What can you do as a free member?

Member benefits illustration

Create your free account today and unlock all our premium features and tools to enhance your gaming experience.

Member benefits illustration

Create your free account today and save articles to your watchlist and get notified when they're updated with new information.

Member benefits illustration

Create your free account today and save your favorite games for quick access later, synced across all your devices.

Member benefits illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, you'll receive instant notifications when someone replies to your posts.

Comment rating feature illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, you can make use of convenient features in the comments section, such as rating and sorting comments.

Premium archive feature illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, you can access Premium articles that are exclusively available to members.

Map tool feature illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, the items you checked on the map tool will be saved.

Site Interface

Guest
Free Member
Article Watchlist
Game Bookmarks
Cross-device Sync
Light/Dark Theme Toggle
User Profiles
Direct Feedback
Comment Rating
Comment Notification
Premium Articles

Game Tools

Guest
Free Member
Interactive Map Access
Interactive Map Pins
Interactive Map Comments
Interactive Map Pins Cross-Device
Check List
Event Choice Checker
Deck Builder Cross-Device
Message Board Notification
Message Board Cross-Device
Build Planner
Stat Calculator
Diagnostic Tool
Weapon/Armor Wishlist
Team Builder
Character Scoring
Tier List Maker

Want more information?Learn more

Find your next guide

Choose a game to explore its walkthrough and guides.

New and Upcoming Releases

Popular Guides

Monster Hunter World (MHW)

Best Sword and Shield Builds for Iceborne

Add to Watchlist

NEW 9/29: Monster Hunter Outlanders 10/29 release!
Read Game8's exclusive interview with Capcom and TiMi producers!

★ Game8 Best Games Survey
Vote for your favorite games and share your voice!

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!

Sword and Shield Endgame Meta Build

Full Fatalis Build

Weapon Decorations
True Fatalis Sword Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Armor Slots and Skills Decorations
Brachydium Helm Beta + Brachydium Helm Beta + Slots: ④④①
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1)
Flawless/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Critical/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Expert Jewel 1
Dragonhide Beta + Dragonhide Beta + Slots: ④④④
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1)
Critical/Protection Jewel 4 x1
Critical/Evasion Jewel 4 x1
Challenger Jewel+ 4 x1
Dragonclaws Beta + Dragonclaws Beta + Slots: ④④④
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1)
Handicraft (Lv 3)
Handicraft Jewel+ 4 x2
Shaver Jewel 3 x1
Attack Jewel+ 4 x1
Dragonbarbs Beta + Dragonbarbs Beta + Slots: ④④④
Critical Eye (Lv 2)
Handicraft Jewel+ 4 x2
Attack Jewel+ 4 x1
Satiated/Attack Jewel 4 x1
Dragonfeet Beta + Dragonfeet Beta + Slots: ④④④
Evade Window (Lv 1)
Evasion Jewel+ 4 x2
Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Challenger Charm V None

Full Fatalis Skills

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.

Sword and Shield Meta Builds

Meta Builds



Elemental I Build

Weapon Decorations
Kjarr Slicer "King" Blaze Jewel 1 x1
Armor Slots and Skills Decorations
Safi Crested Crown Beta + Safi Crested Crown Beta + Slots: ④①①
Evade Window (Lv 1)
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Tenderizer/Evasion Jewel 4 x1
Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Safi Crested Chest Alpha + Safi Crested Chest Alpha + Slots: ③②
Blight Resistance (Lv 2)
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Shaver Jewel 3 x1
Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Safi Crested Vambraces Beta + Safi Crested Vambraces Beta + Slots: ④②②
Blight Resistance (Lv 1)
Tenderizer/Evasion Jewel 4 x1
Furor Jewel 2 x1
Challenger Jewel 2 x1
Safi Crested Belt Beta + Safi Crested Belt Beta + Slots: ④①
Evade Window (Lv 2)
Challenger Jewel+ 4 x1
Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Safi Crested Boots Beta + Safi Crested Boots Beta + Slots: ④②①
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Challenger Jewel+ 4 x1
Furor Jewel 2 x1
Satiated Jewel 1 x1
Blaze Charm V None

Elemental I Build Skill List

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!

Elemental II Build

Weapon Decorations
Kjarr Slicer "King" Blaze Jewel 1 x1
Armor Slots and Skills Decorations
Frostfang Helm Beta + Frostfang Helm Beta + Slots: ④②①
Critical Eye (Lv 2)
Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Expert Jewel 1 x1
Silver Solmail Beta + Silver Solmail Beta + Slots: ④ーー
Critical Boost (Lv 2)
Satiated/Expert Jewel 4 x1
Silver Solbraces Beta + Silver Solbraces Beta + Slots: ④②ー
Slinger Capacity (Lv 3)
Critical/Evasion Jewel 4 x1
Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Silver Solcoil Beta + Silver Solcoil Beta + Slots: ④①ー
Windproof (Lv 1)
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Silver Solgreaves Beta + Silver Solgreaves Beta + Slots: ④②①
Slinger Capacity (Lv 2)
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Blaze Charm V None

Elemental II Build Skill List

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!

Agitator/Master's Touch Build

Weapon Decorations
Lightbreak Sword Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Blast Jewel 1 x1
Armor Decorations
Kaiser Crown Beta + Kaiser Crown Beta + Slots: ④ーー
Latent Power (Lv 1)
Critical Eye (Lv 2)
Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Brachydium Mail Beta + Brachydium Mail Beta + Slots: ④②①
Agitator (Lv 2)
Attack Jewel+ 4 x1
Attack Jewel 1 x1
Attack Jewel 1 x1
Kaiser Vambraces Beta + Kaiser Vambraces Beta + Slots: ④③ー
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1)
Heat Guard (Lv 1)
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Brace Jewel 3 x1
Kaiser Coil Beta + Kaiser Coil Beta + Slots: ④②①
Blast Attack (Lv 2)
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Attack Jewel 1 x1
Expert Jewel 1 x1
Brachydium Greaves Beta + Brachydium Greaves Beta + Slots: ④①①
Weakness Exploit (Lv 2)
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Attack Jewel 1 x2
Challenger Charm V None

Agitator/Master's Touch Build Skill List

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.

Awakened Paralysis Safi'jiiva Build

Weapon Decorations
Safi's Bindfang Para Jewel+ 4 x1
---
Awakened Ability
Teostra Essence Status Effect Up VI Status Effect V
Armor Slots and Skills Decorations
Safi Crested Crown Beta + Safi Crested Crown Beta + Slots: ④①①
Evade Window (Lv 1)
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Expert Jewel 1 x1
Expert Jewel 1 x1
Kaiser Mail Beta + Kaiser Mail Beta + Slots: ④①①
Latent Power (Lv 1)
Critical/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Expert Jewel 1 x2
Safi Crested Vambraces Beta + Safi Crested Vambraces Beta + Slots: ④②②
Blight Resistance (Lv 1)
Brace/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Paralyzer Jewel 1 x2
Kaiser Coil Beta + Kaiser Coil Beta + Slots: ④②①
Blast Attack (Lv 2)
Tenderizer/Vitality Jewel 4 x1
Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Expert Jewel 1 x1
Safi Crested Boots Beta + Safi Crested Boots Beta + Slots: ④②①
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Attack Jewel+ 4 x1
Tenderizer Jewel 2 x1
Resistor Jewel 1 x1
Attack Charm V None

Awakened Paralysis Safi'jiiva Build Skill List

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.

Sword and Shield Progression Builds

Progression Builds

Starter Iceborne Build

Defender Armor

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.

Early Iceborne Progression Build

Weapon Decorations
Naaga Seax I ---
---
Armor Slots and Skills Decorations
Bone Helm Alpha + Bone Helm Alpha + Slots: ③ーー
Health Boost (Lv 2)
Partbreaker (Lv 1)
Handicraft Jewel 3 x1
Bone Mail Alpha + Bone Mail Alpha + Slots: ②ーー
Attack Boost (Lv 2)
Health Boost (Lv 1)
Critical Jewel 2 x1
Kulu Vambraces Beta + Kulu Vambraces Beta + Slots: ④ーー
Critical Boost (Lv 1)
Expert Jewel+ 4 x1
Kulu Coil Alpha + Kulu Coil Alpha + Slots: ③ーー
Item Prolonger (Lv 2)
Critical Eye (Lv 1)
Handicraft Jewel 3 x1
Kulu Greaves Alpha + Kulu Greaves Alpha + Slots: ②ーー
Critical Eye (Lv 2)
Item Prolonger (Lv 1)
Critical Jewel 2 x1
Handicraft Charm III None

Early Iceborne Skill List

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.

Mid-Late Iceborne Progression Build

Weapon Decorations
Flash in the Night ---
Armor Slots and Skills Decorations
Nargacuga Helm Alpha + Nargacuga Helm Alpha + Slots: ①①ー
Peak Performance (Lv 2)
Piercing Shots (Lv 1)
Vitality Jewel 1 x2
Nargacuga Mail Beta + Nargacuga Mail Beta + Slots: ④ーー
Evade Window (Lv 2)
Attack Jewel+ 4 x1
Rathalos Vambraces Alpha + Rathalos Vambraces Alpha + Slots: ③ーー
Jump Master (Lv 1)
Weakness Exploit (Lv 1)
Elementless Jewel 2 x1
Fulgur Coil Alpha + Fulgur Coil Alpha + Slots: ①ーー
Weakness Exploit (Lv 2)
Item Prolonger (Lv 1)
Vitality Jewel 1 x1
Nargacuga Greaves Alpha + Nargacuga Greaves Alpha + Slots: ①①ー
Evade Window (Lv 1)
Peak Performance (Lv 1)
Attack Jewel 1 x2
Attack Charm III None

Mid-Late Iceborne Progression Build Skill List

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.

Sword and Shield Best Weapons and Skills

Recommended Weapons for Sword and Shield

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

Recommended Skills for Sword and Shield

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

Monster Hunter World (MHW) Iceborne Related Guides

Best Builds

Best Builds Banner.png

Best Endgame Builds and Weapon Progression Builds

Best Builds Per Weapons

Melee Weapons
Long Sword Icon.jpegLong Swords Great Sword Icon.jpegGreat Swords Sword & Shield Icon.jpegSword and Shield Dual Blades Icon.jpegDual Blades
Hammer Icon.jpegHammer Hunting Horn Icon.jpegHunting Horn Lance Icon.jpegLance Gunlance Icon.jpegGunlance
Switch Axe Icon.jpegSwitch Axe Charge Blade Icon.jpegCharge Blade Insect Glaive Icon.jpegInsect Glaive
Ranged Weapons
Bow Icon.jpegBow light bowgun icon.pngLight Bowgun
Heavy bowgun icon.pngHeavy Bowgun

Best Counter Builds

Monster Counterbuilds
fatalis icon.pngFatalis alatreon icon.pngAlatreon

Comment

5 Anonymous Anonymous about 2 years

Safi Para build messed up. 2 chest pieces

Author

    All rights reserved

    Guide Index