Monster Hunter Rise: 18 Overpowered Builds

One of the many joys of playing Monster Hunter is creating an unstoppable mixset to blitz through the endgame, and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is no different. This addition to the latest game in the Monster Hunter franchise comes with a bevy of new skills to hunt every monster in the catalog.

Great builds in this game range from the excellent Archfiend armor and its powerful Dereliction skill to more niche builds and complex mixsets like Narwa and Ibushi. If players want to find a powerful build to propel them through the endgame or are thinking of trying out a new weapon, read on for some of the best options.

Updated May 30, 2024, by Blaise Santi: The Monster Hunter franchise is about to level up in 2025 with the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, the next chapter in Sony’s popular monster-chasing franchise. For fans who are interested in the new game but haven’t yet tried out Monster Hunter Rise or its DLC expansion Sunbreak, now is the perfect time to prepare for the vicious quests that await. Like any RPG, some fans will only be interested in trying to become the very best hunters they can be. That means they’ll have to put the elbow grease in to acquire one of these pre-assembled Armor builds, including three additional ones for some of the tougher weapons to master in the game.

18 Blood Awakening Long Sword

Feast Off A Monster’s Damage

There are lots of pros and cons to using the Long Sword, particularly in online multiplayer in Monster Hunter Rise. On one hand, it’s an incredibly powerful weapon when paired with an Armor set like this, which will increase the power of critical hits with Critical Boost. It can even target breakable monster parts, especially tails, with skills like Partbreaker and Weakness Exploit.

Long Sword users need to stay clear of tripping up their allies in the heat of battle. Fortunately, this Armor set also comes with the Blood Awakening skill, allowing Long Sword users to gain Attack boosts after recovering health from damaging a monster. It’s smart to use a powerful and sharp weapon like the Silver Severer for the most benefits.

17 Pierce Heavy Bowgun

Combine With Pierce Jewels For A Sharp Weapon

The biggest downside of using Heavy Bowgun is its limited options for movement, as attacks often require hunters to stay in one place and fire. This build takes advantage of that aspect of the Heavy Bowgun, with maxed out Attack Boost, Weakness Exploit, and Pierce Up when paired with the right Armor Decorations.

One important skill in this build that make the Heavy Bowgun particularly over-powered is Dragonheart, which will boost elemental resistances when below 80% health, with the downside of inflicting hunters with Dragonblight. However, this won’t be an issue with an element-less weapon like the Ursprung/Mort, forged from Shagaru Magala materials.

16 Silver Shooter Rapid Light Bowgun

Go Crazy With A Wide Variety Of Slots

With this Light Bowgun build, even solo hunters will find themselves breezing through difficult quests. Made out of Armor pieces from all Elder Dragons (Teostra, Kushala Daora, Shagaru Magala, Primordial Malzeno, and Amatsu), this set with Decorations boasts universally powerful Skills like Attack Boost, Critical Eye, Weakness Exploit, and Critical Boost.

Additional skills like Reload Speed, Recoil Down, and Rapid Fire Up are all attainable thanks to its large number of slots (including three level 4 slots on the Silver Shooter weapon). With these skills, Light Bowgun users will find themselves faster, stronger, and more capable of avoiding incoming monster attacks at a moment’s notice. Heavy Bowgun users cannot say the same.

15 Dragon Conversion Elemental Spread Bow

Take Elemental Damage To The Next Level

The benefit of this Bow set in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is that it only requires Armor pieces from the Crimson Glow Valstrax, a late-game Elder Dragon added via update. The Valstrax’s Epoch Armor comes with the skill Dragon Conversion, which affects the player’s blue and red Swap Scrolls, decreasing elemental resistance or boosting elemental attack.

When paired with a strong elemental bow like the Queen’s Rhapsody or Crimson Plume, Bow users will excel with increased elemental damage, as well as additional skills like Attack Boost, Latent Power, and Stamina Surge. Plus, it can be boosted with the handy Bow skill Bow Charge Plus, which is a must-have for the weapon’s users.

14 Lucent Raw Balanced Charge Blade

A Mixed Set With Guaranteed Potential

The Lucent Nargacuga was added to Monster Hunter Rise via an update in 2022, allowing fans to battle this superpowered version of the fan-favorite Nargacuga. This monster’s materials also allow Charge Blade users to craft the Nunki’s Asterism, one of the best poison-coated Charge Blades in the game, which can be improved with the right Armor.

This Armor set requires mixing of pieces from Astalos, Rathalos, Malzeno, and Gold Rathian. Among its acquired Armor Skills include Critical Boost, Burst, Windproof, and Weakness Exploit. With the help of Decorations and Charms, Charge Blade users can add must-have skills like Artillery, Rapid Morph, and Load Shells.

13 Heaven-Sent Embolden Sword & Shield

Generations Of Elder Dragons Combine To Form This

This Sword and Shield armor set will be a challenge to craft, as it requires armor pieces from Risen Elder Dragons as well as the formidable Amatsu. Altogether, it will result in some pretty useful skill bonuses, including fully upgraded Attack Boost, Critical Eye, and Critical Boost, as well as rare skills like Chameleos Blessing.

This build really comes to life with the rare skills Heaven-Sent and Embolden, which both help during confrontations with large monsters. Additionally, players will do well by equipping a fully-upgraded Phecda’s Asterism, which boasts lots of purple Sharpness even without the Handicraft skill, though this can be remedied with its open slots.

12 Blood Awakening Hammer

Fear The Hammer’s Bloodlust

Hammer users in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak can get a lot out of the armor and weapons available to them via DLC. However, the Magnamalo hammer, Devil’s Die, makes for an incredibly strong tool boasting a large attack and a heavy dose of Blast element. Like the previous Sword and Shield set, its best-paired armor set requires some challenge.

With the fully assembled set, including Risen Kushala Daora and Risen Chameleos materials, Hammer users will inherit skills such as Attack Boost, Buildup Boost, Recovery Up, and Partbreaker. It also bestows the Blood Awakening skill, which boosts attack after regaining a certain amount of health through attacking monsters.

11 Amatsu Gunlance

A Gunlance Sent By The Gods

The Gunlance is one of the hardest weapons to master, especially in a title like Monster Hunter Rise, which emphasizes movement and verticality in fights. However, there are many armor sets and skills in the Sunbreak expansion which will give Gunlance users the opportunity to deal a lot of damage all at once, which is the case with this build.

Featuring armor pieces from the Amatsu and Risen Shagaru Magala sets, this build pairs skills like Weakness Exploit, Latent Power, and Bloodlust with the Amatsu Gunlance, which boasts 350 attack and strong sharpness. The armor pieces also include a vast amount of slots, which can be used to buff its Attack Boost skills for extra damage.

10 Royal Order Sword & Shield

A Sword & Shield Build Fit For A King

The Sword & Shield is one of the most versatile weapons in the Monster Hunter franchise, especially in Monster Hunter Rise as well as the Sunbreak expansion. Being able to use items while the weapon is drawn allows hunters to easily access many different support options. Additionally, the weapon benefits from fast attack combos and wide movement.

However, this SnS build takes advantage of two aspects that a player’s SnS build may be lacking: sharpness and affinity. With Master Rank armor pieces from Teostra (head), Barroth (arms), Nargacuga (waist), and Gaismagorm (chest and legs), hunters can take advantage of skills like Critical Eye, Attack Boost, and Weakness Exploit with lots of purple Sharpness.

9 Rooksearer Hunting Horn

This Hunting Horn Set Is No Easy Feat To Make

Hunting Horn users live and die by the buffs it can provide during multiplayer hunts. The Bazel Valdi Rooksearer Hunting Horn not only provides three useful buffs via song: Earplugs, Attack Up, and Health Recovery, but it also comes equipped with the Blast element, allowing hunters to deal extra damage while playing their songs.

Its perfectly-paired armor set should provide even more whopping damage for the weapon: skills like Critical Eye and Weakness Exploit are key, but they’ll come at quite a cost. Players will need pieces from Risen Teostra (head & chest), Gaismagorm (arms & legs), and Chaotic Gore Magala (waist), with appropriate Decorations to maximize lower-level skills.

8 Aggressive Powder Mantle Lance

Let Monsters Think The Worst

The Lance is all about being able to absorb a monster’s attacks and draw its attention while allies make mincemeat of it. This means a good Lance set must-have skills that benefit this: such as this set which requires armor pieces from Flaming Epsinas (head), Risen Teostra (chest and waist), and Violet Mizutsune (arms and legs).

With Decorations like Shield Jewels, Guardian Jewels, and Critical Jewels, players can lift skills that any Lance would benefit from. Particularly, Lance users will find themselves benefiting from the skill Powder Mantle, which can affect the attack or explosive damage to a hunter’s weapon. Pair it with a Lance like the Fine Kamura Spear with high Sharpness.

7 Poison Veil Caster Insect Glaive

Agility And Poison Expertise

It can be hard to find an Armor set that’s right for an Insect Glaive, given it’s one of the more unique weapons in the series. However, this Armor set will benefit users who have risked their lives enough for the Chameleos Insect Glaive, known as the Veil Caster. This Insect Glaive deals a great bit of poison damage, with impressive Sharpness to boot.

However, the Armor set will consist mostly of Risen Teostra pieces (head, chest, waist), giving hunters the Powder Mantle skill yet again. It also requires pieces from Risen Chameleos (arms) and Ingot Armor (legs); the latter requires the collection of Purecrystals. This set will maximize a player’s Poison Attack, as well as boost their critical hit ratios.

6 Primordial Malzeno Switch Axe

A Fearsome Foe Gives Way To An Even More Fearsome Build

One of the many weapons to receive a buff in the form of a new counter switch skill, the Switch Axe has propelled itself into the limelight as of late. The Switch Axe’s quick attacks are potent for exploiting the element changes in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

Pieces of Risen Kushala Daora and Primordial Malzeno come together to provide Partbreaker, Weakness Exploit and Critical Boost. When adding Talismans, Decorations, and Charms, players can also take advantage of Insect Glaive-specific skills like Rapid Morph, Power Prolonger, and Evade Extender, among others.

5 Buildup Status Dual Blades

Blast Or Poison Monsters

The Chameleos and Magnamalo weapons in Sunbreak are not just for fashion: their Dual Blades come with either blast or poison. This build uses Demon Mode’s considerable boost to status and Dual Blades’ new Silkbind Attack, Spiral Slash, to turn hunters into a dancing dervish of explosive and venomous death with even greater status buildup.

This build consists primarily of Kaiser and Grand Mizuha pieces to activate the Teostra and Chameleos Blessing, which improve blast and poison, respectively. In addition, because this set also has many Decoration slots, players can add small decorations like Steadfast and Grinder as necessary for a comfier play style.

4 Volcanic Dereliction

A Long Sword Set For A Long Journey Of Hunting

The Long Sword was, for a long time, the strongest weapon in Monster Hunter: Rise. With the nerfs it received in Sunbreak, it no longer holds the crown, but it remains a powerful weapon, especially when taking advantage of the recent buffs to elemental damage.

This set is simple: the Volcanic Apocalypse, Magma Almudron’s weapon, combined with a complete set of Archfiend armor from the final boss. This set provides maximum Resentment, Chain Crit, and Weakness Exploit alongside the powerful Dereliction skill. This skill, ever-present in speedrunning sets, provides a considerable boost of +20 element at the cost of slowly draining the player’s health. This set uses Volcanic Apocalypse, which has the highest base element of any Long Sword, but any elemental choice can be swapped in by replacing the appropriate element attack decorations.

3 Immortal Build

Don’t Worry About Carting With This Expert Build

The Monster Hunter aficionados at RageGamingVideos have a tradition of creating immortal builds: mixsets so incredibly tanky that no monster can kill the hunters who wield them. At last, they have brought the immortal build to life in Sunbreak.

This set combines Kushala Blessing (a skill that allows recovery to exceed red health) and Blood Rite (a skill that heals the player for a percentage of the damage they deal to broken parts). This ensures a constant stream of healing. It also comes with skills like Defense Boost, Divine Blessing, and Recovery Speed to tank attacks from Sunbreak’s most dangerous monsters.

RageGamingVideos recommends either Chameleos or Royal Order as the weapon of choice: Chameleos for poison status to help hunt monsters, or Royal Order for the free 50 defense they provide.

2 Thundering Charge Blade

Weather The Storm With This Charge Blade Build

The Charge Blade received much-needed buffs in Sunbreak, bringing it back into the limelight. In particular, Elemental Charge Blade has seen a surge in popularity. This set works with either thunder or dragon, the weapon of choice being Asylum Peal or Draquila Reaver+, respectively, and the only difference being element attack decorations. However, more monsters are weaker to thunder than dragon, so Asylum Peal is generally more useful.

Combining Narwa’s Pure and Ibushi’s Pure to grab Stormsoul gives us a 15% bonus to thunder and dragon element. In addition, Stormsoul level 4 also increases the levels of all other armor skills by 1, which lets us get a plethora of valuable skills (Guard, Guard Up, and Offensive Guard) for free. Finally, adding Archfiend legs provides excellent slots and Dereliction, a skill that massively increases elemental damage while in Red Scroll at the cost of slowly losing health.

1 Strongarm Stance Build

A Simple Mixed Set For Great Sword Lovers

Sometimes, all a hunter needs is to kill a powerful monster as quickly as possible. When that time comes, this mixset is required. Building on the Great Sword’s new Strongarm Stance counter, this mixset pushes for as many offensive skills as possible while throwing defense to the wayside. Newcomers beware, as such an aggressive play style can spell doom for unprepared hunters, not just their prey.

With the right decorations and talismans, this build can reach the maximum level in Critical Eye, Attack Boost, Critical Boost, Weakness Exploit, and Offensive Guard (which procs with Strongarm Stance) while also providing a healthy helping of Resentment and Chain Crit (both of which also proc with Strongarm Stance). When used with the Fine Kamura Cleaver, the best Great Sword available, this comes out to a staggering effective raw of 860.