Monster Hunter Wilds Sword and Shield Guide – Monster Hunter Wilds features 14 different weaponsthe same as the previous installments with the Sword & Shield being 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 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 is an excellent beginner-friendly weapon.
The Sword and Shield is a good all-rounder weapon that doesn’t excel in either offense or defense but it provides hunter with good mobility, fast attack speedand 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.
Basic Combo
The first combo is a series of slashes but during the combo, you can easily adjust your positioning with the directional key.
Powerful Combo
The second combo is a more powerful combo which can end in two different finishers depending on the opening. The Spinning Reaper – Y + B (Xbox) or Triangle + Circle (Playstation) at the end of combo is a quicker finisher while the Charged 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.
Monster-Stunning Combo
The third combo is very useful for stunning the monsters with a series of shield bashes.
Charged Slash Combo
The fourth combo is the charged slash combo which can switch into different finishers depending on the situation. Jumping Slash allows the hunters to easily mount the monsters while a well-timed Falling Bash onto the monster’s head builds a moderate amount of Stun on the monster. If you are looking for the maximum amount of damage, you can go into the Plunging Thrust – Y + B (Xbox) or Triangle + Circle (Playstation) to deal a large amount of damage.
Perfect Rush Combo
The next is the Perfect Rush – Tapping Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) after a backstep combo, which most hunters will be using most often. A perfect rush combo can be performed after a backstep – Back Directional Key + B (Xbox) or Back Directional Key + Circle (Playstation) to evade the monster’s attack. Landing a successful rush will launch you into the air from where you can combo into a Jumping Slash – Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) or the Falling Bash – B (Xbox) or Circle (Playstation).
Things of Interest
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 in order 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 the Diagonal Rising Slash and a Diagonal Chop which 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.
Charged Chop
The Charged Chop 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.
Perfect Guard & Counter Slash
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 the counter slash – Tapping Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) after a perfect guard, which is a spinning slash similar to the spinning 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 chomp. You can also start your shield basher combo if you want to stun the monster.
Focus Strike: Vital Stab
With the added focus strike mechanic, the Focus 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 can either follow up with a falling slash – Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation), where you rip downwards and cause a multi-hit attack like the charged comp for good damage, or perform an upwards bash – B(Xbox) or Circle (Playstation) with your shield and flying into the air.
Mounted Attacks
For the sword and shield, the Seikret does offer a normal mounted attack and a jumping dismounting attack – Y+B (Xbox) , Triangle + Circle (Playstation). In addition to those attacks, you can also stick out your blade while spriting – B (Xbox) or Circle (Playstation) to deal a multi-hit attack onto the monster.
Final Tips
The Sword and Shield is a very versatile weapon that offers the option to deal 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 chomp 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.
Secondary Weapons
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 the Hunting Horn as 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 the Dual Swords works wonders as a secondary weapon since both weapons provide excellent mobility with the sword and shield providing 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, the Lance will 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 the perfect 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 other Monster Hunter Wilds Guides. If you have questions you can leave them in the comments or drop by our Discord and ask. We also have a Monster Hunter Wilds Wiki with all the information you could possibly need about the game.
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