Iceborne Charge Blade Builds (Console & PC) (2024)

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Contents

Charge Blades worth getting
Progression Builds
Mid-story
Post-story
Impact Builds
Elemental Builds
Focusless Builds
Specific Anti-monster Builds
Meme Builds

Last Update

11/7/20
Improved Fatalis Impact Focusless builds (thanks PaintedJ)
Added Safi-Fatalis Hybrid Elemental builds (focus 3 and focusless)
Added Fatalis 4 Elemental builds (focus 3 and focusless)

10/18/20
Added more Savage axe focused Anti-Fatalis builds
Added elemental focusless Fatalis and Velkhana hybrid builds

10/5/20
Added Fatalis Impact Focusless build, added Power Prolonger variant to Fatalis Impact build

10/3/20
Updated Anti-Fatalis build, added Anti-Fatalis post-clear builds with 2 and 4 armor pieces

10/2/20
Added Fatalis Impact build and variants

10/1/20
Added Anti-Fatalis build
Fatalis armor builds will be coming soon

This page is a collection of armor sets including decorations for Charge Blade in MHW Iceborne. While most of the builds are for endgame/postgame where all decorations are available, there are also progression builds starting from the beginning of Master Rank. Many builds require event equipment but I provide (weaker) alternatives without event equipment where possible.

I have also written a Charge Blade guide for Iceborne which can be found at the top of the page or here. The guide is made to be easily digestible for people starting with zero experience with Charge Blade, but also contains info up to techniques that even advanced players may not know.

Most of the builds on this page are geared toward maximizing offense rather than defense. There are a few reasons for this. More damage equals shorter fights, which means less time for the monster to attack you, less time chasing the monster to other areas, less time for your stamina to deteriorate, less time recharging your shield, etc. Also, more damage means the monster will flinch and topple more frequently, meaning even more openings for damage and even less time where the monster is attacking you. Two exceptions are Guard and Health Augment, but Guard is not strictly a defensive skill as it can give you more openings to counter monster attacks and Health Augment is just too convenient. If you find yourself fainting too much with these builds, feel free to substitute some Attack, Critical Eye, or Offensive Guard for Health Boost and Fortify as they are the most slot efficient defensive skills.

Except for progression CBs, these are ranked from strongest to weakest. However, depending on events available at the time you may need to settle for something other than the strongest one.

Progression

Saber’s Maw II (Great Jagras tree)
Dear Rosetta (Pink Rathian tree) OR Chrome Fortress III (Iron tree)

Impact

1. True Fatalis Charger (EVENT: Fatalis)
2. Safi’s Shattershield* (EVENT: Safi’Jiiva)
3. Lightbreak Charge Blade (Raging Brachydios tree)
4. Kjarr Strongarm “Crusher” (EVENT: MR Kulve Taroth)
5. Dante’s Devil Sword+ (EVENT: Code Red & EVENT: A Shocking Climax)
6. Royal Star Shield (EVENT: 50 Shades of White)

* you can get other status CBs if you want, Blast is the best general purpose one

Fire

1. Kjarr Strongarm “King” (EVENT: MR Kulve Taroth)
2. Safi’s Hellshield (EVENT: Safi’Jiiva)
3. Glavenus Bardred (Glavenus tree)

Water

1. Kjarr Strongarm “Water” (EVENT: MR Kulve Taroth)
2. Safi’s Aquashield (EVENT: Safi’Jiiva)
3. Deep Terroir II (Jyuratodus tree)

Thunder

1. Kjarr Strongarm “Spark” (EVENT: MR Kulve Taroth)
2. Safi’s Boltshield (EVENT: Safi’Jiiva)
3. Demonlord Blade (Furious Rajang tree)
4. Despot’s Thundergale (Zinogre tree)

Ice

1. Kjarr Strongarm “Ice” (EVENT: MR Kulve Taroth)
2. Deep Schnegel II (Beotodus tree)

Dragon

1. Kjarr Strongarm “Decay” (EVENT: MR Kulve Taroth) & Alatreon Morphblade (EVENT: Alatreon)
– Situational, Morphblade can be better with Focusless Velkhana 2 piece build
3. Safi’s Drakshield (EVENT: Safi’Jiiva)
4. Deathaxe Vaal Aspida (Vaal Hazak tree)

#Mid-story Builds

MR 1 star, no decos

MR 3 star, no decos

MR 5 star, no decos

#Post-story Builds

Pre-Lightbreak, no decos

If you are unable to farm Raging Brachydios right away (see below explanation), here are some builds you can continue building towards until you can get Raging Brachydios gear. Chrome Fortress III can be replaced with Dante’s Devil Sword+ or Royal Star Shield (both from events).

Lightbreak Poverty, no decos

Raging Brachydios is a substantially difficult encounter which can be attempted as soon as the story is complete (and fighting its prerequisites Rajang and Stygian Zinogre). However, it may be too overwhelming for players until they get at least a few augments and better decorations (especially Health augment). If you cannot farm it effectively (you need multiple Immortal Reactors) I recommend waiting until you can make and augment a Beotodus CB with Health augment (MR 50+) and make a build with Guard 5 and Antiblast 3.

When you get a Magazine jewel (R7), replace the helm with Raging Brachydios a+. When you get an Ironwall jewel (R7 or combination) and Charger jewel (R8 or combination), replace the waist with Raging Brachydios a+.

Lightbreak Poverty, only R8 decos and under

Helm can be either B+ or a+, B+ will be used more later.

Lightbreak Poverty, only R10 decos and under

Note that builds are (more or less sorted) from strongest to weakest. However, the strongest builds usually require event equipment. If you can’t make a build, keep scrolling until you find one you can make.

#Fatalis Impact

SAED 😍Savage 😍Sharpness 😍Comfy 😍
Required Event Equipment: Fatalis, MR Kulve Taroth

No need to have different builds for Master’s Touch and Artillery 5 any more, this build does everything! But good luck making it!

Build variants:
-4 Attack Boost, +4 Guard
-1 Handicraft, -3 Evade Window, +4 Guard
-2 Handicraft, -2 Evade Window, +5 Divine Blessing
-3 Handicraft, -1 Attack Boost, +3 Power Prolonger, +5 Divine Blessing

#Safi Impact Master’s Touch

#Safi Impact Artillery Secret

#Lightbreak Master’s Touch

#Lightbreak Artillery Secret

#Kjarr Crusher Master’s Touch

#Kjarr Crusher Artillery Secret

Note that builds are (more or less sorted) from strongest to weakest. However, the strongest builds usually require event equipment. If you can’t make a build, keep scrolling until you find one you can make.

#Kjarr Fatalis

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis, MR Kulve Taroth, Arch-Tempered Velkhana
Water, Fire, and Thunder use similar builds.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons!

#Kjarr Safi + Fatalis Hybrid

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis, MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva
Water, Fire, and Thunder use similar builds.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons!

#Kjarr Element Safi 5 (Critical Eye)

SAED 😍Savage 😄Sharpness 🙂Comfy 🙁
Required Event Equipment: Safi’Jiiva, MR Kulve Taroth
Kjarr Fire, Thunder, and Dragon are identical in stats and use the same builds as Fire.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons! Kjarr weapons’ high natural affinity and Safi 5 bonus 40% allows abandoning Weakness Exploit and having 100% affinity all the time when your weapon is drawn.

Build variants:
Ice Guard 5
Water Guard 5
Fire/Thunder/Dragon Guard 5

#Kjarr Element Safi 5 (Weakness Exploit)

SAED 😍Savage 😄Sharpness 🙂Comfy 🙁
Required Event Equipment: Safi’Jiiva, MR Kulve Taroth
Kjarr Fire, Thunder, and Dragon are identical in stats and use the same builds as Fire.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons! These builds are slightly stronger (and more health boost) than the above but are reliant on tenderizing to hit 100% affinity. Thanks to Nethersaw for suggesting running 2 Weakness Exploit.

Build variants:
Ice Guard 5
Water Guard 5
Fire/Thunder/Dragon Guard 5

#Safi + Escadora Hybrid

SAED 😄Savage 😄Sharpness 🙂Comfy 🙂
Required Event Equipment: Safi’Jiiva, Alatreon
Kjarr Fire and Thunder are identical in stats and use the same builds as Fire.

Similar power to Safi 5. Sacrifices a few slots for lots of elemental defense, but you are locked into eating for elemental resistance food (which is lost if you faint).

Build variants:
Alatreon Morphblade

#Escadora Morphblade

SAED 😄Savage 🙂Sharpness 🙂Comfy 😍
Required Event Equipment: Alatreon

For those that actually want to use the new armor and weapon. It’s not stronger than Kjarr weapon or Safi armor, but it is REALLY hard to die using this build. It still does respectable damage. You can get Guard 3 or 5 by changing the decorations in the helm (losing Offensive Guard and/or Expert).

Build variants:
Focus 3

#Kjarr Element Master’s Touch

Build variants:
Ice Guard 5
Water Guard 5
Fire/Thunder/Dragon Guard 5

#Safi Element Safi 5

#Safi Element Safi + Teo Hybrid

#No Event Equipment Cookie Cutter (Master’s Touch)

#No Event Equipment Cookie Cutter (4 Namielle)

#No Event Equipment Cookie Cutter (True Critical Element)

If playing a Savage Axe centric playstyle, you may opt to drop Focus (and Artillery for Impact Phials) to maximize your physical damage using the logic that if you don’t use SAED at all, you don’t need the extra phial generation from Focus. Note that even for this playstyle, dropping Focus has some downsides: making your Double Slash and Condensed Elemental Slash (sword buff) charge slower, and occasionally costing you extra attacks in sword mode (compared to Focus 3) before you can reload and attack in Axe mode.

Both Impact and Elemental builds are in this section.

#Fatalis Impact Focusless

SAED 💀Savage 😍Sharpness 😍Comfy 😍
Required Event Equipment: Fatalis, Alatreon

Compared to regular Fatalis Impact, this basically gains Power Prolonger 3 and Peak Performance 3 in exchange for Focus 3 and Artillery 5 without losing any Handicraft.

Build variants:
Guard 3
Guard 5

#Safi Impact Focusless

#Lightbreak Focusless

#Kjarr Fatalis Focusless

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis, MR Kulve Taroth, Arch-Tempered Velkhana
Water, Fire, and Thunder use similar builds.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons!

#Kjarr Safi + Fatalis Hybrid Focusless

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis, MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva
Water, Fire, and Thunder use similar builds.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons!

#Kjarr Alatreon + Fatalis Hybrid

Required Event Equipment: Alatreon, Fatalis, MR Kulve Taroth
Water, Fire, and Thunder use similar but not identical builds. Dragon is outclassed by the Velkhana Gamma hybrid below.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons!

#Alatreon Morphblade Alatreon + Velkhana Hybrid

Required Event Equipment: Alatreon, Arch-Tempered Velkhana

#Kjarr Element Safi 5 Focusless

SAED 💀Savage 😍Sharpness 🙂Comfy 💀
Required Event Equipment: Safi’Jiiva, MR Kulve Taroth
Kjarr Fire, Thunder, and Dragon are identical in stats and use the same builds as Fire.
Remember that you can add custom upgrades to Kjarr weapons!

#Kjarr Element Master’s Touch Focusless

#Safi Element Safi 5 Focusless

#Safi Element Safi + Teo Hybrid Focusless

#Safi Element True Critical Element

#Safi Element Safi + Velkhana Hybrid

#Anti-Rajang

Build variants:
No Kjarr (Beotodus CB)
No event equipment (Beotodus CB)

#Anti-Safi

Required Event Equipment: None

#Anti-Kulve

Required Event Equipment: Safi’Jiiva

Tenderize uptime is not great on Kulve so you may trade some Health Boost or Razor Sharp for Expert if you want.

Build variants:
No event equipment (Lightbreak CB)

#Anti-Raging Brachy

Required Event Equipment: MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva

Safi 5 set will deal more damage but the bleed makes this fight much more difficult than using an MT set.

Build variants:
No event equipment (Beotodus CB)

#Anti-Namielle

Required Event Equipment: MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva

You can trade Protective Polish for Hard Water Res but I recommend dropping Coalescence if you do this.

Build variants:
No event equipment (Glavenus CB)

#Anti-Alatreon (Defensive)

Required Event Equipment: MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva

Match weaknesses with the starting element of Alatreon. Savage Axe playstyle deals the most damage to Alatreon but this build can play either Savage or SAED.

Recommended mantles: Temporal and Rocksteady (can be risky) or Glider. A surprisingly strong strategy that doesn’t sacrifice any damage is for your whole party to equip Glider mantles with 2 Wide Range+ decos.

Build variants:
Poverty build TBA

#Anti-Alatreon (Offensive)

Required Event Equipment: MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva

Match weaknesses with the starting element of Alatreon. A more aggressive anti-Alatreon build that is only for Savage Axe playstyle, and is not immune to blights in order to proc Coalescence.

#Anti-Fatalis (pre-clear)

Required Event Equipment: Safi’Jiiva

Above: SAED build & Savage build

Be warned that Charge Blade is a rough time vs this monster, at least before getting its armor. AED and SAED are easily punished by Fatalis, it has almost no openings from guarding attacks (so Guard isn’t worth taking), and CB has a hard time dealing head damage when the monster is not toppled. Not being able to easily break the head means dealing with full strength blue fire in the last phase unless you are multiplayer and your teammates can help break the head.

Savage has higher damage potential and does more head damage but requires a difficult playstyle where you mostly stay in Axe mode (therefore cannot block) and use Rising slash and Downswing combo.

Other tips:
Fatalis cannot be KO’d or clutch claw staggered
Fatalis topples from head break, mount, dragonator, one-shot binder, cannon shots (after 7-8), and ballista damage to the chest while flying
A hunter with Ghillie mantle can set up a topple from the get go using two fully loaded cannons (the player doing this should use Heavy Artillery 2)
Flinch shot does not launch Fatalis forward unless he is crawling (not standing)
There are two one-shot binders in the arena, one near the shield that is melted by the first nova and the other near the ballista on the opposite side
Paralysis is basically a topple but takes a long time to apply

#Anti-Fatalis (post-clear)

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis (head and arms)

After your first one or two clears you should be able to make this. You may have to mix and match if you get unlucky and don’t get any eyes for the head.

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis (head and waist)

Savage Axe version.

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis (4 pieces)

This is after you can make 4 pieces of armor and its weapon. Artillery 5/Flexible version.

Required Event Equipment: Fatalis (4 pieces)

This is after you can make 4 pieces of armor and its weapon. Savage Axe only version.

#Sword Only

Required Event Equipment: MR Kulve Taroth, Safi’Jiiva

Three interesting properties coincide to make this strategy stronger than you expect: (1) “overcharged” sword (when you attack too much before reloading) is forced to bounce on every attack (2) if you prevent an attack that would normally bounce from bouncing, it will have no hitstop (3) Charge Blade can give itself Mind’s Eye on all sword attacks by charging the sword. Basically, you can attack SUPER fast when your sword is overcharged and get tons of sword phial explosions (Video).

This is only recommended for elemental CBs as you get the benefits of much higher damage phial explosions and Critical Element. Also, it can still work without charged sword as Shield Thrust always creates a phial explosion (you will need Mind’s Eye decoration if you do this). Power Prolonger is also optional.

#Girros Cosplay

Required Event Equipment: MR Kulve Taroth

Is this build good? Probably not. Does it have 860 Paralysis and Critical Status? Absolutely. For more raw, you can swap the charm for Challenger Charm V and drop to 2 Paralyze Attack.