MonHun

[Kugelfisch]

Just spazzing out is what I don't really like about the IG. I like the more deliberate gameplay.
I'm happy about the changes to the CB from 4U to Gen. The ultra discharge was the bread and butter in 4. It's also that way in World to a large degree.
In Gen the sword and shield mode is actually just as important and it's not just all about landing your super all the time. It's still very strong but you lose all vials and your shield charge. It might be worth it if the stars align and you really need one single, big hit.
No idea why they reverted to that in World.

[VoiceOfReasonPast]

Good to hear that there is finally some use for the sword-and-board mode. Also I think it is possible that they've worked on World for longer and couldn't be arsed to port over the changes from the main line or something.

Also just noticed that I have yet to properly try out the other styles besides Guild

There are two new kinds of cats in MHGU and I didn't realize until yesterday.

Oh sheeeeat.

Ah, combo GS. Didn't second gen already have charge? I know first didn't.

2nd gen introduced charging. It was also were it was the most broken since you can hold your max charge indefinitely.

That's a good topic. What weapons have you either never used, only used a bit and not gotten along with or haven't really used much but would like to get into?

There are quite a few I've really never used outside of tutorials or arena challenges. All ranged weapons, as well as Charge Blade, Dual Blades, Sword-and-Shield, Hammer and Hunting Horn.
The two I'd be most interested in would be the Dual Blades and one of the ranged weapons.

Switch Axe is very simple. The axe part is for when you either have no meter or you need some decent speed. The axe form is about as fast as the Longsword, which isn't bad. The heavy sword form is where you get most of your damage. What I usually do is use the axe until the monster goes into an animation where I know I have time to switch and get some hits. That's really all there is to the weapon. You can do this charge move thing but it's not necessary and it spends all your meter.

This is why I've grown very fond of the Swaxe. It's like a better Longsword for me. I can stay decently mobile and don't have to care about keeping up some spirit bar. Instead of having to rely on the monster not trolling me too hard I can just switch to whatever form is most convenient atm.

[Kugelfisch]

Good to hear that there is finally some use for the sword-and-board mode. Also I think it is possible that they've worked on World for longer and couldn't be arsed to port over the changes from the main line or something.

That's not unlikely. I prefer the Gen style of CB over that. In 4U it was all about that super elemental discharge. So much that you can directly access it from S&S while blocking. The awesome combos? Meaningless. Axe mode and elemental attack 1-3? Meaningless. S&S was only there for charging, axe only to land a super.

In Gen it's a lot more like Switchaxe. S&S for mobility, axe for punishment or higher reach upwards. You can easily stay in S&S mode indefinitely and wreck shit real good.
Right now my flowchart is basically combos with S&S, load vials, keep doing combos. Switch to axe when convenient to deliver the overhead swing, start super with X+A, cancel it with R to get red shield, go back to S&S, charge more vials.
If there's a big opening, switch to axe and go into X and A loop, delivering one normal swing, one triple hit elemental 2 discharge for one vial. Keep repeating until vials are empty or monster gets up.

Red shield makes it all worth it and discourages using the super or elemental 3 because you lose it.
Red shield gives you 15% more damage with any axe hits, blocking abilities of a lance, no sharpness consumed by blocking and an elemental discharge that doesn't cost a vial with that upwards shield poke.
That elemental shield poke discharge is what helped me fuck up the Basarios and Gravios so bad. Poking a water elemental explosion into their bellies over and over again while hacking the shit out of them broke them open very quickly.

Sure, the elemental 2 swing fucked them up even worse. But you need an opening and a setup for that. That shield poke is quick and can be done after any sword attack in an endless combo loop. Slash, poke, slash, poke, slash, poke nonstop.
They absolutely hated it.

[rabidtictac]

Switch Axe is very simple. The axe part is for when you either have no meter or you need some decent speed. The axe form is about as fast as the Longsword, which isn't bad. The heavy sword form is where you get most of your damage. What I usually do is use the axe until the monster goes into an animation where I know I have time to switch and get some hits. That's really all there is to the weapon. You can do this charge move thing but it's not necessary and it spends all your meter.

This is why I've grown very fond of the Swaxe. It's like a better Longsword for me. I can stay decently mobile and don't have to care about keeping up some spirit bar. Instead of having to rely on the monster not trolling me too hard I can just switch to whatever form is most convenient atm.

In a way, I guess it is a better longsword. You don't have to build and maintain meter to get damage, since your damage is stored up in a meter that regenerates over time and doesn't degrade ever. The big disadvantage of switch axe compared to longsword, I find, is the initial swing with the Swaxe is kind of bad. The stab has a comparatively small hitbox and the 2nd swing is a bit slow. The short swing with A has very little range. Those disadvantages don't matter though when you can switch to greatsword form and do hilarious damage at will, then switch back and stay mobile.

Greatsword is kind of like a retarded switch axe, where holstering your weapon takes the place of the axe form. But with the trade-off you get unga damage all the time and break parts like crazy.

[Kugelfisch]

Long Sword makes up for that stuff by having better mobility within combos, a better DPS once you get to the high spirit levels and they come at high sharpness and never bounce with spirit slashes.
Not bouncing and being able to just keep up the combo with fade slashes shouldn't be overlooked.

On another note, I've now accidentally used brave style with the CB after gear changes twice. I don't care what people say, I really don't like it for CB. You lose way too many moves with it. You get them back when brave mode has activated but that takes some time and until then it's super clunky.
For comparison, the Gunlance only loses the ability to charge shots and doesn't get the overhead slam after the quick reload. Completely inconsequential in practise.
The CB can't even switch modes if the bar isn't full without going into brave stance first. That just ruins the flow of the weapon to me.

[Kugelfisch]

You know how I almost always capture? I found a good reason to use the CB super elemental attack.
A piece of shit Khezu was annoying me the entire hunt. Ceiling walking all the time, screaming three fucking times in a row, not caring about getting bounce bombed when on the ceiling. That kinda shit.
So when the piece of shit limped away I decided he has to die. Followed it, beat the absolute shit out of it until I started bouncing because the energy was full. Already had full vials, already had red shield, the fucking thing is basically dead already.
So I started blasting. Switch to axe mode, go directly into super. Fuckface wanted to scream and throw a rage fit but instead got WHACKED! Fuck that Khezu!

[VoiceOfReasonPast]

Long Sword makes up for that stuff by having better mobility within combos, a better DPS once you get to the high spirit levels and they come at high sharpness and never bounce with spirit slashes.
Not bouncing and being able to just keep up the combo with fade slashes shouldn't be overlooked.

Not questioning that the LS gets dope once everything goes according to keikaku. And the mobility is also neat. For as much as I like the Swaxe, its opening attacks are a lot more sluggish.

The CB can't even switch modes if the bar isn't full without going into brave stance first. That just ruins the flow of the weapon to me.

Fuck, now I fear the Swaxe is the same.

[Kugelfisch]

Fuck, now I fear the Swaxe is the same.

A quick look tells me it isn't quite like that. Outside of activated brave mode you don't have the attacks from axe to sword and likewise. You can still regularly switch with R, though. You get them back in activated mode with a guaranteed elemental proc, though.

The CB got the shaft with brave, I feel like. You can decide what you draw into. X for S&S and R+X+A to draw into axe. But that's not really how it naturally works. You don't really sheathe it if you can help it. All it's combos are endless and you get guard points in the transition moves between the two states. It's really meant to remain close to the monster, blocking if necessary and abusing guard points to plough through attacks without stopping.

Not that I'm any good at that yet but that's clearly what it was made for.
Like, the main difference between it and SA is that you don't have to have full vials or whatever to switch. At the very beginning of switching into axe mode you get a guard point. It's quick enough to just react to something. It's obviously meant to tank through a potential hit without needing to block.
Don't actually want to be in axe mode? Just switch back immediately. It's all so fluent it just looks like a different combo.

Yes, you're pretty insane while brave is activated. But let me tell you why I don't think it's worth it.
- No shield charging. Got energy but already full vials? No putting it into the shield possible. No better blocking, no better damage for axe attacks, no blast from the shield poke.
- Full vials but not in brave mode? The only way you can spend them is in axe mode. But switching takes much longer now for an already slow move to hit.
- Brave mode wrecks? Yes, but it runs out. One of the hunts I accidentally used it for was Kushala Daora. The fucking asshole triple zones you at least four times a hunt. Effectively I was in brave mode for maybe a minute of the entire fight. You can keep it up by landing attacks but you'll time out every time he fucks off, then you'll get pushed away by wind pressure and so on.
Had I just been able to use opportune moments to get an elemental swing in whenever I would've ended the fight much earlier.


That just goes to show that not every style is good for every weapon and that even if the consensus is that a certain style is great you don't have to agree with it.
I still love Brave for the GL and HBG. It's absolutely nuts for those because it doesn't remove much of the moveset and gives them much-needed mobility. But for CB I think it sucks ass.

[Kugelfisch]

Just hunted a Yian Garuga. I don't think I've ever gotten hit that much ever. I got combo'd, missed all but two perfect blocks got poisoned eight times and got hit by the fucking instant running attack every, single, fucking, time.
It's as if I never fought one before.
This was extremely annoying. I'll make myself a ramen soup to chill out a bit now.

Edit: Seems like the good old Nongshim helped. Had a very easy time with a Brachidios. The super of the CB is still worth using if you've got impact vials and when you're sure you can get red shield back easily.
I forgot to mention that red shield also gives you a free blast on every block. I knocked the Brachi out of his jump just by blocking. Decided to be cheeky and slam him in the face with a super and KOd it.
Sadly, that was on Volcano and he landed too far in the lava so I couldn't reach him and take advantage of it. Likely for the better, though. He stood up limping and it was a capture quest.

I'd like to say I'm getting better with CB. But I can't when a Yian Garuga whips me around like a whore that owes it money.

[rabidtictac]

Yian Garuga is kind of annoying in the later games (4u and up.) They made him a lot faster compared to 2nd gen.