Better Know a Weapon Part 6- Switchaxe

By ZANZIBAR

The Switch Axe is a new weapon to the monster hunter universe, it combines sword and axe into a transforming weapon of devastating power. The Switch Axe (SA) has a guage that fills up when the weapon is sheathed or whenever it is in axe mode. This gauge fuels your attacks in sword mode and so balancing the two is the key to achieving victory. Axe mode has faster walking speed but slower attacks compared to sword mode which also has  increased elemental damage. 


Axe mode has four standard attacks, vertical, horizontal, rising slashes and a charging thrust. The big damage from this mode comes from repeatedly attacking with X which will send you into a continuous figure 8 combo that is fueled by your stamina bar, as long as you have stamina you'll keep on slashing. It's a good idea if your gonna be in this mode a lot to stock up on stamina boosting items, the quickest way to get into the figure 8 combo is to use the + button (rising slash) followed by repeated presses of the X button. If the gauge is to low pressing R will "reload" the weapon filling the gauge 1/2 way.

Sword mode can be switched into from axe by a press of the R button from a standing position, comboed into by doing a foward thrust (attacking while in motion) followed up by pressing R or even pulled out from a sheathed position with a combined button press of R+X.  When in sword mode every attack will deplete the gauge regardless on whether it hits or misses. X and A both have combos from repeated pressings, each with good range and speed. The plus button is the Element Discharge, it takes a heavy toll on the gauge but does massive damage and repeatedly pressing + will extend the discharge, best used on monsters that are incapacitated in some way. Once discharged it will automatically revert back to axe mode.

Happy Hunting

Better Know a Weapon Part 4- The Long Sword

BY ZANZIBAR

So the big idea here is the more you cut the stronger it gets and then you unleash your built up energy in a flurry of attacks. Basic combo is overhead slash,thrust, rising slash.  The Long Sword (LS) also has an evasive slash to make up for it's lack of blocking ability, with the wiimote/nunchuck combo or CC (Classic Controller) set to attack with the right stick you can control which direction you dodge after your slash with twist of the wrist or flick of the thumb. Setup 1 with the CC only had a backwards dodge.

The thing is if your using set-up 2 on CC or Wiimote combo then you don't have the right thumbstick to adjust the camera; hopefully this will be fixed by release. 


The the spirit gauge will fill up and glow red at it's peak this is the time to unleash a spirity combo by repeatedly hitting R on the CC. This combo has a tremendous amount of power behind it with each slash doing 120% of normal damage.  The running speed while the weapon is out is faster than the Great Sword and falls in pretty close to the middle as far as all weapons are concerned. The attack speed is fairly quick with good reach and the evasive slash can be combed into from any attack giving it good mobility.  


Happy Hunting.


Check out our other weapons guides here:
Great Sword
Sword and Shield
Hammer

Better Know a Weapon Part 3-Hammer-time

BY ARCHON

Monster Hunter Tri's hammer is a slow-moving (but not as slow as the Great Sword) mostly offensive weapon with a wide range of attacks.

 

Unsheathe and strike upward in one motion by pushing "x" while moving forward. Hitting "x" while standing still will prompt your character to simply retrieve the weapon from his back (though any time I'm getting out a hammer I'd want to come out swinging!). Hitting 'A' will trigger a quick horizontal strike that stops directly in front of your character; 'X' will result in a downward horizontal strike, and hitting 'A 'and then 'X' in quick succession will yield a quick two hit combo.

 

If you successfully land a downward strike, keep hitting 'X' for up to a 4 hit combo as you strike at your enemy and hit the ground, dealing elemental damage as well.

 

For many weapons holding down "R" will cause your character to block. The hammer has no blocking move so make good use of your dodges and dashes to get out of harm's way. Instead, tapping or holding "R" for a second or two triggers a wide horizontal (almost diagonal-upward) attack. Keep holding "R" and your character will crouch into position and charge this attack. Hold it long enough to see a quick flash from your hammer, and you can release a devastating spinning attack perfect for clearing out those pesky jaggis. You can even move (at a pretty good pace too) while charging this attack! Be careful though as after releasing this your character is vulnerable for a few seconds while regaining his balance. Keeping this spin-move charged also depletes your stamina.

 

This weapons has medium to short range. It has none of the reach of the Great sword or the Long sword, but it on par with the switchaxes and outreaches the simple Sword and Board (shield). Oddly, it looses effectiveness and must be sharpened after a while. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to put a nail in a board and had to stop to sharpen my hammer just to get the job done!

 

The Hammer is one of my favorite weapons and has a satisfying mix of power and varied attack. Try taking it out on your next hunt!

Better Know a Weapon Part 2-Great Sword

BY ZANZIBAR

The Great Sword (GS) is an extremely powerful weapon in Monster Hunter Tri with tremendous reach. This is counterbalanced by it's slow attack spead and the slow movement rate that comes with the weapon when drawn. It also has a block function that works well in providing some defense. It's attacks aren't varied but they all have a function. The overhead swing is the default attack and can be charged for alot of damage if it connects. The 2nd blow is an attack with the flat side of the blade and causes blunt damage that will go towards making the target dizzy. Finally the end of the 3 hit combo is a horizontal slash that hits a wide radius around the hunter, great for getting little jaggi off of you. The other combo is to start with a kick, this is done with the plus button on the classic controller and then hit x this brings up the flat side attack and can be used quicker than if you did an over head swing to flat blade combo.  The final attack is a rising slash that is done with a combo of X+A on the classic controller, great for floating Qurupeco's,it can be combo-ed into from the overhead slash.

Great Sword tip, you can roll at the end of any of your swings to cancel much of the time that you would be stuck waiting to return to a neutral state, this is great for repositioning yourself, evading an attack or cancelling a misjudged swing.  The underwater attack are identical to their land based counter parts.  


Happy Hunting!