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Everything you need to know about the Great Sword in Monster Hunter games, and how to master the iconic weapon.
Great Sword is easily the most iconic weapon in any Monster Hunter game. Alongside the Dual Blades, Hammer, Lance, and Bowgun, the Great Sword is one of the original weapon types that have been with the Monster Hunter franchise since its inception. The Great Sword is a perfect balance between power and precision. Similarly to Hammer, the Great Sword excels at dealing a ton of damage with a single swing. However, unlike the Hammer, the Great Sword also excels at targeting specific parts of a monster with the precision of a Long Sword or Lance. It’s essentially the best of both worlds, albeit with some major caveats, which might make it feel somewhat intimidating for newcomers.
The Great Sword in Monster Hunter is one of those weapons that’s very easy to pick up and use but incredibly difficult to master. However, with some time spent in the training arena and knowledge of some of its basic combos, you can easily get in grips with the Great Sword. And since the general moveset and combos of the Great Sword haven’t changed across different games in the series, it makes for the perfect starting weapon for any Monster Hunter game, even the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds. Here’s a comprehensive guide on the Great Sword in Monster Hunter, and how to easily master it.
Note: This guide primarily covers Monster Hunter World. However, the combos and general tips and tricks mentioned here apply to all mainline Monster Hunter games, including Wilds.
Basic Great Sword Combos in Monster Hunter
The Great Sword comes with a basic moveset right out of the box. There’s your three-hit combo, charged combo, and the Slinger Burst. However, individually, none of these combos are all that effective. Thankfully, apart from Sharpness, there’s nothing else to keep track of (like Phials, Charge Gauge, etc.) when it comes to Great Sword. As such, you’re basically free to focus primarily on the combos and your weapon stance. Furthermore, the Great Sword is the only weapon in Monster Hunter that comes with “hyperarmor,” albeit via the Tackle. That being said, here’s a look at all the combos and movesets for the Great Sword in Monster Hunter:
- Overhead Slash: Y
- Rising Slash: Y + B
- Charged Slash: Hold Y
- Wide Slash: B or Circle
- True Charged Slash: Y > Hold Y (Charged Slash 1) > LS + Hold Y (Charged Slash 2) > LS + Hold Y (True Charged Slash)
- Guard: RT (With the weapon drawn)
- Tackle: Hold Y + B or RT + Y > Y
- Jumping Wide Slash: Hold Y > B (Tackle) > B (Jumping Wide Slash)
Additional Combos for the Great Sword in Monster Hunter
Apart from the regular combos, the Great Sword also has a few hidden movesets that come in incredibly handy during combat. The first of these combos is the Kick, which believe it or not, can come in clutch in certain situations. You can initiate a Kick from a Guard by pressing Y (RT (Guard) > Y). While the Kick itself does little to no damage, it allows you to immediately transition to a Tackle. Although it might not look all that appealing, especially when compared to TCS, the Tackle is incredibly powerful. Furthermore, with a correctly timed Tackle, you can basically hyperarmor through a Monster’s attack. On top of that, you also deal quite a lot of knockback with a Tackle.
Another really effective combo is the Charged Slash followed by a Wide Slash. When you land a Charged Slash, immediately press B to finish the combo with a Wide Slash. This not only negates the recovery animation for the Charged Slash but also lets you deal damage in a radius, which is guaranteed to hit the Monster if it’s in the weapon’s range. Furthermore, you can continue this combo with a Tackle, followed up by another Charged Slash. It should be noted that the Charged Slash can be overcharged, which significantly reduces the damage it deals.
Basic Tips for Great Sword Users in Monster Hunter
Now that you’ve had a brief look at the Great Sword’s combos, here are some basic things to remember while using the weapon:
- The Great Sword excels at single-hit damage (apart from TCS), hence, you’re not meant to follow monsters around with this weapon. Instead, use the Great Sword’s length and combos to close the gap between you and the monster.
- With the Great Sword, you can block (Guard) incoming attacks, both physical and elemental. You do take some damage, but it negates any stagger or knockback you might’ve received from said attack. However, blocking (guarding) isn’t meant to be used unless absolutely necessary.
- Guarding takes a massive toll on the Great Sword’s Sharpness. Given Sharpness is directly tied to the damage, it’s best not to use Guard. Instead, you can simply use the Tackle to power through a Monster’s attacks.
- While True Charged Slash (TCS) is the most efficient way to inflict damage and part break, it’s not your only means to do so. Even the Jumping Wide Slash can be used to deal damage and also break a Monster’s parts.
- With the Great Sword, timing is the key to dealing damage to a Monster. Unlike the Dual Blades, none of the Great Sword’s combos lock you into an animation. As such, you’re free to decide when you want to attack a Monster or when you want to back away.
- Knowing the proper timing of when and where to attack to maximize damage dealt is the key to mastering the Great Sword. Make sure to always aim for weak spots (which are usually a Monster’s head or appendages) for maximum damage.
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