Monster Hunter Rise: Best Long Sword Upgrades to Target on the Tree

The Long Swords of MHR have mass appeal due to their straightforward use and aesthetic, making them one of the best solo weapons to use.

There are over 30 branches of Long Swords across the many upgrade trees, and there’s certainly a hierarchy of weapons to consider among the best Long Sword upgrades in the game.

Here, we’re looking at the Long Swords with the best ratings in each of the elements, for attack, affinity, and defence, as well as the best status-inducing Long Sword upgrade.

Gnash Katana (Highest Attack)

Upgrade Tree: Bone Tree
Upgrade Branch: Bone Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Tigrex Fang+ x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Great Stoutbone x3
Stats: 230 Attack, Green Sharpness

For most upgrades, the Bone Tree offers a quick way to get some high-attack weapons, and the same is true of the Long Swords. The Gnash Katana is at the end of the initial Bone Tree branch, packing a tremendous punch.

You’ll find that the Bone Tree branch is readily available from very early in the game. For the most part, you’ll just need to trust the luck of the search in bone piles and defeated monsters. For the Gnash Katana’s Great Stoutbone, take on an Arzuros, Bishaten, Lagombi, Tetranadon, or Volvidon in high rank hunts.

There’s only one dimension to the Gnash Katana, and that’s its 230 attack. Its sharpness isn’t great, but the 230 ranks it as the best Long Sword for attack in Monster Hunter Rise. That said, the Fervid Flammenschwert of the Anjanath Tree also has 230 attack, but does cost -20 per cent affinity.

Deepest Night (Highest Affinity)

Upgrade Tree: Ore Tree
Upgrade Branch: Nargacuga Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Rakna-Kadaki Spike x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Nargacuga Fang+ x3
Upgrade Materials 3: Narga Medulla x1
Stats: 180 Attack, 40% Affinity, White Sharpness

The Nargacuga Tree boasts some of the best affinity weapons in Monster Hunter Rise in several upgrade trees. It’s responsible for the mighty Night Wings Dual Blades and the high-affinity Deepest Night Long Sword.

Once you’ve hit the five-star Village Quests, you’ll be able to hunt the wily Nargacuga to unlock this essential upgrade tree and get the necessary materials. You’ll need to stay on your toes against the beast, but can get an advantage by slicing into its cutwing with a thunder element weapon.

As far as affinity and sharpness goes, the Deepest Night is the best Long Sword in Monster Hunter Rise. It’s one of only two final upgrade Long Swords with white-grade sharpness – the other being the Bastizan Edge of the Barioth Tree – and deals a good amount of damage before affinity kicks in with its 180 attack.

Wyvern Blade Blood II (Highest Fire Element)

Upgrade Tree: Ore Tree
Upgrade Branch: Rathalos Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Magna Soulprism x3
Upgrade Materials 2: Rathalos Medulla x1
Upgrade Materials 3: Rathalos Plate x1
Stats: 200 Attack, 32 Fire, Blue Sharpness

Becoming available later in the game, the Rathalos Tree is an extension of the Rathian Tree, hosting two fire-powered Long Swords that most require materials from the famous monster.

While the branch may not become available immediately after your first encounter, you’ll still want to hunt down some Rathalos to stockpile the materials. The ‘Kings of the Skies’ can be found in a five-star Village Quest, being weak to dragon element weapons and hits to the head, wings, and tail – which can be sliced off.

Standing as the best Long Sword for the fire element in Monster Hunter Rise, the Wyvern Blade Blood II offers more than just its 32 fire rating. Boasting 200 attack and a fair amount of blue sharpness, the Long Sword does plenty of damage even to monsters that aren’t particularly susceptible to fire.

Doom Bringer Blade (Highest Water Element)

Upgrade Tree: Kamura Tree
Upgrade Branch: Almudron Tree, Column 12
Upgrade Materials 1: Golden Almudron Orb x1
Upgrade Materials 2: Elder Dragon Bone x3
Stats: 180 Attack, 48 Water, Blue Sharpness

In many of the upgrade trees of Monster Hunter Rise, the Almudron is responsible for the best water weapons. The mud-slinging leviathan’s tree for Long Swords follows this trend, offering massive values for the water element.

Hunting the Almudron can be challenging if you don’t scrap up close, targeting its head and tail with fire or ice blades, but doing so is essential to unlocking the Doom Bringer Blade. You can find the Almudron hunt in the six-star Village Quests.

Coming in with a 48 water element rating, the Doom Bringer Blade ranks as the best Long Sword for water attacks in the game. Further bolstering the weapon is its decent 180 Attack and lengthy blue bar for sharpness.

Despot Boltbreaker (Best Thunder Element)

Upgrade Tree: Kamura Tree
Upgrade Branch: Zinogre Tree, Column 12
Upgrade Materials 1: Elder Dragon Blood x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Narwa Sparksac x2
Upgrade Materials 3: Zinogre Jasper x1
Stats: 200 Attack, 34 Thunder, Blue Sharpness

The Zinogre is one of the most ferocious adversaries in Monster Hunter Rise, but braving hunts for the thunder-laced Fanged Wyvern does open up the appropriately mighty Zinogre Tree of Long Sword upgrades.

Acting similarly to a Magnamalo in battle, you’ll need to be ready to evade after short combinations, targeting the Zinogre’s hips, back, and hind legs. You can encounter the thunderous beast in a five-star Village Quest.

At the end of the Zinogre Tree is the Despot Boltbreaker, which comes in as one of the best Long Swords to get in the game. It doesn’t have the highest thunder value – that crown goes to the Thunderbolt Long Sword and its 38 thunder – but its blue sharpness and 200 attack certainly bolster its hefty 34 thunder element rating.

Rimeblossom (Highest Ice Element)

Upgrade Tree: Ore Tree
Upgrade Branch: Ice Tree, Column 11
Upgrade Materials 1: Block of Ice+ x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Freezer Sac x2
Stats: 210 Attack, 27 Ice, Blue Sharpness

As you would assume, the Ice Tree is loaded with Long Swords that deal in the ice element, with the pick of the bunch being the Rimeblossom. That said, the Bastizan Edge on the Barioth Tree has the same ice rating, but does suffer from a weaker attack.

The Block of Ice+ can be attained in high-rank Goss Harag hunts as a target reward. For the Freezer Sac, while you can also get it from a Goss Harag hunt, you could mix it up and take down a Barioth in a high-rank hunt.

Weighing in with a 27 ice rating, the Rimeblossom stands as the best Long Sword for monsters that are weak against the element. Further enhancing it as a top weapon to use, the ice blade also has a 210 attack rating and a fair amount of blue-grade sharpness.

Squawkscythe (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 x2
Upgrade Materials 3: Rathalos Ruby x1
Stats: 180 Attack, 27 Dragon, Blue Sharpness

The Death Stench Tree gives hunters the chance to swing around a scythe while still using the same Long Sword techniques. At the end of the branch is the mighty Squawksycthe, which specialises in slaying monsters that are weak to the dragon element.

You can get the Monster Hardbone as a target reward for high-rank Somnacanth capture missions, and the Rathalos Ruby is a rare drop from high-rank Rathalos hunts. The Sinister Darkcloth, on the other hand, is found on the Meowcenaries routes. Accessed via the Buddy Plaza, target the sparkling routes for a chance to get the essential material.

The Squawkscythe has plenty going for it, particularly its 27 dragon rating, which places it as the best Long Sword for the dragon element. Hunters will also benefit from its decent 180 attack and blue sharpness.

Wyvern Blade Holly (Best Poison Element)

Upgrade Tree: Ore Tree
Upgrade Branch: Rathian Tree, Column 10
Upgrade Materials 1: Rathalos Wing x2
Upgrade Materials 2: Rathian Ruby x1
Upgrade Materials 3: Pukei-Pukei Sac+ x2
Stats: 200 Attack, 22 Poison, Blue Sharpness

While the best of the branch is saved for the late-game, the Rathian Tree offers a powerful punch of high-attack poison Long Swords. To get into the upgrades, you’ll need to best one of Monster Hunter’s most recognisable beasts: the Rathian.

Fire won’t help you in a battle against a Rathian, but using dragon element weapons in combination with hits to the head will give you an edge. The Rathian can be found in the four-star Village Quests.

The Scythe of Menace II does weigh-in with 29 poison, but the Wyvern Blade Holly is the best Long Sword for poison in Monster Hunter Rise thanks to its hefty 200 attack. The 22 poison rating isn’t a huge drop from the scythe, and the Rathian-sourced Long Sword doesn’t negatively impact your affinity.

Titanic Makra (Best Defence Bonus)

Upgrade Tree: Kamura Tree
Upgrade Branch: Basarios Tree, Column 9
Upgrade Materials 1: Basarios Carapace x4
Upgrade Materials 2: Basarios Tears x1
Upgrade Materials 3: Fucium Ore x6
Upgrade Materials 4: Inferno Sac x3
Stats: 180 Attack, 22 Fire, 20 Defence Bonus, Green Sharpness

There aren’t many Long Swords that grant a defence bonus, but the best of the bunch can be found at the end of the Basarios Tree. Not only does the Titanic Makra grant a defence bonus, but it also offers a decent fire rating.

You can hunt the Basarios from the four-star selection of Village Quests, with the Flying Wyvern being weaker to all forms of attack to its abdomen and legs.

The Titanic Makra offers hunters a bit of everything: decent offence with its 180 attack, the ability to capitalise on fire weakness, and a 20 defence bonus. Its only downside, however, is its short bar of green sharpness.

Whether you want the best Long Sword to attack an elemental weakness or the best Long Sword for an affinity boost, you now know the optimal upgrade trees to work along in Monster Hunter Rise.

FAQ

Here’re some quick answers to a few Monster Hunter Rise Long Sword questions.

How do you unlock more Long Sword upgrades in Monster Hunter Rise?

You need to complete more of the Village Quests and Hub Quests to gain access to more Long Sword upgrades.

What’s the best water Long Sword in Monster Hunter Rise?

The Doom Bringer Blade, found on the Almudron Tree, has a 48 water element rating, making it the best water Long Sword in the game.

Which Long Sword deals blast damage in Monster Hunter Rise?

The Magnamalo Tree Long Swords uniquely deal blast, with the best one being the Sinister Shade Sword with its 23 blast rating.

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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