Insect Glaive is a mobile weapon that uses a Kinsect to extract essences from enemies in Monster Hunter Wilds. See all the new moves for the Insect Glaive, its mechanics, controls, best combos, advanced tips, and how good it is!

Insect Glaive Mechanics

Insect Glaive Tips and Tricks
Versatile Weapon with Hybrid Combat Kinsect Explanation Learn the Different Extracts and Effects Perform Offsets with Descending Slash Use Focus Thrust to Acquire All 3 Extracts

Versatile Weapon with Hybrid Combat

The Insect Glaive has a lot of movement options that make it an excellent weapon to use when attacking from both the ground and air. With the return of the aerial combos, you can continuously perform mount attacks in combination with a new charge attack called Descending Slash and can transition into another new move that expends all your extracts.

Kinsect Explanation

This table uses information from the Beta and there may be more Kinsect types in the full-release version.

Kinsects are insect companions that has its own equipment slot in order to help players Extract buffs from monster parts and apply various effects to yourself. They are also capable of damaging monsters, applying healing and status effects, and triggering environmental traps. Each Kinsect is unique in that they all have a different combination of Attack Type, Dust Effect, and stats.

When getting a new Kinsect, make sure to choose the one that best fits your playstyle or the needs of your build and nurture it as your progress. Generally speaking, it's recommended to use fast Kinsects so that they can harvest and deliver extracts to you as soon as possible.

Best Kinsects and All Kinsect Trees

List of Kinsect Bonuses

Learn the Different Extracts and Effects

Another thing to keep in mind are the three user interfaces to understand for the Insect Glaive. Your leftmost interface represents the Extracts that your Kinsect has recently harvested before returning to you. This displays a certain color depending on the monster part you hit your Kinsect with.

The Kinsect Stamina gauge shows how long your Kinsect can stay outside without returning to you and starts recovering once you recall it. Using melee Kinsect Combos also consumes your Kinsect Stamina so make sure to keep an eye on this while you are in Focus Mode.

Lastly, the Buffs that are currently activated will be displayed on the numbered interface. There are Red, White, Orange and Green extract buffs which can be collected from hitting different parts of the monster.

Color Extract Effects in Monster Hunter Wilds

Additionally, while each colour gives different effects individually, extracts can have greater effects depending on the colour combination that you have active.

Perform Offsets with Descending Slash

The Descending Slash move for both ground and aerial is now capable of initiating Offsets whenever you perfectly time it against a monster attack. Use this as often as you can since offset attacks are incredible counterattacks that can provide huge openings for executing big moves.

Keep in mind that you do not have to fully charge Descending Slash in order to initiate an Offset as the first hit of the attack is already capable of starting it.

All Offset Attacks and How to Use

Follow Up with Rising Spiral Slash

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
(Hold and Release) ▼ +

Combo Input
(Hold and Release) ▼ +

Combo Input
(Hold and Release) ▼ +

Rising Spiral Slash is a powerful attack that can only be performed if you've collected all three coloured extracts. Using Rising Spiral Slash will cancel your enhanced state but if it manages to hit the monster, you do a ton of damage and collect extracts depending on the parts you hit.

As a note, this attack counts as an aerial attack, meaning that you can also mount the monster whenever you use this move.

Use Focus Thrust to Acquire All 3 Extracts

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
+

Combo Input
+

Combo Input
+

This new move is used to deal extra damage to a monster's wound. Using this move will also make your Kinsect pierce through the monster to collect Red, White, and Orange extracts.

Keep in mind that this can be performed mid-air which is a great finisher after executing your aerial combos since you will perform a kick back to keep you in a safe distance.

Insect Glaive Controls

Basic Controls

PC

PS5

XBOX

Action
Rising Slash Combo
Wide Sweep
Descending Slash	(Press and Hold) ▼ (Release) Requires Red Extract
Kinsect: Harvest Extract	+
Charge ▼ Empower Kinsect	+ (Hold) ▼ (Release)
Kinsect: Recall	+ While Kinsect is in Flight
Kinsect: Mark Target
Kinsect: Fire	+
Vault ▼ Jumping Advancing Slash / Jumping Slash / Midair Evade	+ ▼ / /
Focus Thrust: Leaping Strike	+

Action
Rising Slash Combo
Wide Sweep
Descending Slash	(Press and Hold) ▼ (Release) Requires Red Extract
Kinsect: Harvest Extract	+
Charge ▼ Empower Kinsect	+ (Hold) ▼ (Release)
Kinsect: Recall	+ While Kinsect is in Flight
Kinsect: Mark Target
Kinsect: Fire	+
Vault ▼ Jumping Advancing Slash / Jumping Slash / Midair Evade	+ ▼ / /
Focus Thrust: Leaping Strikee	+

Action
Rising Slash Combo
Wide Sweep
Descending Slash	(Press and Hold) ▼ (Release) Requires Red Extract
Kinsect: Harvest Extract	+
Charge ▼ Empower Kinsect	+ (Hold) ▼ (Release)
Kinsect: Recall	+ While Kinsect is in Flight
Kinsect: Mark Target
Kinsect: Fire	+
Vault ▼ Jumping Advancing Slash / Jumping Slash / Midair Evade	+ ▼ / /
Focus Thrust: Leaping Strikee	+

Best Insect Glaive Combos

List of Insect Glaive Combos
Kinsect Powerful Combo into Focus Thrust Strong Infinite Ground Combo Midair Helicopter Combo Strong Rising Tornado Slash Combo Kinsect Basic Combo

Kinsect Powerful Combo into Focus Thrust

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
(Hold or Toggle) → → → (Hold and Release) → → Requires Full Extracts

Combo Input
(Hold or Toggle) → → → (Hold and Release) → → Requires Full Extracts

Combo Input
(Hold or Toggle) → → → (Hold and Release) → → Requires Full Extracts

This is the highest damage combo for the Insect Glaive yet requires you to have all 3 Extracts in order to execute it. You can also start charging your Descending Slash as soon as the first hit of your Tornado Slash connects to save time.

The only downside is that you will use up all three extracts with this combo so make sure you have a few wounds you can destroy so your Focus Thrust Leaping Strike can recover all the Extracts you lost.

Strong Infinite Ground Combo

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
(Hold) → → → → (Release) Requires Full Extracts

Combo Input
(Hold) → → → → (Release) Requires Full Extracts

Combo Input
(Hold) → → → → (Release) Requires Full Extracts

A ground combo that can repeat itself infinitely together with the charged Descending Slash, one of your strongest moves. Use this if the monster is knocked down and you want to get some Extracts while still dealing as much damage as you can.

Keep in mind to enable Focus Mode whenever you perform this so you can benefit from the Extracts and the additional damage the Kinsect deals. You can also transition into Rising Spiral Slash, your strongest move, for cases where you have a big opening and can hit all attacks.

Midair Helicopter Combo

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
+ →

Combo Input
+ →

Combo Input
+ →

This is the standard movement combo that helps you close great distances through the air when you have all 3 Extracts. Make use of your vault to reposition sideways and backwards so that you can better position yourself for your Advancing Slash to hit.

It should be noted that this combo is also great for mounting monsters or hitting body parts that are normally difficult to target!

Strong Rising Tornado Slash Combo

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
→ Requires Full Extracts

Combo Input
→ Requires Full Extracts

Combo Input
→ Requires Full Extracts

This combo is the shortest and one of the highest damage you can deal with the Insect Glaive so make sure to use this whenever you can. This combo is recommended whenever you have short openings and is a good setup for your Powerful Combo.

Kinsect Basic Combo

PC

PS5

XBOX

Combo Input
(Hold or Toggle) → → → → → +

Combo Input
(Hold or Toggle) → → → → → +

Combo Input
(Hold or Toggle) → → → → → +

This is a variation of the basic ground combo that you can use against monsters that are either knocked down or are hard to hit while in midair. Although this is not the best combo, it is still ideal to do this combo to collect Extracts in case your ranged Kinsect attacks are missing against fast monsters.

Insect Glaive Advanced Tips

Insect Glaive Advanced Tips and Tricks
Charge Kinsect Fire to Get All Extracts Execute Combos while Charging Enable Focus Mode to Maintain Extracts Proc Dust Effects at Any Range

Charge Your Kinsect Fire to Get All Extracts

The Kinsect: Harvest Extract move can now be charged up to release a Kinsect Boost which executes a spinning shot that can pierce through body parts, allowing you to collect multiple Extracts in a single shot. We recommend using this before you start a fight so you have an easier time aiming your shot against a stationary monster.

Keep in mind that in case you miss your shot, you can always charge your Harvest Extract again to have the Kinsect head for where your crosshair is aiming at.

Execute Combos while Charging Descending Moves

When you at least have a Red Extract, you can start charging your Insect Glaive to perform one of your strongest moves, Descending Slash. You are free to perform other moves while charging such as dodging, vaulting into the air, and executing powerful combos before you unleash Descending Slash.

It is best to keep charging this until you have a good opening to combo into Rising Spiral Slash, your attack with the highest damage for the Insect Glaive.

Enable Focus Mode to Maintain Extracts and More Damage

Entering Focus Mode allows all your moves to extract buffs with your Kinsect depending on the part you hit. This is extremely useful for maintaining your Extracts and is highly recommended over using regular combos as it applies Kinsect damage as well.

Keep in mind that you can change the settings of your Focus Mode controls to toggle so you do not have to keep holding the button down to execute Kinsect combos.

How to Use Focus Mode and Focus Strike

Proc Dust Effects at Any Range

PC

PS5

XBOX

Kinsect: Fire Input
+

Kinsect: Fire Input
+

Kinsect: Fire Input
+

Dust Effects are environmental status ailments that your Kinsect can release in combat. Each effect depends on the Kinsect you have equipped such as Blast, Poison, Paralysis, and Recover. Just make sure to position yourself correctly so that you can hit the Dust Effect and the monster at the same time.

How Good is the Insect Glaive?

Tier List Ranking

Weapon Ranking
Damage Type	Entry Barrier	Difficulty to Master
Sever	High	★★★☆☆
Pros and Cons
Excellent Mobility Great Mounting Potential Aerial Combat Playstyle Kinsect Extract Management Cannot Guard

Entry Barrier 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 Insect Glaive is currently ranked as an S Tier weapon due to the high damage output, easy Offset attacks, and more alternate ways to collect Extracts. Although the difficulty to master this weapon is not that high, it is difficult to learn as you need to collect all Extracts in order to execute your strongest moves such as Descending Slash and Spiral Slash.

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