Looking for a new bow? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

Are you a seasoned archer looking to optimize your builds, or are you a recruit searching for an upgrade? 

Whatever your answer is, the Sunbreak expansion is fast approaching and with it comes master rank difficulty. New monsters are coming, and the ones that are already here are about to become stronger than ever.

We hunters are in for a rough time, but don’t worry! Monsters aren’t the only ones getting an upgrade. With badder monsters, comes bigger weapons.

But before we can make whatever weapon upgrades come with Sunbreak, we first have to craft the weapons that are already available. They don’t call it an upgrade for no reason after all.

You’re going to need to know which are the right bows to make, luckily you’ve come to the right place.

As of version 3.9, these are the top five bows in Monster Hunter Rise!

5. Araknatorch

Araknatorch with the Rakna Kadaki armor set

Bows in Monster Hunter are less about finding one weapon that fits all occasions and more about crafting a specialized tool for a specific hunt.

Among bows, the Araknatorch deals the highest amount of fire damage in Monster Hunter Rise. Meaning it’s perfect for giving monsters an Araknascorch. 

The Araknatorch is also a pierce-type bow, meaning it is at its most effective when you are far away from monsters. Making it perfect for new players that are still learning the various attack patterns of a monster.

Lastly, the Araknatorch has a 30% affinity, which will help you deal a significant amount of critical damage when paired with the right build.

The bow can be obtained by upgrading the starting bow up to a Kamura Iron Bow V, then hunt the low-rank Rakna Kadaki and upgrade to the Weaver of Flame tree.  

From here simply proceed into high rank until you come across Teostra’s urgent quest, which provides the final required materials for the Araknatorch.

Weapon Stats:

• Attack: 170
• Element: Fire 33
• Affinity: 30%
• Decoration Slots: 1x lvl 2, 2x lvl 1

What makes the Araknatorch a Bullseye:

• Huge fire elemental damage.
• High affinity.
• Beginner-friendly bow.
• Easy to obtain.

4. Daora’s Sagittarii

Daora’s Sagittarii with the Daora armor set

If Araknatorch is the bow’s equivalent of a flamethrower, then the Sagittarii is a freeze ray.

Comparisons between the two bows are easy to make since both are pierce-type bows that happen to outclass their competition. 

Meaning Daora’s Sagittarii is a bow you’re going to wish was in your arsenal when you make your trek to the Lava Caverns.

Unfortunately, the Sagittarii is only craftable upon reaching HR 100 and only after you beat Crimson Glow Valstrax.

Weapon Stats:

• Attack: 180
• Element: Ice 37
• Affinity: 15%
• Decoration Slots: 1x lvl 1

What makes the Daora’s Sagittarii a Bullseye:

• Ice elemental damage.
• High base attack.
• Pierce type bow.

3. Reddnaught Dragon Arc 

Reddnaught Dragon Arc with the Valstrax armor set

Spread-type bows get a bad reputation in Monster Hunter for being inconsistent and hard to use, this is because of their shotgun-like arrow spread. For this reason, theorycrafters don’t consider spread as a good way to use a bow, but there are two notable exceptions.

The Reddnaught Dragon Arc is a spread-type bow that specializes in dealing a deadly burst of dragon elemental damage. This bow deals the highest instance of dragon elemental damage among all bows.

There are two main reasons why this bow is a must-have. The easiest reason is that it’s one of the easiest spread bows to use. Even if you miss an arrow here and there, you are likely to still out damage the second-best dragon elemental bow, Abyssal Gale.

However, the reason that seals the deals is the dragon element, itself. The dragon element happens to be the weakness of Monster Hunter Rise’s toughest monsters.  

With the Reddnaught, you will be able to shred through the strongest monsters of Rise with ease. A group of speedrunners even managed to slay the Apex Rathian in 69 seconds thanks to this bow.

The Reddnaught Dragon Arc is also made from parts of Crimson Glow Valstrax, Monster Hunter Rise’s final boss. If that doesn’t tell you that this bow is a beast, then I don’t know what will.

Crafting this bow will require you to slay Valstrax repeatedly until you acquire enough materials. If you do get it, use it with pride. Having this bow alone means you’re already a veteran hunter.

Weapon Stats:

• Attack: 180
• Element: Dragon 39
• Affinity: 0%
• Decoration Slots: 1x lvl 2

What makes the Reddnaught Dragon Arc a Bullseye:

• Bragging rights.
• High base attack.
• Best dragon elemental bow.
• Somewhat beginner-friendly spread type bow.

2. Demon’s Guidance

Demon’s Guidance with the Chameleos armor set

If you pay attention, you will notice that every bow on this list is the best at one particular element. Well go and call Paramore, because the Demon’s Guidance is the only exception.

Demon’s Guidance is the highest possible raw damage dealer among all bows. It is also one of the easiest bows to acquire on this list; all you will have to do is hunt the Chameleos unlocked at HR 20.

Since It doesn’t require any element to boost it, the Demon’s Guidance is a good general-purpose bow that can be taken to any hunt.

Convenience comes at a cost, however, because this bow demands the most out of its users. Being a pierce type bow, the Demon’s Guidance falls prey to the pierce type’s shortcomings, that being the spread making your arrows hard to land.

When using this bow you will need to be at your sharpest, because to maintain an optimal damage output you are only allowed to miss 1 arrow every 2 shots.

With such a massive ask from the user, is this bow even worth it? A quick glance at Monster Hunter Rise’s speedrun world records says yes. 

Demon’s Guidance is the weapon of choice for speedrunners, but if so then why isn’t it number one? Good question.

Weapon Stats:

• Attack: 230
• Element: None
• Affinity: 0%
• Decoration Slots: 1x lvl 3

What makes the Demon’s Guidance a Bullseye:

• Amazing base attack.
• Easy to obtain.
• Good for general use.

1. Rampage Bow S

Rampage Bow S with a customized Narwa armor set

While the four other bows on this list were ranked in no particular order, there’s a reason why Rampage Bow S is number one.

Although there are three element-focused bows in this list, three is not enough to cover every single element right? In normal circumstances, yes. 

Rampage Bow S can not only use every single element type, but it also out damages all elemental bows that didn’t appear on this list.

On top of that amazing feat, Rampage Bow S also belongs to the rapid class of bows. Rapid type bows are easily the most consistent damage dealing bow type and are usually considered the best bow type.

The only downside to the Rampage Bow S is that you will need to craft a duplicate for every elemental type you want. This means you are going to need a lot of Rampage Bows.

Crafting this bow isn’t an easy thing to accomplish either. Being a rampage weapon, you can only get materials for this bow from apex rampage quests and you will have to do every single one. 

If you don’t want to play a lot of Rampage quests, you can always wait for HR 100 to unlock all apex monsters.

When farming for this bow, don’t forget that there’s a reason the Rampage Bow S is number one on this list. With that said, good luck and good hunting.

Weapon Stats:

• Attack: 210
• Element: None (All via Rampage Skills)
• Affinity: 0%
• Decoration Slots: None

What makes the Rampage Bow S a Bullseye:

• Most versatile bow.
• Rapid type bow.
• Excellent for general use.

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