'Monster Hunter Rise' Great Sword Guide: Moveset, Combos And Best Skills To Use

The Great Sword in the “Monster Hunter” series is a very hefty weapon. It can deal massive amounts of single-hit damage at the cost of speed. It’s a tricky weapon to learn, especially for beginners or series newcomers who expect it to work like great swords in other games.

Thankfully, Great Sword wielders will now be able to enjoy a new level of mobility thanks to the Wirebug in “Monster Hunter Rise,” along with the new moves from “Monster Hunter World” like the True Charge Slash and the Tackle.

Here’s how to string these moves together to make the Great Sword an absolute powerhouse that can take down any monster.

Playstyle

The Great Sword is primarily a hit-and-run weapon. Most of its damage comes from hitting vulnerable monster parts with charged attacks. Players should expect to sheathe and unsheathe the weapon often to avoid its movement speed penalty.

Players can choose between the classic Quick Sheathe style from the old “Monster Hunter” games or the new “MH World” playstyle that focuses on getting as many True Charged Slash hits as much as possible.

Moveset

The Great Sword has plenty of moves, but here are the most important ones to remember:

• Plunging Thrust: ZR (while mid-air)
• Charged Slash: X (hold to charge)
• Side Blow: X (after Charged Slash or Leaping Wide Slash)
• Tackle: A (while charging)
• True Charged Slash: Left stick forward + X (after certain combos)
• Strong Wide Slash: A (after Plunging Thrust)
• Leaping Wide Slash: A (after Tackle)

Combos

• Plunging Thrust, Strong Wide Slash, True Charged Slash

This is one of the new ways to access the True Charged Slash quickly, and it can be used in tandem with the Wirebug to gain height for the Plunging Thrust.

• Tackle, Tackle, True Charged Slash

This combo is the quickest way to access the True Charged Slash, but it sacrifices damage from the two initial hits. However, it can be used to super-armor through hits thanks to the Tackle.

• Dodge, Tackle, Leaping Wide Slash, Side Blow, Dodge

This combo makes the Great Sword surprisingly mobile even without the Wirebug. It’s great for covering long distances or dealing damage while fading away from a monster. It’s also faster than dodging after an attack, and it consumes less stamina.

Use the Power Sheathe silkbind move as much as possible to gain an attack damage buff.

Best Great Sword Skills

Attack Boost is better for the Great Sword than Critical Eye because of its low attack speed. Maxed Attack Boost with at least two levels of Focus is ideal for the True Charged Slash playstyle while high Affinity with Quick Sheathe and Punishing Draw is great for the hit-and-run style.