Long Sword

The Long Sword weapon class is a relatively fresh addition to the roster of weapons available for combat in the Monster Hunter series of games. Making their first appearance with their own style of play in Monster Hunter 2, long swords, also called Tachi, were previously duplicates of the Great Sword weapon class in terms of controls. Since, they have become perhaps a favorite choice of the player base, having comparatively swift attacks, fluid controls, and immense damage potential with the Spirit Combo addition.

Having pervasively high attack power means having some drawbacks, however. Since its departure from the great sword family, the long sword has no ability to guard against attacks by any means. Thus, the hunter must compensate for defensive power by sometimes going all-out. The long sword class actually has some degree of delay after the weapon's initial attacks, but balances this with a back-hop/wide swing attack which is able to be entered into the mix of the fight quite freely. The hunter must take some necessary risk in filling up his Spirit Gauge, which, once full, can unleash a devastatingly powerful Spirit Combo, a volley of swings so fast and fierce that the long sword may easily outpace other weapons in the vicinity in terms of damage output.

Very low sharpness is also a typical factor in the long sword family. Weapons like the appealing scythe tree tend to fare miserably in drawn-out fights if the hunter is unprepared with proper skills and a multitude of whetstones. As for elemental prowess, however, the long sword is widely blessed. Some of the highest elemental properties in the game reside in the statistics for long swords, and being such a ferocious damage-dealer makes it no slouch in exploiting elemental weaknesses.

Quarter-circle back, punch
LSes are really strong, but you have to get to that point, first. The key with a ls is to be aggressive and fill up that gauge, then to let it fly by tapping the R button to unleash total hell at the right moment. Bring a lot of whetstones.