MHW Iceborne Best Switch Axe [2020]

Best Iceborne Switch Axe

  • Safi’s Shatteraxe
  • Golden Crescent
  • Undying Axe
  • Ruinous Light

Best Iceborne Elemental Switch Axe

  • Lohenbeil – Fire (Anjanath)
  • Hector Glacia – Ice (Legiana and Velkhana)
  • Thundercleave II – Lighting (Zinogre Switch Axe)
  • Deep Lagoon II – Water (Coral Pukei Pukei)
  • Deathedge Vaal Demios – Dragon (Blackveil Vaal Hazak)

Best Switch Axe Builds?

The list below will also include the new move Zero-Sum Element Discharge (ZSD) This is a new move incorporating the Clutch Claw to unleash a powerful blast while clutched to the monster.

With this addition, this is a new way to deal more DPS with Switch Axe

Best Iceborne Switch Axe – Raw Damage

These Switch Axe has Power Element phial instead of Power Element ones and normally has more base damage than their elemental counter part.

Golden Crescent – Gold Rathian Switch Axe

1015 Damage 15% Affinity 390 Poison. This is one of the highest Damage Switch Axe in the weapon tree, with the addition of Poison, this alone makes this weapon one of the best DPS Switch Axe in Iceborne.

The Gold Rathian this time provides several meta weapons.

Golden Crescent’s material

  • Gold Rathian Surspike x3
  • Gold Rathian Shard x5
  • Gold Rathian Cortex x4
  • Rath Gleam x1
PROSCONS
Comfy Build
15% Affinity
Poison for multi purpose
Level 1 Jewel Slot

Undying Axe

This comes from Angry Ape Rajang and starts off with 1015 Base Damage, while it does have some Thunder (90) The lower number making it more suitable as a Raw Damage Switch Axe instead.

Undying Axe’s materials

  • Tempered Glimmerpelt x3
  • Rajang Hardhorn x3
  • Rajang Hardfang x7
  • Gold Rajang Pelt x 3
PROSCONS
– High Base Damage
– High Sharpness
– Power Phial
– Level 4 Jewel Slot
– Take long to craft
– Upgrade version requires Tempered Rajang

Ruinous Light

One of the best looking Switch Axe, and also a powerful one. Making from Ruiner Nergiganter, Ruinous Light come with 1015 Damage and a small amount of Dragon Element (210)

Ruinous Light’s materials

  • Annihilating Greathorn x3
  • Nergigante Hardclaw x4
  • Eternal Regrowth Plate x5
  • Large Elder Dragon Gem x 1
PROSCONS
– High Damage
– Elder Seal
– High Sharpness
Only Level 1 Slot
Require MR 99 to start crafting

Best Iceborne Switch Axe – Elemental

For elemental Switch Axe, you will need those that have power element phial, as this will empower your Sword mode attacks and increase element damage.

This is similar to Charge Blade, which has Impact and Power Element Phial

Lohenbeil – Fire

A straight upgrade from the Anjanath weapon tree, the Lohenbeil has 600 Fire element with 945 Base Damage.

Lohenbeil’s materials

  • Azure Rathalos Cortex x2
  • Anjanath Fur x3 Heavy Anjanath Nosebone x2
  • Anjanath Lash x1
PROSCONS
– Highest Fire Damage
– High Base Damage
Minus Affinity
No Jewel Slot
Situational

Hector Glacia – Ice

This is combined from both Velkhana and Legiana’s material, the new monster of Iceborne. The 540 Ice Damage comes with 840 Base Damage. The amount of sharpness on this one is also pretty impressive as well.

Suitable monsters: Brachydios, Teostra, Lunastra…

Hector Glacia’s materials

  • Velkhana Hardclaw x2
  • Obsidian Icetalon x4
  • Stark Wing x2
  • Legiana Mantle x 1
PROSCONS
– Cool Design
– Highest Ice Damage
– Purple Sharpness
– No Jewel Slot
– Require some boost on Damage

Thundercleave II – Lighting

Zinogre Switch Axe. This comes with 420 Thunder and 875 Damage. While it takes a while to craft (After the story) This is a pretty good Lighting Switch Axe for those Wyverns (Rathalos…)

Thundercleave II’s materials

  • Zinogre Hardhorn x3
  • Zinogre Electrofur + x4
  • Fulgurbug x5
  • Zinogre Skymerald x1
PROSCONS
– Well rounded
– Level 2 and 1 Jewel Slot
– High Sharpness
– Hard to make
– Low Base Damage
– Bad Design

Deep Lagoon II – Water

840 Base Damage 549 Water Power Element Phial. Not much to said about this one, except it is a good one for monsters like Anjanath or Teostra.

Deep Lagoon II’s materials

  • Acidic Glavenus Hardfang x2
  • Monster Solidbone x3
  • Large Coral Pukei-Pukei Sac x1
  • Coral Pukei-Pukei Lash x1
PROSCONS
– Level 2 Jewel Slot
– High Water Damage
– Bad Design
– Situational – not many monsters are weak to Water

Deathedge Vaal Demios – Dragon

The new Blackveil Vaal Hazak provides you a 510 Dragon Switch Axe with Elderseal.

The base damage is the standard 875 version. Finally, this has two level 2 jewel slots.

Deathedge Vaal Demios’s materials.

  • Vaal Hazak Hardclaw x3
  • Shadowpierce Fang x2
  • Deceased Shard x5
  • Deathweaver Membrane x3
PROSCONS
– 510 Dragon Damage with Elder Seal ability
– Two Level 2 Slots
– Situational
– Low Base Damage

Safi’jiiva Switch Axe

VariantsElement
Safi’s Hellaxe180 Fire
Safi’s Aquaaxe180 Water
Safi’s Frostaxe180 Ice
Safi’s Boltaxe180 Lighting
Safi’s Drakaxe 180 Dragon
Safi’s Venomaxe240 Poison
Safi’s Bindaxe180 Paralysis
Safi’s Dreamaxe180 Sleep
Safi’s Shatteraxe 240 Blast

All Safi’jiiva Swith Axe starts off with 945 Damage and 5% Affinity as well as one level 4 Jewel Slot. The Safi’jiiva weapons will change appearance at awakening level 23 as well.

The General-purpose should be the Safi’s Shatteraxe with Attack VI and 4 Attack V.

MHW Iceborne Switch Axe Meta Build

While elemental Build is mostly associated with fast-hitting weapons like Dual Blades or Insect Glaive, Iceborne Switch Axe is also a heavy contender. This is due to the nature of the Element Discharge attack (both the classic and the new ZSD) and the Power Element Phial (PEP)

For an elemental build with Switch Axe, once again you will need the Silver Sol Armor set (Silver Rathalos) This unlock True Critical Element with four pieces of the armor. Next off is to pick any Switch Axe from the list above as they all have PEP.

The remaining will depend on your liking, either something to boost WEX like Rajang Helm or a quick boost to attack like Brute Tigrex is good to go.

Iceborne Switch Axe build – Elemental – Builder Link

For raw damage, the best one currently is Golden Crescent. With the addition of Poison, this out damage all other raw contentder when the monsters are weak to Poison as well.

Iceborne Switch Axe build – Raw Damage (Golden Crescent) Builder Link

The other variant of this build is to switch between Ruinous Light or Undying Axe. This is only when the monster is immune or Poison resistant.

Finally, if you later got your hand on the Safi’s Shatteraxe, you can switch the above weapon as well.

All my guides are crafted base on discussion and content on r/MonsterHunterMeta, you can check out the compilation of meta build here, and on Safi meta here.

Conclusion

The Switch Axe this time got a quick upgrade to the arsenal of moveset and also power up its gameplay in the process. If you prefer the classic raw damage meta, start off with the Shara Ishvalda’s Switch Axe (Broken Silence) and upgrade to Undying Axe.

Your next goal is the Ruinous Light and the Golden Crescent. If you prefer to hunt with spark and color, pick those Power Element Switch Axe like Lohenbeil or Deep Lagoon II and wear up the Silver Sol armor.

Finally, don’t forget the dominating Red Dragon with Safi’s Shatteraxe – currently the comfiest Switch Axe with the ability for customization.

Check out my other 14 weapons guide here.

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