Sword and Shield tips and tricks?

[Shadowskyt]

So I've been maining GS for a while, and I'd like to change to some faster paced action.

But I don't want LS or DB because that feels too casual.

So I decided on the good ol' fashioned SnS.

I've got my eyes on Teostra's tree. The one with the Blast element.

But are there any handy tips and tricks?

[Azael Ijima δ]

Since you beat Teostra there not many things to learn i think. ^^

All i can think of is :

• Using items while you have your weapon in hand is a great advantage, slinger and sharpening included.

• Just hit and roll, hit and roll, if you think you don't have time to dodge an attack, you can always block. (There still things you can't block like big ranged elemental attacks.)

• The charged attack is handy to mount monsters, it really take only like 2 seconds to charge and you can redirect it a bit if the monster moved from their initial position.

• Just don't use SnS against flying jerks like Rathalos Azur or Legiana except if you have a good supply of flash pod for the slinger.

There probably more but that's only my second week playing, so there far better peoples to give advices. x)

[BrotherO4]

Watch a guide for the SnS because there bare attacking moves they don't show

Pressing Y and B at a wall that you can run up does the hell breaker. This move is important because it doea multiple hits like crazy..each hit is a mounting attack as well. You can mount an enemy 2 to 3 times within 2 mins.

Unlike others weapons your item box is part of your move set as well. Get used to using flash bang in combo, traps in combo, sling in combo, bombs while you fight as well, and more. This weapon has tons of depth to it than it appears.

[Shadowskyt]

Originally posted by BrotherO4:

Watch a guide for the SnS because there bare attacking moves they don't show

Pressing Y and B at a wall that you can run up does the hell breaker. This move is important because it doea multiple hits like crazy..each hit is a mounting attack as well. You can mount an enemy 2 to 3 times within 2 mins.

Unlike others weapons your item box is part of your move set as well. Get used to using flash bang in combo, traps in combo, sling in combo, bombs while you fight as well, and more. This weapon has tons of depth to it than it appears.

So for example, I should make one Radial Menu filled with crafting.

And the other with the standard healing/equipment slots.

[BrotherO4]

Yes, look at this combo...mount an monster, beat the hit, before it gets up drop a trap, fight it, drop a different kind of trap, fight it, make/drop a trap, drop mega bomb, and also if you were playing online drop an attacking portion.

Look up a build as well...I am going for attackinf, crit, weakness explore, crit % increase, and some other stuff.

[Shadowskyt]

Originally posted by BrotherO4:

Yes, look at this combo...mount an monster, beat the hit, before it gets up drop a trap, fight it, drop a different kind of trap, fight it, make/drop a trap, drop mega bomb, and also if you were playing online drop an attacking portion.

Look up a build as well...I am going for attackinf, crit, weakness explore, crit % increase, and some other stuff.

Hmm, sounds like the basic ability's like all the others. Which is fine, because they've proved to work.

Still, would you suggest Item Prolonger? Could be handy when using powders in multiplayer.

[BrotherO4]

I personally don't use it but you can do what you want. SnS can be anything really.

Sure anyone can do that but the difference is the speed you can pull this off because you can do so without putting your weapon away. If damage is what you want than you also have the back step shield bash which can hit for like 50 to 100 plus damage with each hit. That move has 3/4 hits so you can pull a 250 to 300 plus with that move when testing in the training section. It's why speed running uses this move because it's the highest DPS for the SnS.

Use the SnS if you enjoy changing your fighting style depending on what happening sec to sec. I personally like having all different kinds of option while I fight so I went with this weapon. Also after you use this weapon you will have an idea on what style suits you the best which than you can select weapons that focus on that of course.

[omgilovesteak]

Hmmm, i cant switch items that fast :(

[Mdaddy924]

Originally posted by Shadowskyt:

So I've been maining GS for a while, and I'd like to change to some faster paced action.

But I don't want LS or DB because that feels too casual.

So I decided on the good ol' fashioned SnS.

I've got my eyes on Teostra's tree. The one with the Blast element.

But are there any handy tips and tricks?

The weapon puts the U in utility. You have slashing attacks for tails, shield bashes for the head, decently easy mounts, one of the quickes sheath times in the game, kinda redundent but usable items with the weapon out, acess to all sling pods instantly, and quick attacks that can stack status with the best of them.

Advancing slash is highly versitile and can be used to mount attacks off ledges (geaat vertical distance), up small ledges, downhill for a springboard air attack, up climbable walls for a multi hit areial attack (helm breaker), and is just a good gap closer on flat land.

Backstep can be used basically in any sequence in a combo, fresh off a roll, or even just with the shield up. It has invulnerablity frames on startup so great for dodging quick attacks and roars while setting up a counter attack. After backstep you have options a quick slash in place, advancing slash (see above), or a hard hitting jumping slash that on hit cuts the monster once more and launches you up giving you 2 more great options. You can do a jumping slash to try and mount or you can do a very powerful shield bash that hits once on impact and once on landing pretty great way to rack up stun on a downed monster.

Other good things to note are, you can change positions of your slash by tilting the analog stick with a light slash (triangle or Y on controllers), abilitys like Wide range/ mushroommancer can turn you into a heal/buff machine, and abusing the unsheathed item use with something like a whetfish scale (get the + if you can swing it) will have you maintaining max sharpness with like 2 polishes and almost no investment.

Hope you have some real fun in the SnS master race brother.

[Mdaddy924]

Originally posted by omgilovesteak:

Hmmm, i cant switch items that fast :(

Try customizing your radial item menu, when you have that thing set to your preferance pretty much your entire loadout is within 3 button presses. Honestly if your doing SnS right it should almost be as resource intensive as a ranged weapon.

[BrotherO4]

all that as well,

[Amazon Level Author]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz624ugG4Lg

[Kyle]

Mash Y and complain about broken hitboxes when you get hit

[White Glint]

As an addemdum to Mdaddy's post, I'll suggest a couple of skills you'll want to look for endgame when you get to hunting for Decos/Build sets.

-Wide Range
This skill takes your utility and skyrockets it through the roof. If you're playing SnS, you aren't gonna be doing the MOST damage, which means you can focus on skills that make you more useful to the team. Wide Range makes your items work on EVERYBODY. With one of the fastest sheath times in the game, you'll be able to kick items down for the team like vitamins. Tbh, this skill at Level 5 is nuts. This skill is wonderful coupled with...

-Mushroomancer
Remember that Utility that hit the roof? Now strap a jump drive on it. Now you can eat mushrooms and benefit from it! The only bad part is that the best shroom in the game (Mandragora) doesn't get the Wide Range buff to it, but Blue Mushrooms do, which isn't terrible since it's not considered a pot, so you eat it at instant speed.

-Speed Eating
I don't need to explain this. If you decide to go for the True Support SnS, this skill helps a lot.

-(Insert Status effect here) Attack
My suggestions for SnS weapons for status are Paralysis and Sleep. You could also do Blast. With the attack speed of SnS, you'll be stacking on status pretty well as it is. Why not punch the numbers higher?

-Evade Window or Evade Extender (Or both! Go ham!)
As Mdaddy talked about, the backstep is pretty dope. The EXTRA dope part about it is it counts as an evade, which means you benefit off these skills. I prioritize Evade Window, but sometimes it's easier to get Extender.

-Guard
SnS does have a block. The block isn't as good as the block on, say, Lance, Gunlance, or even HBG. With some points in Guard, you can mitigate this problem. This is better if you decide against being Mr. Support and Shield. Works extra well with....

-Guard Up
Block the Unblockable. Fight the power. Tell unblockable attacks "NO" and go back to swinging. With the mobility SnS offers, being able to block everything makes SnS the Dark Souls Long Sword.

There's more I'm probably missing, but these are the ones that immediately come to mind. Hope I helped out a bit, and anyone here can feel free to correct me on stuff I might have gotten wrong.