Everything you need to know about the best Great Sword build in Monster Hunter Wilds, including the Decorations, Talismans, and more.
Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds is easily the most powerful weapon type in terms of single-hit damage. In Monster Hunter games, the Great Sword has always been a great choice for high DPS builds. However, with the introduction of theFocus StrikesandPower Clashin MH Wilds, the Great Sword now also has some agility, albeit at the cost of its attack power.
Unlike the past MH games, Great Sword’s TCS (True Charged Slash) isn’t the most damaging combo in the weapon’s roster anymore. Instead, TCS is now complementary to the fullCharged Slashcombo. This meansTacklecanceling into TCS isn’t as viable in MH Wilds as it used to be in previous games.
However, since you’re able to redirect TCS to any direction mid-combo (courtesy of Focus Mode), you can still stack tons of damage in a single strike. However, that’s taking into account that your build is optimized for taking advantage of the Focus Strike mechanic. In this article, we are going to take a look at one of the best Great Sword builds that you can use in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Note: This build guide is updated for the latest title update of Monster Hunter Wilds, taking into account all the new monsters (and gear) that have been added to the game.
Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword Overview
Great Sword is an easy weapon to pick, but one that’s quite difficult to master. Unlike other weapon types where you may learn the combos to use them to their full potential, the Great Sword relies on you not only knowing your weapon but also the monster(s) you’re going up against.
Since the weapon lacks mobility, you won’t get too many chances to land your hits using the Great Sword. As such, knowing when and precisely where to attack is crucial. In addition to that, the Great Sword also has fairly robust defensive options with itsGuardandTacklecombos. Guard in particular has received a substantial buff owing to the newPower Clashmechanic.
Tackle, on the other hand, remains a viable option to combo cancel, or as a way tohyperarmorthrough certain monster attacks. Although TCS has been nerfed substantially in MH Wilds, the opportunities for the combo have increased drastically. You can basically chain multiple TCS combos in MH Wilds, both after a Power Clash as well as a Focus Strike.
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds:
Best Great Sword Build in Monster Hunter Wilds
Our Great Sword build will focus primarily on DPS and reducing the downtime of charged attacks (TCS). Furthermore, this build will also include Decorations to enhancethe newFocus Strikemechanic. Essentially, the build here is focused on creating ample wounds and then capitalizing on the Focus Strike to triple a topple. In doing so, you’ll get instant access to TCS consistently, while also dishing out a ton of additional damage.
Here’s a breakdown of the best Great Sword build in MH Wilds:
Great Sword Build Skills
Here are the skills that you get access to with the best Great Sword build:
Equipment Skills
Set Bonus Skills
Group Skills
Great Sword Build Stats
The following are the raw stats for the best Great Sword build:
Attack Status
Defense Status
Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword Build Explained
The Great Sword build focuses on these primary factors:
Let’s understand how all these factors come into play for the aforementioned Great Sword build:
Increased Raw Damage
Although Capcom has made changes to the Great Sword’s Elemental properties, Raw is still the king. Much like in the previous Monster Hunter games, the Great Sword excels at Raw Damage, primarily. Although you can work Elemental into your build, inflicting said Elemental status won’t be easy, especially with the TCS nerf. As such, we focused on the weapon’s raw damage. Furthermore, Raw Damage is most effective at toppling monsters, which is where the Great Sword shines the most, especially withSlugger Level 3.
Faster Charging Speeds
The Great Sword’s Charged Slash deals a ton of damage, regardless of the charge level or combo. However, charging the weapon is not a quick act. Often, charging a Great Sword’s TCS can be a gamble, which only pays off if you position yourself properly. Suffice it to say, positioning is something that isn’t going to be easy unless you have hours of practice and experience with every monster in the game’s roster. To help alleviate the long charging speeds, we have workedFocus Level 3into the build.
The Focus skill lets you charge attacks much faster. As a result, you will be able to use TCS more efficiently. Furthermore, withPartbreakerandSluggeractive, Focus comes in incredibly handy.
Higher Bonus Damage on Wounds
With theWeakness Exploitskill, the Great Sword will deal bonus damage to wounds. Focus Strike is the primary means of dealing Raw and KO damage to monsters using the Great Sword. To facilitate that, we have worked in Slugger and Weakness Exploit both, into the build. Furthermore, there’s also a point ofFlayer, which makes it easy to create wounds on monsters. Wounds are also a great way to deal Elemental damage, granted you can hit multiple wounds with a single Focus Strike.
Efficient Tackles
Tackles are a staple of the Great Sword moveset. However, unlike Monster Hunter World, Tackles don’t havestun resistancein MH Wilds. To mitigate this issue, we have workedStun Resistance Level 3into the build. This not only makes the Hunter immune to stun (including Gypceros’ flashes) but also increases the potency of Tackles.
How To Use the Best Great Sword Build in Monster Hunter Wilds
Here are some tips on how to use the best Great Sword build efficiently:
Additional Tips For the Best Great Sword Build
While we used the Dusterstolz (Gore Magala) Great Sword for this build since it offers a good balance between raw damage, Dragon Elemental, andAffinity, you can choose a different weapon in its place, and still get the build working quite well. For weapon alternatives, we recommendVarianza(Dragon Elemental) orStalwart Lamorak(Arkveld Great Sword). Both these weapons are excellent choices, offering high raw damage, with plenty of Decoration slots. Ideally, you would want to use theArtian Weaponsas they offer 3Level-3Decoration slots. However, using them isn’t a necessity as long as you have access to otherRarity 8weapons.
You can also use theBlazing Veiah(Zoh Shia Great Sword) in this build, albeit with some Decoration changes. TheWhiteflame Torrentskill, despite not being as effective asCritical Element,still has its fair share of use cases, especially when paired withScorcher. Additionally, the weapon comes with a pretty good base DPS as well as 5% affinity (which can be increased with skills likeAgitator,Critical Boost, etc.).
Make sure to pair the weapon withFocusand Critical Element to take advantage of its attack power and elemental properties.
Additional Notes
With TU2, the Great Sword is left mostly untouched by Capcom. However, we did get a few new options when it comes to endgame choices. The Lagiacrus Great Sword is a great example of this. It not only offers good base DPS, but also comes with decent Affinity andThunder(Bolt) damage. Also, since we aren’t fighting just Gore Magala or Arveld for the endgame anymore, you might want to diversify your GS arsenal with a few status weapons as well. That said, Artian GS still reigns supreme, granted you may get the right rolls for the weapon’s attributes.
We provide the latest news and create guides for Monster Hunter Wilds or MH Wilds. Meanwhile, you’re able to check out the following Monster Hunter articles or catch us playing games onTwitchandYouTube:
