If you’re starting , you might be wondering what the best weapon is and which one you should use. Fortunately, we have a breaking down all 14 weapons types. But if you’re a newcomer, we understand that you may be looking for a weapon that’s also easy to use, even if it’s not the most ideal choice in the game overall. Don’t worry; we have insight into the best weapons for starting players, which we detail below.
There’s No Such Thing As A “Best Weapon”
First, it’s important to stress that there is no such thing as a singular best weapon in Monster Hunter Rise, at least not in a general sense. Each is rich in nuance and depth, making them all completely viable to use, should you have the patience and skill to learn how to use them properly. Try not to think about Monster Hunter’s weapons falling into categories of what to use and not use. Rather, understand that the arsenal available to you can be leveraged to your benefit if you’re willing to give them each a fair chance.
What Should You Use If You’re A Newcomer?
That said, when it comes to weapons that new players should use to properly ween themselves on the intricacies of Monster Hunter, the best ones are those that have easy-to-memorize combos and offer high damage output with relatively little necessary commitment for performing their individual attacks while allowing for fast evades mid-combo.
Heavy weaponry like the Great Sword, Hammer, and the various Lances are slow on the windup, so you’ll want to avoid those if you’re still trying to get your bearings. You can make an impact with these weapons as they offer high damage with combos that are none too complex to memorize at the outset, but they take time and patience to master–not to mention the high risks involved if you can’t manage through how they severely impact your mobility.
Other weapons like the Switch Axe, Charge Blade, Insect Glaive, and Hunting Horn are highly technical and mechanics-rich, meaning they have many complex systems to grasp to get the most out of them. And with ranged weapons, you’ll generally want to avoid the Bow and Heavy Bowgun, as they require just as much skill as the most difficult to use melee weapons.
That leaves us with the following weapons: Sword & Shield, Long Sword, Dual Blades, and Light Bowgun. These provide the most pleasant experience for new players, so they come highly recommended. Weapons like the Sword & Shield, Long Sword, and Dual Blades are super quick to attack with, and allow you to maintain high mobility when brandished so that you can easily get in to strike a foe and get out of the way rather speedily.
Sword & Shield is historically what Capcom recommends to new players, as you can’t go wrong with its ease of use and overall functionality. The shield as a side-arm is also a nice benefit, making it easy to bash enemies or pop into a defensive posture to mitigate damage.
The Long Sword is actually the weapon your character starts with, which suits the game’s Japanese-inspired setting. However, it’s also a solid starting weapon, mostly because of its diverse array of attacks, including swift piercing thrusts and wide sweeps. But as a highly technical weapon with a heavy DPS (damage per second) focus, it inevitably becomes harder to master the longer you stick with it. We only include it here since it’s not as confusing to use at first as the other technical weapons mentioned above.
Dual Blades, on the other hand, are perfect for people who want to use the quickest weapon Monster Hunter has to offer. While the compromise is a lower overall attack strength, the amount you’ll be striking a monster mostly balances that out. There’s also the special demon mode to consider, which temporarily increases your power, allowing you to pile on the pressure continually. Like the Long Sword, some intentionality and strategy is demanded to really get the most out of the Dual Blades. However, it’s still a great, versatile weapon, even if you don’t necessarily know what you’re doing from moment to moment. It also helps that you can quickly dodge out of its many attacks mid-combo, so you always have an opportunity to get out of harm’s way.
Finally, there’s the Light Bowgun, which is great for new players who are intimidated at the concept of getting too up close and personal with their prey. The biggest challenge with this weapon comes from making sure you’re well-stocked with special ammo, which shouldn’t be too tough to maintain, so long as you make sure to have sufficient funds to spare in order to buy what you need outright. But don’t worry, you always come with an unlimited supply of base ammo, so you’ll always have something to shoot, and you can always pause mid-hunt and go back to camp to craft more ammo types with the resources you gather on the field.
To counter the drawback of needing to keep an eye on your ammunition, the Light Bowgun has a supporting weapon called the Wyvernblast, bombs you can plant on the ground that detonate when attacked, whether by you or the monster you’re hunting. Use these in conjunction with the various ammo types you can fire with the Light Bowgun, and you should have a relatively easy time of things. Just be sure to keep your distance!
And that’s about all you need to know about the best weapons for newcomers in Monster Hunter Rise. For more in-depth guides, be sure to check out the ones in the list below.
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