Read this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Switch Axe guide on the best loadout and armor build for this weapon. Includes recommended equipment, elements, decorations, skills, and more!!!
Safijiiva Weapon Builds
Iceborne: Recommended Builds
- Iceborne Starter Build
- Iceborne Middle Phase Builds
- Iceborne Late Phase (MR~70) Builds
- Iceborne Endgame (MR70~) Build
Top Recommended Builds
Recommended Elemental Builds
Recommended Skills
Related Article On Switch Axe
 How To Use | Best Builds |
| Best Skills | Endgame Tier List |
Safijiiva Blast Weapon Build
Master Rank Safi'Jiiva Blast Switch Axe Build
| Weapon | Augment Decorations |
|---|---|
| Safi's Shatteraxe | Health Regen 1 Affinity Increase 1 Element/Status Effect Up 1 Expert Jewel 4 |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Kaiser Crown β + | Charge/Vitality Jewel 4 |
| Damascus Mail β + | Enhancer/Vitality Jewel 4 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Kaiser Vambraces β + | Enhancer/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical Jewel 2 |
| Kaiser Coil β + | Earplug Jewel 3 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Blast Jewel 1 |
| Garuga Greaves β + | Enhancer Jewel 2 Critical Jewel 2 Critical Jewel 2 |
| Attack Charm 4 | - |
| Skills | |
| Critical Eye Lvl 7 | Attack Boost Lvl 4 |
| Earplugs Lvl 3 | Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 |
| Critical Boost Lvl 3 | Blast Attack Lvl 3 |
| Focus Lvl 3 | Power Prolonger Lvl 3 |
| Heat Guard Lvl 1 | Earplugs Lvl 1 |
| Heat Guard Lvl 1 | Master's Touch (Set Bonus) |
Recommended Weapon Skill Awakening
| Skill | No. Of Frames |
|---|---|
| Attack Increase VI | 1 |
| Attack Increase V | 4 |
Points of Recommendations
- More versatile & stronger than most crafted weapons
- Master's Touch lessens sharpness loss & need for sharpening
- Can easily stack Blast Attack due to armor set
Safijiiva Crested Armor Build
Safi'jiiva Weapon & Crested Armor Set
This set is inspired by the armor build originally shared by aquCHAOS on Youtube.
Crested Armor Build Details
| Weapon | Augment Decorations |
|---|---|
| Safi's Drakaxe | Health Regen 3 Furor/Vitality Jewel 4 |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Safi Crested Crown β + | Furor/Vitality Jewel 4 Grinder Jewel 1 Grinder Jewel 1 |
| Safi Crested Chest β + | Throttle/Medicine Jewel 4 Furor Jewel 2 |
| Safi Crested Vambraces β + | Destroyer/Medicine Jewel 4 Sharp Eye Jewel 2 Mind's Eye Jewel 2 |
| Safi Crested Belt β + | Destroyer/Medicine Jewel 4 Grinder Jewel 1 |
| Safi Crested Boots β + | Resistor/Evasion Jewel 4 Destroyer Jewel 2 Dragon Jewel 1 |
| Wyrmsbane Charm 5 | - |
| Temporal Mantle+ | Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Glider Mantle+ | Furor/Vitality Jewel 4 Furor/Protector Jewel 4 |
| Skills | |
| Dragon Attack Lvl 6 | Evade Window Lvl 4 |
| Blight Resistance Lvl 3 | Critical Boost Lvl 3 |
| Partbreaker Lvl 3 | Resentment Lvl 3 *Lvl 5 with Mantle |
| Speed Sharpening Lvl 3 | Health Boost Lvl 2 *Lvl 3 with Mantle |
| Latent Power Lvl 1 | Mind's Eye/Ballistics Lvl 1 |
| Protective Polish Lvl 1 | Dragonvein Awakening (Set Bonus) |
| True Dragonvein Awakening (Set Bonus) | - |
Recommended Weapon Skill Awakening
| Skill | No. Of Frames |
|---|---|
| Affinity Increase VI | 1 |
| Element Up V | 4 |
Points of Recommendations
- Useful for farming Safi'jiiva quest due to Dragon Attack & Partbreaker skills
- Dragonvein Awakening works well with Resentment skill
Safijiiva Zero Sum Discharge Build
Safi'jiiva Weapon With Armor Focusing on ZSD
This set is inspired by the armor build originally shared by Thales Moustache on Youtube.
Zero Sum Discharge Build Details
| Weapon | Augment Decorations |
|---|---|
| Safi's Drakaxe *(works with any Safi Switch Axe) | Health Regen 1 Attack Increase 1 Tenderizer/Vitality Jewel 4 |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Golden Headdress β + | Enhancer/Vitality Jewel 4 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Buff Chest α + | Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Ruinous Vambraces β + | Enhancer/Vitality Jewel 4 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Ruinous Coil β + | Enhancer/Protection Jewel 4 Protection Jewel 1 |
| Garuga Greaves β + | Critical/ProtectionJewel 4 Critical Jewel 2 Critical Jewel 2 |
| Attack Charm 4 | - |
| Glider Mantle+ | Flawless/Medicine Jewel 4 Flawless/Medicine Jewel 4 |
| Rocksteady Mantle+ | Medicine Jewel 1 Medicine Jewel 1 |
| Skills | |
| Attack Boost Lvl 7 | Critical Eye Lvl 7 |
| Agitator Lvl 5 | Health Boost Lvl 3 |
| Critical Boost Lvl 3 | Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 |
| Power Prolonger Lvl 3 | Divine Blessing Lvl 3 |
| Earplugs Lvl 1 | Fortify Lvl 1 |
| Recovery Up Lvl 2 *when wearing Mantle | Peak Performance Lvl 2 *when wearing Mantle |
| Nergigante Ambition (Set Bonus) | - |
Recommended Weapon Skill Awakening
| Skill | No. Of Frames |
|---|---|
| Attack Increase VI | 1 |
| Attack Increase V | 4 |
Points of Recommendations
- Focuses on big damage during Zero Sum Discharge move
- Can work with any Safi'jiiva weapon
- Recovery is hastened with Nergigante Set Bonus
Recommended Iceborne Starter Switch Axe Builds
Mighty Gear Build
| Weapon | Decorations |
|---|---|
| Mighty Gear 1 | Earplug Jewel 3 |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Jagras Helm α + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Bone Mail α + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Jagras Vambraces α + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Beo Coil α + | Critical Jewel 2 |
| Jyura Greaves α + | Critical Jewel 2 |
| Handicraft Charm 3 | - |
| Skills | |
| Attack Boost Lvl 4 | Health Boost Lvl 3 |
| Earplugs Lvl 3 | Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 |
| Handicraft Lvl 3 | Speed Eating Lvl 2 |
| Evade Extender Lvl 2 | Focus Lvl 2 |
| Critical Boost Lvl 2 | Recovery Up Lvl 1 |
| Water Attack Lvl 1 | - |
Points of Recommendations
- Easily accessible when starting Iceborne
- Increases the gauge quickly
- Easily stacks damage by using decorations
Mid Game Saber's Bite Build
| Weapon | Decorations |
|---|---|
| Saber's Bite II | Mighty Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Glavenus Helm α + | Vitality Jewel 1 |
| Nargacuga Mail β + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Glavenus Braces α + | Vitality Jewel 1 |
| Nargacuga Faulds α + | Vitality Jewel 1 |
| Nargacuga Greaves β + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Attack Jewel 1 |
| Attack Charm 3 | - |
| Skills | |
| Evade Window Lvl 5 | Attack Boost Boost Lvl 4 |
| Focus Lvl 3 | Maximum Might Lvl 3 |
| Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 | Health Boost Lvl 3 |
| Handicraft Lvl 1 | Stamina Surge Lvl 1 |
Points of Recommendations
- Can be assembled before the Velkhana story point
- Viable loadout option until endgame
Iceborne Middle Phase Builds
| Weapon | Decoration | Saber's Bite Ⅱ | Mighty Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
|---|---|
| Armors | Decorations | Glavenus Helm α + | Vitality Jewel 1 | Nargacuga Mail β + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 | Glavenus Braces α + | Vitality Jewel 1 | Nargacuga Faulds α + | Vitality Jewel 1 | Nargacuga Greaves β + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Attack Jewel 1 | Attack Charm III |
| Skills | |
| Evade Window Lv5 | Attack Boost Lv4 |
| Focus Lv3 | Maximum Might Lv3 |
| Weakness Exploit Lv3 | Health Boost Lv3 |
| Handicraft Lv1 | Stamina Surge Lv1 |
Points Of Recommendation
- Forgeable Before Velkhana
- Able to use until end of the story mode
Iceborne Late Phase (MR~70) Builds
| Weapon | Decoration | Evanescent Glow | Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 |
|---|---|
| Armors | Decorations |
| Fulgur Helm β + | Expert Jewel 4 Charger Jewel 2 |
| Damascus Mail β + | Earplug Jewel 3 Enhancer Jewel 2 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Dmascus Vambraces α + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Medicine Jewel 1 |
| Shara Ishvalda Coil α + | Enhancer Jewel 2 Enhancer Jewel 2 |
| Garuga Greaves β + | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Vitality Jewel 1 Elementless Jewel 2 |
| Handicraft Charm III | - |
| Skills | |
| Critical Eye Lv7 | Handicraft Lv5 |
| Power Prolonger Lv3 | Weakness Exploit Lv3 |
| Focus Lv3 | Health Boost Lv3 |
| Recovery Up Lv2 | Earplugs Lv1 |
| Speed Sharpening Lv1 | Non-elemental Boost Lv1 |
High Affinity & Purple Sharpness
Evanescent Glow boasts its high affinity and purple sharpness, which empowers its high raw damage. The skill Focus & Power Prolonger allow you to fight monster easily. Health Boost & Recovery Up allows for high survivability.
Iceborne Endgame Switch Axe Builds
DPS & Evasion Build
| Weapon | Decorations |
|---|---|
| Evanescent Glow | - |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Barioth Helm α + | Jumping Jewel 2 Enhancer Jewel 2 |
| Nargacuga Mail β + | Evasion Jewel 2 |
| Nargacuga Vambraces β + | Refresh Jewel 2 |
| Acidic Glavenus Coil β + | Handicraft Jewel 3 |
| Nargacuga Greaves β + | Evasion Jewel 2 |
| Handicraft Charm 3 | - |
| Skills | |
| Razor Sharp / Spare Shot | Handicraft Lvl 5 |
| Evade Window Lvl 3 | Evade Extender Lvl 2 |
| Health Boost Lvl 3 | Power Prolonger Lvl 1 |
| Non-elemental Boost | Critical Eye Lvl 2 |
| Earplugs Lvl 1 | Tool Specialist Lvl 2 |
| Stamina Surge Lvl 2 | - |
Points of Recommendations
- Balanced DPS and Survivability build
- Strong non-elemental damage output
- Several skills allow for survival in different situations
Non-elemental Crit Build
| Weapon | Decorations |
|---|---|
| Evanescent Glow | - |
| Armor | Decorations |
| Odogaron Helm α + | Enhancer Jewel 2 |
| Nargacuga Mail β + | Sheath / Expert Jewel 4 |
| Nargacuga Vambraces β + | Sheath / Expert Jewel 4 |
| Odogaron Coil β + | Enhancer Jewel 2 Critical Jewel 2 |
| Nargacuga Greaves β + | Resistor / Expert Jewel 4 |
| Handicraft Charm 3 | - |
| Skills | |
| True Razor Sharp / Spare Shot | Critical Eye Lvl 6 |
| Evade Window Lvl 3 | Bleeding Resistance Lvl 2 |
| Stamina Surge Lvl 2 | Power Prolonger Lvl 2 |
| Quick Sheath Lvl 2 | Critical Boost Lvl 1 |
| Blight Resistance Lvl 1 | Handicraft Lvl 1 |
Points of Recommendations
- High crit chance with boosted damage
- Slow sharpness loss
- Fast movement due to Evade Window & Quick Sheath
Terror Tyrannos Build For Switch Axe
*Following information are Monster Hunter World's best loadout, not Iceborne.
| Weapon | Augmentation | Terror Tyrannos | Affinity Increase Attack Increase |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Nergigante Helm α | Expert Jewel 1 |
| Drachen Mail α | Critical Jewel 2 |
| Drachen Vambraces α | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Drachen Coil α | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Drachen Greaves α | Mighty Jewel 2 |
| Handicraft Charm III | - |
| Skills | |
| Critical Eye Lvl 7 | Attack Boost Lvl 4 |
| Critical Boost Lvl 3 | Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 |
| Handicraft Lvl 3 | Maximum Might Lvl 3 |
| Power Prolonger Lvl 1 | Master's Touch |
| Elemental Airborne | - |
Full Use Of Master's Touch & High Affinity Rate
This build focuses on using the full potential of the Master's Touch skill that comes with the Drachen armor set. Combined with the high attack power of the Terror Tyrannos, this set is built for maximum damage & reduced loss of sharpness.
High Crit & Affinity Build For Switch Axe
| Weapon | Decorations | Power Smasher Ⅱ | Critical Jewel 2 |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Drachen Armet α | Elementless Jewel 2 Attack Jewel 1 |
| Damascus Mail β | Attack Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Drachen Vambraces α | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Drachen Coil α | Charger Jewel 2 |
| Drachen Greaves α | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Leaping Charm II | - |
| Skills | |
| Critical Eye Lvl 6 | Attack Boost Lvl 5 |
| Critical Boost Lvl 3 | Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 |
| Focus Lvl 3 | Evade Extender Level 2 |
| Power Prolonger Lvl 1 | Non-elemental Boost |
| Master's Touch | Airborne |
| Elemental Airborne | - |
Build For High Critical & Affinity Rates
With this Switch Axe build, you will have very high affinity and critical rates, allowing you to do a lot of damage per hit. Sacrificing weapon sharpness, this build also has a bit of survival features with the Evade Extender skill.
Elementless & Evasion Build For Switch Axe
| Weapon | Decorations | Taroth Axe Paralysis ► How To Get This Weapon | Elementless Jewel 2 |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Kaiser Crown γ | Critical Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Kulve Taroth's Ire α | Expert Jewel 1 |
| Kaiser Vambraces α | Vitality Jewel 1 |
| Drachen Coil α | Jumping Jewel 2 |
| Kaiser Greaves γ | Jumping Jewel 2 Vitality Jewel 1 |
| Evasion Charm III | - |
| Skills | |
| Critical Eye Lvl 7 | Critical Boost Lvl 3 |
| Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 | Evade Window Lvl 3 |
| Stun Resistance Lvl 2 | Health Boost Lvl 2 |
| Evade Extender Lvl 2 | Power Prolonger Lvl 1 |
| Non-elemental Boost | Master's Touch |
Switch Axe Build With High Attack Stat
The weapon featured in this build has an extremely high attack power with no elemental attribute, making it viable against any monster. It is also a very mobile with its Evade Window & Evade Extender skills.
Taroth Axe Water Attack Build
| Weapon | Decorations | Taroth Axe Water ► How To Get This Weapon | Earplug Jewel 3 |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Xeno'jiiva Headgear γ | Enhancer Jewel 2 Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 |
| Kirin Jacket γ | Vitality Jewel 1 Stream Jewel 1 |
| Xeno'jiiva Claws γ | Evasion Jewel 2 Evasion Jewel 2 Stream Jewel 1 |
| Kulve Taroth's Malice β | Handicraft Jewel 3 Stream Jewel 1 |
| Xeno'jiiva Spurs γ | Evasion Jewel 2 Stream Jewel 1 Stream Jewel 1 |
| Awakening Charm II | - |
| Skills | |
| Water Attack Lvl 5 | Handicraft Lvl 5 |
| Health Boost Lvl 3 | Free Elem/Ammo Up Lvl 3 |
| Power Prolonger Lvl 3 | Evade Window Lvl 3 |
| Blight Resistance Lvl 2 | Earplugs Lvl 1 |
| Critical Boost Lvl 1 | Special Ammo Boost Lvl 1 |
| Razor Sharp/Spare Shot | - |
Built For High Water Attack Boost
With the Taroth Axe Water's powerful water attack damage stat, this build focuses on amping up your elemental attack even more. It also focuses on survival during the hunts with Evade Window, Health Boost, and etc.
Kjarr Axe "Thunder" Attack Build
| Weapon | - | Kjarr Axe "Thunder" ► How To Get This Weapon | - |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Kaiser Crown γ | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Empress Mail β | Vitality Jewel 1 Bolt Jewel 1 Bolt Jewel 1 |
| Kaiser Vambraces γ | Handicraft Jewel 3 |
| Empress Coil γ | Earplug Jewel 3 |
| Kaiser Greaves γ | Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Handicraft Charm III | - |
| Skills | |
| Critical Eye Lvl 7 | Handicraft Lvl 4 |
| Health Boost Lvl 3 | Thunder Attack Lvl 3 |
| Weakness Exploit Lvl 3 | Peak Performance Lvl 2 |
| Evade Window Lvl 2 | Earplugs Lvl 1 |
| Elemental Airborne | Master's Touch |
| Stamina Cap Up | - |
Build For Thunder Attack Damage
This build fully exploits the Master's Touch skill for high crit rate & reduction of sharpness loss. With this weapon, you'll do more Thunder attack damage due to its high elemental attack stat.
Kjarr Axe "Paralysis" Attack Build
| Weapon | Augmentation / Decorations | Kjarr Axe "Paralysis" ► How To Get This Weapon | Health Increase Release Jewel 3 |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Empress Crown α | Jumping Jewel 2 Paralyzer Jewel 1 |
| Xeno'jiiva Hide β | Paralyzer Jewel 1 Paralyzer Jewel 1 |
| Kushala Grip γ | Medicine Jewel 1 Medicine Jewel 1 Medicine Jewel 1 |
| Empress Coil γ | Earplug Jewel 3 |
| Kushala Crus γ | Charger Jewel 2 |
| Awakening Charm II | - |
| Skills | |
| Evade Window Lvl 3 | Paralysis Attack Lvl 3 |
| Recovery Up Lvl 3 | Free Elem/Ammo Up Lvl 3 |
| Focus Lvl 3 | Evade Extender Lvl 3 |
| Health Boost Lvl 2 | Power Prolonger Lvl 2 |
| Earplugs Lvl 1 | Tool Specialist Lvl 1 |
| Stamina Cap Up | - |
Build That Increases Chance To Paralyze Monsters
This build focuses on adding chances to paralyze monster with every hit, making it immobile & open to a flurry of attacks. This set also activates Earplugs Lvl 4 when Hunter uses their Zero Sum Discharge attack.
Augment For Health Increase
This weapon only has one slot for augmentation and it should be Health Increase. This will increase your survival rate so you can do more hits and increase your chances of paralyzing the monster.
Lunastra Weapon Blast Attack Build
| Weapon | Decorations | Empress Axe "Styx" | Evasion Jewel 2 Charger Jewel 2 |
|---|---|
| Armor | Decorations |
| Empress Crown β | Release Jewel 3 Expert Jewel 1 |
| Damascus Mail β | Release Jewel 3 |
| Zorah Claws γ | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 |
| Empress Crown γ | Mind's eye Jewel 2 |
| Kushala Crus γ | Tenderizer Jewel 2 Bolt Jewel 1 Bolt Jewel 1 |
| Earplugs Charm III | - |
| Skills | |
| Earplugs Lvl 5 | Evade Window Lvl 5 |
| Health Boost Lvl 3 | Focus Lvl 3 |
| Power Prolonger Lvl 3 | Evade Extender Lvl 3 |
| Divine Blessing Lvl 3 | Razor Sharp/Spare Shot |
| Stamina Cap Up | - |
Break More Monster Parts With Blast Attack
This build focuses on breaking monster parts through the use of the Blast attribute. It doesn't have much attack boost and isn't recommended for speed hunting but it's best used when farming materials or monsters parts.
Set Allows For Flexibility In Decorations
You are free to swap out any of the decorations you've put into this set, making it a flexible build that can improve your gameplay and quality of life in the game.
Best Skills For Switch Axe
Recommended Skills For Attacking
| Skill | Recommendation / Overview |
|---|---|
| Weakness Exploit | Hitting monster weak spots can do critical hits & increased damage |
| Master's Touch | Prevents sharpness loss when dealing critical hits |
| Handicraft | Elongates weapon's sharpness gauge but not beyond its maximum |
| Attack Boost | Increases attack power plus affinity rate at higher levels |
| Critical Eye | Increases you affinity rate |
| Critical Boost | Strengthens damage of critical hits |
| Maximum Might | Affinity rate increases when stamina is full |
| Non-elemental Boost | Strengthens non-elemental weapons you've equipped |
Recommended Supporting Skills
| Skill | Recommendation / Overview |
|---|---|
| Health Boost | Increases health points |
| Evade Extender | Increases distance of rolls and dodges |
| Evade Window | Elongates invincibility when dodging |
| Focus | Charges gauges and charge rate faster for weapons with gauges & charge attacks |
| Earplugs | Lessens stun duration from monster roars & shouts |
| Power Prolonger | Elongates the activation of your charges & gauges |
| Protective Polish | Negates sharpness loss a few moments after sharpening a weapon |
| Speed Sharpening | Lessens time to sharpen weapon |
