Insect Glaive
Low Rank

Insect Glaive is a kind of hybrid melee and ranged weapon but it has insane amounts of mobility, and you can use it to jump around like an idiot.

This guide will also go briefly into Kinsects. Speed is the preference as they’re the easiest type to use, on top of having good synergy with the recommended weapon path’s bonus to speed kinsects. Blunt vs. Sever is your preference, but you’re unlikely to get KO’s with Kinsects, so sever will be more useful, as you can use it to assist in cutting tails.

The short answer is:

Build the Kulu Glaive to bridge you into the Tobi Kadachi Path, and use it for the entirety of the game. Wow… how exciting. Then you can pick up the Nergigante Glaive. Kinsect’s have a very easy linear progression starting with Culldrome 1, and ending up at the Pseudocath 3, which is arguably the best in the game.

Now for the long answer:

The Iron Blade 1 you start with is good for the first missions. You’ll want upgrade it as soon as possible to an Iron Blade 2 by using 2 Iron Ore. Also take the opportunity to upgrade your Culldrone 1, into a Culldrone 2 by using 3 Iron Ore.

Use this to take on the Great Jagras, and the Kulu Ya Ku.

After the Kulu Ya Ku, upgrade your Iron Blade 2 into a Kulu Blade 1 by using 1 Kulu Ya Ku Beak, 2 Kulu Ya Ku Hide, and 3 Kulu Ya Ku Scales.

Continue with your mandatory hunt of a Pukei-Pukei.

If you prefer, you can build the Pukei-Pukei path and gain poison damage, but you’ll be able to inflict poison with your kinsect, which makes Kulu Blade 1 over all preferred.

Now hunt Barroth in the Wild Spire Wastes. Mine here to get Earth Crystals. Once you get two, upgrade your Culldrone 2 into a Culldrone 3 by using 2 Earth Crystals and 1 Monster Bone M.

Follow up by hunting Jyuratodus as part of standard progression. You can build the Aqua Rod 1, as an optional upgrade here, and it will bridge into the Diablos path later, but the Kulu Blade 1 will be sufficient.

Hunt Tobi-Kadachi as your next mandatory hunt. Afterwards, build a Bone Rod 1, and upgrade it to a Bone Rod 2 by using 3 Monster Bone S.

Upgrade it again, to a Pulsar Rod 1 by using 1 Tobi-Kadachi Claw, 3 Tobi-Kadachi Scale, and 2 Tobi Kadachi Pelt.

You’ll gain a 30 raw damage spike over the Kulu Blade 1, add thunder element, and maintain speed boost and the 10% affinity. It’s by far the strongest Insect Glaive you can have up to this point, and stays at the top until things like Diablos come into play.

Now you’ll have to fight Anjanath as part of the story. Afterwards, upgrade your Culldrone 3, into a Windchopper 1 by using 1 Monster Bone L, and 1 Machalite Ore.

Afterwards it’s Zorah Magdaros…. Setpeice… etc.

In the Coral Highlands, you’re forced into an expedition to explore.

You can mine here for Dragonite Ore and Coral Crystal. You’ll need Dragonite Ore for your Kinsect, and Coral Crystal for your glaive.

Upgrade your Windchopper 1 into a Windchopper 2 by using 2 Dragonite Ore and 3 Machalite Ore.

Upgrade your Pulsar Rod 1, into a Pulsar Rod 2 by using 2 Tobi-Kadachi Electrode, 3 Tobi-Kadachi Claw, 2 Electro Sac and 3 Coral Crystal.

Continue progressing by hunting Paolumu, unlocking the Rotten Vale, hunting Radobaan, then returning to the Coral Highlands to take out Legiana

After Legiana you’ll hopefully gain Monster Bone+.

Use them to upgrade your Pulsar Rod 2 into a Pulsar Rod 3 by using 2 Monster Bone+, 2 Tobi-Kadachi Electrode, 2 Tobi-Kadachi Membrane, and 2 Warped Bones. Warped Bones can be harvested from bone piles in the Rotten Vale.

After you get monster bone+, you can also upgrade your kinsect, but you’ll need rathian webbing. Hunt a rathian, and upgrade your Windchopper 2 into a Windchopper 3 by using 2 Monster Bone+, and 1 Rathian Webbing.

These are your last upgrades for Low Rank.

Finish up your mandatory hunts of Odogaron, followed by Rathalos and Diablos in whatever order you choose.

After beating the Zorah Magdaros setpeice, and killing a deceptively strong Pukei-Pukei, you’ll gain access to High Rank quests. Congratulations, the baby gloves are coming off.

High Rank

Our immediate goal in High Rank is a weapon upgrade to compensate for the increased health of monsters, with a long term goal of bringing our sharpness to the next level.

If you’re lucky after the Pukei-Pukei you’ll have received 2 Monster Keenbone. Use these to upgrade your kinsect. Upgrade your Windchopper 3 into a Pseudocath 1 by using 2 Monster Keenbone, 3 Carbalite Ore, and 2 Monster Broth. Carbalite Ore can be mined from high rank mining nodes, and Monster Broth can be carved from Vespoids and Hornetaurs. Use Red Pits on your slinger to increase your chances of being able to carve them.

Pseudocath is arguably the best kinsect in the game, with amazing speed, and power, on top of having Blast as a dust effect.

As is the custom, hunt Tobi Kadachi the second you’re able to in high rank to upgrade. Upgrade your Pulsar Rod 3 into a Kadachi Pillar 1 by using 3 Tobi Kadachi Claw+, 4 Tobi Kadachi Scale+, 3 Tobi Kadachi Pelt+ and 3 Dragonvein Crystal. Dragonvein Crystal can be mined from red mining nodes in high rank areas.

You have an option here, you can continue with the main story, and hunt down the Pink Rathian, or you can go for Diablos for another upgrade to your weapon.

Hunt Diablos for Majestic Horns. This isn’t the easiest thing to do with an Insect Glaive but you’ll be able to. You need 2 to upgrade your Kadachi Pillar 1 into a Kadachi Pillar 2. Upgrade by using 2 Majestic Horn, 2 Tobi Kadachi Electrode+, 4 Tobi Kadachi Claw+ and 3 Thunder Sac. Once you get this, you’re set for the rest of the game.

You’ll now have to hunt Pink Rathian as part of standard story progression. Afterwards you’ll unlock the Elder’s Recess.

Defeating Pink Rathian should yield monster hard bones, and mining in the Elder’s Recess will give you access to Fucium Ore. Use these to upgrade your kinsect. Upgrade your Pseudocath 1 into a Pseudocath 2 by using 2 Monster Hardbone, 2 Fucium Ore, and 2 Inferno Sac. You can get Inferno Sac from Anjanath, both types of Rathian, Uragaan, and both types of Rathalos.

With these upgrades you’ll be adequately prepared to do your next story hunt, which is Nergigante.

After your hunt, if you got 2 Elder Dragon Bones, you can upgrade your Kinsect to it’s final form.

Use 2 Elder Dragon Dragon Bones, 3 Monster Hardbone and 1 Firecell stone to upgrade your Pseudocath 2, into a Pseudocath 3. Firecell stone can be found while mining in the Elder’s Recess.

Pseudocath 3 is arguably the best Kinsect in the game.

You can also upgrade your Kadachi Pillar 2 into a Kadachi Pillar 3 by using 2 Nergigante Talon, 4 Tobi-Kadachi Electrode+, 6 Tobi-Kadachi Claw+ and 1 Wyvern Gem. Wyvern Gem’s can be obtained from monsters like Barroth, Jyuratodus and Radobaan.

Of course, you should look into building Nergigante’s Insect Glaive, as it touts extremely high damage, sharpness and elder seal. Achieve this by going through the Ore Path.

Make a new Iron Blade 1, and upgrade to an Iron Blade 2. Then into an Iron Blade 3, into a Steel Blade 1, into Steel Blade 2, into Steel Blade 3, and finally into a Chrome Blade 1.

Now upgrade this one more time into the Nergal Reaper by using 3 Nergigante Talon, 4 Nergigante Regrowth Plate, 2 Nergigante Tail and 2 Nergigante Carapace.

Congratulations, you now have a weapon that’s completely capable of getting you through the rest of the game, and one of the best Insect Glaives.

This will be more than sufficient for taking out the remaining Elder Dragons.

For final targets, if you want a Raw insect glaive, you should definitely look into the Diablos path for the Tyrannis Glaive 2 which has the highest raw in the game, but low blue sharpness and -30% affinity. This will be able to be offset by decorations and gear choices at end game.

After taking out Xeno’jiva, you can upgrade the Nergal Reaper one more time into Catastrophe’s Light by using 2 Xeno’Jiva horns, 5 Nergigante Horn+, 5 Nergigante Talons, and 1 Nergigante Gem.

The gem’s will make these final glaives take some time to get, but will be great options for general purpose hunting.