A couple of great armor options for those that want Power Prolonger in their builds but don't want to use up 3 deco slots: Zinogre Helm Alpha +: Comes with 2 Power Prolonger and 1 Crit Boost. Great for mid-master rank as long as you can get Zinogre to drop a Skymerald! Alatreon Arms Alpha +: Not only does this come with 3 Attack, but it also comes with Level 3 Power Prolonger! Fully maxed out from one armor piece. It does require you to be in the end game and beat Alatreon, but it's actually an extremely cheap armor piece to make. No rare mantles or gems needed. I use this armor piece in every single one of my SA builds. It's too good!
Yes, a 4 player ZSD fest is hilarious. Allrounder just has a bit of everything and there are so many cool things about this weapon. Difficult to not wanting to use them all.
I was a worse player before I knew that dodging into oncoming attack is A LOT easier than rolling away from it. In case you still need the dodging advise. Hope this helps
I am in love with this weapon. I play with every state of the weapon and depending on the monster zsd time to time. The weapon has free "part breaker" and "mind's eye". It has range, both in height and width in terms of attack coverage. It can stun, it can aim for specific parts like a ranged weapon. Only cons are mobility and defense related but that's what swaxe is about. All offense no defense.
i tried partbreaker lvl 3 and i cant seem to see any difference in terms of breaking monster part. and also is adding exhaust (drain skill) useful for this weapon?
@@HRZ_12 exhaust is a meme build in this weapon. It could carry you around during main quest and especially in the beginning of the master rank (great jagras swaxe is pretty ok, easy to make too)
@@Demirbaykus yea it is a meme build hahaha i tried it againts a kulve taroth and a bunch of mr monster and its not that effective better to slot in peak or resenment. its a shame tho cuz 60% exhaust with how fast zsd attacks are has potential
there is also the morph slash focus playstyle that provide way more mobility option than power trip and allow you to easily changing playstyleon the fly. think of it as the basic framework for all the main style . these are very important as with switch axe you can do: forward poke - forward step morph slash/axe fade slash - sword fade slash backward. the fade slash combination easily allow you to stick with monster that move alot, have high hit box or simply allow easy disengage in a way no other weapon can do unless its bow or bowgun
@@BloodyWyverian i saw your video of switch axe a few days ago after i got back into iceboorne, it got me to finaly start expanding my weapon roster, ive been getting a lot better at switch axe and your videos are a major reason for that so ❤
@@jujicof Thank you very much for the kind words, that really means the world to me to see that the videos actually help and motivate people! Happy Hunting!
Thanks again for the video. Will be using it as reference when playing Switch Axe. ZSD really helped a lot instead of me learning from scratch in-game.
another noteworthy gimmick for ZSD, it has two explosion types. This is when you impale and blow them up, not just blow it up at the air. Partial and Full charge. The resulting recovery animations are different. For a full charge, you are blown back, stick your sword in the ground and slide, then switch to axe when you can move. You get high damage, but a very long recovery. A partial charge, will fling you off the monster.... that's it. You will land near the monster, weapon will retain sword mode, and you can go again almost instantly. Trying to get as close to full charge as you can, without actually doing the full charge, can oftentimes be more comfortable of a fighting style.
100% correct, thank you for sharing this tip. You can chain into a morph slash back to axe mode after landing on the ground with the partial discharge. Gives you a big chunk of Switch Gauge back instantly!
All-rounder is my preferred style due to how versatile it is and it feels like the most natural way to play, but I also really love the sword saint playstyle because it feels so satisfying to dance around the monster in spite of your low mobility. Almost every other weapon I play (GL, LA, CB, HA, and now maybe IG) has strong defensive options and thus I don't have to get that good at defending myself most of the time I hunt, but with SA it's another story and I love it for that. I've learned monsters to a level that I never would have had I not played switch axe. Like I can just dance around Teostra and place myself with great precision because of my experience.
I really love SA for the same reason, but I am still happy that we get some defensive options in Wilds! This will make the weapon a bit more approachable for more people I hope. Allrounder and Sword saint are my preferred as well, just way too amazing to feel untouchable and tearing the monster apart!
ZSD spam is amazing for farming monsters with your brain turned off (At least in HR where I'm still playing atm). Makes catching up to my Xbox account so much quicker than I was dreading it would be lol OMFG AERIAL ZSD!!! Fuck the Bonker Rolls, *that* is beautiful!
ZSD truely is a relaxing way to hunt monsters. Also works in MR but you really need the health augment on your gear though! And YES, aerial-ZSD is yet another super satisfying move for this amazing weapon! lol
When I first picked up swaxe in World/ Iceborne I gravitated to sword Saint style and that is also how I played in MHGU. But after playing MH Rise I wanted to play more balanced because switch attacks were cool to me. Now after watching your previous video I have been working mastering the swaxe, since its name sake highlights the mode shift.
Really nice path you chose and before world switch axe focus really was sword mode but they buffed axe mode to such an amazing degree that both are viable and super fun. Keep it up!
You can play the Sword mode or Axe mode versions of SwagAxe but keep in mind it should be only as a natural progression towards the Master play of SA. Chaining between both modes is truly how the weapon is designed to be played. Balancing the gauges and keeping up DPS. ZSD spam is truly the only "other" way to play SA. Because of the inclusion of Tool Specialist you're taking a chunk of deco slots dedicated to keeping your mantles available. Often times you'll want to couple this with Part Breaker because that's where ZSD spam really shines. Need that Evil Eye? ZSD Spam will absolutely shred Fatalis horns. It's an admittedly brain dead way of playing, but it is highly effective.
Well I guess mastering both modes will come naturally but I still go and make sets for Power Axe mode or Sword mode and try to have fun playing around. But yes, usually I want to use Switch Axe at its maximum potential. But as long as people have fun with it I don't care how they put it to use lol
I remember trying switch axe when I was very new to MH and wanted to try stuff other than DBs and it was too overwhelming I stopped, then I saw how cool the counter was in sunbreak and gave it a try and I really liked switch axe, I tried it in world again doing ZSD spam and I always thought "man wish if it was this good in IB" which was very unjust from me because my only experience with it was when I was very new and then was only using 1 move of the moveset I had no idea switch axe had that many viable moves after hearing "axe mode is trash and you should only use sword mode" like that made me think sword mode = ZSD then... my friend told me I should try it against nergigante, I watched 1 speedrun video and understood how wrong I was... then I watched one of your nergi speedrun breakdown and bro I adore this weapon now ITS SO GOOD IT RUINED RISE'S SWITCH AXE FOR ME allrounder master is king! and axe mode is also very fun! sword mode needs more combos imo like a big fancy hit with the sword (that isn't ZSD) and it might be my main in wilds, I love ZSD but spamming it is too brain off for me xd
Really interesting journey you had with Switch Axe and I'm glad you give it another try! ZSD can get tiring after a while for some but thankfully SA offers so much more. I can't wait for Wilds' version of it.
You dont need to reload for using ZSD as long as you on amped state when clutch claw to monster (it will not show the amped state when you run out the bar but it still there). I always spam ZSD when my rocksteady and temporal mantle still on to get headbreak (like fatalis) or tail cut (extra loots). If you like ZSD, try use sheath 3 (i push 2 on mantle), sheath and run for me is better when after ZSD it will shot you out abit long distance. Axe flinching monster style (power trip) not work good on muti-player bcs the threshold is extender alot but axe mode still do good damge so dont underestimate it.
7 months late but a cool tip is that if you run earplugs lv.1, you won't get roared off while doing ZSD. ZSD has lv.4 earplugs naturally, the game just doesn't tell you.
I never equipped a switch-axe until Fatalis, always been a CB main. I saw the potential for horn break with ZSD spam and decided to try it out, and it proved to be easy to learn and very effective. My first ever switch axe kill being Fatalis is funny. But I decided to keep using it since, and I've just been ZSD spamming, and I always felt like surely, SURELY there must be more to this weapon, because I've messed about with some of the moves here and there for like 200 monster kills. After watching this video I'm starting to feel like maybe SA is more complex then CB, maybe even more versatile if you know which moves reposition you etc. at 2:50 Teostra's stupid chin ice-skated you too close which would cause anyone else to lose DPS as they attack tougher parts, but you gracefully slid right back into head shotting position without missing a beat and that right there is sexy.
Really interesting way you found to Switch Axe and while I'd never claim it being more complex than CB due to things like guard points and so on, SA really can get deep and as you described, these repositioning tactics are what I love about this weapon! Pure DPS in the right hands!
Despite being my favorite weapon overall, Swaxe is one of the weapons I just can't touch in World after playing it in Rise. It is so much nicer with defensive and utility options in Rise.
I do miss my beloved counter and wirestep for sure but World's version still feels special to me because of how lovely both modes have their unique role and work together so well, but I certainly understand your point!
@@CookiCrsp Swaxe is amazing in Rise. Honestly, IMO, the combat for all weapons in Rise is way better than World, but the graphics and environments and overall ambience are better in World, probably because Rise was made for the Switch.
I don't know if anyone is going to see this but if you hit the same input for elemental discharge in axe modeit will do the overhead slash without having to attack before
This was the very first weapon I tried way back in 2018. I found the great sword more fun but maybe I will pick this up again! How about a lance or gunlance video?
I'm not sure it was mentioned in the video, but I read that ZSD gives you level 4 Earplugs, meaning that if you have just 1 level of Earplugs in your gear, you are capped during ZSD and cannot be thrown off by roars, like it happened to you at the end of the video from what I see. I might be wrong though!
Ever since I started maining this weapon it was clear to me that I wanna use both modes in tandem, so the last playstyle it has been for me. Only thing I absolutely hate with SA though, that has nothing to do with the weapon itself really, is how Capcom never bothered to fix ZSD movement bug on PC when using higher fps cap. I could play this game over 100 fps easily but due to this bug and my weapon of choice I'm basically limited to 90 fps cap.
Only the initial stab of the clutch claw ZSD gets the crit draw bonus. Would be nuts if it applied to the whole attack, like with the assassin's mantle
I had nearly 400 hours on Iceborne before I stopped playing a few years ago. Loved the weapon. Played Rise and used it. Sunbreak finally came out. I stopped playing a couple hours into Sunbreak. Got back into it a few weeks ago. Finished Sunbreak. Absolutely fell in love with the counter for SA. Tried to go back into Iceborne the past few days and fight some monsters since I missed a few updates, and omg I can’t play World swaxe anymore after playing Sunbreak. Sunbreak was too good 😢
Yes, the counter and other switchskills really spoiled me as well and I hope we get something similar in Wilds. Took me a while to get back into Iceborne as well!
That is true and thank you for the tip! I currently run kulve beta legs but alatreon arms might work even better but I have to look into it more! always depends a bit on your decos available I guess.
I will make a video about a few interesting builds but if you're in endgame I can already tell you Fatalis Beta armor with Kulve beta legs. I use an attack charm and skills I always look for to slot in are agitator, evasion, devine blessing, power prolonger and of course crit boost, crit eye and tenderizer. But'll post about it in the community tab as well very soon.
Yes of course! What I can give you right now is a few skills to look out for: evade window, evade extender, power prolonger and a switch axe with exhaust phial can really make your life easier. It exhausts monsters (but not elders) so they become much slower and stay down longer and so on...
Amazing video I have alot of fun with the ZSD spam playstyle but do you have any advice on how to play when your mantles on down? I cant decide whether to just prioritize sword mode or just both sword and axe mode, etc. I just picked up switch axe very recently but not tryna be cart fodder when my mantles are down lol
Tool specialist should always be maxed out on your ZSD Spam and when both mantles are down I try to focus on axe mode (and power axe) to cause staggers and trips to then do a safe ZSD. But yeah, you of course have a dip in DPS when the mantles are down.
@@BloodyWyverian this strat sounds 10x better than my original plan, I had alot of success with powered axe my first time than my multiple attempts at trying to rely on sword mode alone, my switch axe hunts are gonna go so much smoother 👍
That is just a "claw shot", you can do any time when you're weapon is sheathed. May be that you need Iceborne for it, but I'm not sure. You aim with LT(Xbox Controller) and shoot with RT
how to jump right to the monster face like that, is there special item or ability? I use the same weapon, I've tried to slide many time or jump from the cliff, it's hard. 12 hours play time here.
I think you mean the Zero Sum Discharge which is a Switch Axe specific attack or do you mean the move with the clutch claw, pulling yourself towards the monster from a distance?
@BloodyWyverian I heard that clutch claw doesn't exist in mhw, only ice born, is that right? So I will ask the special attack from Switch Axe, because there's no tutorial for that move on tutorial room, I think.
@@mukagedek4010 oh yes you are right, sorry. The clutch claw is exclusive to iceborne. I have a guide on Switch Axe on my channel but you can do the ZSD (the move I mentioned) by pressing left and right mouse button... or Y and B on Xbox.. or Triangle and Circle on Playstation while you are in Sword mode. But to attach to the monster you need to be in amped state. Amped state is achieved by attacking the monster in sword mode. Maybe that helps a little.
True Fatalis End (Health augment is very important) Rimeguard Helm Y Rimeguard Mail Y Escadora Armguards a Rimeguard Coil Y Rimeguard Greaves Y Challenger Charm Rocksteady Mantle Temporal Mantle And important skills are Power Prolonger, Critical Eye, Health Boost, Attack Boost and so on
That does sound like a super interesting combination. Well the exhaust is only active in sword mode, and it does depend on the monster you are fighting. Elders can't be exhausted for example. Are you running the exhaust boosting skill?
4 person zsd spam with Alatreon switch axe against Fatalis....need I say more? In all seriousness tho, the zsd spam is fun for the memes but there's just something special about the master playstyle, freedom is crazy with that one.
The ZSD Playstyle is so much fun and the meme potential is just as high as the DPS lol But yeah, I love the freedom and possibilities that come with this weapon.
Hey, so i just arrived at Iceborne and am currently Master Rank 1. I have a full crit build + power prolonger. What weapon should i use right now? currently i play with dying light, would Axe of demons be better?
Hey, so basically any MR axe will be better than even the best HR gear and you should upgrade as soon as possible. I'd recommend the Jagras tree for a comfy build or one of the ore trees until you can upgrade the apex's trees, rathalos, legiana, diablos and so on. Great Jagras has an exhaust phial to help you counter the much higher aggression of MR monsters.
Man, I think I play switch axe in axe mode is not right, so I drop this idea and finish iceborn with hammer 3 years ago, now I’m back to game and find this (I’m addicted to SA from MH 3rd but never master it :( )
That is the Frost Craft gauge. It comes from the Arch tempered Velkhana set specifically. It boosts your attacks by filling the gauge when the weapon is sheathed and wears off with each attack.
Only if you have a switchaxe with an exhaust phial. And then only the sword mode attacks deal KO damage unless you equip the impact mantle. But yes, it works really well actually, especially when ZSDing the head.
This is such a silly video. All your doing is breaking each combo into a whole gameplay mode, which you can literally do on any weapon. "Let's look at the four playstyles of Hammer, you have the charge playstyle which focuses on charging. You have the O playstyle which focuses on only using the O attack, then you have the triangle playstyle which is just quick triangle attacks and finally you have the master playstyle which uses all of the hammers abilities. This is why Hammer is the best weapon."
A couple of great armor options for those that want Power Prolonger in their builds but don't want to use up 3 deco slots:
Zinogre Helm Alpha +:
Comes with 2 Power Prolonger and 1 Crit Boost. Great for mid-master rank as long as you can get Zinogre to drop a Skymerald!
Alatreon Arms Alpha +:
Not only does this come with 3 Attack, but it also comes with Level 3 Power Prolonger! Fully maxed out from one armor piece. It does require you to be in the end game and beat Alatreon, but it's actually an extremely cheap armor piece to make. No rare mantles or gems needed. I use this armor piece in every single one of my SA builds. It's too good!
really appreciate your tips! Thank you very much!
That’s actually a great armor piece why didn’t a know about that piece?
Zsd spam is hilarious if you have 4 switch axe users in the same match, but all-rounder is the best imo
Yes, a 4 player ZSD fest is hilarious. Allrounder just has a bit of everything and there are so many cool things about this weapon. Difficult to not wanting to use them all.
That mid air reload is something I needed to know. Thanks!
awesome! Always love it when people learn something new!
I never knew you can ZSD midair. That's so cool. I aspire to be like you guys, dodging perfectly around the monsters like a dance
You'll get there, no problem! Switch Axe has so many cool chains and playstyles to have fun with, there's something for everyone.
I was a worse player before I knew that dodging into oncoming attack is A LOT easier than rolling away from it. In case you still need the dodging advise. Hope this helps
I am in love with this weapon. I play with every state of the weapon and depending on the monster zsd time to time. The weapon has free "part breaker" and "mind's eye". It has range, both in height and width in terms of attack coverage. It can stun, it can aim for specific parts like a ranged weapon.
Only cons are mobility and defense related but that's what swaxe is about. All offense no defense.
Absolutely right, I love the versatility of this weapon despite not having any viable defensive moves other than dodges.
i tried partbreaker lvl 3 and i cant seem to see any difference in terms of breaking monster part. and also is adding exhaust (drain skill) useful for this weapon?
@@HRZ_12 I think partbreaker skill itself is better in higher ranks, but heavy slam buff should stack with it for even more part damage
@@HRZ_12 exhaust is a meme build in this weapon. It could carry you around during main quest and especially in the beginning of the master rank (great jagras swaxe is pretty ok, easy to make too)
@@Demirbaykus yea it is a meme build hahaha i tried it againts a kulve taroth and a bunch of mr monster and its not that effective better to slot in peak or resenment. its a shame tho cuz 60% exhaust with how fast zsd attacks are has potential
there is also the morph slash focus playstyle that provide way more mobility option than power trip and allow you to easily changing playstyleon the fly.
think of it as the basic framework for all the main style
.
these are very important as with switch axe you can do: forward poke - forward step morph slash/axe fade slash - sword fade slash backward.
the fade slash combination easily allow you to stick with monster that move alot, have high hit box or simply allow easy disengage in a way no other weapon can do unless its bow or bowgun
Also an interesting way to play the Swaxe, there is just so many ways to put this weapon to good use! Thank you for sharing!
Im not a person to say this but your videos are very informative, digestible and motivating, ty for these vids
That really means a lot to me! Thank you very much for your feedback.
@@BloodyWyverian i saw your video of switch axe a few days ago after i got back into iceboorne, it got me to finaly start expanding my weapon roster, ive been getting a lot better at switch axe and your videos are a major reason for that so ❤
@@jujicof Thank you very much for the kind words, that really means the world to me to see that the videos actually help and motivate people!
Happy Hunting!
Thanks again for the video.
Will be using it as reference when playing Switch Axe.
ZSD really helped a lot instead of me learning from scratch in-game.
Awesome! Really appreciate your comment and I hope you have an amazing time!
another noteworthy gimmick for ZSD, it has two explosion types. This is when you impale and blow them up, not just blow it up at the air. Partial and Full charge. The resulting recovery animations are different. For a full charge, you are blown back, stick your sword in the ground and slide, then switch to axe when you can move. You get high damage, but a very long recovery. A partial charge, will fling you off the monster.... that's it. You will land near the monster, weapon will retain sword mode, and you can go again almost instantly. Trying to get as close to full charge as you can, without actually doing the full charge, can oftentimes be more comfortable of a fighting style.
100% correct, thank you for sharing this tip. You can chain into a morph slash back to axe mode after landing on the ground with the partial discharge. Gives you a big chunk of Switch Gauge back instantly!
All-rounder is my preferred style due to how versatile it is and it feels like the most natural way to play, but I also really love the sword saint playstyle because it feels so satisfying to dance around the monster in spite of your low mobility. Almost every other weapon I play (GL, LA, CB, HA, and now maybe IG) has strong defensive options and thus I don't have to get that good at defending myself most of the time I hunt, but with SA it's another story and I love it for that. I've learned monsters to a level that I never would have had I not played switch axe. Like I can just dance around Teostra and place myself with great precision because of my experience.
I really love SA for the same reason, but I am still happy that we get some defensive options in Wilds! This will make the weapon a bit more approachable for more people I hope.
Allrounder and Sword saint are my preferred as well, just way too amazing to feel untouchable and tearing the monster apart!
I am so glad i found someone who feels the same about this weapon! Also, Swordsaint is brilliant
I really wish more people would give it a try or see past the ZSD spam. Literally the only weapon for me in this game.
A great video, getting into the details of what moves can chain into other animations faster is very appreciated. 👏
Thank you very much! I have more of that very soon!
ZSD spam is amazing for farming monsters with your brain turned off (At least in HR where I'm still playing atm). Makes catching up to my Xbox account so much quicker than I was dreading it would be lol
OMFG AERIAL ZSD!!! Fuck the Bonker Rolls, *that* is beautiful!
ZSD truely is a relaxing way to hunt monsters. Also works in MR but you really need the health augment on your gear though!
And YES, aerial-ZSD is yet another super satisfying move for this amazing weapon! lol
@@BloodyWyverian Top-tier Swag Axe content
"i can't put this weapon down"
why should you? embrace the swaxe!
Perfect mindset!
Ive been maining charge blade for all of world, and recently started using switch axe, and its fun👍
When I first picked up swaxe in World/ Iceborne I gravitated to sword Saint style and that is also how I played in MHGU. But after playing MH Rise I wanted to play more balanced because switch attacks were cool to me. Now after watching your previous video I have been working mastering the swaxe, since its name sake highlights the mode shift.
Really nice path you chose and before world switch axe focus really was sword mode but they buffed axe mode to such an amazing degree that both are viable and super fun. Keep it up!
You can play the Sword mode or Axe mode versions of SwagAxe but keep in mind it should be only as a natural progression towards the Master play of SA. Chaining between both modes is truly how the weapon is designed to be played. Balancing the gauges and keeping up DPS.
ZSD spam is truly the only "other" way to play SA. Because of the inclusion of Tool Specialist you're taking a chunk of deco slots dedicated to keeping your mantles available. Often times you'll want to couple this with Part Breaker because that's where ZSD spam really shines. Need that Evil Eye? ZSD Spam will absolutely shred Fatalis horns. It's an admittedly brain dead way of playing, but it is highly effective.
Well I guess mastering both modes will come naturally but I still go and make sets for Power Axe mode or Sword mode and try to have fun playing around. But yes, usually I want to use Switch Axe at its maximum potential.
But as long as people have fun with it I don't care how they put it to use lol
Thanks for the guide, learned so much about Swax with this video
You're welcome! Thank you for the feedback!
I love ZSD spam so much lmao. Nothing like farming elder dragons while watching netflix on the side and paying attention to the movie more
I remember trying switch axe when I was very new to MH and wanted to try stuff other than DBs and it was too overwhelming I stopped, then I saw how cool the counter was in sunbreak and gave it a try and I really liked switch axe, I tried it in world again doing ZSD spam and I always thought "man wish if it was this good in IB" which was very unjust from me because my only experience with it was when I was very new and then was only using 1 move of the moveset
I had no idea switch axe had that many viable moves after hearing "axe mode is trash and you should only use sword mode" like that made me think sword mode = ZSD
then... my friend told me I should try it against nergigante, I watched 1 speedrun video and understood how wrong I was... then I watched one of your nergi speedrun breakdown and bro I adore this weapon now
ITS SO GOOD IT RUINED RISE'S SWITCH AXE FOR ME
allrounder master is king! and axe mode is also very fun! sword mode needs more combos imo like a big fancy hit with the sword (that isn't ZSD) and it might be my main in wilds, I love ZSD but spamming it is too brain off for me xd
Really interesting journey you had with Switch Axe and I'm glad you give it another try! ZSD can get tiring after a while for some but thankfully SA offers so much more. I can't wait for Wilds' version of it.
You dont need to reload for using ZSD as long as you on amped state when clutch claw to monster (it will not show the amped state when you run out the bar but it still there).
I always spam ZSD when my rocksteady and temporal mantle still on to get headbreak (like fatalis) or tail cut (extra loots).
If you like ZSD, try use sheath 3 (i push 2 on mantle), sheath and run for me is better when after ZSD it will shot you out abit long distance.
Axe flinching monster style (power trip) not work good on muti-player bcs the threshold is extender alot but axe mode still do good damge so dont underestimate it.
this was a very easy to follow video, much appreciated
I appreciate the compliment! Thank you very much!
7 months late but a cool tip is that if you run earplugs lv.1, you won't get roared off while doing ZSD. ZSD has lv.4 earplugs naturally, the game just doesn't tell you.
Actually a very important tip for ZSD spam, thank you for mentioning it!
I never equipped a switch-axe until Fatalis, always been a CB main. I saw the potential for horn break with ZSD spam and decided to try it out, and it proved to be easy to learn and very effective. My first ever switch axe kill being Fatalis is funny. But I decided to keep using it since, and I've just been ZSD spamming, and I always felt like surely, SURELY there must be more to this weapon, because I've messed about with some of the moves here and there for like 200 monster kills.
After watching this video I'm starting to feel like maybe SA is more complex then CB, maybe even more versatile if you know which moves reposition you etc. at 2:50 Teostra's stupid chin ice-skated you too close which would cause anyone else to lose DPS as they attack tougher parts, but you gracefully slid right back into head shotting position without missing a beat and that right there is sexy.
Really interesting way you found to Switch Axe and while I'd never claim it being more complex than CB due to things like guard points and so on, SA really can get deep and as you described, these repositioning tactics are what I love about this weapon! Pure DPS in the right hands!
I think I’ll try to master it since that last clip of you fighting nerd was beautiful, thanks for vid
Very nice! Super satisfying weapon and yeah, ruiner nerg is just super fun and thrilling to fight! I will upload an entire hunt soon!
thank's for the tips
Good video, but if I may add it's worth mentioning having 1 Lv for earplug is a hidden mechanic for ZSD that the game should really tell you.
Absolutely true! Really lets you push through with the ZSD. I really have to mention it in the next video. Thank you!
Despite being my favorite weapon overall, Swaxe is one of the weapons I just can't touch in World after playing it in Rise. It is so much nicer with defensive and utility options in Rise.
my favorite weapon gets even better in rise? can’t wait to get started playing rise now
I do miss my beloved counter and wirestep for sure but World's version still feels special to me because of how lovely both modes have their unique role and work together so well, but I certainly understand your point!
@@CookiCrsp Swaxe is amazing in Rise. Honestly, IMO, the combat for all weapons in Rise is way better than World, but the graphics and environments and overall ambience are better in World, probably because Rise was made for the Switch.
I don't know if anyone is going to see this but if you hit the same input for elemental discharge in axe modeit will do the overhead slash without having to attack before
This was the very first weapon I tried way back in 2018. I found the great sword more fun but maybe I will pick this up again!
How about a lance or gunlance video?
Hope you give it a try once again. I've never even touched the lances so far lol
I might though in the future
Great video 🎉
im feeling inspired to chop up some monsters with the swax 😎
Thank you very much! Hack away then and happy hunting!
Not gonna lie start using this yesterday, and it’s so much fun Think I’m going to put my gunLances down for a while to get better with this
I'm not sure it was mentioned in the video, but I read that ZSD gives you level 4 Earplugs, meaning that if you have just 1 level of Earplugs in your gear, you are capped during ZSD and cannot be thrown off by roars, like it happened to you at the end of the video from what I see. I might be wrong though!
You are absolutely right! And I didn't mention it, that's true, will do so in a future video! Thank you very much for the tip and reminding me!
Ever since I started maining this weapon it was clear to me that I wanna use both modes in tandem, so the last playstyle it has been for me. Only thing I absolutely hate with SA though, that has nothing to do with the weapon itself really, is how Capcom never bothered to fix ZSD movement bug on PC when using higher fps cap. I could play this game over 100 fps easily but due to this bug and my weapon of choice I'm basically limited to 90 fps cap.
Oh really? What bug exactly are you talking about?
I can't remember what it was.
Only the initial stab of the clutch claw ZSD gets the crit draw bonus. Would be nuts if it applied to the whole attack, like with the assassin's mantle
that would really be insane but a lot of fun for sure!
thanks i know now how to use switch axe
That’s it I’m coming back to switchaxe
Welcome back! Enjoy your stay and happy hunting! Your switch axe missed you lol
I had nearly 400 hours on Iceborne before I stopped playing a few years ago. Loved the weapon. Played Rise and used it. Sunbreak finally came out. I stopped playing a couple hours into Sunbreak. Got back into it a few weeks ago. Finished Sunbreak. Absolutely fell in love with the counter for SA. Tried to go back into Iceborne the past few days and fight some monsters since I missed a few updates, and omg I can’t play World swaxe anymore after playing Sunbreak. Sunbreak was too good 😢
Yes, the counter and other switchskills really spoiled me as well and I hope we get something similar in Wilds. Took me a while to get back into Iceborne as well!
@@BloodyWyverian I hope we keep the counter at the very minimum for Wilds 🤞
Lmao switch axe is my second weapon i picked and I always been de number 1 but this just motivated me to learned all the moves 👌🔥
axe for combo oprening, morph to sword to fill the amp meter,. Put on mantle, ZSD spam goes BRRRRRR for 90 seg.
ZSD Spam in a nutshell lol pure fun
Alatreon’s alpha arms aren’t a bad mix with full Fatalis for full Power Prolonger as they have it at lvl 3
That is true and thank you for the tip! I currently run kulve beta legs but alatreon arms might work even better but I have to look into it more! always depends a bit on your decos available I guess.
Can you show a build for the last play style? I am interested.
I will make a video about a few interesting builds but if you're in endgame I can already tell you Fatalis Beta armor with Kulve beta legs. I use an attack charm and skills I always look for to slot in are agitator, evasion, devine blessing, power prolonger and of course crit boost, crit eye and tenderizer.
But'll post about it in the community tab as well very soon.
Can you do a switch axe budget build video for people who are just starting to get into high rank or master rank?
Yes of course!
What I can give you right now is a few skills to look out for:
evade window, evade extender, power prolonger and a switch axe with exhaust phial can really make your life easier. It exhausts monsters (but not elders) so they become much slower and stay down longer and so on...
@@BloodyWyverian thank you:)
And here I am as a wide range swaxe user lol
Amazing video I have alot of fun with the ZSD spam playstyle but do you have any advice on how to play when your mantles on down? I cant decide whether to just prioritize sword mode or just both sword and axe mode, etc. I just picked up switch axe very recently but not tryna be cart fodder when my mantles are down lol
Tool specialist should always be maxed out on your ZSD Spam and when both mantles are down I try to focus on axe mode (and power axe) to cause staggers and trips to then do a safe ZSD. But yeah, you of course have a dip in DPS when the mantles are down.
@@BloodyWyverian this strat sounds 10x better than my original plan, I had alot of success with powered axe my first time than my multiple attempts at trying to rely on sword mode alone, my switch axe hunts are gonna go so much smoother 👍
What that move called when you grapple in that monster head? 0:16
That is just a "claw shot", you can do any time when you're weapon is sheathed. May be that you need Iceborne for it, but I'm not sure. You aim with LT(Xbox Controller) and shoot with RT
how to jump right to the monster face like that, is there special item or ability? I use the same weapon, I've tried to slide many time or jump from the cliff, it's hard. 12 hours play time here.
I think you mean the Zero Sum Discharge which is a Switch Axe specific attack or do you mean the move with the clutch claw, pulling yourself towards the monster from a distance?
@BloodyWyverian I heard that clutch claw doesn't exist in mhw, only ice born, is that right?
So I will ask the special attack from Switch Axe, because there's no tutorial for that move on tutorial room, I think.
@@mukagedek4010 oh yes you are right, sorry. The clutch claw is exclusive to iceborne.
I have a guide on Switch Axe on my channel but you can do the ZSD (the move I mentioned) by pressing left and right mouse button... or Y and B on Xbox.. or Triangle and Circle on Playstation while you are in Sword mode. But to attach to the monster you need to be in amped state. Amped state is achieved by attacking the monster in sword mode.
Maybe that helps a little.
@@BloodyWyverian ohhh I got it. I thought the Y+B is only for explosion. thanks for your honest reply! let me try by my self.
Playing Switch axe = playing dark soul
What's your build in the 1st clip?
True Fatalis End (Health augment is very important)
Rimeguard Helm Y
Rimeguard Mail Y
Escadora Armguards a
Rimeguard Coil Y
Rimeguard Greaves Y
Challenger Charm
Rocksteady Mantle
Temporal Mantle
And important skills are Power Prolonger, Critical Eye, Health Boost, Attack Boost and so on
I made a saft switch axe with paralyze and exh files, i cant seem to be able to put it down making monster exhausted too good
That does sound like a super interesting combination. Well the exhaust is only active in sword mode, and it does depend on the monster you are fighting. Elders can't be exhausted for example. Are you running the exhaust boosting skill?
I’ve been using switch axe since 3u and I’ve never really spammed zsd unless is was fatalis in iceborn
That is very rare I think lol
ZSD really is the bane of Fatalis and while it is a lot of fun I prefer using all of Swaxe moves and potential as well.
4 person zsd spam with Alatreon switch axe against Fatalis....need I say more?
In all seriousness tho, the zsd spam is fun for the memes but there's just something special about the master playstyle, freedom is crazy with that one.
The ZSD Playstyle is so much fun and the meme potential is just as high as the DPS lol
But yeah, I love the freedom and possibilities that come with this weapon.
Hey, so i just arrived at Iceborne and am currently Master Rank 1. I have a full crit build + power prolonger. What weapon should i use right now? currently i play with dying light, would Axe of demons be better?
Hey, so basically any MR axe will be better than even the best HR gear and you should upgrade as soon as possible. I'd recommend the Jagras tree for a comfy build or one of the ore trees until you can upgrade the apex's trees, rathalos, legiana, diablos and so on.
Great Jagras has an exhaust phial to help you counter the much higher aggression of MR monsters.
@@BloodyWyverian thank you very much
Man, I think I play switch axe in axe mode is not right, so I drop this idea and finish iceborn with hammer 3 years ago, now I’m back to game and find this (I’m addicted to SA from MH 3rd but never master it :( )
There is still time! Plenty of monsters to hunt in all forms of Swaxe!
I tried sword mode only, the dps is kinda meh or even terrible. Zsd wins by a huge margin and i really hate it.
@@manikaditha6308 that is true. I mean the DPS aren't awful but there is no way to beat ZSD playstyle. But I'm pretty sure Wilds changes that.
What is that bar besides the sharpness?
That is the Frost Craft gauge. It comes from the Arch tempered Velkhana set specifically. It boosts your attacks by filling the gauge when the weapon is sheathed and wears off with each attack.
does ko deco work with axe . will it stagger monster more?
Only if you have a switchaxe with an exhaust phial. And then only the sword mode attacks deal KO damage unless you equip the impact mantle.
But yes, it works really well actually, especially when ZSDing the head.
For everyone? Bro how about people who like to have ANY defensive options?😂😂😂
Oh no, we only r e p o s i t i o n with switch axe
What a joke
@@EllaKarhu yeah
It is quite easy with other weapons which have counters/evades/emergency blocks
This is such a silly video. All your doing is breaking each combo into a whole gameplay mode, which you can literally do on any weapon. "Let's look at the four playstyles of Hammer, you have the charge playstyle which focuses on charging. You have the O playstyle which focuses on only using the O attack, then you have the triangle playstyle which is just quick triangle attacks and finally you have the master playstyle which uses all of the hammers abilities. This is why Hammer is the best weapon."
Not true. You play differently in every different playstyle, aim for different goals during a hunt and look at different gauges during the fight.
I see, you don't play monster hunter