Monster Hunter Outlanders Lance Guard and Counterattack Guide

Lance combat in Monster Hunter Outlanders focuses on holding your ground, deflecting incoming attacks with a heavy shield, and immediately retaliating using precise, low-commitment thrusts. Instead of dodging away to evade damage, you stay directly in front of the monster, absorb incoming hits through active guard stances, and maintain steady damage against monster weak points.

How Guarding and Counterattacks Work

The Lance features high innate defense and provides multiple defensive stances to respond to incoming monster attacks.

• Standard Guard: Holding your basic block stops incoming frontal strikes, roars, and projectiles. Standard guarding costs stamina upon impact and can result in knockback against heavy attacks, but it serves as a reliable baseline when you do not know a monster's attack timing.
• Counter Guard Stance: Entering this stance raises your shield for a brief window while priming a thrust. When a monster's attack connects during this active window, your hunter negates the incoming damage and instantly strikes back with an empowered counter-thrust. Entering this stance too early or too late leaves you exposed.
• Power Guard Stance: Transitioning into an extended guard stance provides 360-degree block coverage and high knockback absorption. This stance protects you when monster attacks strike from unexpected angles or during multi-hit attack sequences.

Thrust Combos and Reset Loops

The Lance deals damage through rapid, precise strikes that concentrate all impact into a small hitbox. Lance strikes offer low recovery time, allowing you to react quickly to monster telegraphs mid-sequence.

1. Execute a Three-Thrust String: Attack three times in succession toward a target weak point. Use mid-thrusts for low profiles and high-thrusts to hit elevated targets like heads and tails.
2. Cancel Combo Recovery: The third thrust has a longer recovery animation than the previous two. Cancel this recovery frame immediately by executing a directional hop or by shifting straight into a Counter Guard.
3. Loop the Attack Sequence: Canceling the recovery resets your combo chain instantly, letting you start another three-thrust string without waiting for the default weapon reset animation.

If a monster attacks while you are thrusting, cancel directly into a Counter Guard rather than completing the full standard attack chain.

Shield Mobility Options

Because walking speed is slow with the Lance drawn, rely on specialized weapon movements to reposition and close distance rather than sheathing.

Using Shield Advance lets you move forward while keeping your shield raised against frontal hits. For long distances across large combat zones, initiate a Lance Charge to sprint forward and finish with a lunging strike once you reach the target.

Stamina and Guard Angle Rules

Shield efficiency depends entirely on your stamina bar and player orientation. Managing these limitations prevents guard breaks and vulnerability during boss encounters.

• Frontal Guard Cone: Standard blocks and counter guards only protect attacks hitting the front of your hunter. Hits landing behind your shoulders bypass the shield entirely, causing full damage and knockback.
• Stamina Depletion: Every blocked attack, hop, and guard dash drains stamina. If your stamina empties completely when an incoming blow hits your shield, your guard breaks, leaving your hunter temporarily stunned.
• Stamina Regeneration Pauses: Stamina does not regenerate while you actively hold a raised guard while stationary or walking. Lower your guard between monster attack cycles to let the stamina bar refill before the next incoming strike.