MH Rise Weapons Ranked by Speedrun Performance

Monster Hunter (MH) Rise is all about, well, hunting monsters. The game has an impressive variety of dangerous beasts with unique mechanics, behaviors and even compelling animations. Unfortunately for them, we’re not talking about how amazing they are. We’re talking about which weapon works best with killing them. 

There’s definitely an element of theorycrafting when trying to figure out what weapon is best in any game (unless we’re talking about Halo: CE’s magnum). Fortunately, the smart people over at r/monsterhuntermeta have been collecting the fastest completions of all eight of the Hunter Rank 7 hunts. 

Ranking each weapon by the fastest average completion times of those hunts lets us see the weapons played to the highest possible level. The talented players showing off their gameplay probably represent the highest level of play possible for each weapon and have a build perfectly suited for the task, turning it into a measurement of raw weapon performance. 

So, anyway, here are the weapons ranked by the fastest average completion time as of April 2021.

Light Bowgun 

Average Completion Time: 00:02:38

The Light Bowgun might not be the most stylish weapon in the game but it has managed to become the weapon with the fastest clears. Perhaps it’s the weapon’s ability to let you keep your distance from monsters or maybe it’s just over-tuned. Either way, this weapon clearly works well. Just look at the graph below. 

If you’re interested in that crazy fast Diablos clear time, have a look below. 

Bow

Average Completion Time: 00:02:40

The second fast weapon is, once again, a ranged weapon. The Bow’s mix of mobility and damage really makes itself known in high level play. Using the Wirebug to go straight up and rain arrows on monster’s weak points seems to be standard fare and clearly very effective. Being able to easily hit weak points definitely gives ranged weapons an advantage over their melee counterparts. 

It really looks like the Bow is just good overall, save for fighting the Narwa and the Rakna-Kadaki. Also, the Diablos clear is an absolute work of art. Take a look below.

Longsword

Average Completion Time: 00:02:51

Longswords have generally been in the higher tiers of Monster Hunter weapons. Their long reach and good defensive options let them perform well in general. That said, it’s currently one of MH Rise’s best weapons.

The Longsword’s success against everything but the Narwa really shows how good it can be. The parries in the Tigrex fight were so clean it’s no surprise that the player cleared it as fast as they did. Take a look below.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1jv41177iT

Heavy Bowgun

Average clear time: 00:03:01

Lugging heavy artillery onto the battlefield is generally a good idea, especially when dealing with giant monsters. The Heavy Bowgun is the worst performing ranged MH Rise weapon on this list and it’s at fourth place which really goes to show how dominant ranged weapons are right now. 

Switchaxe

Average Clear Time: 00:03:34

The Switchaxe is a fantastically versatile weapon that, most importantly, lets you latch onto a monster’s face and give it a facial manicure. It’s certainly one of the best Monster Hunter Rise weapons for that feature alone. 

Watch the video below to see how it looks against a Magnamalo

Insect Glaive

Average Time: 00:03:49

Some people might be surprised to find that the Insect Glaive isn’t at the bottom of this list but, hey, the numbers don’t lie. If nothing else, it’s certainly fun to watch these players use the weapon. 

You can watch the fastest clear below

Hunting Horn

Average Time: 00:03:55

There’s definitely an appeal to bringing a reinforced musical instrument to budgeon monsters to death with. Unfortunately, this weapon has always been a bit of a meme pick though that didn’t stop it from not being at the bottom. 

Of course, the Hunting Horn is a support weapon whose capabilities are not fully shown in a solo speedrun. 

Great Sword

Average Time: 00:03:55

The Great Sword retains its identity as a slow weapon that rewards preparation and knowledge with massive damage when applied correctly. While it is still a fantastic alarm clock, the weapon suffers in MH Rise’s more mobile combat where its combos are harder to land.

Part of the appeal of the Great Sword comes from its ability to absolutely demolish monster parts with a degree of precision unmatched by the other MH Rise Weapons. It’s shown off in the fastest Goss Harag clear.

Sword and Shield

Average Time: 00:03:56

The Sword and Shield is generally easy to learn and a versatile weapon perfect for beginners. It doesn’t excel in any area in particular but has a decent offence thanks to the shield while still being more agile than the Lance and Gun Lance, its beefier cousins. 

The Sword and Shield’s mediocre damage dealing potential is really apparent in this fight against the Tigrex where the player used explosive barrels to great effect. 

Charge Blade

Average Time: 00:03:59

The Charge Blade has some unique mechanics compared to the other weapons, forcing an extra layer of resource management onto the player. This complexity has made it inaccessible for newer players though it can still be a potent weapon in the right hands. Unfortunately for it, most of its clear times aren’t that fast. 

Of course, the Charge Blade’s difficulty doesn’t stop it from being an absolutely lethal weapon in the right hands. Just look at the Goss Harag clear below. 

Hammer

Average Clear Time: 00:03:56

The Hammer is the latest in bonking technology. It’s great at smacking monsters and stunning them, interrupting their attacks. Unfortunately, there isn’t an up-to-date time for the Diablos, which is skewing the data in this weapon’s favour. 

Smacking around monsters with a hammer is a primal experience that comes with some of the most satisfying sounds. Just look at this player bully the Tigrex

Dual Blades

Average time: 00:04:14

The Dual Blades are the go-to weapon for styling on a monster and going Captain Levi down their backs. Their fast-attacking style struggles when knocking monsters down which might be why clear times aren’t the fastest. 

Dual Blades might not average the fastest clear times but my god they look amazing to play.

Lance

Average Time: 00:04:29

The Lance is a great weapon for playing defensively. It’s massive shield can reliably block monster attacks and can be used to defend other party members. 

Unfortunately, it’s not great at dealing damage which really hurts its clear times. Still, it’s deadly in the right hands, just watch the fastest clear below. 

Gunlance

Average Time:00:05:37

The Gulance is an incredibly fun mix of the heavy artillery brought by the Heavy Bowgun and the fortitude of a Lance. It’s great at making things explode while whacking them. It’s also a jetpack, which is cool. 

Unfortunately, like the Lance, it’s defensive style doesn’t suit speedrunning and doesn’t let its strengths show. 

Final Thoughts on these MH Rise Weapons

Looking at speedrun times to figure out MH Rise’s best weapons can be a great way to see which ones hit the hardest. If you would like to see their performance overall, scroll down. 

The problem with using this metric lies in the dynamic nature of MH Rise’s hunts. It’s entirely possible to get lucky with monster spawns and use that to shave seconds or even minutes off a hunt which leads to the unfortunate conclusion to the question “What is the best MH Rise weapon?” It depends. 

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