Meta Great Sword Build Guide [MHW Iceborne Pre Fatalis]

Sitting along with Hammer, Great Sword is one of the most classic weapon in Monster Hunter’s history.

MHW Great Sword Build | Armor Guide

Raging Brachydios + Teostra Armor

Capcom has master the art of meta monster creation.

Raging Brachydios is by far the best monster update in the series. You got all the sweetest armor skills (Agitator, Artillery… ) from one set alone. This armor set also provides some of the best jewel slots for you to customize your meta build.

New players can easily use this armor set and go through Iceborne until the end game. Seasoned players can mix this set with other sets to get more useful skills. The best of both worlds!

With that said, Kaiser’s Armor are used here to trigger Master Touch – the Sharpness skill that dominate the meta since the release of Monster Hunter World.

Safi’jiiva Armor Set

All about the attack, True Dragonvein Awakening greatly boosts your attack while draining your HP. If you are still attacking the monster, the HP drained will be recovered.

Safi’jiiva armor set also provides you good skills like Critical Boosts, Attack Boost, reducing the number of rare jewels you need to find. This armor set also benefit from Resentment, as you will always have that red gauge to boost your damage.

This does not sync with HP Augmentation, if you use HP Augmentation, Resentment can be useless.

Safi’jiiva + Raging Brachydios Armor

This combination requires a more aggressive playstyle compare to your usual approach. Safi’jiiva Armor set bonus Dragonvein Awakening increases your DPS while draining your HP. If you continue attacking, after a brief of time, you will regain that HP.

This has a similar approach to full Safi’jiiva armor build, with a touch on Agitator Secret DPS boost from Brachydium Armor.

Velkhana Armor Set

This is one unique build for Great Sword, Frostcraft from Velkhana introduces a boost to your DPS when the weapon is sheathed. Each attack will drain this gauge, and it can be recharged when your weapon is sheath again. Sound troublesome? Think again.

With Great Sword, you will always need to reposition yourself after every attack. Add in the sheathing part, and you got yourself a free DPS boosts!

Charge Attacks >> Sheath >> Re position >> Repeat

Check out this video on why Frostcraft Great Sword build is powerful

Velkhana + Raging Brachydios Armor

As Rimeguard requires 4 pieces to activate Frostcraft, you will need some way to add in the Agitator Secret boost from Raging Brachydios. This is where Safi’jiiva Great Sword come in.

If you want to combine Velkhana and Raging Brachydios bonuses, you will need Vekhana Essence as one of the Awakening Skill in your Safi’jiiva Great Sword.

Great Sword Utilities Skills

These skills are additional boost to Great Sword build (Similar to Artillery to Charge Blade Build)

Focus – This shortens the time you need to dish out that Charge Attack, maximize this to deal more DPS
Coalescence – Despite the description, Coalescence appeared in almost all builds now. A quick and dirty way to trigger DPS increment.
Punishing Draw – Similar to Longsword, GS players can benefit from Punishing Draw, as you can add in the Sheathing animation when you are not charging your sword.

Great Sword Meta Build Guide

Satisfy with all the armors? Let check out the full detail of some GS Builds below

Anti Alatreon Great Sword Build

You will need to beat Alatreon before taking on Fatalis anyway, so here you go

For Alatreon, elemental GS is your best pick. Despite not being a good weapon for Elemental, you still can have pretty decent elemental damage from an appropriate GS Build.

Weapon – Kjárr Fellsword “Ice” (Glacial Demon)

Armor – Rimeguard Armor x 4 (Frostcraft) 1 x Safi’jiiva’s Armor of your choice

Builder Link

This build utilizes the Critical Element from Kjárr weapon -which greatly enhances the elemental damage on Critical Hit. Frostcraft Attack Boost syncs pretty well with Great Sword playstyle, especially on Alatreon’s fight, as he is pretty fast.

Rimeguard Armor set also provides you several utilities skills for this playstyle (Quick Sheath + Critical Draw) The remaining are for Focus and Critical Eye.

You can use Attack Charm for a straight forward Damage Boost, but Frost Charm can also be pretty useful in this fight.

Anti Alatreon GS Build # 2 Frostcraft [Safi’s Frostsplitter]

Builder Link

This build has higher DPS compare to the first Frostcraft Build with Kjarr GS, this is thanks to Agitator maxed out as well as a full blown upgrade on Element Damage on the Safi’s Frostsplitter.

This is your best set to go against Alatreon, but this requires some grinding as the Awaken skills on Safi’s Frostsplitter require some luck to get the correct one.

GS Raw Damage Build (Safi’s Shattersplitter/ Lightbreak Blade)

Lightbreak Blade is one of the easiest pick for GS Build. Use this with the Teostra + Raging Brachydios Armor and you are all set.

Builder Link

This armor set can be seen in almost any melee weapon builds. The different is the Charger/Vitality Jewel 4. Three of these will help you maximize Focus and Health boost.

Despite whatever builds you prefer, Health Boost is still one of those Quality of Life skills you needed for end game hunts.

Blast Attack from Kaiser Coil can also help you proc more Blast during the hunt. Although this is near to useless in multi play as Blast threshold is increased in multi play.

Some hard to find jewels in this build