★ Monster Hunter Rise and its expansion MHRise: Sunbreak is out now for the Nintendo Switch & PC, then for PlayStation, XBox, & Game Pass on January 20, 2023!
Head on over to our MHRise Wiki for the latest guides and strategies about all things MHRise!
This is a guide about the best skills for Great Swords. Read on to know which skills to look out for when making a Great Sword build and why.
List of Contents
Recommendations | ||
---|---|---|
Affinity Skills | Agitator | Attack Boost |
Airborne | Elemental Attack Skills |
Great Swords have the highest base damages in the game. Investing in any of these Affinity Skills is definitely recommended for an immense increase in overall damage.
Critical Draw increases the affinity of Draw Attacks by 100% at level three and is a great skill to compliment the Great Sword's general sheath-heavy playstyle.
The introduction of the Clutch Claw made the Agitator Skill a community staple when making builds. When active, Agitator grants hunters +20 attack and affinity by 10% at level five. (Level six and seven are unlocked via the Agitator Secret Skill.)
The Clutch Claw, specifically its Flinch Shot Attack, gave hunters the ability to enrage the monster whenever the opportunity presents itself. This gave hunters a way to maintain their Agitator's up-time.
Ran out of skills to fill those vacant gem slots? Boosting a Great Sword's already high base damage is a good way to fill them up!
Strange as it may seem, The Great Sword is considered to be one of the best mounting weapons in the game. This is due to their insanely high Jumping Attack damage.
Airborne increases Jumping Attack Power by 30% and is definitely worth considering when making Great Sword builds.
Hunters who use the full Velkhana Divinity armor set bonus and elemental Great Swords may find Elemental Attack Skills (Fire Attack, Water Attack, Dragon Attack, etc..) worthy additions to their builds.
These synergize well with the True Element skill bonus from Velkhana Divinity.
Recommendations | ||
---|---|---|
Divine Blessing | Evade Extender | Earplugs |
Vitality |
Divine Blessing is an excellent defensive skill that when activated, reduces the incoming damage by 50% at level three from the attack that triggered it. This skill offers a much needed extra layer of suvivability for Great Swords. Divine Blessing levels four and five are unlocked via the Divine Blessing Secret.
While Great Swords can block attacks with its huge blade, it is important to note that Great Swords blocks are not as efficient in blocking as Gunlances, Lances, and Charge Blades are.
Evade Extender greatly increases the distance covered by dodge rolls at level three. This is a great defensive option for Great Swords as their dodges when unsheathed are short and heavy.
Every swing matters for a Great Sword. Earplugs offer complete protection against monster roars at level five and ensures that hunters are uninterrupted mid-swing!
It never hurts to pump up one's HP! Health Boost increases a hunter's Health by 50 at level three, making it a solid addition to any build - especially early on in the game.
Recommendations | ||
---|---|---|
Mind's Eye/Ballistics | Quick Sheath | Handicraft |
A monster's hide can be so thick in specific areas that even the Great Sword's massive hits can bounce off of them. Mind's Eye/Ballistics is the perfect solution to this problem as it prevents attacks from being deflected no matter how thick a monster's hide is.
Positioning matters a lot when hunting with a Great Sword. Quick Sheath greatly increases sheathing speed at level three and allows hunters to quickly relocate to a more advantageous spot if the need arises.
This skill synergizes well with Critical Draw.
Most Great Swords have vacant spaces in their sharpness guages. Handicraft increases weapon sharpness by 50 at level five and is definitely something to consider when making Great Sword builds.
Take note that Handicraft will NOT exceed a weapon's maximum sharpness.
Recommendations for Other Weapons | |||
---|---|---|---|
Charge Blade | Dual Blades | Long Sword | Sword & Shield |
Switch Axe | Insect Glaive | Hunting Horn | Great Sword |
Lance | Gunlance | Hammer | Bow |
Heavy Bowgun | Light Bowgun |
Kinsects | ||
---|---|---|
Kinsects | Kinsect Tree and Complete Kinsect List | Best and Recommended Kinsects |
Best Skills for Great Swords
Genshin Impact Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon TCG Pocket (PTCGP) Strategies & Guides Wiki
Honkai: Star Rail Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (BO6) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Metaphor: ReFantazio Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Zenless Zone Zero Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV) Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Palworld Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
New Pokemon Snap Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
FF7 Remake Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
©CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2018, 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The copyrights of videos of games used in our content and other intellectual property rights belong to the provider of the game.
The contents we provide on this site were created personally by members of the Game8 editorial department.
We refuse the right to reuse or repost content taken without our permission such as data or images to other sites.