Having trouble deciding which of the 14 weapons to use in Monster Hunter Rise? It definitely can feel overwhelming if you're not sure what weapon will work best for you. If you like to keep some distance between yourself and the monsters you hunt, then you should definitely consider the bow. It's a mid-range weapon that can provide buffs and force status conditions on prey.
In this guide, we'll dive into the Bow's controls, skills, and ideal builds for different points along your journey. Dive in and see why Monster Hunter Rise is one of the best Nintendo Switch games out there.
Monster Hunter Rise Bow fighting style
The bow is a mid-range weapon that allows players to keep a safe distance from monsters while still inflicting damage. With the help of coatings, you can also apply status effects to take your prey down more easily or give buffs for yourself and friends playing with you. Don't worry. You'll never run out of arrows as you always have an unlimited supply.
Monster Hunter Rise Bow Controls
| Controls | Function | Header Cell - Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| ZL | Aim | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| ZR | Shoot | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| A | Melee Attack | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| X + A | Dragon Piercer | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| Hold L + X or B | Selecting Coating | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| X | Load/Unload Coating | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
- Shoot: Draw the bowstring tightly, consuming stamina but raising arrow damage in tiers. You can also raise damage tiers by shooting quickly or dodging after a shot and immediately shooting again.
- Arc Shot: Press ZR + A to shoot special support-type arrows in the air, which buff all players in the area where they land. There are three types.
- Recovery — Gradually restores health for a time
- Affinity — Increases Affinity for a time
- Brace — Negates knockback for a time.
- Apply Coating: Use coatings to add effects to your arrows:
- Close-range coating — Boosts damage in exchange for diminished range.
- Power Coating — Increases attack power
- Para Coating — Inflicts paralysis
- Poison Coating — Inflicts poison
- Sleep Coating — Inflicts sleep
- Blast Coating — Explodes on impact
- Exhaust Coating — Inflicts exhaust and stun
- Focus Shot: A Silkbind attack that uses a Wirebug to evade backward, landing you in a crouching position. While crouching, stamina rapidly regenerates. If timed right, you can nullify a monster attack while evading. Use the left stick to change the direction you evade.
- Herculean Draw: A Silkbind attack that makes you surge forward in a designated direction. Attack is also empowered for a short time. (Costs 2 Wirebug)
Monster Hunter Rise Bow Combos
| Combos | Function | Header Cell - Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hold ZR, ZR + A | Arc Shot: Draw > Arc Shot | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Hold ZR, ZR R Stick , Press A quickly | Power Shot: Draw > Shoot > Power Shot | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| ZR R Stick, Left Stick + B, A, A | Charging Sidestep Combo: Shoot > Charging Sidestep > Power Shot > Power Volley | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
Monster Hunter Rise Bow Switch Skills
Monster Hunter weapons have their own attacks, and each attack can have one of two Switch Skills assigned to it. Here are the Switch Skills for the Bow.
| Attack | Switch Skills |
|---|---|
| Silkbind Attack | ○ Focus Shot: Evade backward and then crouch to recover stamina quickly.○ Aerial Aim: You jump into the air while firing arrows; you can shoot powerful shots when in midair. |
| Regular Attack 1 | ○ Power Shot: Fires arrows with more charge than normal.○ Absolute Power Shot: Also does more charge than normal but with the chance of stunning target at the expense of more stamina. |
| Regular Attack 2 | ○ Charging Sidestep: Raise your charge level by dodging any direction you choose.○ Dodgebolt: Evade by spinning and raising your charge level. Choose which direction you dodge. |
Monster Hunter Rise Bow Silkbind Attacks
| Silkbind Attacks | Function | Header Cell - Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Press R + A | Herculean Draw: A Silkbind attack that makes you surge forward in a designated direction. Attack is also empowered for a short time. (Costs 2 Wirebug). | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Press R + X | Focus Shot: A Silkbind attack that uses a Wirebug to evade backward, landing you in a crouching position. While crouching, stamina rapidly regenerates. If timed right, you can nullify a monster attack while evading. Use the left stick to change the direction you evade. Can be switched with Aerial Aim. | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| Press R + X | Aerial Aim: Makes you jump straight up using a Wirebug. While in midair, you can fire at your prey. Can be switched with Focus Shot. | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
Monster Hunter Rise Bow Best builds
Every build you make will have some give and take. However, these are what we consider to be the best builds for the Bow.
Best build for 2 Star Quests
| Area | Best equipment |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Kamura Iron Bow III |
| Head | Izuchi Helm |
| Chest | Hunter's Mail |
| Arms | Izuchu Braces |
| Waist | Lagombi Coil |
| Legs | Chainmail Pants |
Stats & Skills for this build:
- Defense: 38
- Fire: 1
- Water: -1
- Thunder: -3
- Ice: 4
- Dragon: 0
- Attack Boost Lvl 1
- Critical Eye Lvl 1
- Consistution Lvl 2
- Stamina Surge Lvl 1
Best build for 4 Star Quests
| Area | Best equipment |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Woggi Revolver II |
| Head | Izuchi Helm |
| Chest | Tetranadon Mail |
| Arms | Kadachi Braces |
| Waist | Lagombi Coil |
| Legs | Kadachi Greaves |
Stats & Skills for this build:
- Defense: 79
- Fire:-2
- Water: -2
- Thunder: 2
- Ice: 5
- Dragon: 0
- Critical Eye Lvl 2
- Normal/Rapid Shot Lvl 1
- Constitution Lvl 3
Best Endgame build for Bow
| Area | Best equipment |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Herald's Battlebow |
| Head | Tetranadon Helm S |
| Chest | Tetranadon Mail S |
| Arms | Kadachi Braces S |
| Waist | Rathalos Coil S |
| Legs | Tetranadon Greaves S |
Stats & Skills for this build:
- Defense: 251
- Fire: 1
- Water: 11
- Thunder: -4
- Ice: 5
- Dragon: -2
- Constitution Lvl 3
- Normal/Rapid Up Lvl 3
- Attack Boost Lvl 2
- Speed Eating Lvl 1
- Windproof Lvl 1
- Evade Extender Lvl 1
- Hunger Resistance Lvl 1
Monster Hunter Rise Bow Best skills
I recommend you work on getting these skills leveled up as soon as you can. It'll greatly help you perform better with the Bow.
| Skill | What it does |
|---|---|
| Constitution | Reduces stamina depletion so you can use your Bow more regularly without having to wait. |
| Stamina Surge | Makes it so you regenerate stamina faster, which is very helpful with the Bow. |
| Normal/Rapid Up | Increases attack power of Rapid arrows to make you do more damage more quickly. |
If only Legolas could see me now
With the right equipment and skills at your service, you'll become a powerful warrior just like the big elf himself. Take time to work on your equipment to increase your stats, so you become a force to be reckoned with.
More navigation links:
Monster Hunter Rise Bow
All Weapons
