Hey hunters! So, you're looking to dive into the world of Monster Hunter Rise on the PS4, and you've chosen the Longsword – a fantastic choice! This weapon is all about precision, grace, and devastating counter-attacks. If you're a fan of elegant combat and dealing tons of damage, then this Monster Hunter Rise PS4 Longsword guide is for you. We'll be going over everything from basic moves to advanced techniques, helping you become a true Longsword master. Get ready to slice and dice your way through hordes of monsters! This guide is packed with tips, builds, and strategies to help you dominate the hunt and show those monsters who's boss!

Understanding the Longsword: The Basics

Alright, first things first, let's talk about the Longsword itself. This weapon is known for its incredible reach, high damage output, and its signature Spirit Gauge. The Longsword excels at applying constant pressure on monsters while offering strategic counter-attacks. You'll be dancing around monsters, dodging their attacks, and punishing them with calculated strikes. Mastering the Longsword is all about timing, positioning, and knowing when to go on the offensive. You'll need to learn the basic moves, combos, and how to effectively manage your Spirit Gauge to truly master this weapon. The Longsword's strength lies in its ability to maintain a consistent offense while gracefully evading attacks. It rewards patient players who can read monster movements and react accordingly. The fluidity of the Longsword makes it incredibly satisfying to use, especially when you land those perfectly timed counters and Spirit Blade attacks. Understanding the weapon's mechanics is the first step towards becoming a Longsword master. The Longsword's moveset is diverse, and each move has a specific purpose. You'll need to learn the difference between horizontal slashes, overhead slashes, and thrusts. Each one has its own advantages, such as speed, range, and damage. The Longsword also features a unique Spirit Gauge that charges up as you land successful attacks. By using Spirit Blade attacks, you can increase your Spirit Gauge level, which further boosts your attack power. This Spirit Gauge mechanic is what truly separates the Longsword from other weapons. Managing this gauge effectively is the key to unlocking the Longsword's true potential. Another crucial element of the Longsword is the ability to counter-attack. The Longsword has several moves that allow you to anticipate and punish monster attacks, making you less vulnerable while still being able to deal a lot of damage. These counter-attacks are a cornerstone of the Longsword's playstyle and offer the chance to turn the tables on even the most ferocious monsters. The more you learn about the Longsword, the more you will understand its potential, and it will be time to apply all the learning.

Key Longsword Moves and Combos

Knowing your moves is crucial. The Longsword has a variety of attacks, each with its own purpose. The bread and butter of your attacks will be the horizontal slash (Triangle on PlayStation, Y on Xbox) for quick attacks and the overhead slash (Triangle/Y after a horizontal slash) for more power. The thrust (Circle/B) is great for closing the distance or landing a quick hit. These simple moves form the base of your combos, allowing you to deal consistent damage while maintaining your positioning. Mastering the execution of these moves and the transitions between them will make your gameplay feel natural. The Longsword's combos involve chaining together these attacks to maximize damage output. A common combo involves using a horizontal slash, followed by an overhead slash, and then a thrust. Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for you. As you become more familiar with the weapon, you will develop your own preferences and play style. The most important thing is to become comfortable with the flow of the attacks. It's really fun. The Longsword also has a special mechanic called the Spirit Gauge. This gauge fills up as you land attacks, and once it's full, you can unleash a Spirit Blade attack. This powerful attack will deal massive damage and increase your attack power. Properly using the Spirit Blade attacks and managing your Spirit Gauge are important. These moves significantly enhance your damage output. They also offer opportunities for counters, turning them into a critical element of your play. The level of the Spirit Gauge has four stages: White, Yellow, Red and when it’s full, your attacks gain additional damage and your weapon gets an extra sharpness.

Wirebug Mechanics and Switch Skills

The introduction of the Wirebug in Monster Hunter Rise completely changed the way we approach combat, and the Longsword is no exception. Wirebugs allow you to perform aerial maneuvers, traverse the battlefield quickly, and execute devastating attacks. For the Longsword, the Wirebug opens up a new dimension of strategy and mobility. This opens up options for the player. The Silkbind moves are unique Wirebug-based attacks that offer a variety of benefits, from mobility to damage. They add another layer of depth to the Longsword. The two most important Wirebug moves are the Soaring Kick and the Iai Spirit Slash. The Soaring Kick allows you to quickly close the distance and launch yourself into the air, setting you up for aerial attacks. The Iai Spirit Slash is a counter move that lets you deflect monster attacks while unleashing a powerful Spirit Blade attack. Timing is everything with this one. You'll want to use the Wirebug to position yourself strategically, evade attacks, and launch into the air for aerial attacks. It's like adding a whole new level of finesse to your moves. Understanding the Wirebug mechanics is essential for mastering the Longsword. It's all about combining your regular combos with these special Wirebug moves. This opens up new avenues for offense and defense. Switch Skills are another new feature in Monster Hunter Rise that lets you customize your playstyle by swapping out specific moves. The Longsword has a selection of Switch Skills that allow you to tailor your approach to combat. You can choose different Spirit Blade attacks, counters, or mobility options. Experimenting with these skills will help you find the perfect setup. This flexibility allows you to adapt to different monsters and hunting scenarios. It offers players the freedom to personalize their Longsword experience.

Building Your Longsword: Armor, Decorations, and Skills

Alright, so you know the moves, now let's talk about building your Longsword hunter. Building is a critical part of the experience. The right armor, decorations, and skills can make a huge difference in your damage output, survivability, and overall effectiveness. Here's a breakdown of what you need to focus on when building your Longsword set.

Essential Skills for Longsword Users

Choosing the right skills is key to optimizing your Longsword build. There are certain skills that are just essential for maximizing damage and survivability. First off, you'll want to focus on attack-boosting skills. These increase your raw attack power, directly boosting your damage output. Skills such as Attack Boost, Critical Eye, and Weakness Exploit are a great start. Critical Eye increases your affinity, which is the chance to deal critical hits. Weakness Exploit increases your affinity even further when you hit a monster's weak spots. The more often you land critical hits, the more damage you'll deal. Next, consider skills that improve your survivability. These skills will help you withstand monster attacks and stay in the fight longer. Health Boost is an absolute must-have. It increases your maximum health, giving you a bigger buffer to survive incoming attacks. Also, consider skills that improve your evasion. Evade Window and Evade Extender are great options for dodging monster attacks. Evasion skills allow you to avoid damage more easily, allowing you to stay in the fight longer and keep dealing damage. Finally, don't forget about skills that enhance your weapon's performance. Sharpness skills, such as Protective Polish or Razor Sharp, are important for maintaining your weapon's sharpness. Your weapon deals less damage when it's not sharp. These skills will keep your Longsword sharp for longer. Speed Sharpening will help you sharpen your weapon faster. This is important for minimizing downtime in combat. Skills are all about maximizing your potential and allowing you to perform better in every encounter.

Armor and Decorations

Armor and decorations provide the foundation for your build. Armor provides the base skills and stats, while decorations allow you to fine-tune your build and add additional skills. The armor sets you choose will depend on the skills they offer and the stats they provide. Different armor sets will give different skills, so you'll want to mix and match to get the skills you want. When choosing armor, consider the skills offered by the set and how well they complement your Longsword playstyle. For example, armor with Attack Boost, Critical Eye, and Weakness Exploit is great for maximizing damage output. Armor with Health Boost, Evade Window, and Defense Boost is a great set for survivability. Decorations are where you can fine-tune your build and add skills that aren't available on your armor. Decorations can be crafted or obtained as rewards. They provide a lot of versatility. When selecting decorations, consider the skills you want to add and the slots available on your armor. Slot size is a factor. Larger slots can hold more powerful decorations. Experiment with different combinations to find the perfect setup. The armor and decorations you choose should complement each other, forming a cohesive build that allows you to maximize your Longsword's potential.

Recommended Longsword Builds

Finding the perfect build for your play style is exciting. There's no one-size-fits-all build. Different builds will be better for different players and against different monsters. A good starting point is to focus on maximizing damage. This build focuses on maximizing your raw attack power and critical hit chance. This will make your attacks hit like a truck. The key skills for this build are Attack Boost, Critical Eye, and Weakness Exploit. Then, you can try for a survivability build. This build focuses on staying alive and avoiding damage. Key skills for this build are Health Boost, Evade Window, and Defense Boost. Try this build for monster fights that are hard for you. For a balance build, it's a good approach. A balanced build combines offensive and defensive skills. You can mix and match skills to get a balance between offense and defense. A balanced build will give you a good mix of damage and survivability. Feel free to experiment with different builds to find what works best for you. Some builds will be better against certain monsters than others, and it will be interesting to try different strategies against the different monsters. Don't be afraid to experiment with different builds to find the perfect setup for your playstyle.

Advanced Longsword Techniques: Going Above and Beyond

Now that you've got the basics down and a solid build in place, it's time to take your Longsword skills to the next level. Advanced techniques allow you to optimize your damage output, improve your survivability, and become a true Longsword master. Here are some techniques to master.

Mastering Spirit Blade Attacks

Spirit Blade attacks are your bread and butter when dealing damage with the Longsword. They are powerful attacks that can do massive damage if timed correctly. To perform a Spirit Blade attack, you need to have a full Spirit Gauge. To fully master the Spirit Blade, you'll need to learn the timing of each attack and the best way to utilize them. The Spirit Blade I is a horizontal slash that deals good damage, while the Spirit Blade II is an overhead slash that deals more damage and can stagger monsters. The Spirit Blade III is a powerful attack that deals the most damage and can knock monsters down. Learning to efficiently utilize the Spirit Blade attacks is essential for maximizing your damage output. You will have to chain these attacks to increase the damage. This means executing them in a specific order to create a continuous flow of strikes. The Spirit Blade attacks will be the attacks that will deal the most damage. Proper execution will make you deal massive damage while keeping you safe.

Perfecting Counters

The Longsword's counters are its defining feature and a critical element of its playstyle. Counters allow you to deflect monster attacks while unleashing a powerful counter-attack. A well-timed counter can turn the tide of a battle. Mastering the counters requires precise timing and a good understanding of monster attack patterns. Different counters have different timings and offer different advantages. Understanding the timing of each counter and the best way to use them is essential. Learning to anticipate monster attacks and use your counters effectively will require practice. The Iai Spirit Slash is a powerful counter that allows you to deflect monster attacks and launch a devastating Spirit Blade attack. This is a very valuable skill, so timing is everything. With practice, you will be able to turn almost any monster attack into an opportunity to deal massive damage. The foresight slash allows you to avoid an incoming attack while landing a counter-attack. The foresight slash requires a more complex input but offers a more versatile counter. The foresight slash allows you to evade attacks and quickly reposition yourself to maintain an offensive posture. With enough practice, you will be able to weave in and out of the most dangerous situations, looking for an opening for your attacks. If you master the counters, you will be able to take down any monster.

Utilizing Wirebug Techniques for Maximum Efficiency

The Wirebug adds a new dimension to the Longsword's combat. Wirebug techniques are essential for optimizing your combat effectiveness. The Soaring Kick is a powerful move that will launch you into the air, while the Iai Spirit Slash offers a powerful counter. By combining these moves with your regular combos, you can create devastating combinations. The Wirebug also allows you to traverse the battlefield quickly, allowing you to reposition yourself and evade monster attacks. Wirebug maneuvers are useful in various situations. It will allow you to maintain your offensive posture while avoiding damage. Using the Wirebug for mobility allows you to quickly close the distance on a monster. It is also an effective way to evade attacks and reposition yourself for an opening. The Wirebug is a game changer for the Longsword. It will allow you to get creative, experiment with new combinations, and adapt to different combat situations. Mastering these techniques will elevate your Longsword play to a new level. Be patient with yourself. With enough practice, you will become a Longsword master.

Conclusion: Slicing Your Way to Victory

Congratulations, you've made it through our comprehensive guide to mastering the Longsword in Monster Hunter Rise on PS4! The Longsword is a powerful and versatile weapon. You now have the knowledge and strategies you need to dominate the hunt and become a true Longsword master. The Longsword's fluid combat style and strategic depth make it an engaging and rewarding weapon to master. So, grab your Longsword, practice your skills, and get ready to carve your path to victory. Embrace the challenge, enjoy the journey, and happy hunting!