Switch Skills are customisable special moves unique to Monster Hunter Rise, with each weapon type having access to different Switch Skills that can be swapped out. If you’re wanting to know all the Monster Hunter Rise Switch Skills and how to unlock them, then you’ve come to the right place.
Switch Skills are not the only customisable aspect of Monster Hunter Rise. To get your style game on, check out our Monster Hunter Rise character creation overview and how to alter your look later using the Monster Hunter Rise change appearance feature. Furthermore, to help you better style your armor, we also have a Monster Hunter Rise layered armor guide.
Monster Hunter Rise Switch Skills
Monster Hunter Rise Switch Skills are powerful abilities that can be activated through specific button inputs, with the effect and use varying depending on the weapon type equipped. In the base game of Monster Hunter Rise, each weapon has three sets of two Switch Skills that can be unlocked and swapped between via an Item Box in Kamura Village.
Here are all the Monster Hunter Rise Switch Skills for each weapon available in the base game, split into each set:
- Tackle and Guard Tackle – Great Sword
- Hunting Edge and Adamant Charged Slash – Great Sword
- Rage Slash and True Charge Slash – Great Sword
- Soaring Kick and Silkbind Sakura Slash – Long Sword
- Spirit Roundslash Combo and Spirit Reckoning Combo – Long Sword
- Step Slash and Drawn Double Slash – Long Sword
- Advancing Slash and Sliding Slash – Sword and Shield
- Hard Basher Combo and Drill Slash Combo – Sword and Shield
- Metsu Shoryugeki and Windmill – Sword and Shield
- Demon Flight and Demon Flurry Rush – Dual Blades
- Demon Mode and Feral Demon Mode – Dual Blades
- Piercing Bind and Tower Vault – Dual Blades
- Dash Attack and Shield Charge – Lance
- Guard and Insta-Block – Lance
- Spiral Thrust and Anchor Rage – Lance
- Hail Cutter and Ground Splitter – Gunlance
- Charged Shelling and Blast Dash – Gunlance
- Guard Reload and Quick Reload – Gunlance
- Dash Breaker and Silkbind Spinning Bludgeon – Hammer
- Charge Switch: Courage and Charge Switch: Strength – Hammer
- Water Strike and Side Smash – Hammer
- Melody Mode: Echo and Melody Mode: Performance – Hunting Horn
- Earthshaker and Bead of Resonance – Hunting Horn
- Overhead Smash and Melodic Slap – Hunting Horn
- Invincible Gambit and Soaring Wyvern Blade – Switch Axe
- Forward Slash and Forward Overhead Slash – Switch Axe
- Finishing Discharge and Compressed Finishing Discharge – Switch Axe
- Condensed Element Slash and Condensed Spinning Slash – Charge Blade
- Morph Slash and Counter Morph Slash – Charge Blade
- Axe Hopper and Counter Peak Performance – Charge Blade
- Tornado Slash and Tetraseal Slash – Insect Glaive
- Leaping Slash and Advancing Roundslash – Insect Glaive
- Recall Kinsect and Diving Wyvern – Inspect Glaive
- Fanning Vault and Fanning Maneuver – Light Bowgun
- Quickstep Evade and Forward Dodge – Light Bowgun
- Reload and Elemental Reload – Light Bowgun
- Mech-Wyvernsnipe and Healing Mech-Wyvernsnipe – Heavy Bowgun
- Melee Attack and Tackle – Heavy Bowgun
- Counter Shot and Counter Charger – Heavy Bowgun
- Charging Sidestep and Dodgebolt – Bow
- Focus Shot and Aerial Aim – Bow
- Powershot and Absolute Power Shot – Bow
The Sunbreak expansion, which is currently only available on the Monster Hunter Rise PC and Switch versions, added additional Switch Skills alongside the Switch Skill Swap mechanic. Switch Skill Swap lets players assign Switch Skill loadouts and swap between them during combat, expanding upon the Switch Skill system with more customisation and moment-to-moment decision making.
How to unlock all Monster Hunter Rise Switch Skills
The first set of Switch Skills for each weapon is unlocked by Reaching Village Quest level 3 or Hub Quest level 2, the second set in unlocked through crafting or upgrading eight weapons of the same weapon type, and the third set of Switch Skill can be unlocked by completing the Hub Quest pertaining to the weapon type. For example, the relevant Great Sword quest is called Grasp the Great Sword, a Hub Rank 5 quest. On the other hand, the relevant Dual Blades quest is a Hub Rank 6 quest called Dissect the Dual Blades.
- Hub Rank 4 Quests include the Sword & Shield, Switch Axe, Hunting Horn, and Light Bowgun
- Hub Rank 5 Quests include the Great Sword, Lance, Hammer, Charge Blade, and Heavy Bowgun
- Hub Rank 6 Quests include the Long Sword, Gunlance, Dual Blades, Insect Glaive, and Bow
Now that you know all the Monster Hunter Rise Switch Skills and how to unlock them, you’re ready to take on any monster that steps in your way. Well, almost any monster. Before taking on the hardest foes, take a look at our Monster Hunter Rise walkthrough for all things guides, tips, and more, and stop by the best Monster Hunter Rise weapons to make sure you’re well-equipped.