Monster Hunter: World Greatswords — Builds & Best Picks
The greatsword is MHW's single-hit king: slow, honest, and capable of the biggest charged slash in the game. Below — how the charge loop works, which skills matter, and which blades are worth the materials.
How the greatsword works
- 1Three charge levels
Hold the attack to charge: Charged Slash → Strong Charged Slash → True Charged Slash. TCS is the payoff — a huge two-hit move where the second hit lands the real damage.
- 2Tackle is your armor
The shoulder Tackle shrugs off a hit and roar without flinching — and skips you to the next charge stage. Good greatsword play is tackle-timing monster attacks to keep charging.
- 3Draw attacks
A sheathed running draw slash is fast, hard-hitting and one of the best crit-fishing openers — Critical Draw builds exist entirely around hit-and-run draws.
- 4Slinger burst into TCS
In Iceborne, firing a slinger shot mid-combo flows directly into True Charged Slash — the fastest legal route to the big hit.
Skills that matter
| Skill | Why for greatsword |
|---|---|
| Focus | Shortens every charge stage — the most important GS skill, full stop. |
| Weakness Exploit | Affinity on wounded parts — big slow hits love guaranteed crit zones. |
| Critical Boost | Scales the payoff once your affinity is up. |
| Critical Draw | Draw-build core — 100% affinity on unsheathe attacks. |
| Agitator | Affinity + raw while the monster is enraged — i.e., most of a hard hunt. |
| Health Boost / Earplugs | Comfort picks — you survive tackles you shouldn't have, and roar-cancel your way into free TCS windows. |
Greatswords worth forging
| Blade | Source | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fatalis greatsword | Fatalis (Iceborne endgame) | The best raw greatsword in the game — huge negative affinity offset by its sheer base damage. |
| Lightbreak Edge | Raging Brachydios | Top non-event pick: high raw plus blast — the pre-Fatalis endgame default. |
| Safi'jiiva greatswords | Safi'jiiva siege | Fully customizable awakened stats — the flexibility pick for tuned sets. |
| Acid Shredder | Acidic Glavenus | Excellent mid-MR stepping stone before the siege/endgame options open up. |
| Progression line | Ore/bone trees | While leveling, just take the highest raw available — greatsword cares about raw above all, elements are a rounding error. |
Playstyle tips
Hit-and-run is a real style
Draw slash, sheath, reposition, repeat — the classic draw build. It's slower damage than TCS fishing but nearly unkillable while you learn matchups.
TCS on openings, not desire
Knockdowns, traps, wall bangs and roars are your True Charged Slash windows. Fishing for it mid-rage is how hunts end.
Shoulder through everything
Tackle's hyper-armor turns the monster's attack into your opening — roars, wing beats, charges. Learn it early; it defines high-level GS play.
Block is a panic button
The greatsword can guard, but the chip damage and stamina cost make it strictly worse than tackle-or-dodge. Treat it as a shield of last resort.
FAQ
Is the greatsword good in Monster Hunter World?
Yes — it's consistently one of the strongest solo weapons once you learn tackle timing, with the highest single-hit damage in the game via True Charged Slash.
Focus or Crit Draw first?
Focus is the universal answer — it speeds every charge. Critical Draw only matters if you commit to the hit-and-run draw style.
What's the best greatsword?
Endgame it's the Fatalis blade; before that, Lightbreak Edge (Raging Brachydios) and the awakened Safi'jiiva greatswords are the benchmarks.
How do I land True Charged Slash?
The cleanest route is Slinger Burst mid-combo straight into TCS — otherwise charge through openings with Tackle absorbing the hits.