Swords in Monster Hunter Wilds

There are 14 weapons in monster hunter, each with their own distinct identity, this article covers the Swords available in Wilds. Different weapons mesh with different play styles and personalities. This article is a basic overview of each weapon for people who are just starting to check out the series and are still trying to figure out which weapon they want to use as their main. I highly recommend watching video tutorials on the weapons you find most interesting in the game you are playing, as there are depths to each weapon not explained here. Weapons also change from game to game, so if you are new to Wilds but already played a previous Monster Hunter title, it's worth checking out the differences.

Great Sword

The Great Sword focuses on delivering a small number of heavy hits. Positioning and are anticipation important, as its attacks are slow and take time to charge up. You often find yourself aiming for where the monster will be when you are ready to attack, rather than aiming for where the monster is. The Great Sword also has one of the biggest attacks in all of Monster Hunter: the True Charged Slash. The third and final of your charged slashes, the True Charged Slash is a 2 hit attack that deals increased damage on the second hit if the first connects.

Another important move in the Great Sword’s move set is the tackle. Done during a charge attack, it allows you to be hit by the monster without being knocked back. It can be chained into another charge attack as well, increasing your opportunities to land those big hits on the monster. Given the lower number of hits, the Great Sword usually builds for raw damage rather than elemental.

Long Sword

The Long Sword is the weapon that most emphasizes counters. Its combos flow very smoothly, and contain many opportunities to react advantageously to a monster's attacks. By connecting attacks you build up your spirit gauge, which you can then spend to execute your spirit combo. By successfully landing the final hit of your spirit combo, you increase your spirit level. Increasing your spirit level increases your damage, and you can spend a spirit level to use your Helm Splitter Slash, one of the Long Sword’s most powerful moves. The Long Sword can be used with either elemental or raw damage, but raw damage is more common. 

Dual Blades

The Dual Blades focus on high mobility and an attacking flurry of hits. While no individual hit from the Dual Blades deals too much damage, the sheer number of hits this weapon can land in a short period of time more than makes up for it. A key aspect of the Dual Blades is Demon Mode. By activating Demon Mode, you speed up, gain access to new attacks, and change your dodge from a roll into a quicker dash. Your stamina also constantly drains, limiting how much time you can spend in demon mode without recovering.

If you land enough attacks in Demon Mode, you enter Archdemon Mode when Demon Mode ends. In Archdemon Mode, you gain access to a few attacks from Demon Mode, and your dodge roll is once again replaced by a dash. Your stamina does not drain while in Archdemon Mode. Dual Blades are more commonly built around elemental damage due to their high number of hits.

Charge Blade

The Charge Blade is one of two morphing weapons in Monster Hunter. It can switch between two modes, sword and axe. Sword mode is more mobile and has a shield, while axe mode is less mobile but boasts longer reach and higher damage. Landing attacks in sword mode makes the phials near your health bar turn yellow and then red. When the bar has changed colors, you can charge to fill the phials, 3 when yellow and 5 when red.

Use Phials to increase your damage in Axe mode, or power up your Sword or Shield. Amping the shield increases its blocking capabilities. Amping the axe increases damage, this is required to unleash one of the weapon's most powerful moves, Super Amped Elemental Discharge. A charged sword deals bonus phial damage with every attack, and it cannot bounce off a monster, even when hitting its toughest spots. While in sword mode, you also have guard points, moments at the end of your attacks where your shield is up to block damage.

There are two common ways to build around using your phials: Super Amped Elemental Discharge and Savage Axe Mode. Savage Axe Mode essentially turns your axe head into a chainsaw, dealing extra hits with each swing and significantly increasing your damage. Savage Axe Mode gradually drains your phials. Super Amped Elemental Discharge uses all your phials at once to create an elemental shockwave that deals heavy damage to whatever it hits. This Sword is one of the most complicated weapons overall in Monster Hunter Wilds, so I highly recommend watching a guide rather than just diving in if you want to try out Charge Blade.

Switch Axe

Switch Axe is the second of the morphing weapons in Monster Hunter. Similarly to the Charge Blade, a Switch Axe has two forms, axe mode and sword mode. Use Axe mode to charge the Switch Axe then swap to sword mode for higher damage output . While in axe mode, each hit charges a gauge underneath your sharpness. This gauge can then is to enter sword mode, and drains continuously until you switch back to axe mode.

One of the key moves of sword mode is Elemental Discharge. The Elemental Discharge is a move where the hunter holds up their sword and triggers a series of small explosions followed by one large explosion. By landing enough hits in sword mode, the weapon becomes amped. When amped, the sword covers the monster in liquid from the phial of the weapon, which explodes after a short time. Your Elemental Discharge also becomes a Zero-Sum Discharge, where instead of standing still and holding up the sword, you instead mount the monster and stab the sword into it before triggering the series of explosions. This Sword and Axe combo is also a very complicated weapon, and I highly recommend watching a video guide rather than just diving in if you want to play Switch Axe in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Sword and Shield

One of the more versatile Swords in Monster Hunter Wilds, the Sword and Shield can adapt well to most circumstances. It can deal either cutting damage by attacking with the Sword, or blunt damage by attacking with the Shield, allowing you to both cut tails and stun monsters. You can also block with the Shield, although it is one of the least effective Shields in the game. Additionally, you can use items while you have your Sword and Shield unsheathed, something no other weapon can do. The big damage move of the Sword and Shield is the Perfect Rush.

By attacking out of the Sword and Shield's unique backhop, you start to perform the Perfect Rush, a four attack combo. Before each attack in Perfect Rush, your character lights up. When your character lights up, attack for significantly increased your damage. Perfect rush is not nearly as powerful if you attack without the proper timing, so it is worth taking some time to make sure you have the timing down.

Summary

The following Swords are available in Monster Hunter Wilds;

• Great Swords are a slow moving but hard hitting weapon that benefits from positioning and knowledge of monster moves.
• The Long Sword is a counter focused weapon that uses the spirit gauge to deliver stronger attacks.
• Dual Blades are a high speed weapon that uses demon mode to enhance its attacks and pairs well with status buildup and elemental damage.
• The Sword and Shield is a versatile weapon that can both cut tails with the sword and knock out monsters with the shield.
• Charge Blades build charge in its sword form to deliver explosive attacks in axe form
• Switch Axe fills its phials in axe mode to deliver devastating elemental attacks in sword mode

For the remaining melee weapons, check out part 2!

Written by: Brogangh

Reviewed by: Tenkiei