No point in Helm Splitter anymore?

[Midas]

With the new Iai spirit slash, I feel like I don't have any real situation worth using helm splitter anymore. The Iai attack hits basically just as hard, is easier to aim and time, can actually be used in the middle of a fight, and even has counter/sustain mechanics. Is there anywhere that helm splitter still shines?

[supperdiamondo]

if you are motivated enough, you will find use for it.

[Saber]

But I want to look as anime as possible.

[Aerionoth]

Did you do a calculation or something? cause I swear helm splitter does more for me. That's a shedload of consecutive hits for ~100 each (at the point where I'm at), whereas iai is just ~2-300x2. I'm not contradicting you, just asking.

[Kuradoberry]

Yes actually; Getting a perfect iai spirit slash counter refunds the meter, and if you were at red bar you can immediately cancel straight into helmsplitter with a faster stab animation.

Helmsplitter is still your highest damaging move if everything hits (especially on tenderized spots), you just filter in your iai stuff to build up to it now.

[AnemoneMeer]

Spirit Helm Breaker does several times the damage and leaves you in a better position to press the attack, as well as giving you more control over where you hit. Oh, and it gives you auto-regen when it lands.

Iai slash is a counter move with a tight hitbox.

Use Spirit Helm Breaker to pile on damage and jump some attacks. Use Iai slash as a predictive counter to charges or incoming counter attacks after your attacks. Proper longsword use involves understanding both and using them both.

[Midas]

Originally posted by Aerionoth:

Did you do a calculation or something? cause I swear helm splitter does more for me. That's a shedload of consecutive hits for ~100 each (at the point where I'm at), whereas iai is just ~2-300x2. I'm not contradicting you, just asking.

No, you're right, but I find that kind of hit is only possible on a stunned/sleeping monster where you have everything lined up and ready to go and the target weakspot won't move. The majority of the time it feels like it's easier to get more damage out of iai spirit slash than helm splitter. A 'perfect' helm splitter probably beats a 'perfect' iai spirit slash, but a perfect iai spirit slash is so much easier to pull of in so many more situations.

And then there's the bit about the iai slash potentially not taking away your bar, so you can reuse a lot more as well.

Overall I just find that in most of the situations where I have a gap to get a 'hard hit' in, it feels like the iai spirit slash is getting more mileage than a helm splitter.

[Midas]

Originally posted by Akaru:

Yes actually; Getting a perfect iai spirit slash counter refunds the meter, and if you were at red bar you can immediately cancel straight into helmsplitter with a faster stab animation.

Helmsplitter is still your highest damaging move if everything hits (especially on tenderized spots), you just filter in your iai stuff to build up to it now.

Okay, I didn't know they could be chained, so that does make more sense. I feel like the target is usually gone by the time you come back down with the helm splitter, though, so unless that iai spirit slash staggers, it feels like it would miss as often as not. Unless it's REALLY fast.

[Midas]

Originally posted by AnemoneMeer:

Spirit Helm Breaker does several times the damage and leaves you in a better position to press the attack, as well as giving you more control over where you hit. Oh, and it gives you auto-regen when it lands.

Iai slash is a counter move with a tight hitbox.

Use Spirit Helm Breaker to pile on damage and jump some attacks. Use Iai slash as a predictive counter to charges or incoming counter attacks after your attacks. Proper longsword use involves understanding both and using them both.

Is 'spirit helm splitter' something new, or are you just talking about a max spirit gauge helm splitter?

[AnemoneMeer]

Originally posted by Midas:

Originally posted by AnemoneMeer:

Spirit Helm Breaker does several times the damage and leaves you in a better position to press the attack, as well as giving you more control over where you hit. Oh, and it gives you auto-regen when it lands.

Iai slash is a counter move with a tight hitbox.

Use Spirit Helm Breaker to pile on damage and jump some attacks. Use Iai slash as a predictive counter to charges or incoming counter attacks after your attacks. Proper longsword use involves understanding both and using them both.

Is 'spirit helm splitter' something new, or are you just talking about a max spirit gauge helm splitter?

Spirit Helm Breaker is the official name. People just call it helm splitter.

Also, you can adjust it in midair, changing direction, launching yourself in a specific direction, and generally just repositioning as part of the attack. Once you get a feel for it and for the monster, you can be firing them off left and right and guiding it into your target in midair like a giant anime cruise missile. Sure, not all of them hit weakspots, but I also have perpetual regen and just chain back into a spirit combo or a foresight. Then back to the next helmsplitter, and throw in a Iai a few times here and there when I can land it as a counter.

[WaifuHunterPhD]

Embrace your inner weeaboo to the max plus ultra my guy. Don't undercut the power of god and anime.

[Midas]

Originally posted by AnemoneMeer:

Originally posted by Midas:

Is 'spirit helm splitter' something new, or are you just talking about a max spirit gauge helm splitter?

Spirit Helm Breaker is the official name. People just call it helm splitter.

Also, you can adjust it in midair, changing direction, launching yourself in a specific direction, and generally just repositioning as part of the attack. Once you get a feel for it and for the monster, you can be firing them off left and right and guiding it into your target in midair like a giant anime cruise missile. Sure, not all of them hit weakspots, but I also have perpetual regen and just chain back into a spirit combo or a foresight. Then back to the next helmsplitter, and throw in a Iai a few times here and there when I can land it as a counter.

Oh yeah, landing it in general isn't hard, but it loses so much damage out of a weakspot hit that connects all 7 slashes that it felt as pointless as using it without a full red bar. That's what I'm getting at with iai spirit slash. If I'm just doing it because 'lul why not?', the iai slash seems to hit way harder. I'm not sure if helm splitter is intentionally punished when not hitting weak spots, but its damage seems so low it's not even worth using if you don't have the weakspot hit.

[Kuradoberry]

So if you want to get the most out of your long sword, heres how I suggest you run your combos.

Get off an iai slash (A normal one, the one that does 2 hits), which will give you a buff that makes your meter automatically fill. Work your counters and spirit combos with that meter to fill it up to red (this increases your damage overall, always get to red meter).

If you have a grasp on the parry window, iai spirit slash a long monster attack to get off a meaty chunk of burst damage. If the monster is in position for a helmbreaker afterward and you think you'll be safe, go for it. If not, a perfect parry iai spirit slash will refund the meter you spent so you'll still be red bar.

You CAN cancel the helmbreaker into the special sheathe so technically you can have 0 downtime and you'll always be attacking if you're good enough.

Heres a gif of me doing what I just described.
https://i.imgur.com/o0TYpXZ.mp4

[Midas]

Originally posted by Akaru:

So if you want to get the most out of your long sword, heres how I suggest you run your combos.

Get off an iai slash (A normal one, the one that does 2 hits), which will give you a buff that makes your meter automatically fill. Work your counters and spirit combos with that meter to fill it up to red (this increases your damage overall, always get to red meter).

If you have a grasp on the parry window, iai spirit slash a long monster attack to get off a meaty chunk of burst damage. If the monster is in position for a helmbreaker afterward and you think you'll be safe, go for it. If not, a perfect parry iai spirit slash will refund the meter you spent so you'll still be red bar.

You CAN cancel the helmbreaker into the special sheathe so technically you can have 0 downtime and you'll always be attacking if you're good enough.

Heres a gif of me doing what I just described.
https://i.imgur.com/o0TYpXZ.mp4

Very interesting. So helm splitter and iai spirit slash basically aren't mutually exclusive to each other. It sounds like they can just be chained together as needed.

[Laughing kookaburra]

iai spirit slash is garbage nobody uses that

[AnemoneMeer]

Originally posted by Compa Desu:

iai spirit slash is garbage nobody uses that

Extremely wrong. It can cut through roars and respond with 500 damage directly to the monster's face for trying it. Oh, and it can hit all those annoying attacks that only give you a few moments to retaliate. Looking at you Velkhana.