The Hunter is an excellent all-round horse, with a good balance of stats. It has good speed, charge and maneuverability as well as reasonable armor and hit points. This horse is used by many higher-tier cavalry units such as Vaegir Knights, including the lords of numerous factions (such as King Ragnar). For a new player switching up from their starting horse, the Hunter is faster and more.
Monster Hunter: World gives you a ride-or-die (ride-or-faint?) companion in your palico. While you build yourself increasingly devastating weapons, you’ll also craft new weapons and armor for your palico (our favorite is the ladybug outfit because, come on).Your palico deploys a piece of equipment during a fight. By default, your palico will use a vigorwasp spray, which provides a welcome healing boost. As you become more comfortable with the game and hunting monsters becomes less taxing, you might want to swap out that vigorwasp spray for a more specialized tool.We’ve already discussed, but this guide is going to focus on finding what we’d argue is the most useful: the plunderblade. The plunderblade lets your palico gather extra monster parts during a fight, cutting down the time it takes for you to craft your next set of armor or that shiny new weapon. Finding the plunderblade.Capcom.Capcom.Capcom.Capcom.Capcom.Capcom.CapcomTo find the plunderblade, you’ll first have to find and befriend the Plunderers of the Rotten Vale. You’ll need to progress the main story past the 14th assigned quest, Into the Bowels of the Vale.
This gives you access to the lower areas of the Vale. Area 13, the Lynian Researcher and the odogaronLook for the Lynian Researcher in area 13 of your map. If he’s not there, you can try seeking him out in other areas of the New World and befriending other grimalkyne tribes. You can also try filling some of the requests of the other Commission Researchers (the Piscine Researcher and his very fine hat and the Endemic Life Researcher).
Doing these quests for them or befriending the other tribes is (probably) optional, but they’ll fill your time while you wait for the Lynian Research to show up.Before you set off to find the Plunderers and the Lynian Researcher, make sure you have at least one (but preferably several) pieces of raw meat in your item pouch. After you speak to the Lynian Researcher, wander off for a minute. You have to wait until an odogaron drags a corpse down to this area. You don’t have to fight the odogaron, thankfully, or even be around when it comes back.
You just have to wait for it to drag a meal back to the area. (, this has to be a legiana corpse.) Area 15, the Plunderer grimalkyne and the plunderbladeOnce everything is in place — the Lynian Researcher and the odogaron’s meal — you’ll spot a Plunderer grimalkyne when you return to the area in front of the Lynian Researcher. The grimalkyne will run off when you approach, though. Talk to the Lynian Researcher again or just check your map — there’ll be a new icon for the Plunderers in area 15.When you get there, you’ll spot the grimalkyne again, but he’ll run off when you get close. Your palico will make a couple of comments about how hungry he looks, then it’ll suggest you leave some meat for it.Place a chunk of raw meat on the ground by hitting the use button like any other item. Drop it where the palico was standing in the middle of the room, then back off — the mouth of the tunnel you came through is a safe distance. The grimalkyne and his friends will come down from the cliffs and eat the food you left.This time when you approach, you’ll all be friends.
The Plunderers will give your palico a plunderblade and teach it to speak to girros. Speaking to girros is a neat party trick, but the plunderblade is what’s really impressive here.
It lets your palico carve monster parts from a monster during a fight (rather than having to wait to carve them off a corpse). This makes it a great tool for farming and grinding monster parts to build armor.
As your palico levels up with the plunderblade, it’ll grab more and better materials. When and why to use the plunderblade Equipping the plunderblade on your pet watcher/palico. CapcomSwitching to the plunderblade is not for the ill-prepared. Giving up the training wheels of the vigorwasp spray means not having a near-constant source of healing and completely changes the tone of monster hunts. It means a much heavier reliance on the potions in your item pouch. But all that extra monster loot is a really appealing incentive. The spoils of a fight when your palico uses the plunderblade.
CapcomThe purpose (and results) of the plunderblade are what should determine when you use it. It’s there to give you extra monster parts, so if that’s not what you’re after, use something that makes your life easier instead. If, however, you’re for new armor or weapons, the plunderblade is invaluable. Your palico (and any Plunderer grimalkyne you happen to convince to join you) bringing in extra pelts, fangs and claws cuts the length of your grind considerably.
Want to get better at using the Charge Blade and combos with it? Then, check out my guide to get you started on mastering the weapon.
The Charge Blade in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is similar to the Switch Axe, but it also has a giant shield. You can guard and do more combos with the Charge Blade as well. Mastering it is harder than the Switch Axe, but so satisfying when you do.
This is a newer weapon and even veterans of the series might need tips on using it. I'll help you by explaining the basics of using each of this weapon's modes and tips to get better at using it. Be sure to visit my Guide Directory for more Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate guides.
This guide will go over using the Charge Blade including:
Basic Controls - Basics on how the weapon works.
Sword and Shield Mode - Tips and combos while in Sword and Shield mode.
Axe Mode - Tips and combos while in Axe Mode.
Extra Tips - Mastering combat with the Charge Blade.
Basic Controls
Sword and Shield
It has a standard 3-hit combo with X that ends with a spin slash.
The second strike is an upward strike that reaches far above you.
Hold A to do the signature Charge Strike. Release it to attack.
Press X + A to do the Shield Thrust. This thrusts the shield up towards the enemy.
Hold R to block with the shield.
This is not as good as a Lance or Gunlance shield, but it works.
Press R + X to switch to Axe mode.
Axe
Pressing X while standing still does an upward strike.
Pressing X again does an overhead slash.
Forward + X does a slam attack, the same attack you do when switching to the axe.
Press A twice to do a 2-hit combo. It is a chop into a huge swing.
Pressing A one more time does the Amped Elemental Discharge (AED) which strikes hard and goes back into Sword and Shield mode after it is done.
You can also press X + A while standing still in Axe mode, or after a guard or shield thrust in Sword and Shield mode, to do this attack.
Press R to change back to Sword and Shield mode.
Sword and Shield Mode
The second move in the Sword combo (upward strike) can be done after any action.
These means after evade/roll, attacking, or guarding.
When doing the spin slash or switching to Axe, there is a moment where your character guards.
This will auto-block attacks. It does not work if you switch to Axe while already guarding.
You get the most time when switching to axe after an attack.
When using the Charge Strike, don't release it to soon or late. It will cause your attack to be weak.
Release as soon as your sword fully reaches behind you and the yellow light stops.
This weapon also uses phials.
Impact - Adds stun and fixed damage.
Elemental - Adds elemental damage.
Hitting a monster with the sword puts energy in the phial.
It goes to yellow, then red, then overcharged.
Overcharged means your attacks will be deflected until you charge the phial. You'll see 'Charge' on your screen.
Press R + A while in Sword and Shield mode to charge it.
Charged phials are used for attacking in Axe Mode.
Axe Mode
Unlike the Switch Axe, the Charge Blade's Axe Mode is very slow and not meant to be used by itself.
You are taking your huge shield and attaching it to your sword to form the axe, so it makes sense that it's a little heavy.
You want to combo into it and use the AED often to get th most out of the Axe Mode.
When you have phials charged, each hit in axe mode does extra damage based on which phial your weapon uses.
Extra Tips
Charge Blade is all about the combos and switching between Sword and Shield and Axe mode.
It can combo for days and you'll want to switch constantly. This takes practice.
You can also switch after any attack, or during a jump, so that makes it easier.
Try different combinations of Charged Strike, AED, switching, and normal combos to get a feel for the weapon's combos.
You can press R while charging an AED to stop it and put all the energy into your shield.
This makes the shield as strong as a Lance or Gunlance and increases the damage of Axe attacks.
The more phials you have charged, the longer this mode lasts. You will know by the glowing shield icon on your screen, as well as your actual shield.
The color changes depending on how many phials you have charged.
While you have a boosted Shield/Axe you can do a Super AED.
This does an extra strong attack and creates a shockwave.
If you have any phials charged, Super AED uses them all and ends your boost.
You can hold back on the circle pad and press X to do a normal AED while in boost mode.
Practice the auto-block when switching to Axe.
Mastering this is key to becoming an expert at Charge Blade.
That's all I have for Charge Blade tips and combos. Check out my Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Guide Directory for help with anything else. Leave a comment if you have a question or suggestion!