Pick the Great Sword if you enjoy deliberate, heavy hits and do not mind learning the monster instead of the combo. It is a superb part-break weapon and Pyro gives it an aggressive, pain-to-power identity.
The rhythm
Great Sword overview
The Great Sword is the purest expression of Monster Hunter's risk-reward loop. You commit to a slow swing, the monster moves, and you either whiff in style or take a chunk off its health bar. Outlanders keeps that identity while making the charge path friendlier for touch controls.
The weapon is at its best when you already know the monster's recovery window. A Great Sword player who watches feet and shoulders will out-damage a player who simply holds charge from neutral. Practice on Great Jagras, then take the timing into Anjanath and Rathalos.
Weapon snapshot
Melee · Sever damage · Medium difficulty · Best first pick: Rathalos tree.
Trade-offs
Great Sword strengths & weaknesses
Strengths
- Highest single-hit damage in the roster when a charge lands cleanly
- Excellent part-break potential on heads, wings and tails
- A charged hit can turn a bad hunt into a short one
- Pyro's kit converts incoming pressure into burst damage
Trade-offs
- Long commitment animations punish impatient play
- Missed charges waste both time and stamina
- Tails and fast monsters can be difficult without prior knowledge
- Needs roll timing and positioning more than combo memorisation
Practice route
Great Sword combos & core moves
These are the routes worth learning first. Treat the inputs as a description of the flow, not a controller-specific notation — touch layouts can be customised.
| Move | Input concept | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Charge →Tackle →True Charge | Hold attack to charge, tap the tackle input to absorb a hit, then charge again | The standard punish route after a monster commits to a long recovery. Tackle can armor through a light hit and keep the charge chain alive. |
| Draw Slash | Attack while sheathed | Your safest opener. Use it to tag a monster that is about to turn, then roll out without overcommitting. |
| Charged Slash →Roll Cancel | Charge to level two, release, roll immediately | A useful short-window punish when you know the monster will not stay down long enough for a full combo. |
| Wide Sweep | Light combo finisher | Covers a broad arc for packs and tail sweeps. The knockback is real, so use it away from teammates. |
Build direction
Best skills for Great Sword
prioritize one offensive core and one comfort skill. The exact armor set depends on what the launch forge provides; these are the skills that change the weapon's feel.
- Focus to reach charge levels faster
- Attack Boost for raw damage
- Critical Eye or Weakness Exploit for affinity
- Quick Sheathe for more mobility between windows
- Earplugs if you are learning new monster timings
Forge targets
Best Great Sword paths to aim for
Rathalos tree
TargetA natural Fire progression path with familiar materials and strong part-break pressure.
Anjanath tree
TargetHeavy raw damage for early high-threat hunts. Pair it with a Water or Thunder backup.
Nergigante tree
TargetA long-term Elder Dragon target for players who want a raw-focused endgame Great Sword.
Tree names and material requirements are based on pre-launch data. Check the live forge after October 29 for the final upgrade layout.
Good hunts
Great Sword monster matchups
These hunts let the weapon do what it is designed to do. Use them to learn the moveset before taking it into an unfavorable target.
Check every elemental weakness before building the next weapon.
Touch controls
Great Sword tips for mobile play
- Use the largest touch buttons you can reach comfortably; charge attacks need a stable thumb.
- Do not hold charge from neutral. Start charging only when the monster is already committing.
- Turn toward the target before charging; the camera will not fix a bad initial angle.
- A dodge is usually worth more than one more charge level.
Quick answers