This sentence is on top of all of my FAQs since it's exactly 79 characters long @@@@@@@@ ## ## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ### ### @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ### ### ##### # # ##### ##### ##### #### @@@@ @@@@@ #### #### # # # ## # # # # # # @@ @@@@ ## #### ## # # # # # # ##### # ##### #### @@@@@ ## ## ## # # # # ## # # # # # @ @@@@ ## ## ## ##### # # ##### # ##### # # @@@@@@@@@@@ ## ## # # # # ##### ##### #### @@@@@@@@@@@ ## ## # # ## # # # # # @ @@@@ ## ## # # # # # # ##### #### @@@@@ ######## # # # ## # # # # @@ @@@@ ## ## ### # # # ##### # # @@@@ @@@@@ ## ## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ## ## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ %% %% %% %%%%%%% %% %% %%@@@@%@@ %%%%%%% %%%%%%% %% %% %% % %% %%% %%% % % % %% %% %% % %% % % %% %% % %%%%% %% %%%%%%% %% %% %% % %% %% %% %% % %% % % %%%% %%%%%% %% %% %% % %% %% %% %% %%%%%%% O O OOOOO O OOOO OOO O O OOOOO O OOO O O O O OOO O O O O OO O O OOO O O OOOOO O OOO O O O O O O O O OOO O O O O O O OOOOO OOOOO O O O O OOOOO OOOOO OOOO O O O OOO OOOOO OOOOO O O O OOOOO O O O O O O O O O O O OO O O O O OO O O OOOOO O O O OOO O O O O O OOOO O------------------O | SnS & DB Edition | O------------------O ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / -1: Foreword \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is just a personal introduction about me. Don't worry, we'll get to the FAQ proper in a while. Hi, you may or may not know me on GameFAQs as Mx4_1204 (pronounced em ex four twelve oh four), and I am a monster hunter. I've been playing since the first PSP game and have been hooked ever since. One of the things I love most about this game is the weapon choices. There are so many weapons under a dozen weapon types, and one of the most asked questions is "which is the best?" Well, ask most people and they'll say all the weapon types are about as useful as the other, but within each type are several more weapons still. I think that with the knowledge and skills I have acquired, I can provide a good answer, so in these guides, I will go through every weapon type and tell you which weapons are good to use for whatever occasion. I hope this will be helpful. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 0: Table of Contents \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (-1)........................................................Foreword (0)................................................Table of Contents (1).....................................................Introduction (2).........................................................Glossary (3).....................................Other Things You Should Know (4.0)..........................................Overmentioned Weapons (4.1)..................................................Brachydios (4.2)................................................Dire Miralis (4.3)................................................Lucent Narga (4.4)...........................................Abyssal Lagiacrus (5.0)...............................................Sword and Shield (5.1)....................................................Low Rank (5.1.1)....................................................Raw (5.1.2)...................................................Fire (5.1.3)..................................................Water (5.1.4)................................................Thunder (5.1.5)....................................................Ice (5.1.6).................................................Dragon (5.1.7).................................................Poison (5.1.8)..............................................Paralysis (5.1.9)..................................................Sleep (5.2)...................................................High Rank (5.2.1)....................................................Raw (5.2.2)...................................................Fire (5.2.3)..................................................Water (5.2.4)................................................Thunder (5.2.5)....................................................Ice (5.2.6).................................................Dragon (5.2.7).................................................Poison (5.2.8)..............................................Paralysis (5.2.9)..................................................Sleep (5.3)......................................................G Rank (5.3.1)....................................................Raw (5.3.2)...................................................Fire (5.3.3)..................................................Water (5.3.4)................................................Thunder (5.3.5)....................................................Ice (5.3.6).................................................Dragon (5.3.7).................................................Poison (5.3.8)..............................................Paralysis (5.3.9)..................................................Sleep (6.0)....................................................Dual Blades (6.1)....................................................Low Rank (6.1.1)....................................................Raw (6.1.2)...................................................Fire (6.1.3)..................................................Water (6.1.4)................................................Thunder (6.1.5)....................................................Ice (6.1.6).................................................Dragon (6.1.7).................................................Poison (6.2)...................................................High Rank (6.2.1)....................................................Raw (6.2.2)...................................................Fire (6.2.3)..................................................Water (6.2.4)................................................Thunder (6.2.5)....................................................Ice (6.2.6).................................................Dragon (6.2.7).................................................Poison (6.2.8)..............................................Paralysis (6.2.9)..................................................Sleep (6.3)......................................................G Rank (6.3.1)....................................................Raw (6.3.2)...................................................Fire (6.3.3)..................................................Water (6.3.4)................................................Thunder (6.3.5)....................................................Ice (6.3.6).................................................Dragon (6.3.7).................................................Poison (6.3.8)..............................................Paralysis (6.3.9)..................................................Sleep (6.3.10).................................................Slime (7)........................................Version History and Stuff (8).................................................Acknowledgements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 1: Introduction \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of Monster Hunter! In the newest instalment of this series, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (MH3U), you have 12 weapon choices: Great Sword, Long Sword, Sword and Shield, Dual Blades, Hammer, Hunting Horn, Lance, Gunlance, Switch Axe, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun, and Bow. That's quite a lot, but I'm sure you have your favourite. There are several questions most people ask though: what weapon should I make? Which fire sword should I make? Is it worth it to make a bug sword? Why are there so many choices? Well, I'm here to answer your questions. This guide will focus on the quick blades: the Sword and Shield and the Dual Blades. These fast hitting weapons can dish out hits faster than any other weapon, and can deal massive amounts of elemental damage as a result, depsite the elemental penalty they get. They're also the best status dealers of all melee weapons, so they can scrap as well as sap. They are a fun and aggressive set of weapons for those who like getting up close and personal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 2: Glossary \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First things first, this guide will use a lot of terms and shortcuts for simplicity's sake. I'm going to be using certain words a lot, and it's just easier to use the shorthand for these words. You may not be familiar with them, so I'll summarize them here. WEAPONS: GS = Great Sword LS = Long Sword SnS = Sword and Shield DB = Dual Blades Hm = Hammer HH = Hunting Horn Lc = Lance GL = Gunlance SA = Switch Axe LBG = Light Bowgun HBG = Heavy Bowgun Bw = Bow SKILLS: S+1 = Sharpness+1 CE+X = Critical Eye+X AUX = Attack Up (X) EAU = Element Attack Up SA+X = Status Attack+X Awakening = Awakening (...) OTHERS: "line" = A series of weapons that upgrade into each other. For example, I could refer to Bone Tomahawk, Bone Tomahawk+, and Qurupeco Chopper as the Bone Tomahawk line. Low Rank = Quest levels 1-5 in the village, and levels 1 and 2 in Tanzia High Rank = Quest levels 6-9 in the village, and levels 3-5 in Tanzia G Rank = Quest levels 6 and above in Tanzia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 3: Other Things You Should KnoW \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some of you may wonder "How are you going to make these judgements?" Well, my recommendations will be heavily based on the Damage Formula provided by other GameFAQs hunters, specifically from LordGrahf's Damage Formula FAQ from Monster Hunter Tri, as well as the Weapon TYPE values shown in hollywoodchuck's Damage Formula FAQ from Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. I suggest you consult their FAQs if you want to understand more about how I got these conclusions. Also, this guide goes by weapon, since comparing weapons of different types is virtually impossible. Also, as of this version, I will only be doing melee weapons. The gunner weapons have several nuances that make it a tad bit more complicated to analyze and compare. There will also be some weapons I will not mention, not because they're bad, but because they'd be repetitive to mention. There are 4 of these types, and the all share the common trait of having a representative for every weapon type. Descriptions for each will be found near the beginning of every weapon FAQ I make. Another thing to point out is that, as of this version, I have yet to accurately measure sharpness bar lengths. The measures I am using are based on my estimations alone, so forgive me if they are inconsistent. They will be fixed in the future. Lastly, there are 2 skills that are chiefly available in G-Rank and that greatly affect weapon usefulness: Sharpness+1 and Awakening. The former adds a bit of sharpness to a weapon's Sharpness bar, usually adding a new sharpness level, and the latter usually adds an element to a weapon that has none. These skills tends to make weapon comparisons a bit more complicated as well, so because of the nature of this skill, I will only talk about it for G-Rank weapons and only mention weapons that use them if they stand out. --------------------------------- \ / > 4.0: Over-mentioned Weapons < / \ --------------------------------- O-----------------O | 4.1: Brachydios | O-----------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brachydios weapons have a distinct and notable feature: they are the only weapons in the game with natural Slime element, as expected from the weapons made from the (as of this game) only slime element monster. As such, these guys are all very strong, since not only do they possess have that slime element, they also have very high attacks, especially at G Rank. These weapons serve as great general use weapons, since slime is useful on anything not named Brachydios, especially endgame monster Lucent Narga. Name Fact: The final upgrades of most of these weapons are about slime and its explosive properties. Some are obvious (Pyro Demolisher: Pyro is Greek for fire), others are a bit more technical (Brisant Demolisher: Brisance is the property for how well high explosives can shatter), and others are a bit more literal (Myxo Demolisher: Myxo is Greek for slime or mucus). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O-------------------O | 4.2: Dire Miralis | O-------------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dire Miralis is one of the endgame monsters, and the one separating hunters from the final quest rank in the guild. Like their lava-spewing source, these weapons possess high-combustibility, so high that these weapons are infamous for their massive attribute ratings (the DB gets a relatively high 450, while the GS gets a massive 700 fire attribute). Although their attacks are quite mediocre, these are still often the best choice for fire weapon, because of their high element and their access to purple sharpness for the melee weapons, Rapid Fire of fire and dragon S, as well a access to slime S, for the BG's, and slime coating and natural access to the 4th charge for Bows. In fact, for the melee weapons, even if other fire weapons get purple sharpness with S+1, these weapons will, unlike most other purple sharpness weapons, gain even more purple sharpness. Assume that these are your best fire weapons unless I state otherwise. Name Fact: All final upgrades of these weapons are portmanteaus of two realted words, often referring to destruction or end-of-the-world themes (The Disasuality: Disaster + Casualty), but can also just provide related imagery (The Crimsidian: Crimson + Obsidian; The Immaelstrom: Immortal + Maelstrom). They're also some of my personal favorite weapon names in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O-----------------------O | 4.3: Lucent Nargacuga | O-----------------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lucent Narga is the second last monster unlocked in the game. This invisible beast produces some of the strongest raw damaging weapons in the game. These weapons are known for several things. Not only are they all typically strong in terms of raw attack, they also have natural purple sharpness (for blademasters), good affinity, and typically have access to the poison status (whether naturally or with the aid of Awaken). Thus, these weapons act as amazing general use weapons, with some poison satatus to help. Good Luck with those Cloudy Moonshards. Name Fact: All of these weapons carry a space and/or star theme, which is reflected in the area you fight Lucent Narga (the Tower at night is beautiful). All melee weapons except for the Hammer and Hunting Horn are named after the stars found in the Big Dipper, which is an Asterism, the other part of these weapons' names. The others are mostly named Eclipse, with the exception of the Hm, which gets the unique name Midnight Aeternum (Aternum means eternal or forever). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O------------------------O | 4.4: Abyssal Lagiacrus | O------------------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abyssal Lagi is this game's big daddy, the final monster unlocked, and the one giving the most bada** equipment. As expected, all these weapons are lightning element, andare amazing ones at that. While they do lack the pure raw attack that The Lucent Narga weapons or Brachy weapons have, these guys have amazing attributes, rivaling those of the Miralis Weapons (for the most part). Some even get some affinity to help boost that raw attack. The melee weapons also get massive amounts of natura white sharpness, as well as purple sharpness access with S+1. Adding these together, these weapons are good contenders for best weapons in the game. They're also super endgame, though, so that's justified. Name Fact: I'm ... really not sure. My guess is that they're named after kinds of people that are helpful or good to you: Nether Salvatore: savior in Italian, Nether Emprestador: lender in Portugese, Nether Confidants: confidants in English (...). Maybe it's to say how these weapons will be your best friends and will save our life? If you have any other ideas or translations, please contact me. Thank you ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- \ / > 5.0: Sword and Shield < / \ --------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 5.1: Low Rank \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ O------------O | 5.1.1: Raw | O------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Tusk Gear Attack: 168 Max Sharpness: OK Green Slots: 1 -->Fossil Gear Attack: 196 Max Sharpness: OK Green Slots: 1 This is a reliable and relatively easy weapon line to make, since it's made chiefly out of ore. You can start making Tusk Gear in 4* village, when you first have access to the Tundra. Technically, though, you can get it earlier if you use Tanzia to access the Tundra earlier, as well as the Flooded Forest for the Pelagicite, but doing that makes it practically available at 1* village. Fossil Gear will need Firestone and Dragonite, so you will have to do some work to unlock those. Overall, it's a decent SnS, but not the best you can do at Low Rank, though its usefulness does last a bit into High Rank. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Ludroth Nail) >Carapace Mace Attack: 196 Max Sharpness: OK Green Affinity: -30% -->Carapace Mace+ Attack: 210 Max Sharpness: Good Green Affinity: -30% Slots: 1 This is another decently good SnS. It's available earlier than the Tusk Gear line, being made from Barroth, but isn't as consistent because of the low affinity. Overall, it's not as good as the Tusk Gear line, but it does get the benefit of being the precursor to 2 above average Raw SnS lines and the highly revered Brachydios SnS line. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chak Chak :Attack: 196 :Max Sharpness: Great Green :Affinity: 5% :Slots: 1 Because of its affinity, decent attack, and stupidly long Green Sharpness bar, this SnS is the best Raw SnS in the game. With this status, you may wonder why I only mention it now. Well, it's because of 1 simple fact: you need to fight Ceadeus and get a Crooked Horn to make it. This means that it is only really available at the very end of Low Rank. As a result, it is, in the strictest sense, the best Low Rank Raw SnS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O-------------O | 5.1.2: Fire | O-------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Bone Kris+) >Bone Tomahawk Attack: 154 Attribute: 100 Max Sharpness: OK Green -->Bone Tomahawk+ Attack: 168 Attribute: 120 Max Sharpness: OK Green ---->Qurupeco Chopper Attack: 182 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: OK Green ------>Djinn Attack: 210 Attribute: 180 Max Sharpness: Great Green This line is really your only choice for Fire SnS in the game, even in G-Rank, without Awakening, so learn to love it. That's not to say it's a bad SnS, on the contrary. Fire is a very useful Element, and you'll get a lot of mileage out of the Bone Tomahawk. Djinn is even better when you get it, and it also goes pretty well with Rathalos Armor. It'd be perfect if it had a slot (*sigh*). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O--------------O | 5.1.3: Water | O--------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Bone Kris+) >Ludroth Nail Attack: 154 Attribute: 80 Max Sharpness: Poor Green -->Royal Claw Attack: 168 Attribute: 100 Max Sharpness: OK Green ---->Royal Claw+ Attack: 196 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Good Green Here is another good weapon tree, and another one that's practically your only choice. The Ceadeus SnS, Sea Striker, like Chak Chak, is available at the end of Low Rank, but Royal Claw+ is better and is available earlier. It's a simple SnS line to upgrade, being made out of Ludroth, and is well worth the investment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O----------------O | 5.1.4: Thunder | O----------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Bone Tomahawk+) >Lagia Sword Attack: 182 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Good Green -->Lagia Sword+ Attack: 210 Attribute: 170 Max Sharpness: Great Green Surprise! Another good SnS line that's your only choice for an element. This SnS is really good. It will probably have higher attack than most other SnS you will have at that point, and so will be good for general use as well. Something to note is that Lagia Sword+ needs Elder Dragon Blood, which requires you to have fought Ceadeus, but Lagia Sword is good on its own anyway. Besides that, the horns may be a bit difficult to grind for, but at least you'll be able to practice underwater combat (hehe). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O------------O | 5.1.5: Ice | O------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Assassin's Dagger) >Icicle Spike Attack: 182 Attribute: 130 Max Sharpness: Good Green Affinity: 10% Are you sensing a pattern? This time, not only is it the best Ice SnS, but it's the 'only' Ice SnS available in Low Rank. Again, it's great anyway, and it'll upgrade into a few good SnS's later on, so get it early. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O---------------O | 5.1.6: Dragon | O---------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Tarnished Sword) >Eternal Strife Attack: 154 Attribute: 410 Max Sharpness: Great Green A mandatory mention. Like the other elemental SnS, this will be your only choice if you want a Dragon SnS. However, you will need to get lucky to get this, since getting a Rusted Sword might take some time. It's ok though, since dragon isn't as urgently necessary now as it is later. If you do manage to get it, then that's great. It'll make short work of the Rath's, and do well on Agnaktor and Lagiacrus as well. Don't work too hard to get it though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O---------------O | 5.1.7: Poison | O---------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Assassin's Dagger) >Shadow Saber Attack: 168 Attribute: 210 Max Sharpness: Good Green -->Shadow Saber+ Attack: 196 Attribute: 250 Max Sharpness: Good Green Slots: 1 Do I have to say it? Shadow Saber is a good Poison SnS, and its high Poison Attribute will mean you'll have no trouble keeping a monster poisoned the entire battle. It's also good for multiplayer use, since it has decent attack as well, and it is another good choice to fight poison weak monsters like Diablos. Status attacks are great on SnS, so do try to get this one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O------------------O | 5.1.8: Paralysis | O------------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Secta Nulo) >Secta Nulo (G) Attack: 182 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Good Green The best Paralysis SnS in Low Rank. It's aside from the Duram Mossplates, it's really easy to make. Paralysis itself isn't all that amazing for anything other than breaking parts, but it'll be a Godsend in multiplayer, since many people appreciate a paralyzed monster, and this weapon does that job well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Hypnos Knife) >Azi Dahaka Attack: 168 Attribute: 130 Max Sharpness: Good Green -->Azi Dahaka+ Attack: 182 Attribute: 140 Max Sharpness: Good Green Another good Paralysis SnS line. Azi Dahaka+ is marginally weaker than Secta Nulo (G) (short 10 points of Paralysis), but Azi Dahaka is available earlier, so you might just want to stick with this line more. Also, you will get more mileage out of the Azi Dahaka line than the Secta (G) line. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O--------------O | 5.1.9: Sleep | O--------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Commander's Dagger) >Hypnos Knife Attack: 154 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Good Green Slots: 1 -->Hypnos Knife+ Attack: 168 Attribute: 190 Max Sharpness: Good Green Slots: 1 The only Sleep SnS line, and it's pretty good. It's not that great on its own, but Sleep is a very abusable status, especially on a SnS. Be it sleep-bombing or GS charging, there are many good tactics that utilize Sleep Status, so get this if you want to use those. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 5.2: High Rank \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ O------------O | 5.2.1: Raw | O------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Nardebosche) >Spiked Saber Attack: 294 Max Sharpness: OK White One of the 2 best Raw Damage SnS in High Rank. As expected from a Sand Barioth Weapon, this SnS boasts a spectacular attack stat and a decent sharpness bar. This weapon is also a great investment, since its usefulness continues into G-Rank as well. It may not be quite as effective as other elemental SnS's in the same rank, but if you're doing a multiple or extended hunting quest with monsters of different weaknesses, this SnS will do you good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Toxic Fang) >Hidden Edge Attack: 280 Max Sharpness: OK White Affinity: 20% Slots: 1 The other top Raw Damage SnS in High Rank. This SnS isn't quite as consistent as Spiked Saber though, since it uses its affinity to be on par with it, but it does have a slot for better customization. If that's useful, then get this SnS. Other than that, all comments for Spiked Saber apply to Hidden Edge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O-------------O | 5.2.2: Fire | O-------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Djinn) >Djinn+ Attack: 238 Attribute: 200 Max Sharpness: Good Blue -->Blazing Falchion Attack: 280 Attribute: 230 Max Sharpness: Good Blue As mentioned before, This line of weapons is practically your only choice for Fire SnS, but as mentioned before as well, it's a great choice. Any serious SnS user will put these weapons at top priority. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O--------------O | 5.2.3: Water | O--------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Royal Claw+) >Royal Ludroth Claw Attack: 224 Attribute: 210 Max Sharpness: Good Green Slots: 1 -->Amethyst Claw Attack: 252 Attribute: 280 Max Sharpness: OK Blue Slots: 1 These continue Royal Claw's status as great Water SnS's. Their high Attribute make them a great choice for the really water weak monsters like Baleful Gigginox and Agnaktor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Sea Striker) >Abyssal Striker Attack: 224 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Poor Blue Affinity: 5% -->Ruinous Striker Attack: 280 Attribute: 200 Max Sharpness: OK Blue Affinity: 10% Despite not being the best in High Rank, Abyssal Striker does have some niche uses. Firstly, it's easy to make, needing only Gracium and Ceadeus parts to upgrade, and since it's substantially stronger than Royal Ludroth Claw, and available before Amethyst Claw is available, this SnS will be very useful in the meantime. Also, this SnS upgrades into a very useful SnS later on, so having it now wouldn't hurt. Ruinous Striker, though, is quite strong, but will require quite a bit of luck to make it, since it needs a Deep Dragongem and a Lagia Sapphire. If you have both, then great, Ruinous Striker is awesome. If not, don't stress over it, Amethyst Claw is effectively just as good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O----------------O | 5.2.4: Thunder | O----------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Azi Dahaka+) >Usurper's Firebolt Attack: 238 Attribute: 250 Max Sharpness: Poor Blue Slots: 1 -->Despot's Crookbolt Attack: 280 Attribute: 350 Max Sharpness: Good Blue Slots: 1 A weapon line that's only available later on, but when you can get it, boy is it great. Despot's Crookbolt has Great Attack power, serviceable sharpness, amazing element, and a slot to boot. Usurper's Firebolt itself isn't all that great, unless you like fighting Zinogre more than you like fighting Lagiacrus, which, if you use SnS, is understandable. However, if you're not using Despot's Crookbolt, you are wasting your time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Lagia Sword+) >High Lagia Sword Attack: 238 Attribute: 200 Max Sharpness: Great Green -->Storm Sword Attack: 266 Attribute: 266 Max Sharpness: OK Blue ---->Takemikazuchi Attack: 280 Attribute: 240 Max Sharpness: Good Blue Your other choice of thunder SnS. This weapon line is by no means bad. It's a great alternative as well, and Storm Sword is better and is also available earlier than Usurper's Firebolt. It's a decent investment, and if you don't like fighting Zinogre (or Ivory Lagiacrus), then go for this line, though you will still need to fight Ivory Lagiacrus for Takemikazuchi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O------------O | 5.2.5: Ice | O------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Icicle Spike) >Icicle Spike+ Attack: 210 Attribute: 140 Max Sharpness: Great Green Affinity: 10% -->Nardebosche Attack: 238 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: OK Blue Affinity: 10% ---->Nardebosche+ Attack: 266 Attribute: 170 Max Sharpness: Good Blue Affinity: 15% ------>Cryo Cross Attack: 294 Attribute: 190 Max Sharpness: Good Blue Affinity: 15% This is a pretty taxing weapon line to invest in, what with 4 upgrades through High Rank, but well worth it. The final form for High Rank, Cryo Cross, has a high attack for an elemental weapon, especially with affinity to boost it up, and you will find Ice to be useful many times. Barioth makes good SnS weapons, so get them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O---------------O | 5.2.6: Dragon | O---------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alatreon Sword Attack: 294 Attribute: 300 Max Sharpness: OK White When you talk about Dragon Weapons, you have to talk about Alatreon. These monster weapons are always top-notch, and the Alatreon Sword is no exception. It boasts the typical massive attack and sharpness that all Alatreon weapons possess, as well as the sizable dragon element. This SnS is so strong, it does as much raw damage as Spiked Saber, the strongest Raw SnS in hig rank, and with the dragon element to back it up, it outdamages it. The only downside is that its made of Alatreon, and being made of Alatreon, it's both difficult to make and obtained the latest in High Rank. Despite this, itwill be the strongest weapon you could have at that point so if you can make it, go for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Eternal Strife) >Eternal Hate Attack: 168 Attribute: 480 Max Sharpness: Great Green -->Eternal Vengeance Attack: 182 Attribute: 520 Max Sharpness: OK Blue An alternative to the Alatreon Sword, and an elemental powerhouse. This SnS can dish out a LOT of dragon pain, especially with an SnS, and it's a good upgrade if you managed to get Eternal Strife. It's also really sharp, which is good in an SnS. Until you can make the Alatreon Sword, this weapon will be your best friend versus the likes of Rathalos and Agnaktor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Jhen Kodachi Attack: 266 Attribute: 100 Max Sharpness: Excellent Green Affinity: 5% Slots: 1 -->Calm Sands Attack: 294 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Excellent Green Affinity: 10% Slots: 1 This is another good Dragon SnS. Despite not being as strong as the Alatreon SnS, it is available much earlier and much more easily. It also has a green sharpness bar that other weapons would kill for, and some affinity as well. If you want a dragon weapon to use during your trek through High Rank, this will do you well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O---------------O | 5.2.7: Poison | O---------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Shadow Saber+) >Toxic Fang Attack: 252 Attribute: 290 Max sharpness: OK Blue Slots: 1 Continuing on the Gigginox rapier line, Toxic Fang is still a great poison SnS. It has amazing poison attribute, and still has enough attack to be useful solo. This SnS continues to shine, so keep upgrading it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Djinn) >Blood Tabar Attack: 266 Attribute: 180 Max Sharpness: OK Blue Another Gigginox SnS. This time, it's an axe. It forgoes the high attribute of the Shadow Saber line for a bit more power. This SnS is also a bit easier to make, needing Firecell Stones instead of Barioth Fang+'s and Fearsome Maws, so it can be a decent alternative if you can't make Toxic Fang yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O------------------O | 5.2.8: Paralysis | O------------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Secta Nulo (G)) >Secta Unu (G) Attack: 210 Attribute: 210 Max Sharpness: Great Green The Paralysis SnS of choice for multiplayer hunting. IT's not incredibly powerful, but it's good amount of paralysis attribute will give a great paralysis activation rate. It's not so good solo though, but it's worth getting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Azi Dahaka+) >Almighty Dahaka Attack: 224 Attribute: 150 Max Sharpness: Good Green -->Almighty Dahaka+ Attack: 252 Attribute: 160 Max Sharpness: OK Blue This Gobul SnS continues to be useful through in High Rank. It has a decent paralysis attribute, and enough attack to be usable even solo. If you're having trouble hitting a monster on your own, this SnS might make a difference. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O--------------o | 5.2.9: Sleep | O--------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Hypnos Knife+) >Morpheus Knife Attack: 224 Attribute: 220 Max Sharpness: Great Green Slots: 1 A great sleep SnS with an above average attribute. It's strong enough to be used solo with proper set-up and planning, but under the right circumstances, it will serve you well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / 5.3: G-Rank \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ O-----------O | 5.3.1 Raw | O-----------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Spiked Saber) >Clawed Saber Attack: 350 Max Sharpness: Great White (OK Purple) -->Serevento Attack: 364 Max Sharpness: OK Purple (same) Affinity: 20% Here it is. The best general purpose SnS in the game. Clawed Saber itself is nothing too amazing. It's above average for when you can get it, but not the best. Serevento, on the other hand, is amazing. With it's high attack, purple sharpness, and good affinity, nothing can outclass this weapon's raw damage dealing capabilities. It's an amazing sword, so get it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Despot's Crookbolt) >Brimstren Drakescale Attack: 336 Max Sharpness: Good White (OK Purple) Slots: 1 -->Stygian Luxuria Attack: 364 Max Sharpness: Great White (Good Purple) Slots: 2 Although not nearly as strong as either Phecda's Asterism or Serevento, this SnS is available much earlier, and is quite powerful with S+1. It also gets a nice bonus with Awakening, which I'll discuss later on. It's a good SnS that may last you a while. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Dirty Marquis) >Dirty Graf Attack: 322 Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White) Slots: 3 While not amazing, this SnS has 2 distinctions which give it notice, 1) It's the strongest Raw SnS in 6* Guild, the first G-rank set of quests, and it's an easy sword to make there, and 2) It has 3 slots, which can open up a lot of interesting weapons sets. Also, like the S.Zin line, it gets a nice bonus with Awakening. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O-------------O | 5.3.2: Fire | O-------------o ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Blazing Falchion) >Corona Attack: 308 Attribute: 260 Max Sharpness: Ok White (Great White) -->Corona+ Attack: 322 Attribute: 280 Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White) ---->Golden Falchion Attack: 336 Attribute: 320 Max Sharpness: Good White (OK Purple) ------>Golden Radius Attack: 350 Attribute: 350 Max Sharpness: Great White (OK Purple) The only non-awakening non-Miarlis fire element SnS line continues to shine in G-Rank. It rivals the Dire Miralis SnS pretty well, and outdamages it when it gets purple sharpness via S+1. It'll be pretty tough to max out, though, since you'll need 2 of each Rathalos and Rathian Mantle, but it'll be great if you do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Spiked Saber) >Clawed Saber Attack: 350 Attribute: (160) Max Sharpness: Great White (OK Purple) -->Serevento Attack: 364 Attribute: (170) Max Sharpness: OK Purple (same) Affinity: 20% This weapon line gets another mention because, with awakening, this SnS does get Fire Attribute, and because it's raw damage dealing ability is so great, It can be a better choice for a fire sword in some situations. In this case, Clawed Saber is about as good as Golden Falchion, and Serevento is about as good as Golden Radius. However, with S+1, the Rath SnS line is better for fire weak monsters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O--------------o | 5.3.3: Water | O--------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Odyssey Blade Attack: 294 Attribute: (380) Max Sharpness: Poor White (Great White) Slots: 2 -->Master Odyssey Attack: 336 Attribute: (480) Max Sharpness: Good White (Good Purple) Slots: 2 One of the few elemental weapons that need awakening that I will gve top recommendations, but this SnS definitely deserves it. The first reason for this is its massive element, which is always appreciated on an SnS. It also has a good amount of sharpness that can allow it to compete with the other water SnS's. Lastly, it has 2 slots which can make good awakening sets easier to make, which increase this SnS's usability. Not to mention with all of this combined, it can outdamage other water SnS's, and it benefits the most from element boosting skills. It can sometimes be a pain to get awakening, but with this SnS, it's worth it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Ruinous Striker) >Ark Striker Attack: 322 Attribute: 220 Max Sharpness: Good White (Great White) Affinity: 10% -->Arken Duelcalion Attack: 364 Attribute: 240 Max Sharpness: Good White (Good Purple) Affinity: 10% This is the best natural water SnS line. What this line has over the Odyssey line is its superior raw damage and its natural affinity, which allows it to be good despite having half of the Odyssey line's element. The fact that it doesn't need awakening opens it up to more skill sets as well. It's a good alternative if you can't find a good awakening armor set. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O----------------O | 5.3.4: Thunder | O----------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Despot's Crookbolt) >Opressor's Bounty Attack: 322 Attribute: 420 Max Sharpness: Good White (Great White) Slots: 1 Prior to Abyssal Lagi, this is the best Thunder SnS. It focuses more on element, and does spectacularly. However, because it doesn't have as much sharpness as the Abyssal Lagi SnS, and also can't reach purple sharpness, it just isn't as good. However, only the final Abyssal Lagi SnS is significantly better, and this SnS is as good as, if not better, than the other swords in that line. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Takemikazuchi) >Neo Lagia Sword Attack: 308 Attribute: 250 Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White) -->Neodignis Whitebolt Attack: 322 Attribute: 270 Max Sharpness: Good White (Great White) As this long thunder SnS line comes to a close (9 upgrades for one weapon line? geez), it's still really good. It has great attack and above average attribute, but it's entirely inferior to Opressor's Bounty until Abyssal Lagi. Getting it in preparation for that, though, is a good idea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Wagga Wagga) >Gimble Gyre Attack: 322 Attribute: (250) Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Good Purple) Affinity: 15% Slots: 3 Despite not being the best Thunder SnS, Gimble Gyre is still pretty interesting and fun. It's not much without S+1, but with it, it can be a monster. The purple sharpness alone is pretty great, but combined with its natural affinity, it can be brutal. To top it off, it has 3 slots, which opens up a great many armor sets combinations. With the right set-up and situation, this SnS can be a force to be reckoned with. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O------------O | 5.3.5: Ice | O------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Cryo Cross) >Grey Brume Attack: 322 Attribute: 210 Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White) Affinity: 15% -->Gran Bhavani Attack: 336 Attribute: 230 Max Sharpness: Great white (OK Purple) Affinity: 20% The Barioth equipment continue to please with this G-Rank SnS line. It's the only other Ice SnS line aside from the Secta (W) line, but it's still great. It has great attack backed up by nice affinity, and is just great overall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Skull's Wrath) >Chalcamine Sword Attack: 308 Attribute: (220) Max Sharpness: Good Blue (Good White) Slots: 1 -->Chalcomata Attack: 350 Attribute: (250) Max Sharpness: OK White (OK Purple) Slots: 2 The strong Low Rank raw SnS line returns in G-rank with a vengeance! This time, it comes in the form of an interesting awakening Ice SnS line. It possesses about the same amount of attribute as the Barioth SnS line, but with a slightly higher attack, and losses the affinity in exchange for slots. It's a bit easier to make, but it does need awakening, so that can limit its usefulness. Nonetheless, it's pretty good and can be worth your troubles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O---------------O | 5.3.6: Dragon | O---------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Alatreon Sword) >Alatreon Star Attack: 322 Attribute: 360 Max Sharpness: Good Purple (same) -->Altheos Zodiarch Attack: 336 Attribute: 420 Max Sharpness: Great Purple (same) Here it is. One of the best natural SnS's in the entire game. Great attack, amazing attribute, and great sharpness, this line has almost everything you want in a weapon. It has little competition, though other dragon SnS's can be better under the right circumstances. Regardless, this is definitely an SnS to aim for. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Weathered Sword) >Divine Exodus Attack: 196 Attribute: 600 Max Sharpness: Great Green (Poor Purple) -->Divine Insodus Attack: 224 Attribute: 700 Max Sharpness: Poor Purple (Great Purple) One of the 2 "extreme" dragon SnS's, this SnS takes advantage of the SnS's fast slashes to deal massive amounts of elemental damage. It has an astounding amount of dragon element, though it's raw attack suffers for it. It is recommended to use S+1 with this sword in order to fully exploit it, because the sharpness bar is rather pitiful without it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Calm Sands) >Iris Earthkiller Attack: 336 Attribute: 180 Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White) Affinity: 10% Slots: 1 -->Earthsbane Gladiolus Attack: 364 Attribute: 200 Max Sharpness: Good White (OK Purple) Affinity: 10% Slots: 1 The other side of the 2 "extreme" dragon SnS's, this time going the raw path. This SnS is better when dragon is more of a bonus, but still capable of doing significant damage. It's also the safe weapon to use against monsters that can cause dragonblight, which removes element now instead of affinity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Despot's Crookbolt) >Brimstren Drakescale Attack: 336 Attribute: (360) Max Sharpness: Good White (OK Purple) Slots: 1 -->Stygian Luxuria Attack: 364 Attribute: (370) Max Sharpness: Great White (Good Purple) Slots: 2 A darkhorse dragon SnS line, but worth attention nonetheless. What makes this SnS so notable? At face value, it has great stats, but after actually running the numbers, this SnS, with both Awakening 'and' S+1, actually out damages Altheos Zodiarch, which is no small feat. However, finding a good S+1 and Awakening armor can be troublesome, but with a good set-up, this can be the optimal dragon SnS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- O---------------O | 5.3.7: Poison | O---------------O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Toxic Fang) >Hellt Epee Attack: 308 Attribute: 360 Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White) Slots: 1 -->Hellnox Epee Attack: 322 Attribute: 400 Max Sharpness: Good White (Good Purple) Slots: 2 A great Poison SnS. It has above average attack as well as an amazing poison attribute, ensuring frequent poisons. It's also the only natural poison SnS line besides the Lucent Narga SnS line to reach purple sharpness, which boosts its usability by leaps and bounds. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Dirty Marquis)

>Dirty Graf

Attack: 322
Attribute: (550)
Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White)
Slots: 3

This SnS has the highest poison attribute of all SnS's, making it perfect for 
multiplayer play, where you don't have to worry so much about dealing damage. 
It's still usable alone, but it might be difficult to combine awakenng with 
other skills. However, good combos do exist. One of note is the Gigginox X 
set, which comes with both Awakening AND SA+2, which goes extremely well with 
this weapon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



O------------------O
| 5.3.8: Paralysis |
O------------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Almighty Dahaka+)

>Co Dolgan

Attack: 294
Attribute: 170
Max Sharpness: Good White (Great White)
Slots: 1

-->Coctura Balgang

  Attack: 322
  Attribute: 180
  Max Sharpness: Good White (OK Purple)
  Slots: 2

The Gobul SnS line finally starts to overtake the Secta (G) line in G-rank. 
The attack difference is quite large now, especially since Coctura Balgang can 
reach purple sharpness. Top it off with 2 slots, and you have the best 
paralysis SnS in the game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Secta Unu (G))

>Secta Du (G)

Attack: 238
Attribute: 260
Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White)
Slots: 2

Despite losing out to the Gobul SnS line, this SnS remains as best Paralysis 
SnS for multiplayer play. The superior attribute will please many friends, 
just don't expect to be the main damage dealer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O--------------O
| 5.3.9: Sleep |
O--------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Morpheus Knife)

>Plesioth Finspike

Attack: 252
Attribute: 240
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Great White)
Slots: 1

-->Plesioth Direspike

  Attack: 280
  Attribute: 280
  Max Sharpness: Good White (Good Purple)
  Slots: 1

This line continues to produce good SnS's. They all have good attribute, and 
the final upgrade gets purple sharpness. What more can I say? Go get it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Gigas Club+)

>Gigas Crusher

Attack: 336
Attribute: (190)
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (OK White)
Defense: 20
Slots: 2

-->Mighty Gigantreon

  Attack: 364
  Attribute: (200)
  Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White)
  Defense: 20
  Slots: 2

A great SnS line. Even with S+1, these SnS's outdamage the plesioth line, and 
they have decent attributes as well. The only reason they aren't the best is 
that, when you use a sleep SnS, you aren't really looking for damage. Instead, 
you want to maximize attribute, and that's what the plesioth line does. Also, 
this set needs awakening, which limits its usefulness.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------




                            ----------------------
                            \                    /
                             > 6.0: Dual Blades <
                            /                    \
                            ----------------------



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ 6.1: Low Rank \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


O------------O
| 6.1.1: Raw |
O------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Matched Slicers+)

>Jaggid Shotels

Attack: 154
Max Sharpness: Poor Green

  >Jaggid Shotels+

  Attack: 168
  Max Sharpness: OK Green

    >Leader's Shotels

    Attack: 182
    Max Sharpness: Good Green

There are 2 good raw DB's in Low Rank, and they're practically the same 
weapon. Seriously, look at them and tell me they're not the same. The only 
real difference is that Leader's Shotels has slightly more Green Sharpness, 
which is why I mention it and its line first. Other than that, it's really up 
to personal preference. I personally like the hatchets. Another nice thing 
about them is that they upgrade to something nice later on, which I'll get to 
in a sec.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Matched Slicers+)

>Dual Hatchets

Attack: 154
Max Sharpness: Poor Green

  >Dual Hatchets+

  Attack: 168
  Max Sharpness: OK Green

    >Dual Cleavers+

    Attack: 182
    Max Sharpness: OK Green

Like I said, practically the same weapon line. That being said, though, like 
SnS's, raw only DB's aren't the best, and they're not very useful in Low Rank.
In fact, other elemental DB's do better raw damage, so these pure DB's aren't 
very useful in the long run. Get them if they're easy or if you want the nice 
upgrades both lines can offer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O-------------O
| 6.1.2: Fire |
O-------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Leader's Shotels)

>Flamestorm

Attack: 196
Attribute: 200
Max Sharpness: Great Green
Affinity: 10%

That's right, Leader's Shotels isn't finished yet. This is one of the 2 Fire 
DB lines in this game, and its the elementally focused one, which is great on 
DB's. It also has some affinity, which helps boost its attack power, enough to 
make it the best Fire DB in Low Rank.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Bloodwings)

>Brother Flames

Attack: 210
Attribute: 120
Max Sharpness: Great Green
Slots: 1

A classic DB line, and the other fire DB line. This is the more physically 
centered line, which can be great in certain cases. These two lines are fairly 
close in terms of damage. If you decided to get both to cover your bases, or 
to just focus on one line to save resources, it would be fine either way. I'll 
let you know which is the best at each point.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O--------------O
| 6.1.3: Water |
O--------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chief's Scythes)

>Ludroth Pair

Attack: 168
Attribute: 120
Max Sharpness: OK Green

   >Ludroth Pair+

   Attack: 182
   Attribute: 150
   Max Sharpness: Great Green

This line is a good upgrade once you make Chief's Scythes. It opens up to a 
lot of good lines later on, and is pretty decent itself. Ludroth Pair+ has 
nice sharpness, and a nice balance of attack and element.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O----------------O
| 6.1.4: Thunder |
O----------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Dual Hatchets+)

>Twin Chainsaws

Attack: 196
Attribute: 70
Sharpness: Good Green

One of 2 Thunder DB's available in Low Rank. Like the Brother Flames/
Flamestorm dichotomy, this is the slightly more physical one. Unlike them, 
though, only one of these stays useful for long. These 2 are pretty much 
equal, though Twin Chainsaws is sharper and easier to make.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Jaggid Shotels+)

>Twin Arcus

Attack: 182
Attribute: 100
Max Sharpness: OK Green

An alternative Thunder DB with a tad more element. This set will last you 
longer, though, and will ironically be the more physical line later on.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O------------O
| 6.1.5: Ice |
O------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chief's Scythes)

>Snow Slicers

Attack: 168
Attribute: 120
Max Sharpness: OK Green

   >Snow Slicers+

   Attack: 182
   Attribute: 140
   Max sharpness: Good Green

Here we go. Again with the only choice for natural element. The Lagombi DB's 
are good, and you'll find a lot of use for ice. Not much else to say, except 
maybe to get 2.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O---------------O
| 6.1.6: Dragon |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Dual Hatchets)

>Insecticutters

Attack: 168
Attribute: 50
Max Sharpness: Good Green

   >Insecticutters+

   Attack: 196
   Attribute: 80
   Max Sharpness: Good Green

A set of insect DB's, and the only dragon DB's in Low Rank. They don't have 
much dragon, though, but it gets better later.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O---------------O
| 6.1.7: Poison |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Ludroth Pair)

>Bloodwings

Attack: 182
Attribute: 160
Max Sharpness: OK Green

   >Bloodwings+

   Attack: 196
   Attribute: 200
   Max Sharpness: Great Green

These Poison DB's are pretty great. They have a lot of attribute for better 
poisoning, and Bloodwings+ has great sharpness. These are a great set of DB's 
to get, and are useful on any monster.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ 6.2: High Rank \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


O------------O
| 6.2.1: Raw |
O------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Dual Cleavers+)

>Hurricane

Attack: 196
Max Sharpness: Great Green

   >Hurricane+

   Attack: 252
   Max Sharpness: Poor Blue
   Slots: 2

      >Cyclone

      Attack: 294
      Max Sharpness: Poor Blue
      Slots: 2

These axes have great raw damage output, and Cyclone is the strongst raw DB in 
High Rank. It also has slots, which is a nice bonus. They're fairly good, but 
as in Low Rank, other elemental DB's have better raw damage output, so these 
aren't so great.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Double Droth)

>Hidden Gemini

Attack: 252
Max Sharpness: OK Blue
Affinity: 10%

   >Night Wings

   Attack: 266
   Max sharpness: Good Blue
   Affinity: 15%

As mentioned, raw DB's aren't great, but this line has some distinct 
features that make it worth getting. Firstly, it's very sharp. You'll be 
hard-pressed to find any other DB with this much blue sharpness at this 
rank. Secondly, it upgrades into some great DB's later on, so it would be nice 
to have it now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O-------------O
| 6.2.2: Fire |
O-------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Brother Flames)

>Brother Blazes

Attack: 238
Attribute: 140
Max Sharpness: Poor Blue
Slots: 1

   >Wyvern Lovers

   AttacK: 308
   Attribute: 160
   Max Sharpness: OK Blue
   Slots: 1

In High Rank, this line reigns supreme as Fire DB's. They have great attack, 
ample attribute, and good sharpness. It does have a steep price, since getting 
it to Wyvern Lovers requires 2 plates and 2 rubies. If you can get them, 
you'll have a great set of DB's.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Flamestorm)

>Flamestorm+

Attack: 238
Attribute: 230
Max Sharpness: Poor Blue
Affinity: 10%

   >Salamanders

   Attack: 252
   Attribute: 260
   Max Sharpness: Poor Blue
   Affinity: 15%

Of course, here's your other choice for fire DB's in High Rank. they're great 
as well, possessing amazing element, but don't have the raw power or sharpness 
to quite be the best choice.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O--------------O
| 6.2.3: Water |
O--------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Ludroth Pair+)

>Plesioth Cutlasses

Attack: 210
Attribute: 230
Max Sharpness: Great Green

   >Plesioth Clutlasses+

   Attack: 238
   Attribute: 270
   Max Sharpness: Poor Blue

      >Plesioth Machetes

      Attack: 266
      Attribute: 300
      Max sharpness: Poor Blue

Boy, these DB's are great. They have amazing element and are available 
throughout high rank, so they're a good investment as well. The best part is 
that this line upgrades from a good water DB line in low rank, so it's a 
natural progression. There's really no reason to use any other Water DB.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O----------------O
| 6.2.4: Thunder |
O----------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Double Droth)

>Usurper's Fulgur

Attack: 266
Attribute: 150
Max Sharpness: Poor Blue

   >Despot's Blitz

   Attack: 294
   Attribute: 220
   Max Sharpness: Good Blue

Once again, Zinogre DB's shine in High Rank. These bad boys have a good amount 
of raw power coupled with above average element. This line of DB's is the best 
choice for Thunder DB's in high rank, and has little competition.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Bloodwings+)

>Boltgeist

Attack: 252
Attribute: 200
Max Sharpness: Small Blue
Slots: 1

Good Thunder DB's for early High Rank. These are slightly better than 
Usurper's Fulgurs for thunder weak monsters, and are available much earlier. 
They'll serve you well until you can get Despot's Blitz, should you choose to 
make them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O------------O
| 6.2.5: Ice |
O------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Snow Slicers+)

>Snow Sisters

Attack: 210
Attribute: 160
Max Sharpness: Great Green

  >Blizzarioths

  Attack: 266
  Attribute: 180
  Max Sharpness: Poor Blue
  Affinity: 10%

    >Blizzarioths+

    Attack: 294
    Attribute: 200
    Max Sharpness: Small Blue
    Affinity: 20%

Continuing the trend of it's predecessor, this too is the only Ice DB line in 
high rank. These have good raw attacks, and the Barioth weapons have affinity 
as well. If you need an ice weapon, these will work excellently.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O---------------O
| 6.2.6: Dragon |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Wrath and Rancor

Attack: 266
Attribute: 100
Max Sharpness: Small Blue
Affinity: 5%

A decently good DB set. Attack is a little above average, and the attribute 
isn't anything to write home about, but dragon weapons are very rare and 
useful, so you'll find several uses for these. The affinity is a nice touch 
too. However, these babies are made of Deviljho, which is only available late 
into high rank. This means if you want a set to use in the mean time, you'll 
be getting...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Insecticutters+)

>Insectirippers

Attack: 238
Attribute: 100
Max Sharpness: Good Blue
Slots: 1

These aren't by any means bad. It's decently good. Not amazing, but 
considering how early they're available, they're pretty great. The early 
access to blue sharpness is also great.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O---------------O
| 6.2.7: Poison |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Bloodwings+)

>Venom Wings

Attack: 252
Attribute: 250
Max Sharpness: Small Blue

The great amount of attribute combined with the good attack makes these blades 
very good. Poison works well with DB's and this weapon makes it easy to use. 
They're great, so go get them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O------------------O
| 6.2.8: Paralysis |
O------------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Shaka Scarecrows

Attack: 168
Attribute: 200
Max Sharpness: Good Green
Slots: 1

  >Chum Scarecrows

  Attack: 182
  Attribute: 220
  Max Sharpness: Small Blue
  Slots: 2

For better paralysis rates, use these guys. You'll get lots of paralysis with 
them. For multiplayer use, these guys will make your friends happy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Insecticutters+)

>Gobul Stunprongs

Attack: 210
Attribute: 150
Max Sharpness: Great Green

  >Gobul Stunprongs+

  Attack: 252
  Attribute: 170
  Max Sharpness: Small Blue

These are what you'll use to get more bang from your Paralysis DB's. Their 
attacks are decently strong, so when you do get those paralysis's in, they'll 
hurt.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ 6.3: G rank \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


O------------O
| 6.3.1: Raw |
O------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Bushido

Attack: 392
Max Sharpness: Poor Purple (Great Purple)
Affinity: -10%
Slots: 3

A DLC weapon, but well worth it. It has the one highest attacks of any DB, and 
the highest of any that can reach purple sharpness. Although its purple
sharpness without S+1 is piss poor, with S+1 it becomes amazing. On top of 
that, it has 3 slots and a nice little bonus with awakening, and you have the 
best general purpose DB in the game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Blizzarioths+)

>Ventus Vindictus

Attack: 350
Max Sharpness: Small Blue (Great Blue)
Slots: 3

  >Raider's Savagery

  Attack: 378
  Max Sharpness: Small Blue (Good Purple)
  Slots: 3

2nd runner-up for best raw weapon. It's basically a lesser Bushido with a bit 
more consistency. However, this weapon needs S+1 to be competitive. With it, 
though, it is amazingly strong, but still not on the level Bushido.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Cyclone)

>Tornado Hatchets

Attack: 308
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Good White)
Slots: 2

  >Typhoon

  Attack: 350
  Max Sharpness: Ok White (Great White)
  Slots: 2

Another good raw only DB. This one is the best choice for when you don't have 
S+1. Despite Bushido's access to purple sharpness, the bar for it is horrible, 
and and the white is just as bad. Typhoon offers better consistency. It is 
also much easier to make, and is available right at the start of G rank, so 
it's your choice early on.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O-------------O
| 6.3.2: Fire |
O-------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Salamanders)

>Ignis Noire

Attack: 294
Attribute: 300
Max Shapness: Poor White (Great White)
Affinity: 15%

  >Agnaktor Inferno

  Attack: 322
  Attribute: 340
  Max Sharpness: Good White (Poor Purple)
  Affinity: 15%

These, aside from the ubiquitous Miralis DB's, are the best Fire DB's in G 
Rank. They have great element, and affinity to boost raw damage as well. 
They're also much easier to make than the alternatives at G Rank.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Wyvern Lovers)

>Wyvern Strife

Attack: 336
Attribute: 200
Max Sharpness: OK White (OK Purple)
Slots: 1

  >Wyvern Conciliation

  Attack: 364
  Attribute: 230
  Max Sharpness: Great White (Good Purple)

The alternative Fire DB in G Rank. The strengths of these ones are their 
higher base attack, better sharpness, and access to a slot. These two trees 
are actually pretty similar in strength, but what put the Agnaktor line over 
this one are their availability and ease to make. See, these DB's are made 
from Gold Rathian and Silver Rathalos, and so are only available late into the 
game, that in addition to the mantles you have to collect, make this one less 
useful.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O--------------O
| 6.3.3: Water |
O--------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Plesioth Machetes)

>Verdant Slashers

Attack: 294
Attribute: 360
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Great White)
Slots: 1

  >Alluvion Slashers

  Attack: 336
  Attribute: 420
  Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Good Purple)
  Slots: 1

This may be a slightly controvertial decision, but hear me out. I do think 
these are the best water DB's in the game, and it's not just because of S+1. 
First of all, these DB's have a huge amount of water element. 420 is huge (3rd 
highest of any DB, behind Enduring Sacrifice and the Fistolution), so that 
is a great perk. 

The issue most people have with these DB's are that their max 
natural sharpness is only blue. This causes some problems, chiefly that of 
bouncing, and that damage isn't as high as it can be. If bouncing is an issue, 
then maybe finding an alternative would be good. However, in terms of damage, 
Alluvion especially is just as good as any other weapon you can use. In fact, 
the large amount of blue sharpness means that sharpnening isn't as much of an 
issue, since it maintains its sharpness longer. 

Lastly, if you manage to get S+1 with these babies, your water damage shoots 
through the roof, and no other water DB even comes close. Helios Z, with its 
S+1 and Water Atk+ skills, would be amazing with this set, completely 
destroying anything water weak.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Neptune Edges)

>Pelagic Deublades

Attack: 364
Attribute: 200
Max Sharpness: Good White (Good Purple)
Affinity: 5%

Your alternative Water DB's. Available as soon as Ivory Lagi is available in G 
Rank, these babies focus more on raw damage, possessing more base attack than 
the Plesioth DB's, as well as a slight affinity boost. They also have base 
white sharpness, so they have better cutting power. These and the plesioth DB 
line would be enough to satisfy your water DB needs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O----------------O
| 6.3.4: Thunder |
O----------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Levin Acrus)

>Neo Twin Acrus

Attack: 336
Attribute: 150
Max Sharpness: Poor White (Great White)

  >Neo Acrus Whitebolt

  Attack: 364
  Attribute: 180
  Max Sharpness: Great White (OK Purple)

These are your physically-centered thunder DB's, and they're pretty rad. 
Unfortunately, despite these being Lagiacrus weapons, they don't upgrade into 
the Abyssal Lagi DB's. However, Neo Acrus Whitebolt is the best thunder DB 
pre-Abyssal Lagi. Opressor's Miracle's element isn't enough to surpass it, and 
Neo Acrus' sharpness is far superior.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Despot's Blitz)

>Opressor's Miracle

Attack: 308
Attribute: 270
Max Sharpness: Poor White (Great White)

Despite Neo Acrus' strength, these are still pretty good. Opressor's Miracle 
is still far better than Neo Twin Acrus, and Despot's Blitz is also the best 
thunder DB in High Rank, so you should have it if you're using DB's. Also, 
strangely enough, these are the DB's that upgrade into the Abyssal Lagi DB's, 
so you'll be getting them eventually.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Guillotines)

>Golem's Saws

Attack: 280
Attribute: 130
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (OK White)
Slots: 1

  >Golem's Maneaters

  Attack: 322
  Attribute: 150
  Max Sharpness: Great White (Poor Purple)
  Slots: 2

"There are two things that I inherited from my father. The first is the 
Lightning Edge, and the second is the spirit of the samurai!"

*ahem*

Anyway, these are your thunder DB's of choice in early G Rank. They are 
significantly better than Depot's Blitz, and are available almost immediately.
They also look pretty damn cool.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



O------------O
| 6.3.5: Ice |
O------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Blizzarioths+)

>Raider's Icecarvers

Attack: 322
Attribute: 220
Max Sharpness: Good White (OK Purple)
Affinity: 25%

The only natural Ice DB line in the game continues to shine. Now, to be 
honest, these DB's aren't all that great. The attack and element aren't 
exceptionally high, though the affinity is nice. They didn't make many good 
ice weapons in this game, to be honest, but these are serviceable enough. Well 
that's all for ice DB's. Next is...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Cyclone)

>Tornado Hatchets

Attack: 308
Attribute: (200)
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Good White)
Slots: 2

  >Typhoon

  Attack: 350
  Attribute: (250)
  Max Sharpness: Ok White (Great White)
  Slots: 2

Wait, what? What's this? Another Ice DB line? And it has better base stats 
than the natural ice weapon? That's right, this awaken weapon sports better 
base attack and element than the actual ice DB. In fact, even taking into 
account affinity, these do -more- damage than the Raider's Icecarvers, both in 
terms of raw attack and element. So why are they mentioned second? Well, 3 
things: 1) They require awaken, 2) They have less sharpness, so aren't as 
consistent with their damage, and 3) With S+1, Raider's Icecarvers gets purple 
sharpness, so its damage far surpasses Typhoon. Still, this is a good weapon 
to use with Awaken.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



O---------------O
| 6.3.6: Dragon |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Wrath & Rancor)

>Wrathful Predation

Attack: 322
Attribute: 140
Max Sharpness: Poor White (Poor Purple)
Affinity: 10%

  >Nero's Wrath

  Attack: 364
  Attribute: 160
  Max Sharpness: Poor White (OK Purple)
  Affinity: 10%

Continuing from where High Rank left off, These guys continue the power game. 
Really, these guys are the same as Wrath and Rancor, except they're in G Rank. 
Everything I said before is the same, including the late availability.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Insectirippers)

>Insectiscythes

Attack: 294
Attribute: 150
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (OK White)
Slots: 2

  >Entomotheos

  Attack: 322
  Attribute: 200
  Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White)
  Slots: 2

Can I just say "see previous"? These are early G Rank dragon DB's. The only 
new thing about them is that they no longer offer much of a sharpness 
advantage (high white sharpness with S+1 isn't much to brag about). Use them 
like their predecessors.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Weathered Blades)

>Enduring Schism

Attack: 168
Attribute: 420
Max Sharpness: Poor White (Great White)
Slots: 3

  >Enduring Sacrifice

  Attack: 182
  Attribute: 480
  Max Sharpness: Great White (Great White)
  Slots: 3

Talk about a weapon of extremes. Crap attack, but the highest attribute in any 
DB, really high white sharpness, and 3 slots. However, despite these, this 
line is only meh. It doesn't have as much attack or attribute as its SnS 
cousin Divine Insodus, nor does it possess that weapon's access to purple 
sharpness. It would be fun for extremely dragon weak things, and it does 
wonders against Ceadeus, but aside from the 3 slots, this line doesn't have 
much going for it. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



O---------------O
| 6.3.7: Poison |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Venom Wings)

>Grimgrim Wings

Attack: 294
Attribute: 280
Max Sharpness: OK White (Great White)
Slots: 1

  >Grimmest Noxwings

  Attack: 322
  Attribute: 320
  Max Sharpness: Good White (Good Purple)
  Slots: 2

Like the SnS Gigginox line, this line has great attribute, enough to, combined 
with the DB's fast attacks, keep an enemy poisoned for practically the entire 
quest. Access to purple via S+1 and nice slot options are nice too.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O------------------O
| 6.3.8: Paralysis |
O------------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Chum Scarecrows)

>Chum-Chum Scarecrows

Attack: 196
Attribute: 250
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Great White)
Slots: 3

Continuing from High Rank, these guys are still pretty nice. They're not 
strong (not at all), but they paralyze really well. They also have great 
sharpness (relatively), and have nice slots. If you use DB's, get these. 
However, I must emphasize again how these are for multiplayer. If you use them 
alone, you won't be getting good times. At all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Gobul Stunprongs+)

>Plegion Stunswords

Attack: 308
Attribute: 190
Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Great Blue)

These guys -way- surpass the Chum-Chums in terms of damage, and they still 
have pretty good attribute. They might be a really good option for paralysis 
weak monsters like Plesioth. I'd still go for the Chum-Chums if only for the 
superior attribute, but these can be fun to use when going solo. They look 
freaking awesome too.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O--------------O
| 6.3.9: Sleep |
O--------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Plesioth Machetes)

>Jade Plesioth Fans

Attack: 266
Attribute: 170
Max Sharpness: Good Blue (Poor White)
Slots: 1

  >Jade Battlefanzers

  Attack: 280
  Attribute: 200
  Max Sharpness: Great Blue (Good White)
  Slots: 2

They did it. They actually did it. Capcom made Sleep attribute DB's, and you 
know what? They're actually pretty good. 200 is a good enough amount for 
status DB's, and 280 is ok as well. They also have slots, which is nice, and 
decent sharpness. These would be one of the best sleep appliers in the game, 
so it's a must-have for some of you out there.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O---------------O
| 6.3.10: Slime |
O---------------O

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bushido

Attack: 392
Attribute: (180)
Max Sharpness: Poor Purple (Great Purple)
Affinity: 10%
Slots: 3

That's right. They gave the DB's with the highest raw attack in the game Slime 
element. However, like I mentioned earlier, you need S+1 for these guys to be 
any use, because without it, you'll be down to green sharpness before you can 
even say Titan. If you don't have S+1, don't bother. If you can get S+1 and 
Awaken together, though, prepare to become God.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ 7: Version History and Stuff \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:v0.5, Completed on 2013-04-24 - Finished SnS recommendations, as well as 
basic format for the FAQ

:v1.0, Completed on 2013-11-23 - Completed version 1! All sctions are 
complete, including the OU section. Preparing to make some corrections in the 
future, including some DLC I may have not taken into account.

This guide is the property of me, Mx4_1204, a.k.a. Marco Talin, a.k.a. 
[redacted]. I am only posting it on GameFAQs. If you want a copy, let me know, 
and I'll think about it. You can contact me through GameFAQs, or you can e-mail 
me at marcotalin12@gmail.com. 


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ 8: Acknowledgements \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd like to give a very special thanks to users like VioletKIRA, Lord Grahf, 
Boldrin, and Hollywoodchuck, whose efforts on making weapon FAQs and guides 
have made this guide possible, and have made life a bit easier for other 
hunters.

Thank you also to GameFAQs for hosting this FAQ, and also to the denizens of 
the MH boards. You guys are awesome.