In Monster Hunter Rise, players will have access to 14 different types of weapons. These vary greatly, ranging from massive swords that may as well be blunt weapons like the Greatsword, a typical Sword and Shield, or even the gun-like Light Bowguns. During the recent demo, players had the ability to choose between any of these 14 weapon types as they embarked on one of four quests with their friends, but one reigned as the most popular above all the others by a long shot. The Longsword was the most used weapon during the demo's runtime, with a whopping 19.1% of players choosing it over any other option.
The Longsword is a weapon that has been in Monster Hunter since Monster Hunter 2 in 2006, so it comes as no surprise that it is returning for Monster Hunter Rise. This long and narrow blade is capable of dealing heavy damage at a decently long range for a melee weapon, and as an added bonus it still has great mobility when compared to other large weapons like the Greatsword or Hammer.
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Considering that there are 14 different types of weapons in Monster Hunter Rise, one might expect each weapon to see use around 7% of the time if all things were equal, but these statistics show that all things certainly aren't. The Longsword sits with a comfortable lead in first place at 19.1%, but second place goes to the Greatsword weapon. Another iconic choice, this has been available since the very first Monster Hunter game ever released, yet only 9.7% of players opted to bring it into battle with them.
Finally, third place goes to the beloved and often misunderstood Hunting Horn weapon. Right behind the Great Sword, 9.6% of players used the Hunting Horn during their quests, a statistic that will likely surprise long time fans of the series. Despite its usefulness, it isn't often that players will run into someone using a Hunting Horn in an online lobby, mostly because they are primarily a support weapon. To use them effectively requires a great deal of skill in the ability to juggle dealing damage to the monster with a somewhat unwieldy weapon and providing buffs for the team.
Regarding why the Longsword's popularity is so incredible, Capcom admits that it is a very cool weapon. Stylistically speaking, the Longsword feels great to play and is a lot of fun to look at. What's more, it is a very beginner friendly weapon, as newcomers to the franchise can use it well while veterans can draw out even more potential from it.
Monster Hunter Rise releases on March 26th for Nintendo Switch.
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