Charge Blade Guide: Controls and Combos

The Charge Blade is a melee weapon in Monster Hunter Now. In this guide, you'll learn how to use the Charge Blade, how to unlock it, as well as the recommended combos and tips on how to play the Charge Blade!

Charge Blade Basic Information

Released March 14, 2024

The Charge Blade is a new weapon type added as part of the Vernal Invader update. It's available starting March 14, 2024, at 12 midnight UTC.

The Vernal Invader Update

Switch Between Sword and Axe Modes

The Charge Blade can switch between a sword and shield and an axe. The sword mode lets you move around more easily and lets you use the shield to guard against attacks. Switching to the axe mode trades mobility for damage.

Charge Phials in Sword Mode

The Charge Blade comes with 5 phials that can be loaded to give your axe attacks increased elemental damage or allow your weapon to stun with impact damage. You can charge these by using sword attacks and then load them for use in axe mode.

The amount of phials loaded depends on the color of the phials. Yellow loads 3 phials while red loads all 5. If you continue using sword attacks while it's red, the phials will glow to indicate you've overcharged.

Unleash Super Amped Elemental Discharge for Massive Damage

You can use the loaded phials to enhance your axe attacks. Boost your shield with charged phials, and you can perform a Super Amped Elemental Discharge (SAED) that will unload all your phials and deal massive damage. Mastering how to charge phials and unleashing them quickly is key to maximizing the Charge Blade.

Charge Blade Controls

List of Controls

Charge Blade Combos

Charged Double Slash to Spinning Slash

While in sword mode, tap and hold your screen to do start guarding. Releasing it will perform a Charged Slash. You'll need to release at the right time to perform a Charged Double Slash, otherwise, you'll perform a Weak Slash that doesn't fill the phials as much. You can follow up the Charged Slash by tapping on the screen to perform a Spinning Slash / Roundslash.

Quick Shield Charge Combo

This will be your bread-and-butter combo for charging your phials and boosting the shield quickly. Note that you can start with Step 3 if you've already collected some charge to shorten the combo.

Guard Point Follow-Ups

You can follow up Guard Points with an AED by holding the screen after successfully auto-blocking. Note that this will only work if you don't take heavy knockback, so some levels in the Guard skill are recommended.

If your shield is charged, the follow up will become a SAED, but can be cancelled into an AED by swiping down.

Tips on How to Use the Charge Blade

Block With Guard Points

While you can normally block by continuously holding the screen, it's better to block with Guard Points as these can charge Phials and can be followed up with powerful attacks. Guard Points allow you to auto-guard when the shield is in front of you during enemy attack animations. Here are some attacks that have a Guard Point:

• Start of Sword to Axe Morph Slash
• End of Spinning Slash
• End of Axe to Sword Morph Slash

Charge the Shield to Improve Damage and Blocking

You can get the red shield, which indicates it's been charged, by swiping up during an AED to cancel it. All your loaded Phials will be used up to boost the shield. The duration depends on how many Phials you've used up, so try to have all 5 up to maximize it.

When charged in sword mode, Guard Points will also deal damage, have reduced knockback, and can even stun enemies when using the Impact Phial. In axe mode, your attacks deal more damage and changes the regular AEDs into Super Amped Element Discharges (SAED). Do note that SAEDs use up all charged phials but deal massive damage in exchange.

Cancel SAED to AED by Swiping Down

Since SAEDs take long and use up all your phials, there may be times where you want to use a regular AED instead. To do so while the shield is charged, immediately swipe down after triggering the SAED animation to cancel to the regular AED.

Master the Charging and AED Loop

Because of the limited time you have per hunt, the best way to use the Charge Blade would be to quickly charge up the shield and release AEDs whenever possible. SAEDs are powerful but take a long time to wind up, so make sure to use these wisely to avoid wasting time!

How to Unlock Charge Blade

Unlocked After Pre-Season Story 3-1

Assuming the unlock conditions of the new weapon are similar to the previous update, the Charge Blade should be available upon reaching Chapter 3 of the Pre-Season Story.

All Chapters and Quests List

Monster Hunter Now Related Guides

Best Weapons Tier List

List of All Weapons and Guides

Close-Ranged Weapons
Sword and Shield Guide | List	Great Sword Guide | List
Long Sword Guide | List	Hammer Guide | List
Dual Blades Guide | List	Lance Guide | List
Charge Blade Guide | List	Gunlance Guide | List
Long-Ranged Weapons
Bow Guide | List	Light Bowgun Guide | List
Heavy Bowgun Guide | List