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Monster Hunter World Insect Glaives are a unique weapon for those who want to be agile in combat and have a variety of Kinsect buffs at their disposal.

Jan 29, 2018  There are a lot of different weapons and items in Monster Hunter World, but one of the most unique is the Insect Glaive. This double ended spear allows users to.

It is one of many Monster Hunter World weapon types available from the start of the game, and on this page we explain the very fundamentals of how it works, through to the best Insect Glaive build you can have at your disposal.

Elsewhere, our Monster Hunter World tips can help you decide when to farm, what to forage and what to do between hunts, and our Monster Hunter World walkthrough and guide can help with main quest and story progress.

What is the Insect Glaive and how do Kinsects work?

The Insect Glaive is one of the speedier weapons in Monster Hunter World, in comparison to weapon classes like the Charge Blade or Greatsword, you're going to be spending a lot more time in the air than on the ground.

Insect Glaive Monster Hunter World

The benefit of using the Insect Glaive is simple - the Glaive itself is actually an insect, which can inflict status buffs on you by harvesting monster extracts.

You can equip Kinsects by simply purchasing one over at the smithy and equipping it alongside the Insect Glaive in your room, at the Smithy or at any camp.

How to use the Insect Glaive in combat

The Insect Glaive possesses amazing evasive and speed capabilities, and to use them to its fullest potential, you're first going to want to get the Attack Extract from your Kinsect, after that you'll be able to maximise your damage output.

A huge advantage to using the Insect Glaive are its aerial maneuvers. You'll want to Vault with R2 and X on PS4 / RT and A on Xbox. You can follow this up with an attack with Circle (or B on Xbox) or a Midair Evade, followed up with an attack.

To string together a chain of air attacks and evades, you're going to need to land the hits and keep an eye on your Stamina bar to keep evading and stay in the air. This will trigger a Vaulting Dance, which will essentially reset your combo.

It's also a very useful way to help you mount a monster.

To use a Kinsect, you want to fire it at the Monster's face by aiming (holding the left trigger) followed by Triangle/Y. This will make the Kinsect glow red.

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The red glow denotes the Kinsect possessing an attack buff. To apply this buff to yourself, you're going to want to recall the Kinsect back to you by holding the left trigger followed by the Circle / B button.

Once you've got the Kinsect back to you, you should see a glow underneath your Sharpness Bar.

This rationale can be applied to different parts of a monster which will give you different coloured buffs. You can find our key for this below - with the locations differing from monster to monster - and the order of which will also correspond to the numbers underneath your sharpness bar.

• Red - Attack Buff
• Orange - Defense Buff
• White - Speed Buff
• Green - Health Buff

Additionally, the Kinsect will leave Dust, which you can hit to trigger an effect type.

This can range from abnormal status effects all the way to leaving a healing cloud. This is triggered by hitting the monster with a Kinsect while gathering extracts, or marking targets.

How to manage Kinsects and change elements

Head over to the Smithy, and under 'Kinsect Management' you'll be able to select 'Nurture Kinsect' which will open up a brand-new tree, not too dissimilar to any other weapon's upgrade tree, for you to check out all the different Kinsect types.

Each Kinsect that you can nurture has several different ability strengths and Dust types that you want to look out for. Power, Speed, Heal and Dust Effect respectively.

The Power, Speed and Heal types all denote that particular Kinsect's potency when extracting it from a monster. These max out at Level 15. The different Dust Effect Types to look out for are as follows:

• Heal
• Stun
• Poison
• Paralysis
• Blast

For the best results when faced against monsters, you're going to want to be upgrading multiple Kinsects at once in order to be able to tailor yourself to any scenario.

How to change Kinsect elements

Now that you're able to upgrade and nurture your Kinsect to become more powerful, you can also imbue the Kinsect with Elemental Damage, the range of Elemental types is as follows.

• Fire
• Water
• Ice
• Electric

[Can we transcribe this into a list / table? Is it only these six Ladytarge elements, and how do they respectively upgrade?] Ladytarge is just the particular Kinsect I have equipped, with its own upgrade tree explained through the 'Nurture Kinsect' Section.

Depending on how far you are in the game, you might not be able to unlock some of these damage types just yet, these are locked behind Hunter Ranks and new maps, much like the standard Weapon Upgrade Tree.

Our recommendation for the best Insect Glaive build in Monster Hunter World

While there is no one true Insect Glaive Build, we've honed in on a great Insect Glaive build designed to keep you fast on your feet, while also dishing out devastating damage through exploiting some innate armour skills.

Our best Insect Glaive recommendation

The Insect Glaive you want to shoot for is named Catastrophe's Light, with the highest single raw damaging Insect Glaive in the game, and comes with a high Elderseal stat.

Catastrophe's Light is forged from the Ore Tree, forking off into the Nergigante Tree and is the final upgrade. To forge Catastrophe's Light, you need the following:

• Xeno'Jiva Horn x2
• Nergigante Horn x5
• Nergigante Talon x5
• Nergigante Gem x1

Our best Kinsect recommendation

We're now going to want to pair an ideal Kinsect with it. We'd recommend getting the Pseudocath III, which is derived from the Culldrone III, into the Windchopper I-III, and finally into Pseudocath I-III, which builds up potent Blast Damage from its Dust, as well as having some incredible speed boosts.

It's final form, the Pseudocath III can be forged using the following:

• Elder Dragon Bone x2
• Monster Hardbone x3
• Firecell Stone x1

Now, we're going to want to forge some armour to go with it. Remember how we mentioned that we wanted to exploit some armour skills? Well. We're going to want to farm a lot of High-Rank Odogaron.

Iceborne has arrived! Here's how to start Monster Hunter World Iceborne and beat the first monster, Beotodus. Once you get settled into the world, learn about Layered Armour in Monster Hunter World and the various side-quests available - including Surveyor Set missions, Boaboa quests and finding Pearlspring Macaque locations. And, when you're ready to take it on, Shara Ishvalda. If you're crafting, then learning where to find rare materials such as Purecrystal and Monster Slogbone is useful. Been away from Monster Hunter for a while and need a refresher? Our pages on weapon changes and types, how to join friends and Squads in multiplayer plus how to capture monsters and mount monsters can help.

Our best Insect Glaive armour recommendation

Monster Hunter World Insect Glaive Build

You'll want to kick off by crafting Odogaron Mail Beta, with Vambraces, Coil and Greaves all in Alpha. The idea is that the Beta mail has a free gem slot, which (if you're lucky) will boost your attack even further.

The rationale behind this is to activate a skill named Critical Eye, which increases your weapon Affinity, which is essentially going to increase the chances of you dishing out at attack which goes beyond your weapon's standard attack range.

With the Odogaron set all equipped, we will move onto the piece de resistance of this armour set, the Dragonking Eyepatch Alpha. This Eyepatch will also activate a Level 2 skill, named Weakness Exploit. This gives you an extra 30% affinity when attacking a monster's weak spot.

Combined with the +15% Affinity gained from Critical Eye, as well as an additional 30% from Weakness Exploit, we can actually drive this build even further, should the RNG Gods Smile upon you with rare Decorations.

There are two free LV1 Decoration Slots in this build, one from the Odogaron Mail Alpha, and another from the Dragonking Eyepatch.

If we decorate the Odogaron Mail with an additional Critical Eye skill, as well as insert a Weakness Exploit gem into the Dragonking Eyepatch, then Critical Eye LV5 nets you 20% Affinity Boost, along with Weakness Exploit going up to LV3, which gives us a 50% Affinity boost on weak points.

However, there's still one more slot we can use. Remember all those Odogarons you've farmed? Well, with the spare parts from the creation of the armour, you'll be able to create an additional Critical Eye Charm from the Smithy.

Upgrade this to LV2 and you'll have Critical Eye LV7. Paired with a maxed out LV3 Weakness Exploit, you're looking at a base Affinity boost of 30% at all times, with an additional 50% on monster weak points.

Paired with Catastrophe's Light, which dishes out 651 base damage, you're looking at around 1171 damage when hitting monster weak points. With the additional speed and power of the Kinsect. Well. Let's just say that the Elder Dragons should probably be running away from you.

Insect Glaive Highest Damage Combo

1. Low Rank
2. Insect Glaive is a kind of hybrid melee and ranged weapon but it has insane amounts of mobility, and you can use it to jump around like an idiot.
3. This guide will also go briefly into Kinsects. Speed is the preference as they’re the easiest type to use, on top of having good synergy with the recommended weapon path’s bonus to speed kinsects. Blunt vs. Sever is your preference, but you’re unlikely to get KO’s with Kinsects, so sever will be more useful, as you can use it to assist in cutting tails.
4. The short answer is:
5. Build the Kulu Glaive to bridge you into the Tobi Kadachi Path, and use it for the entirety of the game. Wow… how exciting. Then you can pick up the Nergigante Glaive. Kinsect’s have a very easy linear progression starting with Culldrome 1, and ending up at the Pseudocath 3, which is arguably the best in the game.
6. Now for the long answer:
7. The Iron Blade 1 you start with is good for the first missions. You’ll want upgrade it as soon as possible to an Iron Blade 2 by using 2 Iron Ore. Also take the opportunity to upgrade your Culldrone 1, into a Culldrone 2 by using 3 Iron Ore.
8. Use this to take on the Great Jagras, and the Kulu Ya Ku.
9. After the Kulu Ya Ku, upgrade your Iron Blade 2 into a Kulu Blade 1 by using 1 Kulu Ya Ku Beak, 2 Kulu Ya Ku Hide, and 3 Kulu Ya Ku Scales.
10. Continue with your mandatory hunt of a Pukei-Pukei.
11. If you prefer, you can build the Pukei-Pukei path and gain poison damage, but you’ll be able to inflict poison with your kinsect, which makes Kulu Blade 1 over all preferred.
12. Now hunt Barroth in the Wild Spire Wastes. Mine here to get Earth Crystals. Once you get two, upgrade your Culldrone 2 into a Culldrone 3 by using 2 Earth Crystals and 1 Monster Bone M.
13. Follow up by hunting Jyuratodus as part of standard progression. You can build the Aqua Rod 1, as an optional upgrade here, and it will bridge into the Diablos path later, but the Kulu Blade 1 will be sufficient.
14. Hunt Tobi-Kadachi as your next mandatory hunt. Afterwards, build a Bone Rod 1, and upgrade it to a Bone Rod 2 by using 3 Monster Bone S.
15. Upgrade it again, to a Pulsar Rod 1 by using 1 Tobi-Kadachi Claw, 3 Tobi-Kadachi Scale, and 2 Tobi Kadachi Pelt.
16. You’ll gain a 30 raw damage spike over the Kulu Blade 1, add thunder element, and maintain speed boost and the 10% affinity. It’s by far the strongest Insect Glaive you can have up to this point, and stays at the top until things like Diablos come into play.
17. Now you’ll have to fight Anjanath as part of the story. Afterwards, upgrade your Culldrone 3, into a Windchopper 1 by using 1 Monster Bone L, and 1 Machalite Ore.
18. Afterwards it’s Zorah Magdaros…. Setpeice… etc.
19. In the Coral Highlands, you’re forced into an expedition to explore.
20. You can mine here for Dragonite Ore and Coral Crystal. You’ll need Dragonite Ore for your Kinsect, and Coral Crystal for your glaive.
21. Upgrade your Windchopper 1 into a Windchopper 2 by using 2 Dragonite Ore and 3 Machalite Ore.
22. Upgrade your Pulsar Rod 1, into a Pulsar Rod 2 by using 2 Tobi-Kadachi Electrode, 3 Tobi-Kadachi Claw, 2 Electro Sac and 3 Coral Crystal.
23. Continue progressing by hunting Paolumu, unlocking the Rotten Vale, hunting Radobaan, then returning to the Coral Highlands to take out Legiana
24. After Legiana you’ll hopefully gain Monster Bone+.
25. Use them to upgrade your Pulsar Rod 2 into a Pulsar Rod 3 by using 2 Monster Bone+, 2 Tobi-Kadachi Electrode, 2 Tobi-Kadachi Membrane, and 2 Warped Bones. Warped Bones can be harvested from bone piles in the Rotten Vale.
26. After you get monster bone+, you can also upgrade your kinsect, but you’ll need rathian webbing. Hunt a rathian, and upgrade your Windchopper 2 into a Windchopper 3 by using 2 Monster Bone+, and 1 Rathian Webbing.
27. These are your last upgrades for Low Rank.
28. Finish up your mandatory hunts of Odogaron, followed by Rathalos and Diablos in whatever order you choose.
29. After beating the Zorah Magdaros setpeice, and killing a deceptively strong Pukei-Pukei, you’ll gain access to High Rank quests. Congratulations, the baby gloves are coming off.
30. High Rank
31. Our immediate goal in High Rank is a weapon upgrade to compensate for the increased health of monsters, with a long term goal of bringing our sharpness to the next level.
32. If you’re lucky after the Pukei-Pukei you’ll have received 2 Monster Keenbone. Use these to upgrade your kinsect. Upgrade your Windchopper 3 into a Pseudocath 1 by using 2 Monster Keenbone, 3 Carbalite Ore, and 2 Monster Broth. Carbalite Ore can be mined from high rank mining nodes, and Monster Broth can be carved from Vespoids and Hornetaurs. Use Red Pits on your slinger to increase your chances of being able to carve them.
33. Pseudocath is arguably the best kinsect in the game, with amazing speed, and power, on top of having Blast as a dust effect.
34. As is the custom, hunt Tobi Kadachi the second you’re able to in high rank to upgrade. Upgrade your Pulsar Rod 3 into a Kadachi Pillar 1 by using 3 Tobi Kadachi Claw+, 4 Tobi Kadachi Scale+, 3 Tobi Kadachi Pelt+ and 3 Dragonvein Crystal. Dragonvein Crystal can be mined from red mining nodes in high rank areas.
35. You have an option here, you can continue with the main story, and hunt down the Pink Rathian, or you can go for Diablos for another upgrade to your weapon.
36. Hunt Diablos for Majestic Horns. This isn’t the easiest thing to do with an Insect Glaive but you’ll be able to. You need 2 to upgrade your Kadachi Pillar 1 into a Kadachi Pillar 2. Upgrade by using 2 Majestic Horn, 2 Tobi Kadachi Electrode+, 4 Tobi Kadachi Claw+ and 3 Thunder Sac. Once you get this, you’re set for the rest of the game.
37. You’ll now have to hunt Pink Rathian as part of standard story progression. Afterwards you’ll unlock the Elder’s Recess.
38. Defeating Pink Rathian should yield monster hard bones, and mining in the Elder’s Recess will give you access to Fucium Ore. Use these to upgrade your kinsect. Upgrade your Pseudocath 1 into a Pseudocath 2 by using 2 Monster Hardbone, 2 Fucium Ore, and 2 Inferno Sac. You can get Inferno Sac from Anjanath, both types of Rathian, Uragaan, and both types of Rathalos.
39. With these upgrades you’ll be adequately prepared to do your next story hunt, which is Nergigante.
40. After your hunt, if you got 2 Elder Dragon Bones, you can upgrade your Kinsect to it’s final form.
41. Use 2 Elder Dragon Dragon Bones, 3 Monster Hardbone and 1 Firecell stone to upgrade your Pseudocath 2, into a Pseudocath 3. Firecell stone can be found while mining in the Elder’s Recess.
42. Pseudocath 3 is arguably the best Kinsect in the game.
43. You can also upgrade your Kadachi Pillar 2 into a Kadachi Pillar 3 by using 2 Nergigante Talon, 4 Tobi-Kadachi Electrode+, 6 Tobi-Kadachi Claw+ and 1 Wyvern Gem. Wyvern Gem’s can be obtained from monsters like Barroth, Jyuratodus and Radobaan.
44. Of course, you should look into building Nergigante’s Insect Glaive, as it touts extremely high damage, sharpness and elder seal. Achieve this by going through the Ore Path.
45. Make a new Iron Blade 1, and upgrade to an Iron Blade 2. Then into an Iron Blade 3, into a Steel Blade 1, into Steel Blade 2, into Steel Blade 3, and finally into a Chrome Blade 1.
46. Now upgrade this one more time into the Nergal Reaper by using 3 Nergigante Talon, 4 Nergigante Regrowth Plate, 2 Nergigante Tail and 2 Nergigante Carapace.
47. Congratulations, you now have a weapon that’s completely capable of getting you through the rest of the game, and one of the best Insect Glaives.
48. This will be more than sufficient for taking out the remaining Elder Dragons.
49. For final targets, if you want a Raw insect glaive, you should definitely look into the Diablos path for the Tyrannis Glaive 2 which has the highest raw in the game, but low blue sharpness and -30% affinity. This will be able to be offset by decorations and gear choices at end game.
50. After taking out Xeno’jiva, you can upgrade the Nergal Reaper one more time into Catastrophe’s Light by using 2 Xeno’Jiva horns, 5 Nergigante Horn+, 5 Nergigante Talons, and 1 Nergigante Gem.
51. The gem’s will make these final glaives take some time to get, but will be great options for general purpose hunting.