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Switch Axe

[!NOTE]
Please refer to the MHWI Damage Formula and MHWI General Data Sheet by MoonBunnie & Deathcream for up to date information.

The Switch Axe (SA) morphs freely between Axe and Sword modes. In Axe mode, the player moves faster and has longer reach, while in Sword mode, the SA attacks faster and is able to augument its attacks with its Phial.

Strength & Weakness

Strength Weakness
  • Axe mode attacks have long reach
  • Sword mode uses its installed Phial to enhance attacks
  • Sword mode slashes do not bounce
  • Sword Mode has slow movement speed
  • Requires maintenance of Switch Gauge to use Sword mode

Axe Mode

[[images/sa_axe_mode)

With its long vertical and horizontal reach, Axe Mode enables hitting difficult to reach monster parts. Axe mode attacks also have a large window for making side steps (<<X>>), thus making it easy to reposition between attacks.

While in Axe mode, the Switch Gauge energy slowly regenerates.

Sword Mode and Switch Axe Phials

[[images/sa_sword_mode)

All Switch Axes come with a predetermined Phial. Phials are stored in the Switch Gauge and grants the Switch Axe an unique effect while in Sword mode. There are 6 kinds of Switch Axe Phials:

  • Power Phial: Boosts the Attack power of the weapon.
  • Power Element Phial: Boosts the Attack Power and the natural Elemental/Status attribute of the weapon
  • Dragon Phial: Attacks now deal bonus Dragon elemental damage
  • Poison Phial: Attacks now deal bonus Poison status damage.
  • Paralysis Phial: Attacks now deal bonus Paralysis status damage.
  • Exhaust Phial: Attacks now deals bonus [[Stun/KO and Exhaust|understanding-monster#exhaust]] status damage.

Attacking in Sword mode consumes the Switch Gauge. When the Switch Gauge depletes, the Switch Axe forcibly switches back into Axe mode. In order to use Sword mode again, the Switch Gauge must be filled to a specific threshold. This can be accomplished by letting the Gauge regenerate normally or by manually reloading the Phial to restore some Switch Gauge.

In Sword mode, landing enough attacks will cause the Switch Axe to enter an Amped State. Being in an Amped state increasess the Switch Axe's attack power, and allows the player to perform a Zero-Sum Discharge.

[[images/sa_gauge)

Top to bottom: No Amp, Buidling Amp, In Amped State

[[images/sa_amped)

Amped State

The Switch Axe in Sword mode comes with a natural Mind's Eye effect, so it [[will not bounce even when hitting tough hitzones|understanding-monster#bouncing]].

Combat Tips

  • If there is an opening in a monster's attack onslaught, the player may opt to reload the Switch Gauge Phial manually.
  • Amped Switch Gauge doesn't cancel when morphing back into Axe mode.
  • Axe: Fade Slash and Sword: Downward Fade Slash moves the player backward. These are good tools to position oneself out of harm's way.
  • In Sword mode and Axe mode, after most attacks, the player has a large window to perform sidesteps to reposition.
  • Although Sword mode attacks do not bounce due to its natural Mind's Eye effect, it is still preferable to hit weaker monster Hitzones to maximize damage output.

Movelist: Axe

Mid-air attacks are done in the air, such as after hopping off a ledge, jumping off a vine, or climbing up a wall and jumping off.

Move Button (+Condition) Properties
Morph Standing/Walking > R2 Switch to Sword mode.
If the Switch Gauge is under the threshold for Sword mode, this becomes a Reload instead.
Axe: Morph Slash Mid Combo > R2 Switch to Sword Mode. Becomes a Reload when the Switch Gauge is under the threshold for Sword mode. Perform Sword mode: Overhead Slash.
Combos into:
  • Sword: Right Rising Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Double Slash <<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Reload R2 Reload the Switch Gauge.
Axe: Side Slash Draw Attack > <<T>>
Standing > <<T>>
Combos into:
  • Axe mode: Rising Slash <<T>> or <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>
Axe: Forward Slash Walking > <<T>>/<<C>> Combos into:
  • Axe: Side Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Rising Slash <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>
Axe: Rising Slash Mid-combo > <<T>>+<<C>> Combos into:
  • Axe: Overhead Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash Back+<<C>>
Axe: Overhead Slash Rising Slash > <<T>> Combos into:
  • Axe: Side Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Rising Slash <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>
Axe: Wild Swing Mid-combo > <<C>> Mash <<C>> to do multiple Wild Swings, but doing so will consume stamina.
Combos into:
  • Axe: Overhead Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Sweep (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>
Axe: Fade Slash Mid-combo > Back+<<C>> Combos into:
  • Axe: Side Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
Axe: Morph Sweep Wild Swing > R2 Automatically connects into an Axe: Morph Slash
Axe: Jumping Slash Mid-air > <<T>>
Mid-air Draw Attack > <<T>>
Combos into:
  • Axe: Side Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Forward Slash <<C>>
  • Axe: Rising Slash <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>
Axe: Jumping Morph Slash Mid-air > R2
Mid-air Draw Attack > R2
Perform Sword: Jumping Slash
Jumping off the edge with weapon out Combos into:
  • Axe: Jumping Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Jumping Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Jumping Morph Slash (R2)
Mid-air with weapon sheathed Combos into:
  • Axe: Jumping Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Jumping Morph Slash (R2)
Axe: Jumping Sweep Sliding > <<T>> Combos into:
  • Axe: Side Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Rising Slash <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>

Movelist: Sword

Mid-air attacks are done in the air, such as after hopping off a ledge, jumping off a vine, or climbing up a wall and jumping off.

Move Button (+Condition) Properties
Morph Standing/Walking > R2 Switch to Axe mode. The player will be forced to morph into Axe mode when the Switch Gauge is fully depleted.
Sword: Morph Slash Mid-combo > R2 Switch to Axe mode. Perform Axe: Side Slash.
Combos into:
  • Axe: Rising Slash <<T>> or <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Axe: Wild Swing <<C>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Axe: Fade Slash   Back+<<C>>
Sword: Downward Fade Slash Mid-combo > Back + R2 Switch to Axe mode.
Combos into:
  • Axe: Side Slash <<T>>
  • Axe: Morph Slash (R2)
Sword: Overhead Slash Standing > <<T>>
Draw Attack > R2
Can press forward to move forward while attacking.
Combos into:
  • Sword: Right Rising Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Double Slash <<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Sword: Right Rising Slash Overhead Slash > <<T>> Combos into:
  • Sword: Left Rising Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Double Slash <<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Sword: Left Rising Slash Right Rising Slash > <<T>> Combos into:
  • Sword: Overhead Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Double Slash <<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Sword: Double Slash <<C>> Combos into:
  • Sword: Overhead Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Heavensward Flurry <<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Sword: Heavensward Flurry Double Slash > <<C>> Combos into:
  • Sword: Right Rising Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Sword: Element Discharge Mid-combo > <<T>>+<<C>> If the Switch Gauge is in an Amped State (yellow glow), then it automatically connects into a Zero-Sum Discharge when the first hit lands on a monster.
Mash <<T>> constantly to reach the Element Discharge Finisher.
Combos into:
  • Sword: Element Discharge   Smash <<T>>
  • Sword: Right Rising Slash <<C>>
  • Element Discharge Finisher-Manual   Back+<<T>>
Element Discharge Finisher Maintain Element Discharge
Back + <<T>> to finish the Element Discharge early
Zero Sum Discharge With an Amped Switch Gauge, connect the first hit of a Sword: Element Discharge or the first of a Sword: Jumping Element Discharge Mash <<T>> constantly to eventually reach the Element Discharge Finisher.
This does not count as a mount.
Combos into Zero Sum Discharge   Mash <<T>>
Jumping off the edge with weapon out Combos into:
  • Sword: Jumping Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Jumping Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Jumping Morph Slash (R2)
Sword: Jumping Slash Mid-air > <<T>> Combos into:
  • Sword: Right Rising Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>
  • Sword: Double Slash <<C>>
  • Sword: Morph Slash (R2)
  • Sword: Downward Fade Slash   Back+R2
Sword: Jumping Element Discharge Mid-air > <<T>>+<<C>> Changes into an Element Discharge when the player landed. If the Switch Gauge is in an Amped State (yellow glow), then it automatically connects into a Zero-Sum Discharge when the first hit lands on a monster mid-air.
Sword: Jumping Morph Slash Mid-air > R2 Perform Axe: Jumping Slash
Sword: Jumping Rising Slash Sliding > R2 Combos into:
  • Sword: Jumping Slash <<T>>
  • Sword: Jumping Element Discharge <<T>>+<<C>>

Motion Values

Section has been moved to the database.

Game Version
ver. 15.11
ver. 15.10
ver. 15.02
ver. 15.01
ver. 14.01
ver. 14.00
ver. 13.50
ver. 13.01
ver. 12.11
ver. 11.50
ver. 10.12
ver. 6.04
ver. 6.03
ver. 6.02
ver. 6.01
ver. 6.00
ver. 5.20
ver. 5.11
ver. 5.10
ver. 5.00
ver. 4.00
ver. 3.00
ver. 2.01
ver. 2.00
ver. 1.06
ver. 1.01
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