Switching to Lance - need pro help

[roadrunner77]

As CB/GL main, i had an episode with Lance - initially felt weird, but it's time I gave it an honest try at improving it.

I watched some vids, guides, runs but I can't seem to figure out what technique to use when, and how to deal more dmg other than poking which is, hmm, meager ?

Say this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USdtWlKlVUw

It looks like in order to do sth sensible I have to combine several moves to get decent (?) dmg, and this kinda puts me off a bit.

Any tips on where to go without getting discouraged?

[Tregrenos]

Power Guard is gonna be your main form of attack for optimal DPS as it allows you to block multiple hits safely as well as control "when" you use your power strike. During this time you can also alter the direction of the strike, making it quite precise when aiming for the head. You can also get the new deco from the melder that causes you to to put out more aggro, but you might already be using this with your GL set. Lastly, Lance has gotta be the best mounter in the game. Close any gaps with a charge and jumping strike if possible. When fighting Kulve it's good to save such attacks for when you reach the final phase for a quick mount.

[Sekaro]

I recommend learning how to counter-clutch claw with the lance effectively. In order to do it, u have to first do a power guard followed by the counter CC stance. Check a guide for the specific inputs.

You'll be doing this a lot for most hunts as it gives a free tenderize plus some dmg. Also, super armor for the whole duration so u don't have to worry about getting yeeted off. That said, a few attacks can still flatten u to the ground regardless so yeah. Try practicing against tigrex or diablos to get the hang of the CC attack.

[Valentine (Lunaticus)]

I don't think the poke damage is really that meager, it's what you do with Lance and the way you play Lance allows you to stay in combat and hit the monster when other weapons have to dodge/get thrown around.

I mean yeah Lance is the slowest/lowest DPS of all weapons but in regular non-optimized speed run environment it does just fine.

[Jules]

Compared to previous games, the Lance is now incredibly mobile and makes actual use out of the shield. While the damage of the attacks is generally less in terms of meta speedruns, it is still a formidable weapons which is capable of turning a great defence into a massive offence. Learn how to power guard, counter guard and use it with Offensive Guard. Close the distance between you and the monster with a charge attack. Use the clutch counter. It is one of the most satisfying claw attacks in the game and really aids the precise nature of the weapon by keeping those soft spots tenderised for even longer. While everyone will be looking for openings to exploit and rush in for massive damage, good Lance users never shift their positions unless absolutely required. You'll be right next to the monster, constantly chipping away at the health while tanking the hits, tenderising parts and boosting your own attacks with defensive gameplay. I don't think it's a boring weapon, it's a weapon which is hard to learn but highly rewarding once it pays off.

[Zhou Yu]

The first place to go and get used to the lance’s unique combos and movement is the training area, or weak easy monsters. It might not click right away until you start getting some field testing done, and your movement will be a bit different from the gunlance as well so you’ll have wipe your mind of that. Something to consider with the lance is that as you get more familiar with a monster, your damage will rise immensely as well. The number one tool in your toolkit to both weave combos together as well as ignore the monster is your counter. Using this effectively will ensure you’ll always be doing damage. Something to keep in mind is that the majority of your damage should be coming from your triple high poke combo, and that specifically the last stab does more damage than the others. Also for downed monsters the go-to combo is the triple high poke into the lance charge, immediately cancelled into the running charge stab and repeated. As others have pointed out the lance is not one for particularly high or bursty damage. Instead the lance shines through persistence on a monster where others can’t compete.

To move onto defense a good tool would be the guard dash. A smart and quick choice a direction with a guard dash can easily save your life and keep you close to the action where another weapon might be forced to run away or eat a quick damaging hit. The guard dash can also be “combo’d” with your attacks allowing for instant defense against whatever’s coming without rooting yourself or committing to a counter. For example a retreating guard dash can often times block seemingly wonky or hard to block attacks from many monsters (for example most charge or running attacks from monsters when your point blank with them). As others are pointing out the power guard I simply point out that (imo) the best way to use it is to prepare yourself for a monster’s attack that’ll either have increased recoil and/or move the monster behind you. Performing the special counter out of power guard the will lead into more damage as well as a quick turning attack to keep yourself oriented. Something to keep in mind about the power guard is that you take increased chip damage so try not to block massive attacks with it or you’ll be tanking the floor instead. Lastly don’t rely on it for blocking unblockable attacks, the “guard-up” effect comes out too slowly for it to actually be practical on reaction, unless you’re an absolute god at predicting things.

[roadrunner77]

Ok, what about stamina management? what is better to have Constitution, Marathon or Stamina Surge ? Power Guard eats stamina quick, does any of the above help it visibly?

What about Evade Extender - worth it at all (on GL builds it works wonders) ? Any other useful skills I should consider?

So far been using iirc Rajang lance with 25 Affinity, 600 dmg purple, so I can slot quite a few gems there.

[AfLIcTeD]

Don't bother with stamina skills, dash juice is more than enough if you are struggling to manage it. I never use any juice or stamina skills and have no issue with stamina.
Avoid extender as this can mess up your hops, you don't need it, guard dash is more than enough to close gaps.
What equipment do you have access to like?

If you want I am in game now, I could show you the ins and outs and possible build suggestions. If you want.

[roadrunner77]

Originally posted by AfLIcTeD:

Don't bother with stamina skills, dash juice is more than enough if you are struggling to manage it. I never use any juice or stamina skills and have no issue with stamina.
Avoid extender as this can mess up your hops, you don't need it, guard dash is more than enough to close gaps.
What equipment do you have access to like?

If you want I am in game now, I could show you the ins and outs and possible build suggestions. If you want.

Thanks for the offer, I'll be gaming tonite (daily) at ~9 pm CET. If you're around I'll gladly learn from you.

As for the gear, I can make everything. Did full Fatty, AT Velk, AT Nami, etc. 2000 hrs into the game. Can't remember which Safi or KT weapons I have, but been collecting all drops, no sales.

[Jules]

I've found that with Guard 3-5, your stamina management is a non issue. I'd avoid any stamina buffing items and instead focus on getting as much Guard as possible. The less knockback damage you take, the less stamina you drain, the greater the uptime on the weapon.

[ColonelBaker]

Lance is such a fun weapon. As for videos. Oseraphic makes great tutorial videos. Here's a basic one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6x4inXgCMk

I'd recommend watching some of his longer hunt videos too. You'll pick up lots of tips on playstyle by watching these and your game will greatly improve.

[roadrunner77]

Originally posted by ColonelBaker:

Lance is such a fun weapon. As for videos. Oseraphic makes great tutorial videos. Here's a basic one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6x4inXgCMk

I'd recommend watching some of his longer hunt videos too. You'll pick up lots of tips on playstyle by watching these and your game will greatly improve.

Yeah, I know this one, made it my bread and butter. Thanks.

[Zhou Yu]

Originally posted by roadrunner77:

Ok, what about stamina management? what is better to have Constitution, Marathon or Stamina Surge ? Power Guard eats stamina quick, does any of the above help it visibly?

What about Evade Extender - worth it at all (on GL builds it works wonders) ? Any other useful skills I should consider?

So far been using iirc Rajang lance with 25 Affinity, 600 dmg purple, so I can slot quite a few gems there.

Personally I always like to run two points of evade extender for a bit more mobility on hops. I find it useful for being able to always keep myself in the right spot to hit a monsters weakpoint no matter the size. It also certainly helps when using the enhanced back hop to disengage and retreat from monsters. I personally enjoy a single point of stamina surge since it helps when blocking back to back big attacks from enraged monsters, while also allowing for more flexibility in your offense. You generally shouldn’t be sitting in power guard long enough to have to worry about stamina drain so don’t worry about that. Power guard instead should be a smart response to certain attacks. Also Jules has it right about guard, having three points at a minimum is great and will help you against most problems. But in master rank you really should be getting five points instead as monsters hit a lot harder.

[JebKerman]

Originally posted by roadrunner77:

Ok, what about stamina management? what is better to have Constitution, Marathon or Stamina Surge ? Power Guard eats stamina quick, does any of the above help it visibly?

What about Evade Extender - worth it at all (on GL builds it works wonders) ? Any other useful skills I should consider?

So far been using iirc Rajang lance with 25 Affinity, 600 dmg purple, so I can slot quite a few gems there.

Well Marathon Runner is what would directly effect Power Guard's drain, but it should be manageable without, 'Guard' alone should usually be enough stamina management for Lance, skill wise. Though, if you want to invest in a stamina skill I'd probably go for Stamina Surge.

Remember you can hold a Counter Guard for a couple of seconds, during which your stamina wont drop, before going into a Power Guard. Ideally, if you're going to Power Guard you want to do so as close the to the (first) strike as you can. Or not Power Guard as much and just use your other blocking techniques.

I can definitely recommend eating for Felyne Black Belt when possible though, and drinking Dash Juice for tougher fights, as both together will pretty much max out your stamina efficiency for both chunked and drained stamina.

If you have a spare slot with no idea what to put in it, 'Resuscitate' ('Crisis' decorations) can be a good option, as it will wholly negate the increased stamina drain effect of Iceblight, and will max out your stamina efficiency by itself while you are under the effects of any other blight or poison effect.

[Just Life]

The Provoker skill is something to look into. It adds a 20% chance for a monster to target you over your teammate. The more the monster focus on you, the more counters you can do and it opens up a time frame for your teammate to safely attack the monster. Every hit you tank/counter is one your teammate doesn't take.

[Arzog]

Originally posted by Jules:

I've found that with Guard 3-5, your stamina management is a non issue. I'd avoid any stamina buffing items and instead focus on getting as much Guard as possible. The less knockback damage you take, the less stamina you drain, the greater the uptime on the weapon.

100% true. Specially with fatalis gear...free lv3 guard and all..there is zero reasons to be below guard 5