Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide-Monster Hunter Wildsfeatures14 different weapons, the same as the previous installments with theSword & Shieldbeing one of them. In this MHWilds Sword & Shield Guide, we will be taking a look at how to use the Sword and Shield and all the changes, combos and additions that have been made to it with Monster Hunter Wilds. Whether you’re a new hunter looking to join the hunt or a veteran looking for a quick refresher to help with the weapon, this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword & Shield Guide is here to help you.
Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide to Combos & Changes
The Sword and Shield as the name suggests provides players with a very familiar feeling weapon in their hands, especially for those who are new to the Monster Hunter franchise. If you are a newcomer to the franchise and are overwhelmed by the amount of Weapons in the game, the Sword and Shield isan excellent beginner-friendly weapon.
The Sword and Shield isa good all-rounder weapon that doesn’t excel in either offense or defensebut it provides hunter withgood mobility, fast attack speed, and defensive capabilities in one weapon. As such the Sword and Shield is the perfect example of easy to get into and difficult to master in the Monster Hunter series. Although not much has changed for the Sword and Shield in Monster Hunter Wilds, there are some additions to the weapon moveset which will make veterans excited, which we will cover in this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide.
Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Combos
Although the Sword and Shield does not have a special mode, it provides good options to evade attacks and damage monsters, and we will go though all Combos in this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide.
The first combo is a series of slashes but during the combo, you can easily adjust your positioning with the directional key.
The second combo is a more powerful combo which can end in two different finishers depending on the opening. TheSpinning Reaper- Y + B (Xbox) or Triangle + Circle (Playstation) at the end of combo is a quicker finisher while theCharged Chop- Hold Y + B (Xbox) or Hold Triangle + Circle (Playstation) is slower but deals more damage, which is more useful when you have a bigger opening of attack. Note that you can also follow Spinning Reaper with a Charged Chop for even more damage, if you have an even longer window to attack.
The third combo is very useful for stunning the monsters with a series of shield bashes.
The fourth combo is the Charged Slash Combo which begins by pressing back on the left stick and Holding B (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) while in Focus Mode Holding LB (Xbox) or Holding L1 (Playstation). If you land the attack you can then follow up with different finishers depending on what you want to do. Jumping Slash allows the hunters to easily mount monsters, while a well-timed Falling Bash onto the monster’s head builds a moderate amount of Stun. If you are looking for the maximum amount of damage, you can go into thePlunging Thrust- Y + B (Xbox) or Triangle + Circle (Playstation).
The last combo is the Perfect Rush Combo - A Perfect Rush Combo can be performed while in Focus Mode by pressing Back on the Left Stick + B (Xbox) or Back + Circle (Playstation) to evade a monster’s attack and then Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) to jump forward and attack with a Leaping Slash followed by another Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) into the Perfect Rush attack.
Perfect Rush’s Combo can also be extended past the final Perfect Rush attack by pressing Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) again to perform a Scaling Slash, and can then be finished with a Jumping Slash, Falling Bash or Plunging Thrust, just like the Charged Slash Combo. Note that you must land the final hit of Perfect Rush in order to be able to extend the combo further or the combo will end, and that you will not find Scaling Slash in the Sword and Shield controls, because it is not there.
When using the Sword and Shield you can do an environment-based attack that varies according to the terrain much like the previous games in the franchise. These attacks range from leaping at monsters, allowing hunters to mount them, to sliding underneath them. Hunters will get used to these environment-based attacks as you play through the game and will have to play around them to fully master them.
The Sword and Shield is the only weapon in the game that allows players to use items from their inventory without needing to sheath the weapon. Also, the Sword and Shield allows players to fire the Slinger without sheathing, which makes it unique among the weapons, and a must mention in this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide.
Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Changes
Other things to note in this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide are Changes to the weapon. The end of the Basic Combo has been replaced with theDiagonal Rising Slashand aDiagonal Chopwhich allows for the hunters more mobility compared to previous games. Combined with the focus mode, this combo allows hunters to easily reposition and get out of harm’s way as moving in any direction while using these moves will cause you to step in that direction. This allows the Sword and Shield user to have a super agile playstyle where the hunter can reposition on the fly.
TheCharged Chop: Hold Y + B (Xbox) or Hold Triangle + Circle (Playstation)is a completely new move that has been added to the Sword and Shield in Monster Hunter Wilds and it is a devastating move that charges the sword and swings it before jumping up and stabbing downwards. This move is very useful because if the initial swing of the sword hits the monster, the rest of the attacks still count as hits even if you are a little away from the monster and not exactly on it.
With the advantage of having a shield and the added mechanic of Perfect Guards, triggering a perfect guard will allow you to negate all knockback and you can counterattack with a variety of different options. The new addition in Monster Hunter Wilds is thecounter slash- Tapping Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) after a perfect guard, which is a spinning slash similar to thespinning reaper.
Using the guard and triggering perfect guards is not an easy feat to master but learning the timing and getting over the curve is worthwhile because repeated guarding is a great way to trigger the power clash, and should be one of the biggest take aways from this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide. After winning the clash, you can follow up with a Spinning Reaper or an empowered Charged Chop. You can also start your Monster Stunning Combo if you want to stun the monster.
With the added focus strike mechanic, theFocus Strike: Vital Stab- RB (Xbox) or R1 (Playstation) while in focus mode has you stab forward and latch onto the monster when you hit a wound. After this, you may either follow up with aFalling Slash- Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation), where you rip downwards and cause a multi-hit attack like the Charged Chop for good damage, or perform anUpwards Bash- B (Xbox) or Circle (Playstation) with your shield and fly into the air.
For the Sword and Shield, theSeikretdoes offer a normal mounted attack and ajumping dismounting attack - Y + B (Xbox), Triangle + Circle (Playstation). In addition to those attacks, you may also stick out your blade while sprinting- B (Xbox) or Circle (Playstation) to deal a multi-hit attack oto the monster.
Final Tips
The Sword and Shield is a very versatile weapon that offers the option todeal both cut and blunt damage to the monster. While using this weapon, learning the perfect guard timings and determining when to block and when to evade will help you master the Sword and Shield. Part of this is simply knowing the attack patterns of the monster you are facing.
If hunters are looking to maximize their damage with this weapon, learning the Charged Chop timings and back steps and timing of perfect rush and follow-up attacks are the keys to successfully unleash the Sword and Shield’s potential.
Also, depending on your position, you can use the shield bash combo to deal blunt damage to the head and stun the monster or the slash combo to sever the tail. Learning where to position and what combos to use will help you with breaking parts and severing tails, and is a key focus of this Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide.
For the secondary weapons, there are some options depending on what you are looking for.
If you are looking to main the sword and shield and be the ultimate jack of all trades and support player, then the perfect secondary weapon for you will be theHunting Hornas it can also provide you and the team with buffs and will help you adapt to whatever the situation calls for in the moment.
If you are looking to be the most agile hunter and be able to break any parts, then theDual Swordsworks wonders as a secondary weapon since both weapons provide excellent mobility with the sword and shieldproviding access to blunt damage and the dual swords with the ability to sever tails more quickly.
If you are looking to bolster the defensive capabilities of the sword and shield, theLancewill be the best secondary weapon for you since it has the best defense in the game and you will also have better reach for the trade-off of a slower play style.
In conclusion, if a hunter is looking for theperfect jack-of-all-trades weapon that can deal with multiple situations, the Sword & Shield will allow you to be the ultimate hunter that can deal with any challenge that the monsters can throw at you.
That wraps up our Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide, and I hope you found it helpful, and be sure to check out our otherMonster Hunter Wilds Guides. If you have questions you can leave them in the comments or drop by ourDiscordand ask. We also have aMonster Hunter Wilds Wiki with all the information you could possibly need about the game.
