'Monster Hunter Rise' Beginner's Guide: Best Weapons For New Players

Players who have never played a “Monster Hunter” game before may be shocked to find out that the game doesn’t exactly play like other third-person action games in the market, and this is largely due to how weapons in this series work.

There’s a certain clunkiness to each of the weapons that often turn many new players off. The game’s combat isn’t like “Devil May Cry” or “Dark Souls” despite similarities in style. The size of the weapons in “Monster Hunter” is reflected in how they handle, and this forces players to take a more methodical approach to combat.

Learning how each weapon handles is a core part of the “Monster Hunter” experience, and it is one of the reasons why the game is beloved by its fans.

Here’s an overview of the most beginner-friendly weapons in “Monster Hunter Rise” for players who want to get into the game.

Longsword

Playstyle: Well-balanced weapon with hard-hitting counter-attacks

The longsword is arguably the best weapon for beginners in “Monster Hunter” because of its long reach, comfortable mobility and excellent damage. It doesn’t encumber players while it’s unsheathed, and its playstyle revolves around going on the offensive and countering enemy attacks.

The Spirit Gauge mechanic encourages players to constantly deal damage while giving them strong defensive options in the form of three different counter-attack moves: Fade Slash, Foresight Slash and Iai Spirit Slash.

Hammer

Playstyle: Heavy-hitter with high stun potential

The Hammer is a heavy weapon that hits hard and fast. Its playstyle also revolves around an important part of “MH Rise’s” combat: Part Targeting.

Hammer hits to a monster’s head will cause Stun damage. Deal enough Stun damage and the monster will eventually get knocked out, opening it up to free attacks. The weapon is also the fastest of all the heavy weapons, making it the most beginner-friendly of all of them.

Dual Blades

Playstyle: Hit-and run with blazing speeds

The Dual Blades focus on dealing a plethora of hits in a small amount of time, and it is one of the weapons with the highest mobility in the game. Its core mechanics revolve around stamina management with Demon mode and Archdemon mode, two states that grant Dual Blade wielders new moves and even faster attacks.

These are excellent weapons to learn how to exploit monster openings and overall, it’s a very fun weapon class to use for those who love to move fast in battle (especially the “Attack On Titan” fans.)