Looking for the Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak weapon tier list? Since the dawn of this RPG game series, hunters have argued which weapons are the best. Some prefer the Insect Glaive’s high mobility, while others such as the Great Sword, are attractive for their sheer power. Debuting in Monster Hunter Rise, the Wirebugs shook up the status quo with typically slow weapons receiving some much-needed agility.
Of course, if you’re a veteran hunter used to any one of these types, a Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak weapon tier list such as this may serve as nothing more than confirmation bias. In fact, there’s always going to be a little bit of bias in every tier list. I love nothing more than becoming a whirling dervish with the Dual Blades, stacking status ailments onto even the toughest Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak monsters with every hit. Is it actually the best, though? Probably not, but it’s what I’m used to.
That said, perhaps you’re a more adventurous hunter seeking to find that perfect weapon for speedruns, or you want to coordinate with teammates to make a perfectly balanced hunting party? If so, look below to see how the very best Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak weapons rank when pitted against each other.
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak weapon tier list
There are a total of 14 weapon types in Monster Hunter Rise. Each one has a new Silkbind attack, and the option to switch skills by pressing a button combination in Sunbreak. Here’s a breakdown of our tier list, followed by an in-depth look at each tier:
- S-tier: Bow, Longsword, Heavy Bowgun, Dual Blades
- A-tier: Light Bowgun, Switch Axe, Great Sword
- B-tier: Charge Blade, Hammer, Sword and Shield
- C-tier: Hunting Horn, Insect Glaive
- D-tier: Gunlance, Lance
S-tier
Bow
The Sunbreak expansion gives the Bow a heavy upgrade in the form of a new Silkbind skill called Butcher’s Bind. Using the Silkbind skill, your next arrow is loaded with Ironsilk – if your follow-up arrow hits the same spot, it inflicts a large amount of severing damage. This is vital as the ranged weapons don’t typically chop off tails or other severable monster parts, making it a valuable skill when hunting big beasts.
The ability to avoid damage in the endgame makes ranged weapons so good in Sunbreak. Since many monsters strike with hard-hitting attacks, being able to keep your distance gives Bow users more time to avoid taking damage. With significant upgrades to its already tempting roster of skills and high mobility, the Bow is the best weapon in Sunbreak by a mile.
Longsword
Possibly the best blend of easy to learn and decent damage among the bladed weapons, there’s a reason a lot of players are gravitating to the anime-inspired Longsword. Learning how to use the Spirit Gauge effectively can take a while, but you’ll be slashing away at the toughest of monsters before long.
New to Sunbreak is the Silkbind skill Harvest Moon. It emits a ring that causes your hunter to hit extra blows whenever you land a counterattack, which is particularly significant when coupled with various Sheathed weapon attacks. This skill alone bumps it up to S-tier and is instrumental in some speedrun strategies.
Heavy Bowgun
The Heavy Bowgun saw some big changes to its mobility thanks to the introduction of Wirebugs in Rise. The biggest change shores up the Heavy Bowgun’s weakness, making it easier to dodge while charging shots. Now you can use Silkbinds to zip away, avoiding high-damaging attacks while blasting the most formidable endgame threats to smithereens with armour-piercing ammo.
The new Setting Sun attack draws a ring near the target. Any shots that pass through this ring increase the total number of hits on the target. This makes every round that hits an enemy even more powerful. Provided you have enough Wirebugs to escape danger, this is a compelling DPS option for multiplayer.
Dual Blades
My personal favourite, Dual Blades are for players who want a serotonin boost when they see lots of numbers appear on the screen. The new Switch Skill, Spiral Slash, is a flashy Silkbind attack that hits enemies many times as you propel yourself into the monster. Of course, you need to be very close to monsters to make contact with them, so there’s an element of risk involved in every hunt.
While the damage per hit is nothing special compared to every other weapon in the game, it hits enemies many times in quick succession. All that damage does add up, and the number of times hurts foes makes it fantastic at inflicting status ailments such as paralysis or blast. If you’re using the Malzeno armour set, this weapon can mitigate any Bloodblight issues during Anomaly quests by continuously attacking enemies. This is perfect when you’re trying to get Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak afflicted materials to create powerful builds.
Dual Blades normally require the user to disengage from combat to sharpen weapons on a frequent basis. However, the Sunbreak expansion gives Dual Blades the Ironshine Silk skill, which, upon using a Wirebug, restores sharpness every time you evade an attack. By maintaining sharpness over time, you can continue to slash at enemies for longer at peak efficiency. All of this makes these daggers worth switching to, despite a short attack range and lower single-hit damage compared to other weapons.
A-tier
Light Bowgun
Ranged weapons and mobility are still king in Sunbreak, so the Light Bowgun remains one of the very best weapon types in the game. However, by not specialising in either mobility or raw damage, it’s a little more difficult to justify the Light Bowgun above the S-tier options.
That said, Wyvern Counter is a fantastic new Silkbind attack that zips the hunter away from danger while bombarding the monster in front of them with a powerful blast. If you time this attack perfectly, you can knock down enemies for a short time, allowing you and your fellow hunters to take advantage of its prone state to unleash a devastating flurry of attacks and bullets.
Switch Axe
Given how difficult it is to learn the Charge Blade, you’d think the Switch Axe would sacrifice damage output for a little less complexity. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as it strikes a good balance between offensive and defensive capabilities, thanks to its sword and axe forms.
In fact, the only reason it’s not higher on this list is due to the initial complexity of the Switch Gauge, especially for new hunters. The Elemental Burst Counter skill, introduced in Sunbreak, gives you an extra attacking option that makes this weapon all the more appealing.
Great Sword
The Great Sword is a slow, methodical weapon that takes a while to get used to wielding. You’ll often set up an attack only for it to whiff at the last second because the monster decided to walk away casually. Don’t be fooled; this weapon type is a fan favourite for a reason.
When you get the timing down, the damage output is colossal. In Sunbreak, the new Strongarm Style only makes hitting enemies easier, allowing Great Sword wielders to fend off attacks as you charge a series of overhead slashes.
B-tier
Charge Blade
Aesthetically, the Charge Blade is one of the coolest looking weapons in the game, combining both sword and axe. Once you charge up the weapon by attacking with the sword, you can quickly switch to axe mode to unleash the energy through numerous devastating attacks.
Charge Blade users will note just how difficult it is to learn how to use this weapon effectively, but will also tell you that the sheer damage it can deal in one hit is staggering. While the Charge Blade hasn’t seen the same buffs the Switch Axe got, its combos are now a little more straightforward in Sunbreak.
Hammer
The Hammer has a lot going for it in Monster Hunter Rise. Not only is it an easy weapon to learn, but it also rewards players with a high chance to stun and deal tons of damage per bonk.
Though the Hammer hasn’t received helpful upgrades in Sunbreak, it was a fantastic weapon to use in the base game, and it should serve you well in endgame hunts. Additionally, it’s great to use as part of a team of faster attackers as you can bash them whenever the monster isn’t attacking you.
Sword and Shield
Perhaps one of the more basic weapons, the Sword and Shield is great for those who want a blend of good mobility, decent damage, and balanced stats. It does suffer from being one of the more boring weapons that new players are likely to deviate from, but those who stick with it are rewarded in Sunbreak.
The new Silkbind attack coats your blade in Destroyer Oil, which makes even the largest of wyverns flinch more easily. It can be your saving grace if a monster is particularly aggressive, leaving them vulnerable for a short time. This could be all the time you need to capture a beast or chop off its tail.
C-tier
Hunting Horn
This unconventional weapon is the Monster Hunter equivalent of a bard. Your main aim is to buff your mates, playing music to bolster their attacks, defences, and healing capabilities. If we were just rating it for multiplayer, it would be higher on the tier list, but overall its limited effectiveness in single-player is what brings it down.
Its upgrade in Sunbreak gives you the chance to inflict more damage every time you hit a monster, but this doesn’t help it in a single-player setting. If your group needs extra support, a Hunting Horn specialist may be music to your party’s ears.
Insect Glaive
Typically, high mobility is a good thing in games like Monster Hunter, as it allows you to target parts of the monster that are generally out of reach. Sure, you can always opt for ranged weapons like the Bow or the two Bowguns, but they don’t deal slashing damage very well.
What brings the Insect Glaive down considerably here is the presence of Wirebugs and the new skills available to the Bow. Since Wirebugs are universal, even slower weapons such as the Hammer can get some decent height. The Bow’s Silkbind skill also takes away the Insect Glaive’s most significant advantage as the Bow can now dish out a lot of severing damage at once. With the expanded list of Silkbind attacks across the board, the Insect Glaive has lost relevance for the time being.
D-tier
Gunlance
The Gunlance sounds like an attractive option for defensive hunters, combining a mighty lance equipped with a shield and a cannon to blast foes away. In the base game, the Gunlance was perfectly serviceable, but the expansion introduces a lot of fast monsters capable of dishing out lots of chip damage. As such, you may struggle to fight the endgame monsters on your own.
What puts the Gunlance above the regular Lance however is the new Bullet Barrage skill, which has your hunter quickly dash in and pierce the monster, triggering small explosions in the area hit. The small burst of speed is welcome on this painfully slow weapon.
Lance
If you specialised in the Lance in previous Monster Hunter games, you value high damage coupled with a defence that’s usually difficult to penetrate. As a result, it’s a cumbersome weapon to get used to, but when you do, it can deal with many early game threats with general ease.
Sadly though, the slower speed of the Lance and high chip damage from late-game and afflicted monsters are enough to put this weapon at the bottom of the rankings. It just can’t deal with the rather monstrous endgame creatures, such as Furious Rajang or Scorned Magnamalo.
And that’s our Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak weapon tier list. If this guide has inspired you to change up your weapon, then we have some guides on how to find some of the materials, including Supple Piel, Awegite, and prized pelt, that you need to craft your new gear.