Sword and Shield Overview

Sword and Shield (片手剣 Katateken), focuses on using a wide variety of elements or statuses to cause considerable damage.

The sword and shield class is the first type of weapon that hunters use in the Monster Hunter series. Also known as the SnS, this type of weapon uses speed and agility to inflict long combinations of status-inflicting attacks quickly. A hunter is able to perform a rolling dodge, is able to run normally with the weapon drawn, and is able to suppress weak attacks with the shield while blocking. The hunter can also use an item while the sword is drawn. While they are the fastest and most agile kinds of weapons, Swords and Shields typically have very weak raw damage. To compensate for this, the SnS attacks quickly and many of the weapons in this category are imbued with powerful elemental properties or cause Poison, Sleep or Paralysis. This makes them one of the best melee weapon to induce status effects. 

- Weapon Traits :

Sword and Shields have some of the lowest average damage levels, but are extremely capable in a variety of other aspects, such as inflicting status ailments.

• The reason that SnS users are left-handed is due to the ability to use items with the weapon out. The hunter always takes items with his or her right hand, if a hunter had the sword in the right hand, the hunter would stab him or herself. That is why the shield is on the right hand, and it actually is on the arm and not in the hand.
• Sword and Shields often seem sharper than other weapons with the same color level of Sharpness. For example, if attacking a Kirin with green sharpness, the weapon will generally bounce less than other type of weapons.

• SnS weapons are among the most balanced weapons available in the series, providing decent raw (and usually elemental) power combined with amazing mobility and agility plus defensive capabilities.

• Sword and Shield has the widest variety of elemental weapons. At the same time, most SnS-type weapons have elemental properties.

• It has incredibly speedy attacks, capable of quick hit-and-runs and being able to perform a dodging roll anytime it is required.

• While blocking incoming attacks is possible with the Sword and Shield, it is not as effective as blocking with other weapons such as the Lance. The user will likely be broken out of the blocking stance when attempting to block heavier attacks, and more chip damage is usually suffered.

• SnS users can use items with the weapon out, just by holding the block button and then using the item, without having to sheath the weapon like all the other weapon types.

• By standing still and pressing block and vertical attack, the SnS can be drawn into a defensive stance, instead of the normal unsheathing attack. This can be done while moving by holding block and pressing both attack buttons simultaneously.

• The Sword and Shield's longest combo is either forward upward slash, jumping slash, or rolling slash followed by 4 hit combo, 2 side hits, and then the spinning slash for a 8-hit combo

- Pros and Cons :

Advantages

• Speedy attacks
• Guard ability
• Great elemental potential
• Able to use items while guarding
• Often sharper than other weapon types that have the same level of sharpness.

Disadvantages

• Has overall unimpressive sharpness
• Guard isn't as good as some other weapons
• Poor damage done in a single hit (Although its speed makes up for it) 

 - Tutorial for Beginner Hunter (by GaijinHunter / @aevanko)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufsud-C09Yk