Insect Glaive Guide in Monster Hunter Wilds — Kinsect & Aerial Combat

Kinsect Extract Quick Reference

Understanding the Kinsect System

The Kinsect is a sentient insect companion attached to the Insect Glaive. You can aim and launch it at a monster (R2+Circle or the Kinsect button) to have it latch onto a specific body part and extract a colored buff. The buff's color depends on which body part the Kinsect hits: the head and neck zone yield Red extract (attack), wings and forelimbs yield White extract (movement), and the abdomen and rear yield Orange extract (defense).

Kinsects have their own stamina bar separate from your hunter's stamina. When the Kinsect's stamina depletes, it cannot be launched until it recovers. Stamina recharges passively over time when the Kinsect is not in use. Upgrading your Kinsect at the Smithy (using special Kinsect materials) increases its base power, stamina, and extract duration. Always keep your Kinsect upgraded alongside your main weapon.

The Triple Buff state — achieved when all three extract colors (Red, White, Orange) are active at once — is the Insect Glaive's peak performance mode. Triple Buff combines the attack boost from Red, speed boost from White, and defense from Orange. Maintaining Triple Buff throughout a hunt requires re-harvesting extracts before they expire (~90 seconds per extract). Skilled IG players build extract refresh into their combat rotation rather than treating it as a separate activity.

Aerial Combat and Vaulting

The Insect Glaive is the only weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds with a self-propelled aerial vault that doesn't require ledges or monster launches. By pressing Circle in Sword Mode (the Leaping Slash), you perform an upward vault that places you in the air for a brief window. From this airborne state, you can execute Aerial Spinning Slash (Triangle in the air), which hits multiple times and positions you for follow-up aerial attacks.

Aerial attacks that hit a monster while airborne have a chance to trigger a Mounting attempt. Mounting a monster causes it to stumble, offering a brief period of free damage as you ride and attack the monster before being thrown off. Mounts are valuable for creating topple opportunities that other team members can exploit for free SAED or True Charge Slash windows.

For sustained aerial combat, the combo is: Leaping Slash (Circle) → Aerial Spinning Slash (△ in air) → Kinsect Air Attack (R → ○ in air) → land → repeat. This aerial loop keeps you mobile, enables mounting attempts, and lets you send the Kinsect from airborne for safe extract harvesting without standing still on the ground near an enraged monster.

Core Combo Sequences

1. Extract Harvest Combo: L2+R (aim Kinsect at head) → release (send Kinsect) — collects Red extract; repeat for White (aim wings) and Orange (aim abdomen).
2. Triple Buff Refresh: At ~30 seconds remaining on an extract, aim Kinsect at that body zone and recall+send to renew. Practice this during monster repositioning to maintain buffs without pausing damage output.
3. Standard Ground Combo: △ → △ → △+○ (Tornado Slash) — basic damage loop from ground with good motion values.
4. Aerial Vault Loop: ○ (Leaping Slash) → △ (Aerial Spinning Slash in air) → repeat on landing — mobile aerial harassment with mounting potential.
5. Kinsect Charged Attack: Hold R → release (charged Kinsect launch) — charged launch deals Kinsect damage directly and guarantees a longer latch for extract harvesting.
6. Mark and Recall: R+○ (mark a monster body part) → Kinsect attacks marked part automatically — hands-free extract farming during busy combat phases.
7. Wound Exploit Aerial: Vault near an active Wound → △ (Aerial Spinning Slash targeting wound) — aerial spinning slash deals 25% bonus damage when striking an active Wound.

Kinsect Upgrade Path

Kinsects are upgraded separately from the main Insect Glaive at the Smithy using Kinsect-specific materials (Monarch Alucanid, Dragonhusk, etc.). Upgrading the Kinsect increases its base attack power (which affects extract duration and direct Kinsect hit damage), extract duration (how long buffs last), and stamina capacity. An unupgraded Kinsect at endgame is a significant DPS loss because its extracts expire too quickly to maintain Triple Buff.

There are several Kinsect types, each with different speed and power characteristics. Severing Kinsects deal cut damage (good for tail severing contribution), while Blunt Kinsects help with KO damage. For most content, Severing Kinsects are preferred because they contribute to part breaks on soft body zones.

The most impactful Kinsect upgrade is extract duration — at max level, extracts last long enough to allow comfortable Triple Buff maintenance without frantic refresh cycles. Prioritize Kinsect upgrades alongside your weapon upgrades when you hit a new crafting tier.

Key Skills for Insect Glaive

• Constitution Lv 5: Reduces stamina consumption from dodge rolls and aerial moves — critical because IG aerial combat depletes stamina rapidly without this.
• Weakness Exploit Lv 3: Standard crit skill for hitting weak zones; pairs with IG's good hitzone targeting via aerial positioning.
• Wind Mantle (set bonus): Reduces aerial stamina costs further and increases aerial attack speed — obtainable from specific armor sets.
• Critical Eye Lv 7: Flat affinity increase — high-value if not running Agitator or Maximum Might.
• Agitator Lv 5: Provides +20% affinity and attack when the monster is enraged — pairs well with IG's high mobility allowing consistent enrage-state presence.
• Speed Sharpening: Reduces whetstone animations — useful since IG's fast combos deplete sharpness faster than heavier weapons.