Best Switch Axe Builds for Iceborne 2023-2024

Want to learn about the best Switch Axe Builds for Monster Hunter World (MHW) Iceborne? Look no further than our best endgame builds for Switch Axe! This build is made on Iceborne's last patch and is a build that is centered around Iceborne's Meta Endgame builds.

Switch Axe Endgame Meta Build

Endgame Fatalis Armor Build

Weapon		Decorations
True Fatalis End		Challenger/Protection Jewel 4 x1 Challenger/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1
Armor		Decorations
Head	Dragonhead Beta +	Attack Jewel+ 4 x2 Tenderizer/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Armor	Dragonhide Beta +	Tenderizer/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Brace/Evasion Jewel 4 x1 Critical/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Vambraces	Escadora Armguards Alpha +	Expert Jewel 1 x1 Protection Jewel 1 x1
Waist	Dragonbarbs Beta +	Earplug/Protection Jewel 4 x1 Critical/Maintenance Jewel 4 x2
Legs	Dragonfeet Beta +	Expert Jewel+ 4 x2 Handicraft/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1
Charm	Challenger Charm V	None

Fatalis Build Skill List

Skills
Attack Boost 7	Critical Eye 7
Agitator 7	Divine Blessing 5
Tool Specialist 5	Weakness Exploit 3
Critical Boost 3	Stun Resistance 3
Power Prolonger 3	Evade Window 3
Earplugs 1	Handicraft 1
Flinch Free 1	Fatalis Legend 4

	A full build Switch Axe with all the handiest skills available. Divine Blessing is added so you can make those ZSD spam plays without much risk and the Power Prolonger is there to extend the buffs from your sword form.

Switch Axe Meta Builds

Sleep Axe Build

Sleep Axe Build	Tool Specialist Agitator Build
Teo-Luna Awakening Build	Safi-Velkhana Awakening Build

Weapon		Decorations
Nyx Smasher II		Enhancer Jewel 2 x1 ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Kaiser Crown Beta +	Enhancer/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Armor	Rex Roar Mail Beta +	Tenderizer/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Attack Jewel 1 x1
Vambraces	Kaiser Vambraces Beta +	Expert Jewel+ 4 x1 Attack Jewel 1 x1
Waist	Kaiser Coil Beta +	Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 Enhancer Jewel 2 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Legs	Garuga Greaves Beta +	Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 Critical Jewel 2 x2
Charm	Tranq Charm IV	None

Sleep Axe Build Skill List

Skills
Critical Eye 7	Attack Boost 4
Sleep Attack 4	Weakness Exploit 3
Power Prolonger 3	Critical Boost 3
Health Boost 3	Blast Attack 2
Flinch Free 1	Latent Power 1
Heat Guard 1	Tool Specialist 1
Teostra Technique 3

	A Switch Axe build featuring the Nyx Smasher for sleep procs. This build can reach 95% affinity when hitting wounded monster parts, which will allow you to deal insane damage with ZSD spams!

Tool Specialist Agitator Build

Sleep Axe Build	Tool Specialist Agitator Build
Teo-Luna Awakening Build	Safi-Velkhana Awakening Build

Weapon		Decorations
Safi's Shatteraxe		Earplug/Medicine Jewel 4 x1 ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Frostfang Helm Beta +	Enhancer/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Enhancer Jewel 2 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Armor	Brachydium Mail Beta +	Enhancer/Medicine Jewel 4 x1 Critical Jewel 2 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Vambraces	Empress Vambraces Beta +	Tenderizer/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Waist	Empress Coil Beta +	Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 Critical Jewel 2 x1
Legs	Brachydium Greaves Beta +	Critical/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x2
Charm	Challenger Charm V	None

Awakened Ability
Sharpness Increase VI	Attack Increase V x3	Lunastra Essence

Tool Specialist Agitator Build Skill List

Skills
Agitator 7	Critical Eye 7
Tool Specialist 5	Health Boost 3
Power Prolonger 3	Weakness Exploit 3
Critical Boost 3	Recovery Up 2
Earplugs 1	Blast Attack 1
Flinch Free 1	Brachydios Will 2
Lunastra Essence	Frostfang Absolute Art 1

	Tool Specialist is one of the best skills in the game and this build utilizes that. Your mantles will have near permanent up time, so keep launching those attacks at the enemy without fear!

Teo-Luna Awakening Build

Sleep Axe Build	Tool Specialist Agitator Build
Teo-Luna Awakening Build	Safi-Velkhana Awakening Build

Weapon		Decorations
Safi's Bindaxe		Earplug/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Empress Crown Beta +	Expert Jewel+ 4 x1 Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Armor	Kaiser Mail Beta +	Expert Jewel+ 4 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Vambraces	Kaiser Vambraces Beta +	Jumping/Expert Jewel 4 x1 Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Waist	Empress Coil Beta +	Charger/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Critical Jewel 2 x1
Legs	Empress Greaves Beta +	Critical/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Critical Jewel 2 x1
Charm	Invigorate Charm III	None

Awakened Ability
Attack Increase VI	Attack Increase V x3	Teostra Essence

Teo-Luna Awakening Build Skill List

Skills
Critical Eye 7	Tool Specialist 5
Health Boost 3	Critical Boost 3
Weakness Exploit 3	Power Prolonger 3
Wide-Range 2	Earplugs 1
Heat Guard 1	Latent Power 1
Focus 1	Evade Extender 1
Lunastra Essence	Teostra Essence

	A 5 piece teo-luna combo featuring the Safi Bindaxe. By awakening the Bindaxe with a Teostra Essence, we can get both the Tool Specialist secret and the Master's Touch Secret. The rest of the skills are standard with some wide-range for co-op support.

Safi-Velkhana Awakening Build

Sleep Axe Build	Tool Specialist Agitator Build
Teo-Luna Awakening Build	Safi-Velkhana Awakening Build

Weapon		Decorations
Safi's Hellaxe		Expert Jewel+ 4 x1 ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Safi Crested Crown Beta +	Expert Jewel+ 4 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x2
Armor	Rimeguard Mail Beta +	Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Vambraces	Safi Crested Vambraces Beta +	Tenderizer/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 Enhancer Jewel 2 x1 Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Waist	Rimeguard Coil Beta +	Enhancer/Maintenance Jewel 4 x1 Maintenance Jewel 1 x1
Legs	Safi Crested Boots Beta +	Enhancer/Vitality Jewel 4 x1 Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1 Blaze Jewel 1 x1
Charm	Blaze Charm V	None

Awakened Ability
Element Up VI	Element Up V x3	Element Phial

Safi-Velkhana Awakening Build Skill List

Skills
Critical Eye 7	Fire Attack 6
Health Boost 3	Critical Boost 3
Weakness Exploit 3	Power Prolonger 3
Quick Sheath 2	Tool Specialist 2
Blight Resistance 1	Evade Window 1
Flinch Free 1	Safi'jiiva Seal 3
Velkhana Divinity 2

	A life-stealing Critical Element build. Particularly useful against enemies they are weak to and is extremely potent when aiming to take down Alatreon (just change your Axe depending on it's starting element)

Switch Axe Progression Build

Early Iceborne Progression Build

Mid-Late Iceborne Build

MHW Related Links

Starter Iceborne Build

Weapon		Decorations
Defender Switch Axe V		--- ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Bazel Helm Beta	Enhancer Jewel 2 x1 Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Armor	Xeno'jiiva Hide Beta	Protection Jewel 1 x2
Vambraces	Death Stench Grip Beta	Steadfast Jewel 1 x2
Waist	Empress Coil Beta	Protection Jewel 1 x2 Steadfast Jewel 1 x1
Legs	Empress Greaves Beta	Charger Jewel 2 x1 Maintenance Jewel 1 x1
Charm	Earplugs Charm III	None

Starter Iceborne Skill List

Skills
Earplugs 5	Power Prolonger 3
Health Boost 3	Focus 3
Tool Specialist 3	Divine Blessing 3
Stun Resistance 3	Lunastra Favor

	A more defensive endgame build from MHW, it allows you to use those Elemental Discharges and ZSD without much risk. Focus also helps charge up your weapon which makes keeping the offensive easy.

Early Iceborne Progression Build

Weapon		Decorations
Gnashing Flammenbeil+		--- ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Jagras Helm Alpha +	Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Armor	Bone Mail Alpha +	Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Vambraces	Alloy Vambraces Alpha +	Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Waist	Lumu Coil Alpha +	Vitality Jewel 1 x2
Legs	Alloy Greaves Alpha +	Handicraft Jewel 3 x1
Charm	Handicraft Charm III	None

Early Iceborne Skill List

Skills
Attack Boost 4	Speed Eating 2
Health Boost 3	Defense Boost 2
Speed Sharpening 3	Divine Blessing 2
Windproof 2	Weakness Exploit 3
Handicraft 4

	Affinity isn't the game for this Switch Axe build, it relies on raw damage to deal damage which isn't too bad considering the high elemental damage the Gnashin Flammenbeil provides. It also has an elemental phial which can destroy the majority of the hoarfrost monsters in the game.

Mid-Late Iceborne Progression Build

Weapon		Decorations
Rex Raider II		Expert Jewel 1 x1 ---
Armor		Decorations
Head	Lumu Phantasm Hood Alpha +	Vitality Jewel 1 x1 Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Armor	Rathalos Mail Alpha +	Vitality Jewel 1 x1 Fungiform Jewel 1 x1
Vambraces	Glavenus Braces Alpha +	Expert Jewel 1 x1
Waist	Dober Coil Alpha +	Elementless Jewel 2 x1 Expert Jewel 1 x1
Legs	Dober Greaves Alpha +	Mighty Jewel 2 x1
Charm	Attack Charm III	None

Mid-Late Iceborne Progression Build Skill List

Skills
Attack Boost 7	Weakness Exploit 3
Maximum Might 3	Critical Eye 2
Health Boost 3	Mushroomancer 3
Non-elemental Boost	Focus 1
Wide-Range 1	Stun Resistance 2

	As a non-stamina heavy weapon, we slotted in a Maximum Might skill together with a max attack skill and non-elemental boost for high damage. Beware as this loadout doesn't have a max stun resist skill so beware when taking those monster hits.

Best Switch Axe Weapons and Skills

Best Weapons for Switch Axe

Weapon	Explanation
True Fatalis End [Atk] 1225 | [Affinity] -20%	・Has the highest attack damage and two 4-slots
Chrome Machina III [Atk] 945 | [Affinity] 0%	・Easy to craft ・Damage can be increased by unlocking Free Elem/Ammo Up skill
Golden Crescent [Atk] 1015 | [Affinity] 15%	・Has a 15% affinity ・Works well with Master's Touch
Nyx Smasher II [Atk] 840 | [Affinity] 0%	・High Sleep Element of 450 ・Extremely useful in the Guiding Lands

Best Skills for Switch Axe

Skill	Explanation
Health Boost ( ★★★ )	Increases maximum health to increase your survival rate A must have for beginners
Alatreon Divinity ( ★★★ )	Equipped weapon's elemental power increases as your armor's elemental resistance increases
Weakness Exploit ( ★★★ )	Significantly increases your attack by targeting weakpoints
Critical Eye ( ★★★ )	Increases your Affinity
Power Prolonger ( ★★★ )	Allows your weapon to stay powered up longer
Tool Specialist ( ★★★ )	Reduces the recharge time for specialized tools.
Divine Blessing ( ★★★ )	Significantly reduces the damage you take
Lunastra Essence ( ★★ )	Raises the maximum level of the Tool Specialist skill
Focus ( ★★ )	Increases gauge fill rate and reduces charge times
Evade Window ( ★★ )	Increases invulnerability window when evading
Evade Extender ( ★★ )	Increases the distance traveled when evading

Best Skills for Switch Axes

MHW Related Links

Best Builds

Best Endgame Builds and Weapon Progression Builds

Best Builds Per Weapons

Melee Weapons
Long Swords	Great Swords	Sword and Shield	Dual Blades
Hammer	Hunting Horn	Lance	Gunlance
Switch Axe	Charge Blade	Insect Glaive

Ranged Weapons
Bow	Light Bowgun
Heavy Bowgun

Best Counter Builds

Monster Counterbuilds
Fatalis	Alatreon