Beginner's Guide to Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

So, you’ve defeated Thunder Serpent Narwa, hunted Daimyo Hermitaur, and have just arrived at Elgado Outpost. Congratulations, you are officially a Master Rank Hunter! But now you’re in a new area with new people to know and new systems to get used to, and it can feel a little overwhelming. Fear not, my dear hunter, as this article will give you a little head start and help you get ready for whatever Master Rank is going to throw at you.

Take it slow

Don't rush through Master Rank. You'll be woefully unprepared for late game.

You’ve probably done this twice before but now let’s do it a third time. All the old maps have new materials and endemic life, while the new maps are covered in fog so there are tons of little secrets to discover. Take your time and go on an Expedition Tour. Gather any materials you can and slay any small monsters you come across. They all have better crafting materials for better armour and weapons and your High Rank gear is going to be rendered obsolete sooner rather than later, plus the armour sets available at the start are vastly more powerful than whatever set you used to beat Narwa. Heck, there are some weapons that can’t be forged in Master Rank so you might want to go back and hunt High/Low Rank monsters. There are also a ton of Side Quests that unlock some really useful stuff, so keep them in mind when you accept a quest. Here’s a tip: if you see dandelions floating around a particular spot, that is a once-per-quest fast travel point and you will need to manually unlock it. Go up to it and hit the confirm button.

Practice Switch Skill Swap

Customise and master your fighting styles.

One of the main new features this DLC offers is Switch Skill Swap, allowing you to have two completely different fighting styles you can switch between with a quick button command. You’ll unlock it after a mandatory Training Quest, but I highly recommend using that time and the Arzuros that spawns to get used to the system. It feels weird at first but once you learn when to use it and customise your Switch Skill loadout to your tastes, you’ll be hunting twice as efficiently. Remember, the red scroll is your default set and what you start out with in hunts, and you’ll unlock more moves as you go through Master Rank.

Choose your dango wisely

A good hunter checks the Skill Info before they eat.

Eating before a hunt has become a little more complex. All Dango skills have levels now, and by activating Hopping Skewers at the Canteen, you can increase or decrease the levels of those skills depending on what order you choose your dango. Be sure to read the Skill Info if you’re unsure of anything, and see if it’s worth using Hopping Skewers or sticking with the Level 2 versions. Just make sure to use Dango Tickets to subvert any decreased chances of activating skills.

Take care of your Buddies

They're a lot more valuable in your hunts in Master Rank.

Your Palicos and Palamutes have got some really cool things to play around with. Bring a Palamute on a quest, and you get a second inventory and the Sniff ‘Em Out command, which pinpoints materials on the map. Meanwhile, Palicos get Secret Support Moves once you complete certain requests. They range from regenerating health and elemental mines to fireworks bombs and Kittenators. Make sure to complete these Side Quests as you get through Master Rank while keeping your Buddies’ levels and equipment updated. They are massive assets to your hunts and will make your life a little easier.

Do Follower Quests

Get to know the NPCs of Kamura and Elgado.

Once you reach MR2 and unlock Follower Quests, go and do them as soon as you can. While entirely optional, completing these quests will unlock a ton of cool rewards like new armour sets and weapons. Plus, some Follower Quests give you access to areas that aren’t available for an Expedition Tour yet, so take advantage of that and do some gathering while you’re out there.

These are only some things you have to keep in mind while playing through the Sunbreak expansion. I haven’t covered everything it has to offer, but it’s best to stop reading this article and go and experience it yourself! The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak expansion is available on Steam and the Nintendo Switch.