Monster Hunter Rise Long Sword Ultimate Guide [Before G Rank 2021]

For a quick look at all Long Sword changes in Monster Hunter Rise, check out my previous guide on Long Sword Overview.

Monster Hunter Rise Long Sword Overview

Monster Hunter Rise Long Sword Tutorial

Spirit Gauge	Normal Attacks will fill up this gauge. Spirit Gauge has 3 levels and increases every time you land a specific attack.
Spirit Slash	Use Spirit Gauge to deliver Spirit Slash. The last hit in the combo (Spirit Round Slash) will increase Spirit Gauge level by 1
Foresight Slash	A dodge maneuver that allows you to perform a counter-attack. Follow up with ZR to deliver an attack that increases Spirit Gauge level by 1
Special Sheath	Temporarily sheath your sword and ready your next attack: X – Iai Double Slash – a double slash that fills up your Spirit Gauge automatically ZR – Iai Spirit Slash Use up one Spirit Gauge level to deliver a powerful attack
Soaring Kick	A Silkbind Attack that lets you close the gap. Follow up this attack with either ZR or X X – Downward Thrust: Gradually fill up your Spirit Gauge if this attack connects ZR – Spirit Helm Breaker: Use up one Spirit Gauge level to deliver a powerful attack.
Serene Pose	A Silkbind Attack that let you perform a powerful single slash. Can stop the monster’s attacks Use up one level of Spirit Gauge
Sakura Slash	Use the Wirebug to Slash through the target, deliver multiple hits in the process Increase Spirit Gauge level by 1

Monster Hunter Rise Long Sword Guide

Long Sword Switch Skills

The default Switch Skill for Long Sword are Soaring Kick (Cost 1 Wirebug) and Serene Pose (Cost 2 Wirebug)

You will unlock Long Sword switch skills as you progress through Monster Hunter Rise. There are three Switch skills for Long Sword to unlock: Sakura Slash, Drawn Double Slash, and Spirit Reckoning Combo.

Soaring Kick

Soaring kick use the Wirebug to cover jump and perform a step jump if the kick connect. You can then follow up the combo with either X or ZR

X – A Downward Thrust that will automatically generate your Spirit Gauge

ZR – Perform the classic Helm Splitter, this reduce your Spirit Gauge level.

Soaring Kick can be chained right after any normal attack or Spirit Slash. This can be used to quickly close the gap with the monster. Depend on your Spirit Gauge level, you can follow up with ZR for a powerful Helm Splitter, or simply perform a Thrust with X to fill up your Spirit Gauge.

Sakura Slash

This is unlocked after you get to those 3 stars quests. If you are new to Long Sword, just pick this skill as soon as you unlock it. This replaces Soaring Kick and allows you to consistently level up your Spirit Gauge Level. The Damage is also pretty good for elemental damage

The downside is that you can no longer use the Spirit Helm Breaker. You can still switch back to Soaring Kick at any time at the camp though.

Serene Pose

A new counter-attack for Long Sword in Monster Hunter Rise. Serene Pose is unlocked by default. Upon activating, the hunter will enter a waiting stance and perform a Powerful Slash when the monster attack.

This attack will use up one level of your Spirit Gauge, so make sure to only use this when your Spirit Gauge is at max level (Red Gauge)

This attack will also negate the damage from monster’s attack, so it’s best to use this on those one-hit kill attack

Spirit Reckoning

A new combo that replaces the traditional Spirit Slash combo. From Spirit Blade II you will follow up with Dividing Slash and finish off with Spirit Reckoning. This is also a 2 hits combo so it has greater damage compare to Spirit Round Slash.

Long Sword Combo & Playstyle

If you are new to Long Sword, your first goal is to consistently max out your Spirit Gauge level. This is achieved by performing the full Spirit Slash combo, which finishes off with a Spirit Round Slash.

Another way to level up your Spirit Gauge level is via Long Sword Counter Attack like Foresight Slash & Iai Spirit Slash.

One of the most common mistakes is finishing this combo without enough Spirit Energy. To consistently perform the full Spirit combo, try mixing in an attack that automatically fill the gauge. There are two Long Sword attacks that can enable this

Downward Thrust from Soaring Kick – Follow Soaring Kick with X
Iai Double Slash from Special Sheath – This is your main bread and butter, try mixing this attack mid-combo to consistently max out your Spirit Gauge.

Come in the Special Sheath. Special Sheath (Perform by ZR + B) will grant you access to two special attacks

Double Spirit Slash – This is your main bread and butter for Long Sword. Double Spirit Slash cost nothing, and if it landed, your Spirit Gauge will gradually fill up, allow you to perform the SPirit Slash more often

The second attack that lets you fill up the Spirit Gauge is the Jumping Downward Slash (Soaring Kick >> A) This attack does little damage but can be a quick way to speed up your Spirit Gauge fill rate.

Long Sword Best Combo

Drawn Double Slash >> Thrust >> Special Sheath >> Iai Double Slash

This is your main combo to fill up the Spirit Gauge, Iai Double Slash will let you allow

Spirit Combo >> Spirit Round Slash/ Spirit Reckoning

This is your main combo to level up the Spirit Gauge. Depend on your preference, both Spirit Round Slash, and Spirit Reckoning will let you gain Spirit Level.

Sakura Slash >> Special Sheath >> Iai Spirit Slash

If you pick Sakura Slash instead of Soaring Kick, make sure to use Special Sheath right after Sakura Slash, this will let you enter Sheathing animation

Spirit Combo/ Iai Spirit Slash >> Soaring Kick >> Helm Splitter

Spirit Combo/ Iai Spirit Slash can be comboed into Soaring Kick

Long Sword Counter Attacks

In Monster Hunter Rise, all moves that has the ability to negate damage is indicated by a Blue Flame. If the monster’s attack connect during this animation, you will trigger the counter-attack

The main defense of Long Sword is the counter-attacks. These counter-attacks allow you to follow up with Spirit Slash Combo or straight up increase your Spirit Gauge Level.

Foresight Slash

This is performed mid-attack, you cannot perform Foresight Slash in idle mode. One way to practice Foresight slash is trying to alternate between X & A during a combo.

Once Foresight Slash connect, you can follow up with ZR to perform around spirit slash and increase your Spirit Gauge level.

Foresight Slash will use up all your Spirit Gauge
It only fill up Spirit Gauge level if you time it correctly.

To negate the Sheathing animation of Foresight Slash, you can follow up with a Special Sheath.

Iai Spirit Slash

This Long Sword move is introduced way back in MHW Iceborne. This is also the source of all those highlights of Long Sword.

Iai Spirit Slash generally similar to Foresight slash, if the monster attack you during the Animation, you can perform a powerful Counter Attack, negating the damage in the process.

Iai Spirit Slash normally will deal moderate damage, but if you time it correctly, the damage will be tripled. This attack will also fill up your Spirit Gauge Level.

Serene Pose

Serene Pose serve as a single hit counter attack. This has longer opening window compare to the

This is the new Wirebug Skill that makes Long Sword the best weapon for speed runs. To put it simply, this is an upgraded version of Iai Spirit Slash & Foresight Slash.

This skill is actually easy to land compare to Foresight Slash & Iai Spirit Slash. The main reason is that the opening period is pretty long, and once you are familiar with a monster, you will know when to use Serene Pose.

Serene Pose will use up one level of Spirit Gauge, so try to maximize your Spirit Gauge first before using this powerful attack.

Serene Pose deal pretty high damage if it connect, and can stop the monster during powerful attack, or even knock them down!

Monster Hunter Rise Long Sword Best Armor Skills

Offensive Armor Skills

Attack Boost
Weakness Exploit
Critical Eye
Peak Performance
Maximum Might

This is the same for almost all Melee Weapons, as Monster Hunter Rise currently in High-Rank mode, you cannot slot all these skills into your builds. Simply pick out the armor set that has the highest boost to these and you are good to go.

Special Utility Skills

Quick Sheath
Punishing Draw
Critical Draw

Quick Sheath has got a boost in Monster Hunter Rise. Given some of your most powerful attacks are come from Special Sheath, maximize Quick Sheath now is definitely your best way to go with Long Sword. The boost to this animation will let you land those Iai Spirit Slash more frequently while negating all the damage.