There are Great Swords and Hammers for the big guys, ranged types for the shooters, Long Swords for the show-offs… and then there’s the Insect Glaive. This weapon is the choice for those who like turning their minuscule size compared to their prey into an asset. Like an insect, the wielder moves fast and stings hard as the slow heavy monsters try fruitlessly to land a hit. This weapon shines by allowing players to easily avoid strikes, dealing great damage with a flurry of fast slashes, all while making use of some of its abilities to stay airborne and mount enemies. It’s made up of two parts: the Glaive itself and the Kinsect, a giant insect you can control to help you in battle by collecting extracts from monsters that turn into buffs once you consume them. It also helps in dealing damage and leaving behind dust clouds with a variety of effects. The release of MHW: Iceborne has added even more features and in that vein I want to write up a piece on one of the most unique weapon choices in this game. Let’s dive in!
15. Verdant Levin
This first entry is a Monster Hunter classic, with a very unique design sporting the horn of a Kirin beast as one of its blades. Like the unicorn creature, the Verdant Levin is centered around dealing Thunder damage which makes it great for facing Legiana or Bazelgeuse, among others. With Handicraft you can make blue sharpness on this weapon last for a long time, so you don’t need to waste precious moments sharpening your blade. As expected from such an element-based weapon, it also provides Elemental Boost for your Kinsect. Its raw damage, however, leaves much to be desired. Which makes this Glaive a very situational pick. I recommend it with the Kirin armor set just because it’s fitting and a true classic.
14. Gnashing Flammenkaefer
The name of this tribal-looking weapon made from Anjanath remains, “Flammenkaefer”, means “Fire Bug” in German. Very appropriate, considering it’s the best Fire damage Insect Glaive you can craft in the game. Unlike the Verdant Levin, this weapon also deals pretty good raw damage to go with its high Fire damage. And can also benefit from having the Handicraft skill to lengthen its blue sharpness bar considerably. A pretty nice option for newer players considering it’s much easier to obtain than some of the top picks on this list. On the downside, it has a 20% negative affinity you’ll have to account for in you build. But once you do you’ll be roasting Paolumus and Legianas for lunch on the regular.
13. Kadachi Pillar III
The second Thunder element weapon option here comes from the electrifying Tobi Kadachi monster, as you can tell from the claws and scales that adorn both ends of the pole. It deals about two thirds of the Thunder damage the Verdant Levin does but it makes up for it in spades with much better raw damage output, a 10% affinity boost, and even the possibility of reaching white sharpness with Handicraft. This sharpness can be vital for an Insect Glaive and really augments its offensive capabilities. It’s also the first item on the list with a decoration slot, albeit small. You’ll probably be using this weapon for more of the same, but you’ll find it’s much more versatile in general and not hard to craft.
12. Destroyer Bo III
This regrettably uninspired-looking weapon made from the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku monster is only ornamented with a tiny representation of the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku’s “ears” (for lack of a better name), but don’t let its simplicity fool you. Its base raw damage is the same as the Kadachi Pillar’s but it gets access to the Non-Elemental Boost skill, which can give it a sizable advantage. It can also reach white sharpness with Handicraft and even has a medium decoration slot that’ll help you achieve your ideal build. It also has the Speed Boost for your Kinsect which is largely considered the best by Insect Glaive mains. For sure a great hunting tool that you’ll be able to craft relatively early and that’ll help you in almost any circumstances, considering it doesn’t rely on elemental weaknesses or anything of the sort.
11. Daora’s Tethidine
“Tethidine” is the scientific term for a family in the species generally known as “squids”, which is exactly what this crazy weapon is styled after. Other than being really unique, this weapon from the Kushala Daora beast is a great option to bring against Diablos or Teostra thanks to its Ice elemental damage. This complements a pretty decent raw damage output too. The Tethidine also has a 10% affinity bonus and is able to reach white sharpness with Handicraft. If you wish to make the most of it, however, you’re also going to need Protective Polish so it lasts more than a few swings. Definitely a great pick to fulfill your childhood desire of becoming a marine biologist.
10. True Gae Bolg
This weapon, named after the Irish spear of legend, is easily one of the most unique-looking Glaives in the whole game. In part because it looks much more like a spear than something else. But also because it’s ornamented with a cast gargoyle instead of some regular old monster part. It’s styled with the Drachen Alpha armor set which is considered by many to be the best option for Insect Glaive users, so you’re likely to see it many times during your adventures in multiplayer. Its raw damage output is good but it really shines in conjunction with its very high Dragon damage potential. It can reach white sharpness with the Handicraft skill and has a whopping 20% affinity bonus, both greatly improving its lethal power. As if that wasn’t enough it also has a large decoration slot that makes this Glaive a definite asset in many builds.
9. Vice
This elegant weapon with evident Asian design influences is made from the remains of Odogaron beasts. And like most weapons derived from this monster, puts an emphasis on sharpness. While its base raw damage output is nothing special, it has a default lengthy white sharpness bar that greatly diminishes the need for the Handicraft skill. This opens up many other possibilities for your build. And considering it also has a 20% affinity bonus, a great option is to simply focus on optimizing critical damage. To further improve damage you can get the Non-Elemental Boost for it, perhaps with an Elementless Jewel on its medium decoration slot.
8. Hazak Entoma II
The Insect Glaive family of weapons is notorious for having a very wide array of options for hunting Dragons, one of them being the Hazak Entoma II. Not only does it have great raw damage and some solid Dragon damage to go with it, but it also has an average level Elderseal to help you deal with the special abilities of the Elder Dragons in general. You’ll definitely want to get both Handicraft to reach white sharpness and Protective Polish to keep it, because it only gets a tiny sliver of it. Among the Vaal Hazak weapons, the Entoma(which unsurprisingly means “insect” in Greek) isn’t among the best-looking ones. But it’s still pretty powerful and definitely a useful weapon for any hunter.
7. Xeno Shmaena
That of the Xeno Shmaena is a sad story. It’s the story of an amazing weapon with a boring look. The story of developers just strapping some Xeno’jiiva frills on a base Insect Glaive model and calling it a day. Luckily usefulness is not derived from looks, and this weapon is a very efficient hunting tool. Although both its raw damage and Dragon damage are lower than the Hazak Entoma’s, this weapon has a 15% affinity boost and white sharpness by default. You’ll still benefit from Handicraft to make it more durable. But considering it has two large decoration slots, it’s not something you’ll have trouble with.
6. Tyrannis Glaive II
A more straightforwardly powerful blade is the Tyrannis Glaive II, the weapon derived from the fearsome Diablos monster. It boasts one of the most intimidating designs in the game with Diablos horns and scales both on the handle and adorning the blade. It’s not all looks, however, because the raw damage output on this weapon is amazing. Especially if you take advantage of the Non-Elemental Boost skill. It even provides some bonus defense, which is always nice. Regrettably this weapon suffers from a clear lack of versatility in terms of creating builds. It has a 30% negative affinity you’ll definitely have to take into account, and if you want white sharpness on it (and you do) you’ll have to get a high level of the Handicraft skill so it doesn’t go blunt after just a couple hits.
5. Catastrophe’s Light
As is usual for Diablos and Nergigante weapons, they come in really close in this ranking. But ultimately, the Catastrophe’s Light comes out on top. This insanely menacing Glaive fit for a tribe of cannibals has great raw damage and some nice Dragon elemental damage to complement it, which along with its high-level Elderseal makes it a solid Elder-hunter weapon. Although unlike the Tyrannis Glaive, this weapon can’t reach white sharpness. But its amazing blue sharpness durability will let you forget sharpening is a thing, ultimately letting you focus on dealing damage. It also has a small decoration slot for added customization.
4. Kjarr Glaive Spark
Ah, yes, the Kjarr Glaives. If you’ve been looking into weapons for a while you’ll know this family of relic weapons couldn’t be missing from the list. In fact, they could make up half the list with how many amazing options there are. Ice, “King”, “Decay”, “Crusher” and of course Spark, are only a few. I decided to group most of them together into a single spot and focus on the Kjarr Glaive Spark just because a lot of people in the community seem to prefer it. This provides solid raw damage, amazing Thunder damage and the Critical Element skill to really bring the thunder. It can reach white sharpness with ease. And to help you land those critical hits it has a 15% affinity bonus. This gold-plated relic weapon is a great choice if you can get your hands on it or any of its sisters.
3. Kjarr Glaive Paralysis
One of the best options from the same family is the Kjarr Glaive Paralysis, which I distinguish from the rest of them with the title of best ailment Insect Glaive in MHW. It’s essentially the same weapon as the Kjarr Glaive Spark with a couple adjustments such as higher raw damage, default white sharpness, and a smaller 10% affinity bonus. What really makes it special is the Critical Status skill paired with a nice Paralysis build-up that’ll have you immobilizing enemies a couple times every fight. Overall a great option for hunting in a team where everyone can really take advantage of the monster’s downtime to rack up the damage numbers.
2. Grunge Storm
Instead of depending on your team you might prefer to be the one dealing the big numbers. In this case I recommend you go farm the Deviljho monster and craft the Grunge Storm, which is more a double-ended mace of Deviljho flesh than a blade of any sort. It still looks pretty cool, however, and has probably the highest DPS potential in the game. Although its raw damage is a bit lower than the Tyrannis Glaive II, the Grunge Storm can reach and maintain white sharpness throughout a fight without much trouble. It also has great Dragon damage to complement it and high-level Elderseal to establish it as the quintessential Elder-hunter Insect Glaive. Yes it does have 25% negative affinity like most Deviljho weapons. Nut you’ll find this hunting tool is worth the trouble.
1. Empress Cane Ruin
The first spot on my list goes to the weaponized fusion of Lunastra and Nergigante parts, an Insect Glaive with an azure-colored blade and spikes adorning both ends. This weapon has a nice raw damage and some Blast build-up to go with it. But that’s not what earns it this spot. What really makes this weapon shine is its default white sharpness and Hasten Recovery which give you amazing build flexibility as you don’t have to worry about Handicraft and sustainability skills. This glaive will make you a fierce opponent to any of the game’s colossal beasts.
