In this guide by Monster hunter rise we will explain to you how to get all Weapon Swap Skills, in order to unlock your hunter's true potential.
The exchange skills (or Switch Skills) are one of the innovations introduced by Capcom in this chapter. These are special actions specific to each weapon that can be traded with other moves, thus giving life to different combinations and styles of play. You will unlock the trading actions by advancing in the story of Monster Hunter Rise and meeting special requirements, which we will explain below.
Trading Skills: How They Work
Each Monster Hunter Rise weapon allows you to choose between two different options for three trading skills for each weapon. Two of these are related to the standard attacks of the weapon. For example, the classic Broadsword shoulder can become a forward sprint attack using the flat side of the weapon to defend itself. The third instead modifies one of the two silkworm attacks. The Sword and Shield Whirlwind, for example, can be replaced with the deadly Metsu Shoryugeki, a jump attack that with the right timing can be used as a counterattack.
Once unlocked, you will be able to modify trading skills from the object box or in the tent, before or during a mission. Keep in mind that the settings related to these techniques can be saved along with the equipment set you are using, a convenience that could come in handy if you use multiple weapons or want to always have more than one equipment set with different trading skills ready to use.
The trading skills in Monster Hunter Rise drastically change the style of play of each weapon and therefore it is good to unlock them all as soon as possible to access the true potential of the moveset. However, to tell the truth, not all techniques are very valid options and following the "directives" of the meta in the end some of them can be neglected beautifully. For example, a Long Sword veteran would hardly recommend using the Sakura Spin instead of the Flying Kick.
Having said that, our advice, however, is to personally test each of them and choose the ones that best suit your style of play. Experimenting and learning, maybe even making mistakes, is part of the fun.
How to unlock trading skills
As previously mentioned each of Monster Hunter Rise's 14 weapon categories has three trading skills to unlock. Each skill is obtained by talking to Master Utsushi, the character who teaches you the basics of hunting and who you will find in the Hunting Base.
You will receive the first skill set simply by progressing through the ranks of Monster Hunter Rise missions, while the second and third require you to meet specific requirements. Nothing too complicated luckily.
The first set of trading skills
To unlock the first set of trading skills for all Monster Hunter Rise weapons, simply advance through the Low Rank hunting missions. Specifically, once unlock the 3 ★ Village missions or the 2 ★ Hunting Base missions, Master Utsushi will teach you the first extra technique for each of the weapons in the game.
Below we have listed all the trading skills that you will unlock this way, along with the standard attacks that you can replace them with.
Greatsword
- Basic Ability: Shoulder
- Unlocked Skill: Defensive Shoulder
Long Sword
- Basic Skill: Ascending Kick
- Unlocked Skill: Silkweave Sakura Spin
Sword and shield
- Basic Ability: Forward Slash
- Unlocked Skill: Sliding Slash
Double Blades
- Basic Ability: Demonic Fury
- Unlocked Skill: Demonic Flight
spear
- Basic Ability: Dash Attack
- Skill Unlocked: Shield Charge
Shotgun lance
- Basic Ability: Hail Cutter
- Unlocked Skill: Ground Cutter
Hammer
- Basic Ability: Silkweave Spinning Ravage
- Skill Unlocked: Demoman Dash
Hunting horn
- Basic skill: Performance melody mode
- Unlocked Skill: Echo Melody Mode
Swordsman
- Basic Ability: Invincible Gambit
- Unlocked Skill: Flying Wyvern Blade
Loaded blade
- Basic Ability: Elemental Slash
- Skill Unlocked: Reduced Whirlwind Slash
Insect glaive
- Basic Ability: Cyclone Slash
- Unlocked Skill: Four-Handed Slash
Light crossbow
- Basic Ability: Fan Leap
- Unlocked Skill: Fan Maneuver
Heavy Crossbow
- Basic Ability: Mechanical Wyvern Gaze
- Unlocked: Healing Mechanical Wyvern Gaze
bow
- Basic Ability: Charge Dodging
- Unlocked Skill: Dodging Flash
The second set of trading skills
Unlocking the second set of trading skills in Monster Hunter Rise is much more expensive, as you will have to forge or upgrade at least eight weapons of the same class by the blacksmith. For example, to get the second bow skill you will need to forge / upgrade eight bows and so on for each weapon category. As usual, once the unlock conditions are met, talk to Master Utsushi in the Hunting Base to learn the new techniques.
Below we have listed all the trading skills that you will unlock this way, along with the standard attacks that you can replace them with.
Greatsword
- Basic Ability: Hunting Blade
- Skill Unlocked: Defense Charged Slash
Long Sword
- Basic Skill: Sharp Step
- Skill Unlocked: Double Unsheathed Slash
Sword and shield
- Basic Ability: Heavy Hit Combo
- Skill Unlocked: Piercing Slash Combo
Double Blades
- Basic ability: Demon mode
- Unlocked Skill: Feral Demon Mode
spear
- Basic ability: Guard
- Unlocked Skill: Instant Guard
Shotgun lance
- Base Skill: Download loaded
- Unlocked Skill: Explosive Dash
Hammer
- Basic Ability: Combo Charge Strength
- Skill Unlocked: Combo Charges Courage
Hunting horn
- Basic Ability: Earthquake
- Unlocked Skill: Pearl of Resonance
Swordsman
- Basic Skill: Lunge
- Unlocked Skill: High forward slash
Loaded blade
- Basic Ability: Mutant Strike
- Unlocked Skill: Mutant Backlash
Insect glaive
- Basic Ability: Plunge Slash
- Unlocked Skill: Forward Spinning Slash
Light crossbow
- Basic Ability: Forward Dodge
- Skill Unlocked: Quick Dodge
Heavy Crossbow
- Basic Ability: Melee Attack
- Unlocked Skill: Shoulder
bow
- Basic Ability: Aimed Shot
- Unlocked Skill: Aerial Aim
The third set of trading skills
Finally, to unlock the third and final set of trading skills you will need to reach the High Rank of the Hunting Base missions. Once done you can try your hand at grade 4 ★, 5 ★ and 6 ★ mission specifications each of which allows you to learn a different trading skill from Master Utsushi. Here is the list of missions:
- Master Sword and Shield (4 ★) - Capture an Aknosom
- Refine Hunting Horn (4 ★) - Hunt a Great Izuchi and a Tetranadon
- Study the Sword Ax (4 ★) - Hunt a Lagombi and a Khezu
- Discover the Light Crossbow (4 ★) - Hunt a Great Baggi and a Great Wroggi
- Wield the Greatsword (5 ★) - Hunt 2 Bishaten
- Perfect Hammer (5 ★) - Hunt a Pukei-Pukei or Barrioth
- Discover the Spear (5 ★) - Capture a Rathian
- Join the Charged Blade (5 ★) - Hunt a Royal Ludroth and a Jyuratodus
- Dominate the Heavy Crossbow (5 ★) - Hunt a Basarios and a Volvidon
- Discover the Long Sword (6 ★) - Hunt a Zinogre and a Mizutsune
- Study Double Blades (6 ★) - Hunt an Anajnath and a Rathian
- Learn Rifle Lance (6 ★) - Capture a Barioth
- Use the Insect Glaive (6 ★) - Hunt a Somnacanth and an Aknosom
- Dominate the Bow (6 ★) - Hunt 2 Tobi-Kadachi
Below we have listed all the trading skills that you will unlock this way, along with the standard attacks that you can replace them with.
Greatsword
- Basic Ability: Ultimate Charged Slash
- Unlocked Skill: Furious Slash
Long Sword
- Basic Ability: Spinning Spirit Combo
- Unlocked Skill: Invincible Spirit Combo
Sword and shield
- Basic Ability: Whirlwind
- Unlocked Skill: Metsu Shoryugeki
Double blades
- Basic Ability: Piercing Bond
- Unlocked Skill: Towering Leap
spear
- Basic Ability: Anchoring Fury
- Unlocked Skill: Spiral Lunge
Shotgun lance
- Basic Ability: Quick Reload
- Skill Unlocked: Defensive Reload
Hammer
- Basic Ability: Bone Breaker
- Unlocked Skill: Water Strike
Hunting horn
- Basic Ability: High Slam
- Unlocked Skill: Melodic Strike
Swordsman
- Basic Ability: Final Shock
- Skill Unlocked: Compressed Final Shock
Loaded blade
- Basic ability: Counter-echo of the peaks
- Unlocked Skill: Cavellattascia
Insect glaive
- Basic Ability: Kinsect Call
- Skill Unlocked: Swooping Wyvern
Light crossbow
- Basic Skill: Reload
- Skill Unlocked: Elemental Cooldown
Heavy Crossbow
- Basic Ability: Counter Shot
- Unlocked Skill: Counter-Charge
bow
- Basic Ability: Powerful Shot
- Skill Unlocked: Absolute Power Shot
