Dealing with insane chip damage on Lance?

[u/Traditional_Tune2865]

Basically the title. Really high chip damage wasn't really a thing in World until the final couple monsters if you had a decent build, but in Wilds I'm already coming up against really high chip damage, with max lvl guard, against attacks from monsters like tempered Gore and Zoh Shia. I've been trying to hit more perfect guards and play some evade lance, but I don't play lance so I can dodge attacks or the need to have perfect timing against half the attacks from these monsters. My understanding of Guard Up is that the reduction in damage is only for unblockable attacks so I don't think that would help any either.

Does lance now just require perfect timing in order to keep you from sheathing every couple attacks to heal or am I missing something?

[u/Skelefellah]

OP, I would just like to say that I completely understand and agree with what you're saying.

I'm a fan of the nigh-invincibility you could get out of simply holding R2 on a Guard set in prior gens.

You absolutely do take more chip damage on Guards in this game than you did in prior gens. Yes, it is a shift in design philosophy to incentivize you to use timing-based defenses instead.

And yes, that does erode the identity of Lance and Gunlance shields. You can in some cases guard more safely now on SnS by fanning Guard Slash than you can on the two weapons that have classically had the best shield stats in the game.

On Lance, I have taken to using Power Guard a lot. It still eats up chip damage, but it's a lot less conditional than your timing-based reaction options. Also Grand Retribution Thrust (which combos out of Power Guard) is just fuckin cool, so it makes me feel less salty.

And on top of that, build the Arkveld, G Arkveld, and/or Zoh Shia sets to put some passive healing into your set. They're too slow to be your only healing option if you're getting chunked, but they will easily heal off little chip damage and keep you topped off against health attrition.

[u/Traditional_Tune2865 → u/Skelefellah]

Thank you! You put it better than I could have. I was starting to get a little salty with the "just perfect guard" replies I've seen in this thread - that's not my point.

And yeah our new moves do help to at least keep the weapon fun. Of you haven't tried it yet I highly recommend to try follow up charging after grand retribution thrust (it's a really good followup and it just feels fuckin awesome).

[u/Skelefellah → u/Traditional_Tune2865]

I love the combo into full charged Dash and use it every time I can get away with it 😄 Fine tastes, my friend!