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
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Simple to use, easy controls
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Can use items without having to sheathe the weapon
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Fast attack speed and highly mobile
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Great for inflicting status
Cons -
Low raw power
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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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