Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak — 5 best early game Master Rank builds

Monster Hunter Rise's highly anticipated expansion, Sunbreak, finally got released. The base game of Monster Hunter Rise is filled to the brim with various options for weapons, armor, and trinkets, like Jewels, that increase the effectiveness of the weapons and armor pieces.

With the expansion, Capcom has doubled down on the various build options for players.

And with the introduction of Master Rank, it is necessary for users to tweak their base game builds to go toe-to-toe with the increased aggression and power of the monster in Master Rank battles.

With the already abundant options for weapon and armor combinations, it sure can get confusing to pick the right build for early game hunts in Sunbreak. To help with that, we have compiled a list of the best early game builds in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

These builds feature armor and weapons that are easy to farm in the early parts of Sunbreak and carry gamers through tougher early encounters in the expansion.

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These builds can help players go through early parts of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak without much hassle

1) The Gunlance Build

Gunlance is one of the most underrated weapon types in Monster Hunter Rise. Although it can be a little tricky to use at first, it can become a massive damage dealer once its weapon skills and attack combos are mastered.

The build here is centered around dealing good damage while having increased defense. The weapon of choice for this build will be the Kamura Warrior Gunlance, a new addition debuting in Sunbreak.

Players can craft the Kamura Warrior Gunlance using:

• Eltalite Ore x 8
• Tough Claw x 5
• Awegite x 1
• 18000 Zenny.

Here's a breakdown of the components for the early game Gunlance build in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

Weapon: Kamura Warrior Gunlance

• Rampage Decoration Jewel: Spiribird Jewel x 1

Armor pieces:

• Jyuratodus Helm X: with Evade Extender Lv.2, Offensive Guard Lv.1, and Resentment Lv.1
• Hermitaur Mail: with Ammo Up Lv.1, Guard Lv. 3, Load Shell Lv.1, and Normal/Rapid Up Lv.1
• Rhenoplos Braces X: Artillery Lv. 2, Load Shell Lv. 1 and Special Ammo Boost Lv. 1
• Rhenoplos Coil X: Blast Attack Lv. 2, Handicap Lv. 2 and Spread Up Lv. 2
• Chainmail Pants X: Protective Polish Lv. 2, Quick Sheath Lv. 1, and Spread Up Lv. 1

Skills:

• Artillery Lv. 3
• Guarding Lv. 3
• Wirebug Whisperer Lv. 3
• Speed Sharpening Lv. 3
• Stun Resistance Lv. 3
• Load Lv. 2
• Attack Lv. 2
• Resistance Lv. 2
• Item Use Lv. 1
• Stamina Lv. 1
• Dodge Distance Upgrade Lv. 1

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2) The Long Sword Build

Long Swords are one of the iconic and most preferred weapon types in Monster Hunter Rise, partly due to their quick attacks and incredibly high damage dealing potential with a properly optimized build.

For this early build for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, the weapon of choice is Imperial Sword II, which can be crafted pretty early in the game using:

• Eltalite Ore x 3
• Basarios Fellwing x 1
• MR Ore x 10 Points
• 16000 Zenny

The build here is centered around targeting the weak spots of the monsters and focusing on dealing critical damage to them. There are also essential skills for Long Swords like Quick Sheath and Punishing Draw to fully use the Long Sword Kit during combat. Here is a breakdown of the Long Sword build:

Weapon: Imperial Sword II

• Rampage Decoration Jewel: Spiribird Jewel x 1

Armor pieces:

• Ingot Helm X: with Attack Boost Lv. 2 and Windproof Lv. 1
• Izuchi Mail X: Critical Lv. 2, Evade Window Lv. 1, and Recovery Speed Lv. 2
• Orangaten Braces: Latent Power Lv. 3 and Quick Seath Lv. 1
• Izuchi Coil: Constitution Lv. 1 and Critical Eye Lv. 2
• Hunter's Greates X: Attack Lv. 2, Quick Sheath Lv. 1, and Stun Resistance Lv. 1

Talisman:

• Weakness Exploit Lv. 2

Skills:

• Weakness Exploit Lv. 3
• Quick Sheath Lv. 3
• Critical Boost Lv. 3
• Attack Boost Lv. 4
• Critical Eye Lv. 4
• Latent Power Lv. 3
• Windproof Lv. 1
• Evade Window Lv. 1
• Recovery Speed Lv. 2
• Constitution Lv. 1
• Stun Resistance Lv. 1

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3) The Dual Baldes Build

Dual Blades are widely preferred by both long-time users and newcomers, partly due to the agility and speed these weapons provide to their wielders. These weapons are far superior to any other weapon category in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak when dealing damage in quick succession while maintaining full control of combat.

The weapon of choice for this build is Cyclone+ which players can craft pretty early in the expansion using:

• Eltalite Ore x 5
• Heavy Izuchi Pelt x 3
• Awegite x 3
• 12000 Zenny

The build here is an early Master Rank build for players to get started in Sunbreak's Master Rank quests. It features balanced defensive as well as offensive skills to deal damage to the new and more aggressive monsters while keeping their defenses up to avoid getting squashed by the increased damage of these monsters.

The skills used in this build drastically enhance the attacking power in the Dual Blades in 'Demon mode,' giving users massive damage-dealing potential against the monsters. Here is a breakdown of the Dual Blades build:

Weapon: Cyclone+

• Rampage Decoration: Spiribird Jewel

Armor Pieces:

• Hunter's Helm X: with Attack Boost Lv. 2 and Item Prolonger Lv. 1
• Izuchi Mail X: Critical Eye Lv. 2, Evade Window Lv. 1, and Recovery Speed Lv. 2
• Orangaten Braces: Latent Power Lv. 3 and Quick Sheath Lv. 1
• Anjanath Coil X: Attack Boost Lv. 2
• Ingot Greaves X: Attack Boost Lv. 2 and Critical Eye Lv. 2

Talisman:

• Weakness Exploit Lv. 2

Skills:

• Attack Boost Lv. 7
• Critical Boost Lv. 3
• Weakness Exploit Lv. 3
• Critical Eye Lv. 4
• Latent Power Lv. 3
• Recovery Speed Lv. 2
• Evade Window Lv. 1
• Item Prolonger Lv. 1
• Quick Sheath Lv. 1

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4) The Sword and Shield Build

The Sword and Shield are iconic weapons for any fantasy role-playing game, and apparently, they also fit right into the world of Monster Hunter games. These are highly agile and defensive weapons that, when used with a reasonably optimized build, can potentially deal reasonable amounts of damage to monsters.

For the Sword and Shield build in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak's early Master Rank, the weapon of choice is the Kamura Warrior Sword+, which players can craft quite early in the game using:

• Centurai Ore x 2
• Basarios Cortex x 2
• Large Wyvern Gem x 1
• Master Rank (MR) Bone x 15 Points
• 24000 Zenny

The build here is a well-rounded Sword and Shield build beast suited for early Master Rank quests in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. It features a high attack boost and increased weak spot affinity for hunters to deal significant amounts of raw damage.

The build also focuses on the survivability of the hunters with increased resistance and defensive attributes. Here is a breakdown of the various components necessary for this build:

Weapon: Kamura Warrior Sword+

• Decoration Jewel: Anti-Dragon Jewel 2

Armor pieces:

• Anjanath Helm X: Attack Boost Lv. 1, Focus Lv. 1, and Slugger Lv. 1
• Izuchi Mail X: Critical Eye Lv. 2, Evade Window Lv. 1, and Recovery Speed Lv. 2
• Anjanath Vambraces X: Agitator Lv. 1, Attack Boost Lv. 2, and Slugger Lv. 2
• Anjanath Coil X: Attack Boost Lv. 2
• Ingot Greaves X: Attack Boost Lv. 2 and Critical Eye Lv. 2

Talisman:

• Weakness Exploit 2

Skills:

• Attack Boost Lv. 7
• Critical Boost Lv. 3
• Slugger Lv. 3
• Weakness Exploit Lv. 3
• Critical Eye Lv. 4
• Defense Boost Lv. 3
• Stun Resistance Lv. 3
• Recovery Speed Lv. 2
• Agitator Lv. 1
• Evade Window Lv. 1
• Flinch Free Lv. 1
• Focus Lv. 1

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5) The Bow Build

The Bow has been an integral part of the Monster Hunter experience. These long-range weapons are best used by gamers who prefer the thrill of attacking their targets from a distance over the traditional close-quarter combat options for other melee weapons categories.

The Bows in Monster Hunter Rise come with various elemental affinities that players can switch between depending on the monsters they are trying to hunt. For the early Master Rank Bow build, the weapon of choice is the Grand Glowing Oath, which is available very early to craft using:

• Bishaten Glidefeather x 5
• Bishaten Hardtail x 2
• Bishaten Finefur x 3
• Goldlite Oar x 4
• 16000 Zenny

The build primarily focuses on efficient stamina management with the necessary offensive attributes to make for an easy-to-use Bow build for early Master Rank quests in Sunbreak. Here is a breakdown of the various essential components of this build:

Weapon: Grand Glowing Oath

• Decoration Jewel: Spiribird Jewel

Armor pieces:

• Mighty Bow Feather: with Bow Charge Plus Lv. 1
• Barroth Mail X: with Attack Boost Lv. 2, Defense Boost Lv. 2, and Muck Resistance Lv. 2
• Kadachi Braces X: with Constitution Lv. 3 and Fortify Lv. 1
• Anjanath Coil X: with Attack Boost Lv. 2
• Ingot Greaves X: with Attack Boost Lv. 2 and Critical Eye Lv. 2

Talisman:

• Weakness Exploit Lv. 2

Skills:

• Attack Boost Lv. 7
• Weakness Exploit Lv. 3
• Critical Boost Lv. 3
• Bow Charge Plus Lv. 1
• Hunger Resistance Lv. 3
• Flinch Free Lv. 1
• Fortify Lv. 1
• Constitution Lv. 3
• Much Resistance Lv. 1
• Defense Boost Lv. 3

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Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is filled with numerous build options for players to experiment with. These five are just the best starting options for those jumping into the expansion's highly awaited Master Rank quests.

These builds are optimized to make the Master Rank hunts of some of the most aggressive and terrifying monsters quite manageable and enjoyable.

Note: This article reflects the author's views.