Contents 1 Weapon Overview 2 Weapon Traits 3 Advantages 4 Disadvantages 4.1 Changes from MH1 to MH2 to MH3, MHP3rd, and MHFO 5 Videos 6 Movements on Detail 6.1 Weapon Sheathed 6.2 Weapon Drawn 7 See also

Weapon Overview

Hunter's Sword and Shield focus on using a wide variety of elemental swords to cause considerable damage.

The sword and shield class is the first type of weapon that hunters use the Monster Hunter series. Also known as the SnS, this type of weapon uses speed and agility to inflict long combinations of status-inflicting attacks quickly. A hunter is able to perform a rolling dodge and is able run normally with the weapon drawn, and is able to suppress weak attacks with the shield while blocking. The hunter can also use an item while the sword is drawn. While the fastest and most agile kind of weapon, swords and shields typically have very weak raw damage. To compensate for this, SnSs attack quickly and many of the weapons in this category are imbued with powerful elemental properties or cause Poison, Sleep or Paralysis. This makes them the best melee weapon to induce Status Effects.

Table of Contents: Damage Formula, Traits, Videos, Movements, Links

Weapon Traits

Sword and Shields have some of the lowest average damage levels, but are extremely capable at a variety of other aspects, such as inflicting status ailments.

• Sword and Shields often seem sharper than other weapons with the same color level of Sharpness. For example, if you attack a Kirin with Green Sharpness, your weapon will generally bounce less than other type of weapons.

• SnS weapons are among the most balanced weapons available in the series, providing decent raw (and usually elemental) power combined with amazing mobility and agility plus defensive capabilities.

• Sword and Shield has the widest variety of elemental weapons. At the same time, most SnS-type weapons have an elemental damage imbued.

• It has incredibly speedy attacks, capable of quick hit-and-runs and being able to perform a dodging roll anytime it is required.

• While blocking incoming attacks is possible with the Sword and Shield, it is not as effective as blocking with other weapons such as the Lance. The user is most likely to be broken off from the blocking stance when attempting to block heavier attacks.

• SnS users can use items with the weapon out, just by holding the "R" button and then using the item, without having to sheath the weapon like all the other weapon types.

• If you stand still and press "R" and Triangle, you will quickly draw out your SnS and into a defensive stance, instead of the normal unsheathing attack.

• The Sword and Shield's longest combo is Jump Slice then 5 hit combo then circle.

Advantages

• Speedy attacks
• Guard ability
• Great elemental potential
• Able to use items while guarding
• Often sharper than other weapon types that have the same level of sharpness.

Disadvantages

• Has overall unimpressive sharpness
• Guard isn't as good as some other weapons
• Poor damage done in a single hit(Although its speed makes up for it)

Changes from MH1 to MH2 to MH3, MHP3rd, and MHFO

Back in the original Monster Hunter, the Sword and Shield weapon type was generally weak; it bounced more than any other weapon and the attack was so weak that every Wyvern would be a decent challenge.

However, in and after MH2, the SnS was changed: not only does the sharpness last longer but you can also use items while it's drawn. The SnS is largely regarded as the most balanced weapon in the game. It can cut through the sturdy Gravios skin with only green Sharpness and rarely ever bounces off any monster's shell. It also gained a new attack: by pressing "R," you can perform the second strike from the leap combo.

In Monster Hunter 3, many changes took place, but most notably the hunter can bash the monster with his/her shield, to perform an impact damage attack that can KO a monster, although it is not a very strong attack and still causes sharpness loss. Also a side slash attack was added, as an alternative to the spinning slash as a finisher.

Monster Hunter Frontier greatly entices the player to use the SnS by gifting it a range of new moves, ranging from a devastating explosive slash, to the all new uppercut leap slice capable of delivering full damage to a high up area, and if the SnS was not lightweight enough between slashes the hunter may make a quick dash to correct him/herself if say the Monster has turned away.

In Monster Hunter Frontier, you can use the jump attack with a mouse scroll, standard slash combos with left click, "Q" for blocking, and right click for round slash.

No great changes were made to the Sword and Shield between MH3 and MHP3rd, but they seem to be capable of inflicting slightly more damage than before.

Videos

The Monster Hunter Wikia does not take credit for these videos.

Movements on Detail

Weapon Sheathed

 = Draw Weapon



 + R = QuickDraw Weapon, Defense stance



Moving +  = Jumping Slash


Moving +  +  = Defensive Stance

 = Roll \ CC (Any combo but CF B and CF C)

Weapon Drawn

 = Vertical attack (Can chain up to 5 hits)

 = Horizontal attack (Can be linked after a Vertical one)

 +   = Jumping Slash (Can link Vertical or Horizontal attackl after)

R = Defense

R +  = Vertical Upward attack from defense stance.

R +   = Horizontal attack from defense stance.

 = Roll front

 + Direction = Roll to the desired direction (Can be done after a jumping slash or a chained combo)
                 longest combo=  + , , , , , , 

Hint: If you do a roll instead of pressing  during the long Combo above you can go right on with.
      pressing  5 times and again  over and over again and make it an infinite chain.

See also

• Weapon Types
• Weapon Mechanics
• Sword (file)
• Sword and Shield Weapon Paths
• List of Sword and Shield Weapons
• Weapons Portal