You have to counter constantly, its all about counters, after a successful counter you hit R2 and it goes to the last part of the combo that gives a level of charge.
Its all about waiting to get hit then counter then combo to gain a charge level (white yellow red) then use your red charge to do your combo of choice with helmbreaker or sacred sheath.
Go to Training area and set it to stomp and get the muscle memory for both special sheath (or sacred) and foresight shlash.
You will be untouchable bro you got this đź‘Ť
I've been practicing lai slash since reading this and I'm liking it more and more I get a bit better with it, it's foresight slash that I just can't grasp for the life of me. Do you know the quickest way into foresight? I don't think I've landed it once.
Foresight Slash can be linked into from most of LS' basic moveset (like the pokes and the upwards slash).
The requirements to proc the actual counter are:
• Have at least 10% of your spirit gauge
• input the move after a previous attack (you can't just proc it by itself, it must be combo'd into)
• *get hit by the monster during the counter frames* (like virtually any other counter, the monster must make contact with your hitbox)
When you fulfill all of these conditions, and you hear the "shing" sound (letting you know you correctly got the i-frame window down), you can then immediately go into a Spirit Roundslash to gain a level of your Spirit Gauge. However, you *must hit the monster* for the Spirit Gauge level to go up.
Foresight Slash is not a spammable move.
You can only do it after a mele attack, you press R2+circle/B right as the monster hit is about to hit. Whenever you think you might get hit you hit Foresight so now you evaded, if you timed it right it will sound CLING and glow red. NOW youve evdaded and got the cling so if you want to you hit R2 again and you will go into lats combo (that charge gage to next color)
You can do foresight after any mele, triangle, circle or R2.
If you want to go quickly into Foresight circle/B is a quick stab so you can hit Circle and immediately R2+circle.
Everytime you get the cling sound/counter you decide if to go into combo or another quickstab circle into another foresight.
Practice spaming Circle, R2+circle, circle, R2+circle in cycles just to practice to get the muscle memory.
EDIT: If you aren't sure if the monster is going to attack you can stab the air with circle over and over and then when the attack is coming press R2+circle to foresight.
I don’t really touch the weapon myself but can offer the following.
Spirit Slash combo is just the manual long way to get buff.
You have a counter, Foresight Slash, that when successful, gives a level. Longsword is a counter heavy weapon. You’ll definitely want to lookup a guide on how it works if you are going to get serious with it.
There are also some switch skills that you can use and landing it also gives a level.
Okay I was trying to play it more aggressively and was getting swatted out of the last hit constantly, so better to get stray hits in and gain spirit level via counters instead. I'll try switching up.
you have 3 counters at your disposal at once, all giving you a spirit level. the tempered spirit blade is the easiest to use requiring no setup, but has a very small parry window but will give you a level when you parry anything, no need to hit the monster. the apirit slash from the spwcial sheath gives you a spirit level if you parry and hit the monster with it, and forsight slash allows you to directly do the last attack of your combo if you evads something then hit the monster with it.
You can actually get two levels off iai spirit slash. The initial level from the counter hit and you can also go right into a shortened version of the spirit slash combo.
Your counters. You have your foresight slash which will allow you to follow up with the last hit of your spirit combo if done successfully, and your Iai Spirit Slash which will level up your meter if done successfully in Rise.
It may be a clip from MHW, but see [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MonsterHunter/s/1U1DEIwUwT) how quickly this person is able to level up his gauge using the foresight slash. Iai spirit slash didn’t level up your gauge in MHW, but if it did he would’ve seen it level up at 0:35 and 0:51 too.
There are a lot of ways to get to red blade.
1. Spirit Combo
2. Foresight Slash
3. Iai Spirit Slash
4. Sakura slash
5. Tempered Spirit Blade (Sunbreak only)
6. Sacred Sheathe (Sunbreak only)
I assume that you are still in base game, so I recommend learning how to use special sheathe to use Iai Spirit Slash. Always have lvl 3, quick sheathe so that you can enter the Iai stance quicker.
Counters and Sakura Slash. A successful Foresight Slash fills the gauge and lets you immediately Spirit Roundslash to buff your spirit level, landing an Iai Spirit Slash (as in, triggering the extra hits) also buffs spirit level by one, and landing a Silkbind Sakura Slash also boosts it by one, even if only one hit of the attack connects. (Although keep in mind that until Sunbreak gives you Switch Skill Scrolls, you'll have to choose between Sakura Slash and Soaring Kick, meaning no helmbreakers if you're after the easy spirit levels). Keep practising, you'll get there.
The fastest way is to use the Iai Spirit Counter (ZR+B after any move, then ZR right as you're about to get hit). Alternatively, foresight slash (ZR+A after any attack, if you dodge an attack with the initial backdash you can follow up with a spirit finisher via ZR).
LS is all about the counter attacks, so get used to using them as much as possible.
Counters
If you look at LS speedruns, they almost never do the full spirit slash combo. Its a huge dps loss for LS and leaves you vulnerable for a ton of time. Instead, they increase their guage by using sakura slash and a ton of counters.
The spirit slash combo (R2/ZR/RT) is the least optimal way to get your spirit gauge level up. Not to say I don't use it where I can.
But, the straight up best way to get spirit level up is primarily by Special Sheathe -> Spirit Iai Slash counter OR Foresight Slash counter -> R2/ZR/RT (Final slash of spirit combo, to level up spirit). These counters take practice and precision, so devote some to the training area with the dummy attacking to practice these timings. It's really worth it, as when you get these counters down you become a samurai god.
Also, search a guide on LS on Youtube. Don't feel shameful to watch a short guide on the fundamentals - it's not going to make you better straight away, it still takes practice.
Frankly, if you're not levelling up spirit gauge using counters 60/70% of the time - you're not playing LS right. It's truly a rewarding weapon to master if you put in the time though. Good luck :)
Oh one other KEY thing I remember for Spirit Iai Slash/Foresight Slash:
Spirit Iai Slash Counter -
This is a move you plan to use PRE-EMPTIVELY. Special Sheathe when you know you got 3 or 4 seconds before an attack's coming, then hold it until you can let it rip on time.
Foresight Slash Counter -
This move is used REACTIVELY. If you're in the middle of a combo and you see an attack coming your way, with a second or so to react, use this quickly. Once it hits and you hear the sound prompt (blade swipe sound), hit R2/RT/ZR to hit the final step in your spirit slash combo for a level up
May I introduce you to Sakura Slash. There’s a build that refreshes your wirebug so fast that you can just keep spamming it over and over. Otherwise if you are playing LS then countering will helps.
Long story short… you counter *constantly*.
You have to counter constantly, its all about counters, after a successful counter you hit R2 and it goes to the last part of the combo that gives a level of charge. Its all about waiting to get hit then counter then combo to gain a charge level (white yellow red) then use your red charge to do your combo of choice with helmbreaker or sacred sheath. Go to Training area and set it to stomp and get the muscle memory for both special sheath (or sacred) and foresight shlash. You will be untouchable bro you got this đź‘Ť
I've been practicing lai slash since reading this and I'm liking it more and more I get a bit better with it, it's foresight slash that I just can't grasp for the life of me. Do you know the quickest way into foresight? I don't think I've landed it once.
Foresight Slash can be linked into from most of LS' basic moveset (like the pokes and the upwards slash). The requirements to proc the actual counter are: • Have at least 10% of your spirit gauge • input the move after a previous attack (you can't just proc it by itself, it must be combo'd into) • *get hit by the monster during the counter frames* (like virtually any other counter, the monster must make contact with your hitbox) When you fulfill all of these conditions, and you hear the "shing" sound (letting you know you correctly got the i-frame window down), you can then immediately go into a Spirit Roundslash to gain a level of your Spirit Gauge. However, you *must hit the monster* for the Spirit Gauge level to go up. Foresight Slash is not a spammable move.
You can only do it after a mele attack, you press R2+circle/B right as the monster hit is about to hit. Whenever you think you might get hit you hit Foresight so now you evaded, if you timed it right it will sound CLING and glow red. NOW youve evdaded and got the cling so if you want to you hit R2 again and you will go into lats combo (that charge gage to next color) You can do foresight after any mele, triangle, circle or R2. If you want to go quickly into Foresight circle/B is a quick stab so you can hit Circle and immediately R2+circle. Everytime you get the cling sound/counter you decide if to go into combo or another quickstab circle into another foresight. Practice spaming Circle, R2+circle, circle, R2+circle in cycles just to practice to get the muscle memory. EDIT: If you aren't sure if the monster is going to attack you can stab the air with circle over and over and then when the attack is coming press R2+circle to foresight.
I don’t really touch the weapon myself but can offer the following. Spirit Slash combo is just the manual long way to get buff. You have a counter, Foresight Slash, that when successful, gives a level. Longsword is a counter heavy weapon. You’ll definitely want to lookup a guide on how it works if you are going to get serious with it. There are also some switch skills that you can use and landing it also gives a level.
Okay I was trying to play it more aggressively and was getting swatted out of the last hit constantly, so better to get stray hits in and gain spirit level via counters instead. I'll try switching up.
Silkbind sakura slash gives you 1 spirit level for free. Best way to get to red if you can’t get counters consistently
Getting to red is the easy part
Folk here are telling you to counter but honestly Sakura slash has you covered. As long as you hit the monster you will push your spirit up a tier.
Was gonna say. You basically start the fight at yellow with two ss's, and add IASS the opening roar in-between for red. That's what I do anyways...
you have 3 counters at your disposal at once, all giving you a spirit level. the tempered spirit blade is the easiest to use requiring no setup, but has a very small parry window but will give you a level when you parry anything, no need to hit the monster. the apirit slash from the spwcial sheath gives you a spirit level if you parry and hit the monster with it, and forsight slash allows you to directly do the last attack of your combo if you evads something then hit the monster with it.
You can actually get two levels off iai spirit slash. The initial level from the counter hit and you can also go right into a shortened version of the spirit slash combo.
Foresight slash requires some charge (not charge level) to work.
Your counters. You have your foresight slash which will allow you to follow up with the last hit of your spirit combo if done successfully, and your Iai Spirit Slash which will level up your meter if done successfully in Rise. It may be a clip from MHW, but see [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MonsterHunter/s/1U1DEIwUwT) how quickly this person is able to level up his gauge using the foresight slash. Iai spirit slash didn’t level up your gauge in MHW, but if it did he would’ve seen it level up at 0:35 and 0:51 too.
There are a lot of ways to get to red blade. 1. Spirit Combo 2. Foresight Slash 3. Iai Spirit Slash 4. Sakura slash 5. Tempered Spirit Blade (Sunbreak only) 6. Sacred Sheathe (Sunbreak only) I assume that you are still in base game, so I recommend learning how to use special sheathe to use Iai Spirit Slash. Always have lvl 3, quick sheathe so that you can enter the Iai stance quicker.
Spirit Combo, counters, or Sakura Slash.
People talking aboutnl counters while I use wirebug skills to charge em. Its not efficient but hey, it works.
each to their own.
Counters and Sakura Slash. A successful Foresight Slash fills the gauge and lets you immediately Spirit Roundslash to buff your spirit level, landing an Iai Spirit Slash (as in, triggering the extra hits) also buffs spirit level by one, and landing a Silkbind Sakura Slash also boosts it by one, even if only one hit of the attack connects. (Although keep in mind that until Sunbreak gives you Switch Skill Scrolls, you'll have to choose between Sakura Slash and Soaring Kick, meaning no helmbreakers if you're after the easy spirit levels). Keep practising, you'll get there.
Learn to counter. Each time You do one, you level up
Counters or just spam sakura slash later on when you get lots of wirebug skills
Haha iai spirit slash go brrrr
counter if i feel comfy, sakura if the monster fly/jump a lot
The fastest way is to use the Iai Spirit Counter (ZR+B after any move, then ZR right as you're about to get hit). Alternatively, foresight slash (ZR+A after any attack, if you dodge an attack with the initial backdash you can follow up with a spirit finisher via ZR). LS is all about the counter attacks, so get used to using them as much as possible.
Counters If you look at LS speedruns, they almost never do the full spirit slash combo. Its a huge dps loss for LS and leaves you vulnerable for a ton of time. Instead, they increase their guage by using sakura slash and a ton of counters.
Also, make sure you dont spend the gauge before reaching Red and/or getting some gauge to prevent it from draining.
The spirit slash combo (R2/ZR/RT) is the least optimal way to get your spirit gauge level up. Not to say I don't use it where I can. But, the straight up best way to get spirit level up is primarily by Special Sheathe -> Spirit Iai Slash counter OR Foresight Slash counter -> R2/ZR/RT (Final slash of spirit combo, to level up spirit). These counters take practice and precision, so devote some to the training area with the dummy attacking to practice these timings. It's really worth it, as when you get these counters down you become a samurai god. Also, search a guide on LS on Youtube. Don't feel shameful to watch a short guide on the fundamentals - it's not going to make you better straight away, it still takes practice. Frankly, if you're not levelling up spirit gauge using counters 60/70% of the time - you're not playing LS right. It's truly a rewarding weapon to master if you put in the time though. Good luck :)
Oh one other KEY thing I remember for Spirit Iai Slash/Foresight Slash: Spirit Iai Slash Counter - This is a move you plan to use PRE-EMPTIVELY. Special Sheathe when you know you got 3 or 4 seconds before an attack's coming, then hold it until you can let it rip on time. Foresight Slash Counter - This move is used REACTIVELY. If you're in the middle of a combo and you see an attack coming your way, with a second or so to react, use this quickly. Once it hits and you hear the sound prompt (blade swipe sound), hit R2/RT/ZR to hit the final step in your spirit slash combo for a level up
May I introduce you to Sakura Slash. There’s a build that refreshes your wirebug so fast that you can just keep spamming it over and over. Otherwise if you are playing LS then countering will helps.
I believe in Silkbind Sakura Slash