Gameplay Tips 

*Click on the image to expand*

This thing is a godsend, truly a gift bestowed upon Gunlance, and as such, it should be planted on the monster first thing in the hunt (By using it's roar animation, traps, wall bang...), for whenever it is hit by a shell, it triggers an explosion.

While the importance of the WSB is common knowledge among Gunlancers, what isn't so well known is the fact that it's explosions have 1.5x part damage modifier, which makes getting trips with Gunlance easier than it ever was.

Knowing that, when planting the WSB, in order to maximize it's benefits, you should aim for:

- Piscine Wyverns = Who cares, lmao 

- Bird Wyverns = Who cares, lmao 

- Fanged Wyverns = Front Paws/Chest 

- Fanged Beasts = Arms/Head

- Flying Wyverns = Legs 

- Brute Wyverns = Legs 

- Pseudo Wyverns = Front Paws 

- EIder Dragons = Head 

*There are a few exceptions to the elder dragon's rule, like Lunastra (Front paws/Chest), Nergigante (Spikes), Shara ishvalda and Xeno'Jiiva (Front paws).

Being important as it is, it's only natural for Gunlancers to want to keep tabs on the duration of the WSB to make sure it's always up.

Naturally it's prefered to know how long your WSB will last based on the ammo you load and your levels of stonethrower, but if you don't, the game offers you two ways know approximately how long it will last.

- The notches on the WSB icon (As seen in the image above)

- The flames coming out of the WSB (As seen in the video)

Still on the WSB subject... Ideally, as said before, you should have it planted as soon as possible, but maybe you didn't do that, or perhaps it just expired, so, if you don't want to risk a miss or planting on the wrong spot, you can wait for the clagger (Drool animation for the claw attack), latch, dismount (just for the extended clagger) and use that time to plant the WSB. 

- Claw shot (L2+O) > Drop down (X) > Lunging upthrust cancel (O mid upthrust animation) > Shelling (O) > Shelling (O) > Wyrmstake blast (O)

Very simple yet extremely useful for all styles, arguably the most important tool on the Gunlance's kit, when it comes to mobility, and due to the fact that it covers more ground than the foward and side hop while also being able to be chained for as long as you have stamina, it is the better option for moving around.

- Tap backwards (↓) > Backwards step dodge (X)

And then there is the input backhop, the stronger version of the backhop, covering even more ground but having the drawback that it can only be performed after an action, like, for example, a normal backhop.

- Backwards + Backwards step dodge (↓+X), after an action

Another wonderful tool in the Gunlance's kit that needs to be mastered by every gunlancer, for it sees plenty of use in all three shelling styles and the non-shelling style, due to the fact that it adds to the mobility of the weapon and can be chained into a lot of different moves.

It can go from neutral straight into  charged shelling, can be canceled into a uncharged shell, can be chained into a overhead slam and can also be used for a quick turn around after backhops.

- Directional input + Lateral thrust (↑+△)

*In order to cancel the upthrust in shelling/charged shelling, "O" must be pressed/held mid lunge animation.*

Much like long shelling, the wyrmstake cannon (WSC) was nothing short of a joke in base game, but in IB, this thing got the potential to deal a LOT of damage.

Due to the fact that the ticks scale with raw attack and is hitzone dependant, it should idealy be used with normal shelling, wide shelling, and non-shelling, on good hitzones and in ways that result in trips/claggers, to counteract the window of vulnerability after using it.

- Shelling (O) after Shelling 2x

- Shelling (O) after Burst fire

- Lateral thrust/Shelling (△ /O) after a Wide sweep or an Aerial burst

The Wyvern's fire doesn't need any introduction. What is useful to know though is that, depending on the shelling style, it can boast staggering 1.5x part damage modifier! With the damage it does, the afore mentioned modifier and aimed at the WSB, it's almost a guaranteed clagger/trip, if used correctly.

- Lateral thrust + Shelling (△+O) while Guarding (R2)

*The Wyvern's fire can be aimed freely by using the the slinger aim (L2) while it's being charged*

*It's beneficial to use those moves at the end of a monster's recovery frames (at the end of a clagger or when getting up from a trip, for example), in order to ensure that when the damage threshold is met, it results in a disable*

Useful for when the WSB is outside the range of ground level shelling or if the monster is flying. Normal gunlance won't have a whole lot of use for this, but it's very handy for wide and long. 

- Manual aim (While the shell is being charged, press up or down)

- Guard thrust (△ while holding R2) > Shelling (O)

- Lunging upthrust (↑+△) > Shelling (O) 

- Rising slash (△+O) > Shelling (O)

*Unlike the Wyvern's fire, shelling aim can only be adjusted verticaly, so horizontal adjustment requires repositioning*

Two useful techniques for normal Gunlance, skipping it's lenghty animations and going straight into burst fire.

First one, Ledge Gunlance, revolves around using the backhop to jump off a ledge and following with a jumping smash, to get back on the ledge and go straight into burst fire. While it can also be done when jumping down from a ledge, it's naturaly not as good,since it can't be spammed.

- Backwards step dodge (X) > Jumping smash/Jumping reload smash (R2 while mid air) > Burst fire (O)

The second one, Aerial Gunlance, is about using the glider mantle to perform a jumping smash on the way down, after dismounting from a claw latch. This can also improve on the WSB on clagger technique, since it enables you to get a burst fire in before going for the WSB plant.

- Claw shot (L2+O) > Drop down (X) > Jumping smash/ Jumping reload smash (R2 while mid air) > Burst fire (O)