Sunbreak Charge Blade Guide: Combos, Controls and Moveset | Monster Hunter Rise｜Game8 (2024)

This is a guide to the Charge Blade, a weapon in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (MH Rise). Read on to learn about new Charge Blade controls and combos, how to elementally boost the Shield and the Sword, how to use the Savage Axe-like Switch Skill, as well as details on other Charge Blade Switch Skills.

All Charge Blade Guides
	How to Use	Best Builds

Charge Blade Balance Changes

Update 10.0

Charge Blade received some buffs across the board and the update fixed the weird SAED hitzone that caused pain to all Charge Blade users in base Rise. It also boosted the power of Elemental Phials, making them more viable than ever.

Besides Ready Stance, which gives Charge Blade user a really huge guard-counter opening, all the additional Switch Skills in the Sunbreak expansion proved to be lacking and so there isn't much change for this weapon - gameplay-wise.

Weapon Changes in Sunbreak

Charge Blade New Sunbreak Attacks and Moves

Official Charge Blade Preview Video

Silkbind Attack: Ready Stance

This Silkbind Attack binds the axe and sword together. When hit by an attack while in this stance, it lowers your guard reaction, allowing you to easily chain sword and axe attacks. This is also one of the few ways to guard in Axe mode.

You can chain an attack even without blocking anything. The type of attack you can execute after the guard depends on the input and the amount of knockback taken. Guarding against a heavy knockback attack can be followed up with an Amped Element Discharge.

Switch Skill: Phial Follow-up: Firing Pin

Unlike the regular Phial Follow-up, this Switch Skill has the elemental energy build up on the target instead of in your weapon. This means less elemental energy is generated for your phials. You can apply multiple lumps of elemental energy on monsters with an Element Boosted Sword or with a Shield Thrust using an Element Boosted Shield.

You can detonate the built-up energy in Axe Mode, and doing so will extend the duration of the Elemental Boost.

Silkbind Attack: Air Dash

This Silkbind attack provides Hunters with quick aerial maneuvers that can be used to be aggressive or defensive. It can be followed up with a Jumping Slash or Phial Explosion, both giving advantages in different situations.

Monster Hunter Rise: SunbreakRelease Date and New Monsters

How Good is the Charge Blade?

Tier List Ranking

MHRise Ranking	→	Sunbreak Ranking
(S - A - B) 3 Level Tier		(SS - S - A) 3 Level Tier

The changes with Charge Blade in Sunbreak offered great alternative playstyles for this really technical weapon. The new switch skills and the addition of the Burst armor skill made playing the Condensed Spinning Slash playstyle as viable as the Elemental Discharge playstyle - giving the Charge Blade more flexibility. Elemental damage is also great with the Charge Blade when using SAEDs, but requires proper knowledge of positioning to avoid missing often.

Weapon Tier List

Charge Blade Strengths

Element Discharges Are Very Powerful

The Charge Blade's power is all on the element discharges. The phials can also vary between an Impact or Element Phial, each with different uses. The Charge Blade is very flexible!

Easy Switch Between Sword and Axe

In Sword Mode, the hunter has good mobility and can guard with a shield. In Axe Mode, the hunter has poor mobility but greater damage. Charge Blade users can easily switch between the two!

Guard Points Between Attacks

Charge Blades have guard frames called Guard Points. When a monster hits you during a Guard Point, you can immediately execute an Element Discharge!

Can Stun Using Impact Phials

Using Charge Blades with Impact Phials is a good way to stun monsters, as long as you are hitting them on the head.

Charge Blade Weaknesses

Most Complicated Weapon in the Game

This weapon is the most complicated in the game. There are a lot of technicalities to this weapon, so it is not beginner-friendly. A deep understanding of the underlying mechanics is required!

Long Attack Animations

The Charge Blade has very long attack animations that are sometimes difficult to time. For example, Super Amped Elemental Discharges / Ultra Element Discharges have a long wind-up animation before hitting the monster!

Charge Blade Controls

Sword Controls

Axe Controls

Useful Combos

Sword: Basic Combo
Sword: Forward Slash	Sword: Return Stroke	Sword: Spinning Slash
+ X + A	X	X
+ Left Click + Right Click	Left Click	Left Click
+ Triangle + Circle	Triangle	Triangle
+ Y + B	Y	Y

Elemental Roundslash Combo (Power Mode requires more than 1 phial)
Sword: Charged Double Slash	Sword: Shield Thrust	Axe: Amped Element Discharge	Axe: Element Boost Spinning Slash
Hold A	+ X + A	+ X + A	zR
Hold Right Click	+ Left Click + Right Click	+ Left Click + Right Click	MB4
Hold Circle	+ Triangle + Circle	+ Triangle + Circle	R2
Hold B	+ Y + B	+ Y + B	RT

Sword: Sword Mode-boosting Combo (During Elemental Boost Only)
Sword: Charged Double Slash	Charge	Sword: Condensed Element Slash
Hold A	+ zR + A	While charging, hold X
Hold Right Click	+ MB4 + Right Click	While charging, hold Left Click
Hold Circle	+ R2 + Circle	While charging, hold Triangle
Hold B	+ RT + B	While charging, hold Y

Axe: Combo into Amped Element Discharge
Axe: Dash Slam	Axe: Element Discharge II	Axe: Amped Element Discharge
+ Left Stick + X	A	A
+ Directional Button + Left Click	Right Click	Right Click
+ Left Stick + Triangle	Circle	Circle
+ Left Stick + Y	B	B

Axe: Combos from Axe Mode into Element Discharge
Axe: Rising Slash	Axe: Element Discharge II	Axe: Rising Slash	Axe: Element Discharge II
X	A	X	A
Left Click	Right Click	Left Click	Right Click
Triangle	Circle	Triangle	Circle
Y	B	Y	B

Charge Blade Silkbind Attacks

Morphing Advance

Morphing Advance is a Silkbind Attack where the hunter will dash in the input direction while morphing into Axe Mode. While dashing, your hunter will have knockback protection, so use this to close the gap between you and the monster efficiently! This uses one Wirebug and has fast Wirebug recovery speed.

You can follow up the Morphing Advance with a Spinning Slash, changing it back to Sword Mode. You can also perform an Axe: Element Discharge II to stay in Axe Mode or unleash an Amped Element Discharge.

Counter Peak Performance

This Silkbind Attack holds your hunter to the ground with threads. When hit by an attack, the Charge Blade phials will automatically be fully charged. You can even follow up by elementally boosting your sword with a Condensed Element Slash or finishing with an Amped Element Discharge! This costs one Wirebug to use and has medium Wirebug recovery speed.

Axe Hopper

This Silkbind Attack can be switched out with Counter Peak Performance and Ready Stance. It uses one Wirebug and has a medium Wirebug recovery speed.

The axe is raised overhead and then slammed down, launching the hunter into the air. The hunter can also attack while airborne with a Midair Element Discharge Slash with A or Right Click or an Ultra Element Discharge with X + A or Left Click + Right Click.

Ready Stance

This Silkbind Attack binds the axe and sword together to act as a powerful guard. When hit by an attack while in this stance, it lowers your guard reaction, allowing you to easily chain sword and axe attacks. It's also a way to guard while in Axe mode while remaining in Axe mode, making it suitable for Savage Axe users. It costs one Wirebug and has fast Wirebug recovery.

You can still follow up with an attack even if you don't block anything, and it will be treated as if you took minor knockback. The following are the moves you can follow up with after guarding:

Air Dash

This Silkbind attack provides Hunters with quick aerial maneuvers that can be used to be aggressive or defensive. It can be followed up with a Jumping Slash or Phial Explosion, both giving advantages in different situations.

Charge Blade Switch Skills and Best Setup

Switch Skills are unlocked with different conditions as you progress in the game. Base game MHRise provides Hunters with three (3) slots of Switch Skills, with the Sunbreak expansion adding two (2) more.

Note: Skills in red are exclusive to the Sunbreak expansion.

Switch Skills Guide: How to Unlock Switch Skills

Condensed Spinning Slash

To activated the Condensed Spinning Slash (CSS) or Savage Axe, charge your weapon and hold the attack button until the shield starts spinning. Once the Charge Blade shield is spinning, it can be released and swung onto an enemy. Hold the attack button whenever it hits the enemy to deal multiple hits. Good timing and positioning is crucial for this move so take note!

If you're not planning to use SAEDs often, this Switch Skill should be used immediately after acquiring it. This allows you to charge your phials while in Axe Mode! It greatly helps in maintaining phial charges while also dealing high damage in Axe Mode.

Counter Morph Slash

This Switch Skill lengthens the Morphing Guard Point for the Charge Blade. If you're used to utilizing that specific Guard Point, we suggest getting this Switch Skill. If not, stick to Morph Slash because Counter Morph Slash can hinder the fast and fluid morphing combos of the Charge Blade.

Axe Hopper

Axe Hopper can give instant access to Super Amped Elemental Discharge (SAED). Though this is a very easy way to execute SAED, we don't recommend using this because the capability of Counter Peak Performance to charge your phials after blocking an attack is too good.

The DPS from this is not worth it compared to the sheer utility offered by Counter Peak Performance.

Phial Follow-up: Firing Pin

Leaves a 'firing pin' on the monster that you need to hit at a later time to unlease huge damage. Consider using this Switch Skill if using SAEDs often as this is a source of additional damage.

Air Dash

This Silkbind attack provides Hunters with quick aerial maneuvers that can be used to be aggressive or defensive. It can be followed up with a Jumping Slash or Phial Explosion, both giving advantages in different situations.

Ready Stance

This Silkbind attack puts the Hunter in a guarding position that will enable them to take on attacks with lower reaction time. Depending on the knockback, it can be chained with multiple attacks as well! Equip this Switch Skill if you're using the Condensed Spinning Slash, as it's the only way the guard in Axe Mode while retaining the boost.

Charge Blade Attacks and Moves

Sword: Weak Slash

A stationary slash attack that does not move the hunter. The very basic starting point for many combos.

Sword: Forward Slash

An advancing slash move while in Sword Mode. Useful when you need to close the gap between you and the monster. Forward Slash also functions as the sword draw attack.

Sword: Fade Slash

This move can help with positioning by allowing you to move quickly after an attack. You can use it to line up your Amped Element Discharges. It has a Guard Point at the end as well.

Sword: Charged Double Slash

A charged move that does two slashes when released at the right time. This is the most effective way to get phial charges. Failing to get the timing right will do a single-hit weaker Charged Rising Slash that doesn't charge the phials as much.

Axe: Smash

This move acts as the axe draw attack, allowing you to use axe attacks without having to morph from Sword Mode first.

Axe: Rising Slash

A move in Axe Mode that swings the axe upward, hitting anything high above. Useful against flying monsters like Rathalos or monsters with an elevated head like Anjanath.

Axe: Element Discharge

This move consumes one charged phial to imbue this swing of the axe with phial-boosted capabilities. Element Discharge I swings around once while Element Discharge II has two swings and a longer motion, so it's best to use the latter when there's an opening.

Elemental Boost

In Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise), you can execute an Elemental Boost to put charged phials to your sword, boost the damage of your axe attacks, and improve your shield's guard capacity.

Elementally Boosting the Shield

Switch Controls	After a Shield Thrust or Cancelling Amped Element Discharge, zR
PC Controls	After a Shield Thrust or Cancelling Amped Element Discharge, MB4
PlayStation Controls	After a Shield Thrust or Cancelling Amped Element Discharge, R2
Xbox Controls	After a Shield Thrust or Cancelling Amped Element Discharge, RT

Elementally boosting the shield gives you stronger axe attacks and can be done by cancelling the Amped Element Discharge animation with the Guard button. In addition, the boosted shield improves guarding ability and triggers small explosions when blocking attacks.

Having the Elemental Boost active also changes the Amped Element Discharge to the Super Amped Elemental Discharge (also known as the Ultra Element Discharge).

Elementally Boosting the Sword

Take note: to do this attack, your shield must be elementally boosted, and Condensed Element Slash must be chosen as a Switch Skill. Elementally boosting the sword gives all its attacks the phial properties and prevents deflection.

Axe: Amped Element Discharge

A very powerful move capable of hitting multiple times and depending on the phial type, can stun or deal more damage against monsters.

Axe: Super Amped Elemental Discharge /
Axe: Ultra Element Discharge

When the Charge Blade's Shield is elementally boosted, the Amped Element Discharge will convert to Super Amped Elemental Discharge (SAED), also known as Ultra Element Discharge (UED), which uses all of the phials stored. You'll know that the Super Amped Elemental Discharge is executed when the camera pans out and your hunter swings the axe in a huge circle.

You can cancel this into a normal Amped Element Discharge by inputting ↓ + X / S + Left Click / ↓ + Triangle / ↓ + Y at the start of the SAED motion. This is usually used to conserve phials when the monster's opening is not that huge.

Morph Slashes

Sword: Morph Slash

While in Sword Mode, make sure to charge your phials to unleash devastating Element Discharges against enemies. You can chain any of the other axe attacks after morphing, including the Amped Element Discharge.

Axe: Morph Slash

Your Axe Mode is your battle mode, but it leaves you extremely vulnerable. Unleash all your damage, then quickly morph back to Sword Mode to regain mobility and guarding capabilities. This attack can be chained from most axe moves.

Guard Points

Guard Points refer to the guard that automatically blocks monster attacks when they attack you during specific periods of certain attacks, usually when your shield is directly in front of an attack. Note that this consumes the weapon's sharpness.

If your shield is charged, it will deal some phial or stun damage when successfully pulled off. You can even follow up with a Super Amped Elemental Discharge!

Recommended Combos for the Charge Blade

Red Phial Collection Combo

With this combo, you can go straight to the red phials from uncharged phials. Once you've done this, you can go straight to Amped Element Discharge or Super Amped Elemental Discharge if your shield is elementally boosted.

Super Amped Elemental Discharge from Sword & Shield Mode

With this combo, you can go into the Super Amped Elemental Discharge (SAED) from the Sword & Shield Mode. It takes a long time to set up, so make sure you do this when the monster is down.

Element Discharge Loop Combo

You can use this combo when you want to hit the head to inflict phial damage. For impact phials, you can chain stuns as well, so you can do this while a monster is down to prolong its downtime.

The Savage Axe Loop Combo

This combo utilizes the Savage Axe-like Switch Skill, Condensed Spinning Slash. If Savage Axe was your go-to Charge Blade move back in Monster Hunter World (MHW), then you'll see how great it looks in MH Rise. Condensed Spinning Slash attacks an area multiple times, realeasing a phial at the end, so when you're using an Impact Phial Charge Blade, stunning the monster is very likely.

Also, feel free to use this beside your allies because this does not throw them airborne!

Tips on How to Use the Charge Blade

Counterattack using Counter Peak Performance

The addition of the Counter Peak Performance gives the Charge Blade counterattack capabilities (besides the Guard Points). Use this Silkbind Attack when able because it can be chained into an Amped or Ultra Element Discharge!

Charge Phials in Sword Mode, Discharge in Axe Mode

Phials make Charge Blades a force to be reckoned with. Always take time to collect and charge phials during Sword Mode and discharge them in Axe Mode. This is the basic gameplay loop for the Charge Blade!

Overcharging Can Cause Swords to Bounce-Off

Whenever you attack with the Charge Blade in Sword Mode, you accumulate Sword Energy. These can then be charged into your phials and then transferred to your shield. If you charge with the Sword too much, your attacks will bounce off. Always charge the phials using depending on the number of phials you need.

Phial Charge Accumulation Colors

These are the different colors of the phials when your Charge Blade is building up energy. Do not let it reach the overcharged state because your attacks will bounce off.

	No Charge
	3 Phials (5 with Load Shells)
	5 Phials
	Overcharged

Transfer the Charge from the Blade to the Shield for Bonuses

When your phials are fully charged, take time to transfer the charges from the sword to the shield to elementally boost it. When your shield is charged, it improves the attack power of your axe attacks and your guarding!

In addition, when your shield is charged, you gain access to the Super Amped Elemental Discharge (SAED) which dishes out tons of damage!

Understand Phial Playstyles

The Charge Blade has two types of phials — Element and Impact, each with different ways of playing optimally. Element Phials are ideally centered around spamming SAEDs to maximize damage, so knowing how to fire these off quickly is important.

Impact Phials are more effective when they can stun monsters and focus on weakpoints, so a playstyle using the Condensed Spinning Slash and Ready Stance is best used with these.

Changes from MHW: Iceborne

Savage Axe is Now in the Condensed Spinning Slash Switch Skill

The Condensed Spinning Slash Switch Skill has the animation and movements of Savage Axe in MHW: Iceborne. You can charge phials while in Axe Mode with this Switch Skill, so if you liked using the Savage Axe in World, then you'll use this one all the time!

Monster Hunter Rise (MHRise) Related Guides

Melee Weapon Guides

Melee Weapons
Great Sword Guide | Weapon Tree	Long Sword Guide | Weapon Tree	Sword and Shield Guide | Weapon Tree
Dual Blades Guide | Weapon Tree	Lance Guide | Weapon Tree	Gunlance Guide | Weapon Tree
Hammer Guide | Weapon Tree	Hunting Horn Guide | Weapon Tree | Melodies	Switch Axe Guide | Weapon Tree
Charge Blade Guide | Weapon Tree	Insect Glaive Guide | Weapon Tree | Kinsects

Ranged Weapon Guides

Ranged Weapons
Light Bowgun Guide | Weapon Tree	Heavy Bowgun Guide | Weapon Tree	Bow Guide | Weapon Tree