Monster Hunter is known for its unique weapon designs and flashy style as you ruthlessly cut down animals in their natural habitat. Some weapons are goofy and may fit a niche while others look awesome yet nobody uses them. So which weapons will keep you at the top of the food chain and why?
10. Deepest Night Longsword (Best for all-around hunting)
Monster Hunter Rise | Top 5 Long Swords
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While you can’t go wrong with almost any longsword because of how overpowered the weapon class is, the Deepest Night is the final upgrade in the Nargacuga longsword tree and easily makes it into our top 10. With its natural 30 hits of white sharpness, 180 raw base damage, and 40% affinity for those sweet critical hits this longsword can fit easily into any build you want.
- All rounded utility means no swapping weapons to best suit each monster hunt
- Easily get 100% affinity to guarantee critical hits
- White sharpness without the need for decorations
- Late game Nargacuga longsword
- 180 raw damage, 40% affinity, natural white sharpness
- Only loses out to highly specialized builds for one or two monsters
9. Gargwa Hammer (Best for casual mid-game hunts)
GARGWA HAMMER IS GREAT - MONSTER HUNTER RISE
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You might think that this hammer is goofy based on its look and description and you’d be right! But just like the potential inside the egg, this hammer’s potential is hidden in an ocean of stats - it actually has the highest raw damage of any hammer in the game! It isn’t for everyone though because you’re limited to the lower levels of sharpness and take a hefty negative 30% affinity with you.
- No element means the hammer works equally well for every hunt
- Negative affinity can be canceled out to increase damage
- Rarely need to waste time sharpening
- Mid game Gargwa Hammer
- 260 raw damage, a huge amount of yellow sharpness, three level 1 decoration slots
- Paired with Bludgeoner skill only increases the damage
8. Raging Claws Dual Blades (Best for multiplayer)
MHRise | Insane Dual Blades!
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Beware, this cat has claws! These dual blades may not have the highest damage in the game (who doesn’t love those big numbers) but what it does have is utility. This weapon has a unique Ramp-Up skill called Hellion Mode that guarantees critical hits while in Demon Mode at the cost of twice the sharpness loss. You might think that sounds bad but with three levels of Protective Polish, you can get 90 seconds of insane cutting goodness per sharpen! Not only that but you’re also able to pull off multiple paralysis states on monsters in a single hunt!
- Lots of little paralysis hits means extra time for damage when the monster is immobilized
- An optimized build centered around keeping white sharpness isn’t hard to make
- The negative affinity means no loss in damage as long as you’re in Demon Mode
- Mid to late game Dual Blades
- 190 raw damage, 10 Paralysis buildup, one level 2 decoration slot
- Hellion Mode paired with Protective Polish skill makes this amazing
7. Wind Thief Light Bowgun (Best for early game shootouts)
Monster Hunter Rise Best Weapon Tips: Light Bowgun Guide + Combos Tutorial!
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You can craft this versatile light bowgun very early in the game from just a few Great Izuchi parts. Its wide pool of ammo types lets you experiment with the three main schools of bowgun damage - normal, pierce, and spread - without committing to just one from the start. It’s also great for just getting a feel for the weapon class as a whole.
- Access to many ammo types means won’t have to worry about running out
- Great mobility and utility for both solo and multiplayer hunts
- Upgrades into even better bowguns down the line
- Early game Great Izuchi Light Bowgun
- 70 raw damage, 10% affinity, no deviation, average recoil
- Can use a wide array of ammo types
6. Paladin Lance I (Best for mid-game defenses)
Lance Insta-Block TRASHES Narga [Monster Hunter Rise]
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The lance may be the least popular weapon but it is still a powerful tool in the hands of an expert hunter. This lance can be especially useful because of its relatively high all-around stats while being easier to craft earlier in the game. If you combine an offensive guarding playstyle with the Silkbind Boost Ramp-Up skill, you’ll never give the monster a chance to breathe!
- Lance has the highest blocking stats of any weapon class while making you look like a beast
- This lance easily lets you hold aggro without being in danger during multiplayer hunts
- Easy to use, hard to master weapon makes it very rewarding to experiment with
- Mid game Ore Lance
- 140 raw damage, 0% affinity, green sharpness
- Paired with some defense skills, even untrained hunters can tank their way to victory
5. Cornpopper I Gunlance (Best for mid-game shenanigans)
The Power Of Cornpopper Gunlance MHRise
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With the introduction of Silkbind skills in Monster Hunter Rise, the gunlance got a much needed boost to its mobility through Blast Dash. Imagine seeing your friend soaring through the sky holding a giant thing of corn! But it’s not all silly looks, this gunlance has some of the best shelling stats in mid-game for a shelling-only playstyle starting with wide shelling level 4. Thanks to blast damage ignoring hit zone values, this weapon can easily carry you through the mid-game.
- Offers great offense and defense unlike most weapon classes
- Blast damage from shelling ignores hit zone values allowing you to do better damage no matter where you hit a monster
- Good chunks of green and yellow sharpness allow you to unload on a monster without constantly sharpening
- Mid game Quest Gunlance
- 160 raw damage, level 4 wide shelling, one level 1 decoration slot
- Goofy design for light-hearted hunts
4. Zurogong Primo II Hunting Horn (Best for early to mid-game doots)
[MHR] Arzuros - 2'17 - Hunting Horn
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This hunting horn is a great choice for early game hunts and people looking to try out the hunting horn. Its melodies are great if you want to support yourself and your friends in a hunt by bulking up on raw attack and defense. Being appreciated as the team buffer is sweeter than any honey Arzuros can find in my books.
- Easy to craft from easy to farm materials
- A generous combination of damage and useful melodies
- Sonic Barrier allows you to tank a single hit so you can keep up the offensive
- Early to mid game Arzuros Hunting Horn
- 110 raw damage, 0% affinity, no decoration slots
- Great utility in its melodies for any playstyle
3. Pukei Sword I Sword and Shield (Best for toxic mid-game quests)
Monster Hunter Rise | Sword & Shield Tutorial
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This aesthetic sword and shield combo packs a punch of poison to help you weaken your target monster. Its cheap crafting costs will allow you to slice through most anything that comes at you mid-game. And who can ignore using items while you have your weapon unsheathed? This is truly a one sword fits all solution for mid-game.
- Upgrades down the line offer big jumps in power while being useful from the start
- A mix of raw damage and damage over time due to poison
- Allows you to buff allies in multiplayer
- Mid game Pukei-Pukei Sword and Shield
- 110 raw damage, green sharpness, 15 Poison buildup, no decoration slots
- Easy to craft
2. Reddnaught Dunat Switch Axe (Best for late-game grinding)
[MHR] Rathian 1'53 Switch Axe Solo V 3.7.0 (Reddnaught Dunat)
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Valstrax is one of the best fights added to the game and offers players some of the best end-game weapons. This switch axe is just one example of that power with its excellent sharpness and raw damage. Not to mention the Wyvern Exploit skill that boosts your damage against all monsters that aren’t elder dragons!
- 37 Dragon damage and element phial type will cut through monsters weak to Dragon element like butter
- Offers a mix of speed and power through switch axe’s unique axe and sword forms
- Natural Mind’s Eye while in sword mode guarantees you won’t bounce off even the toughest monster shells
- Late game Valstrax Switch Axe
- 180 raw damage, only red and white sharpness, one level 2 decoration slot
- Unique Wyvern Exploit ramp-up skill for farming all but elder dragons
1. Rampage Bow S (Best for speedrunning even late game)
Monster Hunter Rise Rampage Bow Guide
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This is the final form of the Rampage bow and it is a monster itself. Bows have been extremely powerful for a while and this bow takes it to the next level by allowing you to customize it a large amount through not one, not two, but FIVE Ramp-Up skill slots. This means you can get creative and make highly specialized bows for specific monsters if you want. No matter what you decide to do with it, this bow is strong enough to make any hunt look easy.
- Highly customizable with five Ramp-Up skill slots
- Some of the highest raw damage out of all bows
- Can square up against knockout weapon types like the hammer to keep the monster helpless on the ground
- Late game Rampage Bow
- 210 raw damage, Rapid charge shot, no decoration slots
- Only has close range coating compatibility initially
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