Justtus23
A case for Valor Dual Blades as a starter
Just a small counterpoint on the Combat tab - Valor Dual Blades is actually one of the safest beginner combos out there. The reason Dual Blades feel stamina-hungry early is the Demon State, and Valor doesn't use it. You can play it without leaning on mega juice, and you even get a guard point that sharpens your weapon mid-fight. I've soloed EX hunts (Thundex, Silvex) on no mega juice with it. For every other Dual Blades style, "mid-range" is fair - it's really the juice problem in the early game that hurts.
Long Sword armor: three sets, that's it
For one weapon you only need three armor sets - not a new mix every few quests. Making more than three for the same weapon is not recommended; you'll burn zenny and hours for marginal gains.
Every set below uses any charm with 3 open slots - skill points on the charm don't matter, and you don't need G-rank charm farming.
HR2–HR4
Full Ceanataur set + Narga Long Sword. Your early High Rank set until HR5.
HR5 → G2
- Skills
-
- Critical Eye +2
- Razor Sharp
- Attack Up (S)
- Pieces
- Ceanataur Helm S, Ceanataur Braces S, Ceanataur Greaves S, Vaik Faulds S, any Blade Master 2-slot torso
- Charm
- Any 3-slot charm
- Decos
- 1× Attack Jewel 1, 3× Attack Jewel 2, 4× Expert Jewel 1
G2 → Ahtal-Ka (final boss)
- Skills
-
- Razor Sharp
- Critical Eye +1
- Weakness Exploit
- Critical Boost
- Pieces
- Ceanataur Helm/Mail/Braces X, Vaik Faulds X, Silver Solgreaves
- Weapon
- 2 decoration slots
- Charm
- Any 3-slot charm
- Decos
- 4× Critical Jewel 1, 7× Tenderizer Jewel 1, 1× Critical Jewel 3
Great Sword armor: three sets with Narga GS
Same rule: three sets, any 3-slot charm, don't over-craft. All three assume you're on the Narga Great Sword path - natural 40% affinity and good sharpness.
HR2–HR4
- Skills
-
- Critical Eye +3
- Focus
- Pieces
- Aelucanth Vertex, Skalda Thorax, Nargacuga Braces, Aelucanth Elytra, Mosgharl Roots
- Weapon
- 1 decoration slot
- Charm
- Any 3-slot charm
- Decos
- 5× Charger Jewel 1, 1× Expert Jewel 2
HR5 → G2
- Skills
-
- Focus
- Weakness Exploit
- Critical Eye +1
- Pieces
- Ceanataur Cap S, Rathalos Mail, Torso Up Blade Master arms, Mafumofu Coil S, Jaggi Shinguards S
- Weapon
- 2 decoration slots (Narga GS)
- Charm
- Any 3-slot charm
- Decos
- 5× Charger Jewel 1, 4× Tenderizer Jewel 1, 1× Torso Charger Jewel 1 (in Rath Mail for Torso Up doubling)
G2 → Ahtal-Ka (final boss)
- Skills
-
- Critical Eye +3
- Critical Boost
- Focus
- Pieces
- Aelucanth Clypeus X, Black Belt Mail X, Jaggi Gauntlets X, Aelucanth Elytra X, Blango Greaves GX
- Weapon
- 2 decoration slots (Narga GS)
- Charm
- Any 3-slot charm
- Decos
- 6× Charger Jewel 1, 1× Expert Jewel 2, 1× Critical Jewel 3
Don't bother gearing up for HR1
Run the HR1 quests, but don't burn time crafting a set for them. Bujabujabu gear isn't bad - it's actually the best you can get at that tier - but the quests are so easy you can clear them in starter armor with no issues. Spending time gearing up there is like bringing a gun to kill a cockroach when a shoe will do.
Yellow sharpness is the real early enemy
DPS isn't what holds you back in low and early high rank - sharpness is. Yellow eats your damage alive. That's why Narga weapons are some of the best picks for early game, sharpness-wise - and why the Long Sword and Great Sword progression sets above both assume Narga weapons.
Forget charm farming. Seriously.
A friendly PSA: take care with the melding, sure, you can get lucky - but please don't burn your G-Rank time chasing charms. Charms don't make you a good player. The armor sets above only need a generic 3-slot charm - no G-rank melding targets required.
People obsess over a G charm without first learning to hold the controller. I've seen folks grind for hours, finally roll something nice, then realize they still can't solo anything because the player half never improved. Farm skill instead - practice solo, that's the upgrade that actually sticks.