Check out this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne guide & walkthrough on how to use the weapon - Long Sword! Learn recommended combos, skills, play tips, and more!!!
How To Use Long Sword
Related Long Sword Articles
 How To Use | Best Builds |
| Best Skills | Endgame Tier List |
Should I Use Long Sword In Iceborne?
Few Changes In Long Sword Moves But Still Very Strong
There was few changes in Foresight Slash & new move Special Sheathe & Clutch Claw was added. With new moves in Iceborne, Long Sword still remains a very powerful weapon.
Moves Changed From Iceborne
| Moves | Changes From Previous Series |
|---|---|
| Foresight Slash | ・Requires Spirit Gauge ・Range & hitbox narrowed |
| Spirit Blade Ⅲ | The damage of first and second slash increased |
Changes In Foresight Slash
From Iceborne, you have to have certain amount of Spirit Gauge to trigger Spirit Blade. Also, range & timing of successfully triggering Foresight Slash is narrowed.
New Move Special Sheathe
Special Sheathe, a new move in Iceborne, can chain combo from almost any other moves..
New Long Sword Moves In Iceborne
Damage Monster's Hide With Clutch Claw
By using Clutch Claw to same part of monster's body twice, you can damage the hide(wound). By doing so, you can do higher damage to wounded part. Damage the hide if your attack is repelled.
Dodge Or Foresight Slash
Because of the adjustment of Foresight Slash, you'd have to use dodging action more often in Iceborne. Use dodge if the monster is too far to hit with Spirit Roundlash after Foresight Slash.
Chain Combo With Special Sheathe
After using Spirit Roundlash or Spirit Helmbreaker, your combo used to stop previously. Now that you have new move Special Sheathe, you can chain combo without stop attacking.
Charge Gauge With Iai Spirit Slash
Your Spirit Gauge gradually increases for 15 seconds after Iai Spirit Slash. When you use Iai Spirit Slash after Spirit Roundlash, you can use Spirit Roundlash again.
Slinger Burst Is Very Useful
Slinger Burst can be used without stopping your combo. Press "L2" after Spirit Blade. Slinger Burst has more damage & has chance to stagger monster.
Combos To Fill Spirit Gauge
Foresight Slash Combo
- 1. Foresight Slash
- 2. Spirit Roundlash
- 3. Special Sheathe
- 4. Iai Slash
| +▶▶+▶▶ |
Fade Slash Combo
- 1. Fade Slash
- 2. Spirit Blade
- 3. Spirit Blade III
- 4. Spirit Roundlash
- 5. Special Sheathe
- 6. Iai Slash
| +▶▶▶▶+▶ |
Sliding Roundlash Combo
- 1. Spirit Blade when sliding the slope
- 2. Spirit Roundlash
- 3. Special Sheathe
- 4. Iai Slash
| ▶▶+▶ |
Jumping Roundlash Combo
- 1. Spirit Blade in the air
- 2. Spirit Blade III
- 3. Spirit Roundlash
| ▶▶ |
Long Sword - Overview & Strengths
Continuous DPS With High Mobility And Reach
The Long Sword boasts of a very good DPS, allowing players to dish out continuous damage due to its high mobility and long reach.
Long & Wide Reach With Slashes
Most of the Long Sword's attacks have a long & wide reach, with many of them being vertical. This allows Hunters to hit flying monsters, adding to their overall DPS during the entire fight.
Can Roll Out Of Combos
The Long Sword's moves are normally not locked into its combos and Hunters can roll out of most of the animations. This makes the weapon extremely mobile, helping Hunters re-position themselves quickly or move out of the way fast.
Fills Up Spirit Gauge To Increase Attack Power
One of the Long Sword's longstanding features is its Spirit Gauge. Hunters will fill up this gauge when they do normal attacks and then do "Spirit Blade" attacks to level them up to a stronger version of the Spirit Gauge.
Spirit Gauge Has 3 Levels
The Spirit Gauge can be leveled up 3 times, with each level stronger than the other. You can see the difference of the levels by their color going from white, yellow, to red.
Use Special Moves To Prolong Gauge
When you use the Long Sword's special moves and you hit your target, the Spirit Gauge will turn orange and the bar will not decay over time, turning white to indicate this. This means you will deal bigger damage for a longer time and you can retain this by doing the same moves over & over again.
Can Parry & Counter Monster Attacks
The Long Sword is incapable of blocking monster attacks but it has a move that allows Hunters to parry and counter with proper timing. Successfully doing this move will automatically increase your Spirit Gauge by one level and the opposite will happen if you miss.
Foresight Slash Works Against Monster Roars
When you time your Foresight Slash properly, you're able to ignore a monster's roar attacks. This way, you won't be stunned and you'll be free to attack the monster while it's busy screaming at your teammates.
Cannot Guard Against Enemy Moves
Though the Long Sword has the Foresight Slash as a counter & parry move, it does not have the capacity to block incoming monster attacks, unlike the Lance and other weapons. Hunters are encouraged to dodge & roll to keep out of harm's way.
Long Sword - Recommended Combo List
Basic Spirit Gauge Level Up Combo
- 1. Overhead Slash
- 2. Thrust
- 3. Rising Slash
- 4. Spirit Blade I
- 5. Spirit Blade II
- 6. Spirit Blade III
- 7. Spirit Roundlash
| ▶or▶▶▶▶▶ |
This is a basic Long Sword combo that will raise your Spirit Gauge by one level. This is the easiest and most straightforward combo to do when you want to up your Spirit Gauge by a level.
Fade Slash Combo For Re-Positioning
- 1. Overhead Slash
- 2. Thrust
- 3. Fade Slash or Lateral Fade Slash
- 4. Foresight Slash
- 5. Spirit Jumping Slash
| ▶or▶+or++▶+▶ |
With this combo, you are able to adjust your positioning with the Fade Slash or Lateral Fade Slash moves without compromising your DPS. The Foresight Slash allows you to take a step back or parry any incoming monster attacks.
Foresight Slash Combo
- 1. Overhead Slash
- 2. Thrust
- 3. Rising Slash
- 4. Foresight Slash
- 5. Spirit Jumping Slash
| ▶or▶▶+▶ |
This is a good attack combo that also allows for parrying or countering a monster's move. This prevents your Hunter from taking damage while dishing it out on the monster instead.
Spirit Helm Breaker Combo
- 1. Spirit Thrust
- 2. Spirit Helm Breaker
- 3. Spirit Blade I
- 4. Spirit Blade II
- 5. Spirit Blade III
- 6. Spirit Roundlash
| +▶▶▶▶▶ |
This combo deals a great deal of attack damage but should only be used when the monster is stationary or when your Spirit Gauge is in the red.
Long Sword - Recommended Skill List
Skills To Increase Attack & Counteract Sharpness Loss
When you're keen on using the Long Sword, it's important to increase your weapon's attack power while countering its tendency to lose sharpness quickly over the course of the hunt.
Recommended Skills For Higher Attack Damage
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| RECOMMENDED! Attack Boost | Increases raw attack power plus affinity rate after a certain level |
| RECOMMENDED! Maximum Might | Raises affinity when stamina bar is full |
| RECOMMENDED! Weakness Exploit | Increases affinity rate of attacks that land on monster weak spots |
| Critical Boost | Increases the damage of critical hits |
| Agitator | Increases attack power and affinity when large monsters become enraged |
| Critical Eye | Increases your affinity rate |
| Focus | Reduces time needed to charge Spirit Gauge |
These skills are basic to use the Long Sword effectively. These increase your attack power and affinity, allowing you to continuously implement high DPS during the hunt.
Recommended Skills For Quality Of Life
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| RECOMMENDED! Handicraft | Increases weapon's sharpness gauge |
| RECOMMENDED! Protective Polish | Weapon does not dull for a time after sharpening |
| Master's Touch | Prevents sharpness loss when weapon lands critical hits |
| Razor Sharp/Spare Shot | Reduces sharpness loss |
| Speed Sharpening | Lessens time needed to sharpen weapon |
| Evade Window | Increases time of invulnerabilty when you dodge |
| Earplugs | Prevents stun from monster shouts |
Having these skills will further improve the effectiveness & efficiency of the Long Sword. It focuses on skills to counteract the weapon's extreme loss of sharpness and faster speed in sharpening while in the middle of the fight.
Long Sword - Gameplay Tips & Tricks
Always Keep Spirit Gauge Up
The key to using the Long Sword is always having the Spirit Gauge at a higher level. This increases your damage per hit, making it easier and faster for you to hunt your targets.
Use Spirit Thrust & Helm Breaker When Gauge Is Red
The best time to use the Spirit Thrust & Helm Breaker combo is when your Spirit Gauge is red. This optimizes the damage that you do and prolongs the use of your gauge, allowing you to deal more powerful hits on the monster.
Use Fade Slash Then Combo To Spirit Jumping Slash
When you use the Long Sword's Fade Slash, press R2 during the jump to smoothly transition into the Spirit Jumping Slash. This makes it much faster for you to move into the Spirit Blade combo, giving you more time to land more hits on the monster.
Practice Timing Foresight Slash Move
The Foresight Slash Move is complicated and difficult to time. It's best to practice with this move as it can provide great benefits such as avoiding taking damage and returning it to the monster in a powerful counter attack.
Target Different Area From Teammates
When you're playing with friends or online, it's best to keep away from their main focus. The Long Sword is known for tripping up other players due to its wide & long reach. Be sure to take note of where your teammates are headed when hitting the monster, then target another area.
Long Sword - Damage Per Move
Motion values are still being confirmed in-game and damage per move written below is based on the Training Area.
| Weapon Move | Damage |
|---|---|
| Spirit Helm Breaker | 66 |
| Spirit Blade | III: 54 Roundslash: 35 II: 26 I: 23 |
| Spirit Jumping Slash | 25 |
| Foresight Slash | 23 |
| Spirit Thrust | 23 |
| Jumping Slash | 23 |
| Step Slash | 19 |
| Fade Slash | 19 |
| Lateral Fade Slash | 19 |
| Rising Slash | 16 |
| Jumping Spirit Blade | 14 (Increases with higher Spirit Gauge) |
| Thrust | 11 |
Long Sword - Basic Move List
Basic Move List
| Button | Move |
|---|---|
| | Slash |
| | Thrust |
| + | Fade Slash |
| ++ | Lateral Fade Slash |
| | Spirit Blade |
| + | Fade Slash |
| + | Foresight Slash |
