It's understandable if you feel a little overwhelmed when playing Monster Hunter Rise. Afterall, the game gives you access to 14 weapon types from the get go, so it's hard to know what weapon style meshes well with your preferred monster hunting approach. But the wide range of options is also what makes it one of the best Nintendo Switch games out there. If you want something that can quickly land a lot of high-damage hits while giving you the ability to block, then the Sword and Shield is for you.
It's a great weapon for beginner monster hunters as well as seasoned veterans. In this guide, I'll go over the basic attacks, Silkbind Skills, and best build recommendations for the Sword and Shield.
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield fighting style
The Sword and Shield can land the most raw Damage Per Second (DPS) of any weapon in Monster Hunter Rise. It's great for beginners and seasoned hunters as it has fast recovery time and allows players to use items like potions even while their weapon is drawn or their blocking attacks with the shield. As such, players can chain attacks or block opponent hits if need be.
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield controls
| Controls | Function | Header Cell - Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| X | Chop | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| A | Lateral Slash | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| L Joystick + A | Shield Attack | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| X + A | Advanced Slash | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| ZR + X | Rising Slash | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| ZR | Guard | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| L Joystick down + A | (During a combo) Backstep | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
| Hold A | (During a backstep) Charged Slash | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
| ZR + Y | Use Item | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
- Advanced Slash: Executing an Advanced Slash uphill or toward a ledge will result in a terrain-specific attack.
- Combos: Guard Slashes and Roundslashes can be performed from a variety of other attacks. Use Left joystick to change the direction of the attack.
- Perfect Rush: After a backstep, press X to perform a Leaping Slash, press X again to perform a Perfect Rush. If you press X at just the right time, it will do even more damage. You can chain into this from a successful Guard Slash too.
- Use Item: When wielding a sword and shield, you can press Y while holding ZR or ZL to use items even with your weapon drawn.
- Falling Shadow: A forward leaping Silkbind attack that when successfully hits a target leads into a Scaling Slash.
- Windmill: A Silkbind attack that uses Ironsilk to swing your blade around. Its initial swing nullifies any monster's attack. (Wirebug Guage cost: 2).
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield combos
| Combos | Function | Header Cell - Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| X, X, A, A | Basic Combo:Chop > Side Slash > Lateral Slash > Return Stroke | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| A, A, A, X + A | Powerful Combo:Lateral Slash > Return Stroke > Spinning Rising Slash > Spinning Reaper | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| L Joystick + A, A, A | Monster-Stunning Combo:Shield Attack > Shield Bash, Hard Bash | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| X, L Joystick down + A, (land attack), X | Charged Slash Combo 1:Chop > Charged Slash > Hit Monster > Jumping Slash | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| X, L Joystick down + A, (land attack), A | Charged Slash Combo 2:Chop > Charged Slash > Hit Monster > Falling Bash | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield Silkbind Attacks
| Silkbind Attacks | Function | Header Cell - Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| ZL + A | Falling Shadow: A Silkbind attack that makes you leap forward. If you successfully land a hit you'll lead into a Scaling Slash. | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| ZL + X | Windmill: A Silkbind attack that uses Ironsilk to swing your blade. The first swing nullifies incoming attacks. (Wirebug Guage costs: 2) | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| ZL + A | Metsu Shoryugeki: Players jump into the air with a Wirebug allowing you to uppercut a monster with your shield. You can guard for a small moment at the start of the attack. If you time a counter at just the right moment, you'll deal more damage. | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield Switch Skills
Each weapon attack in Monster Hunter Rise allows you to assign one of two skills to it, which results in different effects. Here are the Switch Skills for the Sword and Shield.
| Attack | Switch Skills |
|---|---|
| Silkbind Attack | ○ Windmill: Uses a Wirebug's silk to swing your blade and the first swing negates incoming attacks. (Wirebug Gauge recovers at fast speed).○ Metsu Shoryugeki: Wirebug attacks that makes you jump up and deal an uppercut to monsters. There's a moment near the start of the attack where you have the chance to Guard. Doing so properly adds to the amount of damage you deal out. (Wirebug Gauge recovers at medium speed). |
| Regular Attack | ○ Advancing Slash: You perform a downward slash while moving forward. It negates knockbacks and staggering.○ Sliding Slash: A sliding attack that has you hit your target twice. You'll slide far, but cannot change the direction of your slide. If you land the first hit or do a command while sliding, you can follow up with a jumping attack. |
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield Best Builds
The gear you wear determines what your stats and skills are on quests. Here are the builds we think work best with the Sword and Shield.
Best Builds for 2 Star Quests
| Area | Best equipment |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Hunter's Knife II |
| Head | Izuchi Helm |
| Chest | Hunter's Mail |
| Arms | Alloy Vambraces |
| Waist | Alloy Coil |
| Legs | Baggi Greaves |
Stats & Skills for this build:
- Defense: 44
- Fire: -4
- Water: -2
- Thunder: -5
- Ice: 0
- Dragon: 1
- Attack Boost Lvl 2
- Critical Eye Lvl 3
- Water Attack Lvl 1
Best Builds for 4 Star Quests
| Area | Best equipment |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Exorcising Sword I |
| Head | Basarios Helm |
| Chest | Barroth Mail |
| Arms | Bnahabra Gloves |
| Waist | Basarios Coil |
| Legs | Basarios Greaves |
Stats & Skills for this build:
- Defense: 127
- Fire: -1
- Water: -3
- Thunder: 10
- Ice: 6
- Dragon: -3
- Attack Boost Lvl 1
- Defense Boost Lvl 5
- Speed Sharpening Lvl 1
- Load Shells Lvl 1
- Evade Window Lvl 1
Best Builds for Endgame
| Area | Best equipment |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Sinister Shadekeeper |
| Head | Utsushi Mask (H) S |
| Chest | Utsushi Chest (H) S |
| Arms | Anja Vambraces S |
| Waist | Rathalos Coil S |
| Legs | Ingot Greaves S |
Stats & Skills for this build:
- Defense: 267
- Fire: 11
- Water: -3
- Thunder: -2
- Ice: 0
- Dragon: -3
- Attack Boost Lvl 6
- Critical Eye Lvl 2
- Razor Sharp Lvl 3
- Spare Shot Lvl 3
- Agitator Lvl 1
- Windproof Lvl 1
- Evade Window Lvl 1
- Wirebug Whisperer Lvl 1
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield Best Skills
The skills you develop really make a difference with your hunting sessions. In our experience, these are the most useful skills for the Sword and Shield.
| Skill | What it does |
|---|---|
| Attack Boost | As you'd guess, this increases the Sword and Shield's attack. You'll be happiest if you get it to level 4 or higher. |
| Razor Sharp | Makes it so your weapon doesn't lose sharpness as quickly, so your Sword and Shield don't lose attack power as quickly either. |
| Weakness Exploit | Exploits a monsters weak points in order to deal further damage. |
| Critical Eye | Makes it so there's a higher probability of landing critical hits. |
Strike and guard
The Sword and Shield is a great weapon for beginners and veteran Monster Hunters alike. The ability to use items without putting your weapons away makes it easier to heal with potions during a tense battle. Since the Sword and Shield does the most DPS of any other weapon, it's a deadly force when used correctly.
More navigation links:
Monster Hunter Rise Sword and Shield
All Weapons
