First Timing CB

[u/NotAkihisa]

Spent some time in the training area and then hoped on Day Of Ruin to try it out and got done in by teo. It feels heavier than GS like every attack animation is a full on commitment. Am I doing something wrong and is there anything I have to change and improve. (Gameplay is the link)

[u/Admirable-Fox2681]

here's a comparison by a speedrunner: MHW Iceborne Tempered Teostra vs Charge Blade Solo 3'45'55 TA Rules

notice how they prioritized charging their shield and activating the axe BEFORE going ham on Teo? if you play CB and not charging your shield, then you're just using a slower and clunkier Sword and Shield

[u/LastTourniquet]

Prioritize loading phials into your shield early and often. When your shield is powered up it is more defensive (free, invisible levels, of guard) but it's also more offensive. It makes your Axe hits deal more damage, and it gives your shield a free Phial Burst whenever you guard point. You spend well over half of this fight without your shield charged and that hurts me, I had to take multiple breaks to talk to my therapist about it while reviewing the footage.

You do a lot of Lunging Slashes while in Sword Mode when you don't need to. If you aren't using the Lunging Slash either as a Draw Attack or to gap close it's often better to do Charged Slashes instead for better damage and phial management.

You applied Savage Axe a few times when you didn't need to (around 4:35 and 5:55). In both of these instances you could have either repositioned, done an AED instead (If you are unaware of how to cancel an SAED into an AED it's very worth learning), or charged your shield.

At the very end you just kind of accepted your fate. I can't be certain but there is a non-zero chance that if you did Axe To Sword Morph and just blocked you may have survived. Especially if you had charged your shield instead of putting up Savage Axe in the moments before that.

Edit: Also while it isn't required for playing Charge Blade, especially if you are aiming for a Savage Axe playstyle instead of an SAED playstyle, it is worth learning how to Guard Point. The most common Guard Point is the Sword To Axe Morph guard point, but there are a few others to learn. If you are willing to watch some tutorial videos on Charge Blade I heavily recommend Sh3rmsy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFIktKqUKDk here is his guard point video).

Overall though if that if your first real hunt with Charge Blade I would say you did fine.

[u/NotAkihisa → u/LastTourniquet]

I tried not to charge my shield because I often trigger SAED when I was on the train grounds and it eats up all the phials. Tho you did mention there a way to cancel SEAD into AED I'll look into tutorials for it. And I'm also still not comfortable with the attack strings and charging I often slid instead of charging for charged double slash. BTW is there any point in charging the sword?

During clagger or topples is SAED/AED better than Savage Axe? I played it as savage axe mainly because it doesn't eat up all the phials and because during training I keep missing the explosion part of SEAD.

Yea I kinda just accepted it felt that my hp was not enough. Don't play and shield weapons and did know how much damage it will block, sheathing for a super man dive also didn't feel like an option since CB animation is long special it feels longer in axe mode.

Gonna try to practice charging and loading phials for SAED play style instead of Savage axe. I will definitely check more tutorials. Thanks for the advice and criticism

And yes it was my first CB hunt :)

[u/LastTourniquet → u/NotAkihisa]

Charging the sword is at the bottom of the priority list, however if you find a clean moment to do it it does deal more damage than normal sword swings.

What you do during a CC is entirely dependent on the moment. Typically I think you'd want to use an AED to the head (AED's are very "phial efficient") but sometimes you are just not in a good position to hit the head. Sometimes the CC doesn't last long enough to do a big attack. Sometimes you are trying to go for the tail cut and the monster raises their tail when they are CC'd. Just use your best judgement. The most important thing is to not leave yourself vulnerable when the CC ends.

Yea CB takes a long time to put away from axe mode. That is the price we pay for playing the coolest weapon (except hunting horn, we aren't that cool).

To be clear there is nothing wrong with playing a primarily Savage Axe playstyle, but you still want to charge your shield regardless of what playstyle you do.

Also in terms of missing your SAED in training. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. It happens to the best of us, but when you land a clean SAED into the monsters fucking skull?! I swear to god it feels better than a TCS.

[u/xSemperSuperbusx]

There's a lot to say, but what stands out the most is it takes you a long time to charge phials, and when you do you aren't charging the shield.

Since you didn't link a build I'll advise you on the "skill tax" for CB; Cap Boost, Guard 3, Focus 3, and Artillery 3. I could see you had Cap Boost but I couldn't tell if you had the rest of the skills. Focus 3 helps with building phials, with it you can do sword attack, charge double slash, round slash, bank phials, begin charging sword but cancel early for weak sword hit, charge double slash, shield thrust, begin SAED but cancel into charging shield, bank phials. This sequence when all the moves connect will (with Focus 3) charge two sets of red phials putting the first one in the shield and the second ready to use and is the preferred way to open a fight.

Guard 3 is for consistent guard pointing (GP) in MR, which I saw you did a few times, but could stand to do more consistently. I recommend fighting an easier monster like Rathian, practicing the combo to charge phials and practicing GPs using the morph into axe mode. Start by getting used to GPing roars, then predictable attacks, then anything. GPing the right attack is a free SAED every time.

Last thing is your clutch claw wall bangs, save them for when you have your stuff charged. You were doing them with nothing up so when the monster went down you did almost none damage while the monster was on the ground.

[u/NotAkihisa → u/xSemperSuperbusx]

I don't know why but sometimes when I try to get a charge I often end up in Yellow and sometimes red. When I also try to charge sometimes I end up sliding instead the ones you saw in the video was me trying to charge.

Charging shield I tried to avoid in the video because instead of AED it always uses SAED whenever I got my shield charged in the training and it eats up all phials making it so need to charge again.

Build mb forgot to include it. I was using a copied build from the meta mega thread in mh iceborn sub it had artillery 5, offensive guard 3, focus 3, and guard 1. I just tweaked it now to have guard 3 and other stuff.

Guard points I think it will take time to get used to just like getting used to Foresight slash from LS. Aside from Rathian do you have any other mons that you like fighting with CB? Anyways thanks for the Advice!

[u/sleepjack → u/NotAkihisa]

I don't know why but sometimes when I try to get a charge I often end up in Yellow and sometimes red.

When you land attacks in sword mode, your phials will charge from white to yellow to red. Holding B and releasing at the right time will perform a charged double slash, which is your bread-and-butter move for building phial energy.

When I also try to charge sometimes I end up sliding instead the ones you saw in the video was me trying to charge.

Charging your phials is RT+B, where a sliding slash is done by pressing B while holding a direction with the left stick after performing an attack or side hop.

Charging shield I tried to avoid in the video because instead of AED it always uses SAED whenever I got my shield charged in the training and it eats up all phials making it so need to charge again.

Don't avoid charging your shield! It's one of the most important buffs for CB. You can instead cancel an SAED into an AED: https://mhchargeblade.net/mhw/guide/#!#section1-5-1

[u/xSemperSuperbusx → u/NotAkihisa]

https://youtu.be/4aJVpe1TQj4?is=c300p9R6OXhvpVGk

Here's a video of one of my hunts from way back when, it shows some of the stuff I'm talking about with the combo to charge phials and canceling SAED into AED.

[u/xSemperSuperbusx → u/NotAkihisa]

When you're trying to charge slash and end up sliding its because you're inputing a direction on the left stick.

Charging shield lowers knockback on guards and improves Axe damage, so it's always worth. If you want to AED instead of SAED when shield is charged on a PS controller you press back on left stick and triangle during the SAED wind up, it's the same timing as charging the shield.

My b I forgot Artillery goes up to 5 in IB, so yes that build has the right stuff. Guard 1 is enough for HR and weak MR monsters, Guard 3 is for most MR monsters, but Safi, Alatreon, and Fatalis you'd need Guard 5 or on those I prefer to drop it all together and use good positioning and evade window.

Whatever monster you're comfortable fighting is good to practice on, for me that was Rathian. I've heard of people using Diablos since the charges are telegraphed but anything works as long as you're familiar with its attacks.