Out of the 14 different weapons you can use inMonster Hunter Wilds, the Longsword may be among the most elegant your character wields. This elongated and sharp blade uses quick, effective strikes to slice through monster hides, building up Spirit to unleash even more devastating attacks. With an incredibly balanced mix of offense and defense, this weapon is a popular choice with hunters looking for a versatile tool.
The Longsword is one of the more beginner-friendly weapons in the game, as youdon’t have to be an expert with it to deal high damageto monsters. However, those looking to gracefully dodge incoming attacks and unlock the weapon’s true potential will want to dive into all its mechanics. As thedifficulty ofMonster Hunter Wildsincreases, you’ll want to learn about everything the Longsword can do.
How To Start Using The Longsword
Time Attacks With Monster Movements
The moment you equip a Longsword to your character, you’ll notice thatthere is a large sword symbol below your health. This represents the weapon’s Spirit, a unique resource you’re able to build up while using different attacks. When you start using a Longsword, the weapon’s Spirit Gauge will be full, allowing you to start wielding the weapon through its basic maneuvers.
Throughout this guide, the inputs for the Longsword’s various techniques will be explained using PlayStation controller buttons. For example, the Longsword’s basic attack is performed using the Triangle input.
Triangle will unleash a quick slash that combos into multiple strikes, giving you faster attacks than other weapons. The Circle input will give you a fast thrust, but youcan combine both basic attacks from the Longsword into each otherby pressing one input after another. This gives the Longsword a sense of fluidity that highlights how precise it can be during a hunt.
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Here are some of the other techniques you’re able to perform right away as you use the Longsword:
TheSpirit Blade is another slashing attack that consumes your Spirit Gaugewhen used. This technique has a built-in combo when you use R2 four times in a row, unleashing the Spirit Blades I, II, and III moves rapidly as you use them. This combo ends on the fourth R2 input withSpirit Roundslash, a powerful attack that can deal lots of damage if you have enough Spirit to activate it.
Every move of the Longsword has a far greater range than other melee weapons, allowing you to hit monsters more often. The Longsword is also an amazing weapon for cutting off breakable monster parts, such as tails for extra carving materials.
TheFade Slash is a sidestepping slash attackwhere your character moves in a direction you choose to both strike and avoid getting hit. This move can help you avoid the attacks of some of the strongestmonsters inMonster Hunter Wildswithout sacrificing an opportunity to land a hit. Similarly, the Unbound Strike attack in Focus mode gives you a way to target a monster’s injuries for some incredible damage.
How To Use The Spirit Gauge
Build Up Power Before Unleashing Special Strikes
The Spirit Gauge is the central mechanic of the Longsword,increasing from basic attacks and decreasing when you use Spirit Blade moves. However, you have a way to"level up"the Spirit Gauge, making all of your attacks stronger. The Spirit Gauge has three Levels, starting with a yellow aura around the Longsword symbol under health and progressing from white (Level 2) to red (Level 3).
When your Spirit Gauge reaches the maximum of red, yougain access to powerful new strikes called Crimson Slashes and the Helm Breaker. The Helm Breaker is performed with R2 + Triangle when your Spirit Gauge is at max, adding a powerful move where you leap off a monster, descend, and do a downward slash for massive damage. The multiple strikes from this move are easily able to stagger some monsters.
The Helm Breaker attack is performed as an extension of the Spirit Thrust move, a technique where you consume Spirit to stab into a monster. When performing Helm Breaker, you can cancel the downward slash by pressing X as you fall to the ground if a monster moves away.
Crimson Slashes replace your normal Triangle basic attacks, dealing extra damage and having extended reach. As long as your Spirit Gauge is kept in the red, you may keep performing Crimson Slashes alongside your other Longsword techniques. Masters of this weapon will find ways to perpetually keep their Spirit in the red after building it up at the start of a hunt.
How To Increase The Spirit Gauge
There are multiple ways to raise your Spirit Gauge levels, such as:
TheSpirit Roundslash is the most common way of upgrading your Spirit Gauge, but reaching this attack through a Spirit Blade combo drains the meter significantly. One of thebiggest mistakes inMonster Hunter Wildsyou can make with the Longsword is running out of Spirit, limiting your options. As a result, you’ll want to try other techniques to upgrade the Spirit Gauge.
By pressing R2 and X during a combo, you may sheath your Longsword, going into the Special Sheath stance. From here, you can unleash one of two moves - the Iai Slash or Iai Spirit Slash.Landing both of these attacks will cause your Spirit Gauge to fill for a short time automatically. In some cases, you can time the Iai Spirit Slash with a monster’s attack to avoid it and raise the Spirit Gauge by one level immediately.
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Your Focus mode attack with the Longsword also raises the Spirit Gauge, but only if you target a monster’s injury. Foresight Slash is a quick way of raising the Spirit Gauge, as it is a move that immediately dodges and counters a monster’s attack. However,Foresight Slash consumes all the Spirit Gauge unless you time it perfectly to dodge an attack, making it a move that requires some training to use consistently.
Best Ways To Master The Longsword
Don’t Get Too Aggressive With Your Attacks
The simple combos and straightforward techniques make the Longsword easier to master than other weapons. That being said, to master this weapon, you need tobalance your attacks to build the Spirit Gauge to max quickly. Those who waste valuable Spirit will always be struggling to unlock the weapon’s best strikes, making it difficult to challenge certain monsters.
Despite thestrong armor inMonster Hunter Wildsyou can wear to reduce damage,mastering the Longsword can help you avoid taking damage entirely. The Longsword’s Foresight Slash, Iai Spirit Slash, and Fade Slash attacks all give you some degree of mobility or complete invulnerability against monster strikes. As you learn the timing behind various monster attacks, you can learn to always avoid taking hits.
In my experience, one of the best ways to use the Longsword effectively is to perform a combo while watching a monster, then to quickly go into Foresight Slash or Sheathed Stance when it gets ready to attack back. One of these moves might help you avoid any strike if timed correctly.
In the past, this weapon was a nuisance in multiplayer because it tended to hit other players with its broad strikes. However, with friendly fire from weapons being reduced inMonster Hunter Wildsand the Longsword having more ways to control its momentum, you have many tools to succeed when you use this elegant weapon.
