Hunters ofCapcom’sMonster Hunterknowthe Great Sword for its sheer size and power. In previous titles, just a few swings of this behemoth can send most prey running from the hunter and their comrades. Thankfully, the Great Sword returns inMonster Hunter Worldas one of 14 staple weapons in the hunter’s arsenal. Unfortunately, with 13 other weapons to use, just what makes the Great Sword stand out?
RELATED:The 10 Best Weapons In Hunt: Showdown (And How To Get Them)
Players who want a weapon that guarantees massive damage can rely on the Great Sword to do the job for them. However, its low mobility and heavy nature mean hunters need a tactical approach to secure their kills. What are some pro tips hunters can use with a Great Sword?
10Make Use Of Mobility Options
While it’s true that the Great Sword sacrifices mobility for great attack power, hunters aren’t out of mobility options. For instance, they can still roll with the Great Sword unsheathed, giving them room to dodge. Additionally, the Tackle option (B or Circle after a Charged Slash or a Wide Attack) enables players to dodge attacks or knockback monsters.
Moreover, thanks to the window between a Strong Charged Slash and the True Charged Slash, players have the option to tackle into another position or push through with the TCS.
9Focus On Incapacitating Enemies
Unlikeother melee weapons, the Great Sword deals massive damage provided attacks connect with monsters. Unfortunately, connecting attacks can be difficult as the more powerful Great Sword combos need players to be stationary. As such, usual melee strategies of mashing buttons and fighting head-on might not be ideal for Great Sword hunters.
Instead, hunters using the Great Sword should capitalize on their opportunity to use traps and distraction against the enemy. If possible, attack monsters after they’ve been put to sleep, or use the short window of time provided by traps to unleash Charged Slashes.
8Use Clutch Claw Against Vulnerable Areas
The new Clutch Claw ability enables hunters to close in gaps with monsters by propelling them to areas they hit. Moreover, hitting the same part with the Clutch Claw twice damages the hide in that monster part, making it morevulnerable against attacks.
As such, Great Sword users who know weak spots of certain enemies should target them there with the Clutch Claw. Moreover, using this ability on a monster’s head allows hunters to “mount” that monster, steering them to the direction of traps or hitting nearby walls. Doing the latter incapacitated the monster for a short time, which makes this great for charges
7Charged Slashes Provide Variety
The normal charge-based combo enables Great Sword users to unleash Charged Slash, Strong Charged Slash, and True Charged Slash with just the Y (Triangle) button. Unfortunately, charging takes time and leaves the hunter open for attacks. However, the transition between these slashes actually provides room for slight activity.
RELATED:10 Games With The Most Impressive Weapons, Ranked
For instance, hunters who want to use the normal three-Y/Triangle Charged Slash can tackle in between charges. Doing this move can speed up charging time. Likewise, players can rotate the hunter slightly during these charges, helping them position the attack to weak spots.
6Tackle Counters Knockback
Hunters with the Great Sword can find it pretty annoying when monsters knock them out with an incoming attack. After all, this might make chargingthe weaponuseless! However, hunters can counter knockback by tackling just when the monster attacks. This move causes them to parry the attack, suffer no knockback, and continue charging their weapon.
Timing these tackles can do wonders against attacking opponents, as this exposes players to their opening. Canceling an enemy attack can leave monsters distraught and caught just in time for a TCS.
5Range Matters
Great Sword hunters will probably soon realize that the Great Sword’s massive size also means it hasa bit of range. This factor means there’s no need to be beside the enemy just to hit it, which also goes with Charged Slahes. In fact, YouTuber hunters like Ratnerd Kallordemonstratedthe Great Sword’s ability to hit a monster from afar thanks to maneuvering provided by Great Sword attacks.
After measuring the area to hit with the tip of the Great Sword, their character rolls two steps back and repositions forward with two Wide Slashes. The ordinary version of their TCS happens with two tackles in between, with the TCS hitting just the right spot. Alternatively, they can reposition with just one Wide Slash, drink the necessary attack boost items afterward, charge with just one tackle, and then finishing with the TCS.
4Be Careful With Charges
Like the Long Sword’s spirit gauge, if the charge mechanic boosts attack power then Great Sword users should always use it, right? However, Great Sword users should consider choosing when to charge. For instance, u/ApplefootCZ explainedin a Reddit posthow doing a Charged Slash or a Strong Charged Slash can take up too much time that can be used to maximize the TCS.
RELATED:Skyrim: 10 Weapons That Make The Game Too Easy (& How To Obtain Them)
Moreover, he recommends that advanced users should use the other charges to aim their TCS or simply use two tackles to charge the TCS much faster. However, Great Sword users should still use the Charged Slash and the Strong Charged Slash if there’s no visible opening for the TCS.
3Guard When Necessary
Aside from the strong base damage, the Great Sword also has a useful guard ability that can protect hunters from attacks at the cost of sharpness. Unfortunately, since the Great Sword’s attacks rely on sharpness, guarding an attack can eat away sharpness quickly. As such, instead of purely guarding attacks, Great Sword users guard only when attacks get too dangerous.
Moreover, encounters with stronger monsters might require the use of the block mechanic. As such, Hunters about to face higher-tiered monsters should pack up whetstones should the need to sharpen arise whileranged hunterstake the aggro.
2Maximize Base Damage
As a slow but massive weapon, the Great Sword capitalizes on itsraw attack powerto create devastating blows. As such, hunters with the Great Sword should maximize base damage opportunities with the right skills. It’s recommended they use skills such as Attack Boost and Weakness Exploit to increase attack power and increase the damage of attacks that hit weak spots.
Moreover, Punishing Draw and Critical Draw increases the damage created by drawing attacks, which can encourage players to sheath their weapons to increase mobility and set up relevant traps.
1Secure Weaknesses Quickly
Unfortunately, enemies can exploit a hunter’s low mobility to strike them with devastating blows. Unfortunately, this caveat means unprepared players can lose a match quickly. Players can counteract this disadvantage with the right kind of skills fortheir build.
For instance, Quick Sheath lets players sheath the Great Sword faster, giving them ample time to run away and heal or set up traps. Meanwhile, Focus helps them charge their Great Sword faster and deliver stronger blows faster. Moreover, Earplugs help the players set up combos against monsters that frequently knock back hunters with roars.
