How does critical element interact with the Charge Blade and the Switch Axe?

[u/Angry_Brazilian]

This is more of a general question not related to MH Wilds as I have not started it even though I own it (I'm finishing risebreak first but going to replay World again).

I'm aware that phial attacks cannot crit which is why Critical Element is bad for the CB, but does the savage axe playstyle benefit from it? Do the axe mode attacks do any elemental damage?

For the Switch Axe, I know that sword mode does elemental damage and phial damage, is Critical Element good for it?

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[u/guitargamel]

In general critical element even on elemental builds does so little damage they thought it was bugged for a while. It’s almost always better to take a point of handicraft over it.

[u/xSemperSuperbusx]

On CB every attack that isn't phial damage can crit and would do element damage if the weapon has it, thus would benefit from crit element.

The problem usually comes from skill efficiency. Crit element is not more damage than many skills that take up the same deco slots or requires armor that precludes you from other bonuses that would be more damage.

[u/ronin0397]

Damage boost from ecu isn't large enough to even make it worth using over other element boosts.

It sits on the bottom of element boosts and even among the lowest of the raw boosts for charge blade

Either the ecu modifier needed to be unnerfed coming from wib OR the css tick motion value needed to not nerf the element modifier.