Great Swords: Best Builds & Skills
The Great Sword in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a powerhouse weapon, designed for delivering devastating, single-target damage. Its core gameplay revolves around charging its attacks to unleash immense power, making it ideal for players who enjoy calculated, high-risk, high-reward combat. A well-built Great Sword user can stagger even the largest monsters and deal critical blows that can end fights prematurely.
For an offensive-focused build, prioritize skills that amplify raw damage and critical hit potential. The Focus skill is paramount, as it reduces the charge time for your Great Sword attacks, allowing you to reach Level 3 charges more frequently. Combine this with skills like Attack Boost, which directly increases your attack power, and Critical Eye, to improve your critical hit rate. For critical damage amplification, Critical Boost is essential, turning your critical hits into devastating blows. A common setup might involve equipping armor pieces that grant these skills, such as the full Rathalos armor set for its innate Weakness Exploit bonus, which increases critical hit chance against weak points.
When it comes to Monsties that synergize well with a Great Sword user, consider those with supportive abilities or those that can exploit openings created by your heavy hits. A Monstie with a "Guard" ability can help you weather incoming attacks while you charge, and a Monstie that inflicts status effects like Paralysis or Sleep can create extended opportunities for your Great Sword attacks. For example, a paralyzed monster is an easy target for a fully charged True Charged Slash. Remember to also consider the elemental weaknesses of your targets. While Great Swords are primarily physical damage dealers, some may have innate elemental properties or can be augmented with elemental attack skills like Fire Attack +10, making them more effective against specific monster types.