Monster Hunter Outlanders Charge Blade Guide: Controls, Combos and Power Axe Mode
How to play the Charge Blade in Monster Hunter Outlanders: the mobile controls, building Sword Energy and phials, Element Boost, entering Power Axe Mode with Savage Axe Slash, AED/SAED/UAED, guard points, Axe Mode perfect dodges, and a full combo rotation.
The Charge Blade arrived in Monster Hunter Outlanders with the October 29 launch. It's one of the game's eight weapon types, alongside the Great Sword, Long Sword, Dual Blades, Hammer, Lance, Heavy Bowgun and Bow. It switches between a Sword Mode and an Axe Mode: you build energy in Sword Mode, store it as phials, then spend them on Axe Mode discharges. This guide walks through every input on Outlanders' mobile controls, from your first reload to Ultra Amped Element Discharge.
Outlanders is a free-to-play mobile game for iOS and Android. TiMi Studio Group developed it under license from Capcom, and it launched on October 29, 2026. It isn't out in mainland China yet; that version is planned for 2027 or later.
The tutorial below shows the moves covered here:
Who can use the Charge Blade?
Only your own character, the Fated Adventurer, can use it right now. The Fated Adventurer uses every weapon type with its default moveset. Named Adventurers each have a fixed weapon and their own unique moves, and none of them uses the Charge Blade yet.
Controls at a glance
Outlanders maps the Charge Blade to Basic Attack, three skill buttons (Skill 1, 2 and 3) and Evade. Some guides call the stored charges "vials". This guide uses phials, and calls the powered-up shield state Element Boost.
| Button | Sword Mode | Axe Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Attack | Chain Slash, up to 4 hits. Hold for Charged Double Slash. Tilt the stick after a Chain Slash for Sidestep Slash | Axe Chain Slash. In Power Axe Mode, hold for extra hits |
| Skill 1 | Tap to toggle Guard. Hold for Morph Slash into Axe Mode | Tap for Morph Slash back to Sword Mode |
| Skill 2 | Reload: turns Sword Energy into phials. Without Element Boost, it follows up with a roundslash that spends the phials to activate it | Element Discharge. Pressed quickly after Skill 3 twice, it becomes Savage Axe Slash |
| Skill 3 | Press twice for Amped Element Discharge | Amped / Super Amped / Ultra Amped Element Discharge, depending on your state |
| Evade | A Perfect Evade has no special follow-up | A Perfect Evade gives 1 phial and sets up a discharge follow-up |
The core loop
- Build Sword Energy. Land all four Chain Slashes for a full bar. Or hold Basic Attack for Charged Double Slash, releasing when the blade is fully pulled back and glows red. Two fully charged hits plus the follow-up slash also give a full bar. Release too early or too late and the attack whiffs.
- Reload (Skill 2). Your energy goes into phials. If you're not in Element Boost yet, you automatically roundslash, spending the phials to power up your shield.
- Refill. Build energy and reload again so you have both Element Boost and stored phials.
- Enter Power Axe Mode. Press Skill 3 twice, quickly followed by Skill 2. That's Savage Axe Slash. You need phials, and it only activates Power Axe Mode while you're in Element Boost. Without Element Boost you get the same swing but no Power Axe.
- Fight in Axe Mode. In Power Axe Mode, hold the attack button on Axe Chain Slash or Element Discharge for extra chainsaw-style hits, potentially more than double the damage. Staying in Power Axe Mode and swinging like this is a perfectly good plan.
- Cash out. Press Skill 3 for Ultra Amped Element Discharge.
Sword Mode tips
- Sidestep Slash. After any Chain Slash, hold a direction and press attack to pivot while slashing. It works in all four main directions; the diagonals give a less sideways pivot. Use it to stay on the offensive while moving instead of sheathing.
- Hop. Dodging sideways right after a Chain Slash makes you hop instead of roll, and you can follow up with a roundslash.
- Guard is a toggle. One tap of Skill 1 holds your block. Tap again to drop it.
- Perfect Guard. Block just before an attack lands. It loads phials instantly, and tapping Skill 3 straight after gives you a discharge.
The three discharges
| Move | When you get it | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Amped Element Discharge (AED) | Skill 3 twice without Element Boost | 1 phial, for multiple hits |
| Super Amped Element Discharge (SAED) | Skill 3 twice in Element Boost | All phials |
| Ultra Amped Element Discharge (UAED) | Skill 3 in Element Boost and Power Axe Mode | All phials, and it ends Power Axe Mode when it finishes |
SAED cancel. In Element Boost, press Basic Attack quickly after Skill 3 twice to cancel the SAED down into an AED.
Spin Pursuit. If you have Sword Energy when you SAED or UAED, tap Skill 3 again afterward. Spin Pursuit reloads that energy into phials without leaving Axe Mode.
Guard points and perfect dodges
- Guard points count as Perfect Guards. The two to know are at the start of Morph Slash from Sword to Axe and at the end of Morph Slash from Axe to Sword.
- After a Perfect Guard, tap Skill 3 to discharge immediately. It's AED normally, SAED in Element Boost and UAED when you're also in Power Axe Mode.
- An Axe Mode Perfect Evade covers ground quickly in an otherwise slow mode and gives you 1 free phial. Follow with Basic Attack for an Element Discharge (hold the button to drag the axe and delay it), or press Skill 3 right away for whichever discharge your state allows.
Because each Axe Mode Perfect Evade refunds a phial, you can stay in Power Axe Mode indefinitely. Mix in perfect dodges and manage your discharges, and you never need to go back to Sword Mode.
A full rotation to practice
- Build Sword Energy to max with any sword combo.
- Reload (Skill 2). The phials are automatically spent on Element Boost.
- Build Sword Energy to max again and reload to store a fresh set of phials.
- Start an SAED (Skill 3, Skill 3), then tap Skill 2 to turn it into Savage Axe Slash and enter Power Axe Mode.
- Morph Slash back to Sword Mode and build Sword Energy once more.
- Unleash UAED (Skill 3).
- Tap Skill 3 for Spin Pursuit to reload in Axe Mode.
- Go straight into another SAED.
Monster Hunter Outlanders is available on the App Store and Google Play. Its official English channel is on YouTube.