I have always used switch axe because of the similarity in skills needed between charge blade and gunlance my mains. And now in iceborne it is an absolute insane damage weapon I do recommend using evade window it is a must and evade extender if you are starting and once you get use to do the right combos to gap close you only need evade extender as an additional skill.
I am a die hard switch axe main and there is no weapon that equals it's flow and sheer power once mastered, it's a natural part breaker and the morph sweep is insane when combined with your fade slash, you feel like you are playing longsword with the power of great sword.
Pro tip, avoid using the second hit of your B combo in sword mode, it's so damn long and better to go B into Y Y and rinse and repeat. Amped discharge is dope but be aware you can be knocked off mid discharge when mounted and needs to timed well. I have to disagree on power prolonger as it's really not needed. There are better skills to prioritize. Evasion is definitely helpful as the hop is pretty short without it but still perfectly fine
Yeah, I picked up switch axe as a main weapon just recently, it puts the /hurt/ on monsters, especially when you build it well. My current best build(just beginning Iceborne) has Dragon Atk 4 with the Nergal Gash (Nergigante 1st upgrade) and it rips so far
@@jackstrawn8133 stacking part breaker is also an absolute gem when you prioritize using axe mode, also very very highly recommend some points (go to your taste, even one of each makes quite the difference) in evade window or evade distance to let you actually side hop through quite a lot as the stock standard dodge with the axe out is pretty rough for some fights like teo or nergi as well as a lot of the later iceborne mons
Good stuff as always Dan! Here are a few more intricacies: - with sword, double circle combo (heavenward flurry) is the best to fill your amped gauged, the last hit of the combo gives you loads of meter. - once amped, triangle, triangle, triangle, circle is your highest damage combo loop with sword. Absolutely nasty on a downed monster. - you can clutch claw while discharging. If you hit a monster with a discharge without being amped (so can’t attach), you can fill the amped meter with the discharge then clutch claw on and start a zero sum all in the same combo. - focus is decent but generally a waste of slots when you have max power prolonger. - evade extender is nice, but evade window gives way more value given Swax’s low defensive options.
Oh and morphing from sword to axe gives you some meter so don’t forget to switch! You can always switch from sword back to axe with your last attack, even if you don’t have meter left
Glad to see some appreciation for axe mode tbh, it tends to get written off as just filler in the downtime between sword mode bursts, but while it certainly doesn't have that level of damage output you cannot overstate how useful its mobility is--one of the reasons i main SA is that footslogging at other weapons' movement speeds drives me crazy.
@@LightItUpDan I did play a little bit with SNS back in the MHGU days. I like it, but I generally tend to favor weapons that look like an ordinary human should barely be able to lift, let alone swing, them. It's an aesthetic thing for me xD ETA: Your hammer video did convince me to give it a proper try in World. So far I haven't used it for anything super challenging (testing by bullying Great Jagras and then farming Zorah Magdaros) but it feels good to me in the same way the Switch Axe does, so I might keep it around as an off-main.
Not sure if u mentioned it but another tip for using Swax is when u go back to axe mode ur gauge slowly ticks up so u can conserve gauge going back and forth.
Generally I pick a weapon and stick with that weapon in each game. This is the one I chose for world, and it seems I was doing everything right lol. Will be trying all the other weapons leading up to wilds and getting my feet wet again. Definitely gonna check out your other videos as guidance is always appreciated. 😅
That’s dope! I highly recommend playing multiple weapons, as personally it improves my overall performance with all of them and makes me enjoy them all more for it
I'm getting back into the game after a few years away. These videos are helpful for shaking off the rust. One thing I remember (that might have been changed) that you didn't mention is that if you manually switch back to axe from sword mode it will regain a chunk of charge. That way you can get back to sword faster.
I found a small tech move: you can chain the mid-combo axe RT(Morph Swing) with the sword backwards RT(Downward Fade Slash) for a small infinite loop that is very mobile
your absolutely right! i remember when i first baught world about half a year ago i picked up the switchaxe and often still play with it. but it does remind of the bloodborne weapon!
@@LightItUpDan chargeblade is still more used by me becouse of the guard mode... its just more swift aswell and has about the same damage. they say chargeblade is for nerds but... maby they are right... im a big, 6.5 foot, muscular gym nerd... (no srsly im a nerd)
The Great Jagras switch axe deserves a mention, I think. Easy to craft, easy to upgrade, and easy to augment. It also get access to both parts of the augment system. And two level 3 deco slots. Slap an Elementalless jewel in there, and augment it appropriately and it’ll hit shockingly hard for a weapon made from a starter monster.
fun video but focus is useles it helps to recover the phials more quicly but dont have much effect on the charge of the blade, divine blessing is good for the start but i dont recomand it, its a weapon that want to do big dmg so go for dmg skills, evade window is your best friend to counter monsters like alatreon and evade exstender can give some problems in positioning. If u want to cut or stun remember power axe it will give you stun and cut bonus on axe hits. the sword charged will make explosion at every entity even players, literally free dmg output. use alatreon gloves.
It's far from useless, Focus allows you to build Sword Amp gauge up very quickly, it's simply a matter of choice with balancing what you value as a hunter
@@LightItUpDan it actually helps the phial charge more than the amp, if you count the attack you have to do to charge the sword you see that it's not that different, like one less attack, so I saw it as a loss of potential damage or space for another ability. it can help with zsd's focus spam because the phial will charge faster and allow you to use the sword more often if you hit the bottom of the phial meter, but that's about it.
I've been waiting for this. Ayo "one booty clapping form to another" was wild😂😂😂 One tip the fastest combo to get the sword mode to amp'ed state or charged state is the circle ⭕ or B(while in sword mode) combo if you can land the final attack in that combo twice you'll have charged the sword mode fully.
One tip I haven't seen is that if you keep switching between axe and sword forms you recover a bit of the switch meter, making it easier to switch forms as well as avoid the long and immobile reload animation. I jump around between Switch axe, Dual Blades and Insect Glaive!
Charge blade imo is better than Swaxe if you can use and abuse it. guard points are infinitely valuable and are an easy pick. and im pretty sure CB does more dps than Swaxe with savage axe. b
9:49 yes im thinken takin up the switcjaxe n wild iv akways hada rokstar afinity for hunting horn i eas jus to desperate ta uncover n harnace it world mi roght🤣 but wilds devs put me at ease by saying the game is balanced toa pkay ur way kinda hame so i dont hafto throw away weapobs i like kus ta remake materals nto 1 i need every danged hunt i can pkay my way so juslike i gsve hunting horn a chance i wanna g9ve switchaxe a chance n eho knows they might g8va guitar like lopk to it ta suit ma rokstar style they madeaxemode a dmc ckaymore so xcoted ta get ta know it asa weapon gonna b so fun so yea thats ma plan n tha hair is amazim u c the way tgat mane was m9vin n tha trailpr wow dosney pixar cinmativ havent seen hair that goid na game sense that dwmo of stekker blade so dreamy cant wait ta play that demo if they rwlease wom which mh akways has n m9dern concsoles im so happy n hyped i havent felt rhis xcoted fora release na while iv ben xcited but nowhere near rh8s hyped cant wait🤩
You can’t really teach proper positioning, every monster is different you need to learn it yourself through trial and error being told how to use your tools is helpful but you need to learn when to on your own
New Swaxe main here from Rise. Swaxe was my first choice when World came out but I sucked at it. So I did Glaive. But in rise I wanna give it another try in Wild. So I'm relearning it. Btw it's fun in Rise with this thing. *turns on amped state* IM GONNA SHOVE THIS WHERE THE SUN DONT SHINE! AHAHAHAHA!!!
@@LightItUpDan I just have to get good at it. Really figuring it out now. Charger jewels so I get amped up faster and I need jumping jewels for mobility. I was going to main Charge Blade but I think if I just slap on some Protection and max out my resistances on my armors I should be fine. But yeah I'm starting to get the concept behind it. Hug the target, Dodge and keep swinging until it's dead. Luckily the NEW charge blade has the blade itself in an amped state and we can swing it around instead of standing still. Hate that. It's like the one big weakness for this weapon.
Got questions or want to join in the community hunts with me? Join the Discord, we play together daily! ▶ discord.gg/lightitupdan
I have always used switch axe because of the similarity in skills needed between charge blade and gunlance my mains. And now in iceborne it is an absolute insane damage weapon I do recommend using evade window it is a must and evade extender if you are starting and once you get use to do the right combos to gap close you only need evade extender as an additional skill.
Very cool, very cool. I take 5 evade window as a standard skill now tbh, so I don't even mention it as an extra haha
Gotta say, Switch Axe looks absolutely brutal in action. Just punishing monsters with no mercy at all. Great guide, Dan!
It's a great weapon that can really dish out some destruction! Thanks bud
I am a die hard switch axe main and there is no weapon that equals it's flow and sheer power once mastered, it's a natural part breaker and the morph sweep is insane when combined with your fade slash, you feel like you are playing longsword with the power of great sword.
Pro tip, avoid using the second hit of your B combo in sword mode, it's so damn long and better to go B into Y Y and rinse and repeat. Amped discharge is dope but be aware you can be knocked off mid discharge when mounted and needs to timed well.
I have to disagree on power prolonger as it's really not needed. There are better skills to prioritize. Evasion is definitely helpful as the hop is pretty short without it but still perfectly fine
Yeah, I picked up switch axe as a main weapon just recently, it puts the /hurt/ on monsters, especially when you build it well. My current best build(just beginning Iceborne) has Dragon Atk 4 with the Nergal Gash (Nergigante 1st upgrade) and it rips so far
@@jackstrawn8133 stacking part breaker is also an absolute gem when you prioritize using axe mode, also very very highly recommend some points (go to your taste, even one of each makes quite the difference) in evade window or evade distance to let you actually side hop through quite a lot as the stock standard dodge with the axe out is pretty rough for some fights like teo or nergi as well as a lot of the later iceborne mons
Good stuff as always Dan!
Here are a few more intricacies:
- with sword, double circle combo (heavenward flurry) is the best to fill your amped gauged, the last hit of the combo gives you loads of meter.
- once amped, triangle, triangle, triangle, circle is your highest damage combo loop with sword. Absolutely nasty on a downed monster.
- you can clutch claw while discharging. If you hit a monster with a discharge without being amped (so can’t attach), you can fill the amped meter with the discharge then clutch claw on and start a zero sum all in the same combo.
- focus is decent but generally a waste of slots when you have max power prolonger.
- evade extender is nice, but evade window gives way more value given Swax’s low defensive options.
Oh and morphing from sword to axe gives you some meter so don’t forget to switch! You can always switch from sword back to axe with your last attack, even if you don’t have meter left
Great additional info! I take evade window 5 as a standard now, so I tend not to think to mention it as "an extra skill" haha
@@LightItUpDan too right, too right! 🙏🙏
Glad to see some appreciation for axe mode tbh, it tends to get written off as just filler in the downtime between sword mode bursts, but while it certainly doesn't have that level of damage output you cannot overstate how useful its mobility is--one of the reasons i main SA is that footslogging at other weapons' movement speeds drives me crazy.
You ever played Sword & Shield? Your mobility is INCREDIBLE with that thing, not to mention the insane damage
@@LightItUpDan I did play a little bit with SNS back in the MHGU days. I like it, but I generally tend to favor weapons that look like an ordinary human should barely be able to lift, let alone swing, them. It's an aesthetic thing for me xD
ETA: Your hammer video did convince me to give it a proper try in World. So far I haven't used it for anything super challenging (testing by bullying Great Jagras and then farming Zorah Magdaros) but it feels good to me in the same way the Switch Axe does, so I might keep it around as an off-main.
@@aquaesque3490 Hammer is so much fun, definitely a great choice!
Not sure if u mentioned it but another tip for using Swax is when u go back to axe mode ur gauge slowly ticks up so u can conserve gauge going back and forth.
Great additional info!
Generally I pick a weapon and stick with that weapon in each game. This is the one I chose for world, and it seems I was doing everything right lol. Will be trying all the other weapons leading up to wilds and getting my feet wet again. Definitely gonna check out your other videos as guidance is always appreciated. 😅
That’s dope! I highly recommend playing multiple weapons, as personally it improves my overall performance with all of them and makes me enjoy them all more for it
I'm getting back into the game after a few years away. These videos are helpful for shaking off the rust.
One thing I remember (that might have been changed) that you didn't mention is that if you manually switch back to axe from sword mode it will regain a chunk of charge. That way you can get back to sword faster.
Welcome back, I'm glad the videos are helpful!
As far as i know, he showed it but never flat out said it
Switch axes are pretty damn destructive but when I hear the word "destruction" I think of heavy bowguns first
Switch Axe is mad for part breaking too!
ive seen hbg that gives the monster extreme brain damage 5 seconds into the hunt, like the monster just wouldn’t stop being stunned
I found a small tech move: you can chain the mid-combo axe RT(Morph Swing) with the sword backwards RT(Downward Fade Slash) for a small infinite loop that is very mobile
oh dope
your absolutely right! i remember when i first baught world about half a year ago i picked up the switchaxe and often still play with it.
but it does remind of the bloodborne weapon!
Same with the Charge Blade too!
@@LightItUpDan chargeblade is still more used by me becouse of the guard mode... its just more swift aswell and has about the same damage.
they say chargeblade is for nerds but... maby they are right... im a big, 6.5 foot, muscular gym nerd... (no srsly im a nerd)
@@stormoceaninslowmotion haha perfect mate
The Great Jagras switch axe deserves a mention, I think. Easy to craft, easy to upgrade, and easy to augment. It also get access to both parts of the augment system. And two level 3 deco slots. Slap an Elementalless jewel in there, and augment it appropriately and it’ll hit shockingly hard for a weapon made from a starter monster.
Oh nice!
Talk to em!
Another nice skill option is lvl 1 earplugs since you get 4 levels during zero sum
Yes! Great tip mate
Switch axe is my main with great sword right behind it. SA just feels right
that's awesome!
Man I have got to learn how to use this weapon it's just adjusting from the guard play style is going to take some time
It's really fun, feels a bit clunky at first though but that passes as you get used to it!
fun video but focus is useles it helps to recover the phials more quicly but dont have much effect on the charge of the blade, divine blessing is good for the start but i dont recomand it, its a weapon that want to do big dmg so go for dmg skills, evade window is your best friend to counter monsters like alatreon and evade exstender can give some problems in positioning. If u want to cut or stun remember power axe it will give you stun and cut bonus on axe hits. the sword charged will make explosion at every entity even players, literally free dmg output. use alatreon gloves.
It's far from useless, Focus allows you to build Sword Amp gauge up very quickly, it's simply a matter of choice with balancing what you value as a hunter
@@LightItUpDan it actually helps the phial charge more than the amp, if you count the attack you have to do to charge the sword you see that it's not that different, like one less attack, so I saw it as a loss of potential damage or space for another ability. it can help with zsd's focus spam because the phial will charge faster and allow you to use the sword more often if you hit the bottom of the phial meter, but that's about it.
How did you do a clutch claw instead of a finisher for the elemental discharge? New mhw player here
Left trigger (aim clutch claw) during it
I've been waiting for this.
Ayo "one booty clapping form to another" was wild😂😂😂
One tip the fastest combo to get the sword mode to amp'ed state or charged state is the circle ⭕ or B(while in sword mode) combo if you can land the final attack in that combo twice you'll have charged the sword mode fully.
Very nice! I'll have to try just going for the double B combo next time
Hi! Nice video I love it , but I have a silly question…
How did you get a life stealing skill?
I made a video on it, check it out!
Finally a guide for switch axe
Hope it's helpful!
One tip I haven't seen is that if you keep switching between axe and sword forms you recover a bit of the switch meter, making it easier to switch forms as well as avoid the long and immobile reload animation. I jump around between Switch axe, Dual Blades and Insect Glaive!
Great tip, thanks for sharing!
im comfortable with full axe mode
Charge blade imo is better than Swaxe if you can use and abuse it. guard points are infinitely valuable and are an easy pick. and im pretty sure CB does more dps than Swaxe with savage axe. b
Check out the Charge Blade OP video on the channel, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it
FINALLYYY!!!
9:49 yes im thinken takin up the switcjaxe n wild iv akways hada rokstar afinity for hunting horn i eas jus to desperate ta uncover n harnace it world mi roght🤣
but wilds devs put me at ease by saying the game is balanced toa pkay ur way kinda hame so i dont hafto throw away weapobs i like kus ta remake materals nto 1 i need every danged hunt i can pkay my way so juslike i gsve hunting horn a chance i wanna g9ve switchaxe a chance n eho knows they might g8va guitar like lopk to it ta suit ma rokstar style they madeaxemode a dmc ckaymore so xcoted ta get ta know it asa weapon gonna b so fun so yea thats ma plan n tha hair is amazim u c the way tgat mane was m9vin n tha trailpr wow dosney pixar cinmativ havent seen hair that goid na game sense that dwmo of stekker blade so dreamy cant wait ta play that demo if they rwlease wom which mh akways has n m9dern concsoles im so happy n hyped i havent felt rhis xcoted fora release na while iv ben xcited but nowhere near rh8s hyped cant wait🤩
rather than only showing, try to teach how to land the combos, try to do a little guide
That’s down to you, I’m very happy with my guides 👍
@@LightItUpDan You surely are! But if your goal is to "guide" other people besides yourself, you can do it better!
@@joaolucas1539 my goal is to make videos I want to make, which I do 🤝
You can’t really teach proper positioning, every monster is different you need to learn it yourself through trial and error being told how to use your tools is helpful but you need to learn when to on your own
I honestly prefer the sword form to the axe form
It’s where the damage is!
The lack of defense is the reason I chose CB
fair
Yes!!!!!
BTW mainly play a hybrid form SA, alternating between axe and sword almost all the time, well except for some that is easy to zsd😂
Been waiting for this one?
Indeed I have
Is the switch axe good for beginner ??
I covered the weapons I think are good for beginners here: ua-cam.com/video/DhitfdhljwI/v-deo.html
@@LightItUpDanthxx bro
New Swaxe main here from Rise. Swaxe was my first choice when World came out but I sucked at it. So I did Glaive. But in rise I wanna give it another try in Wild. So I'm relearning it.
Btw it's fun in Rise with this thing. *turns on amped state* IM GONNA SHOVE THIS WHERE THE SUN DONT SHINE! AHAHAHAHA!!!
Oh damn haha you’re Switching Axe blood drunk!
@@LightItUpDan I just have to get good at it. Really figuring it out now. Charger jewels so I get amped up faster and I need jumping jewels for mobility.
I was going to main Charge Blade but I think if I just slap on some Protection and max out my resistances on my armors I should be fine. But yeah I'm starting to get the concept behind it.
Hug the target, Dodge and keep swinging until it's dead. Luckily the NEW charge blade has the blade itself in an amped state and we can swing it around instead of standing still. Hate that. It's like the one big weakness for this weapon.