The Monster Hunter speedrunning community is going full steam ahead with the latest Free Challenge Quest, featuring the Arch-Tempered Uth Duna during the limited-time Festival of Accord: Flamefete event.
Reddit user u/fox_invictus compiled data on each weapon’s DPS ratio and how it affects hunting speedruns, especially with current Free Challenge Quests like Arch-Tempered Uth Duna and Rey Dau. Currently at the top of the chart is the Longsword.
The Longsword has been a consistently powerful weapon in Monster Hunter since the early days. Part of its appeal is how stylish it looks when you're slicing through monsters like an overpowered anime protagonist. But more than that, it stands out because of its relentless offensive power. It features some of the best i-frame moves in the game, and its Helm Breaker attack delivers overwhelming damage.
It’s also considered a low skill floor weapon, making it a good starting point for beginners. However, many casual players aren’t aware of its full potential in speedruns.
Notable Monster Hunter speedrunner and Longsword main, Peppo, frequently showcases the weapon and breaks down the fine details behind its moveset and damage potential. According to u/fox_invictus’ data, the Longsword currently holds the highest DPS ratio in the game, with optimized runs clearing hunts in under four minutes, and in some cases, nearly under three.
The data also highlights the season’s underperforming weapons for speedrunning. As usual, the Lance ranks lowest in terms of DPS ratio, followed by the Heavy Bowgun, Gunlance, and Insect Glaive.
The top ten weapons for the Arch-Tempered Uth Duna hunt, based on DPS, are: Longsword, Light Bowgun, Dual Blades, Hunting Horn, Sword and Shield, Greatsword, Hammer, Switch Axe, Charge Blade, and Bow.
Even in earlier data for the Arch-Tempered Rey Dau quest, the Longsword remains dominant, with the Sword and Shield coming in a close second.
For now, data for the Arch-Tempered Uth Duna quest continues to evolve as more players submit their clear times using their favorite weapons. But at the moment, the Longsword stands firmly at the top, unless other weapons manage to catch up with better builds and optimizations.
Speedrunning continues to be a vital part of the Monster Hunter community, and many are hoping Capcom will take note and adjust some of the underperforming weapons in the upcoming August 13 update, which is shaping up to be their biggest patch yet before Title Update 3.
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