As a passionate Monster Hunter gamer with hundreds of hours using the Long Sword, I can confidently say it is one of the most versatile and enjoyable weapons to master. The feeling of perfectly landing a Spirit Helm Breaker after a flawless Foresight Slash counter is exhilarating!
In this extensive Long Sword guide for Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, I‘ll share everything you need to know to master this formidable weapon.
Long Sword Mechanics
The Long Sword truly shines once you understand its unique Spirit Gauge mechanic.
The Spirit Gauge
Landing hits and combos builds up a Spirit Level, represented by the Longsword icon underneath your sharpness meter. Think of this as your "hype" meter – filling it unlocks the weapon‘s true destructive potential!
I always aim to unleash the full Spirit Combo (ZR button attacks) once the gauge hits red level. The final hit – the almighty Spirit Roundslash – increases your overall attack power and extends your combo potential.
The Spirit Roundslash also upgrades the Spirit Gauge‘s attack buff with each use:
| Spirit Level | Bonus Attack |
|---|---|
| White | 5% |
| Yellow | 10% |
| Red | 20% |
- Always aim to keep that gauge red by using Spirit Roundslash!
From my experience, the difference in damage between white and red is very noticeable. It not only increases your raw damage, but also boosts Elemental or Status buildup from your weapon.
So in summary, the Spirit Combo should be your bread and butter as a Longsword user. Keep landing those hits!
Now onto the fancier stuff…
Silkbind Attacks
Silkbind Attacks introduce spectacular Wirebug-powered moves to your arsenal. Each of the three defaults provide unique offensive and defensive options:
Soaring Kick (ZL + X)
- Launch skyward and plunge your sword down onto monsters
Serene Pose (ZL + A)
- Sheathe your sword and enter a meditative counter stance
Sakura Slash (ZL + X)
- Perform an elegant spiraling double slash
While Soaring Kick and the follow-up Plunging Thrust are great for mounting and dps, Serene Pose has gotten me out of many sticky situations. I love countering a Nargacuga‘s tail slam straight into its face!
And Sakura Slash is fantastic both for mobility and instantly amping up your Spirit gauge by one level. Very satisfying to pull off after an evasive Fade Slash reposition.
Three Silkbind alternatives further augment your moveset:
Harvest Moon – Gain a temporary buff zone for unlimited Spirit Blade combos
Tempered Spirit Blade – Perform a Silkbind counterattack that also increases Spirit Gauge
Sacred Sheath Combo – Augmented Special Sheathe with enhanced counter window
All serve different purposes, so experiment to find which best suits your playstyle!
Long Sword Combos
Once you understand these core combos, you can flow between them seamlessly to adapt to any battle:
| Spirit Blade Combo | Controls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Blade I | ZR | Start Spirit Combo |
| Spirit Blade II | ZR | Continue Spirit Combo |
| Spirit Blade III | ZR | Final hit of Spirit Combo |
| Spirit Roundslash | ZR | Finisher increases gauge and attack |
- Your main damage dealer and essential for building meter!
| Fade Slash Combo | Controls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Fade Slash | X + A | Evade while attacking |
| Spirit Blade II | ZR | Continue Spirit Combo after reposition |
| Spirit Roundslash | ZR | Finisher increases gauge and attack |
- Reposition and chase down fleeing monsters with Fade Slash then punish further with Spirit Combo finishers!
| Sakura Slash Combo | Controls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Sakura Slash | ZL + X | Mobile slash adds Spirit gauge level |
| Spirit Blade III | ZR | Further build Spirit meter |
| Spirit Roundslash | ZR | Finisher increases gauge and attack |
- Silkbind mobility into Spirit finisher all in one combo. Devastating!
Once these sequences become muscle memory, infinite attack opportunity opens up on any monster!
Advanced: Best Long Sword DPS Combos
For those looking to maximize Long Sword damage, these advanced combos are essential knowledge:
| Quick Red Gauge Combo | Controls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Foresight Slash | ZR + A | Counter attack adds Spirit gauge |
| Spirit Roundslash | ZR | Quickly increase gauge to red |
| Sakura Slash | ZL + X | Add extra Spirit level |
| Spirit Roundslash | ZR | Use red gauge for big finisher |
- Fastest way to amp from white to red gauge for huge damage!
| Maximum Damage Combo | Controls | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Soaring Kick | ZL + X | Launch for Helm Breaker opening |
| Helm Breaker | ZR | Highest single-hit damage |
| Sakura Slash | ZL + X | Fill gauge and reposition |
| Spirit Roundslash | ZR | Use red gauge for big finisher |
- Devastating Helm Breaker into Sakura dodging recovery into the mighty red gauge Spirit Roundslash finisher. Anything caught by this combo is not long for this world!
Switch Skills & Silkbind Swaps
An often overlooked way to customize your Long Sword playstyle is through Switch Skills and Silkbind Attack swaps.
For example, want to focus less on Spirit combos and more on counterattacks? Switch to Sacred Sheath with bonuses for successfully landing Iai Slashes after counters.
Prefer flashy aerial moves? Equip Harvest Moon to grant you unlimited Spirit Blade works within its buff zone.
I provide my top recommendations for Switch Skills and Silkbinds below based on situation and playstyle.
Best Long Sword Switch Skills
| Skill | Recommended Pick | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Draw Attack | Drawn Double Slash | Improved damage and evasion from draw |
| Spirit Roundslash | Spirit Reckoning | Covers more distance |
| Special Sheathe | Preference! | Sacred Sheath for counters Standard for mobility |
Drawn Double Slash adds a flashy two-hit draw attack I love to open hunts with.
Spirit Reckoning controls space better thanks to the leaping finisher animation.
And whether to pick Sacred or standard Special Sheathe depends on if you want enhanced counterattack abilities or prefer the original for repositioning. Test both to see which better suits your flow!
Best Silkbind Swaps
| Attack Type | Recommended Pick | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Jumping Overhead Slam | Harvest Moon | Unique boost zone for unlimited Spirit combos! |
| Dash Slash | Sakura Slash | Additional mobility + Spirit gauge boosts |
Harvest Moon offers a complete gameplay shift as you have complete freedom to infinitely Spirit Combo within its ring. Fantastic for patient hunters that can intelligently bait monsters into the zone.
And swapping to Sakura provides exceptional mobility between combos. Plus it instantly increases your gauge, so more uptime pulverizing at max red Spirit!
Top Long Sword Builds
While you have plenty of options for skills that synergize well with Long Sword‘s combos and counters, these mixed sets stand at the top for dishing damage:
Early Game Build
| Gear | Skills |
|---|---|
| Kamura Headgear | Quick Sheathe 2 |
| Kamura Garb | Critical Eye 2 |
| Rhenoplos Braces | Critical Eye 1 |
| Kamura Obi | Critical Eye 1 |
| Hunter‘s Greaves | Attack Boost 2 |
Total Skills
Quick Sheathe 2
Critical Eye 4
Attack Boost 2
Solid starting build with Quick Sheathe for faster Special Sheathe combos and Critical Eye to boost affinity. Slap on an early game Long Sword like Sinister Blade and get hunting!
Mid Game Build
| Gear | Skills |
|---|---|
| Golden Hakama Head | Quick Sheathe 2 |
| Vaik Mail S | Critical Eye 2 |
| Rathalos Braces S | Critical Eye 2 |
| Anjanath Coil S | Critical Eye 2 |
| Hunter‘s Greaves S | Critical Boost 2 |
Total Skills
Quick Sheathe 3
Critical Eye 6
Critical Boost 2
Now we‘re getting tasty! Boosts affinity to land more crits while rounding off Quick Sheathe. You‘ll be a blur countering and comboing monsters ruthlessly.
End Game Build
| Gear | Skills | Decorations |
|---|---|---|
| Malzeno Helm | Critical Eye 2 | Critical Jewel 2 |
| Silver Solmail | Critical Eye 5 | |
| Gore Braces | Critical Eye 2 | |
| Silver Solcoil | Critical Boost 2 | Jumping Jewel 2 |
| Ingot Greaves | Critical Eye 2, Attack Boost 2 | Critical Jewel 2, Expert Jewel 1 |
Total Skills
Critical Eye 7
Critical Boost 3
Attack Boost 4
Quick Sheathe 3
Now we‘re min-maxing! With 100% affinity, 40% increased crit damage, Attack Boost pushing raw damage further, and of course Quick Sheathe. You‘ll have no problem counter-helmbreaking end game monsters for massive dps.
There are plenty more effective builds, but these provide a solid base for progressing with Long Sword. Just don‘t forget your armor spheres to upgrade defense!
Tips from a Long Sword Virtuoso
After hundreds of hunts devoted to the Long Sword, allow me to bestow some hard-earned wisdom:
Practice Spirit Combo Timing
- The core loop to master. Experiment to find the perfect rhythm for you to consistently land all Spirit Blade hits.
Utilize Foresight Slash
- Time correctly on big attacks to effortlessly continue combos after avoiding damage. So satisfying!
Learn Monsters to Predict Attacks
- Every monster telegraphs their moves. Pay attention to these tells so you know the perfect times to trigger Silkbind counters and Spirit finishers!
Soften Monster Parts Between Combos
- Using Claw Uppercut (ZR + A while grappling) to soften parts keeps your damage consistent by reducing bounce backs.
Eat for Feline Heroics
- Risky, but the attack bonus under 30 health synergizes incredibly with Long Sword‘s mobile, counter-heavy playstyle!
Follow these advanced tips and soon no hunt will stand in your way. Now get out there and start forging some legend-worthy Longswords!
The cutting dance awaits, brave hunter.
