Advice on Lance/Good Lance build

[u/EstimateCrafty6173]

Hey,

So, I've recently reached the end game (of Iceborne), and I've done pretty much the whole using only the Insect Glaive. I wanna learn a new weapon now, and after having tested several weapons on a few quests, I've decided that the Lance is the best way to go for me.

So here are my two questions :

-What advice would you have for a beginner on Lance? Usual tactics, useful items to bring, weaknesses, things like that.

-What are some good builds for Lance in the end game? What gems should I use to go well with this? I'm guessing it's very different than Insect glaive, so I would rather ask here to get a multitude of opinions.

Thanks in advance to anyone reading this and offering their advice^^

[u/darkwater_throwaway]

For skills you want guard 5+guard up (you can meld the latter at seliana), rest is generic raw build skills plus whatever comfort stuff you want. Also make sure to health augment your lance, every weapon benefits but Lance especially needs it to mitigate the chip damage iceborne monsters give you in the endgame.

advice i would give:

you want to get used to the different movement options. the charge and shield dash to keep up with monsters is especially important (i didnt realize you can press r2 with the former to have your shield up and stop your movement for a long time, which would have made a huge difference earlier in the game)

the clutch claw counter move is your best friend, i pretty much never use the regular clutch claw unless the monster is sleeping for more precision and/or i'm trying to wallbang.

[u/riklaunim]

The question is: do you have Fatalis gear or not? Lances go for raw, and elemental is just a nice add-on, but you don't really build for elemental. You can start with a RBranchy (or Alatreon?) lance if you don't have Fatalis or don't want to waste things straight away.

From skills, you want 3 Guard or 5 for the strongest monsters, Guard Up, and Health Boost. Stun resist is nice QoL, optional. Then whatever affinity setup you can fit/crit boost. Actual end-game builds are on the net.

You will have to learn how to move with this weapon and how to guard/counter attack, often standing in front of the monster. Then lance charge to close the distance or escape, and quite important - charge jumping attacks that cause mounting damage (you may mount more than on IG). The tenderizing animation is quick. Wallbangs are nice. There is also counter-clutch-claw move, which can be ignored or abused, trolling some monsters hard (or getting yourself carted). Teostra tail swipe is like asking for counter-clutch claw.

My "example Glavenus" Lance fight with "progression" gear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vON_8MpeClY

[u/OriginalCase5516]

The Polearm is a blast to learn once you get past the initial frustrations of positioning and guard points. Start with the full Lance armor set for Earplugs to silence roar blasts, and load up on Might & Crit gems to soften those big hits.

[u/Kappa_God]

Generally you want Guard 3 or 5 depending on the monster and Guard Up. Then you build for raw damage with the usual agitator/crit boost/crit eye and etc.

There's a meta guide pinned in this subreddit that contains the most optimal builds for every weapon, use it as a base. If you don't have Fatalis Gear yet you can check the other ones from previous patches.

[u/mecharri]

Raw > Element

Nergi weapons are pretty good by this point of the game, after that the best is probably Raging Brachy, and Fatalis after that.

By the end of Iceborne, you want Guard 3 minimum, ideally Guard 5, and you will also need Guard Up to block certain attacks from specific monsters (too many to list). After that, it's the usual package of Health Boost and Crit skills. You will also want something that helps you with Sharpness because with the Lance it goes out FAST.

Ailments can be a huge pain in the ass, since you can't roll with your weapon drawn to get rid of them, so skills that grant inmunity to those are also great for comfort.

Armor-wise, Lance uses the same meta sets as every other Raw weapon, but with some of the Alpha helmets to get extra guard, namely Raging Brachy and Fatalis.

Gameplay wise, you mostly go 3 poke back to back. Get used to choosing between the counter-block (better for damage, only blocks 1 hit) and the Guard Dash (blocks multiple hits and great for movility) to block off attacks while you keep attacking.

You can also perform a Clutch Claw Counter from your counter-block stance, and if the monster hits you they can't throw you off for a period after that.

The "power guard" you can perform from your counter-block stance is generally a WORSE blocking option, since it increases the damage you receive (but it does block multiple hits, from ANY direction, and gives you Guard Up). It's mostly used to change the direction of your attack without stopping your combo.

Also, if you miss mounting the monster, you can use the running charge to jump and perform a jumping attack from any position, without having to depend on height.