Monster Hunter Rise reached PC on January 12, 2022, roughly ten months after its Switch debut, and it is built around Kamura Village and the Rampage. The Wirebug is the headline change: it lets all 14 weapon types climb walls, cancel knockdown animations and mount monsters in mid air. Magnamalo is the flagship, with Wind Serpent Ibushi and Thunder Serpent Narwa closing out the base story.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Sword | S | Players who want to stand in front of a monster and counter rather than dodge out of range. | Spirit gauge weapon built on the Iai Spirit Slash and Spirit Roundslash chain. |
| Great Sword | A | Hunters who have learned monster patterns and want to convert openings into the biggest single hits in the game. | Slow with enormous per hit damage, centred on charged slashes and the True Charged Slash. |
| Dual Blades | A | Elemental sets against monsters with a clear weakness, and fast aggressive play. | Demon Mode and Archdemon Mode trade stamina for a very high hit rate. |
| Hunting Horn | B | Multiplayer hunts where Attack Up and Health Recovery lift the whole squad, and solo players who want damage plus sustain. | Rise turned the Horn into a real damage weapon while keeping the song buffs. |
| Light Bowgun | B | Fast monsters such as Nargacuga, and support roles running Recovery and Paralysis ammo. | Mobile ranged option with rapid fire ammo types, Wyvernblast mines and strong support ammo. |
S-Tier: Long Sword
Spirit gauge weapon built on the Iai Spirit Slash and Spirit Roundslash chain. Foresight Slash rewards reading attacks rather than backing off, and gauge colour drives your damage ceiling.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Players who want to stand in front of a monster and counter rather than dodge out of range. |
| Key Mechanic | Wirebug and Silkbind attacks |
| Recommended Role | Counter duelist |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Long Sword: Pairs naturally with Counter duelist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Great Sword
Slow with enormous per hit damage, centred on charged slashes and the True Charged Slash. Tackle armours through an incoming attack so you can finish a charge instead of aborting it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Hunters who have learned monster patterns and want to convert openings into the biggest single hits in the game. |
| Key Mechanic | Wyvern Riding |
| Recommended Role | Big opening burst |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Great Sword: Pairs naturally with Big opening burst thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Dual Blades
Demon Mode and Archdemon Mode trade stamina for a very high hit rate. Best in the game at applying elemental damage and status because it lands so many small hits.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Elemental sets against monsters with a clear weakness, and fast aggressive play. |
| Key Mechanic | Spiribirds and Petalace |
| Recommended Role | Support buffer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Dual Blades: Pairs naturally with Support buffer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Hunting Horn
Rise turned the Horn into a real damage weapon while keeping the song buffs. Melodies play as you attack instead of requiring a separate recital, so buffing costs almost no uptime.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Multiplayer hunts where Attack Up and Health Recovery lift the whole squad, and solo players who want damage plus sustain. |
| Key Mechanic | Switch Skills |
| Recommended Role | Ranged kiter |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Hunting Horn: Pairs naturally with Ranged kiter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Light Bowgun
Mobile ranged option with rapid fire ammo types, Wyvernblast mines and strong support ammo. It is also the most reliable way to hit parts melee weapons cannot reach.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Fast monsters such as Nargacuga, and support roles running Recovery and Paralysis ammo. |
| Key Mechanic | Rampage quests |
| Recommended Role | Aerial mounter |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Light Bowgun: Pairs naturally with Aerial mounter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Shrine Ruins
- Great Sword → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Dual Blades → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Long Sword → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Do a Spiribird lap before you engage. A full collection with a good Petalace adds several hundred health plus a meaningful attack boost, which is a bigger swing than most armor upgrades at the same stage of the game.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More MONSTER HUNTER RISE Guides
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE MONSTER HUNTER RISE Overview
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Best Builds
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Tier List
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Walkthrough
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Beginner's Guide
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Tips & Tricks
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Combat Guide
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Boss Guide
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Maps & Locations
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Crafting Guide
- MONSTER HUNTER RISE Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy MONSTER HUNTER RISE, check out these related guides:
- Helldivers 2 Weapons Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Black Myth: Wukong Weapons Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Monster Hunter Wilds Weapons Guide: action game with similar mechanics
