Monster Hunter Rise has its fair share of weapons, but none is as elegant as the Long Sword. This literally long sword, is the closest you can get to being a samurai of the old, able to challenge any monster standing in your way. The specific weapon specializes in wide attacks and counters, which let your control the battlefield and the flow of combat. To do so though, you need to have prior knowledge to monsters you face, or have some really good reflexes, in order to be able to utilize your counters efficiently. In this Long Sword guide, we will take a look at its moveset, Silkbind attacks and how to use it against monsters of any kind.

Long Sword Guide and Overview

In Monster Hunter Rise, the Long Sword is a very good weapon for someone to start with, since its function and playstyle are quite easy to understand and learn in the process. It has great reach due to its length both vertical and horizontally, making it a good all-around weapon for any occasion.

The core gimmick of the weapon is to keep attacking with normal attacks and try to fill its Spirit Gauge. This is energy stored that can be used to unleash Spirit Blade attacks, which are the Long Sword’s biggest damage output. If you manage to pull out the complete combo, ending it with a Spirit Roundslash, you will temporarily ‘upgrade’ your blade to the next stage. This can be done three times in order to reach the maximum upgrade level. As long as the last roundslash hits the target, then the upgrade will be triggered, so don’t stress too much for hitting the whole combo from beginning to end. In order to use however that last attack, you will need your gauge to be at a certain percentage, which results in a loop of attacking> spend Spirit Gauge> repeat.

As long as your weapon is upgraded, its damage output rises, as you would expect. A red aura is an indicator of the weapon being maxed out, and there is also visual representation to its UI icon. That said, Monster Hunter Rise ensured Long Swords do have a couple more tricks hidden up their sleeves. In particular, they have a couple of counter stances that completely negate a monster’s attack and damage, and return it back with powerful swings, badly damaging the creature in the process. In order to be able take out the most of these swords, you really need to master these techniques, offering you a great helping hand in battles. They are also part of a unique combo that can shorten the time needed to fill out the Spirit Gauge and upgrade your weapon faster.

Long Sword is a pick up and play weapon, really easy to understand and use, hence why a lot of new players tend towards it at the beginning of their adventure. One thing is to be noted though, in regards to multiplayer. Since the specific weapon has quite a long range, with a lot of wide, horizontal attacks, you need to watch out for not tripping other players and interrupt their combos. Other than this, the Long Sword is a great weapon to carry you through the whole game if you wish.

Long Sword Controls and Combos

• X = Overhead Slash
• A = Thrust
• X+A = Fade Slash
• Left Stick+X+A during a combo = Directional Fade Slash
• ZR+B during a combo = Special Sheathe
  • After Special Sheathe X = Iai Slash
  • After Special Sheathe ZR = Iai Spirit Slash

Spirit Gauge Attacks

• ZR = Spirit Blade
• After Running Attack ZR = Jumping Spirit Blade
• ZR+A during a combo = Foresight Slash
• ZR->ZR->ZR->ZR = Spirit Roundslash
• After soaring Kick ZR = Spirit Helm Breaker

Recommended Combos

• Fast Max Spirit Gauge Combo
  • ZR+A->ZR->ZR+B->ZR->ZR->ZR
• Fade Slash to Spirit Roundslash Combo
  • X+A->ZR->ZR->ZR
• Foresight Slash Combo
  • A->X->Repeat->ZR+A->ZR

Long Sword Silkbind Attacks

• ZL+X = Soaring Kick
  • Uses a Wirebug to launch you into a jump kick that, if connects, will trigger a Plunging Thrust. Landing the Thrust auto-fills your spirit Gauge for a short period of time. If you press ZR after landing the kick, you’ll perform a Spirit Helm Breaker at a cost of one level of Spirit gauge.
• ZL+A = Serene Pose
  • Taking a hit while your weapon is at the ready will swiftly lead into a counterattack.

Pros and Cons

• Pros
  • Long reach and wide attack range, able to hit any monster and cut tails with ease.
  • Powerful attacks with the help of the Spirit Gauge.
  • Invulnerability frames through the counter attacks.
  • Easy gimmick execution.
• Cons
  • Low damage without the Spirit Gauge filled up.
  • Not multiplayer friendly.
  • Needs good knowledge of monster patterns to efficiently counter attack.

Monster Hunter Rise is set to release on March 26, for the Nintendo Switch. For more guides about the game, make sure to check our extensive list right here.

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