Monster Hunter Rise: Light Bowgun Guide

Monster Hunter Rise included all three ranged weapons we all love or hate, and the Light Bowgun is of course among them. Bowgun comes in two variations, a Light and Heavy, but make no mistake, these are two entirely different weapons, it’s not only their size that changes. In this guide here we are going to take a look at the lighter version and its high mobility when in the field. Expect a lot of ‘pew-pew’ with this exciting ranged type.

Light Bowgun Guide and Overview

What the Light Bowgun in Monster Hunter Rise does, is simple. You stay as far as possible and you shoot monsters. While this may be a little trickier to achieve in solo hunts, Bowguns in general truly shine in multiplayer, where three other players can draw the monster’s attention. This gives you all the leisure needed to aim for the creature’s vital spots and fire away.

While its raw fire power is not something to brag about, the Light Bowgun compensates with its mobility and utility, as it is the fastest of the ranged weapons of the game, especially when moving around. You can sheathe/unsheathe the weapon very fast, letting you use items in a relatively fast manner. Together with its new Wirebug and Silkbind abilities, it now truly gives the feeling of the run-and-gun playstyle.

You need to focus on three things when using the Light Bowgun. Shooting the monster with your regular shots and reload when it’s empty, use your various ammo to either inflict bigger damage or cause status ailments, and place your Wyvernblast on the ground in order to detonate it for big bursts of damage. Those regular shots are self-explanatory, but what about the ammo and Wyvernblast that were mentioned? Well, those are simple as well, no worries.

Much like the Bow, the Light Bowgun has its own version of different types of Coating, in the form of Ammo. There is a good variety of them, from Flaming and Thunder shots, to the infamous Cluster Bomb, which is now available for both the Light and Heavy Bowgun. Some of them are able to be shot in Rapid Fire mode, which shoots three shots at once, but wastes only one ammo. This is perfect for preserving ammunition, making the Light Bowgun even more user friendly.

The Wyvernblast is Light Bowgun’s big damage tool. It is a mine you plant to the ground and detonate it by either shooting it, or hitting it with a melee attack. Of course, if the monster does something similar on top of it, it will be triggered in the same way, resulting to some explosions that damage it for a fair bit. Wyverblast’s ammo refills after some time passes, making it the weapon’s cooldown ability.

Monster Hunter Rise has quite a few class types, but none feels as smooth and slick as the Light Bowgun. A staple in the series from way back, it is certain that beginners and veterans alike will enjoy this fast, ranged weapon.

Light Bowgun Controls and Combos

• ZL = Aim Sights
• ZR = Fire
  • Left Stick+B->Left Stick+B = Step->Slide
• A = Wyvernblast
• X = Reload
• Y = Sheathe
• Hold L+X or B = Select Ammo
• X+A = Melee Attack

Recommended Combos

The Light Bowgun is quite different from the rest of the weapons in Monster Hunter Rise, since it doesn’t really have any sequence combos. All you have to do is aim, shoot, load the correct Ammo for the current situation and use Wyvernblast when you have an opening.

Light Bowgun Silkbind Attacks

• ZL+X = Silkbind Glide
  • Surge forward at lightning-fast speed. Pressing ZR unleashes a powerful close-range attack.
• ZL+A = Fanning Vault
  • Uses a Wirebug to vault you forwards. Press ZR to fire, X to reload, and A to fire a Wyvernblast directly below you.

Pros and cons

• Pros
  • Very high mobility for a ranged weapon.
  • Easiest to learn out of all ranged weapons.
  • Various types of ammo for all occasions.
  • Can be either support or damage dealer in a party.
  • Access to Cluster Bomb.
• Cons
  • Damage output is low compared to its counterpart.
  • Ammo capacity is lower compared to its counterpart.
  • No defensive mechanics besides Silkbind attacks.
  • Needs resource(ammo) management.

Monster Hunter Rise is set to release on March 26, for the Nintendo Switch. For more guides about the game, make sure to check our extensive list right here.