You’re hovering fifty feet above a Rathalos, spinning like a caffeinated ceiling fan, and honestly? You’re probably doing zero damage. It’s the hard truth of the Monster Hunter insect glaive. Since it first showed up in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, this weapon has been the victim of its own coolness. People see the vaulting and the mid-air dashes and think they’re playing a platformer. They aren't. They’re playing a high-commitment technical masterpiece that requires more micromanagement than a corporate middle manager.
If you want to actually kill monsters—not just tickle their wings—you have to stop thinking of the glaive as a flight simulator.
The Kinsect is Not a Pet—It’s Your Entire Damage Budget
Most players treat the Kinsect as a sidekick. That is a massive mistake. Without your extracts, the Monster Hunter insect glaive is basically a wet pool noodle. You’ve got three colors to worry about: Red, White, and Orange. Red gives you the actual attack animations that matter. White makes you faster. Orange keeps you from getting knocked over by every stray breeze.
Collecting these isn't optional. It’s the tax you pay to play the game.
Look, getting the Red extract is usually easy—aim for the head. White is usually the legs or wings. But Orange? Orange is the devil. On some monsters, the Orange hitbox is tucked away in the tail or the back, and if you don't have all three colors (the "Triple Up"), you’re leaving about 20-30% of your potential DPS on the table. In Monster Hunter World and Rise, the Kinsect types also changed how you play. Speed bugs used to be the meta, but then blunt-type bugs that can stun monsters started taking over. If you aren't using a bug that matches your hunter's element or provides "Dual Color" buffs (found in Rise), you’re making the hunt twice as long for no reason.
Stop Staying in the Air
Here is the secret that "Aerial Glaive" enthusiasts hate to hear: the ground is where the numbers happen.
In almost every iteration of the franchise, the motion values (the math that determines damage) favor ground combos. The "Infinite Combo"—usually a variation of the Forward Slash into the Wide Sweep and then a Tornado Slash—hits like a truck. When you’re in the air, you’re safe, sure. You’re dodging beams and tail swipes. But you’re also dealing chip damage.
The air is for repositioning. It’s for chasing a flying monster that refuses to land. It is not for the entire fight. If you watch speedrunners like Po Chi or any of the top-tier Japanese players, they spend 80% of their time rooted to the dirt. They only take off when they need to use a high-value move like the Descending Thrust (in Iceborne) or the Diving Wyvern (in Rise). These moves take all that momentum you’ve built up in the air and dump it into a single, massive piercing strike.
It feels good. It breaks parts. It actually ends the hunt.
The Stamina Trap and Skill Priorities
People build for the Monster Hunter insect glaive all wrong because they focus on the wrong stats. They stack Constitution because they think they need to fly forever. Don't do that.
Instead, look at Power Prolonger.
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Because the glaive relies so heavily on those three extracts, you spend a lot of time "farming" your buffs. Power Prolonger keeps those buffs active for significantly longer, meaning more time hitting the monster and less time aiming your bug at a frantic Diablos. It’s the single best quality-of-life skill for the weapon.
You also need to consider Sharpness. The glaive hits fast. Very fast. You will chew through a Blue or White sharpness bar in minutes. Skills like Master’s Touch or Razor Sharp are basically mandatory unless you enjoy sharpening your weapon every time the monster moves to a new zone.
What You Should Actually Slot Into Your Armor:
- Weakness Exploit: This is non-negotiable for every weapon, but since you have high mobility, you have no excuse for not hitting the head.
- Critical Boost: To make those Red-buffed hits actually hurt.
- Power Prolonger: To keep your Triple Up active for the full duration of a monster's "down" state.
- Evade Window: Since the glaive doesn't have a shield, you rely on the i-frames of your rolls and mid-air dashes.
The Evolution: From 4U to Wilds
The glaive has changed a lot. In MH4U, it was broken. Mounting was a new mechanic, and the glaive could do it whenever it wanted. It was the "Je Suis Monté" era. By Monster Hunter Generations, we got Styles, and Aerial Style turned the glaive into a literal pogo stick.
Then came World and Iceborne. This was the turning point. The introduction of the Clutch Claw and the Descending Thrust gave the weapon a heavy-hitting finisher it desperately needed. Monster Hunter Rise took it further with Wirebugs, giving us the Kinsect Slash—a move that lets you aim your aerial attacks with surgical precision.
Every version of the Monster Hunter insect glaive forces you to learn a new rhythm. In the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds, the focus seems to be shifting even more toward "Wound" mechanics. Using your Kinsect to target specific weak points created by your hunter will likely be the core gameplay loop. It’s about synergy. You are a duo.
Why You Keep Bouncing Off Monsters
If you find yourself "bouncing" (the clink sound when your weapon hits hard hide), it’s usually because you lost your Red extract. Without Red, your attacks are slow, clunky, and have poor reach. It’s the most common "why do I suck at this?" moment for beginners.
The other reason is your bug's stamina. Your Kinsect isn't a machine. If you leave it out there attacking the monster automatically, it will run out of juice and come back to your arm to recharge. You have to manage this. Manually recalling the bug restores a chunk of its stamina.
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It’s a dance. You hit, the bug hits, you recall, you dive.
Actionable Steps for Mastering the Glaive
Stop going into hunts trying to be a bird. If you want to get good at the Monster Hunter insect glaive, follow this progression:
- Go to the Training Area: Practice getting the Triple Up buff in under 10 seconds. If it takes you longer than that, you aren't ready for a real hunt. Learn the monster's anatomy. Head is Red. Body is Orange. Tail/Legs is White. Usually.
- Learn the Tornado Slash: It’s your biggest move on the ground. Find out which button combos lead into it fastest. Hint: It’s usually the end of your heavy attack chain.
- Practice the "Recall" Dodge: Many people forget that calling your bug back actually pulls your character slightly and can be used to cancel animations.
- Stop using the Kinsect Mark exclusively: In older games, you’d fire a pheromone shot. In newer ones, you hit the monster to mark it. Don't rely on the auto-attack. Manually send and recall the bug for better precision and stamina management.
- Focus on the Diving Finish: Only go into the air when you have a clear opening for a Diving Wyvern or Descending Thrust. Use the air to bypass ground-based shockwaves, then punish the monster for existing.
The glaive is a weapon of infinite possibilities, but it demands discipline. Master the bug, stay on the ground when it counts, and only take to the skies when you’re ready to bring the hammer down.