Hunting Horns are not often the first pick of hunters in Monster Hunter Rise, mainly because it fills in a support archetype in a party and not much of a damage dealer. Thus, having a hunting horn master in a party is quite rare. But Monster Hunter Rise changed how hunting horns work and made the song playing easier to integrate in an attack pattern.
If you are interested in filling in the support bard position of your party, then we have a guide for you on what beginner sets to get and aim for. All of the weapons and sets that are in this guide are for Low Rank as we’ll be tackling High Rank builds in a separate guide.
Low Rank Hunting Horns
This guide contains information on the finest low rank Hunting Horn builds in Monster Hunter Rise now that it has released on PC. Learn about the best Hunting Horns to utilize in the early game.
Frilled Flute II
If you want straightforward buffs such as Attack Up, Defense Up, and Earplugs (S), then this hunting horn is for you. Upgrading it to Illusory Flute will open up 2 decoration slots.
Striped Dragonga I
This hunting horn is for a more aggressive approach with Attack Up, Earplugs (S), and Sonic Wave which generates a shockwave that will deal a small amount of damage. Though if you are going to use it to bash monsters, consider compensating for the -20% affinity.
Magia Charm II
This hunting horn focuses more on defensive and healing support for the team. It has Health Recovery (S), Health Recovery (S) + Antidote, and a Sonic Barrier that puts up a barrier that negates flinches, knockbacks, stuns from roars, wind pressure and tremors. You can even just spam this for your teammates.
Sinister Strum I
This hunting horn has an Attack and Defense Up in one song, plus Health Regeneration and Sonic Barrier. It’s a slightly more active offensive horn to bring in a hunt. Upgrading it to the Sinister Shadestrum will give it white sharpness and decoration slots.
Khezu Horn II
This weird looking hunting horn has Elemental Attack Boost or the elementally aligned teammates, coupled with Earplugs (S) and Health Regeneration. Upgrading it to the Khezu Flute will give it a decoration slot.
Low Rank Hunting Horn Armor Sets
Learn about the best Armor pieces to employ with the Hunting Horn for Low Rank in this guide.
Kulu-Ya-Ku Set
Get the Kulu-Ya-Ku Set for the Horn Maestro which makes the effects of the songs you play last a bit longer. If you play on the side lines more, then you’ll benefit from Maximum Might which increases your affinity when your HP is full. Try to sneak in some hits to the head of the monster when you see the opportunity so that you can also make use of the Slugger and Stamina Thief.
You may also want to keep the Mail to mix it in with other sets to keep the Horn Maestro skill.
Utsushi (Hidden) Set
Get the Utsushi Set for the Evade Window to give you more breathing space when dodging monster attacks. Razor Sharp will lessen the need to stop and sharpen your horn so that you can continuously chain your melodies, while Wirebug Whisperer helps retain a third wirebug longer, in case you need a quick exit.
Nargacuga Set
The Nargacuga Set is another set that helps you escape a spot better. The combo between Evade Window and Evade Extender will surely make clutch dodges a little more safer and easier to do. Get this if you really want to stay on the side lines, but also stay close enough to your teammates.
If you liked this guide, check out our other Monster Hunter Rise articles:
- Monster Hunter Rise Beginner’s Guide and Tips
- Pearl Hide – How to Get and Uses | Monster Hunter Rise
- Monster Hunter Rise Weapon Tier List – Best Weapons [January 2022]
- How to Fish, All Fish List & Fishing Spots | Monster Hunter Rise
- Low Rank Great Sword Builds | Monster Hunter Rise
- Low Rank Charge Blade Builds | Monster Hunter Rise
Check out this tutorial by gaijin hunter on how to master the hunting horn:
