Charge Blade styles are as follows:

Style 1 - Sword Boost

This style allows you to quickly maneuver in sword mode and slash while moving, applying elemental energy to weak points at the same time. Look for an opening to launch an Axe Hopper into a Midair Super Amped Element Discharge, detonate the elemental energy and deal massive damage all at once. 

Main actions of the Sword Boost style:

• Sword: Condensed Element Slash

Long press ▶︎ Flick down to charge phials and long press again, if you release at the good timing, you will perform Condensed Element Slash.

If you perform it while having more than one phial, all phials in possession will be consumed in order to perform both Element Boost and Sword Boost.

※Please note in this style, the Element Boost from Axe: Element Boost Spinning Slash will not activate.
When Sword Boost has been already active, another one will trigger the Sword: Condensed Element Slash technique, then consume all phials in possession to extend the remaining Sword Boost time.

• Sword Boost

When Sword Boost is activated, the following effects are applied for a limited time:

・Damage of sword mode attacks is increased.

・Sword mode attacks no longer bounce.

・Attack speed in sword mode is increased.

・Landing sword mode attacks trigger additional phial-based hits.

・While Sword Boost is active, you will not enter an overheated state.

※The duration of these effects varies depending on the number of phials consumed at activation.

※The duration of the boosted state is shorter than that of a Charge Blade with no style selected.

• Additional phial-based hits

While Sword Boost is active, landing attacks in sword mode triggers additional phial-based hits and applies elemental energy.

Attacking near the applied elemental energy with your sword while Sword Boost is active will boost that elemental energy.

You can apply elemental energy to up to three spots on the monster, and each one can be boosted up to five times.

Boosting elemental energy slightly extends the duration of both Element Boost and Sword Boost. Once it has reached the maximum, further attacks will cause phial explosions.

In axe mode, if you land an attack that consumes a phial on the elemental energy, it will cause a chain of phial explosions based on the number of times it was boosted, and then the elemental energy will disappear.

• Axe Hopper

Long press ▶︎ Flick down to charge phials and flick up during the charging. 

You will morph into axe mode and leap into the air while performing a Smash attack.

• Axe: Midair Amped Element Discharge

This will automatically follow up the Axe Hopper

• Axe: Midair Super Amped Element Discharge

While Element Boost is active, Axe: Midair Amped Element Discharge is upgraded to Axe: Midair Super Amped Element Discharge.

The phial explosions are more tightly clustered, allowing you to focus damage on a single point.

Tips

・While maintaining Element Boost and Sword Boost, apply and strengthen elemental energy, then look for an opening to land Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge.

Axe Hopper benefits from the skills Morph Boost and Morph Attack Boost, while Axe: Midair Amped Element Discharge and Axe: Midair Super Amped Element Discharge are affected by the Skyward Striker skill.

Style 2 - Axe Boost

In this style, you parry monster attacks with Ready Stance, while dealing sustained damage through powerful axe attacks and additional phial-based hits.

Main actions of the Axe Boost style:

• Sword: Condensed Spinning Slash

Activate by tapping while in Sword: Charge with phials ready to be stored.

You will morph into the axe mode while attacking, all phials in possession will be consumed in order to perform both Element Boost and Sword Boost.

When Axe Boost has been already active, another one will shorten the time needed to perform the Sword: Condensed Spinning Slash technique, then consume all phials in possession to extend the remaining Axe Boost time.
Moreover, when you have no phials, performing Charge ▶︎ Flick Up will trigger Sword: Morph Slash, however, if you have phials, it will trigger Sword: Condensed Spinning Slash.

• Axe Boost

When Axe Boost is activated, the following effects are applied for a limited time:

・Axe mode attacks trigger 5–9 additional hits.
※The number of additional hits varies depending on the action.

・Axe mode attacks no longer bounce.

・Landing axe mode attacks that do not consume phials will increase your phial count.

※The effect duration varies depending on the number of phials consumed when activated.

※The duration of the boosted state is shorter than that of a Charge Blade that has not selected a style.

• Ready Stance

Activated by long pressing while in Axe mode, allows you to guard the monster’s attacks.

If activated at the right timing with the monster’s attack, it slightly increases guard performance, but if you hold the Ready Stance, it becomes a normal guard.

The actions you can follow up with after guarding change depending on the size of the knockback.

・Small knockback: Tap during knockback to perform Axe: Element Discharge II.

・Medium knockback: No follow-up action, goes back into Sword Mode.

・Large knockback: No follow-up action, goes back into Sword Mode.

• Special Skill button

The action performed with the Special Skill button in Sword Mode varies depending on your Sword Energy and whether you have phials or not:

・White energy: Sword: Morph Slash

・White energy + Phials available: Sword: Condensed Spinning Slash

・Yellow or Red energy: Sword: Charge Phials→ Sword: Condensed Spinning Slash

Tips:

・While in the Power Axe Mode, the follow-up hits generated by axe attacks not only deal increased damage but also make it easier to inflict status effects. It is crucial to maintain the Power Axe Mode as long as possible.

・Utilize the skill Guard in order to reduce knockback when guarding with Ready Stance as it is easier to maintain the Axe Mode.