The Charge Blade is a weapon that balances offense and defense and can morph between two modes in Monster Hunter Wilds. See what new actions the Charge Blade can perform, how to use it, sample and recommended combos, and what its controls are in this guide!

Charge Blade Guides
Weapon Guide	Builds	Tree

Charge Blade Mechanics

How to Use Charge Blade
Charge Blade Modes and Charge Gauge Charge Phials with Sword Mode Activate Axe Mode and Savage Axe Understand Different Phial Types Perfect Guards and Guard Points Activate Savage Axe with Focus Slash

All Charge Blade Modes and Gauge

Charge Blade Gameplay Loop

Using the Charge Blade effectively requires rotating between its two main modes, Sword Mode and Axe Mode. Below is the ideal loop for maximizing DPS with this weapon:

1. From Sword Mode, transition to Axe Mode when you have filled your Charge Gauge phials with Sword Energy via attacks, charged attacks, and receiving hits on guards.
2. In Axe Mode, expend Sword Energy phials through AEDs/SAED to deal extra phial damage.
3. Repeat the cycle. Buffs can be added to this loop through other Boosted Modes: Sword Boost Mode, Element Boost, and Power Axe Mode (Savage Axe).

Additionally, Power Axe Mode (or Savage Axe) is also good to transition into when the opportunity presents itself for extra damage.

Charge Blade Modes

Standard Modes
Sword Mode	・Attack with your sword. ・Allows you to perform manual Guards. ・Allows you to use Charge for storing Sword Energy into your phials. ・Hits on Guards also contribute to charging Sword Energy. Morph into Axe Mode with Sword: Morph Slash.
Axe Mode	・Attack with your axe. ・Allows Axe: Element Discharges and Axe: Amped Element Discharges (AEDs). ・Cannot manually guard during this mode. Morph back into Sword Mode with Axe: Morph Slash or Super Amped Element Discharge (SAED).
Boosted Modes
Sword Boost Mode	How to Activate: ⓘ Requires Element Boost ┗ Sword: Condensed Element Slash Gives your sword attacks phial effects, boosts damage, and prevents weapon deflection.
Element Boost	How to Activate: ┣ Charge → Shield: Element Boost ┗ Amped Element Discharge → Elemental Roundslash Guard is enhanced while in Sword Mode and allows you to perform SAED after an AED.
Power Axe Mode	How to Activate: ┣ Perfect Guard → Savage Axe Slash ┣ Mounted Finisher ┗ Focus Strike: Double Rend (on wound hit) Reduces phials consumed on Element Discharges and, by holding down your attack button, lets you deal tick damage on axe swing hitstops. Also enables the use of Savage Axe.

Charge Blade Charge Gauge

Charge Gauge States
	No Charge
	Charge 3 Phials
	Charge 5 Phials
	Overcharged Your attacks will bounce off when overcharged. To remove it, Charge immediately to transfer the energy to your phials.
	Enhanced Phial attack damage is boosted. Phial enchancement happens when charging exceeds 4 or more phials with stored energy. Extends the duration of Element Boost to 3 minutes.

Charge Phials with Sword Mode

The main gimmick of Charge Blade is accumulating Sword Energy by attacking enemies or taking hits while guarding in Sword Mode (includes Guard Points), charging the phials with the Sword Energy, and using them to enhance Axe Mode attacks.

Check the phial icons on the top left of your screen to see how much Sword Energy you've accumulated, which also indicates how many phials will be filled after charging.

Activating Axe Mode and Savage Axe

Once you have charged phials ready, head into Axe Mode and start unleashing Element Discharge attacks. Phial charges are consumed and add phial explosions whenever you use Element Discharge attacks, including Super Amped Element Discharge (AED) or Super Amped Element Discharge (SAED).

The number of phials consumed by these attacks depends on the move used, as some Axe Mode attacks, like the SAED, empties all five phials in one go. When you're out of phials, make sure to switch back to Sword Mode to charge them again.

Buff with Power Axe Mode for More Damage

Axe Mode can be buffed by going into Power Axe Mode via Perfect Guard, Mounted Finisher, or a successful Focus Strike: Double Rend.

While Savage Axe is activated, axe swings get an additional 'chainsaw effect', allowing you to apply extra tick damage and hitstop when you hold down your attack button as you hit the monster with an Element Discharge attack.

Focus Slash Can Activate Savage Axe

Focus Slash: Double Rend is the Charge Blade's new Focus Attack that you can use as an alternative to Perfect Guard and Mounted Finisher for activate Savage Axe. Your character will perform a double slash that will transition into Power Axe Mode (also known as Savage Axe) if it successfully hits a wound.

How to Use Focus Mode and Focus Strike

Understand Different Phial Types

Phial Type	Effect
Impact Phial	Enhances raw damage in Axe Mode. Impact Phial damage scales according to your Attack stat (raw damage) and only benefits from the skill Artillery. SAED is unleashed in a straight-line pattern.
Element Phial	Enhances elemental attacks in Axe Mode, scaling according to your CB's Element stat. Element Phials benefit from its matching element skill such as Fire Attack, Thunder Attack, etc. It is unaffected by Artillery. SAED is unleashed in a cone-like pattern.

There are two known types of Charge Blade phials that appear across Monster Hunter titles: Impact Phials and Element Phials. These return in Monster Hunter: Wilds.

Impact Phials deal raw damage on phial explosions and allows you to knock out monsters similar to a blunt weapon like the Hammer and Hunting Horn.

Charge Blades with Element Phials deal more elemental damage on phial explosions in Axe Mode and usually have playstyles that revolve around SAED spams. They're best used against monsters that have hitzones highly weak to a specific element, such as Gravios's underside which is weak to Water.

Perfect Guards and Guard Points

Guard Type Use Cases
Perfect Guard	・Gives access to Savage Axe. ・Gives immediate access to SAED. ・Deals phial damage with Element Boost. ・Has a Boosted Guard level, more noticeably so than a Guard Point with Element Boost. ・Must be performed at neutral (outside a combo).
Guard Point	・Gives immediate access to SAED. ・Deals phial damage with Element Boost. ・Can be used in the middle of combos. ・Does not count as a Perfect Guard. ・Has a Boosted Guard level, but is still noticeably susceptible to strong levels of knockback from attacks and roars.

Guard Point behaviour may change on release.

Perfect Guards and Guard Points are special defensive mechanics that you can use with the Charge Blade. Each guard type provides more benefits than a regular guard, such as faster recovery from knockback, reduced stamina consumption, and reduced damage taken.

The fast recovery from greater knockback resistance is one of the key benefits most aim for when making use of these guard types with the Charge Blade, since having it means you can react faster to a monster who just made its move (giving you safer openings for slow attacks like SAED).

Charge Blade Perfect Guard

Perfect Guards are now the Charge Blade's most useful shield move with Guard Points following second. Performing Perfect Guards will allow you to access Savage Axe Mode for a limited time, increasing the overall DPS provided by Axe Mode via hitstop tick damage.

Perfect Guard is distinguished from Charge Blade Guard Points in the following key points:

1. A successful Perfect Guard produces a noticeable 'clank' sound and visual spark (different from Element Boost phial explosions).
2. Perfect Guard will indicate in a shown control tooltip that you can follow up with a Savage Axe Slash.

In this title, Perfect Guard works differently from Guard Points, with a Guard Point being akin to more of a special normal guard as opposed to Perfect Guard.

Charge Blade Guard Points and Timing

1	Sword: Morph Slash Axe: Smash At the beginning of the move when your shield is raised.
2	Axe: Morph Slash Sword: Fade Slash Sword: Roundslash Elemental Roundslash At the end of the move when your shield is raised.
3	Shield: Element Boost While the shield is in front.

Know that a move has an available Guard Point if the shield glows white.

Guard Points, also known as 'Attacks That Block' in Weapon Controls, return as a mechanic for the Charge Blade. Unlike Perfect Guard, however, they seem to lack some of the new Perfect Guard properties, therefore making it more of a special kind of normal guard. Unlike Perfect Guard, you cannot transition into Power Axe Mode (Savage Axe) following this move.

They still, however, provide the effect of a boosted Guard skill (increased knockback resistance), especially when paired with a shield charged with Element Boost.

They're still very useful as part of combos, giving you some protection from interruption while allowing you to combo into an SAED on demand.

Guard Point Indicators

Guard Point indicators are now available and much easier to see for the Charge Blade. The Charge Blade's guard point timings will now cause the shield to glow which indicates that these specific set of frames are Guard Points or frames where the the player can block enemies when hit.

Charge Blade Controls

Sword Mode Controls

Axe Mode Controls

During Element Discharge attacks while in Power Axe Mode, you can hold down the button to deal extra damage and hitstop.

Charge Blade Combos

Mode Charging Combos
Fast 5-Phial Charge Combo 5-Phial Charge Combo into Element Boost 5-Phial Charge Combo into Sword Boost Mode
AED and SAED Combos
Basic Morph Slash to AED Combo Basic AED with Follow Up Combo Basic AED to SAED Combo
Perfect Guard Combos Combos
Perfect Guard into Savage Axe Combo Perfect Guard into SAED Combo

Fast 5-Phial Charge Combo

This is a quick and easy 6-second combo that allows you to charge 5 phials quickly. This combo can serve as a quick damage deal to monster.

5-Phial Charge Combo into Element Boost

This is an 8-second combo that lets you add an Element Boost to your shield at the end. Using Element Boost will strengthen your Guard and allow you to later perform SAEDs after AEDs.

5-Phial Charge Combo into Sword Boost Mode

This is a 9-second high-damage combo that lets you activate Sword Boost Mode with Condensed Element Slash. This will buff your sword attacks, giving it additional phial damage on hit.

Basic Morph Slash to AED Combo

This can be your basic 9-second Morph Slash into Axe Mode combo and your bread and butter for repeating high-damage swings not yet inclusive of AEDs and SAEDs.

Basic AED with Follow-Up Combo

This is another Axe Mode combo variation that makes use of AEDs within 7-seconds. This can serve as a good fast high-damage combo when you're attacking from neutral in Axe Mode.

Basic AED to SAED Combo

Note that SAEDs take up all phials even in an Enhanced state.

This is a 6-7 second fast AED to SAED combo and is can be the most consistent tool for getting into SAED.

Feel free to add another combo string of Elemental Discharge attacks before getting to this combo, as this is best used as an offensive tool against toppled monsters or during large windows after a Perfect Guard.

Perfect Guard into Savage Axe Combo

This is a go-to 6-second combo for moving from Perfect Guard into Savage Axe and is potentially one of the most damaging combos you can have in a short window.

You should be able to at least fit those 2 high-damage moves most of the time before facing monster retaliation. If you have a larger window, you can add in an AED at the end for more damage.

Do note, however, that you'll want to use this only in windows you'll find it comfortable to so, as you will be certainly punished by fast follow up attacks usually by monsters that are enraged.

Perfect Guard into SAED Combo

Note that SAEDs take up all phials even in an Enhanced state.

This is a fast 5-second combo that is best utilized with Perfect Guard. It is also very simple: use Perfect Guard and directly transition into SAED. This is also doable when starting with Guard Point.

This move is best done when you have Element Boost for your shield already, as well as 5 phials for maximum damage.

Charge Blade Advanced Tips

Charge Blade Gameplay Tips
Perfect Guard or Guard Point? You Can Perfect Guard Roars Always Take Advantage of Savage Axe Use Vertical Swings Charge Transition is Faster When Charging Phials Control Axe Swings with Focus Mode Phial Damage is Unaffected by Sharpness Best Savage Axe Rotation Cancel AED into Elemental Roundslash Cancel SAED into AED

Perfect Guard or Guard Point?

Arkveld Test (Enraged Roar)
・The Guard Point (Sword: Fade Slash) here displayed the expected knockback reduction against Arkveld, being nearly the same as Perfect Guard. ・Using Guard Point also still does not give you access to Savage Axe Slash as a follow-up.
Dummy Test (Normal Fly Back Smash Pattern)
・Guard Point (Sword: Morph Slash) suffered from noticeable knockback during this dummy test with Perfect Guard being more consistent on knockback negation. ・Guard Point also required an earlier startup compared to Perfect Guard, which can be done on demand.

Guard Point behaviour may change on release.

Perfect Guard is now the overall better option for maximizing DPS since it gives you access to Savage Axe if you are at neutral or outside of a combo. It is also consistent on knockback negation for all attacks unlike Guard Point.

Perfect Guard also seemed to be the easier and safer option if you end up missing it before its actual trigger window, where you'll just stay at a regular guard instead.

Guard Point so far behaves as a special form of normal guard instead of a variant of a 'perfectly-timed guard' in previous titles (as hinted by previous skills like Offensive Guard). It's still a viable defensive option in most cases due to its Guard boost and use in transition moves such as Morph Slashes, giving you more safety on combo entrances and exits.

You Can Perfect Guard Roars

Like every other weapon that can Guard, you can also Perfect Block monster roars. This gives a lot of benefit to the Charge Blade since it will allow you to start your Savage Axe or SAED combos early.

Always Take Advantage of Savage Axe

Power Axe Mode or Savage Axe is the ideal DPS-boosting option when using the Charge Blade. You will want to take advantage of this mode due to the additional damage deals on hitstops, in addition to the phial damage you already use.

During this mode, you will also have significantly reduced phial consumption on Element Discharge attacks including AED. The only exception is that SAED will still take up all of your phials.

Savage Axe Mode is activated only on Perfect Guards, Mounted Finishers, and successful Focus Strikes. Also always take note that Guard Points do not count as Perfect Guards.

You Don't Need to Complete Axe Hits from Focus Strikes

Savage Axe will always activate as long as you trigger your Savage Axe animation from the first successful hit of your Focus Strike, so you'll still have a chance to do some big damage if you miss the rest of your attack.

Just take note that you'll be in animation lock during this time, however, and you will still take damage you're caught in a monster's attack.

Use Vertical Swings

Vertical Axe Swings	・Axe: Rising Slash ・Axe: Dash Slam ・Axe: Backstep Slash ・Savage Axe Slash (slightly angled/diagonal) ・Focus Slash: Double Rend (Savage Axe upswing on successful wound hit) ・Axe: Super Amped Elemental Discharge (SAED) (2nd swing)

Some monsters, especially those that raise their heads/tails, or fly, can be hard to reach with just regular swings. Take note of the Charge Blade's vertical swings above to deal precise hits on a hard-to-reach monster part.

Charge Transition is Faster When Charging Phials

Transitioning out of your Charge move is always the fastest when charging with Sword Energy. If you use Charge without any reserve Sword Energy, you'll be stuck in a vulnerable animation lock for a short time.

Try to keep an eye out if you have Sword Energy for charging or not, since using the Charge move accidentally can prove fatal against an oncoming monster attack.

Control Axe Swing Angles with Focus Mode

Focus Mode is your best friend in guiding the circular motions of your Axe Swings, especially the swings done with AED and SAED. The steering is generous enough that you can do 180 degree turns with the Charge Blade, so make use of it whenever possible!

For more guidance on the distance of your swings, you briefly angle your camera for a top-down view to check and correct your spacing.

Phial Damage is Unaffected by Sharpness

Damage from phial tick explosions is constant and unaffected by sharpness. The frequency that the tick explosions happen, however, is more noticeably less at lower sharpness levels.

Make sure to keep your sharpness level up at all times for its bonus damage multiplier!

Best Savage Axe Rotation

High-Damage Savage Axe Rotation
Element Discharge I + Element Discharge II > / > / > Alternate between the 2 above moves when using Power Axe Mode for maintaining continuous damage with Savage Axe.
Rotation Enders
Axe: Rising Slash / / ・Can infinite combo ・Stationary ・Loops back to Element Discharge combo the fastest ・Ideal for small openings	Axe: Amped Element Discharge (AED) + AED Follow Up > / > / > ・Fast Option ・Phial Charge-Efficient ・Easy to Restart Combo ・Good for moderate openings
Axe: Amped Element Discharge (AED + Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge (SAED) > + / > + / > + ・Strongest Option ・Uses All Phial Charges ・Requires Recharge ・Good for large openings

Start the rotation from top to bottom.

To get the most out of the Savage Axe's damage, you can follow the attack rotation above from top to bottom. A good combo to repeat would be alternating between any of the first 2 Element Discharge attacks repeatedly.

When you are about to end a rotation, one great option would be using one final AED with an AED follow-up if you plan to restart the combo quickly at a later time since it doesn't use up all your phials. If you plan to go all-in (such as against toppled monsters), ending with an SAED is most often the preferred option.

Cancel AED into Elemental Roundslash

You can cancel an Amped Elemental Discharge by pressing R Key/R2/RT during the animation to perform an Elemental Roundslash. The Elemental Roundslash deals decent damage while also executing an Element Boost.

This allows you to remain flexible, whether you commit to the long wind up of the AED or by cancel to get out of harm's way.

Cancel SAED into AED from Guard

You can cancel a Super Amped Elemental Discharge that is followed up from any Guard into an Amped Elemental Discharge by pressing Back + LMB/Triangle/Y before it goes off.

This is incredibly useful if you know you'll whiff the SAED, letting you save Phial charges.

Note: Only SAEDs that come after a Guard, Guard Point, or Perfect Guard can be cancelled. SAEDs from regular combos cannot be cancelled!

Is Charge Blade Good?

Tier List Ranking

Weapon Ranking
Damage Type	Entry Skill Requirement	Difficulty to Master
Sever	High	★★★★☆
Pros and Cons
Charge Blade has High DPS Potential Versatile Thanks to its Modes and Buffs Can Guard and Has Benefits for Guarding Requires Deep Knowledge of Combo Rotations High Mechanical Skill is Required

Entry Skill Requirement pertains to how easy it is to learn the weapon from scratch, while Difficulty to Master is a rating on how difficult it is to perfectly execute the weapon mechanics.

The Charge Blade is currently an A Tier weapon due to its high DPS potential and guarding capabilities. It's a great weapon to have solo and fine one to hold on to also when hunting with others.

Despite the Charge Blade's high damage potential, it is definitely not an easy weapon to pick as much as the Hunting Horn, and weapons like the Long Sword are still capable of delivering lots of damage through simpler means.

Best Weapon Type Tier List

Monster Hunter Wilds Related Guides

All Weapons and Guides

All Weapon Guides

All Weapon Tutorials
Great Sword		Long Sword		Sword & Shield
Dual Blades		Hammer		Hunting Horn
Lance		Gunlance		Switch Axe
Charge Blade		Insect Glaive		Light Bowgun
Heavy Bowgun			Bow

All Weapon Trees

All Weapon Trees
Great Sword		Long Sword		Sword & Shield
Dual Blades		Hammer		Hunting Horn
Lance		Gunlance		Switch Axe
Charge Blade		Insect Glaive		Kinsects
Light Bowgun		Heavy Bowgun		Bow