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┗ Title Update 4 | Title Update 5 | Bonus Update
┗ Check out all our Best Builds For Every Weapon!
┗ TU4 Monsters: Velkhana | Risen C.G. Valstrax
┗ TU5 Monsters: Amatsu | Risen Shagaru Magala
┗ Bonus Update Monster: Primordial Malzeno
This is a guide to the best high rank builds Sword and Shields in Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise). Learn about the best Sword and Shields from Update 3.0+, and the best Skills and Armor pieces to use with the Sword and Shields for High Rank, and Endgame.
List of Contents
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
 Flash in the Night
 |
②ーー | 180 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 30% |
-
|
||
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
 Valstrax Helm
|
②①ー |
Weakness Exploit Lv. 1
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
 Valstrax Mail
|
③①ー |
Resuscitate Lv. 2
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
 Valstrax Braces
|
②ーー |
Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
 Valstrax Coil
|
②ーー | |
 Valstrax Greaves
|
③①ー |
Resentment Lv. 1
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
| Talisman Skill | Attack Boost Lv. 3 | |
| Decorations | ||
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Attack Boost Lv. 6
| Dragonheart Lv. 5 Resentment Lv. 3 | Resuscitate Lv. 3 Critical Boost Lv. 3 | Weakness Exploit Lv. 3 Speed Sharpening Lv. 2 | Flinch Free Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | This build pumps as much damage as possible through the full Valstrax Set, Attack Boost, and Critical Boost. Flinch Free is included to negate flinches in multiplayer but you can swap it out for another level of Speed Sharpening whenever you're hunting solo. |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
 Vermilion Orgul
 |
②ーー | 180 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 0% | 
34 |
||
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Valstrax Helm
|
②①ー |
Weakness Exploit Lv. 1
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
|
Valstrax Mail
|
③①ー |
Resuscitate Lv. 2
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
|
Valstrax Braces
|
②ーー |
Weakness Exploit Lv. 2
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
|
Valstrax Coil
|
②ーー | |
|
Valstrax Greaves
|
③①ー |
Resentment Lv. 1
Dragonheart Lv. 1
|
| Talisman Skill | Attack Boost Lv. 1
with two additional ① slots |
|
| Decorations | ||
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Dragon Attack Lv. 5
| Dragonheart Lv. 5 Attack Boost Lv. 4 | Resentment Lv. 3 Resuscitate Lv. 3 | Critical Boost Lv. 3 Weakness Exploit Lv. 3 |
| Build Merits | This build cranks as much Dragon Element as possible while increasing base attack and critical damage through the amazing synergy between the full Valstrax Set and Vermilion Orgul's Valstrax Soul ramp up skill. This set makes quick work of any monster that is vulnerable to Dragon Element. |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
 Hi Ninja Sword
 |
①①① | 200 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 100% |
-
|
||
| The Hi Ninja Sword boasts a whopping 200 attack value and a 100% affinity rating. This means we can forget about the usual challenge of pumping affinity into weapons for increased damage and just focus on pumping overall damage directly instead! |
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Death Stench Brain S
|
②ーー |
Protective Polish Lv. 1
|
|
Damascus Mail
|
①①ー |
Handicraft Lv. 1
Tremor Resistance Lv. 1
|
|
Rathalos Braces S
|
②ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
|
|
Anjanath Coil S
|
②①① |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
|
|
Golden Hakama
|
①①ー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Critical Boost Lv. 2
|
| Talisman Skill | Slugger Lv. 3 | |
| Decorations | ||
 Sharp Jewel 2
x2
 Critical Jewel 2
x1
 Steadfast Jewel 1
x3
Grinder Jewel 1
x3
 Hungerless Jewel 1
x2
 Brace Jewel 1
x1
|
||
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Attack Boost Lv. 4
| Critical Boost Lv. 3 Protective Polish Lv. 3 | Slugger Lv. 3 Stun Resistance Lv. 3 | Speed Sharpening Lv. 3 Hunger Resistance Lv. 2 | Latent Power Lv. 1 Handicraft Lv. 1 | Tremor Resistance Lv. 1 Flinch Free Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | Built around the Hi Ninja Sword, this build allows the Sword and Shield to reach a touch of Blue Sharpness by using Lv. 1 Handicraft but maintains it through Grinder and Protective Polish. Damage is improved through Critical and Attack Boost while the addition of Slugger drastically improve the Sword and Shield's KO potential through its various shield bash attacks. This set is also flexible in terms of utility. Aside from your static Brace Jewel to prevent flinches and trips, you still have enough slots for either maxed out Stun Resistance or Elemental Resistances. |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hi Ninja Sword
|
①①① | 200 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 100% |
-
|
||
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Mizuha Cap
|
①ーー | |
|
Vaik Mail S
|
③②① | No Skills |
|
Rathalos Braces S
|
②ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
|
|
Anjanath Coil S
|
②①① |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
|
|
Hunter's Greaves S
|
②ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
Stun Resistance Lv. 1
|
| Talisman Skill | Bludgeoner Lv. 1
with an additional ② slot |
|
| Decorations | ||
Critical Jewel 2
x3
 Blunt Jewel 2
x2
 Attack Jewel 2
x1
Grinder Jewel 1
x3
Hungerless Jewel 1
x3
Brace Jewel 1
x1
|
||
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Attack Boost Lv. 7
| Critical Boost Lv. 3 Bludgeoner Lv. 3 | Speed Sharpening Lv. 3 Hunger Resistance Lv. 3 | Mind's Eye Lv. 2 Ballistics Lv. 2 | Evade Window Lv. 2 Stun Resistance Lv. 1 | Flinch Free Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | A mix up build from our first Hi Ninja Sword build. Instead of amping up its damage via an increase in Sharpness Level, we instead embrace the large green bar and combine it with Bludgeoner and Mind's Eye. While the damage numbers may be near identical, the QoL skill of Mind's Eye makes it easier to use against enemy monsters like the Basarios, Almudron (front leg), and other tough monster parts! |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Flash in the Night
|
②ーー | 180 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 30% |
-
|
||
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Kaiser Crown
|
①ーー |
Critical Eye Lv. 3
Critical Boost Lv. 1
|
|
Vaik Mail S
|
③②① | No Skills |
|
Rathalos Braces S
|
②ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
|
|
Anjanath Coil S
|
②①① |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
|
|
Hunter's Greaves S
|
②ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
Stun Resistance Lv. 1
|
| Talisman Skill | Weakness Exploit Lv. 2 | |
| Decorations | ||
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Attack Boost Lv. 6
| Critical Eye Lv. 3 Critical Boost Lv. 3 | Weakness Exploit Lv. 3 Master's Touch Lv. 3 | Speed Sharpening Lv. 3 Stun Resistance Lv. 1 | Flinch Free Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | Master's Touch prevents sharpness loss 80% of the time everytime you hit with a critical strike. By maxing out our affinity, we can maintain a quasi-permanent white sharpness value which will greatly amp up our damage throughout the entire hunt! Flash in the Night, when using it's Affinity Boost II ramp up skill, allows us to reach 101% total affinity on weak spots. |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Flash in the Night
|
②ーー | 180 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 30% |
-
|
||
| Flash in the Night's great stats and white sharpness make it a great weapon to climb the early stages uncapped High Rank. |
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Zinogre Helm S
|
①ーー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Weakness Exploit Lv. 1
|
|
Zinogre Mail S
|
①ーー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Weakness Exploit Lv. 1
|
|
Anjanath Vambraces S
|
①ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
Slugger Lv. 2
|
|
Golden Obi
|
①ーー | |
|
Golden Hakama
|
①①ー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Critical Boost Lv. 2
|
| Talisman Skill | Weakness Exploit Lv. 1 | |
| Decorations | ||
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Latent Power Lv. 3
| Weakness Exploit Lv. 3 Critical Boost Lv. 3 | Slugger Lv. 3 Speed Sharpening Lv. 3 | Stun Resistance Lv. 3 Attack Boost Lv. 2 | Heroics Lv. 1 Maximum Might Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | Flash in the Night, when combined with Weakness Exploit and Latent Power, can easily reach 100% affinity. The damage is further amplified with Critical Boost while Slugger allows you to KO monsters more efficiently. This is an optimized damage dealing set build that can efficiently stun monsters as well! |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Flash in the Night
|
②ーー | 180 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 30% |
-
|
||
| Flash in the Night is a great rarity 6 weapon that has a white sharpness and 30% affinity. To top it off, it has a base attack stat of 180 — making it the perfect weapon to reach the very end of Hub 7★ Quests. |
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Zinogre Helm S
|
①ーー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Weakness Exploit Lv. 1
|
|
Zinogre Mail S
|
①ーー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Weakness Exploit Lv. 1
|
|
Anjanath Vambraces S
|
①ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
Slugger Lv. 2
|
|
Golden Obi
|
①ーー | |
|
Golden Hakama
|
①①ー |
Latent Power Lv. 1
Critical Boost Lv. 2
|
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Attack Boost Lv. 4
| Critical Boost Lv. 3 Latent Power Lv. 2 | Weakness Exploit Lv. 2 Slugger Lv. 2 | Critical Draw Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | This set build utilizes damage boosting skills like Attack Boost, Critical Boost, and Weakness Exploit. This build can easily reach 100% affinity whenever Latent Power is active. Lastly, Slugger is added to improve the Sword and Shield's KO potential during hunts. |
|---|
| Weapon | Slots | ATK | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|
 Dirty Marquis
 |
①①ー | 140 | - |
| Affinity | Element/Status | ||
| 0% | 
34 |
||
| Dirty Marquis is an excellent High Rank starter due to its decent stats and Poison Element. |
| Armor | Slots | Skills |
|---|---|---|
|
Izuchi Helm S
|
①①ー |
Critical Eye Lv. 1
|
|
Izuchi Mail S
|
①ーー |
Critical Eye Lv. 2
Recovery Speed Lv. 1
|
|
Kamura Braces S
|
②ーー |
Critical Eye Lv. 2
Heroics Lv. 1
|
|
Baggi Coil S
|
①ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
Sleep Resistance Lv. 1
|
|
Ingot Greaves S
|
①ーー |
Attack Boost Lv. 2
Critical Eye Lv. 2
|
| Skills | |
|---|---|
|
Critical Eye Lv. 7
| Attack Boost Lv. 4 Heroics Lv. 1 | Recovery Speed Lv. 1 Sleep Resistance Lv. 1 |
| Build Merits | This straightforward build that prioritizes affinity and attack, this is a great setup to start your High Rank adventures with. |
|---|
| Skills | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Eye ★★★ |
Critical Eye is a near necessity for critical builds. |
| Critical Boost ★★★ |
Amplifies critical damage by 5%/10%/15% (based on level). A must have skill for any affinity build. |
| Weakness Exploit ★★★ |
Increases affinity by 10/30/50% when hitting enemy weakspots. Easier to max out than critical eye and gives higher affinity if used properly. Goes well together with Critical Boost. |
| Attack Boost ★★★ |
More damage is always welcome. It gains a percentage bonus at rank 4 which is a good level to always aim for. |
| Razor Sharp ★★ |
Chance to negate sharpness loss when attacking. |
| Slugger ★★ |
Makes it easier to stun monsters. It works for the Sword and Shield thanks to its various shield bash moves. |
| Handicraft ★★ |
Some endgame Sword and Shields tend to have a lot of room for improvement regarding their sharpness. With that in mind, consider using Handicraft for your builds! |
| Guard ★ |
Guard reduces stamina depletion which makes the SnS a really tanky weapon. |
| Speed Sharpening ★ |
For those crucial times in the middle of fights where you need to raise your sharpness. Less value due to the ability to die palamutes. |
| Flinch Free ★ |
Great for multiplayer. Never get flinched by ally attacks again! |
|
• Weapons marked withNEW have been updated. • Weapons withUP have been reviewed and does not warrant an updated build from the Bonus Update. |
| All Weapon Build Guides | |
|---|---|
 Great SwordNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Long SwordNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Sword & ShieldNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Dual BladesNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 HammerNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Hunting HornNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 LanceNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 GunlanceNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Switch AxeNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Charge BladeNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Insect GlaiveNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 BowNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Light BowgunNEW Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
 Heavy BowgunUP Low Rank | High Rank Master Rank |
| Other Build Guides | |
|---|---|
| General High Rank Builds and Best Equipment | Buddy Equipment Builds Palico | Palamute |
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Dragon Jewel 1
Mastery Jewel 2
I'm new to the series and following the SnS builds over here. I'm wondering why the "Flash in the Night" is used on a lot of HR builds, but not the upgraded versions. There must be some logic about it, but I'd like to learn what it is.