One of the weapons that Monster Hunter Wilds will have at release on Steam and PS5 is the Energy Blade: It combines the defensive capabilities of a shield with the offensive power of a battle axe.
What game is this about? Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest installment in the popular Monster Hunter series, which has been around since 2004. The action RPG, which is set to be released in 2025 on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, is being developed by Capcom.
Maybe we will even be able to play Monster Hunter Wilds as early as this spring. After all, Capcom has already started presenting the available weapon types.
Here you can watch the official trailer for the Energy Blade:
Two Weapon Modes, Two Play Styles
What can the Energy Blade do? In sword mode, the Energy Blade resembles Sword & Shield: You have a shield for defense and a sword for attack. In this mode, you are agile and can defend well, but you deal relatively little damage.
By landing successful hits in sword mode, you gather energy, which you can gradually use to fill individual vials. These will be displayed in your HUD as five bottles. When they light up, you can transfer the energy into the vials and then use it in axe mode.
In axe mode, you do have to forgo your shield, but you also deal significantly more damage. This can be further increased by discharging the energy collected in the vials all at once.
In an ideal scenario, you will want to switch regularly between the two modes to get the absolute maximum out of the weapon. If the monster is focused on you and relentless attacks are coming down on you, you are better off in sword mode. However, note that in this mode – unlike with Sword & Shield – you cannot use items.
For new hunters, the Energy Blade is not really a good recommendation due to its high complexity. Fortunately, Monster Hunter Wilds will also offer many other weapons at release, which should make the entry much easier for you. Here is a brief overview: All 14 weapon types from Monster Hunter Wilds at a glance
