Fans of the Monster Hunter series can look at Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak as a refreshing take on the monster-hunting genre for the portable Nintendo Switch. Gone are the days of brutally-slow treks over multiple terrains and timing-intensive attacks where one wrong move can send Hunters spiraling to their untimely deaths. Instead, Monster Hunter Rise and its Sunbreak expansion gives players access to a multitude of features to enhance their experience: terrain-exploring Wirebug grappling hooks and Palamute mounts, resource-gathering Hunting Helpers, errand-running Meowcenaries, and even the Palico combat companion.
On top of these features are a whopping set of 14 weapon types to choose from in the Monster Hunter game, including straightforward Greatswords, transforming Gunlances, and even fast-paced Dual Blades. For players who want an extremely aggressive playstyle, they can’t go wrong with the Charge Blade, Dual Blades, or the Switch Axe for straightforward offense. However, for Sunbreak players who want to add a significant punch to their attacks, then perhaps learning about Burst Skill can greatly maximize their performance.
Recap: What Are Skills?
Before fans of Monster Hunter games get into the nitty-gritty of the Chain Crit Skill, they may want to get a better look into what the game talks about when it comes to Skills. Similar to other RPGs, Monster Hunter Rise also gives players access to numerous Skills, although these aren’t necessarily special moves or techniques they can dish out in combat.
Instead, Skills in the game are mostly bonuses and buffs that Hunters receive through their various Equipment that mesh together into a cohesive build. This means not only do Weapons, Armor, Talismans, and Decorations give Hunters a cool look. Rather, the Skills inside them also help players aim towards a specific playstyle. To be more specific, whereas most Weapons and Armors already have built-in Skills, players may also slot into them Decorations as they are gems slottables capable of providing new Skills or boosting existing ones.
Enter Offense: The Boost Skill
Formerly known as Chain Crit, the Boost Skill is an offensive Skill that at its core acts as a primary Attack buff. Whenever players land hits after their first hit, Boost Skill will be adding a continuous supply of 5 Raw Attack and Elemental Damage boosts.
Depending on its progression level, the Boost Skill can bestow much stronger Raw Attack and Elemental Damage buffs to players of Monster Hunter Rise. At its core, the Boost Skill suits players with a fondness for aggressive playstyles, especially for fast-paced weapons such as the Dual Blades that can secure a lot of hits through its reliance on combos.
The Boost Skill: The Hard Numbers
Players looking for more specific numbers associated with the Boost Skill may want to keep in mind that the specific damage boosts this Skill provides also depends on both the level and the type of Weapon that receives the buff. At its core, hits with a Burst Skill-buffed Weapon will grant +5 Raw Damage and +5 Elemental Damage, with an additional stat boost after five (5) consecutive hits. Players enjoying Monster Hunter Rise gameplay may want to remember that these boosts only last for a few seconds, which means they also need to time their hits for maximum carnage.
Meanwhile, here are more specific stats for the Boost Skill’s 5-hit damage bonus on Raw Damage and Elemental Damage depending on the weapon used:
- Dual Blades (Lv1): ATK+10, Element+6
- Dual Blades (Lv2): ATK+12, Element+8
- Dual Blades (Lv3): ATK+15, Element+12
- Bow (Lv1): ATK+8, Element+6
- Bow (Lv2): ATK+9, Element+8
- Bow (Lv3): ATK+10, Element+10
- Light/Heavy Bowguns (Lv1): ATK+8
- Light/Heavy Bowguns (Lv2): ATK+9
- Light/Heavy Bowguns (Lv3): ATK+10
- Everything Else (Lv1): ATK+10, Element+8
- Everything Else (Lv2): ATK+12, Element+10
- Everything Else (Lv3): ATK+15, Element+15
Based on the hard numbers above, it seems Dual Blades have the best shot of being equipped with the Boost Skill due to its reliance on quick combos. While most other Weapons indeed get higher Element Damage upgrades compared to the Dual Blades, the fast-paced nature of the Weapon means players can make up for lost Damage through sheer speed and frequency of attacks.
Best Ways Of Getting Boost Skill
Unfortunately, due to how the Boost Skill can provide players with extreme damage buffs, this Skill is rather difficult to acquire as well. Players enjoying Monster Hunter Rise gameplay willing to overcome some of the game’s toughest offerings make the cut when acquiring the Boost Skill. Here are the known ways to get Boost Skill in various stages in the game:
- Defeat Astalos: Defeating this Large Monster within the Flooded Forest, Jungle, or Shrine Ruins could allow players to use its parts to create the Astalos Set. The Astalos Helm, Astalos Mail, and Astalos Braces within these sets all have Boost Skill x1 each.
- Defeat Furious Rajang: Unlockable after reaching Master Rank 50, players can also defeat Furious Rajang in order to acquire the Boost Skill. This Large Monster can give players access to its parts to create the Grand Divine Ire Set, of which its Divine Ire Haori and Divine Ire Obi contain Boost Skill x1 each.
- Defeat Gaismagorm: One other way of acquiring the Boost Skill in Sunbreak is to defeat the Gaismagorm, considered as the “final” boss of the said expansion. Defeating this tough foe gives access to parts that let players create the Archfiend Armor Set, of which its Archfiend Armor Baulo and Archfiend Armor Ura have Boost Skill x1 and x2, respectively.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released on June 30, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.