Big numbers. That is basically the entire reason anyone picks up a great sword monster hunter players have obsessed over since the PS2 days. There is this specific, almost primal satisfaction in seeing a four-digit damage number pop up on a monster’s face while your teammates are busy doing tiny chip damage with their dual blades. But honestly? Most people are playing it wrong. They treat it like a hack-and-slash weapon when it is actually a rhythm game, or maybe more accurately, a high-stakes gambling simulator where the currency is your own HP.
If you have ever spent five minutes charging up a True Charge Slash (TCS) only for a Rathalos to sneeze and move two inches to the left, you know the pain. It’s soul-crushing. You feel like a failure. The Great Sword (GS) is the slowest weapon in the game, yet it requires the fastest mental processing. You aren't reacting to the monster; you are predicting the future.
The Great Sword Monster Hunter Meta is a Lie
Most "pro" guides tell you to just go for the TCS. They show you these flawless speedruns where the monster is permanently toppled, and the player is just landing hit after hit. That isn't real life. In a typical hunt, especially in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak or Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, the monsters are way too caffeinated for that.
The great sword monster hunter experience is actually defined by the "Tackle." This was the single biggest mechanical shift in the weapon's history. By pressing the kick/special button while charging, you shoulder-tackled through an attack. You take reduced damage, you can’t be knocked back, and most importantly, you maintain your charge level. It turned the GS from a "hit and run" weapon into a "tank and trade" weapon. If you aren't tackling through roars or tail swipes, you are leaving about 40% of your potential DPS on the floor.
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Think about the Zinogre. He’s fast. He flips. He charges electricity. If you try to wait for an opening, you’ll never find one. But if you tackle through his first paw slam, you’re suddenly positioned perfectly to nail his head when he pauses for that split second after the second slam. It's about being stubborn. The Great Sword is for players who refuse to move.
Why the Draw Attack Style Still Rules
While everyone talks about the big combos, we need to talk about "Frostcraft" and the old-school Draw Slash playstyle. In Iceborne and later games, Velkhana’s armor set made this viable again. You unsheathe, hit once, roll, and sheathe. It sounds boring. It’s actually incredibly effective for monsters that don't stay still, like Rajang.
You spend 90% of the fight with your weapon on your back. You’re running. You’re watching. Then, when the monster breathes, you let out one massive overhead slash. Because of the Frostcraft gauge, that single hit can do more damage than a full combo from other weapons. It’s the "Patience Meta." It’s less flashy than a TCS, but your hunt times will actually go down because you stop dying while trying to show off.
Breaking Down the "Power Sheathe" and "Strongarm Stance"
If we are looking at the modern great sword monster hunter kit, specifically in Sunbreak, we have to talk about Strongarm Stance. This Silkbind move changed everything. It’s a counter.
Wait. A Great Sword counter?
Yeah. It’s a bit broken, honestly. If you get hit while in the stance, you immediately transition into a fully charged TCS. It bypassed the entire "charge 1, charge 2, charge 3" progression. This is why you see those clips of people doing 5,000 damage in one hit. They aren't just hitting the monster; they are baiting the monster into hitting them so they can retaliate with the force of a falling skyscraper.
But there’s a catch. If you miss the timing, you’re dead. You have no wirebugs left to recover, your sword is stuck in the dirt, and you’re about to get carted. It’s a high-risk, high-reward loop that makes the GS the most "all or nothing" weapon in the franchise.
The Math of the "Small Barrel Bomb" Trick
You’ve probably seen high-level players do something weird: they place a small barrel bomb, kick it, and then use Strongarm Stance on the explosion. It looks like they're griefing themselves.
They aren't.
They are triggering their own counter. Since the bomb explosion counts as a "hit," it activates the Strongarm Stance damage buff. This allows them to "force" a TCS even when the monster is asleep or knocked down and isn't attacking. It’s a genius use of game mechanics, but it requires precise positioning so the bomb hits you but the sword hits the monster.
Every Great Sword Player Makes These Three Mistakes
Over-committing to the Charge. You don't always need Level 3. A Level 1 hit that lands is better than a Level 3 hit that misses. If the monster is starting to turn, just let the button go.
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Ignoring the Side Slap. The slap does blunt damage. It can actually stun a monster. If you’re near the head and can’t fit a full overhead swing, that slap can be the difference between a monster staying up or hitting the ground for a massive opening.
Bad Positioning. Great Sword isn't played with the thumbsticks; it’s played with your eyes. You need to know where the monster’s head will be in three seconds. If you are aiming for where the head is now, you have already lost.
Essential Skills for Your Build
If you are building a set, don't just stack Attack Boost. That’s rookie stuff. You need utility.
- Focus: This is non-negotiable. It speeds up your charge times. Without Focus 3, the weapon feels like it’s underwater.
- Weakness Exploit: Since you are aiming for specific parts (usually the head), this gives you the best bang for your buck on affinity.
- Quick Sheath: Especially for the older styles or Frostcraft builds. Getting that sword away fast means you live to fight another minute.
- Stun Resistance: Because you'll be tackling through attacks, you'll still take "chip" damage and stun buildup. Getting stunned while your weapon is out is a death sentence.
The Mental Game of the Hunt
There is a psychological element to being a great sword monster hunter. You have to be okay with looking stupid. You will miss. A lot. You will swing at the air while a Great Baggi hops over you. Your friends will laugh.
But then, it happens.
The monster charges. You don't move. You start your charge. You timing the tackle perfectly through a roar that sends your teammates clutching their ears. You transition to the True Charge Slash. The camera shakes. The monster’s skull cracks, and it topples over, exhausted. In that one second, you do more damage than the rest of the team combined. That is why we play this weapon. It’s about the "Big Number" dopamine hit that no other weapon can replicate.
Choosing Your Blade
Not all Great Swords are created equal. Usually, you want the one with the highest "Raw" damage. Elements and Status effects are mostly useless on GS because you hit so infrequently. A Dual Blade hits 50 times in ten seconds, applying poison every time. You hit once. If that one hit doesn't have a massive base damage number, you're wasting your time.
Look at the Tigrex or Diablos lines in most games. They usually have terrible affinity (negative crit chance), but their raw power is so high that if you fix the affinity with armor skills, they become monsters. In Monster Hunter World, the Rocket-Powered Great Sword (Wyvern Impact) became a legend not just because it looked cool, but because its raw stats were untouchable.
Actionable Steps for New Hunters
If you want to actually get good at the great sword monster hunter playstyle, stop practicing on the training dummy. The dummy doesn't move. Go to a low-rank Rathian. Rathian is the "Great Sword Professor." Her movements are telegraphed, her head is at a perfect height, and her tail spins are predictable.
- Practice the Tackle-Cancel: Start a charge, hit the tackle button, then immediately start the next charge level. Get the muscle memory down so you can reach TCS in under four seconds.
- Learn the "Roll-Sheathe": Never walk with the sword out. Hit, roll to cancel the recovery animation, and sheathe immediately.
- Watch the Monster’s Feet: Most monsters shift their weight before an attack. If you see a paw move back, hit the tackle button. Don't wait for the red "danger" flash in your brain.
- Try the Surge Slash Combo: If you're playing Sunbreak and hate the slow speed, try this Switch Skill. It turns the GS into a faster, combo-heavy weapon. It's not "optimal" for the highest damage, but it's a great way to learn monster openings without the frustration of the long charge times.
The Great Sword is a teacher. It teaches you monster patterns better than any other weapon because it punishes you so harshly for being wrong. But once you learn the "dance," you aren't just playing a game anymore. You're a surgeon with a six-foot slab of iron. Stick with it. The first time you hit a 2,000+ damage crit, you’ll never want to touch another weapon again.