Monster Hunter Wilds Great Sword Guide — TCS Combos & Best Build
Great Sword Quick Reference
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Weapon Class | Heavy, two-handed melee |
| Damage Type | Slash (main), some Blunt (charged attacks) |
| Core Move | True Charged Slash (TCS) — highest single-hit damage in game |
| Combo Entry | Draw Attack → Strong Charge → Wide Slash → overhead → TCS |
| Sheathe to Draw | Must sheathe to access Draw Attack; sheathing speed matters |
| Critical Distance | Melee; always be right next to the target body part |
| Top Skills | Weakness Exploit 3, Critical Boost 3, Focus 3, Quick Sheathe 3 |
| Difficulty | Medium — positioning and timing are the main skill walls |
Why Great Sword Hits So Hard
The Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds deals the highest single-hit damage of any weapon in the game through its Charged Slash system. Each charge level multiplies the damage of the next slash: a True Charged Slash (TCS), which requires a full three-stage charge, can deal two to three times the damage of most other weapons' best attacks in a single swing. This makes the Great Sword the go-to pick for hunters who want instant, impactful feedback from every landed hit.
The tradeoff is commitment. Charging takes time, and the Great Sword has a long recovery animation after each big swing. A missed TCS is punishing — you expend stamina, leave yourself exposed, and deal zero damage. Great Sword hunters must read monster attack animations carefully, wait for safe windows (typically after a monster's big combo ends), and then execute the full charge sequence before the next attack arrives. Precision positioning is everything.
The Wounds system introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds pairs beautifully with the Great Sword. Creating a Wound on a weak body part (such as a Rathalos wing or Nergigante spike) and landing TCS directly on that Wound combines the Wound bonus damage with the Great Sword's already massive multiplier, producing the highest damage numbers in the game. Great Sword players should always be aiming for active Wounds.
Core Combos Step by Step
- Draw TCS Combo (most damage from sheath): Sheathe weapon → Sprint at monster → Draw Attack (R2 during sprint) → immediately Strong Charge (hold R2) → Wide Slash (release R2 at level 2 charge) → Overhead Slash (R2 again) → True Charged Slash (hold R2 to level 3 charge, then release).
- Standard TCS Combo (in combat): Rising Slash (R2 from ground) → Charged Slash (hold R2, level 1) → Wide Slash (hold to level 2) → Overhead Slash → True Charged Slash (hold to level 3).
- Tackle Cancel: During any Charged Slash animation, press forward + R2 to Tackle — an armor-frame move that absorbs hits and keeps the charge going. Use this to tank roars and smaller attacks mid-charge without interrupting TCS.
- Slap Combo (fast loop): Draw Attack → Slap (R2 immediately) → Slap → Slap — for situations where TCS windows are too short. Deals less damage but keeps you active.
- Strong Charged Slash Opener: Against sleeping or trapped monsters, use the Draw into immediate level-3 TCS for maximum first-hit damage (pair with Bombs for the sleeping bonus).
Endgame Great Sword Build
| Slot | Recommended pick | Why / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Artian Great Sword (highest Affinity variant) or top-tier monster GS | Roll for Affinity augments |
| Head | Arkveld Helm (Weakness Exploit 2) | Core affinity skill |
| Chest | Rathalos Mail (Attack Boost 2, Critical Eye 1) | Solid mixed-slot piece |
| Arms | Doshaguma Braces (Focus 2) | Charge speed reduction |
| Waist | Arkveld Coil (Critical Boost 2) | Multiplies affinity crits |
| Legs | Chatacabra Greaves (Quick Sheathe 2) | Draw combo speed |
| Talisman | Weakness Exploit Talisman +1 or Critical Boost +2 | Fill the remaining cap |
| Key Decos | Tenderizer (WEX), Expert (Crit Eye), Charger (Focus) | Socket into available Level 2-3 slots |
Skill Priorities Explained
Weakness Exploit (WEX) is the single most important skill for Great Sword. At level 3, it grants 30% affinity when attacking monster weak points — and an additional 15% affinity when attacking Wounds on those weak points for a potential 45% total bonus. Since TCS targets specific body parts anyway, you will almost always be attacking weak spots, making WEX an efficient skill investment.
Critical Boost converts your affinity into bigger crits. At level 3, critical hits deal 40% bonus damage instead of the base 25%. Combined with high affinity from WEX and Critical Eye, your TCS will critically hit most of the time and each crit is worth substantially more. This multiplicative relationship between WEX and Critical Boost is the backbone of GS damage.
Focus reduces the time needed to reach TCS charge level 3 by shortening the charge animation. At level 3, Focus shrinks the TCS charge time noticeably, opening up windows that would otherwise be too short to execute a full charge. Quick Sheathe reduces the time to re-sheathe the GS, which is critical for Draw Attack combos — faster sheathing means more Draw Attack opportunities per hunt.
Positioning Tips for Consistent TCS
- Always target the monster's head or weak body part — TCS hitting a thick-armored tail or back deals much less damage.
- Wait for the monster to complete its attack animation before beginning your charge — most monsters have a 2–4 second recovery window after big moves.
- Use Tackle to pass through roars and minor attacks without dropping your charge — it has armor frames during the forward lunge.
- Practice circling to a monster's flank after it finishes a forward lunge; flanks offer safe, long charge windows.
- Against wall-bashing monsters (Banbaro, Diablos), back up to a wall yourself — monsters cannot slam you through geometry.
- Use wound targeting: identify the glowing wound, pre-position before the monster settles, and charge immediately as it lands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Charged Slash, Strong Charged Slash, and True Charged Slash?
These are the three charge levels of the Great Sword's main attack. Charged Slash (level 1) is a fast moderate hit. Strong Charged Slash (level 2) is larger. True Charged Slash (level 3, held to full charge) is the maximum damage move. TCS deals roughly 3x the damage of an uncharged attack and is the move you always aim for.
Is Great Sword good for beginners?
The Great Sword is accessible as a beginner weapon because its hitboxes are large and its animations are clear. However, maximizing DPS requires learning monster patterns deeply. New players can use it effectively by simply watching for obvious openings — full TCS optimization comes with practice.
Do I need to build affinity on Great Sword?
Yes. Although raw attack seems tempting, the damage return from 100% affinity (especially with Critical Boost 3) outweighs pure raw stacking at high levels. Aim for at least 80% affinity on weak points via Weakness Exploit, then supplement with Critical Eye decorations.
Which Great Sword has the best base stats in Monster Hunter Wilds?
Artian Great Swords (crafted from the highest-tier monster materials) have the best potential stats when fully augmented. Among craftable monster weapons, Arkveld-based and Doshaguma-based Great Swords offer competitive raw and good slot availability for endgame builds.
Does the Tackle count as a guard?
The Tackle has armor frames — it absorbs hits during its active animation — but it is not a true guard and does not scale with Guard skills. It will take HP damage from extremely powerful attacks. Against roars specifically, the Tackle can be used to ignore the roar animation while maintaining your charge.
Sources & verification
- Capcom Monster Hunter Wilds Official Site (2025)
- Monster Hunter Wilds in-game Move List and Training Area
- Monster Hunter Wilds community damage frame data analysis
Continue this guide path
- ›Great Sword Endgame Build in Monster Hunter Wilds — True Charge Slash FocusThe Great Sword delivers the highest single-hit damage in Monster Hunter Wilds through the True Charge Slash. This guide covers the best endgame GS options, Critical Draw vs. burst-focused setups, essential skills, and slot priority for maximum TCS damage.
- ›Affinity & Critical Eye Explained in Monster Hunter WildsAffinity is Monster Hunter Wilds' critical hit chance system, and understanding it is essential for building effective damage builds. This guide explains how affinity works, what Critical Eye does, how conditional skills like Weakness Exploit and Agitator multiply your effective affinity, and the optimal thresholds to target.
- ›Sharpness & Handicraft Explained in Monster Hunter WildsSharpness is one of the most impactful and least understood damage multipliers in Monster Hunter Wilds. This guide explains every sharpness level and its damage multiplier, how Handicraft and Protective Polish interact, and how to choose weapons based on natural sharpness for maximum efficiency.
- ›Monster Hunter Wilds Monster Weakness Guide — Element & Hit Zone ReferenceA comprehensive reference for monster elemental weaknesses, hit zone star ratings, and the Wounds system in Monster Hunter Wilds. Know what weapon and element to use before every hunt.
- ›Monster Hunter Wilds Skill System Explained — How Skills, Levels & Caps WorkA complete breakdown of Monster Hunter Wilds' skill system: how skills are sourced from armor and decorations, how levels and caps work, and which skills matter most for every playstyle.