Good against most monsters, but particularly effective against agile or flying ones like Tobi-Kadachi or Rathians (even when they try to fly away). The guage slowly decays (faster at higher Spirit Levels) so maintaining a balance between Spirit attacks and normal charging ones is the key to using this effectively. Comboing Spirit Blade attacks together can raise the guage's level up to level three, increasing the damage of your combos. You can build up the Spirit Guage by attacking and then deplete it by triggering Spirit Blade attacks.
Some weapons in the game have special buffing abilities or modes, and Spirit Blade makes the Long Sword stronger for a short amount of time in battle. As its name suggests, you do still get a longer reach than the sword and shield, and as an added bonus you get the Spirit Blade ability. There is no block with the Long Sword, so you'll need to learn to dodge and roll. The Long Sword is not quite as big as a Great Sword and, as such, is much faster to wield. You're best of using this against slower, less mobile quarries, and definitely not the best choice for flying monsters (unless it's a Rathian because once you're fighting they stay on the floor anyway and you'll be thankful for the extra damage). You can also charge your attacks to do more damage, again leaving yourself a little more vulnerable but for some really good damage. The startup swing also means you have to get much better at timing your attacks, and the size of the blade will require some knowledge of spacing to effectively hit the monster. It is possible to quickly block incoming attacks, but this will sacrifice some of your sharpness, so get used to rolling and dodging. Large and heavy, they're a little harder to wield than the sword & shield and leave you much more exposed.
Great Swords are pretty great, but they're also pretty slow. Well-suited to pretty much every monster in the game, so if you aren't sure what to use, grab the trusty sword & shield.
There's not much fancy going on with startup frames or combos but that just means you don't have to worry too much about getting caught out by quick foes or getting flustered in battles. Perfect for beginners, this tried and tested combination offers you quick attacks when the opportunity arises and defensive options the rest of the time. The Sword & Shield is the bread and butter of the Monster Hunter World (world). Monster Hunter World melee weapons guides Sword & Shield For your definitive guide to weapons in Monster Hunter World look no further than the short intros below, and find your favorite murder machine today. If that's a little too much choice for you, or if you're fairly new to the series, then we have some advice about which weapons to go with. There are 14 weapon types in Monster Hunter World, meaning there's a style to suit everybody.