Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield Build Guide: Best Weapons, Skills, and Armor

Monster Hunter Rise has plenty of weapons to choose from, depending on how you want to play. Whether you want to get up close and personal or attack them from a distance, there’s a damage dealer for you. Here’s the best Sword and Shield build in Monster Hunter Rise. 

How to Make the Best Sword and Shield Build in Monster Hunter Rise 

Sword and Shield weapons focus on fast attacks and automatic guard. However, the downside is that they have a very short attack range. With that being said, it’s a great option for MHR beginners. Sword and Shield builds are fast and agile, and can perform some great combos. Another big plus to that you can use items while holding the weapons. This is extremely helpful when you’re fighting stronger monsters. 

Best Sword and Shield Build Weapon to Choose

The main part of this build is obviously the Sword and Shield that you’ll be using. While you might want to change what you’re using depending on the elemental weakness of the monster, we’ll be covering the best all-around weapon. 

The best Sword and Shield weapon is the Naab Sword. Although it doesn’t have an element, it has an ATK of 310 and 10% in Affinity. This emphasizes high DPS, and the Affinity will increase your Crit-rate. To get the Naab Sword, you’ll need the following materials:

• Seregios Scraper+ ×6.
• Seregios Slavescale+ ×4.
• Ceanataur Shell ×2.
• Seregios Impaler+ ×1.

Best Sword and Shield Build Skills and Switch Skills

For this Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield build, I’m not going to do anything crazy. Instead, we’ll just focus on complementing what Swords and Shields are naturally good at. They have a high DPS and Crit rate, so there’s no better skill than Critical Eye.

It’s a common skill in many armors and boosts your Crit-rate and Affinity. You’ll also need the Razor Sharp skill since it prevents your weapon from losing sharpness. Get it to Level 3 to activate 50% of the time, making your sword last much longer. 

There are also switch skills to consider, and I recommend using the Sliding Slash. This is a sliding attack that will hit the target twice, and allow you to do a jumping attack afterward. It’s great for starting a combo and deals some good damage by itself. 

Another switch skill that would be good for this build is Advancing Slash. This has more versatility since you can cancel out of it more easily. This also makes it easier to use quick hit-and-run tactics if you don’t want to do a full combo yet.

Best Armor for Your MHR Sword and Shield Build

For the armor, we’ll want to go with the entire Valstrax armor set. This will increase your attack, Crit rate, and sharpening. This means you’ll be dishing out a lot of damage fast without wearing out your weapon. Here are the materials you’ll need for the whole set:

Valstrax Helm

• Gleaming Shell ×5.
• Rakna-Kadaki Glowgut ×2.
• Valstrax Claw+ ×2.
• Crimson Liquid ×2.

Valstrax Mail

• Shimmering Scale ×6.
• Magna Soulprism ×2.
• Valstrax Spineshell ×2.
• Rouge Spikewing ×2.

Valstrax Braces

• Shimmering Scale ×6.
• Teostra Powder ×2.
• Valstrax Claw+ ×2.
• Valstrax Spineshell ×2.

Valstrax Coil

• Gleaming Shell ×6.
• Bazelgeuse Fuse ×2.
• Crimson Liquid ×2.
• Rouge Spikewing ×2.

Valstrax Greaves

• Gleaming Shell ×5.
• Valstrax Claw+ ×3.
• Valstrax Tail ×2.
• Red Dragon Orb ×1.

Along with armor, you can also equip a talisman. These don’t add any additional defense; however, they do confer an extra skill. Keep in mind, though, that the skill is random. If you have a talisman that has an attack or critical boost, choose that for this build.

How to Use the Sword and Shield Build Effectively

The main goal for this Sword and Shield build is to do long combos for high DPS and get a lot of critical hits for even more damage. I like to start a combo off with the Sliding Slash skill that puts you in the perfect position for a jumping attack. 

You’ll want to run in quickly, deal as much damage as you can, and evade and guard after your combo. If you do end up taking damage, you’ll be able to heal without having to sheath your weapons. 

Another great attack to start a combo is Silkbind and Shield Bash. Silkbind lets you close the gap and has the ability to stun the monster, leaving them open for more attacks. The key is to backhop after your combo to evade attacks and then dash back in with Silkbind and Shieldbash. This is perfect for bigger monsters since you can’t as easily mash attacks.

Best High Rank Sword and Shield Build in MHR

For those looking to take on the strongest monsters, you’ll need the best high-rank gear. If you want to take your hunting to the next level, you’ll want the Flash in the Night Sword and Shield. It has a base ATK of 300 and 30% in Affinity when fully leveled up. To get the Flash and Night, you’ll need to upgrade the Hidden Edge II with the following materials:

• Rakna-Kadaki Carapace x 3.
• Nargacuga+ x 15 points.
• Narga Medulla x 1.

As for the armor set, we’ll stay with the full Valstrax Set since it offers the best attack and critical boost. For the Talisman, you’ll want one that has either an attack or critical boost skill, as well. This build deals as much damage as possible with a high DPS and Affinity. It also has great mobility, allowing you to dodge quickly and attack fast.

That’s the best Sword and Shield build in Monster Hunter Rise. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks, check out our dedicated MHR guides hub.