Light Bowgun Guide: Combos, Controls and Moveset | Monster Hunter Rise | MHR (MH Rise)

This is a guide to the Light Bowgun (LBG), a weapon in Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise). Read on to learn about new Light Bowgun (LBG) controls and combos, how to use Light Bowgun ammo and mods, Light Bowgun vs Heavy Bowgun comparisons as well as details on Light Bowgun Switch Skills.

All Light Bowgun Guides
Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds

Light Bowgun Controls

Button	Action
	Crosshairs
	Fire
	Wyvernblast
	Reload
(Hold) ＋/	Select Ammo
+	Melee Attack
(Hold) +	Silkbind Glide
(Hold) +	Fanning Vault

Recommended Control Setups

Auto Sheath	Manual Sheathe
Camera Speed	Fast
Gunner Reticle Camera Controls	Type 1
Gunner Reticle Speed	Fast

To easily learn the bowgun, we highly suggest that the player adjust the camera settings first. We suggest changing the camera speed to fast to make the aiming way easier. If the player is not comfortable with this setup, we suggest switching back to default.

List of Settings: Best Settings to Choose

Light Bowgun Silkbind Attacks

Official Light Bowgun Preview Video

List of Silkbind Attacks and How to Use

Silkbind Glide

The Silkbind Glide is similar to a combat slide when you close the distance between you and the enemy monster which makes you a smaller target. You can also fire off an attack by the end of your glide.

Input	+

Fanning Vault

The Fanning Vault is an excellent addition to the Light Bowgun's kit, giving it added mobility. It grants you the action of flying high up in an arc, dodging incoming attacks, and performing additional actions while in midair.

Input	+

These are the actions you can do while doing a Fanning Vault

Button	Action
	Attack
	Reload
	Wyvernblast

Fanning Maneuver NEW

This new technique can be switched out with Fanning Vault.

This user slides sideways in an arc at a constant radius around a wirebug and can fire shots while in motion. This attack is very useful in maintaining critical distance while moving sideways!

On top of that, Fanning Maneuver also temporarily increases attack power.

Light Bowgun Switch Skills and Best Setup

Switch Skills are unlocked as you progress in the game. The very first one is obtained after finishing the ★3 Village Urgent Quest, Feathered Frenzy.

The best Switch Skills we recommend for each slot are marked in red.

Controls	Original Skill	⇔	Switch Skill
X	Reload	⇔	Elemental Reload
B	Forward Dodge	⇔	Quickstep Evade
R + A	Fanning Vault	⇔	Fanning Maneuver

Switch Skills Guide: How to Unlock Switch Skills

Elemental Reload

Switched With	Controls
Reload	While unsheathed,
Description
Reloads take longer than usual but boosts elemental damage of elemental shots.

Elemental Reload is good and all but we don't think the boost in elemental shots is worth it with how much time you're going to lose reloading. You won't be using Elemental Shots most of the time anyway because other ammo types are better.

Unless you're running a full elemental LBG build, don't use this.

List of All Ammo and Coatings

Quickstep Evade

Switched With	Controls
Forward Dodge	While unsheathed,
Description
Quick evasive maneuver while your Light Bowgun is drawn. Distance covered is much smaller but requires less time to recover. Ammo fired immediately after this deals increased damage.

This converts the usual roll dodge into a dash dodge. The distance covered is not that big but the recovery time between dodges are smaller so you can dodge all day. Attack power is also boosted after evading!

Fanning Maneuver

Switched With	Controls
Fanning Vault	+
Description
Uses wirebug as a level to quickly flank left or right. Increases attack power temporarily. Wirebug Gauge Recovery Speed: Fast Wirebug Cost: 1

This is a silkbind move that strafes you left or right depending on the direction. You can shoot while sliding and maintain distance from the monster.

Though this is a great mobility asset for the Light Bowgun, we don't recommend using it over Fanning Vault. Fanning Vault gives you the opportunity to shoot Wyvernblast while in the air and that alone makes it better than Fanning Maneuver.

Ammo Types and Mods

List of Light Bowgun Ammo Types

There are various ammo types that a certain Light Bowgun can support. Check your Light Bowgun's details to know if a certain ammo type is compatible.

Normal Ammo 1	Normal ammo for general use; infinite number
Pierce Ammo 1	Penetrates armor and, depending on the monster, will hit multiple times
Spread Ammo 1	Ammo that specializes on short range. When close, it will hit multiple times.
Shrapnel Ammo 1	Explodes after landing on a monster
Sticky Ammo 1	Powerful pierce and burst ammo. Headshots may stun.
Cluster Bomb 1	Detonates 3 bombs on impact. Can also hit your allies.
Flaming Ammo	Ammo imbued with Fire Element. Good against monsters weak to Fire.
Water Ammo	Ammo imbued with Water Element. Good against monsters weak to Water.
Thunder Ammo	Ammo imbued with Thunder Element. Good against monsters weak to Thunder.
Freeze Ammo	Ammo imbued with Ice Element. Good against monsters weak to Ice.
Piercing Fire Ammo	Pierce ammo imbued with Fire Element. Good against monsters weak to Fire.
Piercing Water Ammo	Pierce ammo imbued with Water Element. Good against monsters weak to Water.
Piercing Thunder Ammo	Pierce ammo imbued with Thunder Element. Good against monsters weak to Thunder.
Piercing Ice Ammo	Pierce ammo imbued with Ice Element. Good against monsters weak to Ice.
Poison Ammo 1	Ammo imbued with Poison. Poisons the monster after a number of hits.
Paralysis Ammo 1	Ammo imbued with Paralysis. Paralyzes monsters after a number of hits.
Sleep Ammo 1	Ammo imbued with Sleep status. Makes the monsters doze off after a certain number of hits.
Exhaust Ammo 1	Decreases the monster's stamina so it can be stunned more easily.
Recover Ammo 1	Reovers health to allies when shot.
Demon Ammo	Provides increased attack on allies when shot.
Armor Ammo	Provides increased defense on allies when shot.
Slicing Ammo	Ammo that has cutting damage. Can cut tails.
Dragon Ammo	Ammo imbued with the Dragon Element. Useful against monsters with a weakness to dragon.

Light Bowgun Mods

If you interact with the Smithy in the Steelworks or Hub Prep Area or check out any Item Box, you can apply mods to your Light Bowgun. Just interact with them and choose Customize Bowgun.

Silencer	• Slightly reduces recoil • Makes monsters less likely to target the user • Shortens the accuracy range.
Long Barrel	• Extends the barrel length • Improves firepower • Increases the accuracy range.

Use Mods Depending on Your Playstyle!

We recommend using mods depending on your playstyle. If you prefer Piercing Ammo Types, use a Silencer mod because of the recoil reduction. If you prefer Spread Ammo, use the Long Barrel to extend your range ever so slightly.

Light Bowgun Attacks and Combos

Rapid Fire

The Light Bowgun has a capability for Rapid Shots. Only ammo with the Rapid Fire Shot Type behavior can be fired rapidly so take note of this! These vary per weapon so keep an eye out for weapons with a lot of rapid fire ammo if you like Rapid Fire LBGs!

Slide Evade

Input	Double Tap

You can execute a Slide Evade by tapping the B button twice in succession. This is useful when you need to quickly create a distance between you and the monster!

Detonate Wyvernblasts

You can manually detonate Wyvernblasts by shooting at it or by waiting for monsters to hit it (like a trap). You can put a total of 3 Wyvernblasts in a row and will refresh 1 Wyvernblast ammo per around 1 minute.

Tips on How to Use the Light Bowgun

Keep proper distance depending on the ammo Know the Behavior of ammos per weapon in Weapon Details Don't forget to use status ammos Use the proper ammo for each monster Utilize Fanning Vault to reposition and unload some Wyvernblasts in the process Use Wyvernblasts when there is a huge opening

Keep Proper Distance

Like the Heavy Bowgun, keeping your proper distance from monsters varies on the type of ammo you have equipped. Most ammo types allow you to keep a safe distance at the cost of doing less damage while other ammo types require you to get up close and personal like the Spread Ammo.

Types of Distances

Close Range	Enlarge
Safe Distance	Enlarge
Out of Range	Enlarge

Know the Behavior of Ammos in the Weapon Details

Moving Shot Enabled	You can shoot while moving.
Moving Reload Enabled	You can reload while moving.
Single Fire Auto Reload	If you shoot a single shot, it will reload automatically.
For Rapid Fire	Shots can be fired quickly.

In Monster Hunter Rise, the shot type behavior of certain ammos changes per weapon. You can check these out in Equipment Info from the Start Menu (-) then pressing Y to check the Ammo details. This will help you better understand how every ammo will behave based on your current Bowgun!

▲ Can also be seen from the Ammo Type HUD

Don't Forget to Use Status Ammo

If your Bowgun supports status ammo, don't forget to use them. Though they don't deal massive damage, they can create openings that you and your allies can exploit!

Use the Proper Ammo Against Monsters

Depending on the monster's physiology and body frame, some ammo is more effective than others. Knowing which ammo to use per monster is a sign of a great Gunner.

Normal Ammo
Normal Ammo 1	Ammo types that are effective against Fanged Beasts and other enemy types with weakness to ammo. Aim properly on the head whenever the monster is down for maximum damage.
Pierce Ammo
Pierce Ammo 1	These are effective against Flying Wyverns and Leviathans. The larger or longer the body, the more hits a Pierce Ammo can do! Use these against large monsters like Tetranadon or Basarios.
Spread Ammo
Spread Ammo 1	Most difficult one to utilize but is also the most devastating, Spread Ammo is used when next to a monster and is effective for all Monster types. Just be sure to avoid hits because you are technically in close-range.
Elemental Ammos (Fire, Thunder, Ice, Water)
Flaming Ammo	Useful against monsters with elemental weaknesses. Check the Monster's Physiology to know which ammo are effective against it!

Utilize Fanning Vault

With Fanning Vault in your arsenal, dodging might be a bit easier. Since Light Bowgun users tend to take on fights in medium to long ranges, it is vital to keep a distance. If the monster closes the gap, however, a fanning vault can help you re-position yourself and run off to a safer distance. You may even go ahead and shoot some Wyvernblast while in the air!

Use Wyvernblast When There is a Huge Opening

A unique attack that only the Light Bowgun has, the Wyverblast. When an enemy monster is staggering on the ground or ran off to sleep, Wyverblast next to them then triggers it for full effect.

Be Mindful of Wyvernblast's Cooldown

Wyvernblast is one of the most useful tools in a Light Bowgunner's arsenal so always try to use this effectively and be aware if it's on cooldown or not!

Wyvernblast is on cooldown if the ammo head is missing and the case is blinking yellow. Wyvernblast Ammos has an estimated cooldown time of 1 minute per ammo.

How Good is the Light Bowgun?

Tier List Ranking

Rank

The Light Bowgun is an incredibly mobile weapon, allowing you to evade & reload and sheathe quickly. It also has access to both support and DPS ammo types so it's versatility earned it a place at the top.

Weapon Tier List

Light Bowgun Strengths

High mobility Rapid fire spam All around utility Evade reload slide

High Mobility

The Light Bowgun offers higher mobility compared to its heavier counterpart. You can essentially juggle tasks while firing without have the excessive need to be stationary while doing so.

Rapid Fire Spam

In some builds and instances such as special upgrades, the Light Bowgun can rapidly fire its bullets at a target. One such build is the Sticky Ammo Rapid Fire build which has proven itself to be popular among Light Bowgun users.

All-Around Utility

Similar to its heavyweight counterpart, the Light Bowgun has access to a wide range of ammo types which covers everything from damage to heavy utilities. That is why LBG users are often used as Support Gunners in multiplayer games, standing stationary and shooting different types of munitions like sleep or stun.

Light Bowgun Weaknesses

Cannot guard

Cannot Guard

Perhaps balancing the reload slide, you cannot guard monster attacks with a Light Bowgun. You have to make do with being nimble and keeping your distance against monsters.

Light Bowgun Builds

Heavy Bowgun vs. Light Bowgun

The Heavy Bowgun and the Light Bowgun plays almost alike but with a few minor differences. If you are trying to decide on which one to try out, here are some comparisons that we observed:

	Light Bowgun	Heavy Bowgun
Mobility	High	Low
Access to All Ammo	Yes	No
Wyvernblast	Yes	No
Elemental Reload	Yes	No
Charged Shots	No	Yes
Guarding	No	Yes
Wyvernheart / Wyvernsnipe	No	Yes

Changes from MHW: Iceborne

Elemental and Pierce Elemental Ammo are now separate. Cluster Bomb is added for the Light Bowgun

Elemental and Elemental Pierce Ammo are now Separate

In Monster Hunter World, Elemental Ammo can penetrate monsters and hit multiple times. In Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise), Elemental Ammo now hits one time and the ''piercing'' characteristic is now passed to the Pierce Elemental Ammos.

List of All Ammo and Coatings

Cluster Bomb is Now Useable by Light Bowguns

In Monster Hunter World, Cluster Bombs are exclusive to the Heavy Bowgun. Light Bowguns can use Cluster Bombs in Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise) so use them when able!

Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise) Related Links

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

Melee Weapon Guides

Melee Weapons
Great Sword	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Long Sword	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Sword and Shield	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Dual Blades	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Lance	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Gunlance	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Hammer	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Hunting Horn	Trees & Full List	How to Use (Melodies and Effects)	Best Builds
Switch Axe	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Charge Blade	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Insect Glaive	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Kinsects	Kinsect Tree and Complete Kinsect List

Ranged Weapon Guides

Ranged Weapons
Light Bowguns	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Heavy Bowguns	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Bows	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds