, Iron Bow II, Steel Bow, Hunter’s Stoutbow I, and Hunter’s Stoutbow II. It also allows for a slew of coating options, including power, poison, blast, and exhaust, which all work differently depending on the monster you’re fighting.