Monster Hunter Rise: Best Hammer Upgrades to Target on the Tree

If you’re on the hunt for a heavily-armoured monster, your go-to weapon will most likely be a hefty Hammer. Although slow getting started, these powerful weapons can deal huge amounts of damage when they get going.

There are several Hammer upgrade branches to explore, but some rank well above the rest as the best Hammers in MHR. The top picks allow you to deal more damage, knockout monsters, and enhance your critical damage output.

What are the best hammers in MH Rise?

Below, you’ll find the best Hammers in the game, covering each element that you can attack, the status effects on offer, and the weapon with the highest attack value.

Gargwa Hammer (Highest Attack)

Upgrade Tree: Independent Tree
Upgrade Branch: Gargwa Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: High Commendation x1
Upgrade Materials 2: Silver Egg x1
Upgrade Materials 3: Bird Wyvern Gem x2
Stats: 260 Attack, -30% Affinity, Yellow Sharpness

You don’t need to take on any of the large, aggressive monsters to make your way towards the most powerful Hammer in Monster Hunter Rise, the Gargwa Hammer.

Gargwa are the plump bird-like monsters that are endemic to Shrine Ruins and can be found around the pools in the northern parts of the map. Of the Gargwa Hammer materials, the most trying is likely the High Commendation. To get it, you’ll need to complete seven-star Hub Quests that feature multiple large monsters.

The only thing that the Gargwa has going for it is its power. The -30 per cent affinity and yellow sharpness aren’t overly appealing, but the 260 attack rating makes it one of the best Hammers in Monster Hunter Rise. The next closest are the Abominable Hammer (Goss Harag Tree) and the Atlas Hammer (Bone Tree 2), which have 230 attack.

Night Eternal (Highest Affinity)

Upgrade Tree: Bone Tree
Upgrade Branch: Nargacuga Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Tigrex Fang+ x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Narga Medulla x1
Stats: 180 Attack, 45% Affinity, White Sharpness

The Nargacuga Tree delivers some of the best weapons in Monster Hunter Rise for affinity and sharpness, with the tree’s Hammers also being the best in this regard.

You can find and hunt a Nargacuga in one of the five-star Village Quests. The monster is very fast, particularly when it enters its rage mode, but is weak to thunder and bladed weaponry.

Much like its counterpart on the best Long Swords list, Night Eternal is the best Hammer in Monster Hunter Rise for affinity. Its 45 per cent affinity puts the Night Eternal leagues ahead of the competition, with its full bar of sharpness and 180 attack making it an even more appealing weapon.

Deadeye Revolver (Highest Fire Element)

Upgrade Tree: Kamura Tree
Upgrade Branch: Fire Tree, Column 9
Upgrade Materials 1: Rathalos Medulla x1
Upgrade Materials 2: Inferno Sac x3
Upgrade Materials 3: Monster Broth x2
Stats: 160 Attack, 50 Fire, 10 Defence Bonus, Blue Sharpness

As the name infers, the Fire Tree is loaded with Hammers that specialise in applying stacks of the fire element. Each step along the branch enhances the fire value, and there’s a defence bonus on offer.

To craft the Deadeye Revolver, you’ll need to slay several Bnahabra (found in the north and northeast of Shrine Ruins) for the Monster Broth. Next, you can complete a high-rank capture of a Rathian, Aknosom, Basarios, or Anjanath for the Inferno Sac. Finally, you’ll need to get the Rathalos Medulla as a target reward for hunting a high-rank Rathalos.

What the Deadeye Revolver lacks with its relatively low 160 attack, it makes up for with its ten defence bonus and blue sharpness. Of course, the main draw of the weapon as one of the best Hammers in Monster Hunter Rise is its 50 fire rating.

Doom Bringer Hammer (Highest Water Element)

Upgrade Tree: Kamura Tree
Upgrade Branch: Almudron Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Almudron Shell+ x6
Upgrade Materials 2: Almudron Fin+ x4
Upgrade Materials 3: Golden Almudron Orb x1
Stats: 190 Attack, 51 Water, Blue Sharpness

The Almudron Tree of upgrades consistently ranks among the best water weapons in Monster Hunter Rise, with the same being true of the Almudron-derived Doom Bringer Hammer.

To open the way to the Doom Bringer Hammer, you’ll need to defeat an Almudron. Susceptible to ice and fire attacks to the head and tail, you can encounter the monster in a six-star Village Hunt.

Just like the best water Dual Blades, the Doom Bringer Hammer is the best Hammer for the water element in the game. Along with its 51 Water, the Hammer also has 190 attack and blue sharpness.

Thunderbolt Hammer I (Highest Thunder Element)

Upgrade Tree: Individual Tree
Upgrade Branch: Narwa Tree, Column 12
Upgrade Materials 1: Narwa Claw+ x5
Upgrade Materials 2: Narwa Tentacle x5
Upgrade Materials 3: Narwa Carapace x3
Stats: 190 Attack, 47 Thunder, Blue Sharpness

Taking on the Thunder Serpent Narwa is a daunting task, but doing so will grant access to the best Hammer for thunder in Monster Hunter Rise. However, given the required materials, it may take a few hunts to get everything that you need.

Appearing in seven-star Hub Quests, the Thunder Serpent Narwa is more susceptible to blunt and bladed melee attacks: dragon weapons are particularly effective against this monster.

With the Narwa defeated, you can craft the Thunderbolt Hammer I. It stands with the highest thunder value at 47, has a bit of a short bar for its blue and green sharpness, and packs a hefty 190 attack rating.

Cocytus (Highest Ice Element)

Upgrade Tree: Ore Tree
Upgrade Branch: Ice Tree, Column 8
Upgrade Materials 1: Gracium x4
Upgrade Materials 2: Lagombi Frozenclaw x3
Upgrade Materials 3: Block of Ice x1
Stats: 150 Attack, 32 Ice, Blue Sharpness

The Ice Tree of Hammers is predictably loaded with high-value ice weapons, with the whole branch becoming available not too far into the game.

To get the materials for this final Hammer of the Ice Tree, you’ll need to up your Hunter Rank to mine Gracium in high-rank hunts that take place in the Frost Islands. The Lagombi Frozenclaw has a high drop rate when you capture Lagombi on high-rank hunts, and you can get a Block of Ice in Monster Hunter Rise by hunting a Goss Harag.

The Cocytus ranks as the best Hammer for ice damage thanks to its 32 ice rating. It has a small amount of blue sharpness but does suffer from a rather low 150 attack value.

Yadora Morte (Highest Dragon Element)

Upgrade Tree: Independent Tree
Upgrade Branch: Death Stench Tree, Column 10
Upgrade Materials 1: Sinister Darkcloth x3
Upgrade Materials 2: Monster Hardbone x3
Upgrade Materials 3: Somnacanth Talon+ x2
Stats: 180 Attack, 34 Dragon, 10 Defence Bonus, Green Sharpness

The Death Stench Tree of Hammer upgrades offers a good amount of attack, a defence bonus, and high dragon element values with each weapon along the branch.

Sinister Darkcloth is the key component to the Yadora Morte upgrade, which can be found on the rare routes of the Meowcenaries via the Buddy Plaza. Both the Somnacanth Talon+ and Monster Hardbone come by completing high-rank Somnacanth hunts.

Coming in with a 34 dragon element rating, ten defence bonus, and a decent 180 attack, the Yadora Morte is a solid all-around weapon that ranks as the best dragon Hammer in the game.

Datura Club (Highest Poison Element)

Upgrade Tree: Bone Tree
Upgrade Branch: Pukei-Pukei Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Rakna-Kadaki Silk x3
Upgrade Materials 2: Pukei-Pukei Sac+ x3
Upgrade Materials 3: Bird Wyvern Gem x1
Stats: 190 Attack, 54 Poison, Blue Sharpness

The Pukei-Pukei is one of the more potent large monsters that utilises poison, with its late-unlock upgrade tree offering a solid set of high-attack, high-poison Hammers.

If you’re looking to home-in on the Pukei-Pukei’s weaknesses, you should look to dodge its rangey tongue attacks and then strike the tongue. Its wings and tail are also weak spots, with the Bird Wyvern being particularly susceptible to thunder and ice weaponry.

At the end of the Pukei-Pukei Tree sits the best Hammer in Monster Hunter Rise for inflicting poison, the Datura Club. It has a decent amount of blue sharpness, a hefty 190 attack, and a nearly-absurd 54 poison rating.

Armored Gogue (Highest Paralysis Element)

Upgrade Tree: Kamura Tree
Upgrade Branch: Volvidon Tree, Column 10
Upgrade Materials 1: Firecell Stone x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Volvidon Claw+ x2
Upgrade Materials 3: Beast Gem x1
Stats: 170 Attack, 30 Paralysis, Blue Sharpness

While the weapons of the Volvidon Tree don’t carry a lot of power until the later unlocks, they all offer a strong paralysis rating.

The Volvidon itself isn’t overly difficult to take care of when you first encounter the monster, with its back, head, and upper-half being its weak areas. Also susceptible to water weapons, it can be located in the Lava Caverns on a four-star Village Quest.

At the end of the Volvidon Tree is the Armored Gogue, which stands as the best Hammer in Monster Hunter Rise for applying paralysis. Along with its 30 paralysis rating, the Volvidon-derived Hammer has a decent 170 attack.

Sleepy Bear (Highest Sleep Element)

Upgrade Tree: Independent Tree
Upgrade Branch: Guild Tree, Column 9
Upgrade Materials 1: Novacrystal x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Coma Sac x3
Upgrade Materials 3: Beast Gem x1
Upgrade Materials 4: Earth Crystal x10
Stats: 130 Rating, 38 Sleep, White Sharpness

When it comes to novel Hammer upgrades, the Guild Tree certainly has the pick of the bunch with its teddy bear-themed weapons that cause sleep.

Some of the materials for the Sleepy Bear Hammer are fairly easy to come by, with the Earth Crystal capable of being mined on any map and the Novacrystal available at mining nodes in the Flooded Forest. That said, Beast Gems come as a reward for capturing a high-rank Arzuros, Lagombi, Volvidn, Bishaten, Goss Harag, or Rajang, while you’ll need to earn the high-rank target reward Coma Sac from a Great Baggi.

Wielding the Sleep Bear doesn’t grant you much attacking power, with it coming in at 130 attack – the lowest of the best Hammer upgrades in Monster Hunter Rise. However, it has a full bar of sharpness up to white-tier and a very useful 38 sleep rating.

If the Hammer is your weapon of choice in Monster Hunter Rise, consider one of those featured above to help tackle your next hunt.

This page is a work in progress. If better weapons are discovered in Monster Hunter Rise, this page will be updated.

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