MHW Iceborne Insect Glaive: Your Ultimate Guide

Oct 23, 2025 by Jhon Lennon 48 views

Hey there, fellow hunters! If you're diving into the icy depths of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and are looking to master the Insect Glaive, then you've come to the right place. This guide is your ultimate companion, packed with everything you need to know, from the basics to advanced techniques, to make you a kinsect-wielding, aerial-assaulting powerhouse. Let's get started, shall we?

Understanding the Insect Glaive in Iceborne

So, what exactly is the Insect Glaive? Well, it's a unique weapon in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne that offers a blend of aerial mobility and ground-based combat. Its versatility allows for a dynamic playstyle, making it a favorite for hunters who enjoy dodging, weaving, and dealing consistent damage. The Insect Glaive features two core components: the Glaive itself, a polearm, and the Kinsect, a customizable insect companion. The Kinsect is the key to the Insect Glaive's unique mechanics, as it can be launched to gather extracts from monsters, granting buffs to the hunter. The Glaive is an outstanding weapon in many aspects, but it takes time and effort to learn the movesets, combos, and strategies, making this a high-skill weapon.

The Insect Glaive excels in providing hunters with excellent mobility and reach. Hunters can use the Glaive to perform a variety of aerial attacks and quickly reposition themselves around the battlefield. Its ability to vault into the air with a simple input provides a unique vantage point for attacking monsters or escaping danger. This mobility, combined with the Kinsect's extract buffs, makes the Insect Glaive a formidable weapon in the right hands. Its primary function is to provide aerial attacks with the benefit of the kinsect extracts. This creates a versatile playstyle that mixes aerial maneuvers and buffs that makes hunters a strong contender in combat.

Now, let's talk more about the Kinsect. Your little insect buddy is more than just a pet; it's a vital part of your combat strategy. The Kinsect can be launched to specific parts of a monster, extracting buffs based on the color of the extract it gathers. Red extract boosts attack power, white extract enhances movement speed, orange extract provides defense, and yellow extract grants stamina. Mastering the extraction mechanic is crucial for optimizing your Insect Glaive gameplay. This also creates a great experience for the hunter, as they are actively engaged in hunting for the extracts and buffing themselves to increase their damage and defensive capabilities. The Kinsect also has different types and stats that can be further customized with different kinsect types and stats that cater to a specific playstyle.

The Importance of Extracts

Extracts are the name of the game when it comes to the Insect Glaive. Landing hits with your Kinsect on various parts of the monster grants you buffs. This is your core gameplay loop. Here's a breakdown:

Red Extract: Boosts attack and changes your moveset.
White Extract: Enhances your speed and mobility.
Orange Extract: Provides defense and prevents knockbacks.
Green Extract: Regenerates your health over time.

Collecting all three (Red, White, and Orange) is the optimal strategy, as it drastically improves your overall performance.

Essential Combos and Techniques for Insect Glaive Mastery

Alright, let's dive into some practical techniques that will help you become a Insect Glaive pro. The Insect Glaive, in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, has a range of combos that will allow you to mix up your playstyle. This section will get you to understand more about this weapon.

First, let's look at the basic combos. The Insect Glaive is simple, yet provides a plethora of mix-ups that can be used to outplay any monsters. The bread and butter of the Insect Glaive is the combo between the aerial attacks and ground attacks, providing both mobility and damage. Here are some of the basic combos that you can use when starting out:

Ground Combos: These are your go-to combos when you're on the ground. A good starting point is the Triangle/Y combo, which leads into a series of fluid strikes. Mix in Circle/B for a sweeping attack.
Aerial Combos: Press R2/RT to vault and initiate aerial attacks. These are great for dodging and getting in some quick hits, especially when the monster is down.

Now, let's talk about the more advanced techniques and combos to take your gameplay to the next level.

Kinsect Extract Management: This is the heart of the Insect Glaive playstyle. Learn to target specific monster parts to gather the buffs you need. Use the Kinsect command (L2/LT) and remember which extracts are on which part of the monster. This takes practice!
Vaulting and Aerial Attacks: Master the timing of your vaults and aerial attacks. You can use this to dodge incoming attacks or to reposition for a better strike. Use this to your advantage to provide you with an edge in combat.
Advanced Combos: Once you've got the basics down, experiment with mixing ground and aerial attacks to create longer, more damaging combos. For example, combine a ground combo with a vault to continue your attack.

Kinsect Control and Extract Management

As previously mentioned, kinsect control is very important. Managing extracts and using the kinsect is the main playstyle for Insect Glaive users. Here's how to manage it:

Extracting with the Kinsect: Use L2/LT to send your Kinsect to the monster. The Kinsect will extract a buff based on the part of the monster it hits.
Recall the Kinsect: Press L2/LT again to recall the Kinsect, along with the extract, to activate the buffs.
Managing Extracts: Aim for Red, White, and Orange. These are the most important buffs for an Insect Glaive user. The buffs last for different amounts of time, so make sure to keep track of them.

Iceborne Specific Mechanics and Considerations

Iceborne brought a lot of new content to Monster Hunter World. This includes new mechanics and monsters that will challenge even the most experienced hunters. Here's how the Insect Glaive adapts:

Clutch Claw Integration: The Clutch Claw is a game-changer. Use it to soften monster parts for increased damage or to force them into a different area. The Insect Glaive's aerial mobility makes it easier to land Clutch Claw attacks. It's especially useful for grappling onto monsters.
New Iceborne Monsters: The new monsters in Iceborne demand a more adaptable playstyle. Learn their attack patterns and adjust your strategy accordingly. The extra damage and mobility from the Insect Glaive will come in handy.
Master Rank Gear: Iceborne introduces Master Rank gear, providing stronger weapons and armor. Focus on building sets that enhance your Kinsect, aerial attacks, and critical hit rate.

Clutch Claw Usage

The Clutch Claw is an important mechanic in Iceborne, so it's a must to master it. Use the Clutch Claw to soften monster parts for increased damage or to force them into a different area. Here's how to use it with the Insect Glaive:

Equip Clutch Claw: Equip it from your slinger, and then target the monster's head. Press the button to grab the monster.
Softening Parts: After grappling the monster, attack a specific part to soften it. This will increase the damage taken by the monster.
Wall Bangs: After grappling the monster, shoot your slinger to send the monster to the wall. This will leave it stunned and open for attack.

Building Your Insect Glaive Loadout

Building the right loadout is essential to maximize your effectiveness with the Insect Glaive. Here’s a breakdown of the important parts of the loadout.

Armor Skills

Attack Boost: Increases your attack power.
Critical Eye: Boosts your affinity (critical hit chance).
Weakness Exploit: Increases affinity on weak points.
Critical Boost: Increases the damage of critical hits.
Speed Eating: Speeds up the consumption of items.

Weapons and Kinsects

Weapon Choice: Focus on weapons with high raw damage or elemental damage, depending on the monster you're facing. Consider the rarity and weapon type.
Kinsect Selection: Choose your Kinsect based on its stats and the types of extracts it provides. Consider the attack, speed, and dust effects.
Weapon Augments: Augment your weapon to improve stats like attack, affinity, and defense.

Armor Sets

Mix and Match: Don’t be afraid to mix and match armor sets to get the skills you need. Sometimes it's better to build your own mix rather than wear a full armor set.
Master Rank Sets: Aim for Master Rank armor sets to maximize your skills. Prioritize the armor sets based on the skills and your preferred playstyle.
Fashion Hunting: Don’t forget to consider the look! Monster Hunter is all about fashion hunting as well.

Tips and Tricks for Insect Glaive Success

To become a true Insect Glaive master in Iceborne, you need more than just knowing the moves. Here's some extra tips and tricks:

Practice: Spend time in the training area to master combos and extract management.
Monster Knowledge: Learn the attack patterns of each monster to know when to strike and when to dodge.
Environment: Use the environment to your advantage. Use ledges to vault into aerial attacks and use walls for Clutch Claw attacks.
Teamwork: If you're hunting with others, coordinate your attacks and focus on the monster's weak points.

Advanced Techniques

Aerial Evades: Use the Insect Glaive's aerial mobility to evade attacks and reposition yourself.
Kinsect Dust Effects: Consider Kinsects with dust effects for extra support in combat.
Learn Your Matchups: Some monsters are more vulnerable to the Insect Glaive's aerial attacks.

Conclusion: So You Want to be an Insect Glaive Master?

Alright, folks, that wraps up this comprehensive Insect Glaive guide for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Mastering this weapon takes time and practice, but the payoff is well worth it. You'll gain access to a versatile, high-mobility weapon that allows you to dominate the battlefield. Remember to keep practicing your combos, master extract management, and adapt to the challenges Iceborne throws your way. Now go forth, hunt with pride, and show those monsters what a true Insect Glaive user can do! Happy hunting!