Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Long Sword guide - Best builds, Switch Skills, and more

One of the most important aspects of the Monster Hunter titles is the flexibility these games offer in terms of build variety and other options. Creating unique and personalized builds with weapons and skills to represent your unique playstyle and your approach to combat in the game is the most crucial.

And with Monster Hunter Rise and its expansion Sunbreak, Capcom has made sure to give plenty of room for players to experiment with different builds and weapons.

There are 14 different weapon categories in the game, with each category perfectly suited to a distinct playstyle. That said, every weapon is viable in the many, many hunting and monster slaying battles of Monster Hunter Rise; however, the Long Sword is quite possibly the best starting choice for players.

The Long Swords are massive powerhouses, capable of dealing impressively high amounts of damage without negatively affecting defense and agility. With a properly optimized build, players can easily benefit from the weapon in the Master Rank quests of Sunbreak. Here are a few build options for the Long Sword in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

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Best Long Sword combos, builds, and Switch Skills in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Long Sword in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak combos

Long Swords in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak are fast weapons, regardless of what their size and appearance might suggest. These weapons rely heavily on the player's knowledge of their combos, heavy and charged attacks, as well as properly timing the Spirit Blade attacks.

Long Swords are also great at dealing damage from a distance, courtesy of their length. The Long Sword features the Spirit Gauge, which fills up gradually when players attack monsters using the weapon. When full, players can unleash the full wrath of the weapon by performing Spirit Blade attacks.

Moreover, the Long Sword comes with a few skills and combos that are necessary for players to learn to use the weapon to its full potential.

Long Sword - Special Sheathe

Special Sheathe is a very powerful combo that, if timed right, can deal staggering amounts of damage. Special Sheathe can be initiated by holding down ZR+B (for Nintendo Switch) or RT+A/R2+X (for Xbox and PlayStation controllers on PC) after an attack. The timing on Special Sheathe is crucial since if players try to start their attack combo with a Special Sheathe, it will result in a regular Spirit Blade.

Long Sword - Foresight Slash

Foresight Slash is another combo that can prove very effective on the battlefield. Performed by holding ZR+A (on Nintendo Switch) and RT+B/R2+O (on Xbox and PlayStation controllers on PC), the Foresight Slash can be chained into a Spirit Blade combo finisher called Spirit Roundslash if players manage to successfully evade a monster's attacks.

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Best Switch Skills for Long Swords in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Tempered Spirit Blade

• Tempered Spirit Blade skill is Switched with Soaring Kick.
• A decisive maneuver that can be used to parry any incoming monster attacks with a Spirit Blade.
• Proper timing is crucial as landing a well-timed Tempered Spirit Blade results in a Spirit Gauge refill and Spirit Level increase by one.
• Wirebug Gauge recovery after skill is fast.
• Wirebug cost for skill is one.

Harvest Moon

• Harvest Moon skill is switched with Serene Pose.
• Performing the skill sees an Ironsilk ring get cast, which expands out like an arena. Executing counters within this ring will deal additional hits to the monster.
• Sheathing or moving out of the ring cancels the move while also depleting the Spirit Gauge.
• Wirebug Gauge recovery speed after skill is medium.
• Wirebug cost for skill is two.

Sacred Sheathe Combo

• Sacred Sheathe Combo skill is switched with Special Sheathe Combo.
• Performs a slow and methodical action that can be done after an attack; Hunters are impervious to damage before sheathing.
• After fully sheathing the weapon, players can perform the skill to let out a flurry of fast attacks, fully consuming the Spirit Gauge.

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Best early-game Long Sword build for Master Rank in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Master Rank has finally been introduced to the game with the Sunbreak expansion, bringing some of the most terrifying new monsters for players to hunt. The monsters in Master Rank quests are relentless and thus require players to attempt these quests with fully upgraded and properly optimized builds.

Here is a breakdown of the best early-game Master Rank build (MR 1-2), centered around the Long Sword:

Weapon: Imperial Sword II

• Rampage Decoration Jewel: Spiribird Jewel

Talisman

• Weakness Exploit Level 2

Armor

• Ingot Helm X
• Izuchi Mail X
• Orangaten Braces
• Izuchi Coil X
• Hunter's Greaves X

Armor Skills

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

Decorations

• Sheath Jewel 2
• Gambit Jewel 2
• Critical Jewel 2
• Brace Jewel 1
• Defense Jewel 1

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Best mid-game Long Sword build for Master Rank in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

This is the best Long Sword build for mid-to-late-game Master Rank quests (MR 3-6) in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This build focuses on the raw damage potential of the weapon as well as increased defense and sheathing combos. Here is a complete breakdown of this Long Sword build:

Weapon: Phantom Mirage+

• Rampage Decoration Jewel: Anti-Species Jewel

Talisman

• Quick Sheath Lv. 2

Armor

• Lunagaron Helm
• Pyre-Kadaki Mail
• Regios Vambraces
• Rathalos Coil X
• Ingot Greaves X

Armor Skills

• Wirebug Whisperer Lv. 3
• Weakness Exploit Lv. 3
• Speed Sharpening Lv. 3
• Attack Boost Lv. 4
• Critical Boost Lv. 3
• Quick Sheath Lv. 3
• Critical Eye Lv. 6
• Handicraft Lv. 3
• Windproof Lv. 3
• Flinch Free Lv. 1
• Maximum Might Lv. 1

Decorations

• Tenderizer Jewel 2
• Expert Jewel 2
• Critical Jewel 2
• Sheath Jewel 2
• Grinder Jewel 1
• Brace Jewel 1

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Long Sword is a fascinating and very effective weapon against the many new monsters introduced in Monster Hunter Rise with the Sunbreak expansion. With proper skills and decorations, this huge blade can cause some serious chaos on the battlefield.