Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide-Monster Hunter Wildsfeatures14 different weapons, the same as the previous installments with theSwitch Axebeing one of them. In this Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide, we will be taking a look at how to use the Switch Axe and all the changes, combos, and additions that have been made to the weapon in this iteration of Monster Hunter. Whether you’re a new hunter looking to join the hunt or a veteran looking for a quick refresher to help with the Switch Axe, this Guide is here to help you.
Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide to Combos & Changes
If you’re looking for a versatile weapon that can do massive amounts of damage, then the Switch Axe is for you. However, the mechanics of the Switch Axe can feel complicated for new beginners and as such, it is not a great weapon choice for new hunters.TheSwitch Axe offers great reach in its axe formandgreat damage in its sword formand is the optimal weapon for players who are seeking the best of both worlds whether you are a veteran hunter or a newcomer willing to learn the mechanics.
Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Combos
Combo for Quick Switch Gauge Fill
The first basic combo is a fast combo to fill the switch gauge while in Axe mode. This combo can be easily chained into another combo using the forward slash or the forward overhead slash.
Axe Combo to Switch to Sword Mode
The next basic combo will be one of the main tools for the Switch Axe user, as the combo allows you to morph into the sword mode.
Combo to Fill the Amp Gauge in Sword Mode
The next combo is for the sword mode and it is a quick combo useful for filling up the Amp Gauge fast.
Basic Sword Mode Combo
The next combo is a basic sword mode combo with a series of slashes and you may move in any direction between each slashes.
Powerful Combo when Monster is Open
The next combo is a powerful combo with a strong finisher to deal massive amounts of damage. Note that you can peform the new Full Release Slash instead of the Unbridled Slash if you are in the Amped State.
Things to NoteAbout the Switch Axe in MHWilds
The Switch Axe uses Phials, just like its cousin the Charge Blade, but they function differently. A Switch Axe’s Phial determines what kind of damage or status affects you do when you fill your Amped Gauge and go into the Amped State. In Monster Hunter Wilds, Switch Axes will have six different Phials with the Power Phial that boost physical damage, the Element Phial that boosts elemental damage, the Poison Phial, the Paralysis Phial, the Dragon Phial and the Exhaust Phial, each adding the respective status effects to the sword attacks in the Amped State. The main aim of the Switch Axe user is to be in the Amped State as much as possible and to that end, you will need to manage your Amped Gauge accordingly switching between your axe and sword attacks.
The Switch Axe functions with three different gauges that hunters need to manage while fighting, so we’ll mention them in this Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide.
Landing attacks in Axe Mode, or when reloading, charges the Switch Gauge, and after accumulating at least 30% of the Switch Gauge, morphing and attacking in Sword Mode consumes the gauge. Hunters will need to keep this in mind and maintain the balance between charging up the gauge and consuming the gauge, because you cannot use Sword Mode unless you have at least 30% of your Switch Guage filled.
TheAmp Gauge fills up when landing attacks in Sword Modeand filling the Amp Gauge puts you in the Amped State and adds phial explosions to the Sword Mode attacks and enables new moves like the powerfulFull Release Slashattack - Hold RT + Y + B (Xbox) or Hold R2 + Triangle + Circle (Playstation).
The Power Axe Mode buffs the axe’s damage and charges the Switch Gauge faster which is one of the new changes in Monster Hunter Wilds. The Power Axe Mode can be activated by landing certain follow-up attacks and combo finishers.
Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Changes & Moveset
Already a versatile weapon, the Switch Axe has received numerous new tools and attacks that boost the weapons' responsiveness and with the addition of the new offset attacks and counterattacks to both of its forms, the Switch Axe is in the most responsive state it has ever been in the series. Offset is a new type of attack that was added in Monster Hunter Wilds. These attacks fill up an invisible Offset meter on the monster, much like a status effect, and will topple the monster when you trigger the effect. And like status effects the subsequent triggers will get harder and harder to trigger after the first topple.
Full Release Slash& Unbridled Slash
The more flashy additions to the Switch Axe are theFull Release Slashand theUnbridled Slash- Hold RT + Y + B (Xbox) or Hold R2 + Triangle + Circle (Playstation). Full-release Slash is a charged version of Unbridled Slash which does more damage, but takes longer to execute. Although these moves naturally flowed into the classic element discharge combo finisher, these new moves are not exclusive to combo finishers.
As you play with the Switch Axe, you will find thatthese moves can be performed while in sword mode, which is another reason we mention them in this Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide. When you perform these moves, you spin around and deal a huge amount of elemental damage but the trade-off is that these moves consume a large amount of the Switch Gauge and end with you morphing back into the Axe Form at the end of the attack. you may only perform the more powerfull Full Release Slash in the Amped State, but you can perform the Unbridled Slash version any time you are using the Sword.
Offset Rising Slash
The Switch Axe also gains access to the new powerful offset attack with theOffsetRising Slash- Y + B (Xbox) or Triangle + Circle (Playstation) which if you can connect it with the monster’s attack, you’ll topple the monster and then you can follow up with one of the two follow-up attacks, theHeavy Slam- Y (Xbox) or Triangle (Playstation) which puts your axe into the Power Axe Mode or theFollow-up Morph Slash- RT (Xbox) or R2 (Playstation), which will allow you todirectly morph into the sword for sword attacks. The Power Axe Mode also can be accessed by doing theWild Swing Attack- Rapid tapping of B (Xbox) or Circle (Playstation) of your axe and ending the combo with a heavy slam.
Counter-Rising Slash
The Sword Mode gains access to a similarly powerful attack named theCounter-Rising Slash- RT + Y (Xbox) or R2 + Triangle (Playstation). The Counter-Rising Slash can be performed at any moment or after any attack. This move makes the hunter ready up for second and when the monster’s attack hits you during this time, you’ll counter with two attacks in a row from which you can directly flow into the regular combos or theHeavenward Flurry- B (Xbox) or Circle (Playstation) after Double Slash for powerful attacks.
Zero Sum Discharge
Zero Sum Dischargemakes a return from the previous games and just like before you need to be in the Amped State to perform this attack. While in Sword Mode, Hold down Y + B and Y (Xbox) after latching on, or Hold down Triangle + Circle and Triangle (Playstation) after latching on in order to peform this attack. With the Focus Mode, you can aim at the part you want to latch onto and after landing it unleash a multi-hit discharge, an explosion like the elemental discharge.
Focus Assault: Morph Combination
The focus mode strike, named,Focus Assault: Morph Combination- While in focus mode RB (Xbox) or R1 (Playstation) has two different finishers depending on the mode you end your assault on the Wound. When you connect the strike to a Wound, the strike starts with wild swings and during this, you may freely morph between the axe and the sword states and if you end it in the axe mode, it will end with a heavy slam leading into the power axe state. If you end the assault in the sword mode, it will end with an element discharge finisher which deals more damage but consumes some of your Switch Gauge.
Final Tips
The axe form has overall better mobility compared to the sword form, so keep this in mind when fighting and position yourself better in the axe form when you need to move around a lot. Also, you cannot block like its cousin the Charge Blade, so learning to evade attacks will help when using this weapon.
The Sharpness on the weapon can go down rapidly with the Element Discharge so you need to keep an eye on it, especially after using the attack, which you will do a lot since it is one of the main damage sources for the Switch Axe. A useful tip is to use Whetstone generally after using the discharge twice.
The Sword mode attacks utilize the Switch Axe’s phials, enhancing the attacks, making it useful for targeting tough body parts which are harder to break.
Another thing to note during mounting attacks, your attacks will refill your Switch Gauge slightly so you can use this to top it up during hunts, which is a great tip for this Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide.
The addition of the Offset Slash and the Counter Slash gives some defensive options to the Switch Axe so it is worthwhile to learn the timing to land these attacks.
Secondary Weapons
If you are going for the Switch Axe, you are looking for powerful strikes and a good secondary weapon for power is the Great Sword. The Great Sword will complement your already powerful move set with access to powerful charged attacks and an Offset Slash of its own, providing you with a great option to keep the pressure up while your Switch Axe’s sharpness is down or your Gauges are empty
If you are looking for a more defensive option for a secondary, you can either opt into the Gunlance or the Lance as they have the best defense in the game but will slow you down while using them.
That wraps up our Monster Hunter Wilds Switch Axe Guide, and I hope you found it helpful, and be sure to check out our otherMonster Hunter Wilds Guides. If you have questions you may 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.
