What can you do as a free member?

Member benefits illustration

Create your free account today and unlock all our premium features and tools to enhance your gaming experience.

Member benefits illustration

Create your free account today and save articles to your watchlist and get notified when they're updated with new information.

Member benefits illustration

Create your free account today and save your favorite games for quick access later, synced across all your devices.

Member benefits illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, you'll receive instant notifications when someone replies to your posts.

Comment rating feature illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, you can make use of convenient features in the comments section, such as rating and sorting comments.

Premium archive feature illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, you can access Premium articles that are exclusively available to members.

Map tool feature illustration

By creating a Game8 account and logging in, the items you checked on the map tool will be saved.

Site Interface

Guest
Free Member
Article Watchlist
Game Bookmarks
Cross-device Sync
Light/Dark Theme Toggle
User Profiles
Direct Feedback
Comment Rating
Comment Notification
Premium Articles

Game Tools

Guest
Free Member
Interactive Map Access
Interactive Map Pins
Interactive Map Comments
Interactive Map Pins Cross-Device
Check List
Event Choice Checker
Deck Builder Cross-Device
Message Board Notification
Message Board Cross-Device
Build Planner
Stat Calculator
Diagnostic Tool
Weapon/Armor Wishlist
Team Builder
Character Scoring
Tier List Maker

Want more information?Learn more

Find your next guide

Choose a game to explore its walkthrough and guides.

New and Upcoming Releases

Popular Guides

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Master Rank Great Sword Builds

Add to Watchlist

NEW 9/29: Monster Hunter Outlanders 10/29 release!
Read Game8's exclusive interview with the producers!

★ Sunbreak: Tips and Tricks | Monsters
✪ Game8 Best Games Survey
Vote for your favorite games and share your voice!

MH Rise Sunbreak - Master Rank Great Sword Builds

This is a guide to the best builds and equipment for Great Swords in Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise): Sunbreak. Learn about the best Great Swords for Sunbreak and the best builds and Armor pieces to use with the Great Swords for Low, High, and Master Rank.

All Great Sword Guides
Great Sword 1Trees & Full List Great Sword 2How to Use Great Sword 3Best Builds

Great Sword Builds List & Progression

This is a quick section summarizing all the Long Sword builds in this page. It is arranged from newest to oldest, and MR build progression is from bottom to top.

Click on the build name to see the build!

Master Rank Title Update Build Name
MR180+ BU Blood Awakening Status Frostcraft Build
MR10+ TU5 Frostcraft Amatsu Build
MR10+ TU4 Frostcraft Velkhana Build
MR10+ TU4 Frostcraft Build w/ Partbreaker and Blood Rite
MR140+ TU3 Blast Buildup Build
MR110+ TU2 Merak's Asterism Strongarm Raw
MR6+ TU1 Fine Kamura Cleaver Dereliction Strongarm
MR6+ TU1 Elemental TCS GS
MR6+ TU1 Elemental Surge Slash GS
MR6+ Base Royal Order+ All-Rounder GS
MR6+ Base Abyssal Eruption Raw Climber
MR3-MR6 Base Royal Order Strongarm
MR3-MR6 Base Astalos Thunder Surge Slash
MR1+ Base Kamura Warrior Cleaver Raw Affinity

Ultra Endgame MR Build: MR 100+

Blood Awakening Status Frostcraft Greatsword (BU Build)

Weapon
MerakMerak's Asterism
Merak
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Poison Image 20
340 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4Empty Deco Lv 2ー
Empty Deco Lv 1
ー
・Use depending on monster or rampage slot

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Primordial HelmPrimordial Helm ー
Primordial MailPrimordial Mail
Burst Lv1
Primordial VambracesPrimordial Vambraces
Virtue / Prudence CoilVirtue / Prudence Coil ー
Primordial GreavesPrimordial Greaves ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Frostcraft
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Critical Eye Lv 7
Attack Boost Lv 4
Frostcraft Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Stun Resistance Lv 3
Blood Rite Lv 3
Blood Awakening Lv 3
Speed Sharpening Lv 3
Partbreaker Lv 3
Quick Sheathe Lv 3
Wirebug Whisperer Lv 3
Critical Boost Lv 3
Coalescence Lv 2
Evade Extender Lv 1
Frenzied Bloodlust Lv 1
Burst Lv 1
Bloodlust Lv 1
Intrepid Heart Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
Wirebug Wrangler

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
Armor Augments Armor Augments for this build are not necessary. However, feel free to add as you please once you get comfortable with your build! Generally, you'd want to get better skills and more slots for your armor.
For damage, aim for any of the following:
● Powder Mantle
● Buildup Boost

For comfort, aim for any of the following:
● Recovery Up
● Wind Mantle
● Frenzied Bloodlust
Build Merits and Notes
Blood Awakening is a new aggressive comfort skill introduced in the Bonus Update. It pairs with Blood Rite and helps in dealing with large monsters that inflict Bloodblight.
Merak's Asterism is the choice weapon for this build. Another alternartive would be Scorned Magnamalo's Azure Blaze Great Sword, having a ③ decoration slot instead of ④, and a ② rampage slot. You can get more damage out of these Status Effect weapons are rolling Buildup Boost as armor augments.
If you do not yet have a Frostcraft talisman, you can use Buildup Boost as an alternative.
Quick Sheathe, Stun Resistance, and Speed Sharpening are added for comfort use. Critical Eye, paired with Weakness Exploit, is maxed out to make the most out of Critical Boost. These damage skills will help in part breaks, leading to a quicker activation of Blood Awakening.
Wirebug Whisperer is recommended if Strongarm Stance is used often. If not needed, you can swap it out and max out Attack Boost to Lv. 7 with decorations.
In addition to helping you tank hits and land charged attacks uninterrupted, Intrepid Heart can make it less risky for you to receive Bloodblight. You can use this to your advantage to get the most out of Blood Rite.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Frostcraft Amatsu Greatsword
(TU5 Build)

Weapon
Roilcloud SwordRoilcloud Sword
Roilcloud Sword Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Water Image 58
360 0 -25%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
ーーー
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
ー
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Risen Kaiser HornsRisen Kaiser Horns ー
Rimeguard MailRimeguard Mail
Rimeguard GlovesRimeguard Gloves
Rimeguard CoilRimeguard Coil
Focus Lv3
Onmyo SashikoOnmyo Sashiko ー
ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー Critical Eye
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 7
Critical Eye Lv 7
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Critical Draw Lv 3
Quick Sheathe Lv 3
Flinch Free Lv 3
Frostcraft Lv 3
Wirebug Whisperer Lv 3
Intrepid Heart Lv 2
Powder Mantle Lv 1
Shock Absorber Lv 1
・You can swap your Talisman for a Wirebug Whisperer Lv 3 skill
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
Armor Augments Armor Augments for this build are not necessary. However, feel free to add as you please once you get comfortable with your build! Generally, you'd want to get better skills and more slots for your armor.
Replaceable skills already on the armor:
● Flinch Free
● Quick Sheathe

For damage, aim for any of the following:
● Mail of Hellfire
For comfort, aim for any of the following:
● Wind Mantle
Build Merits and Notes
*Note: Thanks to the new Qurious Melding introduced in Title Update 5, it's easier to acquire great-value charms. For this build, you can go and try to meld for the recommended talisman with a Wirebug Whisperer Lv.3. This will help your DPS, as it allows you to exceute more Strongarm Stance during a fight. However, keep in mind that this is not a requirement and the build can still work without a secondary skill on the talisman recommended above.
Title Update 4 saw the chilling return of the Frostcraft skill from the Velkhana armor set! This skill is perfect for hunters looking to get back into the old-school playstyle of getting hits in with the Greatsword and sheathing to reposition. The three-piece Velkhana armor included in the build also sports powerful skills for the Greatsword, such as Focus, Critical Draw, and Quick Sheathe. This contributes significantly to DPS while still providing you with decent mobility.
The build is heavily modified to increase raw damage values, in spite of the inherent Water Element in the Amatsu Great Sword. To do this, we first maxed out Attack Boost to increase damage values. Then we focused maxing out Critical Eye to mitigate the Great Sword's negative affinity. Finally, we maxed out Offensive Guard to utilize the Strongarm Stance playstyle. With all of this combined, this build outputs huge damage numbers, making hunts a little bit quicker!

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Frostcraft Velkhana Greatsword Build (TU4)

Weapon
Winged SeraphydWinged Seraphyd
Winged Seraphyd Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Ice Image 33
340 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4ーー
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Flaming Espinas BrainFlaming Espinas Brain ー
Rimeguard MailRimeguard Mail
Rimeguard GlovesRimeguard Gloves
Rimeguard CoilRimeguard Coil
Focus Lv3
Rimeguard GreavesRimeguard Greaves ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 7
Element Attack 5
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Critical Element Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Critical Draw Lv 3
Quick Sheathe Lv 3
Element Exploit Lv 3
Frostcraft Lv 3
Kushala Blessing Lv 2
Charge Master Lv 2
Razor Sharp Lv 1
Spare Shot Lv 1
Flinch Free Lv 1
Rampage Skills Element Exploit

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
Armor Augments Armor Augments for this build are not necessary. However, feel free to add as you please once you get comfortable with your build! Generally, you'd want to get better skills and more slots for your armor.
Replaceable skills already on the armor:
● Spare Shot
For damage, aim for any of the following:
● Powder Mantle

For comfort, aim for any of the following:
● Wind Mantle
● Intrepid Heart
Build Merits and Notes
Title Update 4 saw the chilling return of the Frostcraft skill from the Velkhana armor set! This skill is perfect for hunters looking to get back into the old-school playstyle of getting hits in with the Greatsword and sheathing to reposition. The three-piece Velkhana armor included in the build also sports powerful skills for the Greatsword, such as Focus, Critical Draw, and Quick Sheathe. This provides significant dps while still providing you decent mobility.
For weapon choice, the Winged Seraphyd represents the icy theme of this build. The maxed elemental attack from the greaves plus the two levels from the Kushala Blessing skill amplifies the damage this Greatsword can do. This is ideal for monsters weak to the ice element, such as Rajang, Furious Rajang, or Seething Bazelgeuse.
This build still makes use of the Offensive Guard skill when you get the opening to pull-off a Strongarm Stance. This is especially useful for Afflicted Monsters when you have dealt enough damage to knock it out of it's delirious state!

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Frostcraft Greatsword Build w/ Partbreaker and Blood Rite (TU4)

Weapon
Azure Blaze Great SwordAzure Blaze Great Sword
Azure Blaze Great Sword Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Blast Image 36
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 3Empty Deco Lv 2ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Flaming Espinas BrainFlaming Espinas Brain ー
Rimeguard MailRimeguard Mail
Rimeguard GlovesRimeguard Gloves
Rimeguard CoilRimeguard Coil
Focus Lv3
Onmyo SashikoOnmyo Sashiko ー
ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 7
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Critical Draw Lv 3
Quick Sheathe Lv 3
Partbreaker Lv 3
Flinch Free Lv 3
Charge Master Lv 3
Frostcraft Lv 3
Teostra Blessing Lv 2
Blood Rite Lv 2
Razor Sharp Lv 1
Spare Shot Lv 1
Rampage Skills Teostra Soul
Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use Teostra Soul to increase Blast Damage

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
Armor Augments Armor Augments for this build are not necessary. However, feel free to add as you please once you get comfortable with your build! Generally, you'd want to get better skills and more slots for your armor.
Replaceable skills already on the armor:
● Quick Sheathe
For damage, aim for any of the following:
● Powder Mantle
For comfort, aim for any of the following:
● Wind Mantle
Build Merits and Notes
Title Update 4 saw the chilling return of the Frostcraft skill from the Velkhana armor set! This skill is perfect for hunters looking to get back into the old-school playstyle of getting hits in with the Greatsword and sheathing to reposition. The three-piece Velkhana armor included in the build also sports powerful skills for the Greatsword, such as Focus, Critical Draw, and Quick Sheathe. This provides significant dps while still providing you decent mobility.
We maxed out the Partbreaker skill and slotted in two levels of Blood Rite for this build to incorporate survivability. With the Greatsword's charged attacks, it will take no time at all to break monster parts, which you can then target to heal yourself significantly.
For weapon choice, we chose the Scorned Magnamalo Greatsword for it's damage, blast status, and its decoration slots. The Teostra Soul Rampage Skill will increase the blast damage this weapon can do. We maxed out the Charge Master skill and slotted in two levels of Teostra Blessing to speed up blast buildup.
This build still makes use of the Offensive Guard skill when you get the opening to pull-off a Strongarm Stance. This is especially useful for Afflicted Monsters when you have dealt enough damage to knock it out of it's delirious state!

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Blast Buildup Greatsword Build (TU3)

Weapon
Azure Blaze Great SwordAzure Blaze Great Sword
Azure Blaze Great Sword Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Blast Image 36
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 3Empty Deco Lv 2ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Risen Kaiser HornsRisen Kaiser Horns ー
Risen Kaiser MailRisen Kaiser Mail ー
Risen Mizuha SleevesRisen Mizuha Sleeves
Foray Lv1
Onmyo AteobiOnmyo Ateobi
Risen Mizuha GaitersRisen Mizuha Gaiters
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Critical Eye Lv 7
Attack Boost Lv 7
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Agitator Lv 3
Critical Boost Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Powder Mantle Lv 2
Buildup Boost Lv 2
Chameleos Blessing Lv 2
Evade Window Lv 2
Teostra Blessing Lv 2
Foray Lv 1
Embolden Lv 1
Adrenaline Rush Lv 1
Flinch Free Lv 1
Defiance Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
This build focuses on utilizing the Scorned Magnamalo's Blast Greatsword Azure Blaze Great Sword. It features a decent amount or Raw damage and a solid amount of Purple Sharpness. With TU3, we now have access to level 1 decorations of Teostra Blessing and while not game changing, definitely still helps the greatsword in applying blast procs. We slot these gems in for a larger blast buildup which when paired with Buildup Boost further increases our raw damage. When used together with Guard Boost (which can be used together with Strong Arm Stance), your raw damage shoots up pretty high in value.
We do want to note that Powder Mantle is not a core skill and is simply obtained through the new Teostra armor pieces. Also, the number of hits a level two Powder Mantle requires from the GS is high (around 10-12) which normally seems small but with the Greatsword's slow attacks, this number becomes not easily achieved. We do not recommend playing around the skill but do remember that if the Powder Mantle is active, avoid getting hit and attack the monster when the skill (the aura surrounding your character) is colored blue to deal additional damage.
Alternatively, you can also reduce one Guardian Jewel 3 in the build to slot in a Wirebug Jewel+ 4. This will reduce the armount of raw damage, but it adds a faster cooldown to your Strong Arm Stance and is a completely personal choice depending on the player.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Merak's Asterism Strongarm Raw (TU2)

Weapon
MerakMerak's Asterism
Merak
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Poison Image 20
340 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4Empty Deco Lv 2ー
Empty Deco Lv 1
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Kaiser Crown XKaiser Crown X
Flaming Espinas MuscleFlaming Espinas Muscle ー
Risen Mizuha SleevesRisen Mizuha Sleeves
Foray Lv1
Sinister Grudge TassetsSinister Grudge Tassets
Onmyo SashikoOnmyo Sashiko ー
ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 7
Critical Eye Lv 4
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Chameleos Blessing Lv 3
Flinch Free Lv 3
Speed Sharpening Lv 3
Maximum Might Lv 3
Handicraft Lv 2
Marathon Runner Lv 2
Charge Master Lv 1
Buildup Boost Lv 1
Foray Lv 1
Mail of Hellfire Lv 1
Coalescence Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
This build using Merak's Asterism focuses on dealing high damage counterattacks with Strongarm Stance. To increase the weapon's damage output, Attack Boost, Critical Boost, and Offensive Guard are used. In addition, a combination of Critical Eye, Weakness Exploit, and Maximum Might allows the weapon to always land a critical hit on weakspots.
New to this build are the additions of Buildup Boost, which is essentially a raw boost for status weapons, and Mail of Hellfire which gives a higher boost compared to Burst. Additional levels of Chameleos Blessing were added to extend Poison duration which helps with Foray uptime and makes up for the weapon's low Poison buildup.
We recommend augmenting the weapon with a Rampage Slot Upgrade and Attack Boost. Doing this improves the build's overall damage output thanks to allowing the use of Anti-Species Rampage Decorations.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Endgame MR Build: MR 6+

Fine Kamura Cleaver Dereliction Strongarm Build

Weapon
Fine Kamura CleaverFine Kamura Cleaver
Fine Kamura Cleaver Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
-
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4Empty Deco Lv 2ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Flaming Espinas BrainFlaming Espinas Brain ー
Flaming Espinas MuscleFlaming Espinas Muscle ー
Flaming Espinas GripFlaming Espinas Grip ー
Chaotic Faulds / Nephilim TassetsChaotic Faulds / Nephilim Tassets
Strife Lv1
Archfiend Armor ScerosArchfiend Armor Sceros
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー Critical Eye
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 7
Critical Eye Lv 7
Resentment Lv 3
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Razor Sharp Lv 3
Spare Shot Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Marathon Runner Lv 2
Stun Resistance Lv 2
Flinch Free Lv 1
Dereliction Lv 1
Charge Master Lv 1
Intrepid Heart Lv 1
Strife Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
MH Rise - Attack BoostAttack Boost Lv 1+
Build Merits and Notes
This build using the Fine Kamura Cleaver focuses on dealing high damage hits with Dereliction and Strongarm Stance. To boost damage output, Attack Boost, Critical Boost, Offensive Guard, and Dereliction's Blue Scroll ability are used. Critical Eye and Weakness Exploit are also added to increase chances of critical hits during your combos. Qurios will be depleting your health, making sure that you have recoverable damage; with this in mind, Resentment is useful to amp damage even more. To mitigate some of the health depletion, we suggest eating for a Lv.4 Super Recovery Dango.
These builds assume that no Armor Augmentations have been made.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Elemental TCS Great Sword Builds

Fire
Wat
Thun
Ice
Dra
Weapon
Lohenzahn+Lohenzahn+
Lohenzahn+ Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Fire Image 32
350 0 -20%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 3Empty Deco Lv 1ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー
Weapon
Winged SeraphydWinged Seraphyd
Winged Seraphyd Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Ice Image 33
340 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4ーー
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
ー
Weapon
Wyvern Gnasher+Wyvern Gnasher+
Wyvern Gnasher+ Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Dragon Image 82
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 2Empty Deco Lv 2Empty Deco Lv 1
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
Weapon
Crimson VastwingCrimson Vastwing
Crimson Vastwing Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Dragon Image 56
340 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 3ーー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Silver SolhelmSilver Solhelm
Flaming Espinas MuscleFlaming Espinas Muscle ー
Rathalos Braces XRathalos Braces X ー
ー
Flaming Espinas BowelsFlaming Espinas Bowels
Burst Lv1
Onmyo SashikoOnmyo Sashiko ー
ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー Critical Eye
・Level 3 with desired slots or better
Alternative Decorations ・Swap the Blaze Jewels depending on the element.

Skills Overview

Skills Element Attack 5
Attack Boost Lv 7
Critical Eye Lv 4
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Critical Element Lv 3
Marathon Runner Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Windproof Lv 3
Flinch Free Lv 3
Charge Master Lv 3
Earplugs Lv 2
Burst Lv 1
Spiribirds Call Lv 1
・Ice and Crimson Vastwing will not have Spiribird's Call
Rampage Skills Element Exploit
Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster. Use Element Exploit for Ice and Wyvern Gnasher+ to increase elemental damage.

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
Build Merits and Notes
The True Charge Slash (TCS) Build main focus is executing a well-placed True Charge Slash on a monster, either through your normal combo or using the Strongarm Stance. With this in mind, we focused on maxing out Offensive Guard to deal significant damage with your TCS.
These builds assume that no Armor Augmentations have been made.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Elemental Surge Slash Great Sword Builds

Fire
Wat
Thun
Ice
Dra
Weapon
Blood BaphBlood Baph
Blood Baph Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Fire Image 83
330 20 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 3Empty Deco Lv 1ー
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
Weapon
Aquatic Cataclysm+Aquatic Cataclysm+
Aquatic Cataclysm+ Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Water Image 84
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 3Empty Deco Lv 1Empty Deco Lv 1
Empty Deco Lv 3
Weapon
Khezu Shock Full+Khezu Shock Full+
Khezu Shock Full+ Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Thunder Image 85
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4ーー
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
ー
Weapon
Flicker Blizzard BladeFlicker Blizzard Blade
Flicker Blizzard Blade Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Ice Image 100
320 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 2Empty Deco Lv 2ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー
Weapon
Wyvern Gnasher+Wyvern Gnasher+
Wyvern Gnasher+ Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Dragon Image 82
330 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 2Empty Deco Lv 2Empty Deco Lv 1
Empty Deco Lv 3

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Flaming Espinas BrainFlaming Espinas Brain ー
Flaming Espinas MuscleFlaming Espinas Muscle ー
Silver SolbracesSilver Solbraces
Flaming Espinas BowelsFlaming Espinas Bowels
Burst Lv1
Silver SolgreavesSilver Solgreaves
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー Critical Eye
・Level 3 with desired slots or better
Alternative Decorations ・Swap the Blaze Jewels depending on the element.

Skills Overview

Skills Element Attack 5
Attack Boost Lv 7
Critical Eye Lv 4
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Critical Element Lv 3
Marathon Runner Lv 3
Charge Master Lv 3
Maximum Might Lv 2
Constitution Lv 2
Razor Sharp Lv 1
Spare Shot Lv 1
Flinch Free Lv 1
Redirection Lv 1
Element Exploit Lv 1
Burst Lv 1
Spiribirds Call Lv 1
Stun Resistance Lv 2
・Skills may vary per element
Rampage Skills Element Exploit
Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use Element Exploit to increase Elemental Damage. For Ice, use Anti-Species depending on the monster.

Build Merits and Augments

Weapon Augments
Build Merits The Surge Slash Build takes a more aggressive route, relying on your Surge Slash combos to do continuous elemental damage. With this playstyle in mind, we focused on maxing out affinity with skills like Critical Eye and Maximum Might, which synergize well with Critical Element, amping your elemental damage even further. Since you'll be more aggressive with this build, we suggest also equipping Rage Slash on your Switch Skills.
These builds assume that no Armor Augmentations have been made.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Royal Order+ All-Rounder

Weapon
Royal OrderRoyal Order's Great Sword+
Royal Order
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
-
320 50 10%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 2Empty Deco Lv 1ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Kaiser Crown XKaiser Crown X
Archfiend Armor BauloArchfiend Armor Baulo ー
Burst Lv1
Barroth Vambraces XBarroth Vambraces X ー
SquireSquire's Belt ー
ー
Malzeno GreavesMalzeno Greaves
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Critical Eye
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Critical Eye Lv 7
Attack Boost Lv 4
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Stun Resistance Lv 3
Speed Sharpening Lv 3
Blight Resistance Lv 2
Resentment Lv 1
Affinity Sliding Lv 1
Spread Up Lv 1
Flinch Free Lv 1
Wirebug Whisperer Lv 1
Burst Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
This all-rounder build using the Royal Order's Great Sword+ combines damage and utility to make a build fit for any Master Rank hunt. Attack Boost, Critical Boost, Offensive Guard, and a point in Burst are used to improve the weapon's overall damage. In addition, Critical Eye and Weakness Exploit are used for guaranteed critical hits on weakspots thanks to the weapon's innate 10% affinity. For ease-of-use and utility, the build is rounded out by maxed Focus, Stun Resistance, Speed Sharpening, and a point in Wirebug Whisperer.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Abyssal Eruption Raw Climber

Weapon
Abyssal EruptionAbyssal Eruption
Abyssal Eruption Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Dragon Image 29
340 0 -15%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
ーーー
Empty Deco Lv 3
ー
ー
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Kaiser Crown XKaiser Crown X
Nargacuga Mail XNargacuga Mail X ー
Sailor GlovesSailor Gloves ー
ー
Focus Lv3
SquireSquire's Belt ー
ー
Malzeno GreavesMalzeno Greaves
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Critical Eye Lv 7
Attack Boost Lv 4
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Stun Resistance Lv 3
Speed Sharpening Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 2
Blight Resistance Lv 2
Evade Window Lv 1
Flinch Free Lv 1
Wirebug Whisperer Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
This Abyssal Eruption climbing build focuses on the weapon's high raw damage while backing it up with some utility skills. The quartet of Attack Boost, Critical Eye, Critical Boost, and Weakness Exploit improve the weapon's overall damage, while Offensive Guard helps increase Strongarm Stance's powerful counter-attack. For utility, the build also includes max Focus, Stun Resistance, Speed Sharpening, and a point of Wirebug Whisperer.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Master Rank Build (Mid Game): MR 3-6

Royal Order Strongarm

Weapon
Royal OrderRoyal Order's Great Sword
Royal Order
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
-
310 50 10%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 2ーー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Lunagaron HelmLunagaron Helm ー
SquireSquire's Cuirass ー
Barioth Vambraces XBarioth Vambraces X ー
SquireSquire's Belt ー
ー
Grand GodGrand God's Peer Feet
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 4
Critical Eye Lv 4
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Offensive Guard Lv 3
Stun Resistance Lv 3
Speed Sharpening Lv 3
Flinch Free Lv 3
Latent Power Lv 1
Maximum Might Lv 1
Razor Sharp Lv 1
Quick Sheathe Lv 1
Wirebug Whisperer Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
This build is focused around the new Strongarm Stance Silkbind Skill, enhancing the powerful counter with skills such as Offensive Guard, Attack Boost, and Critical Boost. The build also features maxed Focus to cover for Strongarm Stance's downtime and maxed Speed Sharpening to return to purple sharpness faster.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Astalos Thunder Surge Slash

Weapon
Astalos Crashblade+Astalos Crashblade+
Astalos Crashblade+ Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
Thunder Image 43
310 0 20%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 1ーー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
Astalos HelmAstalos Helm
Burst Lv1
Zinogre Mail XZinogre Mail X
Ingot Vambraces XIngot Vambraces X ー
SquireSquire's Belt ー
ー
Ingot Greaves XIngot Greaves X ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Attack Boost
・Level 3 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 5
Element Attack 5
Critical Boost Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Critical Element Lv 3
Stun Resistance Lv 3
Speed Sharpening Lv 3
Flinch Free Lv 3
Critical Eye Lv 2
Latent Power Lv 2
Focus Lv 2
Offensive Guard Lv 1
Burst Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
This build is focused around dealing high Thunder damage with the new Surge Slash Combo Switch Skill, enhancing its quick high-damage hits with Attack Boost, Thunder Attack, Critical Boost, and Critical Element. For a smoother hunting experience, this build also features maxed Stun Resistance, Speed Sharpening, and Focus Lv.2 for utility.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Master Rank Build (Early Game): MR 1-2

Kamura Warrior Cleaver Raw Affinity

Weapon
Kamura Warrior CleaverKamura Warrior Cleaver
Kamura Warrior Cleaver Great Sword Sharpness
Element
/ Status
ATK DEF Affinity
-
250 0 0%
Decoration Slots Rampage Slots
Empty Deco Lv 4Empty Deco Lv 1ー
Empty Deco Lv 2
ー

Recommended Armor Loadout

Armor Decoration Slots Skills
HunterHunter's Helm X ー
ー
Ingot Mail XIngot Mail X ー
Alloy Vambraces XAlloy Vambraces X ー
Anjanath Coil XAnjanath Coil X
Ingot Greaves XIngot Greaves X ー
Talisman Icon.pngTalisman ー
ー
Weakness Exploit
・Level 2 with desired slots or better

Skills Overview

Skills Attack Boost Lv 6
Critical Eye Lv 6
Critical Boost Lv 3
Defense Boost Lv 3
Focus Lv 3
Weakness Exploit Lv 3
Stun Resistance Lv 3
Windproof Lv 2
Element Attack 1
Item Prolonger Lv 1
Flinch Free Lv 1
Rampage Skills Wyvern Exploit
Anti-Aerial Species
Anti-Aquatic Species
Fanged Exploit
・Use depending on the monster

Build Notes

Build Merits and Notes
A well-rounded Great Sword build great for starting out in Sunbreak's Master Rank. It features high raw damage and 75% Affinity on weak spots thanks to Attack Boost, Weakness Exploit, and Critical Boost, while also sporting good survivability with Defense Boost and Stun Resistance. The build also sports Focus 3, making it easier to charge up the Great Sword's attacks.

▲ Back to Builds List ▲

Best Skills for Great Sword

Best Damage Skills

These skills make it possible to deal extra damage! Aim for these skills for maximum DPS to defeat those monsters easier and finish those quests faster!

Best Skills Explanation
Attack Boost
★★★
This skill increases the Great Sword's damage values, especially when hitting a successful True Charge Slash!
Offensive Guard
★★★
Increases overall damage output for the Strongarm Stance playstyle.
Weakness Exploit
★★★
A staple skill for any meta builds. The Great Sword's playstyle requires targeting weakspots to inflict optimal damage, so having this skill provides a significant boost to your DPS. Always max out this skill whenever possible.
Critical Boost
★★★
Further amplifies critical hit damage. Make sure to have high affinity first before equipping!
Critical Eye
★★★
Always aim for 80-100% affinity to amplify the Great Sword's base damage efficiently! It is best to max this out when you're using a Surge Slash-focused build.
Frostcraft
★★
With Velkhana's return to Sunbreak, this skill is a must-have for the old-school playstyle of hitting the monster then running away to regroup! With this in mind, we highly recommend the gloves from the Velkhana Armor Set for a level of this skill plus max level of Critical Draw.
Available in Sunbreak Free Title Update 4
Critical Draw
★★
Grants up to a 60% affinity on draw attacks. On Free Title Update 4, this skill is best paired with the Frostcraft skill.
Element Attack
★★
Sunbreak featured buffs for elemental damage, making elemental builds viable. Be sure to max out this skill to get the most out of its potential.
Fire | Water | Ice | Thunder | Dragon
Element Exploit
★★
This skill is ideal to have on elemental builds because of the Great Sword's playstyle of targeting a monster's weakspots, making sure you pull off significant damage every time you hit them!
Available in Sunbreak Free Title Update 1
Charge Master
★★
Provides extra elemental damage every time a charged attack hits.
Powder Mantle
★
This skill from the Risen Teostra Armor provides the Great Sword with additional blast damage every time it activates, contributing greatly to DPS.
Available in Sunbreak Free Title Update 3
Dereliction
★
Using the Red Scroll for elemental builds and the Blue Scroll for raw builds improves overall damage; just be wary of your health, especially when you're doing the small barrel bomb counter technique!
Available in Sunbreak Base Game
Bloodlust
★
Overcome the Frenzy Virus to power up with this skill; best paired with Coalescence.
Available in Sunbreak Base Game
Critical Element
★
For elemental builds, this skill contributes greatly to the damage dealt to a monster. Consider this skill when doing a Surge Slash-focused build.

Best Comfort Skills

These are skills that make managing weapon mechanics a lot easier. Damage is only part of the equation - taking time to slot in comfort skills that increase consistency & comfort will also increase overall DPS!

Best Skills Explanation
Focus
★★★
Speeds up the Great Sword's charge attacks and is a must-have skill for any Great Sword player.
Defiance
★★
Three levels of this skill prevent most roars, tremors, and winds from interrupting your charged attacks. The Cornerstone Jewel is a level 1 decoration, so slot it in whenever possible!
Available in Sunbreak Free Title Update 1
Quick Sheathe
★★
Makes Power Sheathe quicker, providing enough time to reposition for a counterattack or regroup.
Handicraft
★
Consider slotting this skill in when a single point is enough to get your Great Sword to a decent amount of purple sharpness.
Flinch Free
★
Useful especially in multiplayer where minor attacks can interrupt your attacks.
Speed Sharpening
★
Reduces a cycle for sharpening with each level. Useful for getting your sharpness level up mid-fight.
Intrepid Heart
★
Whenever the gauge above your health bar is full, this skill can be useful in preventing monster attacks from interrupting your combos, making it possible to pull off an extra charged attack before you can regroup.
Available in Sunbreak Free Title Update 2

Monster Hunter Rise Related Links

MH Rise - Builds Partial Banner

All Builds and Best Equipment

• Weapons marked withNEW have been updated.
• Weapons withUP have been reviewed and does not warrant an updated build from the Bonus Update.
All Weapon Build Guides
Great SwordGreat Sword
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Long SwordLong Sword
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Sword & ShieldSword & Shield
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Dual BladesDual Blades
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
HammerHammer
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Hunting HornHunting Horn
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
LanceLance
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
GunlanceGunlance
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Switch AxeSwitch Axe
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Charge BladeCharge Blade
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Insect GlaiveInsect Glaive
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
BowBow
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Light BowgunLight Bowgun
NEW
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank
Heavy BowgunHeavy Bowgun
UP
Low Rank | High Rank
Master Rank

Other Builds

Other Build Guides
General High Rank Builds and Best Equipment Buddy Equipment Builds
Palico | Palamute

Comment

18 Wesley Duval Wesley Duval 3 months

the ppl saying the MR10+ is a typo are actually right, the before and after builds are 110 to 140mr. There is a way to get royal order for that one guy who said royal order isn't 3 thru 6, u just needta mine a bit in the new multi biome area. Stuff like centuria ore from the multi biome's outcrops is needed for it.

17 Anonymous Anonymous about 1 year

My time in this earth is way too limited for my ADHD aah to be playing greatsword without focus, thank you very much, I'd trade a few hundred points of damage for the minimum amount of comfort.

Author

    All rights reserved

    Guide Index