Sunbreak Hunting Horn Guide: Combos, Controls and Moveset

This is a guide to the Hunting Horn, a weapon in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (MH Rise). Read on to learn about new Hunting Horn controls, best combos, all Hunting Horn songs and changes as well as details on Hunting Horn Switch Skills.

All Hunting Horn Guides
Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Songs and Effects

Balance Changes

Update 15.0

Hunting Horn Balance Changes and Fixes (Update 15.0)
・Changed the effect duration of the Hunting Horn's Silkbind Shockwave from 30 seconds to 45. ・Added a damage reduction effect to the Hunting Horn's Sonic Barrier.

Hunting Horn New Sunbreak Attacks and Moves

Official Hunting Horn Preview Video

Silkbind Attack: Silkbind Shockwave

When this Silkbind Attack is used, the hunter jumps up with the Wirebug then plays a short melody. Afterwards, all follow-up attacks performed deal additional hits for a short period of time.

The additional hits come from small melodic orbs that stay for in the air for a moment before bursting to deal impact damage. These can be useful for stunning monsters faster!

Switch Skill: Swing Combo

This Switch Skill uses the momentum of the Hunting Horn to deal an additional hit by swinging sideways rather than smashing overhead. This two-hit attack lets you quickly shift directions, so it helps with repositioning during a hunt.

Silkbind Attack: Sonic Bloom

Not introduced in any trailer, Sonic Bloom is an additional Silkbind Attack added to the Sunbreak Expansion.

It is a single burst damage move that deals an insane amount of damage after playing melodies. Useful for when a monster is asleep and you get that 2x wake up damage multiplier!

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Release Date and New Monsters

How Good is the Hunting Horn?

Tier List Ranking

MHRise Ranking	→	Sunbreak Ranking
(S - A - B) 3 Level Tier		(SS - S - A) 3 Level Tier

The Hunting Horn continues to perform as the perfect hybruid: both a damage dealer and support weapon. The addition of new melodies like Sharpness Regeneration gives it the ability to maintain high sharpness & the inherent sharpness damage multiplier.

However, with how the meta is shifting into elemental damage, this is one of the weapons that do not fully maximize that shift.

Weapon Tier List

Hunting Horn Strengths

Receive melody effects automatically Magnificent Trio is powerful Can stun monsters Great support Long reach

Receive Melody Effects Automatically

In previous games, Hunting Horn players were required to use the Perform action before yielding the results of the notes they played. In Monster Hunter Rise, for the first time, players can receive these boons as soon as the notes are played, making it much easier to continue moving and acting while simultaneously providing buffs to the team.

Great Support with Melodies

There is a multitude of melodies that can buff the Hunting Horn user and the other hunters. The variety of possible boosts, such as Attack Up, Defense Up, and Sonic Barrier, allows them to assist the team effectively to suit the situation.

Magnificent Trio is Powerful

By playing three notes and pressing zR + X, MB4 + Left Click, R2 + Triangle, or RT + Y, players can execute the new Magnificent Trio attack, which allows them to provide the effects of all stored Notes.

Like previous games, this requires the player to first Perform the notes, but being able to gain the advantages of all notes while simultaneously inflicting an attack makes it a significant buff to the Hunting Horn.

Can Stun Monsters

Every time the Hunting Horn hits the monster's head, it builds stun damage that can lead to a KO. While a monster is KO'd, Hunting Horn users can either use this time to build up more stun damage so that a monster is perma-stunned or to refresh their melodies.

Long Reach

The Hunting Horn has a surprisingly long reach, and can even aim for body parts positioned higher than most, like the head and the tail.

Hunting Horn Weaknesses

Cannot guard Melodies need to be refreshed

No Guarding

It is one of the two heavy weapons that cannot guard (the other being the hammer). However, with the new Silkbind Attack, Slide Beat, it might be possible to go through attacks without getting damaged.

This is not true as the Hunting Horn was shown to have a high damage output. With the Bonuses the horn gives itself and allies, the damage can go even further!

Melodies Need to be Refreshed

Melodies need to be refreshed every few minutes. Although Monster Hunter Rise improves the situation by removing the need to use the Perform action, players will need to keep melodies in mind at all times while battling to maximize their effectiveness.

Hunting Horn Controls

Controls		Action
PC Left Click	PS Triangle	Left Swing
Switch X	Xbox Y
PC Right Click	PS Circle	Right Swing
Switch A	Xbox B
PC + Left Click + Right Click	PS + Triangle + Circle	Backwards Strike
Switch + X + A	Xbox + Y + B
PC MB4	PS R2	Perform
Switch zR	Xbox rt
PC + Middle Click + Left Click	PS + L2 + Triangle	Silkbind Attack: Slide Beat
Switch + zL + X	Xbox + LT + Y
PC + MB4 + Left Click	PS + R2 + Triangle	Magnificent Trio
Switch + zR + X	Xbox + RT + Y
PC + Middle Click + Right Click	PS + L2 + Circle	Silkbind Attack: Earthshaker
Switch + zL + A	Xbox + LT + B

Useful Combos

Stationary Combo
Right Swing	Left Swing	Right Swing	Slide Roll
A	X	A	+ Left Stick + B
Right Click	Left Click	Right Click	+ Directional Button + Space
Circle	Triangle	Circle	+ Left Stick + X
B	Y	B	+ Left Stick + A

Forward-Moving Combo
Slide Roll (Left/Right)	Double Swing	Crush	Overhead Smash
+ Left Stick + B	+ X + A	A	+ X + A
or + Directional Button + Space	+ Left Click + Right Click	Right Click	+ Left Click + Right Click
+ Left Stick + X	+ Triangle + Circle	Circle	+ Triangle + Circle
+ Left Stick + A	+ Y + B	B	+ Y + B

Magnificent Trio Combo
Right Swing	Left Swing	Overhead Smash	Magnificent Trio
A	X	A	+ zR + X
Right Click	Left Click	Right Click	+ MB4 + Left Click
Circle	Triangle	Circle	+ R2 + Triangle
B	Y	B	+ RT + Y

Hunting Horn Silkbind Attacks

Slide Beat

Switch Controls	＋ zL + X
PC Controls	+ Middle Click + Left Click
PS Controls	+ L2 + Triangle
Xbox Controls	+ LT + Y

Slide Beat is a Silkbind Attack that leaps forward and does damage. In the video, it also appears that it can shake off attacks and continue moving.

Silkbind Shockwave

Switch Controls	＋ zL + X
PC Controls	+ Middle Click + Left Click
PS Controls	+ L2 + Triangle
Xbox Controls	+ LT + Y

Earthshaker

Switch Controls	+ zL + A
PC Controls	+ Middle Click + Right Click
PS Controls	+ L2 + Circle
Xbox Controls	+ LT + B

Earthshaker is a Silkbind Attack that attaches the Ironsilk to a blade and drives it into the monster. The hunter then uses the horn to pound sonic waves into the afflicted body part, dealing damage to it.

Bead of Resonance

Switch Controls	+ zL + A
PC Controls	+ Middle Click + Right Click
PS Controls	+ L2 + Circle
Xbox Controls	+ LT + B

Bead of Resonance is a unique attack that allows for long-distance usage of melody effects. In it, the hunter places a Wirebug cocoon which creates the same effects the hunter plays on the Horn. This allows teammates to battle near the cocoon while the Hunting Horn user stays out of the fray.

The cocoon also creates a Sonic Wave which damages nearby enemies, further benefiting the hunters who fight near it.hand glows white) and gains affinity for 30 seconds. During this duration, all attacks deal additional hits.

Sonic Bloom

Switch Controls	+ zL + A
PC Controls	+ Middle Click + Right Click
PS Controls	+ L2 + Circle
Xbox Controls	+ LT + B

A single burst damage move that deals an insane amount of damage after playing melodies. Useful for when a monster is asleep and you get that 2x wake up damage multiplier!

Hunting Horn Switch Skills

Switch Skills are unlocked with different conditions as you progress in the game. Base game MHRise provides Hunters with three (3) slots of Switch Skills, with the Sunbreak expansion adding two (2) more.

Note: Skills in red are exclusive to the Sunbreak expansion.

Skill Slot	Switch Skill Choices
1	・ Overhead Smash ・ Melodic Slap
2	・ Melody Mode: Performance ・ Melody Mode: Echo
3	・ Crush Attack Combo ・ Swing Combo
4	・ Earthshaker ・ Bead of Resonance ・ Sonic Bloom
5	・ Slide Beat ・ Silkbind Shockwave

Switch Skills Guide: How to Unlock Switch Skills

Melodic Slap

Switched With
Overhead Smash
Description
Swings the Hunting Horn around once, generating a forward Sonic Smash. Low damage output but effective at stunning.
Controls
Switch + + Left Stick + X + A + + Directional Button + Left Click + Right Click PlayStation + + Left Stick + Triangle + Circle Xbox + + Left Stick + Y + B

We suggest using this one because it increases how much stun you can bring to the table. The Hunting Horn itself is powerful enough so sacrificing a little bit of damage for extra KO is fine.

Melody Mode: Echo

Switched With
Melody Mode: Performance
Description
An action that affects invigorating melodies. Generates a melody effect from the Staff using zR, while boosting your own abilities. A mode focused on applying various melody effects.
Controls
Switch Press (zR) after lining up notes. PC Press (Middle Click) after lining up notes. PlayStation Press (R2) after lining up notes. Xbox Press (RT) after lining up notes.

This allows you to input one melody at a time and play it with zR, Middle Click, R2 or RT. This feels like the old Hunting Horn where you can play notes after lining them up. This one plays notes immediately, not like the old games where the player will play for a long time while being susceptible to attacks.

Bead of Resonance

Switched With
Earthshaker
Description
Places a Wirebug cocoon on the ground. If the same hunter generates melody effects, the effect also appears around the cocoon, as does as a Sonic Wave that damages monsters near it. Only one cocoon can be placed at a time. Wirebug Gauge Recovery Speed: Medium Wirebug Cost: 2
Controls
Switch + zL + A PC + Middle Click + Right Click PlayStation + L2 + Circle Xbox + LT + B

A support-oriented Silkbind Attack that switches out Earthshaker. This allows the Hunting Horn user to place a resonance bead that will play notes even if the Horn user is far away. The cocoon also creates a Sonic Wave which damages nearby enemies, further benefiting the hunters who fight near it.

It also stacks melody effects from the same hunter so it's perfect for support-oriented gameplay. If you play Hunting Horn mainly to support, use Bead of Resonance. If you value DPS more than anything, Earthshaker is the obvious choice.

Swing Combo

Switched With
Crush Attack Combo
Description
Two-hit attack that can be delivered from either the left or right. Allows you to quickly shift directions, making it useful for repositioning.
Controls
Switch Press after Left Swing Press after Right Swing Press to move left or right PC Press after Left Swing Press after Right Swing Press or to move left or right PlayStation Press after Left Swing Press after Right Swing Press to move left or right Xbox Press after Left Swing Press after Right Swing Press to move left or right

In contrast to Crush Attack Combo where the Hunter is stationary, Swing Combo allows for mobility and meneuverability while slapping the monster with the Horn. Use this if you want to reposition while dishing damage and hitting all notes.

Silkbind Shockwave

Switched With
Slide Beat
Description
For a short period, any attack performed causes the silk to vibrate while creating a time-delayed shockwave that triggers additional hits. Additional hits do major elemental, stun, exhaust, and part damage. Wirebug Gauge Recovery Speed: Medium Wirebug Cost: 1
Controls
Switch + zL + X PC + Middle Click + Left Click PlayStation + L2 + Triangle Xbox + LT + Y

The hunter uses one Wirebug and attacks upwards and lands back down to play a melody. The hunter is then empowered (their Hunting Horn and right hand glows white) and gains affinity for 30 seconds. During this duration, all attacks deal additional hits.

Sonic Bloom

Switched With
Earthshaker
Description
Places a Wirebug cocoon on the ground. When attacking, vibrations are sent to the cocoon charging it up. When full, it would explode and deal huge stun and exhaust damage. Note: Playing Magnificent Trio pops the cocoon at the end of the combo. Wirebug Gauge Recovery Speed: Medium Wirebug Cost: 2
Controls
Switch + zL + A PC + Middle Click + Right Click PlayStation + L2 + Circle Xbox + LT + B

A single burst damage move that deals an insane amount of damage after playing melodies. Useful for when a monster is asleep and you get that 2x wake up damage multiplier!

Hunting Horn Attacks and Moves

Magnificent Trio

Switch Controls	+ zR + X
PC Controls	+ MB4 + Left Click
PS Controls	+ R2 + Triangle
Xbox Controls	+ RT + Y

Magnificent Trio is a new technique that plays three Hunting Horn Notes at once. In addition to executing a multi-hit attack, it also allows you to provide the effects from all stored Hunting Horn notes, making it a highly powerful action.

Infernal Melody

Input	After the gauge is filled, use , , or after a Magnificent Trio or a Slide Beat. Use zR, MB4, R2, or RT after Magnificent Trio or a Slide Beat.

Infernal Melody is a super song that requires you to fill the Hunting Horn's gauge to unleash the move. This executes multiple attacks while playing the Song of Raging Flame which boosts yourself and your allies' attacks by 20% for a while.

Take note: you can only use Infernal Melody after a Magnificent Trio or Slide Beat.

Hunting Horn Songs and Melodies

▲ Sinister Strum II Melodies

With all the changes in the Hunting Horn, which includes automatic melody performance which encourages a fast-paced playstyle, the melody system has changed as well. There is now only a total of three notes that can be played with a single Hunting Horn. This encourages building multiple Horns for different situations!

Melody	Effect
Self-Improvement	Temporarily boosts movement speed and prevents your attacks from being deflected.
Attack Up	Temporarily boosts attack by around 10%.
Defense Up	Temporarily boosts defense by around 10%.
Health Recovery (S)	Restores a sliver of health.
Infernal Melody	Boosts attack by 20% for a period of time.

All Hunting Horn Songs and Effects

Same Melodies Don't Stack

Playing the same melodies at the same time only refreshes the melody timer not stack the effects and time. For example, if you play an Attack Up melody one after another, it will not stack the attack buff and the remaining melody timer.

Infernal Melody Can't Be Played Simultaneously

If there are two Hunting Horn users in your party and both have Infernal Melody ready, only one can play the Song of Raging Flame at a time. The other Horn user must wait for the first Song of Raging Flame to expire before they can play!

Recommended Combos For the Hunting Horn

Fastest Combo to Reach Magnificent Trio

Switch Controls	+ → → + → + Left Stick + X → A → X + A → zR + X
PC Controls	+ → → + → + Directional Button + X → A → X + A → zR + X
PS Controls	+ → → + → + Left Stick + Triangle → Circle → Triangle + Circle → R2 + Triangle
Xbox Controls	+ → → + → + Left Stick + Y → B → Y + B → RT + Y

Magnificent Trio is very powerful to have as early as possible. This is the combo that can get you the Magnificent Trio as fast as possible, just by adding a forward direction input to the first move!

Melody Mode: Echo Iteration

Switch Controls	+ → → + → → + Left Stick + X → A → X + A → zR → zR + X
PC Controls	+ → → + → → + Directional Button + Left Click → Right Click → Left Click + Right Click → MB4 → MB4 + Left Click
PS Controls	+ → → + → → + Left Stick + Triangle → Circle → Triangle + Circle → R2 → R2 + Triangle
Xbox Controls	+ → → + → → + Left Stick + Y → B → Y + B → RT → RT + Y

Once you unlock the Melody Mode: Echo Switch Skill, you can input zR to perform the queued notes before executing Magnificent Trio. This gives you an additional damage move from Perform while keeping Magnificent Trio active.

If you have a Sonic Barrier Hunting Horn, we suggest doing this so you would have Sonic Barrier active and not get knocked back when you execute Magnificent Trio.

Highpower Combo For Whenever Monsters are Stunned

Switch Controls	+ → → + → → + Left Stick + X → A → X + A → zR → zR + X
PC Controls	+ → → + → → + Directional Button + Left Click → Right Click → Left Click + Right Click → MB4 → MB4 + Left Click
PS Controls	+ → → + → → + Left Stick + Triangle → Circle → Triangle + Circle → R2 → R2 + Triangle
Xbox Controls	+ → → + → → + Left Stick + Y → B → Y + B → RT → RT + Y

This combo is recommended when you've played all three notes and are ready to do Magnificent Trio.

Tips on How to Use the Hunting Horn

Use support melodies to support teammates Use Attack Up and Sonic Barrier Play Notes While Attacking Aim for the Monster's Head Use Magnificent Trio when there is a big opening Self-Improvement while in Melody Mode: Performance has an invincibility frame at the start

Use Melodies to Support Teammates

It should go without saying that Hunting Horn users should use melodies and keep them active as their priority.

They can queue up melodies outside of fights and play them during fights to not waste time queuing up the melodies. Hunting Horn users should also combo playing the notes with effective timing to ensure they can play the notes as quickly as possible during a battle.

Use Attack Up and Sonic Barrier

With how the melodies have changed from the past games to Rise, some melodies are not present anymore per weapon. If possible, look for weapons with Attack Up (increases attack) and/or Sonic Barrier (one-time knockback protection). These are great offensive melodies that help the now DPS-inclined Hunting Horn.

Play Notes While Attacking

With their new potential to unleash melodies as soon as they're played, Hunting Horn users are more equipped than ever to provide buffs for their team while dishing out attacks at the same time!

Aim for the Monster's Head

The Hunting Horn, like the Hammer, is a blunt weapon. This allows its users to aim for a stun when attacking the head, and its comparatively long reach makes this achievable.

Stun locking a monster is incredibly useful for Hunting Horn mains and the other hunters as well, so try to aim for the head as much as possible.

Use Magnificent Trio When There is a Huge Opening

Whenever you need to play Magnificent Trio, we suggest waiting for a huge opening before playing the notes. Unless you have Sonic Barrier, any attack can interrupt you while playing. Execute this attack while the monster is stunned, downed, trapped, or paralyzed.

Self-improvement (zR) has an iFrame

When you execute Self-improvement (zR) while on Melody Mode: Performace, the initial breakdance motion has a huge invulnerability frame at the start. Use this to negate roars and other attacks!

Changes from MHW: Iceborne

Melody effect automatically plays when the same notes played one after the other Self-improvement note is on Perform (zR) An invincibility frame is present at the start of Perform (zR) Encore is replaced by Infernal Melody No more multi-notes combos

Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise) Related Guides

Weapon Type Guides
Weapons and Weapon Types	Weapon Type Tier List	Builds for Each Weapon Type

Melee Weapon Guides

Melee Weapons
Great Sword Guide | Weapon Tree	Long Sword Guide | Weapon Tree	Sword and Shield Guide | Weapon Tree
Dual Blades Guide | Weapon Tree	Lance Guide | Weapon Tree	Gunlance Guide | Weapon Tree
Hammer Guide | Weapon Tree	Hunting Horn Guide | Weapon Tree | Melodies	Switch Axe Guide | Weapon Tree
Charge Blade Guide | Weapon Tree	Insect Glaive Guide | Weapon Tree | Kinsects

Ranged Weapon Guides

Ranged Weapons
Light Bowgun Guide | Weapon Tree	Heavy Bowgun Guide | Weapon Tree	Bow Guide | Weapon Tree