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Monster Hunter: Ultimate Great Sword Guide for Maximum Damage

by Elijah Feb 21,2025

Master the Monster Hunter Now Great Sword: A Sleep-Based Build Guide

Few weapons in Monster Hunter Now pack the punch of the Great Sword. Its devastating power comes at the cost of maneuverability, but with the right build, you can overcome this limitation. This guide details a sleep-focused build maximizing damage against slumbering monsters.

This build leverages the sleep element for maximum impact. While a poison build excels with the Long Sword, the Great Sword shines with sleep, requiring materials from both common and rarer monsters.

Optimal Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build

Item Effect
Weapon Frilled Blade (Sleep Element, Evade Extender I)
Helmet Nightshade Paolumu Helmet (Rude Awakener I/II)
Mail Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Mail (Status Sneak Attack, Artful Dodger)
Vambraces Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Vambraces (Status Sneak Attack I/II)
Coil Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Coil (Evade Extender, Status Sneak Attack)
Greaves Nightshade Paolumu Greaves (Rude Awakener, Status Sneak Attack)

Weapon Choice: The Frilled Blade

The Frilled Blade is the premier sleep-based Great Sword. Its inherent Evade Extender skill enhances defensive capabilities, crucial for the Great Sword's slower attacks. Somnacanth provides the necessary materials.

Helmet & Greaves: Leveraging Nightmare Paolumu

Nightmare Paolumu, introduced in an early paid event, offers key components. The helmet and greaves provide all three levels of Rude Awakener, boosting damage against sleeping monsters by 100% on the first hit. While less frequent now, they remain obtainable through events or rare spawns.

Mail, Vambraces, & Coil: The Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Contribution

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku materials form the backbone of the remaining armor pieces. Maximizing Status Sneak Attack guarantees sleep buildup with rear attacks. Additional points in Evade Extender and Artful Dodger further enhance survivability. The paintball tracker makes hunting Tzitzi-Ya-Ku significantly easier.

Optimizing Driftstone Slots

This build boasts numerous Driftstone slots. Prioritize these enhancements:

  • Sleep Attack (Azure): Increases sleep buildup (50 at rank 1, 150 at rank 5).
  • Sneak Attack (Pale): Boosts damage from rear attacks (10% at rank 1, 30% at rank 5).
  • Artful Dodger (Azure): Improves evasion.
  • Evade Extender (Pale): Increases evasion distance.

Five slots dedicated to Sleep Attack are ideal, but strategically allocating them across these skills balances offense and defense.