The Monster Hunter franchise has a penchant for giving players a plethora of options for pursuing enemies, and Monster Hunter Rise is no different in this regard. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming for new players, and Monster Hunter Rise’s expansion, Sunbreak, nearly doubles the options for players to hunt new monsters at the intended Master Rank. Whether you’re new to the series or just getting started with the expansion, here are the best early Monster Hunter Rise and Sunbreak releases.
Related: The strongest monster in every Monster Hunter game
Early Game Builds in Monster Hunter Rise
At the start of the game, almost any build or weapon is viable thanks to the ability to progress your gear through upgrade trees. While many weapons have lots of combos and loadouts, switch stances to help you get maximum damage, some may enjoy finding the easiest weapons and builds to stand on.
Note that for all early game builds, it’s best to use the Black Belt armor set to easily (and dramatically) increase your survivability. Capcom added this armor on February 24, 2022 to help players prepare for the Sunbreak expansion. The full set offers 150 defense and can be upgraded later to a full defense stat of 180. For all subsequent early game builds, use this set until you understand the mechanics and timing of the hunts.
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Weapon sets called Defender Weapons have also been added. These are high-level weapons for early games, so players won’t have to worry about scavenging for materials. We’ll list the DPS each weapon can offer, but the general rule of thumb is to use the Defender weapon tree if you’re looking for an easier path to Monster Hunter Rise.
You can claim the Defense Weapons and Black Belt Armor Set from Senri the Postman in front of the Item Box near Hinoa the Quest Maiden. All defense weapons provide 110 attack power and 30 defense bonus at first level.
Here are five early game builds for Monster Hunter Rise that can deal damage and are pretty easy to use.
5. Dual blades
Dual Blades are one of the fastest weapon systems in the game, if not the fastest. Sporting a “death by a thousand blows” style, Dual Blade players will find themselves bouncing between beasts, racking up damage while dodging attacks with their mobile style. Animations and positioning can be tricky to learn, but it’s worth it.
4.bow
The Bow has a long history in the Monster Hunter franchise, and his inclusion in Monster Hunter Rise comes as no surprise. The bow scales well in the late game (including mastery ranks), but it’s also wonderfully simple to use effectively on all hunts. However, some may find it easier to use on the PC version, thanks to mouse aiming, but it also works well on consoles.
3. Sword and Shield
It seems like every fantasy-laden franchise has the classic sword and board combo, and Monster Hunter is no different in that regard. Surprisingly mobile, great scalability throughout the game, and the ability to raise your shield to mitigate the massive charges of big beasts make Sword and Shield a classic and reliable choice.
2. Longsword
With incredible reach and the speed and ferocity to surprise many beasts, the Monster Hunter Rise Longsword is another reliable option. Many veteran players prefer this weapon for the sheer cool factor, as longswords tend to mimic the look of katanas.
1. Great Sword
Find the biggest piece of metal possible, place a blade on it and start swinging it. What the Great Sword lacks in grace and finesse, it more than makes up for in monstrous damage. The Great Sword is a fantastic weapon for early games as the attacks won’t move players much, so there’s not much in the way of memorizing attack patterns and animations, meaning you don’t you won’t have to position yourself perfectly before you hit.
Early game builds for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Sunbreak is a different beast thanks to the long-awaited Master Rank mode, but with a little planning, you can master these beasts like any other. Much like the Black Belt Armor set available to new players, Capcom has also released a Black Belt S set available through Courier. This set was released alongside the Sunbreak expansion and is an ideal gear set to power vanilla endgame content and Sunbreak Master Rank hunts.
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This armor is strong enough that you don’t have to worry about matching elemental types until you reach the middle of Sunbreak. With this gear equipped, your early game building strategy really comes down to weapon preference, available upgrades, and beast items. Finally, we recommend placing Spiribird Jewel 1 for all Weapon Rampage slots, unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Spiribird’s new mechanic simply offers too much DPS to leave on the table, and that rings true in Master Rank just as much as it did in the base game.
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Here are the five best Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak early builds for Master Rank.
5. Katana black Mk. 1
This ferocious longsword is an ideal starting point for Sunbreak, with a low construction cost and 95% weak point affinity without using amulets. The Black Katana Mk. 1 is available at Master Rank 1, scales well throughout Master Rank, and has a familiar moveset that will help you exploit various weak spots on big beasts.
Craft List:
4. Cyclone X
With Dual Blades, this weapon can be crafted or upgraded quite early in the expansion with a few chunks of Ore. With 250 attack damage, this weapon can then be upgraded to Supercell with 300 attack damage in exchange for Centuria, Eltalite, and Meldspar ores.
Craft List:
- 12,000 zenios
- Eltalita Mineral (x5)
- Izuchi’s Piel pesada (x3)
- Awegita (x3)
3. Kamura Warrior’s Sword+
The classic sword and dash combo is more than viable in the Master Rank of the latest Monster Hunter Rise game, thanks to Kamura Warrior Sword+. Surprisingly nimble for a sword and shield build, Kamura Warrior Sword+ has 290 attack power and a decent affinity for weak spot critical hits that should help users break into the top ranks of masters.
Craft List:
- 24,000 zenios
- Centurai Mineral (x2)
- Basarios Bark (x2)
- Great Wyvern Gem
- MR Bone (x15 points)
2. Great Glorious Oath
The terrifying amount of damage Master Rank beasts inflict doesn’t matter if they can’t hit you, and ranged weapons like the Great Glowing Oath are great for dealing damage without taking it. The bad news about this weapon is that you’ll have to fight a few fights against Bishaten, the Sanctum Ruins Wyvern, for parts – the good news is 300 attack damage.
Craft List:
- 16,000 zenios
- Bishaten Sliding Pen (x5)
- Rigid saddle (x2)
- Bishaten Finefur (x3)
- Mineral Goldlite (x4)
1. Kamura Warrior Blade+
True to the last part of the old adage “walk gently and carry a big staff”, the Kamura Warrior Cleaver+ sends serious punishments to early Master Rank beasts. It can also be relatively quickly upgraded to expansion. You’ll eventually want to upgrade to Azure Blaze Great Sword for endgame content, but it’s best to cross that bridge when you get there.
Craft List:
- 24,000 zenios
- Century Ore (x2)
- Bishaten Zarpa Hard (x2)
- Great Wyvern Gem
- MR Bone (x15 points)
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