| Weapons |
| Topics: Weapon Types • Weapon Mechanics • Sharpness • Element • Status
Weapon Types: |
Weapon Overview 
The Long Sword (太刀 Tachi) (weapon class) is a class of weapons available in the Monster Hunter series of games. Originally, Long Swords (also called tachi blades) were Great Swords that resembled katanas. They became an independent weapon class in Monster Hunter 2. Since then, they have become a very popular choice amongst the player base, having comparatively swift attacks, fluid controls, and relatively high damage potential with the addition of the Spirit combo.
Having moderately high attack power combined with mobility means having some drawbacks, however. Since its departure from the Great Sword family, the Long Sword has no ability to guard against attacks by any means, aside from the standard dodge rolls. Thus, the hunter must be aggressive enough to know when and where to attack, while being cautious enough to know when to cease attacks and dodge. The Long Sword has a short delay after most attacks, but balances this with a back-hop/wide swing attack (known officially as the "Fade Slash") which can be performed after any attack, allowing fluidity. The hunter must take some risks, in order to fill up their Spirit Gauge, which, once full, increases damage dealt and enables the sword to unleash a powerful Spirit Combo: a fast combo with 5 attacks that can be extended for up to 7 hits, and can be canceled out or finished at any time with a Fade Slash.
Most Long Swords come with a sheathe. This is purely cosmetic.
The small backwards hop from the Fade Slash
Weapon Traits
Long Swords are very versatile weapons. Their handling is quite different from the Great Sword's, even though they come from the same branch. Hunters will find that one can often upgrade a Great Sword into a Longsword, but almost never vice-versa.
- Long Swords are very fast compared to Great Swords and can land hits much faster.
- Attacks can be chained together very easily. For example, triangle, triangle, circle, triangle is loop-able and helps fill the spirit bar very quickly.
- Long Swords have 2 main branches, Bone and Iron Katana. As per usual, the bone path favors elements and status effects while the Iron path favors raw damage and sharpness, though both have multiple branches.
- Long Swords have the "Spirit Blade" ability, represented as a Spirit Gauge below the Stamina bar. Every time a hit is landed, the Spirit bar fills. The amount filled is based on the power of the attack. Perform a "Spirit Blade Attack" with the R button. Performing a Spirit Attack drains some Spirit from the gauge. The first part of the Spirit Combo can be performed without Spirit, while the 2nd and 3rd swings can only be performed with sufficient Spirit. A full Spirit Combo consumes about half the Spirit Gauge.
- Spirit Attacks can be extended for no additional Spirit cost by pressing triangle after performing a Spirit Attack. This will also help refill the gauge mid-combo to earn back some of the expended Spirit Gauge.
- Spirit Attacks have ESP and do not bounce, regardless of weapon sharpness and monster armor, however, the added attacks in between will bounce normally. The extra reduction to sharpness from bouncing will still apply.
Spirit Bar
Each Spirit Attack has an attached flash of light, for dramatic effect.
The Long Swords most defining trait is the Spirit Gauge. Using it correctly is vital to mastering the weapon. To perform a Spirit Attack, press the R button.
- When the Spirit Gauge is full, the hunter receives a 12% increase to attack power.
- Once the Spirit Gauge is full, it will last 30 seconds while flashing and giving the increased attack effect.
- After 30 seconds without hitting an enemy, the Spirit Gauge will stop flashing and begin to fall, removing the 12% attack increase.
 The Spirit Gauge is located beneath the Weapon Sharpness icon. |
 When filled, the Spirit Gauge will flash red and white, and the border will glow white. |
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- Once the Spirit Gauge starts decreasing, it will take approximately 35 seconds before completely emptying itself.
- Each Spirit attack will slightly deplete the Spirit Gauge but deal extra damage. In addition, Spirit Attacks have auto-ESP and do not bounce, regardless of weapon sharpness and hit location. Please note that ONLY Spirit Attacks gain ESP.
- Pressing triangle or circle after the first and second attacks of Spirit Combo will perform an additional, unboosted attack without interrupting the Spirit Combo.
- The final attack of the Spirit attack combo unleashes 3 consecutive slashes. These 3 hits are all part of a single attack and cannot be interrupted. The only possible follow-up actions after the 3rd attack of a Spirit Combo are the Fade Slash or a dodge roll.
- It is possible to unsheathe directly into a Spirit Combo by pressing triangle and circle simultaneously while sprinting.
Advantages
- Faster movement than a true Great Sword when unsheathed.
- Spirit gauge leads to attacks becoming more powerful.
- Long reach.
- Certain attacks make hunters unflinchable by small attacks.
- Spirit Combo's attacks automatically have ESP - in other words, they never bounce.
Limitations
- KO is impossible without additional tools.
- Requires deft precision with certain monsters where only certain areas are vulnerable, eg the Kirin's horn is its main weak spot.
- Although their unsheathed movement speed is faster than a GS, a Long Sword is still slower than a Sword and Shield, Light Bowgun or Dual Swords, all of which boast the highest mobility. Or even a Hunting Horn that has the buff for increased movement speed.
Game Changes
Additions in MH3
- Spirit Blade attacks consume Spirit if the bar isn't full. If it is full, however, the bar will not decrease.
- The Spirit Combo has an additional attack after performing the usual three attacks, called the Spirit Roundslash. The Spirit Roundslash is a lunging sweep attack with a wide area of effect. The hunter automatically sheathes the weapon after performing a Spirit Roundslash and gains a minor damage boost if the attack connected.
- The Spirit Meter also has different levels of power, starting with the regular level. Each time a Spirit Roundslash hits, the meter is charged up another level. There are three different levels: white (which decreases slowly), yellow (which decreases faster), and red (which decreases most quickly). Each level gives a more powerful attack buff, with red giving the most benefit. When a charge runs out, it will revert to the regular level, and the damage boost with be lost. Landing more Roundslashes with a certain charge will increase it to the next level, and landing one with a red meter will simply refresh the charge.
- The Fade Slash is able to hop to either side, not just backwards. Holding the control stick to the left or the right (with the Classic Controller) or tilting the remote on its side (Wiimote and Nunchuck) when performing a Fade Slash will move the hunter in that direction. The fade slash can only jump left or right if performed as part of a combo.
Changes in MH3Prd
- It should be first noted that the changes to the Long Sword do carry over to Monster Hunter Tri-Ultimate, and also carries over to Monster Hunter 4.
- Spirit Blade attacks now consume spirit regardless of whether or not the bar was full or not, requiring that a hunter will have to refill it or use normal attacks between some Spirit Blade attacks to sustain a high enough Spirit Gauge to complete another Spirit Combo.
- Performing the "Roundslash" at the end of the Spirit Combo will increase the charge level of the Long Sword, from white to yellow to red, no differently than before. However, in Monster Hunter Tri, if a Roundslash wasn't performed quickly enough, time and time again, the Long Sword charge would drop to none, leaving the hunter with no choice but to start all over again. In Portable 3rd and Tri-Ultimate, the Spirit Gauge has been reworked to show more information. Not only is the level of charge clearly displayed around the Spirit Gauge, but also how much time until that charge is lost. Secondly, and more favorably for hunters, when a charge is lost, instead of having to start from scratch, the charge reverts to the previous level (red to yellow and yellow to white before disappearing).
- Due to the changes made, the Long Sword has a more consistent damage than it did in Tri. Not only is it more consistent, but for skilled players, it's relatively easy to stay at a yellow or red charge for an entire hunt, after achieving it of course.
Additions in MH4U
- In MH4U it's possible to do a spirit attack when fade slashing, so fade slash then spirit attack.
- The spirit gauge was changed so that, when a charge of any level elapsed, the long sword would again revert to its normal, colorless damage.
Changes in MHG
- The spirit gauge was changed so that, when a yellow or red charge elapses, it only drops down to the previous level instead of losing all damage increases.
Fifth Generation
- Long Sword retains all moveset from the previous game. Hunter Arts do not return however.
- Like all other weapons, Long Sword now allows dodging to all four directions. Dodging backward mid-combo will have the hunter roll to a safer distance while still maintaining direction faced at the end of the animation.
- Players have access to two new moves that utilizes the Spirit Gauge
- Spirit Thrust have hunters thrust forward with the blade. If the thrust hits a valid target, the hunter will leap into the air and execute a downward slash that does multiple hits akin to Piercing effect. Executing the move cost portion of the spirit gauge and a successful hit will reduce the spirit bar by 1 level.
- Foresight Slash will have players enter a brief stance before launching a horizontal slash. The move gives a window of invulnerability during the stance. This move can be executed without Spirit Gauge cost, doing so however, removes the invulnerability effects. This attack can be chained into the later half of Spirit Combo and consequently, the Spirit Roundslash.
Iceborne
- As with all weapons, Iceborne allows Long Sword users to utilize the Slinger and Clutch Claw tool with weapon drawn. Players can now fire Slinger ammo in the middle of Spirit Combo.
- Players can now enter the Special Sheathe stance which works as a unique mechanic (Spirit button + Evade button). Entering the stance will have the hunter sheathe their blade into the scabbard held in their left hand. The stance will expire if maintained too long.
- Pressing the primary attack button during the stance will execute the Iai Slash, which is a double slash with considerably high damage. Successful hits will buff the Long Sword user with regenerating Spirit Gauge for a brief moment.
- Pressing the special attack button with sufficient Spirit Gauge and Spirit Bar level will execute the Iai Spirit Slash, which is a powerful horizontal slash that gives the single most powerful hit in the weapon's moveset. This attack has a degree of invulnerability frame that can be taken advantage of. Executing this move also reduces the Spirit Bar by 1 level. (Spirit Bar level will still keep if you swing with good timing of foresight monster's attack)
- The Special Sheathe mechanic is affected by skills that tunes Sheathing and Draw Attacks.
Videos
The Monster Hunter Wikia does not take credit for these videos.
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| Title | MHP3rd Katana Movements Controls by MHP3rdFrance |
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| Title | MHP3rd Long Sword Tutorial (MHWikia Edition) by MHWikia |
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| Title | 【MH3】Monster Hunter 3(tri) wii controls 『LongSword』 by AnimeXKai |
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| Title | MHFG Long Sword Tutorial by Pike-The-Ninja |
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| Title | MH4G/MH4U Long Sword Tutorial by gaijin hunter |
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| Title | MH4U Long Sword Tutorial by Arekkz Gaming |
PS2 Controls
In PS2's Monster Hunters Weapon Attack with the Right Pad
Weapon Sheathed
Weapon Unsheathed
Combos
(Up)
Empty Spirit Gauge
Need at least 2/3 Spirit Gauge
Need at least 1/3 Spirit Gauge (Hiting a monster, if you fail the (Up)
PSP Controls
LS will give a long range with frontal stab or slashing attacks
Upward slash
Downward vertical slash
Weapon Sheathed
(While Standing)
Weapon Drawn
= Vertical Slash
= Forward Stab
= Vertical upward slash
+ = Horizontal Slash + Small back Jump
The Horizontal Slash & small back jump can be chained after almost every attack, almost like a finishing attack.
Infinite Combo!
, , , , , ...
R = Spirit Slash attack (Can be used up to 3 times)
R,
NOTE: The Spirit attack can be used 3 times by itself, and the third attack will always be the finishing slash, using 3 slash attacks instead of 1. Also, only the first and second attacks can be chained to an extra attack with the circle button, while the third attack can only be followed by a roll (like all the other attacks) or a Horizontal slash and a small jump back (also just like all the other attacks).
PSP Controls (MHP3)
Weapon Sheathed
Weapon Unsheathed
Dodge Slash
(
Combos
Empty Spirit Gauge R +
Need at least 2/3 Spirit Gauge R + R + R = Spirit combo R + R + R +(
Need at least 1/3 Spirit (Hiting a monster, if you fail the
Edge Increase Power
    |
Need at Least 5/6 Spirit Gauge (Almost Full) R + R + R + R = Spirit combo + Giant Slash