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1 - Introduction
Pilgrim2092, author of Dual Blades Guide (V.3)
Please do yourself a huge favor by getting a dark reader or set “chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark” so you don’t blind yourself to viewing the default white of Google Docs. The guide was designed for a black background with gray text. If you’re on mobile and are seeing blurry images, use the Google Docs app to fix it. The blue, underlined text links to the content in the article.
The time has come— The Thunder Serpent Narwa has been slain, the crisis of the Rampages has ended, and peace has returned to Kamura village. The monster hunting community collaborated and in their efforts, gathered valuable resources in the forms of guides, calculators, video content like speedruns and news, and most important of all, the spread of knowledge. The story is not over and for us Dual Blade wielders, now is the time when this guide comes to the forefront! Welcome hunters, I am happy to see you are alive and well, and ready to set sail into new waters in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak! Now, how did this go again? I think it went something like this…
Tired of using final boss weapons? Are you sick of missing your True Charge Slash, Zero Sum Discharge, or Spirit Release Slash and losing out on thousands of damage? Want to make good use of Element weapons? You might be hearing the call to try Dual Blades! Dual Blades are the fastest Blademaster Weapon in the game and prioritize optimal damage towards the opposition by sticking to the monster like an irritating mosquito.
Dual Blades are designed to utilize Element damage. They have lower Motion Values so pure Raw sets tend to fall behind quickly to their Element counterparts. As hunters, you will be selecting the right equipment for the right job. Don't think of your weapons as just two swords, but as the silver bullets specifically designed to hunt your target. This guide intends to help improve your sets and understanding of opposing monsters. Hunters with Dual Blades should always focus on the monster’s weakest Hit Zone to maximize damage output, so skills like Weakness Exploit are a high priority. To add, having higher levels of Sharpness does not only buff Raw Damage, but Element Damage as well!
As to be expected, everyone earns different Talismans from the Melder. With the new Vigor and Cyclus Melding method, powerful Talismans have become quite accessible and will be considered along with slot augmentations. The damage averages posted are tested via the Ground Spiral combo against Sever Hit Zones of 65, Element Hit Zones of 25, and the appropriate species to determine their strength.
If you would like to support Pilgrim and his coffee addiction, check out the buy me a coffee page.
1.1 - Table of Contents
1.2 - Version History & Calculation References
1.3 - Talismans & Qurious Armor Crafting
1.4 - Meta changes from Rise to Sunbreak
1.5 - A Conversation on Sharpness… Again
3.0 - READ ME BEFORE LOOKING AT SETS
3.1 - Fire Element ~ Magma Shredders
3.2 - Water Element ~ Mud Shredders
3.3 - Thunder Element ~ Double Discharge
3.4 - Ice Element I ~ Glistening Snow Claws
3.5 - Ice Element II ~ Daora’s Ventus
3.6 - Dragon Element I ~ Gila Ro Waga
3.7 - Dragon Element II ~ Shangri-La/Hades
4.5 - Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion - Pilgrim’s Parting Words
1.2 - Version History & Calculation References
Guide Iterations:
Ver.16.0.0: June 10th, 2023
- Bonus Update and guide release
- Prog Card 2 corrected on April 8th, 2024
- Gila Ro Waga’s build card modified from Dragonheart to Berserk on June 15th, 2024
- TU5 Update and guide release
Ver.14.0.0: February 9th, 2023
- TU4 Update and guide release
Ver.13.0.0: November 26th, 2022
- TU3 Update and guide release
- Added a new set to the Progression guide on January 4th, 2023
Ver.12.0.0: September 30th, 2022
- TU2 Update and guide release
- Design revision; simplified Afflicted Set instructions on October 24th, 2022
- TU1 Update and guide release
Ver.10.0.3: July 15th, 2022
- Guide completion
- Sharpness philosophy revised and Bloodlust sets added on August 2nd, 2022
Ver.10.0.2: June 30th, 2022
- Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak release
- Progression guide released publically
- Full guide released on July 5th, 2022
Ver.3.9.1: February 23rd, 2022
- Blackbelt update
Ver.3.7: January 24th, 2022
- USJ update
Ver.3.0: June 10th, 2021
- Narwa, the Allmother update
- Monster Hunter Rise release
Calculator: Combo, Element, Sharpness, & Status Calculator [MHRS] 16.0.0
1.3 - Talismans & Qurious Armor Crafting
As mentioned in the introduction, the sets presented in the guide will be using a custom Talisman based on the Vigor and Cyclus melding method. The old melding method relied on grade classes but this is no longer the case for Title Update 5. The new melding method is so generous that the meta is further beyond. If you’re wondering about possible skill and slot combinations, review this sheet, created by the wonderful dtlnor#6902.
The geniuses at wiki-db.com created a web application to create your own personal set, which is what I actually advise you to do. There is also GameCat, who developed a similar web application with a convenient engine that helps figure out the best augmentation direction. Below are the templates of what should be used to optimize damage and give some direction. The templates have attached an easy link that takes you to the Armorset search applications with all the skills suggested in the template.
With Title Update 1, Qurious Armor Crafting granted hunters the ability to strengthen (and possibly and unfortunately, weaken) armor. By using the new system, skills, defenses, resistances, decoration slots, and armor points can all see increases or decreases completely at random. The endgame sets are no longer obtainable by just beating the game. It is expected that the hunter participates in the crafting system in hopes of creating armor that meets the expectations of the build cards.
To take advantage of the application, select “Charms” and manually add in all relevant Talismans in your possession. For augmented armor, select “Qurious Crafting” and manually add in all relevant Armour pieces with their appropriate augments. Using the links in the guide will allow you to see if you can make a superior set to the one the template offers. If you want to see what else is available, select “More Skills.”
The Armor Set Search are terrific tools. It may look daunting at first but learning how to use it will make your setbuilding life a whole lot easier. Praise The ASS!
I expect the trials you have overcome to reach this point have taught you the know-how needed to make the builds offered in the guide. I am pressing you to push a little more. I will no longer be showing slot-only augmented sets because I believe that you can beat this system and create the best sets possible.
1.4 - Meta changes from Rise to Sunbreak
The following is a list of confirmed changes:
- Demon Mode and Archdemon Mode have been buffed. Demon Mode now has a 35% Element boost. Archdemon Mode now has a 20% Element boost. On top of it, Sunbreak is pushing the envelope on both our ability to deal Element damage via our movesets and by increasing Element on our Dual Blades to record highs. Critical Element was not buffed but as our Element damage increases, so does the usefulness of Critical Element.
- Feral Demon Mode was nerfed. Not damage-wise, but utilitywise. The Archdemon Gauge is usually required to be filled to 100 points but with Feral Demon Mode equipped, it is now required to be filled to 200 points. Hunters will find that it takes double the time to gain access to Archdemon Mode.
- Purple Sharpness is not as strong of a boost as it is from moving from Blue to White.
The difference between Blue to White Sharpness is a difference of 12% Raw and 8.75% Element, while the difference between White to Purple Sharpness is 7% Raw and 10% Element. Sure, that’s 10% more Element, but the Raw difference in upgrading is 7%.
- Piercing Bind received an animation buff. The Piercing Bind Application is now shorter, allowing us to stay closer to the enemy and to be able to dodge and Blade Dance prior to the explosion trigger.
- Element Exploit and Anti-Aquatic Species Rampage Skill values have changed. Element Exploit now deals 15% Element damage instead of 30%. Anti-Aquatic Species now deals 5% Raw damage instead of 10%. There is also the inclusion of Fanged Exploit, which deals 5% Raw damage.
- Daora Soul and Hellion Mode values have changed. Daora Soul was nerfed from 30% down to 15%, and Hellion Mode was super nerfed from max Affinity down to 20%.
- Some of our moves have been adjusted damage-wise. The Demon Flurry combo, Blade Dance combo, and Demon Flurry Rush have all received damage boosts. Demon Flurry Rush is now more powerful than it was in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and is very viable.
1.5 - A Conversation on Sharpness… Again
One of the struggles of writing this guide and as a Dual Blades user altogether is figuring out what the hell to use for Sharpness comfort. The problem with being the fastest weapon in the game is that they dull fast. Skills like Handicraft, Master’s Touch, and Razor Sharp help ease the pain, but the question is, how can we calculate this mathematically? First off, let’s talk about the jargon!
Dual Blades have a natural Sharpness loss modifier of 66.667%. This means that it’s not all doom-and-gloom, as only one-third of our hits actually cost Sharpness. Keep in mind, this is a chance; with every hit, a dice roll is made to determine if the weapon loses durability. The count will not always be the same. A sliver of Sharpness is five hits. With natural Sharpness included, that makes every sliver worth fifteen hits with Dual Blades. Handicraft adds two slivers worth of Sharpness or thirty hits with Dual Blades. Levels of Razor Sharp or Master’s Touch adds a natural Sharpness modifier that further confuses the hit count. Master’s Touch is also a unique calculation, as its natural Sharpness is only as common as how high your Affinity is, and many hunter’s Affinity percentages heavily utilize Weakness Exploit. Simple, right?
So you can see how this becomes confusing. The next question: How long should Dual Blades last before requiring a Whetstone? There’s also Protective Polish, which makes a weapon impervious to durability loss for thirty, sixty, or ninety seconds. Luckily, hunters with Dual Blades have received a new move named Ironshine Silk, completely changing the way we think about how we should maintain Sharpness. To push the meta, the new Switch Skill has proven to be a super rewarding skill for veterans. The way the skill works is that with every invincibility frame that an attack collides with, the hunter receives two slivers of Sharpness. On top of it, using the move also gives two slivers of Sharpness. This move is also super quick to use and can be easily done in the middle of a fight without worry.
It would be fantastic to go through the entire fight without having to sharpen, but then you may be losing damage output using Lv2, Lv3, or Lv4 slots for Sharpness comfort. With the new Switch Skill, hunters need to take complete advantage of it. The sets below will be recommended under two rules: If the set has a hit count of 210 and above, use Whetstones. If the set does not, the weapon must run enough Handicraft to have 60 hits and have Master’s Touch Lv3. The natural sharpness boosting skills synergies well with Ironshine Silk. The builds below are recommended based on this philosophy.
1.6 - tl;dr: what changed?
Bonus Update:
- The final update offers us the new skill Blood Awakening. When the hunter gains health through Blood Rite or Bloodblight, a buff is activated that varies between 5 to 40 Raw and 5 to 30 Element depending on the stage and level. The stages last 30 seconds each and are dependent on if the hunter gains 50 HP and then 150 HP. Once the threshold is met, the 30 second timer is reset. There are only two thresholds, meaning after reaching the second one and 30 seconds pass, the hunter will have to reactivate the buff.
Title Update 5:
- Demon Flurry Rush, Lunging Strike, and Slide Slash have received buffs. Demon Flurry Rush deals 23.5% more Raw damage and 33.3% more Element damage. It is significantly stronger than it was in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and is arguably better than Demon Flight. Remember: Demon Flight is strong not because of damage but because of utility. The hunter should try both and find what they are more comfortable using.
- The fifth update offers two more skills, Heaven-Sent and Frenzied Bloodlust. The former is a comfort skill that decreases stamina consumption as long as the hunter does not get hit, as well as sharpening every time the hunter skill swaps. This is an okay skill.
- Frenzied Bloodlust creates a third Wirebug when the hunter enters the Overcome state for 30, 60, or 90 seconds. This is a super strong skill that allows holding onto four Wirebugs possible.
- The final upgrade to the Augment Slot Boost increases Raw damage and Sharpness slivers.
Title Update 4:
- The fourth update offers two new major skills, Dragon Conversion and Frostcraft.
- Dragon Conversion is a little unusual, but basically it depletes the hunter’s Element Resistance and adds it to the hunter’s Element damage on Red Scroll. This is a very strong skill but unfortunately, it competes with Mail of Hellfire on Blue Scroll. If Dragon Conversion becomes available as an augment or decoration, expect it to be an immediate recommendation.
- Frostcraft returns, offering an extreme boost in power depending on what the hunter’s Frost Gauge bar is at! At Lv1, do not expect much from this skill. The first hit triggers Frostcraft, then immediately drops. At Lv2, the hunter has one extra bar of Frost Gauge to work with. This skill becomes relevant at Lv3, offering the hunter four bars of Frost Gauge. The more Frost Gauge the hunter has, the bigger the buff. Both Raw and Element increase based on: 0% at one bar, 5% at two bars, 20% at three bars, and 30% at four bars.
- Also included is the new Augment Slot Boost system. Once the hunter reaches five Augment Slots, they begin to gain boosts based on the amount of slots. This includes Raw damage, Element damage, and an increase in Sharpness slivers!
Title Update 3:
- Spiral Slash has received a buff. It effectively deals 15.74% more Raw damage and 14.29% more Element/Status damage. Hellfire Cloak was patched and will now drop mines properly on each Spiral Slash. Spiral Slash is now universally stronger than Piercing Bind. Saying this, it is still worth having Piercing Bind for specific matchups.
- The third major update has various new mechanics, including Berserk, Powder Mantle, Strife, and Wind Mantle.
- Berserk acts very similar to Moxie, outperforming it due to the only necessity being that the hunter has red in their health bar. Wind Mantle supposedly helps with Wirebug cooldown depending on hit count, but testing proved this to be a weak skill. Disappointing.
- When the hunter’s health bar has red, Strife triggers and gives the hunter a fantastic Affinity and Element boost. Very similar to Resentment, this heavily synergizes with skills like Berserk and Dereliction. For Bloodlust, it is mediocre at best due to the heal gained after overcoming the Frenzy Virus and the temporary nature of the trigger.
- Powder Mantle is a unique offensive skill that triggers once the hunter hits a monster a certain amount of times. The hunter will glow orange for about 20 seconds. After this, the hunter will glow blue instead. The next hit will trigger a hefty hit of damage! Being hit with the aura will cause the skill to reset and deal some damage. At Lv1, it triggers at 75 hits. Lv2, 55 hits. The final level, 35 hits.
- Weapons can be augmented with Element up to six times now. Once Element Boost is maxed, the remaining slots are to be filled with Attack Boost.
- Lots of decorations! On top of it, these new decorations are also available as augments on armor. The skills are as follows: Bloodlust, Buildup Boost, Chameleos Blessing, Element Exploit, Guts, Kushala Blessing, Sneak Attack, and Teostra Blessing.
Title Update 2:
- With the second major update post Sunbreak release, we have gained access to some unique tech: Embolden and Intrepid Heart. Embolden dramatically changes the momentum of battle. Sure, we get defense, invincibility frames on rolls, yadda yadda yadda… But it also enrages the monster quicker. Some monster’s best hit zones don’t become available until it is angry. Some even gain a defense drop (Bazelgeuse being the primary example). It also makes Agitator stronger. Agitator is more relevant now.
- Intrepid Heart is technically a comfort skill, but it comes attached to the new best leggings in the game. In a nutshell, it helps hunters survive any attacks that knock them back if the gauge is full. The hunter can see this gauge right underneath their name. It builds up the same way we build up the Demon Gauge. For Dual Blades, it requires 100 hits to prepare.
- Handicraft+ Jewels are indeed meta. Once hunters have surpassed Standard sets, their potential can be reached in the Afflicted sets. Handicraft+ and Master’s Touch+/Razor Sharp+ Jewels allow Magma Shredder, Mud Shredders, and Wyvern Strife to reach their full potential.
- With each Title Update, Status becomes a more viable mechanic in the meta. With TU1, hunter’s received Status Trigger which made it so each Blademaster weapon had a 100% chance of triggering a Status hit instead 33.3%. This new playstyle requires the hunter to actively seek attacks to dodge to activate it. With TU2, we receive Buildup Boost. With each Status hit, Raw damage is increased by quite a lot. This is by far the most ridiculous upgrade when combined with Status Trigger. It is so strong that the proprietary Adrenaline Rush skill shallows in comparison damage-wise.
Title Update 1
- With the first major update post Sunbreak release, hunters have gained access to… Element Exploit. Wait… Didn’t we already have Element Exploit? Oh, I see what happened here. In the base-game, the Rampage Skill, Element Exploit, was a 30% Element boost. The new Rampage Decoration skill, Elembane, is 15%. What has happened is that this armor skill is the missing half of Element Exploit. The Silver Rathalos chestpiece grants the user a single level of the new skill, a 10% Element boost and is altogether the best option. This skill triggers on Element Hit Zones 20 or higher, unlike Elembane which is 25 or higher.
Base-game
- Burst is a skill we should be prioritizing in our sets, giving us a breath of fresh air. To explain Burst’s function, after a single hit, the hunter’s damage boosts by 5 Raw and 5 Element. After five hits, the hunter’s damage goes up depending on the level of Burst. In the case of Lv3, the buff goes from 5 to 15 Raw and 5 to 12 Element.
- It absolutely comes down to preference, but the Switch Skills generally recommended are to combine Demon Flight with Spiral Slash and Shrouded Vault, and Demon Flurry Rush with Piercing Bind and Ironshine Silk. When the monster is down, switch to the scroll with Demon Flurry Rush, use Piercing Bind, use Demon Flurry Rush, and finally Blade Dance. This is also a good time to use Ironshine Silk to prepare the Sharpness buff again. For the majority of the fights, it is recommended to stay on the scroll with Demon Flight. Use the aerial style to deal damage, abuse invincibility frames with Demon Flight or Shrouded Vault to improve Sharpness, and Spiral Slash whenever an opening occurs.
2 - Variants and Augments
To normalize the different playstyles and show off the recommended augments for armor, this section covers all the necessary information. Hunters will find recommended Qurious Armor Crafting pieces and talismans here, as well as their pros and cons.
2.1 - Berserk
The most dangerous cursed set is the Chaotic Armor. Like the Berserker Armor in the manga, Berserk, it puts a heavy strain upon the user. It drains the hunter’s health points and converts the user’s health points entirely into a red health bar. On top of the drain from Berserk, the Chaotic Armor comes attached with Bloodlust. This combination will cart the hunter if they are not paying attention. To use, the hunter must have equipped the Blue Scroll. Switching to Red Scroll will regenerate half the user’s health and stop the Berserk drain. For the proficient user, this is the strongest set.
What are the benefits of Berserk? First and foremost, it activates Strife at maximum strength. The other sets are only using half the power of the armor skill. The skill at Lv3 grants 20% Affinity and 20% Element. Second, the hunter’s stamina gauge will stop draining because of Strife Lv3. This allows the hunter to stay in Demon Mode indefinitely.
The drain is too fast. If the hunter is hit, they lose no health but the drain quickens. To compromise, the hunter must take advantage of health regeneration tools like Super Recovery Dango Lv4, Immunizer, Gourmet Fish, Dango Medic, Kushala Blessing Lv3, and Blood Rite. Blood Rite is a very powerful tool for this particular set, as the health regained does not turn off skills like Resentment and Strife mid-combo. It is advised to use Buddy Supports that heal. Remember: the Berserk skill can cart the user. Bloodlust and Dereliction cannot.
A recreation of the Chaotic Armor at work in Monster Hunter.
Pros:
- Blood Rite does not hinder skills like Resentment or Strife,
- Infinite stamina,
- Prevents being one-shotted,
- Strongest damage output.
Cons:
- Health drain gets worse over the course of the fight if hit,
- Health drain, no cap at 1 HP and is dangerous,
- Requires expensive talisman and augmentations.
2.2 - Bloodlust
The skill Bloodlust causes the hunter to be inflicted by an ailment that chips away the contractor’s health. In return, the hunter’s Raw, Element, and Status stats are boosted heavily for the duration the hunter has the Frenzy Virus status. After forty to sixty hits, the hunter will overcome the virus and enter Overcome status for about a minute. With Bloodlust, once the virus is overcome, those boosted stats will be replaced with a huge Affinity boost. If the hunter fails to overcome the Frenzy Virus, they instead receive the Burned Out status and must wait till it fades to activate the Frenzy Virus again.
A major advantage of Bloodlust is its ability to trigger Coalescence consistently. When given a single level of Coalescence, it becomes the go-to choice that rides the line between the normal Hybrid and the painful and powerful Dereliction builds. We also have Hellfire Cloak to trigger it, making it ultra consistent.
Frenzied Bloodlust is the new skill of the Risen Shagaru Magala. When the hunter enters the Overcome Status, they gain an additional Wirebug for 30, 60, or 90 seconds. Overcome Status lasts 60 seconds, which makes the skill a perfect choice at Lv2. With Wind Mantle, the hunter is able to do an infinite string of Ground Spirals.
Strife is a skill that is activated when the hunter’s health bar has a red gauge. The hunter will gain both an Affinity and Element boost. It is a strong skill that is more relevant when considering Berserk or Dereliction.
Special attention to the Dragon Element set. The way Shangri-La/Hades works is that when the hunter is outside of the Overcome Status, the weapon is in its “Hades” form and there is a 25% chance on each attack that causes the hunter to deal 25% less Raw damage. The other 75% is as normal; the hunter’s total Affinity gets applied here. During Overcome Status, the weapon changes into the “Shangri-La” form and loses this hindering modifier and gains an additional 25% Affinity. The weapon becomes very strong when this is equated for.
Pros:
- Boosted invincibility frames on dodge and stamina,
- Increases Wirebug count; with Wind Mantle Lv1, allows infinite Spiral Slash loop,
- Instant heal on Frenzy Virus removal,
- Is “mostly” inexpensive to build,
- Shangri-La/Hades becomes a meta build with Bloodlust.
Cons:
- Blood Rite causes Resentment and Strife to stop working with Frenzy Virus,
- Failing to overcome the Frenzy Virus will burn the hunter for a set amount of time,
- Is both stronger and weaker when compared to the Standard set, depending on the monster's partbreak values. Otherwise, the weakest set in damage,
- Temporary HP drain, cap at 1 HP.
2.3 - Standard
The standard mixed/hybrid sets utilize the new Blood Awakening skill from Primordial Malzeno, which offers massive boosts for an increasingly safe experience for hunters. The sets max out Blood Rite, Partbreaker, and Blood Awakening for maximum triggers and healing.
An important concept to understand about Blood Awakening and Blood Rite is that it is not useful in every single matchup. The Elder trio (Chameleos, Kushala Daora, and Teostra) have high partbreaking values, making the skills somewhat useless for the majority of their fights. Another concept is the usefulness of Partbreaker. After breaking the targeted part, the skill stops being useful. Fortunately, it comes attached to the Primordial Greaves. Once a part is broken, the sets do enough damage and gain enough health to immediately trigger both thresholds of Blood Awakening.
Pros:
- Almost all of it can be built after the hunter reaches Master Rank 10,
- Blood Rite Lv3 allows for great healing during fights,
- Good damage in majority of match-ups,
- Incredibly safe,
- Is inexpensive to build,
- Partbreaker helps with material farming.
Cons:
- Is bad during specific match-ups, such as Chameleos, Kushala Daora, and Teostra; it can also be bad in cooperative play if hunters are not attacking specific parts,
- Is both stronger and weaker when compared to the Bloodlust set, depending on the monster's partbreak values. Otherwise, slightly stronger than Bloodlust.
2.4 - Dragonheart
The ultimate Dragon Element sets. There are two variants. For those looking for the ultimate Dragon set, Shangri-La/Hades will win in all match-ups. The issue here is that the set requires both Dereliction and Bloodlust. This can be very dangerous. If hunters do not wish to deal with the double drain, the Gila Ro Waga set is incredibly strong too. Elembane is stronger than Valstrax Soul, so only use the latter when Elembane does not trigger (Basarios, Chaotic Gore Magala, and Apex Rathalos).
Dragonheart, the Valstrax skill, makes a return to the meta, but for one very odd reason: it buffs all Element Resistances to 50. This synergies heavily with Dragon Conversion, maxing out the Element value with the monumental value of 62 for just by being at 80% HP and below! Dragonheart contracts Dragonblight but also nullifies the effect on non-Dragon weapons. When maxed, it also increases Raw damage by 10%.
Reminder: If using a Dragonheart-reliant set with randoms during cooperative hunts, the hunter should never expect other hunters to know they don't wish to be healed. It is not fair to anyone during the hunt, and it is not their responsibility to manage your health beyond ensuring you don’t cart. If you are worried of being healed while using this set, then only use it during solo-hunts.
Pros:
- For Dragon Element, these are the ultimate damaging sets,
- Negates Dragonblight.
Cons:
- Blood Rite hurts damage output of the set greatly and cannot be applied,
- Dereliction locks the hunter to Red Scroll or they lose the buff,
- HP drain, cap at 1 HP,
- Hunter must pay attention to their HP and make sure it is under 80%, meaning no Max or Ancient Potions,
- Is expensive to build.
2.5 - Skills+ and Slots+
Be aware that there are some pieces that the guide cannot account for. There are restrictions in play to make sure that the pieces are fairly accessible (within reason). Saying that, there are some armor pieces that can become forces of nature and make breakthroughs. When hunters are feeling lucky, they should attempt to use the Skills+ and Slots+ augmentation methods on the armor pieces below. The goal is to remove the unnecessary skill for several skills and/or slots.
Head:
Silver Solhelm (4-1-1)
Critical Boost Lv2
Critical Element Lv1
Windproof Lv3 (drop this)
Primordial Helm (4-4-0)
Blood Rite Lv3 (drop this)
Torso:
Tempest Robe (4-4-1)
Heaven-Sent Lv1 (drop this)
Critical Boost Lv1
Virtue/Prudence Mail (3-1-1)
Strife Lv2
Handicraft Lv3
Ammo Up Lv3 (drop this)
Arms:
Golden Lunebraces (4-2-1)
Critical Boost Lv1
Peak Performance Lv1 (drop this)
Burst Lv1
Tempest Sleeves (4-4-1)
Heaven-Sent Lv1 (drop this)
Latent Power Lv1
Risen Kaiser Braces (4-4-0)
Teostra Blessing Lv2
Master’s Touch Lv1
Ballistics Lv1 (drop this)
Critical Eye Lv1
Waist:
Risen Kaiser Coil (4-3-0)
Powder Mantle Lv1
Master’s Touch Lv2
Ballistics Lv2 (drop this)
Legs:
Rimeguard Greaves (4-1-0)
Ice Attack Lv5 (drop this)
Critical Element Lv3
Element Exploit Lv1
Tempest Hakama (4-4-0)
Heaven-Sent Lv1 (drop this)
Critical Boost Lv2
Primordial Greaves (4-4-0)
Blood Awakening Lv1
Critical Boost Lv2
Partbreaker Lv3 (drop this)
Risen Kaiser Cuisse (4-1-1)
Teostra Blessing Lv2 (drop this)
Weakness Exploit Lv1
Critical Element Lv2
Fire Attack Lv2 (drop this)
3 - Endgame Sets
3.0 - READ ME BEFORE LOOKING AT SETS
- The sets listed here are endgame sets. It is expected that you have at minimum defeated Risen Shagaru Magala in Master Rank and have reached Research Level 241. If you’re looking for progression sets, check 4.1 - Progression Sets.
- There is no best universal Dual Blades set. Each set below is tailored for specific foes. It is time to get good, son.
- This time around, there are multiple different endgame metas. They are separated based on their strength and utilities. The hierarchy is: Dragonheart > Berserk > Bloodlust > Standard.
- In the past, Hellfire Cloak was not considered during damage calculations. From now on, it will be factored into calculation. It triggers Coalescence, making it very valuable.
- Heroics are not suggested in any of the meta-templates. It is an extremely powerful boost but requires the hunter to play very dangerously.
- Sneak Attack is a very strong skill. Though it is not suggested in the templates, it is worth consideration for the hunter’s build. The reason it is not suggested is that the majority of the best hit zones are the monster’s head. Saying that, do not sleep on Sneak Attack.
- Dragon Conversion and Furious is an interesting combination and can potentially do more damage than the typical Mail of Hellfire set, but it requires the activation of Dragon Conversion’s Lv2 buff, which is to hit the monster 45 times on Blue Scroll. This is time consuming and ends up with the hunter doing less damage in the long term.
- None of the sets listed will be using Flinch Free Lv1. What does this do? It prevents you from being tripped, which can be super helpful in multiplayer if you are getting side-swiped by teammates. Should you be adding it? It’s up to you. Demon Mode/Feral Demon Mode has built-in Flinch Free Lv1, but outside of it and with poor stamina management, there’s a good chance getting tripped can get you carted. It’s definitely a skill worth considering.
- While this guide covers what Elements you should be using against each monster, you should consider using Robomeche’s database. It’s a fantastic tool for looking up and learning the target monster’s Hit Zones! There is also a cheat sheet at the bottom of the article.
- Outdated builds are posted in a separate document.
- With the new Qurious Armor Crafting system, the endgame builds are no longer possible to build under normal circumstances. It is expected that hunters participate in the gamble for better armor. Check 1.3 - Talismans & Qurious Armor Crafting to learn more.
3.1 - Fire Element ~ Magma Shredders
Berserk Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Standard Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Man… Is it hot in here, or is it just me? The Magma Almudron Dual Blades, Magma Shredders output extremely high Fire values, securing the hot spot as the stronger set of Fire Dual Blades. This set takes complete advantage of Elembane, or more memorably named, Element Exploit. What does it do? When the weapon attacks an Element weak point of 25 and over, it activates an Element multiplier of 15%. Sounds amazing, right? Eh… The issue comes down to the limited targets where this actually triggers. Ultimately, this weapon replaces the base game’s Wyvern Lovers unique positioning in the meta.
Magma Shredders is the true underdog of Sunbreak. From having competition with Flaming Wyvern Lovers, Wyvern Strife, and Kaktus Ehrgeiz, it kept fighting and has shown what it really means to go fast. It now competes with Double Discharge for the highest body count. To make full use of Magma Shredders, the hunter has to make sure they are only going for high Element Hit Zones. Great Baggi’s entire body is a walking Hit Zone. Royal Ludroth’s weak point is not the head, but actually, the yellow banana-like mane where the neck would be is. Daimyo Hermitaur only has the one hit zone, its face. Khezu’s weakest Hit Zone is its head. Barioth moves around a lot, but aim for the head like always.
Lagombi’s weakness is its rear. Probably because of all that ice sliding. Or maybe because it has a big fluffy bunny butt. Barroth has one major weak point and that is its small little arms. Unfortunately, the monster is coated in mud that is only weak to Water. Once the mud is removed, it loses this weakness. Break the part and it cannot gain mud there ever again!
Unlike Somnacanth, Aurora Somnacanth only has good Hit Zones in the head area. On top of it, the Element Hit Zones are only decent. They also make a very satisfying “ice crunching” sound every time you hit them. Attacking Goss Harag while they’re angry can be dangerous, as many of its attacks knock hunters back and do loads of damage. Almudron has two major Hit Zones: the head and the tail. Don’t be choosy— If the tail or the tail tip holding the ball is an easy target, go for it! It’s safer than going for the head most of the time. The ball is an absolute 100 sever and 0 Element Hit Zone, making it a prime target. Garangolm is a unique fight and has multiple Element weaknesses but right now, it is weakest to Magma Shredders. The primary areas to focus are the head and the left arm. Lunagaron has three forms. The first two, the monster is on four legs, while in the enraged phase the wolf stands on its hind legs. It is not advised to Spiral Slash during the phases where it is on all four legs unless the hunter is facing the head. On the third phase, it loses its Element resistances but becomes ferocious.
Hunters may have trouble hitting good Hit Zones like Chameleos’ head, but this is where Element Exploit begins to really shine. Its head is above ground most of the fight and therefore unavailable, so hunter’s may have a better time focusing on Chameleos’ hindlegs. The hindlegs are always a great Element Hit Zone for Element Exploit. Be aware that Chameleos has this new fake out move where it goes invisible and leaves to the opposite side of the arena, making the hunter think it retreated. It's suggested to play around with the set to fit in Mind’s Eye Lv3 for this particular matchup. Velkhana’s front is incredibly weak to Fire, but the prime area to Spiral Slash is the torso.
So... Apex Arzuros is the least challenging of the Apex variants... Right? This mindset is very wrong. This one hits like a truck and if it gets you twice, you are immediately stunned (unless you run Stun Resistance). The best Hit Zone is not its head, but actually the big glowing red arms. When broken, they become even weaker and Element Exploit can start triggering.
3.2 - Water Element ~ Mud Shredders
Berserk Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Standard Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Water Dual Blades gains significant ground in Sunbreak. The Water Dual Blades from base-game, Mud Twisters, finally seizes its rightful place as the strongest of its kind. Mud Shredders has an incredibly high Water Element value (IGN would likely score it a 7.8/10 because it has too much water).
To make full use of Mud Shredders, the hunter has to make sure they are only going for high Element Hit Zones. Volvidon's weak point is their face. They roll around a lot, making the monster both irritating to fight and oddly dangerous. Blood Orange Bishaten only has weak spots on its head and tail. Demon Flight is great in this matchup. As Element grows in strength, Tobi-Kadachi’s head becomes the better Hit Zone to go after. With Mud Shredders and Elembane, aim for the face, not the tail. For weak points, Aknosom has one on its head but has a better weak point in their wings.
Scorned Magnamalo is incredibly vicious. Like the original, it does not have many Element Hit Zones to work with. For the most part, aim for the head and fore legs. The male metal wyvern, Silver Rathalos, has a solid body that is difficult to breach. To defeat the heavy flying creature, the hunter must aim for their wings. Elembane will trigger there. The head is no longer a good weak point and the hunter will be punished if they only aim there. Once enraged, the head becomes the best Hit Zone and when broken, becomes even better.
Magma Almudron, Agnaktor’s doppelganger, has similar Hit Zones. When the exterior is hardened, only the head and tail tip areas are good Hit Zones. When the battle heats up, the forelegs and hind legs soften. Take advantage of all these Hit Zones when the monster becomes enraged! The back is a bad Hit Zone, so it is not recommended to Spine Ride it for damage. Pyra Rakna-Kadaki is a simpler version of Rakna-Kadaki with better Hit Zones. It has better Hit Zones than the older sibling, the legs while threaded are good places to hit. Both spiders share two forms. In the early fight, aim for the threaded legs. In the next phase, go for the unthreaded abdomen. In between phases, go for the head when it planks onto the ground.
Teostra’s body is made up of hard Hit Zones. The bright side is its face is fairly large and accessible. The not-so-bright side is that Teostra moves around fast making it fairly inaccessible and its attacks make the face a fairly dangerous place to target. Assault the forelegs when possible, or use Demon Flight to reach its wings. When it starts spewing out blast powder out of its body, Water and Ice swap Hit Zone values. In Master Rank, Teostra has become significantly more aggressive and can catch hunters off guard with its quick movements.
Valstrax is a very aggressive monster. Learning their attack patterns is the most effective strategy. At some point, the monster will open up its vent. Spiral Slash it and hope that it pops! If it does, a big explosion happens, taking a chunk of its health. If failed, it will become enraged and gain maximum Element resistance. To circumvent this, it is advised that hunters aim for the forelegs. Although this is a poor Raw Hit Zone (Spiral Slash will not work), it does not lose its Element Hit Zone and becomes the primary area to attack.
3.3 - Thunder Element ~ Double Discharge
Berserk Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Standard Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Originally a very mediocre weapon in base-game, Double Discharge shows its true power! It has the highest base Element value for any Dual Blades with a total of 69 (nice). Elembane is no longer relevant for Double Discharge. The amount of Element Boosts we get from augmenting makes Rampage Slot Upgrade irrelevant. Make sure to set up for the appropriate species from now on.
Competes with Magma Shredders for having the most matchups. Ah… Good ol’ Great Izuchi probably doesn’t see it coming, but these Dual Blades really actually turn it into mincemeat. They look like actual mallets, unlike the Despot’s Blitz. Its entire body is a weak point, but for quickest kills, go for the head. The same goes for Pukei-Pukei for the most part. Special mention of its tongue, which has a ridiculously weak Hit Zone.
Sort of replacing Despot’s Blitz Anti-Aquatic spot in the base-game’s meta, Double Discharge takes majority of the open slots. All of these Aquatic monster’s primary weak points are in the head area, with Somnacanth’s being their neck. Tetranadon’s forelegs are good secondary targets. Daimyo Hermitaur has a single weak point. Its body is full of hard Hit Zones. When in doubt, go for the head. The same thing goes for Shogun Ceanataur. The shell can be broken where the Khezu-looking flesh becomes a weak spot, but this event is irrelevant for Dual Blades’ wielders. The head is still where all the damage should be banked.
Nargacuga and Tigrex share very similar body types, with the major weak points being the heads and minor ones on their tails. The difference lies in their cutwings/forelegs. Whereas Tigrex’s foreleg has a minor weak point, Nargacuga’s cutwing is made of bedrock and feels quite bad to hit. The hunter can slow both of them down momentarily by breaking these parts. Mizutsune is a little bit of an odd fox to talk about. It has the most states in the entire game, sporting five different forms with constantly changing Hit Zone values. When in doubt, attack the head! Its tail and dorsal fin are also good targets. Heavenly Blade Dance works wonders on Mizutsune to get to the primary weak points, especially for Apex Mizutsune. Special mention to the skill Sneak Attack, it works great if the hunter spine rides a lot.
Seregios (more affectionately known as Steve. Thanks Capcom for the meme) has a bunch of awful Hit Zones, but its chicken legs present itself as a good Hit Zone. A little unusual. When possible… I’m aware I say this a lot. Go for the head. As for Bazelgeuse, their weak points are so obvious, it’s blinding. The head and tail are the weak points to target, so go for either. The abdomen is also an okay spot. When it becomes red hot, its greatest Hit Zone is its head.
3.4 - Ice Element I ~ Glistening Snow Claws
Berserk Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Standard Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Daora’s Ventus faces a competitor! The Auroracanth Dual Blades with its heavy Element value becomes a valiant monstrosity against foes with the Species Exploit Rampage Skill.
Arzuros is a pushover. Arzuros has the unusual weakness of its rear, so focus on its ass. Violet Mizutsune is similar to its original version but with Hellfire mechanics. For the most part, aim for the head or tail. Spine riding is still effective here. Be careful of the bubbles. They are heat seeking and will stop the hunter in their tracks. For speedrunning tactics, use Daora’s Ventus on the feet. The Element Hit Zone is high, so Demon Flurry Rush can return greater damage per second.
Astalos is a very difficult target to reach its good Hit Zone. The head is the only real target hunters should be going for. When charged, the wings and tail tip becomes softer and better to hit but with how wild Astalos can be, it is still a smarter strategy to go for the head. Rakna-Kadaki is pretty much Capcom’s excuse to add a tank into the game. During the initial phase, the legs are “threaded” and take decent damage when attacked. When enough damage is dealt, the head drops onto the ground and becomes the main target for damage. During the second phase, hunters should target the abdomen, as the rest of the body becomes hard Hit Zones. Luckily, Dual Blades Element damage helps increase damage output on the poor Hit Zones.
3.5 - Ice Element II ~ Daora’s Ventus
Berserk Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Standard Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Oh no, what happened to our Gelids…? Looks like we are moving on from our classy popsicles. Kushala Daora’s Dual Blades are super strong, effectively freezing its competition. On top of being the new strongest Ice Dual Blades, they are also the strongest in its category when dabbling with lower Raw resistances and higher Ice resistances. Like the Shredder Dual Blades, they have access to Elembane, or more memorably named, Element Exploit. What does it do? When the weapon attacks an Element weak point of 25 and over, it activates an Element multiplier of 15%. Sounds amazing, right? Eh… The issue comes down to the limited targets where this actually triggers. When choosing between Element and Species Exploit, check out the cheat sheet.
“Two Cool Heroes at a Crossroad” by Bro4U
Daora’s Ventus is best against the Great Wroggi, Arzuros, Bishaten, Lucent Nargacuga, Zinogre, Astalos, Espinas, Diablos, Rakna-Kadaki, Teostra, the Rajang family, and Seething Bazelgeuse. Great Wroggi and Arzuros are pushovers. Arzuros has the unusual weakness of its rear, so focus on its ass. Bishaten’s weak points are its head and tail. Demon Flight is very good at positioning hunters where they need to be against it. Demon Flight is very good at positioning hunters where the hunter needs to be to get to those Hit Zones.
Lucent Nargacuga poses a very similar threat to the hunter as the original with new moves and the ability to go invisible. As usual though, go for the head. Like many creatures, Zinogre’s primary weak point is its head. Zinogre moves around quickly and its forelegs are hard Hit Zones, so this can become fairly difficult at times. When unable to reach the head, the hind legs and hip are fairly accessible and safe. When Zinogre is toppled onto its side, its back becomes available. If Zinogre is charged, the back is its greatest weak point. It’s the spot right where the tail starts. Apex Zinogre is similar but much more aggressive. Its attacks can easily catch hunters off guard. Espinas is a pretty cool (and infuriating) foe. Be very aware that the sleepy giant’s fireballs cause three statuses which include Poison, Burning, and Paralysis. Do not start this fight with Spiral Slash. All of the monster’s Hit Zones are bad. As the fight goes on, the monster enrages and its head, abdomen, and tail become targetable with Spiral Slash.
Diablos’ main weakness is its abdomen, which can be attacked while the hunter is immediately underneath it. The head and tail are good, but the tail is a limited resource. If a horn breaks, this will cause Diablos to become temporarily stunned. Apex Diablos’s abdomen is hardened, leaving a new primary weak point in its tail. Unfortunately, this is a limited resource. When the Apex Diablos’s tail is removed, the best weak point to go for is its head.
The fight with Teostra will usually begin with Teostra being weaker to Water Element. When it starts spewing out blast powder out of its body, Water and Ice swap Hit Zone values. This is when Daora’s Ventus begins to really shine. Teostra’s body is made up of hard Hit Zones. The bright side is its face is fairly large and accessible. The not-so-bright side is that Teostra moves around fast making it fairly inaccessible and its attacks make the face a fairly dangerous place to target. Assault the forelegs when possible, or use Demon Flight to reach its wings. In Master Rank, Teostra has become significantly more aggressive and can catch hunters off guard with its quick movements.
Seething Bazelgeuse has two major weak points, the head and tail. For the most part, aim for the tail. The Rajang family’s weak points are simple: Go for the head. Nothing complicated. The obvious problem is what the hunter is up against. Rajang is a very aggressive monster. Learning their attack patterns is the most effective strategy.
3.6 - Dragon Element I ~ Gila Ro Waga
Berserk Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Standard Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Dragonheart Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
The Aelucanth Dual Blades finally takes control of Dragon matchups, taking complete advantage of Elembane to cart the final boss enemies into oblivion.
Gila Ro Waga finds itself facing many of the final boss monsters. The hunter should prioritize damage on the head of Rathian and Rathalos. Rathalos can be difficult due to their aerial nature, but they can be grounded via a Flash Bomb. Be aware that breaking Apex Rathian’s head will make it a better Hit Zone.
Gore Magala has multiple Dual Blades’ sets that are strong against it. The monster has two major phases, one where the monster’s form is cloaked by their wings. Eventually, it reveals a sinister form that encompasses the entire arena with a dark aura. Its head grows an antenna which screams “hit me!” The Dragon Dual Blades do a lot more damage on the antennas during the second phase. If the hunter is searching for a set that is strong throughout the entire fight, Crimson Twinwing is the ideal choice. If the hunter adds Sneak Attack to their build, it will allow them to do lots of extra damage while inside of the monster’s cloak.
The mascot for Sunbreak Malzeno is a vampiric Elder Dragon known for causing a new Status effect called Bloodblight. This is both a brutal and fantastic Status to have. The hits that cause it usually deal a lot of damage, but the receiver is also able to regain that health back based on the amount of damage being dealt. With the high damaging builds in this guide, receiving health back is a piece of cake. To fight Malzeno, the hunter should focus their damage on the head and forelegs. When the Elder Dragon enters its Bloodening state, the Hit Zones become even better, and the tail tip becomes a good Hit Zone. Break it out of this state to cause a very long knockdown! Be aware of Primordial Malzeno’s Bloodening state, as it becomes ultra aggressive.
Shagara Magala is the evolved form of Gore Magala. Unlike the precursor form, it only has one major weakness and that is to Dragon Element. There is not much to say. Be cautious as its attacks go all over the place and when the hunter leasts expects it. As Thanos would suggest, go for the head.
Both Ibushi and Narwa have a generous amount of weak points, so they end up being a great sponge for damage. Hunters might be tempted to use Heavenly Blade Dance 24/7 (It does look super-duper cool), but it does very little damage in comparison to prioritizing the actual weak points. Their heads, wingarms, and tails are the spots hunters should be attacking the most, but at times, their chests (nutsac) become available. This is where hunters should bank all of their damage. In Archdemon Mode, we have access to the move Spinning Blade Dance Finisher, which is our most insane attack in terms of damage. It is unwieldy, but because Narwa’s Thundersac is tall enough to wall the hunter, users can drop half their gauge here to take out a huge chunk of the Elder Dragon’s health. Example. The other comment to make is Narwa’s unusual mechanic of parts being “Charged.” If you notice static electricity glowing around a particular part, its Hit Zone weakens and takes more damage. Be aware there are two environmental attacks in the backside of Ibushi’s arena that become available at certain points during the fight.
Gaismagorm has very simple weak points in the head and tail tip, but it is generally not advised to go for them until the monster is knocked down. For the first phase of the fight, aim for the wingarms. They aren’t good Hit Zones but will do until the head becomes available. The hunter will also have the option of using an environmental attack when the NPCs announce it. Eventually, the monster will leave the arena and the fight will enter the second phase. The fight remains mostly the same but the monster enters a demonic state. Keep at it and use the turrets to destroy the glowing Anomaly Cores on its back.
The legendary storm Elder Dragon has a lot of big attacks that require the hunter to use Great Wirebugs circulating around the arena. When it starts, use one of them and at the peak, use Wirebug Hang and stay for a moment. Once the big attack is done, the hunter can drop and return to the fight. As always, the go-to Hit Zone is the head. It also has an additional one in the fore legs.
3.7 - Dragon Element II ~ Shangri-La/Hades
Bloodlust Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Dragonheart Meta - Wiki-DB Link // GameCat Link
Reminder: If using a Dragonheart-reliant set with randoms during cooperative hunts, the hunter should never expect other hunters to know they don't wish to be healed. It is not fair to anyone during the hunt, and it is not their responsibility to manage your health beyond ensuring you don’t cart. If you are worried of being healed while using this set, then only use it during solo-hunts.
This setup is specific to the Chaotic Gore Magala Dual Blades. Surpassing even Gila Ro Waga, the demonic claws utilize Dragonheart, Dragon Conversion, and Valstrax Soul to become the ultimate contender against Amatsu and Primordial Malzeno.
Dragonheart, the Valstrax skill, makes a return to the meta, but for one very odd reason: it buffs all Element Resistances to 50. This synergies heavily with Dragon Conversion, maxing out the Element value with the monumental value of 62 for just by being at 80% HP and below! Dragonheart contracts Dragonblight but also nullifies the effect on Dragon weapons. In other words, only Shangri-La/Hades, Gila Ro Waga, Crimson Twinwing, and other Dragon weapons can use it. On top of this, it triggers Valstrax Soul, which increases Element by 20%. With this, Shangri-La is able to be taken to incredible heights!
Bloodlust does heal the hunter when they overcome the virus, so Dereliction is advised. Coincidentally, this is also a great buff as Dereliction and Dragon Conversion both increase Element on Red Scroll. Nonetheless, the hunter has to be extra careful, as they will have to micromanage how much they heal. Max Potions are problematic and will remove the buff.
4 - Progression, Moveset, FAQ
4.1 - Progression Sets
The Sunbreak expansion has implemented many new mechanics that change how each weapon style plays. Many of these are not unlocked until Master Rank 4. Till then, the sets recommended are based without the influence of these skills. It seems that sharpening has become less of a requirement, unlike the base-game. That’s great, because Protective Polish feels pretty bad, especially when fights seem to last longer than ten minutes.
Element damage is more important than ever. Many mechanics behind the scenes have heavily increased Element damage output and Dual Blades take full advantage of that. It is expected of hunters to have a good baseline on what monster is weak to which Element. Raw is not good, please desist from using it unless you wish to play your own way.
Like base-game’s endgame, we will be recommending a 2-2-0 talisman for the following sets. Hunters should have found a viable talisman by this point in the game. HR Endgame Sets are good for the first few ranks, but monster health skyrockets very quickly so it is advised to move on to the new weapons as soon as possible. HR Progression Sets can be found here.
Starting Master Rank Gear (From Hub 1★ to end of Hub 3★):
Almost all Dual Blades in Sunbreak are immediately superior to the previous High Rank Endgame ones. Weapons recommended are based on their damage average between Sharpness tiers, on initial hitcount, and monster average health. Hunters will be steamrolling through content and it’s advised to pick these Dual Blades and armor pieces along the way as you slowly put away your High Rank sets.
All the decorations required are obtainable via base-game. Some weapons will sport additional decoration slots. These slots should be used to max out Critical Boost and Speed Sharpening.
Mid-Master Rank Gear (From Hub 4★ to end of Hub 5★):
At this point, the hunter will gain access to the new Switch Skills, Spiral Slash and Ironshine Silk! Try both of them out, they are super fun to use. For information, check section 4.3 - Combos and Moves. We also gain Burst (originally named Chain Crit), a super powerful Armor Skill that is extremely efficient with Dual Blade tech. With Ironshine Silk, Sharpness Armor Skills become less important as we now have an efficient way to regain slivers of Sharpness back.
Unlike the starting progression set, there is one new decoration required: Critical Element Jewel+ 4. This decoration can be created via Sovereign Jewels, Pure Dragon Blood, and a Large Wyvern Gem. Some weapons will sport additional decoration slots. These slots should be used to max out Critical Eye and Speed Sharpening.
Pre-Endgame Master Rank Gear (From Hub 6★ to Master Rank 109, Afflicted Research Lv100):
With the final boss defeated, a bunch of new content becomes available. Thanks to all the Title Updates, hunters can make some pretty solid equipment that can take them far through Master Rank. This equipment is to be used before surpassing Afflicted Research Lv100 and the unlocking of all the Risen Elder Dragons, which begins when the hunter reaches Master Rank 110. Once there, it will be time for the hunter to investigate the final endgame sets.
The new major skills to be aware of are Mail of Hellfire, Element Exploit, Blood Rite, and Blood Awakening. Mail of Hellfire boosts the hunter’s Raw or Element stats based on which Scroll they are using, while also weakening them. Red Scroll buffs Raw and hinders Armor, and Blue Scroll buffs Element and hinders Element resistance. Element Exploit functions very similarly to Elembane, increasing Element damage on particular Hit Zones (specifically 20 for the Armor Skill). Blood Rite heals the hunter when they inflict damage upon a broken part. Blood Awakening buffs Raw and Element if the hunter heals by hitting the monster, which happens when the hunter is using Blood Rite or is inflicted by Bloodblight. To increase the odds the hunter has to break parts, the progression set utilizes Partbreaker.
Two new decorations are required: Bloodening Jewel+ 4 and a Hard Element Jewel 3. Bloodening Jewel+ 4 can be created via Sovereign Jewels, a Rajang Heart, and a Malzeno Beautifang. Strangely enough, hunters will unlock this earlier than the weaker version. The Hard Element Jewels 3 can be made using various parts early into Anomaly Investigations and Quests. Some weapons will sport additional decoration slots. These slots should be used to increase Master’s Touch.
4.2 - Switch Skills
New to the Monster Hunter franchise, hunters now have the option to change particular skills, kind of like how hunters were able to change styles in the MHG games. This adds a significant amount of depth to a hunter’s playstyle. Listed below are descriptions and critiques of what’s competitively viable.
1. Demon Flurry Rush & Demon Flight
- Right Click
The largest debate with Switch Skills is between the Spin to Win/Beyblade (Demon Flurry Rush) and the Helicopter (Demon Flight). Hunters who have been playing since MHG to MHW have gotten very comfortable using the former, myself included. MHR offers Demon Flight as the alternative, the flashy and fun Aerial Style from the MHG games.
With Demon Flurry Rush in MHG, the main combo would be to use it, enter Rising Slash, Demon Fangs, or dodge, then repeat. Demon Flight offers a high damaging combo the moment you enter into the air and is also able to hit tough-to-reach Hit Zones. The move should be more dangerous to use, but the user gains invincibility frames during the pogo jump before and after the first two hits are delivered. In accordance with strength, Demon Flurry Rush does more damage but the hunter should take into account the height or aerial-nature of the target.
2. Demon Mode & Feral Demon Mode
- MB4
One of the main mechanics of Dual Blades is the ability to transform into an alternative moveset that drains stamina. In MHR base-game, there was no doubt that Feral Demon Mode was the superior choice. This is no longer the case, as Demon Mode received some insanely valuable buffs! The ultimatum hunters have to choose now is if they should be going for an Element boost and additional movement speed from Demon Mode, or a Raw boost and minor attacks added to dodging and transforming from Feral Demon Mode.
To discuss some of the specifics, Demon Mode adds a 35% Element and Status boost to the hunter’s Dual Blades while transformed. On the other hand, Feral Demon Mode adds a 20% Raw boost. Feral Demon Mode also received a nerf in Archdemon Gauge buildup. The meter takes double the amount to fill now.
3. Roundslash & Slide Slash
- “Turn left/right” + or -> ->
- Left Click -> “Turn left/right” + Left Click or Right Click -> Right Click -> Right Click
Roundslash and Side Slash offer different tools for ground mobility. Roundslash turns Demon Fangs into an infinite combo with a quick circular slash in the direction the user aims. Slide Slash maneuvers around the side of the target in a quick dash that has invincibility frames. There is no superior option here, it comes down to personal preference. A minor comment: Slide Slash can make tech like Rising Falcon a little awkward if the hunter likes to constantly divebomb the target.
4. Piercing Bind, Tower Vault, & Spiral Slash
- Hold Middle Click + Left Click
Piercing Bind and Spiral Slash are combat-effective moves, while Tower Vault offers additional evasion and opportunities for additional attacks depending on the foe. When switching between Scrolls, it’s advised that the hunter prioritizes between two of these three Switch Skills.
Piercing Bind is a combo-heavy, high-damaging attack and is best used when the target is down. If you plant it on the monster's face, the hunter can dodge or enter Demon Mode/Feral Demon Mode to get close, use Blade Dance, ending with an explosion that deals a huge chunk of damage. Piercing Bind is unaffected by Affinity or Element.
Tower Vault is a utility and best used alongside Demon Flight for a midair dodge. As long as you use Tower Vault in the air, there are invincibility frames at the beginning that can save you. Keep in mind that the time is extremely short and shouldn’t be relied on. Use it to get out of the way of an incoming attack. The other benefit is that the Wirebug Recovery is super-short. It can also be quite spam-able. Take to the skies!
The latest move, Spiral Slash, is the new go-to combat move when the hunter has an opportunity between monster attacks. There are two variants: launching from the ground and dive-bombing from midair. For the attack to land, the hunter must come into contact with a Hit Zone of 45 or greater. With Demon Flight, the midair variant becomes easily accessible and can be used immediately after the pogo jump. This move is incredible and improves Dual Blade damage output substantially. Unlike Piercing Bind, Element, Status, and Affinity contribute to the attack’s damage. On top of it, it increases the bar of the Archdemon Gauge which helps in the early part of a fight.
Usually, I would prefer to suggest both moves. This is no longer the case. Spiral Slash is now stronger than Piercing Bind majority of the time. It is suggested to use Piercing Bind on monsters where Spiral Slash will not trigger properly, like Astalos or Gold Rathian. Otherwise, use Spiral Slash.
5. Shrouded Vault & Ironshine Silk
- Hold Middle Click + Right Click
Shrouded Vault and Ironshine Silk are both amazing and it is absolutely advised to use both tools using the Switch Skill Swap Scroll. Shrouded Vault is an evasive tool that simultaneously acts as a riposte when it collides with an enemy hitbox. Ironshine Silk redefines the Sharpness meta and gives us an option to sharpen without the need of a whetstone. For more information, please check the following section for a more in depth explanation of each.
4.3 - Combos and Moves
Just button mash lul. /guide. (I'm kidding.)
Dual Blades are a relatively simple weapon that plays extremely reactionary. If you DO button mash, be prepared to get locked into some of your more lengthy animations and probably get punished for it too. A good majority of your basic moves flow into each other really well including interrupting your combos to dash out of the way. Stay mobile, get to where you want to be, and keep up the pressure.
The standard combo is done by pressing /Left Click three times. In standard stance, press /Right Click to use Lunging Strike. To activate Demon Mode, press /MB4. In Demon Mode, the Switch Skill is used by pressing /Right Click by itself. Press /Right Click multiple times to use Left or Right Roundslash. Blade Dance is activated by pressing simultaneously.
One of the fantastic things about Feral Demon Mode is the additional attacks gained. When pressing /Space, hunters initiate Feral Demon Slash Dodge. It doesn’t do a lot of damage, but any damage helps. When hunters are in the air, their transformation now deals damage! It’s also safer to transform while in the air than on the ground because the hunter is still moving unpredictably. Transforming on the ground may make you a sitting duck.
Building up Demon Gauge:
To build up Demon Gauge, you have to inflict damage on something. Hopefully, the target monster. This is very important during the early part of the fight. With Archdemon Mode, you gain weaker and unchanged versions of Demon Mode tech. This includes either Demon Flurry Rush or Demon Flight. You also gain Demon Dash, allowing quicker evasion. Without Archdemon Mode being available, stamina management with switching between Demon Mode and standard stance is much more difficult, as your /Right Click switch skill is just the average Lunging Strike.
With Sunbreak, a few changes have been made. Where the Dual Blades playstyle has received buffs, it has also received nerfs. The nerf comes in the form of a heavier requirement to enter Archdemon Mode while in Feral Demon Mode. The gauge requirement has been doubled and it will now take twice as long to be able to enter Archdemon Mode while Feral Demon Mode is equipped. On the bright side, damage has been buffed! Archdemon Mode now receives a natural Element and Status boost of 20%! It does not matter which Switch Skill the hunter has equipped, this is a permanent buff for all users.
The best way to fill the gauge is with Sixfold Demon Slash or Heavenly Blade Dance. Both have finishers that can fill the gauge by two-thirds. Blade Dance or the Aerial Demon continuous combo fills about a third of the gauge. The primary tactic is learning when to transform. The unfortunate thing about transforming is that the hunter remains stationary throughout the transformation. To prevent getting hit, the hunter should transform while in midair. The monster cannot predict the hunter's movement, allowing a safe transformation.
When the hunter is in Demon Mode/Feral Demon Mode and they nearly have run out of stamina, they can cancel it, transform into Archdemon Mode, and begin using up the Demon Gauge by using tech like the Rising Falcon combo written below. Hunters should try to keep at least a third of the gauge always accessible because once it's used up, they will lose Archdemon Mode and return to standard stance, and will be required to fill the gauge again.
Archdemon Mode is great for traversing when the monster is on the other side of the room. It’s also fairly easy to chain from Demon Flurry Rush/Demon Flight into a transformation. Be wary that dodges do consume the Demon Gauge but at a slow rate. As with normal dodges, it consumes stamina as well. Try to keep a third of the Demon Gauge filled at all times so you don't have to refill it!
Standard Stance Moves:
Double Slash, Double Slash Return Stroke, Circle Slash
Motion Value Total: 77
Element Multiplier Total: 8
Combo Duration: 2”73 seconds
Hit count: 7 hits
Archdemon Mode-only Moves:
Demon Flurry I, Demon Flurry II, Demon Flurry III
Motion Value Total: 168
Element Multiplier Total: 18.2
Combo Duration: 4”33 seconds
Hit count: 17 hits
Demon Mode-only Moves:
Blade Dance (Demon Mode)
Motion Value Total: 142
Element Multiplier Total: 15.4
Combo Duration: 3”90 seconds
Hit count: 16 hits
Demon Fangs, Twofold Demon Slash, Sixfold Demon Slash
Motion Value Total: 92
Element Multiplier Total: 8.4
Combo Duration: 2”40 seconds
Hit count: 9 hits
Switch Skill Moves:
Demon Flight, Midair Roundslash
Motion Value Total: 90
Element Multiplier Total: 5.8
Combo Duration: 2”21 seconds
Hit count: 6 hits
Demon Flight, Aerial Demon Flurry, Midair Roundslash
Motion Value Total: 134
Element Multiplier Total: 10.8
Combo Duration: 3”47 seconds
Hit count: 10 hits
Demon Flurry Rush
Motion Value Total: 42
Element Multiplier Total: 6.4
Combo Duration: 1”27 seconds
Hit count: 6 hits
Feral Demon Mode
Motion Value Total: 26
Element Multiplier Total: 4.0
Combo Duration: 1”00 seconds
Hit count: 4 hits
Piercing Bind
Combo Duration: 5”73 seconds
Check the Piercing Bind combo below for more details.
Roundslash
Motion Value Total: 27
Element Multiplier Total: 3
Hit count: 3 hits
Slide Slash
Motion Value Total: 32
Element Multiplier Total: 2
Hit count: 2 hits
Spiral Slash
Motion Value Total: 125
Element Multiplier Total: 14.4
Combo Duration: 3”17 seconds
Hit count: 12 hits
Shrouded Vault:
- Hold Middle Click + Right Click
Requires Switch Skill Shrouded Vault equipped
Shrouded Vault is simple to explain and use; it's a quick dodge forward that costs one Wirebug and takes 15 seconds to refill the Wirebug gauge. If an attack connects anywhere near you while you're doing it, you'll do some retaliatory hits as you move. It's a wonderful, cost-effective tool to avoid some damage while also dealing out damage. It is also why I recommend learning where extra Wirebugs are on the maps. If an opposing monster has a follow-up to their attack, Shrouded Vault will fail.
Shrouded Vault Invincibility Frames GIF (30 FPS) by Pafti
Ironshine Silk:
- Hold Middle Click + Right Click
Requires Switch Skill Ironshine Silk equipped
Once the hunter reaches the halfway point of Master Rank 4, two new skills become available that dramatically change the meta. Ironshine Silk is a utility buff that hunters can use to deal with Sharpness woes. The user does a very quick animation, grinding both weapons on a whetstone on their back which refills 30 hits of the Sharpness Gauge. For the following 45-seconds, the hunter breaks the laws of Sharpening and with the use of every invincibility frame that comes into contact with a harmful hitbox, the hunter refills another 30 hits of the Sharpness Gauge! Under the hands of a veteran, this tool is bonkers!
If you’ve gotten used to Monster Hunter Rise’s Dual Blades’ mechanics, you would be surprised with how many times you take advantage of their invincibility frames. Shrouded Vault, which can be placed on the alternate scroll, uses invincibility frames to trigger a riposte. Demon Flight has two sets of invincibility frames, both before and after the pogo jump. Though the timing is very short, dodging also has its own invincibility frames. Each and every one of these abilities are vital tools in the Dual Blades’ arsenal and this skill rewards superb gameplay. Another amazing fact of the skill is that the Wirebug regenerates in just under 7 seconds.
Learning this tech is vital to the endgame meta when considering that some of our strongest builds teeters on Purple Sharpness. I’m not telling you that you can just dodge bullets. I’m saying that when you’re ready, the bullets will sharpen your weapon for you.
Aerial Demon continuous combo:
- -> “Air, Delay,” -> -> “Land,” -> -> “Repeat”
- Right Click -> “Air, Delay,” -> Left Click -> “Land,” Left Click -> Left Click -> “Repeat”
Moves: Demon Flight -> Aerial Demon Flurry -> Midair Roundslash -> Rising Slash -> Demon Fangs -> etc.
Motion Value Total: 110 (skip Aerial Demon Flurry) or 154
Element Multiplier Total: 7.8 (skip Aerial Demon Flurry) or 12.8
Combo Duration: 3”13 seconds (skip Aerial Demon Flurry) or 4”27 seconds
Hit count: 8 hits (skip Aerial Demon Flurry) or 12 hits
Requires Switch Skill Demon Flight equipped
This is Dual Blades’ new bread and butter. It’s fast and can reach those tough-to-itch spots. The user leaps forward, hopscotches into the air where the user may reposition directions, add a few additional hits by pressing /Left Click, then land on the ground. This combo can be instantly repeated by either pressing /Left Click twice or dodging. Skipping Aerial Demon Flurry allows hunters to immediately go into Midair Round Slash, then back onto the ground to start the combo again. If in the air in Archdemon Mode or standard stance, the hunter can transform, which may be safer than transforming on the ground.
The movement of this combo is reminiscent of Insect Glaive tech, turning Dual Blades into a completely different beast than what it was in the past. The damage of both Demon Flight and Midair Roundslash is fairly high, and the momentum of the combo is adjustable. If the monster is docile, skipping the Aerial Demon Flurry for a faster turn-around time will output quicker damage. If the monster is attacking and the hunter is feeling confident, they may go into the combo and utilize Aerial Demon Flurry’s invincibility frames to continue dealing damage through the incoming attack.
Giga… Drill… BREAKER!
- -> or ->
- Right Click -> Hold Middle Click + Left Click or Hold Middle Click + Left Click -> Left Click
Moves: Demon Flight -> Aerial Demon Flurry (skip) -> Spiral Slash or Spiral Slash -> Demon Fangs
Motion Value Total: 185 (Aerial Spiral) or 136 (Ground Spiral)
Element Multiplier Total: 19.4 (Aerial Spiral) or 15.4 (Ground Spiral)
Combo Duration: 5”02 seconds (Aerial Spiral) or 3”67 seconds (Ground Spiral)
Hit count: 16 hits (Aerial Spiral) or 13 hits (Ground Spiral)
Requires Switch Skill Spiral Slash equipped (additionally Demon Flight too)
Whether it’s impossible or laughable… Great hunters open up paths to victory! If their head is as hard as stone, we break it down! If there is no opening, we make ones with our hands! The heart’s magma burns with flames! We are Monster Hunters! Who the hell do you think we are!?
The heaven piercing drill from MHGU returns, fueling hunters with a hot, fiery passion, burning holes straight through our enemies, and right into the Quest Complete screen! For the move to land, it requires the hunter’s hitbox to come into contact with a Hit Zone of 45 or greater. When it collides, it starts an eleven hit combo and deals tons of Element and/or Status damage. Be careful; if the user misses, they will be sent across the arena. Spiral Slash can be done either from the ground or midair. For a quick turn around while the monster is down, use Spiral Slash, followed by Demon Fangs and repeat. This form is called “Ground Spiral.” If the user is worried about the positioning of the target, the hunter can use Demon Flight and aim Spiral Slash downwards. Be aware that Midair Roundslash cannot be used prior to Spiral Slash. This second form is named “Aerial Spiral.”
The new meta damage strategy is to mix and mash these depending on the monster’s position and if the targeted hitbox is safe to use Spiral Slash on. Weave your wirebugs into an everlasting combination and create the door that leads to the morrow!
Spin to Win continuous combo:
- -> -> -> “Repeat”
- Right Click -> Left Click -> Left Click -> “Repeat”
Moves: Demon Flurry Rush -> Rising Slash -> Demon Fangs -> etc.
Motion Value Total: 62 (continuous) or 143 (Sixfold Demon Slash)
Element Multiplier Total: 8.4 (continuous) or 15.8 (Sixfold Demon Slash)
Combo Duration: 2”33 seconds (continuous) or 3”95 (Sixfold Demon Slash)
Hit count: 8 hits (continuous) or 16 hits (Sixfold Demon Slash)
Requires Switch Skill Demon Flurry Rush equipped
The classic bread and butter, this move is very fun to use and has superb positioning. Hunters can constantly reposition and dodge around the monster, whether it's to get to its rear side or to dodge an incoming attack.
This combo has undergone significant improvements in the recent updates, making it a strong option in most matchups. Dual Blades' combat technique heavily relies on Spiral Slash, and having a fast and easily controllable positioning tool proves extremely useful.
The effectiveness of this move is particularly enhanced by Berserk sets, which provides infinite stamina through Strife and allows hunters to swiftly maneuver around the monster and maintain an advantage during battle. Note that this attack does not provide any invincibility frames, so it is best paired up with Shrouded Vault.
Like a customizable Beyblade (click link for earworm), this move is exceptionally modular. Whether pressing /Left Click twice or thrice will allow hunters to repeat the combo, pressing it four times to go straight into Sixfold Demon Slash when it’s safe, preparing a Piercing Bind, or dodging for ultimate maneuverability, it’s time to let it rip!
Piercing Bind combo:
- -> or “Demon Flurry Rush,” ->
- Hold Middle Click + Left Click -> Space or “Demon Flurry Rush,” -> Left Click + Right Click
Moves: Piercing Bind Application -> Demon Slash Dodge or Demon Flurry Rush -> Blade Dance (Demon Mode)
Motion Value Total: 219 (16 hits, no Affinity) + 160 (dodge) or 194 (Demon Flurry Rush)
Element Multiplier Total: 17.4 (dodge) or 21.8 (Demon Flurry Rush)
Combo Duration: 6”73 seconds (dodge) or 7”33 seconds (Demon Flurry Rush)
Hit count: 20 hits and 16 ticks (dodge) or 24 hits and 16 ticks (Demon Flurry Rush)
Requires Switch Skill Piercing Bind equipped (additionally Demon Flurry Rush too)
Our main Raw damage source is Piercing Bind. This is a rather difficult move to land but is deceptively strong if you can get the work in. To begin with, Piercing Bind is only affected by Raw damage. Affinity and Element are not added to the damage. The way Piercing Bind works is that every attack after the monster contracts the application, the part the application landed on is dealt a small amount of damage. After six seconds, an explosion triggers. This explosion’s base damage is increased by 5 Motion Values for every attack landed. The average hits the user can inflict at this time is about 16 attacks.
According to the Dual Blades speedrunner yuki, the combos presented here are the strongest options available. Though not mentioned in the combo listed, users can also use the transformation to get close enough to inflict a successful Blade Dance. Feral Demon Mode has a Motion Value of 26 and an Element Multiplier of 4. Depending on the monster, using Heavenly Blade Dance can be a fairly effective way in increasing the number of triggers. Demon Flurry Rush is the superior choice for getting as many hits in as possible. One last thing to mention: Sets with higher Raw damage will get the most use out of this combo. That should be obvious, but not all sets listed have a mega-high Raw value.
Spine Rider:
- “Air, in Demon Mode/Feral Demon Mode,” “towards the monster’s head or tail when they’re facing towards or away from the user’s position”
- “Air, in Demon Mode/Feral Demon Mode,” Right Click “towards the monster’s head or tail when they’re facing towards or away from the user’s position”
Moves: Heavenly Blade Dance
Motion Value Total: 54
Element Multiplier Total: 7.0
The Spine Rider is one of the coolest new moves available to Dual Blade users. Hunters inspired to model after Levi Ackerman will want to learn this technique. With the transition from MHW to MHR, this was another move that was nerfed. A necessary evil, as the move has become super easy to land with the inclusion of the Switch Skill Demon Flight. It was also probably too strong in MHW anyways. It destroyed parade floats like Kulve Taroth.
To talk about its practicality, it is best used to reposition to the monster’s best Hit Zones. It no longer deals enough damage to be relevant as an attack, but it can help when the monster is down and you're stuck between its hind legs.
Rising Falcon:
- “In Archdemon Mode,” -> -> or
- “In Archdemon Mode,” Right Click -> Right Click -> Left Click or Right Click
Moves: Demon Flight -> Aerial Demon Flurry (skip) -> Midair Spinning Blade Dance (skip) -> Spinning Blade Dance Finisher
Motion Value Total: 164
Element Multiplier: 9.2
Combo Duration: 3”00 seconds
Hit count: 10 hits
Requires Switch Skill Demon Flight equipped
Straight out of Lloyd Irving’s moveset, we have the unruly, ridiculously high-damaging Rising Falcon. This tool is bloody amazing for repositioning, and the loss of Demon Mode and Feral Demon Mode’s damage percentage buffs are made up by its speed, upward midair invincibility frames, and damage. If a monster is walling you from hopping over it and a weak Hit Zone is available, unload most of your entire Demon Gauge using this move. This utterly destroys Narwa by kicking them in the... Sac. Huh. Moving on...
Majority of the damage inflicted by this is based on Raw damage. Archdemon’s new 20% Element boost pushes the damage of this attack even further. Unlike Demon Mode/Feral Demon Mode’s version which requires two Left/Right Roundslashs if the hunter misses, Archdemon Mode only requires one. The hunter can quickly recover and repeat the combo.
How to Flash Bomb:
- "Sheathed,”
- "Sheathed,” E
Okay, does this need a spot? Yes, it does. Sometimes hunters get knocked back and have a near-cart experience. Instincts kick in, "gotta heal!" The monster says "not today," and sends the hunter packing. In these cases, Flash Bombs are your friend. They stagger the monster and may save a cart.
Recommendation: Before starting a hunt, go into the Item Box and manually sort the inventory so that Flash Bombs are the first spot. This way, the hunter doesn't have to scroll every time they want to use one. Remember to save the Item Loadout!
Flash Bombs should not be spammed. This is irritating for everyone in multiplayer. They are situational and should be used as such. If a player is about to cart, use Life Powder or Dust of Life. Monster is near death and is trying to retreat? Flash it. Is Rathalos in the air? Use it, it causes them to fall. Umm... Don't use it on Bazelgeuse though when it's starting its bombing attack. It causes it to instantly crash and is more likely to cart someone who isn't expecting it.
“Don’t listen to Pilgrim. Flashing Bazel is a great idea.”
4.4 - Cheat Sheet
We understand that there are a lot of sets and differing monster weaknesses, and some folk just want to pick a few favorites and leave it at that. For you, simply look at the color chosen in the second column and pick one of the appropriate Element sets. Otherwise, the cells suggest the recommended sets and the optimal Rampage Decoration.
Monster | Optimal Dual Blades | Rampage Decoration | Prioritized Weak Points |
Great Izuchi | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail Tip, Tail, Forelegs, Torso |
Great Baggi | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head, Body, Tail |
Kulu-Ya-Ku | Mud Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail, Forelegs, “Pot,” Torso |
Great Wroggi | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Head, Body, Tail |
Arzuros | Glistening Snow Claws | Fanged Exploit | Rear, Head, Abdomen, Hind Legs, Upper Half |
Lagombi | Magma Shredders | Fanged Exploit | Rear, Head |
Volvidon | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, rolling Body, Upper Half, Back |
Aknosom | Mud Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Wing, Head, Crest |
Royal Ludroth | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Mane, Abdomen, Head |
Barroth | Magma Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Forelegs, unmuddied Tail |
Daimyo Hermitaur | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head |
Khezu | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head, Neck, Torso, broken Legs |
Tetranadon | Double Discharge | Anti-Aquatic Species | Head, Foreleg, inflated Torso, Neck |
Bishaten | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Head, Tail |
Blood Orange Bishaten | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, Tail |
Pukei-Pukei | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tongue, Tail, Wings, Legs |
Jyuratodus | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail, Legs |
Basarios | Gila Ro Waga // Shangri-La/Hades | Wyvern Species | Broken Abdomen, heated Head, heated Back |
Somnacanth | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Tail, Head, Neck, Forelegs |
Aurora Somnacanth | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head Fin, Head, Neck |
Rathian | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Wing, Tail |
Gold Rathian | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Broken/Incandescent Head, Tail Tip |
Barioth | Magma Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail Tip, Tail |
Tobi-Kadachi | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, Neck, Tail, Torso, Back |
Magnamalo | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Armblades, Tailblade, fiery Forelegs, fiery Back |
Scorned Magnamalo | Mud Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Forelegs, Armblades, fiery Tail |
Anjanath | Mud Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Snout, Head, Tail, Wings, broken Legs |
Nargacuga | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail, enraged Tail Tip |
Lucent Nargacuga | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Head, Tail, Tail Tip |
Mizutsune | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, bubbly Neck, bubbly Tail, bubbly Dorsal Fin |
Violet Mizutsune | Glistening Snow Claws | Wyvern Exploit | Head |
Goss Harag | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Ice Clumps, Head, Forelegs |
Garangolm | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head, Arms |
Shogun Ceanataur | Double Discharge | Anti-Aquatic Species | Head, Shell Flesh |
Rathalos | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Wing, Tail |
Silver Rathalos | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Wings, Broken/Incandescent Head, Tail Tip |
Almudron | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Tail Tip, Mudbulb, Tail, Head |
Magma Almudron | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, Forelegs, Tail Tip, burning Hind Legs |
Zinogre | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Back, Head, Hind Legs, charged Hip |
Lunagaron | Magma Shredders | Wyvern Exploit | Head, icey Foreleg, icey Abdomen |
Astalos | Glistening Snow Claws | Wyvern Exploit | Crest, Neck, charged Wing, charged Tail Tip |
Espinas | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Enraged Head, enraged Abdomen, enraged Tail |
Flaming Espinas | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Enraged Abdomen, enraged Head, enraged Tail |
Gore Magala | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Tail, Neck |
Chaotic Gore Magala | Gila Ro Waga // Shangri-La/Hades | Anti-Aerial Species | Head, Antenna, Tail, Foreleg, Neck |
Seregios | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail |
Tigrex | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Forelegs, Tail |
Diablos | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Abdomen, Head, Tail |
Rakna-Kadaki | Glistening Snow Claws | Magnamalo Soul | Head, unraveled Abdomen |
Pyre Rakna-Kadaki | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, unraveled Abdomen, threaded Legs |
Kushala Daora | Double Discharge | Anti-Aerial Species | Head, Forelegs |
Risen Kushala Daora | Double Discharge | Anti-Aerial Species | Head, Forelegs |
Chameleos | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head, Forelegs, enraged Abdomen |
Risen Chameleos | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Head, Forelegs, enraged Abdomen |
Teostra | Mud Shredders | Anti-Aerial Species | Head |
Risen Teostra | Mud Shredders | Anti-Aerial Species | Head |
Malzeno | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Forelegs, bloodening Tail Tip |
Primordial Malzeno | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Forelegs, bloodening Tail Tip |
Shagaru Magala | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Neck |
Risen Shagaru Magala | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Neck |
Velkhana | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Foreleg, Head |
Rajang | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Head, rampaging Tail, Torso, calmed Forelegs |
Furious Rajang | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Head, rampaging Tail, Torso, calmed Forelegs |
Bazelgeuse | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail, Body |
Seething Bazelgeuse | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Tail, Head, Abdomen |
Wind Serpent Ibushi | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Chest, Head, Wingarm, Back, Tail Tip |
Narwa the Allmother | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Abdomen, Head, Tail Tip, Wingarm, Chest, Head, Back |
Crimson Glow Valstrax | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, charging Chest, Wingarms, Tail |
Risen Crimson Glow Valstrax | Mud Shredders | Elembane | Head, charging Chest, Wingarms, Tail |
Gaismagorm | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Tail Tip |
Amatsu | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Foreleg |
Apex Arzuros | Magma Shredders | Elembane | Forelegs, Head |
Apex Rathian | Gila Ro Waga | Elembane | Head, Tail |
Apex Mizutsune | Double Discharge | Wyvern Exploit | Head, Tail, Neck, Dorsal Fin |
Apex Rathalos | Gila Ro Waga // Shangri-La/Hades | Anti-Aerial Species | Head, enraged Neck, Tail |
Apex Diablos | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Head, Tail Tip, Horn, Neck, Tail |
Apex Zinogre | Daora’s Ventus | Elembane | Back, Head, charged Forelegs, uncharged Hind Leg |
4.5 - Frequently Asked Questions
Q: "Should I go Raw or Element?"
A: To quote myself from the introduction, "Dual Blades are designed to utilize Element damage." In the Sunbreak expansion, the developers designed the game to reward experienced and knowledgeable hunters to develop their sets around the typing of the monster. A monster is at its weakest when faced against the appropriate Element. If it has a good and easily accessible Element Hit Zone, the Rampage decoration for Element Exploit is better. If it is a specific monster species, equip the appropriate Species Exploit.
Q: "What if I want just one set?"
A: Stop it.
Q: “I don’t like Ironshine Silk.”
A: If that’s the case, you should remove some of the damage-related skills that are recommended on the endgame sets for either Razor Sharp/Master’s Touch or Protective Polish. If the set has only two to four slivers of Sharpness, run Protective Polish. Otherwise, Razor Sharp/Master’s Touch takes priority.
Q: "What's my skill priority?"
A: In general for a mixed build, Sharpness comfort (durability should be 60 hits minimum with Master’s Touch Lv3 or 210 hits minimum), Element Attack Lv1-5, Mail of Hellfire Lv1-3, Element Exploit Lv1-3, Teostra Blessing/Kushala Blessing Lv1-2, Burst Lv1-3, Weakness Exploit Lv1-3, Critical Element Lv1-3, Powder Mantle Lv1, Critical Eye Lv1-7, Critical Boost Lv1-3, Coalescence Lv1 & Hellfire Cloak Lv3-4, Attack Boost Lv4, Blood Awakening Lv1-3, Latent Power Lv1 (if no other Affinity boosting skills reach beyond 90%), Coalescence Lv2-3, Mind’s Eye Lv1-3 or Sneak Attack Lv1-3, Agitator Lv1-4, Attack Boost Lv5-7, Attack Boost Lv1-3, then Agitator Lv5.
Q: "I found a better set!"
A: There's always room to improve with your own talismans and preferences. These are just our recommendations for places to start making endgame Dual Blades’ sets.
Q: "I saw a speedrunner using X."
A: I appreciate the extreme proficiency runners have with their weapons, but you shouldn't assume that the builds they use are the best possible builds because the said runner is using it. Use math and what applies to you to decide what you should build instead of simply copying that runner. They may be fighting with a different philosophy for that specific hunt.
Q: “I like to use X set/skill.”
A: There is no wrong way to play. If you're having fun, you don't have to adjust to the uniform meta. Some people like to play in their own unique ways. As long as you're having fun, that's ok! That being said, if you're coming to a set guide for validation in your personal sets, I can’t really help you.
Q: “Should I use Flinch Free?”
A: Completely up to you. As explained in the 2.0 - READ ME BEFORE LOOKING AT SETS, Demon Mode has built-in Flinch Free Lv1. It will only be useful in the other stances. It is a valuable skill.
Q: “Dual Blades love to dodge! Why aren’t the sets using Evade Extender?”
A: Evade Extender actually may make playing Dual Blades worse. You can absolutely get used to it, but more often than not, you will overshoot your destination.
Q: “Dual Blades love to dodge! Why aren’t the sets using Evade Window?”
A: Evade Window works super effectively if you’re dodging through attacks while using Ironshine Silk. The added invincibility frames ensure that you will never drop a Sharpness tier, so if you can fit it in, fantastic! For sets using Adrenaline Rush or Status Trigger, it is advised to have Evade Window Lv2-3.
Q: “When do I unlock layered weapons?”
A: You… Can! With Title Update 2, layered weapons are now available. It is believed to be unlocked when the hunter reaches Master Rank 10.
Q: "Should I use Fortify?"
A: Not initially, but it is absolutely worth using post-cart. Unlike MHW, hunters may equip a Fortify Jewel after carting and receive its full benefits. Link to gaijinhunter’s video.
Q: "Why is Sharpness such a big deal?"
A: It is because each tier of Sharpness increases Raw and Element via a multiplier. Getting to white is going to be the best source of damage for a lot of meta options. Sharpness loss mitigation is required because Dual Blades eat through Sharpness as an owl goes through tootsie pops. If you want to stay at your optimal Sharpness levels without stopping to sharpen too often, you're going to need the appropriate armor skills.
Q: “I have some Lv1 slots still empty. What should I add?”
A: I recommend Intrepid Heart, Spiribird’s Call, Defiance, Flinch Free Lv1, Speed Sharpening, and Stun Resistance.
Q: “How is Mind’s Eye? I heard it received a damage buff.”
A: You are correct! It did receive a damage buff. This skill is very strong and I do recommend it when there is room in a set. Mind’s Eye is capable of turning bad Hit Zones into normal Hit Zones. With how unwieldy Dual Blades can be, Mind’s Eye subtly persuades the wielder to be more aggressive and to worry less about where they’re aiming. If adding it into your set, prioritize Mind’s Eye Lv1 or Lv3. Lv2’s buff is fairly insignificant.
Q: “Should we be using Sneak Attack?”
A: Yeah, definitely! No reason not to use it. It is easily accessible now. If you think you will do better with it, it is a definitive recommendation!
Q: “Should we be maxing Blood Rite, Partbreaker, and/or Blood Awakening?”
A: That is mostly up to you. In some matchups, Blood Awakening is amazing. In others like the Elder trio, it is mostly useless. The Standard sets do indeed max out these skills, but they are extras in Berserk and Bloodlust sets.
Q: “Why aren’t we using Dragon Conversion?”
A: The skill is strong but requires a lot of maintenance to get it running. Its strength only matches the typical set when Dragon Conversion Lv2’s Element Resistance buff is active, which requires the hunter to hit something 45 times in Blue Scroll, then swap to Red Scroll. The moment the hunter leaves Red Scroll, they must repeat this. This interaction effectively locks the hunter to Red Scroll. In other words, it isn’t worth it. On the other hand, there are the Dragonheart sets. Check Shangri-La/Hades and Gila Ro Waga for more information.
Q: "Where's Constitution, Stamina Surge, Marathon Runner, Power Prolonger, Furious, and Heaven-Sent?"
A: All comfort skills. Considering you still get access to some strong moves and movement options with Archdemon mode, there's no reason to use these instead of damage options. Remember, these are templates; If you wish to add comfort to your build, you are free to do so.
Q: "Should I be using Dash Juice?"
A: Up to you. I personally feel like Palicos with "Go, Fight, Win" is enough stamina cost reduction to help get through a fight. Dash Juice certainly helps, though.
Q: “Why aren't dual-element/status Dual Blades the meta? The values are so high!”
A: Monster Hunter’s presentation is misleading in how dual-elements work. You see, each blade has its own Element, so this effectively cuts those high values in half. It sounds cool at first as monsters like Rathian, who is weak to Dragon and Thunder, should be extra weak to a pair of Dragon and Thunder Dual Blades. Rathian is actually weaker to Dragon, so the Thunder portion falls behind. A set of pure Dragon Dual Blades will be more effective. Saying this, there is a new weapon named Kaktus Ehrgeiz that ignores these laws. This weapon is good.
Q: "What Dango should I eat for?"
A: There is a wide variety of options for Dango with no real definitive set. When set to a higher level, the Dango may become significantly less likely to trigger, even with a Gourmet Voucher. In this case, we will just recommend them based on what the hunter should think about prioritizing. For offensive Dango, Dango Booster (“Mint-iature”) is strong. At higher levels, the hunter gains a bigger boost at the cost of it being slightly less likely to trigger and for the buff to end in eight minutes instead of ten. Even Lv1 is good. Dango Fighter (“Invigorating”) acts like Constitution and is a welcome add-on for Dual Blades. Dango Weakener (“Spud-luck”) enforces the varying health pool of the monster to be 80% to 100% instead of 80% to 120%. For defensive options, there are lots to pick from. The primary defensive option is Dango Moxie (“Magnacrisp”). It will prevent the hunter from carting to high-damaging attacks. There is also Dango Shifter (“Easy-Breezy”). When the hunter scroll swaps, they gain a chunk of health. Dango Super Recovery (“Hide-and-Seek”) when maxed, recovers the hunter’s HP over time. This is a wonderful addition to anyone using Berserk sets. Dango Medic (Hi) (“Analeptic”) buffs Gourmet Fish, Mega Potions, and Sushifish, improving the consumables efficiently. Finally, another major recommendation is Dango Bird Caller (“Chirp Chirp”). When mixed with the armor skill Spiribird’s Call, it can double up the amount of boosts a hunter receives each minute, making it both a fantastic offensive and defensive option!
Q: “Which Petalace should I be using?”
A: Demon Petalace III or Absolute Petalace. Petalaces don’t buff the character immediately, but they increase the stat buffs you receive from Spiribirds. To get the most out of your weapon, prioritize Demon Petalace III. With Master Rank quests, the target monsters have become much stronger and can potentially two-shot you. If you are having difficulties with any quest, it is recommended to use the Absolute Petalace. Go grab some Green Spiribirds to improve your vitality.
Conclusion - Pilgrim’s Parting Words
So… it has been quite the two years, hasn’t it? The road was long, but here we are, our final struggle together.
The truth is… I have been burned out for a while now. I have given the guide and you everything I had. This article has been my great love letter to the series, its creators, and to its community— from the very moment I struggled against that Yian Kut-Ku eighteen years ago, all the way to the guide’s conclusion. To say I didn’t enjoy the journey is a fallacy. I did. Yet, I have lost track of the number of hours I spent learning the formulas, programming calculators, figuring out untested in-game values, writing the guide, testing each possible build, strange reddit and gaming politics... Ugh, I digress. You honestly don’t really need to know. As a sane person would expect, doing this on no budget and only with the kind donations from friends and strangers, through sheer grit, and real-life stresses from two jobs, family, university, and failing friendships and relationships, the time I spent guide writing has not been a comfy ride and admittedly has been the source of a lot of grief.
Throughout my personal life’s journey, I learned that whatever I choose to do, that choice is mine. I own it and am completely responsible for it. I will put my all into it because you deserve the best from me, and I deserve the best from myself. No matter how it changes my life, I will struggle and press forward. I feel responsible for you, and I do indeed take that responsibility seriously. And besides— I did not walk the journey alone. You were there.
This is the last time we walk this road together. The good and difficult times, I treasure them all. It is astonishing how many passionate and brilliant people are a part of this community. In the guide, I see how many hunters are reading and cannot help but be floored by the number of times Google has told me it cannot deal with the document’s population. It feels very much like I’m there, fighting alongside you. You are amazing. I am so proud of you. As we reach our destination, do not be overcome to the emptiness that follows. Instead, let it be a shining memory of your great achievements in-game and in real life. The proof of heroism lies not within the feat, nor the choice to act. It is found in the love and happiness of why you acted in the first place. By seeking enjoyment in improving yourself and cooperating with others, your ability to prevail over monsters in whichever shape or form they come in, and embracing a world transformed with new understanding, you have taken steps towards an even greater journey in your everyday life.
One more time. You got this. I believe in you. This guide represents Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’s complete endgame state and my final gift to you. The beautiful sun has risen, the wintry tempest lulled. Like the sparrow, I leave this hall to wander once again, having faith that the time I spent with you has been meaningful. I hope mi camino may cross paths with yours again in a way neither of us expect but we both wish for. Until then… It has been an absolute honor to have hunted by your side!
¡Buen camino! Sincerely, a nameless pilgrim.
Credits
Pilgrim2092, the writer-thing; I did all the programming of the calculator and the math and the testing and the most of the writing and the general outline and the build cards and the gifs and the temporary images and the of the of the of the guide,
July, for making the appropriate recommendations, testing, and general advice,
KreaTV1, for helping with guide edits, special thanks for sending me all the links that allowed me to prepare the guide early,
Slott, for some fantastic investigative work post-guide release and general recommendations,
Bro4U, for testing unusual mechanics and memes,
Cartiledge, for helping add several features to the calculator,
T3h Phish, for minor edits and controls in Section 4.3,
Refia❤, for their support,
Asteroid, Diro, Kino, July, Mercosian, Vale, for carrying me to the endgame of Sunbreak,
dtlnor, for being a datamining god and his talisman sheet,
Pafti, for providing a nice gif to showcase the counter frames of Shrouded Vault and for being a great source of feedback to Phish for the build cards,
Neco, for helping with the earlier monster matchup cards,
The mhrise.wiki and GameCat teams for their amazing applications,
Robomeche’s database, a great resource for looking up monster data quickly,
Bro4U, yuki, gaijin hunter, Boomstick Gaming, Jameserton, the Lord of the Rings movies, Kentaro Miura, and late 90’s/early 2000’s Saturday morning cartoons, for references,
Kiranico, MHRice, for their edited images of monsters from the hunter’s notes and for being a great database for all things Monster Hunter Rise,
The Monster Hunter Gathering Hall Discord Server, for being an excellent gathering place of knowledgeable and friendly hunters,
The Monster Hunter team and Capcom, for working on this masterpiece of gaming entertainment,
and readers like you. Thank you. <3
