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Among the 14 diverse weapons available in Monster Hunter Wilds, the Longsword stands out as one of the most refined options for your character. This lengthy, razor-sharp blade delivers swift and efficient strikes, allowing it to cut through monster armor while building up its Spirit Gauge to unleash even more powerful attacks. With a perfect blend of offensive and defensive capabilities, this weapon is a favorite among hunters seeking versatility in their arsenal.
The Longsword is particularly accessible for newcomers, as you don’t have to be a pro to inflict significant damage on monsters. However, to master the art of dodging incoming attacks and fully unlock the weapon’s capabilities, it’s essential to understand its mechanics more deeply. As the challenges in Monster Hunter Wilds intensify, gaining knowledge about the Longsword will become increasingly important.
Getting Started with the Longsword
Timing Attacks with Monster Movements
As soon as you equip the Longsword, you’ll notice a large sword symbol below your health bar. This symbol represents the weapon’s Spirit Gauge, a unique resource that fills up as you perform various attacks. Initially, when you start wielding the Longsword, your Spirit Gauge will be full, enabling you to execute basic maneuvers effortlessly.
This guide will use PlayStation controller button prompts to explain the Longsword’s various techniques. For instance, you can use the Triangle button for the Longsword’s basic attack.
Pressing the Triangle button will execute a swift slash that can link into multiple hits, making your attacks faster than with many other weapons. The Circle input delivers a rapid thrust, but you can seamlessly combine both basic attacks of the Longsword by quickly pressing one input after the other. This fluidity showcases the precision of the Longsword while on a hunt.
Here are more techniques you can try immediately when using the Longsword:
- Spirit Blade – R2
- Fade Slash – Triangle + Circle
- Focus Strike, Unbound Thrust – L2 + R1 (Focus Mode only)
The Spirit Blade is another slicing attack that uses your Spirit Gauge when executed. This technique features a built-in combo; by pressing R2 four times in succession, you will unleash Spirit Blades I, II, and III rapidly. The final input of this combo, the Spirit Roundslash, delivers a powerful blow that can inflict significant damage if you have enough Spirit built up.
Every move of the Longsword boasts a greater range than most melee weapons, enabling you to strike monsters more frequently. It’s also exceptional for severing breakable monster parts, such as tails, for additional carving materials.
The Fade Slash is a sidestepping slash that allows your character to move in a chosen direction while both attacking and evading. This technique can help you dodge blows from even the most formidable monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds while still delivering damage. Additionally, the Unbound Strike capability in Focus Mode lets you target a monster’s injuries for devastating hits.
How to Utilize the Spirit Gauge
Build Up Energy Before Unleashing Special Attacks
The Spirit Gauge is a crucial aspect of the Longsword, increasing with basic attacks and depleting with Spirit Blade moves. However, you can also “level up” the Spirit Gauge to enhance your attacks. The gauge has three levels, beginning with a yellow glow around the Longsword symbol beneath your health, progressing to white (Level 2) and then red (Level 3).
Once your Spirit Gauge reaches its maximum red level, you gain access to potent new strikes known as Crimson Slashes and the Helm Breaker. The Helm Breaker can be executed with R2 + Triangle when your Spirit Gauge is at its peak, which sends your character leaping off a monster while delivering a powerful downward strike that deals massive damage. The multiple hits from this technique have a good chance of staggering certain monsters.
The Helm Breaker serves as an extension of the Spirit Thrust, a technique where you expel Spirit to stab into a monster. While performing the Helm Breaker, you can cancel the downward slash by pressing X as you descend if the monster moves away.
Crimson Slashes take the place of your regular Triangle attacks, delivering higher damage and greater range. As long as your Spirit Gauge is kept red, you can continue using Crimson Slashes along with your other Longsword techniques. Those who master this weapon will find ways to consistently maintain their Spirit at the max level following its buildup at the start of a hunt.
How to Boost the Spirit Gauge
There are several techniques to elevate your Spirit Gauge levels, such as:
- Spirit Roundslash (R2 after three consecutive Spirit Blade strikes)
- Foresight Slash (R2 + Circle during a combo)
- Spirit Thrust (R2 + Triangle)
- Focus Strike, Unbound Thrust (R1 in Focus Mode)
- Iai Slash (Triangle during Special Sheath)
- Iai Spirit Slash (R2 during Special Sheath)
The Spirit Roundslash is the most common method for enhancing your Spirit Gauge, though building up to this move through a Spirit Blade combo can quickly deplete your gauge. A common mistake in Monster Hunter Wilds with the Longsword is running out of Spirit, which limits available options. Thus, exploring alternative techniques to boost the Spirit Gauge is advisable.
By pressing R2 and X during a combo, you can sheath your Longsword, entering the Special Sheath stance. From this position, you can execute either the Iai Slash or the Iai Spirit Slash. Successfully executing both moves will automatically fill your Spirit Gauge for a brief period. In certain situations, you have the opportunity to time the Iai Spirit Slash with a monster’s attack to evade it while immediately raising the Spirit Gauge by one level.
Your Focus Mode attack with the Longsword can also raise the Spirit Gauge, but only if you aim for a monster’s injury. Foresight Slash is a rapid way to boost the Spirit Gauge, as it functions as a move that dodges and counters a monster’s attack simultaneously. However, Foresight Slash consumes the entire Spirit Gauge unless perfectly timed to avoid an attack, making it a technique that takes practice to master consistently.
Top Tips for Mastering the Longsword
Don’t Be Too Aggressive with Your Attacks
While the basic combos of the Longsword are straightforward, mastering it requires you to balance your attacks to build the Spirit Gauge quickly. Those who squander their Spirit will find themselves struggling to unleash the weapon’s most powerful strikes, making it tougher to tackle certain monsters.
Despite the robust armor available in Monster Hunter Wilds to mitigate damage, becoming adept with the Longsword can help you completely dodge taking hits. The Longsword’s abilities such as Foresight Slash, Iai Spirit Slash, and Fade Slash provide varying degrees of mobility or even complete invulnerability against monster hits. By understanding the timing of monster attacks, you can learn to avoid damage effectively.
I’ve found that one of the best strategies for using the Longsword effectively is to execute a combo while observing a monster and quickly transitioning into Foresight Slash or Sheathed Stance when it prepares to counterattack. Timing any of these moves correctly can help you avoid strikes.
In earlier iterations, this weapon could be problematic in multiplayer because it often struck fellow players with its wide arcs. However, Monster Hunter Wilds has reduced friendly fire damage from weapons and enhanced the Longsword’s control, offering more opportunities for success while wielding this graceful weapon.
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