'Monster Hunter Rise' Insect Glaive Guide: Everything To Know About Kinsects

The Insect Glaive has received a few new moves and changes in “Monster Hunter Rise,” including adjustments to how Kinsects are acquired and upgraded.

Unlike the sprawling Kinsect upgrade tree in “Monster Hunter World,” the system in “Rise” is much simpler. Kinsects no longer have to be upgraded at the Smithy like how weapons are improved. Instead, players will simply have to purchase new ones.

However, most of the Kinsects will be locked behind weapon rarity progression. This means that players will have to make an Insect Glaive of a certain rarity before they are able to buy a better Kinsect. This is no problem for Insect Glaive mains, but it can be a bother for those who are transitioning from other weapon types.

Why bother upgrading?

Gear progression is one of the pillars of “Monster Hunter Rise’s” game design, and upgrading a Kinsect is just as important as upgrading Insect Glaives themselves. This is because each Kinsect has different stats and properties that ultimately play a crucial role in the Insect Glaive’s playstyle.

Not only will upgrading Kinsects allow hunters to deal more damage, but each type of Kinsect will also allow players to find an Insect Glaive hunting style that they’re comfortable with.

Kinsect Types

There are four Kinsect types: Normal, Powder, Speed and Assist.

Normal Kinsects are basic types that have no unique characteristics. These are often replaced with other Kinsects or used for challenge runs.

Powder types are Kinsects that leave behind clouds of powder when hitting a monster. These powder clouds detonate when hit, and they will cause certain effects depending on their type.

Speed-type Kinsects charge up while mounted on hunters’ arms and once they glow blue, they will deal extra damage on the next landed hit.

Assist Kinsects are the newest addition to “Rise” and they help players deal more damage by flying out to hit monsters during Insect Glaive attack combos.

Kinsect Stats

Kinsects have three stats: Power, Speed and Heal, all of which are self-explanatory. Higher level Kinsects have higher stats and different Kinsects specialize in one of these three.

Kinsects with high Speed stats (not to be confused with the Speed-types) are generally favored by the community due to their ability to extract buffs faster than the rest. Fast-moving Kinsects greatly reduce the downtime between buff periods, allowing players to stay on the offensive.