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These are the best builds for the Sword and Shield in Monster Hunter World (MHW) Iceborne for DLC progression and endgame. Learn about the best builds, skills, and weapons for Sword and Shield below!
List of Contents
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
True Fatalis Sword
|
Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 Peak Performance 1, Divine Blessing 1
x1Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 Peak Performance 1, Divine Blessing 1
x1 |
|
| Armor | Slots and Skills | Decorations |
|
|
Slots: ④④①
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1) |
Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 Peak Performance 1, Divine Blessing 1
x1Critical/Protection Jewel 4 Critical/Protection Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Divine Blessing 1
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
|
|
|
Slots: ④④④
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1) |
Critical/Protection Jewel 4 Critical/Protection Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Divine Blessing 1
x1Critical/Evasion Jewel 4 Critical/Evasion Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Evade Window 1
x1Challenger Jewel+ 4 Challenger Jewel+ 4 Agitator 2
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④④④
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1) Handicraft (Lv 3) |
Handicraft Jewel+ 4 Handicraft Jewel+ 4 Handicraft 2
x2Shaver Jewel 3 x1 Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Boost 2
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④④④
Critical Eye (Lv 2) |
Handicraft Jewel+ 4 Handicraft Jewel+ 4 Handicraft 2
x2Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Boost 2
x1Satiated/Attack Jewel 4 Satiated/Attack Jewel 4 Free Meal 1, Attack Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④④④
Evade Window (Lv 1) |
Evasion Jewel+ 4 Evasion Jewel+ 4 Evade Window 2
x2Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1 |
| Challenger Charm V | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Agitator 7 | Attack Boost 7 |
| Critical Eye 7 | Divine Blessing 5 |
| Evade Window 5 | Critical Boost 3 |
| Peak Performance 3 | Weakness Exploit 3 |
| Handicraft 2 | Free Meal 1 |
| Clutch Claw Boost 1 | Inheritance (Fatalis Legend 2) |
| Transcendence (Fatalis Legend 4) | True Razor Sharp / Spare Shot (Fatalis Legend 4) |
Taking advantage of Inheritance from the Fatalis Legend Set Bonus, this build provides high affinity and attack using the unlocked Agitator 7, complemented with Critical Eye, Attack Boost, and Weakness Exploit.
Transcendance from the Fatalis Legend Set Bonus provides comfort and survivability with True Razor Sharp and the huge Health and Stamina boost. This allows for less sharpening between each encounter and gets you to max HP without Health Boost and eating meals or consuming Max/Ancient Potions.
Divine Blessing and Evade Window are nice defensive skills that leverages Sword and Shield's mobility. Higher i-frames on your dodges with Evade Window lets you aggressively dodge into monster attacks to close the gap and deal damage while Divine Blessing covers any mistakes doing this.
| Meta Builds |
|---|
|
|
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
Kjarr Slicer "King"
|
Blaze Jewel 1 Blaze Jewel 1 Fire Attack 1
x1 |
|
| Armor | Slots and Skills | Decorations |
|
|
Slots: ④①①
Evade Window (Lv 1) Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Tenderizer/Evasion Jewel 4 Tenderizer/Evasion Jewel 4 Weakness Exploit 1, Evade Window 1
x1Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x1Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ③②
Blight Resistance (Lv 2) Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Shaver Jewel 3 x1 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Weakness Exploit 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④②②
Blight Resistance (Lv 1) |
Tenderizer/Evasion Jewel 4 Tenderizer/Evasion Jewel 4 Weakness Exploit 1, Evade Window 1
x1Furor Jewel 2 Furor Jewel 2 Resentment 1
x1Challenger Jewel 2 Challenger Jewel 2 Agitator 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④①
Evade Window (Lv 2) |
Challenger Jewel+ 4 Challenger Jewel+ 4 Agitator 2
x1Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Challenger Jewel+ 4 Challenger Jewel+ 4 Agitator 2
x1Furor Jewel 2 Furor Jewel 2 Resentment 1
x1Satiated Jewel 1 Satiated Jewel 1 Free Meal 1
x1 |
| Blaze Charm V | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Fire Attack 6 | Agitator 5 |
| Evade Window 5 | Blight Resistance 3 |
| Critical Boost 3 | Health Boost 3 |
| Weakness Exploit 3 | Resentment 2 |
| Free Meal 1 | Critical Element (Kjarr Weapon) |
| Dragonvein Awakening (Safi'Jiiva Seal 3) | True Dragonvein Awakening (Safi'jiiva Seal 5) |
A build that concentrates on dealing a lot of elemental damage using the Kjarr Weapon's Critical Element combined with Safi'jiiva's True Dragonvein Awakening.
True Dragonvein Awakening provides increased elemental damage and affinity from continuously attacking the monster. Each swing of the weapon consumes your HP whether it hits something or not, but Health Regen augments can help mitigate this a little bit and Resentment can provide a little bit more attack from this interaction.
Agitator, Critical Boost, Critical Element, and Weakness Exploit boosts and takes advantage of the high affinity True Dragonvein Awakening already provides.
Evade Window leverages the Sword and Shield's high mobility to be able to dodge attacks effectively to keep up the aggression.
Just swap out the Charm and Weapon to match the element you're going for!
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
Kjarr Slicer "King"
|
Blaze Jewel 1 Blaze Jewel 1 Fire Attack 1
x1 |
|
| Armor | Slots and Skills | Decorations |
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Critical Eye (Lv 2) |
Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Weakness Exploit 1
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④ーー
Critical Boost (Lv 2) |
Satiated/Expert Jewel 4 Satiated/Expert Jewel 4 Free Meal 1, Critical Eye 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④②ー
Slinger Capacity (Lv 3) |
Critical/Evasion Jewel 4 Critical/Evasion Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Evade Window 1
x1Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Weakness Exploit 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④①ー
Windproof (Lv 1) Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 Flinch Free 1, Health Boost 1
x1Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Slinger Capacity (Lv 2) |
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Health Boost 1
x1Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Weakness Exploit 1
x1Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x1 |
| Blaze Charm V | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Critical Eye 7 | Fire Attack 6 |
| Slinger Capacity 5 | Critical Boost 3 |
| Health Boost 3 | Weakness Exploit 3 |
| Evade Window 1 | Windproof 1 |
| Flinch Free 1 | Speed Sharpening 1 |
| Critical Element (Kjarr Weapon) | Free Meal 1 |
| Resuscitate 1 | Slinger Ammo Secret (Silver Rathalos Essence 2) |
| True Critical Element (Silver Rathalos Essence 4) | Punishing Draw (Frostfang Absolute Art 1) |
This is a more comfortable build for dealing a lot of elemental damage that uses True Critical Element. Critical Eye and Weakness Exploit provides all the affinity you need while Critical Boost helps deal more damage.
Just swap out the Charm and Weapon to match the element you're going for!
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
Lightbreak Sword
|
Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1Blast Jewel 1 Blast Jewel 1 Blast Attack 1
x1 |
|
| Armor | Decorations | |
|
|
Slots: ④ーー
Latent Power (Lv 1) Critical Eye (Lv 2) |
Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1
|
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Agitator (Lv 2) |
Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Boost 2
x1Attack Jewel 1 Attack Jewel 1 Attack Boost 1
x1Attack Jewel 1 Attack Jewel 1 Attack Boost 1
x1
|
|
|
Slots: ④③ー
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1) Heat Guard (Lv 1) |
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Health Boost 1
x1Brace Jewel 3 Brace Jewel 3 Flinch Free 1
x1
|
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Blast Attack (Lv 2) |
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Health Boost 1
x1Attack Jewel 1 Attack Jewel 1 Attack Boost 1
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
x1
|
|
|
Slots: ④①①
Weakness Exploit (Lv 2) |
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Health Boost 1
x1Attack Jewel 1 Attack Jewel 1 Attack Boost 1
x2
|
| Challenger Charm V | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Attack Boost 7 | Critical Eye 7 |
| Agitator 7 | Health Boost 3 |
| Critical Boost 3 | Weakness Exploit 3 |
| Blast Attack 3 | Heat Guard 1 |
| Latent Power 1 | Flinch Free 1 |
| Master's Touch (Teostra Technique 3) | Agitator Secret (Brachydios Will 2) |
A high afifnity and attack build that uses the unlocked Agitator 7 complemented by Attack Boost, Critical Eye, Critical Boost, and Weakness Exploit.
Master's Touch takes advantage of the high affinity to reduce sharpness loss, allowing your weapon to deal maximum damage for longer, lessening the amount of times you need to sharpen.
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
Safi's Bindfang
|
Para Jewel+ 4 Para Jewel+ 4 Paralysis Attack 2
x1--- |
|
| Awakened Ability | ||
| Teostra Essence | Status Effect Up VI | Status Effect V |
| Armor | Slots and Skills | Decorations |
|
|
Slots: ④①①
Evade Window (Lv 1) Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
x1
|
|
|
Slots: ④①①
Latent Power (Lv 1) |
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 Critical Boost 1, Health Boost 1
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
x2
|
|
|
Slots: ④②②
Blight Resistance (Lv 1) |
Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 Flinch Free 1, Health Boost 1
x1Paralyzer Jewel 1 Paralyzer Jewel 1 Paralysis Attack 1
x2
|
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Blast Attack (Lv 2) |
Tenderizer/Vitality Jewel 4 Tenderizer/Vitality Jewel 4 Weakness Exploit 1, Health Boost 1
x1Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Weakness Exploit 1
x1Expert Jewel 1 Expert Jewel 1 Critical Eye 1
x1
|
|
|
Slots: ④②①
Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Boost 2
x1Tenderizer Jewel 2 Tenderizer Jewel 2 Weakness Exploit 1
x1Resistor Jewel 1 Resistor Jewel 1 Blight Resistance 1
x1
|
| Attack Charm V | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Attack Boost 7 | Critical Eye 7 |
| Paralysis Attack 4 | Health Boost 3 |
| Critical Boost 3 | Weakness Exploit 3 |
| Blight Resistance 2 | Blast Attack 2 |
| Latent Power 1 | Evade Window 1 |
| Flinch Free 1 | Master's Touch (Teostra Technique 3) |
| Dragonvein Awakening (Safi'jiiva Seal 3) | |
A paralysis build that uses Dragonvein Awakening for increased status ailment and affinity to get more DPS windows from monsters being paralyzed. Each swing of the weapon will consume your HP whether it hits something or not, but Health Regen augments can help mitigate this.
Critical Eye and Weakness Exploit helps keep your afiinity high even without activating Dragonvein Awakening. Attack Boost and Critical Boost increases your damage.
Master's Touch takes advantage of the high affinity to lessen sharpen loss, allowing your weapon to deal maximum damage for longer, lessening the amount of times you need to sharpen.
| Progression Builds |
|---|
|
|

The Guardian Armor plus Defender Weapon combo is a viable starter build for Iceborne's early game. It has good enough defense to take hits from the early monsters, as well as enough damage to let you farm for your early Iceborne build.
The Guardian Armor set is given to all players from the start of the game and has good defense and survival skills while the Defender Weapon can be crafted from the Smithy and can be fully upgraded with ease.
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
Naaga Seax I
|
--- --- |
|
| Armor | Slots and Skills | Decorations |
|
|
Slots: ③ーー
Health Boost (Lv 2) Partbreaker (Lv 1) |
Handicraft Jewel 3 Handicraft Jewel 3 Handicraft 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ②ーー
Attack Boost (Lv 2) Health Boost (Lv 1) |
Critical Jewel 2 Critical Jewel 2 Critical Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ④ーー
Critical Boost (Lv 1) |
Expert Jewel+ 4 Expert Jewel+ 4 Critical Eye 2
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ③ーー
Item Prolonger (Lv 2) Critical Eye (Lv 1) |
Handicraft Jewel 3 Handicraft Jewel 3 Handicraft 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ②ーー
Critical Eye (Lv 2) Item Prolonger (Lv 1) |
Critical Jewel 2 Critical Jewel 2 Critical Boost 1
x1
|
| Handicraft Charm III | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Critical Eye 5 | Handicraft 5 |
| Health Boost 3 | Critical Boost 3 |
| Item Prolonger 3 | Attack Boost 2 |
| Partbreaker 1 | |
An early Iceborne build that can pack a lot of damage in the early game because of high sharpness and decent affinity. While lacking in some quality of life skills, it should be enough to get you to the mid game if you play carefully.
| Weapon | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|
Flash in the Night
|
--- | |
| Armor | Slots and Skills | Decorations |
|
|
Slots: ①①ー
Peak Performance (Lv 2) Piercing Shots (Lv 1) |
Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x2 |
|
|
Slots: ④ーー
Evade Window (Lv 2) |
Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Jewel+ 4 Attack Boost 2
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ③ーー
Jump Master (Lv 1) Weakness Exploit (Lv 1) |
Elementless Jewel 2 Elementless Jewel 2 Non-elemental Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ①ーー
Weakness Exploit (Lv 2) Item Prolonger (Lv 1) |
Vitality Jewel 1 Vitality Jewel 1 Health Boost 1
x1 |
|
|
Slots: ①①ー
Evade Window (Lv 1) Peak Performance (Lv 1) |
Attack Jewel 1 Attack Jewel 1 Attack Boost 1
x2
|
| Attack Charm III | None | |
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| Attack Boost 7 | Health Boost 3 |
| Weakness Exploit 3 | Peak Performance 3 |
| Evade Window 3 | Piercing Shots 1 |
| Item Prolonger 1 | Jump Master 1 |
| Non-elemental Boost 1 | True Razor Sharp / Spare Shot (Nargacuga Essence 3) |
This build forgoes the usual high affinity build and instead deals consistent high damage thanks to Attack Boost 7 and Non-elemental Boost. That said, Weakness Exploit and Flash in the Night's affinity still gives the build a decent amount of affinity as long as you're hitting weak spots.
What makes this build comfortable is the True Razor Sharp / Spare Shot, keeping the weapon sharp for longer battles, leading to less sharpens in the entire hunt. Paired with Flash in the Night's high sharpness, this build makes for a consistent damage output over a long time.
| Weapon | |
|---|---|
True Fatalis Sword
[Atk] 490 | [Affinity] -30% |
・Highest Raw Damage Sword and Shield ・Fatalis Armor Set can prolong sharpness through the True Razorsharp armor bonus skill |
Alatreon Star
[Atk] 420 | [Affinity] 0% |
・Extremely High Dragon element damage ・ Best weapon against enemies weak to Dragon element |
Lightbreak Sword
[Atk] 420 | [Affinity] 0% |
・High Power with decent purple sharpness ・ Has a high blast attribute ・Easy to Build |
Nyx Tabar II
[Atk] 336 | [Affinity] 0% |
・Has a high sleep damage |
Lunatic Rose
[Atk] 406 | [Affinity] 10% |
・Balanced Sword and Shield ・ Has Poison Damage |
| Skill | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Health Boost ( ★★★ ) |
・Increase your vitality and greatly increases your survival rate. Essential for beginners who get hit a lot. |
| Teostra's Technique ( ★★★ ) |
・Reduces the sharpness depletion of your weapon. |
| Weakness Exploit ( ★★★ ) |
・Increases your affinity towards monster weak parts. |
| Critical Boost ( ★★★ ) |
・Boosts the damage of your critical attacks. |
| Clutch Claw Boost ( ★★★ ) |
・Allows the Sword and Shield to wound a specific part with a single clutch attack. |
| Critical Eye ( ★★★ ) |
・Increases your the base affinity of your weapon. |
| Velkhana Divinity (★★ ) |
・Increases the elemental damage of your weapon on critical hits when 2 pieces are worn and increases your weapon's damage after being drawn when 4 pieces are worn. |
| Agitator ( ★★ ) |
・Increases your damage and affinity when a monster is angry. |
| Attack Boost ( ★★ ) |
・Increases your base damage and adds 5% affinity when at level 4. |
| Wide-Range ( ★★ ) |
・Your consumables will also affect your teammates. |
| Speed Eating ( ★★ ) |
・Decreases the time of item consumption. |
| Elemental Attack ( ★★ ) |
・Increases your weapon's elemental damage. |
Best Skills for Sword and Shields

Best Endgame Builds and Weapon Progression Builds
| Melee Weapons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranged Weapons | |
|---|---|
| Monster Counterbuilds | |
|---|---|
Best Sword and Shield Builds for Iceborne

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Safi Para build messed up. 2 chest pieces