While each weapon in Monster Hunter Rise is viable at any level of play, some require more work than others to be successful. While any tier list will be a bit biased, players can generally agree on an order for overall usefulness. So, let's set aside personal favorites and get into the nitty-gritty.
Weapon Tiers for Monster Hunter Rrise
S Tier
- Hunting Horn: The Hunting Horn has come a long way since its Monster Hunter World days. It hits hard and can easily buff hunters and their allies with simple-to-use melodies.
- Switch Axe: The most technical of the S Tier, players will be expected to put in a little work to fully master the Switch Axe. However, once they're past that initial learning curve, the Switch Axe hits hard and fast.
- Long Sword: A long-time favorite of fans, the Long Sword is easy to pick up and is extremely viable at any level of play. Like the Switch Axe, it will take some experimentation to fully unlock its potential.
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A Tier
- Great Sword: The Great Sword is another fan favorite. However, unlike the Long Sword, its attacks are slower and must be more calculated.
- Charge Blade: The Charge Blade plays very similarly to the Switch Axe, but has a steeper learning curve, placing it lower on the list.
- Heavy Bowgun: The first of two bowguns, the Heavy Bowgun has the added benefit of dealing more damage than its lighter counterpart. This works well with its status-afflicting ammo but does require the hunter to prep more for hunts.
- Light Bowgun: The Light Bowgun works much like its heavier counterpart, but deals less damage. Its intrinsically light frame also allows for more mobility.
B Tier
- Hammer: The king of bonk can deal tremendous damage, but is incredibly slow with its attacks. This leaves hunters prone to counterattacks from monsters.
- Insect Glaive: Flashy and mobile, the Insect Glaive allows hunters to dance around the battlefield. It has been streamlined since Monster Hunter World but is lacking that same potency.
- Gunlance: The Gunlance plants hunters square in the middle of a fight. By shelling and charging monsters, they can take and dish some serious damage. However, the steep learning curve keeps many from using this weapon at its full potential.
C Tier
- Dual Blades: The Dual Blades are fast and aggressive. What they lack in damage, they more than make up for in raw speed. Fans of aggressive gameplay should give them a shot.
- Sword and Shield: The Sword and Shield, former king of Monster Hunter World, has seen a steep decline. It's fast and nimble but requires players to memorize its combos to be truly effective.
- Lance: The lance allows players to stand toe-to-toe with monsters, trading blows. It's not mobile by any stretch of the imagination and lacks the Gunlance's ability to shell monsters.
D Tier
- Bow: Unfortunately for the bow, everything it does is done better by another weapon. It's by no means a bad weapon, ut's just not as good as it could be.
For more Monster Hunter goodies, check out Monster Hunter Rise – Best Lance Builds on Pro Game Guides.
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