Best starter Insect Glaive build in Monster Hunter Wilds

by

An ideal Insect Glaive setup in Monster Hunter Worlds should consider the unique attributes this weapon offers, such as its ability to grant flight. Unlike other weapons, the Insect Glaive stands out due to its exceptional capabilities when it comes to mounting monsters and engaging airborne enemies. This distinctive trait can be effectively incorporated into your build strategy.

If you’re just starting out with the Insect Glaive, it’s important to understand that the main component of this weapon is the Kinsect – a small bug companion perched on your arm that flies around collecting white, red, orange, or green energy. The green energy will restore your health, while the other three colors fill up your essence meter located in the top left corner of your screen. This meter allows you to unleash powerful new attacks, such as a combo move in Wilds that uses up the essence for high damage output.

I’ll share with you the ideal approach for playing with the Glaive, highlighting some modifications from previous games. After that, we’ll discuss the build. Since Wilds is all about continuous progression, I’ve outlined a step-by-step guide for armor and weapon upgrades, so feel free to read on or revisit this later if you want to know what to prioritize as you advance through the campaign and into High Rank.

How to play Insect Glaive in Monster Hunter Wilds

As a dedicated fan, I must say that the art of wielding an Insect Glaive in Monster Hunter World feels significantly streamlined compared to past titles. The key to mastery now revolves around a straightforward combo rotation:

  1. Launch yourself into the air using RT + A and attack the monster with Y enough to mount it
  2. Press Y to perform Strong Knife Attacks on the monster’s back and open every wound possible by moving between positions, before performing a Weapon Attack on one of the wounds with right bumper to bring it down
  3. Use Focus Strikes to harvest wounds and get full Kinsect essence
  4. Hold LT + press B to charge and release a Strong Descending Slash in Focus Mode and then press B again to move into a powerful Rising Spiral Slash that consumes your essence.

Essentially, your strategy revolves around inflicting ‘wounds’ using Focused Attacks to gather the most essence, which you then use for a potent Rising Spiral Strike. However, there are some crucial aspects to bear in mind that subtly alter this approach:

1. To ensure optimal efficiency, it is advisable to coordinate your Focus Strikes with the timing of enemy attacks or movements to maximize wound infliction.
2. Be mindful of the cooldown period between each Focus Strike, as overuse may leave you vulnerable and could disrupt your strategy.
3. The essence gathered from wounds is consumed upon executing a Rising Spiral Slash, so it’s essential to balance their usage effectively to maintain an advantage in combat.
4. Lastly, the effectiveness of this playstyle can be significantly impacted by the specific attributes and resistances of your opponent, so adaptability and strategy adjustments may be necessary mid-battle.

  • You can use Focus Mode and Focus Strikes midair: Holding LT to enter Focus Mode while performing Vaulting Dance makes your Kinsect attack alongside you. You can also use Focus Strikes midair for hard-to-reach wounds, though you’ll have to aim precisely as you can see in the clip above.
  • You need full essence to unlock Vaulting Dance: You used to only require red essence to perform this flying combo, but now you need all three. When you do have full essence, your usual midair Y transforms into this multi-hit attack.
  • You can perform a Strong Descending Slash with only red essence: The first half of the most powerful Insect Glaive combo is available with just red essence. You can also charge this combo while midair and release it to drop into a Descending Thrust which can lead into a Rising Spiral Slash, provided you have full essence.
  • You can gather essence on the ground in Focus Mode: As mentioned, holding LT causes your Kinsect to attack alongside you, and it’ll gather essence from the parts it hits as it does.
  • You can tag monsters with your Kinsect to create powder clouds: Either by whacking a monster with RT or holding RT and pressing the right bumper, you can mark a point for your Kinsect to attack as long as it has stamina. This creates clouds which, when hit, will activate your Kinsect’s powder type, such as building poison. Obviously if the Kinsect is doing this it can’t attack alongside you in Focus Mode, so it’s not always optimal in Wilds.

In simpler terms, the conventional method of collecting essence using your Kinsect by pressing RT and giving it commands with Y or B is no longer very effective. Instead, it’s much more beneficial to mount the enemy, create and break wounds, as this provides immediate maximum essence. Additionally, this approach grants you access to the Vaulting Dance and the extremely potent Rising Spiral Slash.

The Insect Glaive has been transformed into a weapon centered around the concept of injury economics, aiming to deliver a potent combo for each wound inflicted.

Best Insect Glaive Low Rank build

This build emphasizes the mastery of the Scaling Prowess group skill for resilience, as well as providing early access to potent game components.

  • First weapon: Barina Perche I

Apart from initially acquiring Hope Glaive, your first crafting priority should be the Barina Perche I following your encounter with Lala Barina in Scarlet Forest. This weapon grants the paralysis element, a powerful asset, especially when combined with a Felyne Barina Needle for your Palico to apply the status more frequently. When this effect triggers, the monster becomes immobile, allowing you to inflict damage. Additionally, the Barina Perche I boasts a 10% critical hit rate, enhancing its frequent strikes significantly. After defeating Rey Dau, the ruler of the Windward Plains, consider equipping:

  • Second weapon: Rey Halilintar I

This weapon is extraordinary; it’s guaranteed to help you conquer the remaining Low Rank levels. It inflicts lightning damage and features the Focus ability, boosting elemental damage when used in charged attacks. If you’re utilizing the Rising Spiral Slash as recommended, this skill will be particularly beneficial for you.

  • First armor set: Chainmail Helm, Quematrice Mail, Quematrice Braces, Leather Belt, Quematrice Greaves

Initially, focus on obtaining three armor pieces that possess the Scaling Prowess skill, as this ability enhances both mounting monsters swiftly and causing damage to them. Glaive’s aerial attacks already provide an advantage in mounting, making it nearly instantaneous with this skill. As you encounter monsters early on, craft the Quematrice Mail, braces, and greaves, then wear the Leather Belt and Chainmail Helm for Botanist and Geologist respectively; these items increase the rewards from bone piles, mining outcrops, and herbs, which are beneficial at the beginning.

Instead of using your Quematrice vambraces and greaves in battle against the Balahara, craft the Balahara Vambraces and Greaves as a replacement. This switch will provide you with the Evade Extender skill, which is ideal for a glaive’s evasive playstyle and offers superior benefits compared to your current setup.

Once you successfully conquer Rompopolo within the Oilwell Basin, it’s time for another level-up! To achieve this, you should target and eliminate Kranodath – the small, stone-headed creatures in the vicinity. By doing so, you’ll gather Krano Copper which is necessary to unlock its specific set. Concurrently, you’ll gain access to the Ingot Mail set as well. Now, you’re all set to craft and equip these new sets!

  • Second armor set: Ingot Helm, Kranodath Mail, Balahara Vambraces, Ingot Coil, Balahara Greaves

As a gamer, I’ve just unlocked some talismans that I can craft and equip the Blessing Charm I for an extra boost to my Divine Blessing. This combo of survival skills will give me a tripled Divine Blessing, double Evade Extender, double Flinch Free, and I’ll still have top-tier Scaling Prowess. For those playing in Low Rank, the final upgrade I suggest is to defeat Rey Dau first, then aim for:

  • Third armour set: Rey Sandhelm, Rey Sandmail, Balahara Vambraces, Balahara Coil, Balahara Greaves

Here’s your item breakdown: You will receive 3 Evade Extenders, 1 Constitution, 1 Latent Power, while retaining Scaling Prowess. Additionally, you’ll obtain the Rey Dau’s Voltage group skill that amplifies Latent Power.

The Latent Power lessens your stamina consumption by 30%, and Constitution reduces it by a flat 10%. These items are highly beneficial for Insect Glaive users as they enable you to effortlessly leap into the air and maneuver freely.

The remaining part of Low Rank will be quite smooth-sailing. If you ever feel like you need an improvement, the Guardian Oda set is suitable for sword-wielders, offering Burst and a bonus that extends the duration of your skill.

Stay tuned for a High Rank and endgame build on page this as well in future.

Read More

2025-02-27 14:37