Every weapon inMonster Hunter Wildscan help end hunts in a few minutes, but few are as forgiving and comfy as the Longsword. So long as you know the basics and have a general knowledge of a monster’s attacks, winning against even the toughest is basically free.
Longsword basics in Monster Hunter Wilds
Longsword has been one of the easiest-to-use yet almost overpowered weapons in theMonster Hunterseries, at least sinceWorld, and that trend continues inWilds. Like all the options in Wilds, the weapon’s fundamentals are very straightforward.
You have two main attack types: standard attack and thrust. The basic standard attack is two vertical Overhead Slashes, then a horizontal Cresent Slash. Your Thrust two-hit combo starts with a poke and follows up with a vertical cut Rising Slash. Press your Standard Attack and Thrust buttons simultaneously to do a Fade Slash, a sweep that coincides with a short hop backward or to the side if facing a monster and you input a direction.
Beyond these basic attacks, here’s the introduction to one of the Longsword’s core mechanics: the Spirit Gauge.
It’s entirely possible to get through the entirety of Monster Hunter Rise and well into High Rank using only the basic techniques described so far. You will, however, be missing out on well more than half of the weapon’s potential. That’s where the advanced moves come in.
Advanced Longsword moves in Monster Hunter Wilds
Spirit Gauge manipulation is the name of the game with Longsword, as are counterattacks with invincibility frames. The two mechanics are intertwined. There are four attacks you need to understand and master if you want the Longsword to make quicker work of monsters.
The key to high-level Longsword use is stringing together all these advanced attacks, but a standard combo looks something like this:
A more realistic combo where you miss one or both of your Spirit Slashes looks something like this:
Special Sheathe is the most versatile move in the Longsword’s list, allowing you to reposition or reorient your character if they’re facing the wrong way. It provides two ways to build Spirit Gauge, including a counter, and one of its only drawbacks is the long-ish animation for sheathing your weapon.
One final note: you’re able to be knocked out of the air when using Spirit Helm Breaker if the monster has an attack that reaches that high. Also, both Spirit Slash types leave you vulnerable if you don’t get the invincibility frames.
Best way to deal damage with the Longsword
Outside of gauge-building combos, optimal Longsword play in Monster Hunter Wilds is about controlling your and the monster’s position and always using Spirit Slash and Iai Spirit Slash to avoid big attacks. That’s true no matter what your Spirit Gauge level is. For most players, however, their best play is a mix of Spirit Slash and Special Sheathe usage.
Once you have a monster on the ground, however it got there, the best combo string for damage in red Gauge is Spirit Blade I > Crimson Slash I > repeat. You can then either end the combo with a Healm Breaker or reset back to yellow Gauge and build it up again with more spirit slashes.
You’ll want to hit a monster’s weak spots, especially unbroken Wounds, to prevent sharpness loss and deal as much damage as possible. When the monster eventually gets up, you’re able to return to the Spirit Slash cycling, but use the Spirit Blade/Crimson Slash string as the moment arises.
If you find yourself facing the wrong way or need to reset the fight for any reason, Special Sheathe into an Iai Slash. Even if you don’t hit the monster, you’ll be able to reangle your attack, get a lot of forward momentum, and won’t be automatically kicked out of the stance after a few seconds. The vulnerability period is also much shorter. Plus, you’ll have a better chance to reengage how you want to rather than having your movement dictated by the monster.
Like every weapon inMonster Hunter Wilds,knowinghow the Longsword works andexecutingon that knowledge are two entirely different things. I always recommend starting a very low-difficulty hunt when you want to learn a new weapon. That way, you get real-world experience the training dummy simply can’t give you without the threat of instantly carting after a few mistakes.
Now go, hunter, and master the blade.
