Monster Hunter Rise carries on the legacy of a long-running series. In Monster Hunter, players can challenge fierce creatures and enjoy a sense of progression as they craft better and more visually awesome gear. Fans will feel at home with the 14 returning weapon types featured in Monster Hunter Rise, but now they're better than ever before with sleek new gameplay features introduced in the latest game. Among them is the Long Sword, a fan favorite with some effective capabilities.
In the Monster Hunter Rise demo that was released ahead of the game's full launch, players were able to get hands-on with what the Long Sword and other weapons were able to do in its new iteration. The Long Sword has always been a popular and approachable weapon for newcomers and veterans of Monster Hunter games. With a combination of long reach, relatively quick attacks, and a stylish moveset, the Long Sword is a very attractive option. The longstanding appeal of the Long Sword stays true in Monster Hunter Rise, and players who want to make use of it can start off on the right foot with this guide.
Long Sword Controls And Combos
The basic commands for the Long Sword are as follows:
- X - Overhead Slash
- A - Thrust
- (Left Stick)+X+A - Attack while moving
- ZR - Spirit Blade
- ZR+A during a combo - Foresight Slash
- ZR+B after an attack - Special Sheathe
Landing hits on a monster will fill the Spirit Gauge, a katana-shaped meter that players can see under their stamina gauge in the top-left corner of the screen. The gauge can be spent to perform Spirit Blade attacks with the ZR button. A regular Spirit Blade combo ends with a Spirit Roundslash attack, and connecting with that attack will change the glowing color of the Spirit Gauge. While the gauge is glowing, all of the hunter's attacks are more powerful. Repeated Spirit Blade combos will continue to change the gauge to different colors, meaning more and more damage.
The Special Sheathe is a bit of an advanced technique for chaining combos together. It can be used after almost any other attack that the Long Sword can do, causing the hunter to sheathe their blade. From that position, the player can go into a gauge-building Iai Slash with the X button or a damaging Iai Spirit Slash with ZR that can parry minor attacks from monsters. Either option can lead into another combo, making the Long Sword a tool for constant non-stop damage.
Some useful combos for the Long Sword are as follows:
- Basic Combo
X > X > X > X
- Spirit Blade Combo (Requires Spirit Gauge)
ZR > ZR > ZR > ZR
- Fade Slash Combo (Requires Spirit Gauge)
X+A > ZR > ZR > ZR
- Special Sheathe Combo 1
X > ZR+B > X > ZR
- Foresight Slash Combo 1 (when successful)
X > ZR+A > ZR
- Special Sheathe Combo 2
X > ZR+A > ZR+B
The Foresight Slash Combo requires dodging an enemy attack with the invulnerability period of the Foresight Slash technique, which will be discussed in the next section along with Silkbind attacks.
Foresight Slash And Silkbind Attacks
Foresight Slash is a technique that can be performed mid-combo at any time with ZR+A. The attack animation begins with a large backstep, which can be used to dodge monster attacks. If a dodge is successfully performed, the following attack will fill the Spirit Gauge. This can then be chained into a Spirit Roundslash with ZR. This process of dodging attacks and continuing a brutal onslaught requires a great deal of familiarity with a monster's attack patterns, but it's a highly satisfying skill that experienced hunters will enjoy using.
Silkbind attacks are a new addition to Monster Hunter Rise. Hunters are equipped with a Wirebug, which is represented by a number of Wirebug symbols at the bottom of the screen. Silkbind attacks can be executed by pressing either ZL+X or ZL+A and consuming either one or two Wirebugs, depending on the attack. These Wirebugs will then become available again after a short period of time.
There are a number of Silkbind attacks for each weapon that are available to unlock through game progression, though only two can be equipped at a time. Hunters can mix and match however they choose to create a loadout that best suits their individual tastes and strategy. The two basic Silkbind attacks that Long Sword users can start off with are as follows:
- Soaring Kick - The hunter launches into a jump kick. If it connects, a Plunging Thrust is triggered. Landing the Plunging Thrust causes the Spirit Gauge to auto-fill for a period of time. If ZR is pressed upon landing the initial kick, the attack instead becomes a Spirit Helm Breaker that does massive damage at the cost of one Spirit Gauge level. Costs 1 Wirebug Gauge.
- Serene Pose - A web of Wirebug silk is weaved in front of the hunter, who will ready their weapon. If a monster attack connects with the web, a swift and powerful counterattack will take place. Costs 2 Wirebug Gauges.
After getting comfortable with the Long Sword, many players will likely want to try out other weapons too. Each playstyle is unique and varied, giving Monster Hunter Rise the feeling of a fresh new game just by equipping a different weapon. With so many monsters to hunt, fans are sure to appreciate having a plethora of strategies to choose from.
Monster Hunter Rise is available now for the Switch, and the PC version will come out sometime in early 2022.