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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

Sword and Shield

By
Vincent Lau

Your very basic weapon. Pick up and play! Sort of.

Overview

While the Sword and Shield has no burst potential or special ability like a Spirit Dance or Demon Mode, it is a swift, mobile weapon that is great for hunters who love dancing around the monster to land a constant barrage of hits. The unique ability of the Sword and Shield is the ability to use items while the weapon is still drawn, meaning that you never have to worry about sheathing. It helps that the weapon itself is incredibly light. If you can keep up the damage, you will find that the Sword and Shield has one of the highest damage-per-second rates in the game.

Pros

  • Simple to use, easy controls

  • Can use items without having to sheathe the weapon

  • Fast attack speed and highly mobile

  • Great for inflicting status
    Cons

  • Low raw power

  • No burst potential like a Long Sword or Dual Blades means no way to increase attack power without a skill

Attack Controls
Basic Attack X, can be chained twice or into a Charged Lunge
Shield Bash A
Forward Slash X+A
Block R
Use an item while weapon is out R+Y
Backhop Move backwards and press A
Charged Lunge Hold A after performing a Backhop

Usage Tips

Unless you are off to get Kelbi Horns, stay away from the A attacks and stick to using your X combo. Open up with X+A to close in, then continue pressing X, and rinse and repeat. To reposition yourself and during larger openings, use the charged lunge for a stronger hit. The key to using the Sword and Shield is to never stray too far from the monster. Staying consistently close to land hits consistently is how you make the most of the Sword and Shield’s power.

The Sword and Shield’s shield is too small to tank attacks like a Lance, Gunlance, or Charge Blade’s shield can, so it’s highly recommended you just forget you have a shield altogether.

Recommended Skills

Because you will constantly be having your weapon out, Evasion+1/+2 and Evade Distance Up are invaluable skills to have. If you are fighting in multiplayer and have the slots for it, Wide Range will enable you to use your ability to use items whenever you want to heal all your allies. To compensate for low raw power, skills like Attack Up are also useful to have.

A fun strategy to use with the Sword and Shield is known as stylish bombing and capitalizes on the Sword and Shield’s ability to lay down items without sheathing the weapon. Simply bring a bunch of bombs, set them down when the monster isn’t moving too much, then set them off and roll through the blast with Evasion+1/+2. It takes a while to master but is more powerful than it looks on paper. For added power bring a Sword and Shield that can cause Sleep.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Capcom
  • Platforms,
    3DS
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    31 March 2015
  • Last Updated
    7 December 2020
  • Guide Author
    Cassie Sun, Vincent Lau

Share this free guide:

En route to Val Habar, what begins as a bumpy ride in the great desert quickly descends into the fight of your rookie hunter’s life, as a dangerous Elder Dragon appears out of nowhere, threatening to level your ride and the town ahead.

After somehow surviving the attack, your efforts impress the Caravaneer and you’re quickly enlisted into the Caravan. Your mission? To discover the secret of a mysterious “Article”, which will almost surely involve hunting bigger and deadlier monsters in a magical, colorful world that is the world of Monster Hunter.

Overwhelmed? Not so sure what to do? This guide will give you the reference point you need to not only complete the solo campaign with flying colors, but look awesome while doing so!

  • Information regarding Key Quests for both Caravan and Gathering Hall quests.
  • Tips for becoming the best hunter possible–from preparations to Palicos.
  • Breakdown of the 14 unique weapon types and how to wield them to their full potential.
  • Detailed maps and insights for all of the major hunting grounds.
  • Inside scoop on every monster you will face in battle (select postgame monsters pending).

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