Insect Glaive Guide

Insect Glaive combines a severing glaive with an independently statted Kinsect. Monster-part extracts change the glaive move set and damage, while slinger-fed Kinsect Charge changes the insect's stamina and damage systems.

Scope and Weapon Model

This article assumes final-patch Iceborne. Insect Glaive's displayed Attack multiplier is 3.1, so 930 displayed Attack represents 300 true raw. It has no guard and is a light clutch weapon. The official manual: Hunter's Notes owns controls; this article covers extract state, Kinsect formulas, grounded and aerial routes, and skills.

Extract States

Extract color belongs to the monster part struck by the returning Kinsect, not to a universal body category guaranteed across every monster. Red usually comes from an attacking part, white from a mobility part, orange from a defensive body part, and green heals immediately instead of occupying the three-color gauge.

Extract States
Extract stateMain mechanical effect
RedReplaces the glaive's basic attacks with their stronger multi-hit forms.
WhiteIncreases movement and vault-related mobility.
OrangeAdds defensive and knockback-resistance properties.
Red + WhiteApplies 1.10x total true raw in addition to the red move set.
Red + White + OrangeApplies 1.15x total true raw and the combined defensive state.

Collecting all three starts a shared triple-extract duration. Adding another extract while triple is active does not refresh it one color at a time. Power Prolonger extends extract state; it does not change the listed raw multipliers.

Kinsect Damage and Charge

The Kinsect has its own power, speed, healing, damage type, element, stamina, and dust. Player Attack and player element do not replace those insect stats. A blunt Kinsect can add stun on the head; a severing Kinsect can add sever part damage.

Iceborne's Kinsect Charge consumes slinger ammunition. Power and Spirit charges use different ammunition classes and effects:

Kinsect Damage and Charge
ChargeNumeric effects
Power1.50x Kinsect raw, 3.50x Kinsect element, 1.15x dust buildup/healing, and faster attack cooldown recovery.
Spirit2.00x maximum Kinsect stamina and 2.00x stamina regeneration.

A glaive with Spirit & Strength Boost can carry both effects together under its weapon rule. The Kinsect's own element can be changed at the smithy and should be matched separately from the glaive's element.

Grounded and Aerial Damage

With red extract, grounded routes ending in Tornado Slash Hit 1 and its 42-MV second hit concentrate strong direct damage while retaining shorter repositioning links. Repeated aerial advancing slashes trade direct output for movement and mounting contacts; their many small hits do not automatically exceed grounded motion values.

Descending Thrust returns to the ground through a 28-MV aerial hit, a 42-MV landing hit with 1.10x element, and a two-hit finisher. If the Kinsect is deployed, it also travels through the descent path with repeated independent attacks and marks the landing target. Body length, descent angle, and Kinsect speed affect how many insect contacts occur.

Clutch and Wounding

Insect Glaive is a light clutch weapon. It can use a midair claw transition, but the standard completed weapon attack still needs two sequences to wound without Clutch Claw Boost. The skill makes a single completion wound and is core when the glaive maintains its own target part.

Core Offensive Priority

Core Offensive Priority
PrioritySkill or systemMechanical reason
1Maintain red plus white or triple extractsEnables the strong move set and 1.10x or 1.15x true raw.
1Weakness Exploit Lv 3, affinity to 100%, and Critical Boost Lv 3Scale direct glaive hits on the intended wounded sever hitzone.
1Clutch Claw Boost Lv 1Converts the light clutch attack into a one-completion wound.
1Required sharpness supportMulti-hit glaive attacks consume sharpness and lose raw and element when color falls.
1 or 2Power ProlongerExtends extract uptime; value rises with the time required to reacquire difficult colors.
2Matching glaive and Kinsect elementThey use separate stats and can be matched independently to exact hitzones.
2AgitatorAdds raw and affinity during enrage.

Airborne applies to eligible jumping attacks, not every attack that starts above the ground. Aerial route value also includes mounting and movement, which the direct damage multiplier does not measure.

Defensive and Utility Priority

Defensive and Utility Priority
PrioritySkill or systemInsect Glaive interaction
1Health Boost Lv 3 and upgraded armorBroad effective-health increase for a weapon with no guard.
2Flinch FreeWith all three extracts, each level also grants one effective level of Earplugs, Windproof, and Tremor Resistance.
2Evade WindowExtends ground rolls and eligible aerial evasive movement.
2Stun Resistance or matchup resistancePrevents control loss during extract or landing commitments.
3Constitution or Stamina SurgeAffect repeated aerial stamina use and recovery; neither changes Kinsect stamina.

Settings and Mechanical Details