Summary
- Esperanza Sword brings Critical Eye Lv 2 and Speed Sharpening Lv 2 for Sword & Shield users.
- Veldian Mucro I boosts blocking with Guard Lv 3, 280 attack, and 220 Dragon element.
- Sandsea Katduva is great against water-weak monsters, with Water 200 element and Offensive Guard Lv 3 for defense.
Monster Hunter Wilds has been out for over a month now, giving players enough time to grind through the main story and start hunting with their friends online. However, this new entry in the franchise is quite different from the rest, now that players can equip two weapons at once and switch them out at will while riding their mount, encouraging a lot more experimentation.
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For Charge Blade users in Monster Hunter Wilds, these are some of the best picks in the game.
While the Sword & Shield is the default weapon type in every Monster Hunter game, it's also a huge preference for longtime veterans thanks to its versatility and speed. For those who have maybe eschewed this starter weapon type for something more eclectic in their journeys, these are the Sword and Shields that players should set out to craft in Monster Hunter Wilds if they're looking to add to their in-game arsenal.
8 Esperanza Sword
This Sword Keeps You Sharp
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Critical Eye Lv 2Speed Sharpening Lv 2
- attack
- 294
- rarity
- Rarity 8
Every hunter in Monster Hunter Wilds will start out with the Hope Sword, which doesn't have any elements or status effects to boast about, but is nevertheless a solid weapon when fully upgraded. The Esperanza Sword, its highest-powered form, not only has three slots for decorations, but also has a pretty great base Attack at 294 and a decent chunk of white Sharpness.
What the Esperanza Sword sports that makes it a worthwhile investment are two incredibly useful skills for Sword & Shield users: Critical Eye, which increases affinity, and Speed Sharpening, which speeds up the animation for sharpening weapons. Given that players only ever need to upgrade this weapon from the default one they're given at the start of the game, the Esperanza Sword has a lot of perks for lazy hunters.
7 Veldian Mucro I
This Draconic SnS Can Take A Hit
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Guard Lv 3
- attack
- 280
- rarity
- Rarity 7
- element
- Dragon 220
Elder Dragons are surprisingly absent in Monster Hunter Wilds, a first for the series, but that doesn't mean there aren't still monsters that can give players some pretty good Dragon-element weapons. One such example is Arkveld, a Flying Wyvern brand new to this installment in the franchise. As far as Dragon element weapons, its fully-upgraded Sword & Shield, the Veldian Mucro I, is excellent.
Between its great base Attack and heavy Dragon element damage at 220, the Veldian Mucro I also gives a huge bonus for Sword & Shield users with its additional Guard Level 3 Skill. This is one of the best skills for Sword & Shield users, allowing blocking to be less detrimental to hunters, and it also frees up players' armor sets to be more eclectic.
6 Verdoloto
Its Origin Is A Mystery, But Its Strength Isn't
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- attack
- 266
- rarity
- Rarity 8
Design-wise, the Verdoloto is one of the most visually interesting Sword & Shields in the entire Monster Hunter franchise. However, it's a little difficult to get, as it requires a different kind of material than veterans may be used to acquiring. Artian materials are new to Monster Hunter Wilds, rarely gained from fighting the much more fearsome and strong Tempered Monsters.
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If players put in some elbow grease to acquire the Verdoloto, the fully-upgraded Artian Sword & Shield, they might be disappointed by its lackluster Sharpness, but don't be fooled. This weapon has not only three slots for Level 3 Decorations, but also 5% Affinity. This weapon also boasts 260 Elemental Damage, but its element varies depending on what type of Artian materials the player gets.
5 Queen Rapier
The Poisonous Classic Returns
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Critical Status Lv 3Poison Duration Up Lv 1
- attack
- 294
- rarity
- Rarity 8
- element
- Poison 180
Any player who's ever used Sword & Shield in a Monster Hunter game before has probably equipped the Queen Rapier or its earlier iterations. This Poison-coated weapon is crafted from Rathian materials, one of the two flagship monsters along with Rathalos that appear in every single Monster Hunter installment, making it as reliable as it is powerful.
With good base Attack and Poison Element, the Queen Rapier may only be useful when fighting monsters that are particularly susceptible to Poison, but it also boasts two good Skills: Critical Status Lvl 3, which will increase affinity for status element weapons, and Poison Duration Lvl 1, which will increase the amount of time monsters are poisoned, which is especially helpful against resistant monsters.
4 Sandsea Katduva
This Water Weapon Has Many Uses
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Offensive Guard Lv 3
- attack
- 294
- rarity
- Rarity 8
- element
- Water 200
Water-element weapons are a solid choice for hunters in Monster Hunter Wilds, given that they're effective against several of the strongest monsters in the game, including Nu Udra and Gravios. For Sword & Shield users, their water weapon of choice should undoubtedly be the Sandsea Katduva, which is crafted using materials from the Balahara, a very strong Leviathan new to Wilds.
Aside from pretty decent all-around stats, the Sandsea Katduva also gives players Offensive Guard Lvl 3, a skill that will boost a hunter's attack after executing a perfect guard. This can be pretty tricky with Sword & Shield compared to weapons like Charge Blade or Lance, but it's a really great Skill to have on the rare occasion when it's activated.
3 Kuara Clairsword
Thunder Is Just Too Good
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Guard Lv 2Offensive Guard Lv 1
- attack
- 308
- rarity
- Rarity 8
- element
- Thunder 200
Thunder is a pretty common Element that monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds are weak to, especially late-game monsters like the Uth Duna and Balahara. While it has 200 Thunder, the Kuara Clairsword is not only good for its element. This weapon has 308 base Attack, much more than most other fully-upgraded Sword & Shields in the game, and a huge chunk of White Sharpness.
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As for additional Skills, the Kuara Clairsword has two: Guard Lvl 2, which, as stated earlier,r is a must-have for Sword & Shield users, and Offensive Guard Lvl 1. In case those aren't high enough levels, the Kuara Clairsword also has three slots for Decorations of varying levels, meaning players can still go nuts on their armor sets while having two great skills baked into their arsenal with this weapon.
2 Lala Acanthopelm
Paralyze Enemies With Style
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Critical Draw Lv 2Critical Status Lv 1
- attack
- 280
- rarity
- Rarity 8
- element
- Paralysis 200
Sword & Shield users love their Paralysis Elements, given that it's one of the easiest ways to play a supportive role in online play. Strong Paralysis aside, the Lala Acanthopelm is one of the best Sword & Shields in Monster Hunter Wilds, with decent Attack, Sharpness, and Affinity, as well as three slots and two vital Skills: Critical Draw and Critical Status.
To acquire the Lala Acanthopelm, players will have to fight the Lala Barina, a Temnoceran new to Wilds, but as far as hunts go in the game, it's not the hardest. That means that this top-tier Sword & Shield is actually quite accessible to players who aren't even that leveled up yet. It's a hard weapon to top, though there's one Element that can do the trick...
1 Titan's Armament
There's Nothing Better Than Blast
- weapontype
- Sword and Shield
- skills
- Guard Up Lv 3
- attack
- 336
- rarity
- Rarity 8
- element
- Blast 250
Any Sword & Shield user is likely very aware of just how fun it is to play with the Blast Element. In previous games, the Teostra Sword & Shield was one of the best Sword & Shields in the series, but given the absence of Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter Wilds, players will have to face off against another veteran monster, the Gravios, to obtain the Titan's Armament Sword & Shield.
With a whopping 360 base Attack, 250 Blast, and Guard Up Lvl 3, which reduces damage taken when blocking, Sword & Shield users have a lot of reason to use this weapon. However, as is the norm with Gravios weapons, Titan's Armament lacks good Sharpness or Affinity, but these can be remedied with skills like Handicraft and Critical Eye, which can be added with the weapon's three Decoration slots.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
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