I like choosing the strangest weapons in almost every game I play. I can’t help it. And much to my enjoyment, Monster Hunter Wilds gives me some good options. Although the Charge Blade earns some major cool points for its transforming gimmick, there is nothing quite like fighting alongside a bug with the Insect Glaive. This weapon requires resource management and excellent knowledge of the beasts you’re fighting. While it is a complicated tool to use, learning how to use the Insect Glaive is a worthy endeavor if you’re looking for a unique experience, or if you share my love of strange weaponry.
How does the Insect Glaive work?
One of the most defining aspects of the Insect Glaive is the usage of Kinsects. Heading out with this weapon also means that you’ll bring along a bug to assist you by attacking enemies and extracting unique essences from monsters. Attacks will leave behind an Effect Powder that you or your multiplayer friends can attack to build up status ailments or recover HP. Extracting will provide you with numerous combat buffs based on the essence you receive.
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However, aside from the Focus Thrust: Leaping Strike extracting all three primary essences when used on a wound, you need to direct your Kinsect to attack specific monster body parts to gather different essences. It’s a lot to keep track of, but extracting multiple essences will compound the buffs and make you a much deadlier force.
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That all leads to the Insect Glaives’ other defining aspect: mobility. This is the weapon to choose if you want to bounce around and attack in the air. I’m not sure if there is a better weapon to repeatedly mount a monster with. Just remember that keeping yourself buffed with essences is necessary to enjoy the full capabilities of the Insect Glaive.
Kinsect bonuses
There are four Extracts or essence colors to collect from a monster: Red, White, Orange, and Green. The last one is standalone and only provides you with health, while the first three provide specific effects. Collecting multiple essences will grant you even more effects on top of their individual contributions. Here is what each of the primary extract essences and their combos will get you:
- Red: Allows charging attacks with Circle/B
- White: Increases movement speed and jump height
- Orange: Adds Flinch Free effect
- Red + White: Increases Attack
- White + Orange: Increases Defense
- Red + White + Orange: Enhances some attacks, further increases attack power, and reduces the effect of wind Pressure, tremors, and roars
How to upgrade Kinsects
Just like other weapons, you can forge new Insect Glaive weapons using materials and monster parts. What’s different is that your little Kinsect buddy also has a couple of options to upgrade.
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At the bottom of Gemma’s Smithy Menu will be an option called Manage Kinsects. You will only be able to purchase two starter Kinsects during the first few hours of the Monster Hunter Wilds campaign. Work your way through Chapter Two and the option to Raise Kinsects will become available, allowing you to provide Nurturing Materials to raise them into a new bug. Capturing a Yian Kut-Ku during Chapter Four unlocks the final wave of bugs. Each of the starter Kinsects has an exclusive upgrade tree, with 20 Kinsects to choose between in total.
I also recommend not paying too much attention to their levels when purchasing them. The power of a Kinsect increases along with the power of your Insect Glaive. Keep on upgrading your glaives and your bug friends will follow suit.
Monster Hunter Wild’s Insect Glaive isn’t the easiest weapon to use, but it can be very rewarding. Focus on gathering the difference extract essences as much as possible, and you’ll feel like you have a whole new set of skills for support.
Monster Hunter Wilds is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.