How to use the Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds

Knowing how to use the Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds is as simple as knowing when to guard, when to dodge, and when to charge, because this enormous blade is sluggish but packs a serious punch. It's one of the most straightforward weapons to understand in terms of its moveset and abilities, but it still has a high skill ceiling in Monster Hunter Wilds.

So if you've picked up the Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds and you're wondering how to deal the most damage and exactly when to release your charged attacks, along with how Power Clashes work and all the controls to boot, we're here to help. Here's our complete guide to the Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword.

Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword mechanics explained

While the Great Sword has just a few simple attacks, most of which are various swings and slashes, there are some deeper mechanics at play. The first of these is that every attack with the Great Sword can be charged by holding down the input in order to deal more damage. However, you're completely vulnerable while charging, which is why you need to learn monster attack patterns to find the perfect opening. If you're hit, the charge will be interrupted.

Charging an attack with the Great Sword isn't just a case of the longer you charge it, the more damage it deals though. When charging, you'll see your character flash white, then yellow, then red. These indicate the three charge levels, so to deal the most damage, you want to release the attack as soon as your character flashes red. Make sure you don't hold it for too long because if you wait until the attack is released automatically, you'll have overcooked the attack and it'll only approximately deal as much damage as it would at a level two charge.

As you'll have noticed if you've tried moving or swinging the Great Sword even once, this is one of the slowest Monster Hunter Wilds weapons, so you need to master the art of guarding. This is basically a block, which reduces how much damage you take, but if you can pull off a Perfect Guard, it'll negate all damage. It also prevents your weapon from taking a knock to its durability, which happens with a normal guard.

A Perfect Guard can also result in a Power Clash, which is when you enter into a duel with the monster. Winning this staggers your foe and leaves them open to more devastating attacks. You can do something similar by using the Offset Riding Slash attack when your enemy is about to land a blow on you. Focus Mode isn't as important with the Great Sword as it is with some other weapons, but it does let you reorient yourself and pivot your attacks in a different direction. It also lets you use Focus Slash: Perforate, which you should use to target monster wounds as it deals increased damage.

Great Sword moveset

Here are all of the basic moves and attacks for the Great Sword:

• Overhead Slash
  • PC: LMB
  • PS: Triangle
  • XB: Y
• Charged Slash (hold)
  • PC: LMB
  • PS: Triangle
  • XB: Y
• Wide Slash
  • PC: RMB
  • PS: Circle
  • XB: B
• Tackle (while charging)
  • PC: RMB
  • PS: Circle
  • XB: B
• Rising Slash
  • PC: LMB + RMB
  • PS: Triangle + Circle
  • XB: Y + B
• Offset Rising Slash (hold)
  • PC: LMB + RMB
  • PS: Triangle + Circle
  • XB: Y + B
• Guard
  • PC: R
  • PS: R2
  • XB: RT
• Kick (while guarding)
  • PC: LMB
  • PS: Triangle
  • XB: Circle
• Focus Slash: Perforate (while in Focus Mode)
  • PC: Shift
  • PS: R1
  • XB: RB

In short, the Great Sword is a fantastic weapon in the right hands and it's fairly easy to get to grips with, but it still needs time and dedication if you want to master it - and not just because you're committing to every swing taking the best part of an hour.

Want some more help with the game's many systems? Find out how to mount monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds here and leap into the beast's back, or if you're feeling like a style change, check out our guide on how to change appearance in Monster Hunter Wilds!

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