switch axe SA discussion

The Amatsu SA also uses a power phial, and it's got long blue with S+1. But you're right the Jinogua SA does a fraction more damage.

Whether the Burst attack does more damage than 2LBB+ depends on what you're hitting. 2 LBB+ has fixed damage, whereas a monster's cutting damage weakpoints vary. It won't often outdamage 2 LBB+.

quote zAnGetsUtAtz

Since we're in the topic of SwitchAxes, anyone tried Doboru's axe? It has a fatigue coating so I'm guessing you'll be able to tire out a monster with constant hitting (sword mode)...

Can anyone confirm if this easily tires out the monsters or just for show?

I got dobo axe when I started this topic. I tested it against jin's axe on 2 dobo quest. It is tired out the dobo just a little more than jin axe, but not much. It have 10 more raw than jin axe, but jin axe still beat the quest about 5 min faster. 25% of 225 raw is 56 more raw = 281 raw total with long white sharpness forever, it just out perform everything else. When jin axe do more damage, the monster get tired anyway, so fatigue did not benifit over power coating by much (in term of tired out the monster), IMO.

Here are the list of skills that I think best for axe. This is only my opinion, so welcome to debate. I list inn order from best to worse.

1. Sharpness +1 (handicraft). Most of axe sharpness go from tiny blue to big white sharpness. (except for Amatsu SA).
2. High Grade Earplug. This skill seem like defense skill, but actually it is one of the best offense skill due to free hits while monster scream. And axe do alot of damage, so they scream alot.
3. Focus (fast charge) skill to charge spirit bar faster. Able to use sword mode longer.
4. Sharpner skill is a must if you get only 5 slots left. But since the sharpness for axe last long enough. I downgrade it to the same level as stinger, awaken, RA, Attack up, and all element attk up.

5. Evade+, evade distance and other skills are not interest me. With all the skills above. I don't think, I have slots for anything else.

I know someone will argue about stigger skill here, but I think Maze was over value this skill. 2 bad things I see about stiger skill. 1st you have to hit the weak point, which is not likely with axe (I could say that I go for the leg most of the time). 2nd, if you are good and you nailed weak point all the time. The damage is 50% affinity, which is 12.5% raw damage. And remember 12.5% is the max, and impossible to hit weak point all the time.

By the way, aletreon's SA with big white sharpness and silver sol set seem pretty good right? I'm telling you, jin's SA with jhen or amatsu armor will outperformance this set on any monsters. Silver sol set is not the best for axe (maybe for other weapon types).

quote firestorm79

Young love here. New to switch axe and am loving it. Just had a few questions

1. I never hear boost coating, but I think you meant power coating. It increase your raw 25%. Best choice for axe.

2. Infinity combo, I assume you mean fast swing attk with circle butt that consuming stamina. I didn't use HP display lately, so I don't really know how much damage it does, but I believe it 2nd choice after the burst attk. Use this attk if you don't have enough charge bar to do burst attk. (Use it when the monster fall down, and your charge bar is empty).

3. I don't know how to make it shorter burst attk either, when I activate this attk, I just tap triangle butt like crazy, then take a hit from monster if I can't get out on time. lol. If I missed the target, then tap X butt like crazy to get out burst mode (not sure if there is better way to stop burst attk).

4. Charge bar work like this: (I ussually called spirit bar, but I use charge bar so you can understand better)

you cannot get in sword mode if less than half bar. You can reload the bar by presing R from axe mode, or R+circle+triangle from unsheath. You cannot reload, when the bar is more than half.

If you already in sword mode, you can use it all the way to empty, then auto switch to axe mode only when completely empty.

5. The charge bar increase slowly when you are not in sword mode (either unsheath, or in axe mode). When you in sword mode, the charge bar will not increase when unuse, and decrease when you swing.

Focus is very usefull for axe, it makes charge bar increase faster. Nothing to do with burst attk, or any attk. Just increase the charge bar faster when you run around or in axe mode.

Warning to new axe user, watch out for your charge bar if you use sword mode alot. If the charge bar below half and you try sword mode from usheath, you end up reload the bar in front of the monster. And guess what coming to your face?

High Grade Earplug? For me I rather use Evasion+2 cause it can avoid the shouts + evading most of the attacks...But, if you can't time the evade than HGE will do, too.

firestorm79: boost coating boosts your element!

quote Xtreme

High Grade Earplug? For me I rather use Evasion+2 cause it can avoid the shouts + evading most of the attacks...But, if you can't time the evade than HGE will do, too.

2 bad things about evasion+2. First, when you roll out the roar, you will miss out at least half of the chances to attk the monster due to concentrate on the roll. 2nd, alot of time, when you attk the monsters. They scream when in pain, so you can't roll away due to sudden roar. And HGE is the best in this situation because you are right there, and just continue spam in attacks while it roar.

To me, evasion+2 is more of the defense, and HGE is more for increasing attack, good for spam.

quote Psycho5050

upswing and downswing are the strongest attacks

downswing do about the same damage as sword mode with power coating, but slower attk and have to use upswing to chain the combo. Upswing slightly weaker than sword mode swing. So sword mode swing without power coating do about the same damage with axe upswing and downswing combo. Also, I believe the big monster with hard skin like ukanlos, ukantor.... are more sensitive to axe mode. (jhen also had hard skin but you had time to do burst attack, so sword mode superior on him).

quote Psycho5050

-in Sword mode: Triangle and Circle at the same time. Keep pressing triangle until it forces you in axe mode. Circle is to Cancel. You can repeat the phial burst right after in order to do major damage. (Triple Phial Burst)

Cool, I just learn something. I knew I missing this information. I will try the triple burst on jhen back to see if axe is most powerful weapon in 3rd. So far, I test hammer, axe and DS. DS is weakess and hammer is slightly stronger than axe. I have not test LS, lance, or gunlance. Are they worth to test out?

You can do a short charge burst by holding down and pressing triangle after pushing triangle and circle(in sword mode of course). Or you can push triangle and circle, and mash triangle for a few seconds and it will go off on its own. While mashing triangle you can also push down and it'll go off sooner.