Mastering the Monster Hunter Now Great Sword: A Sleep-Based Build Guide
The Great Sword in Monster Hunter Now is a powerful weapon, capable of devastating blows. However, its size makes it less agile. This guide details a build maximizing its potential using sleep effects.
To create a truly effective Great Sword build, you need to reliably put monsters to sleep. Recent updates have introduced sleep-based weapons crafted from specific monster materials. This build combines these weapons with crucial skills to achieve consistent sleep effects.
Optimal Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build
Unlike the poison-focused Long Sword, the Great Sword excels with sleep. While this build requires materials from a relatively rare monster, the majority of equipment comes from more common hunts.
Complete Great Sword Build Breakdown
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Frilled Blade (Sleep element, Evade Extender I) |
| Helmet | Nightshade Paolumu Helmet (Rude Awakener I, II, Driftstone Slot) |
| Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Mail (Status Sneak Attack, Artful Dodger, Driftstone Slot) | |
| Vambraces | Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Vambraces (Status Sneak Attack I, II, Driftstone Slot) |
| Coil | Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Coil (Evade Extender, Status Sneak Attack, Driftstone Slot) |
| Greaves | Nightshade Paolumu Greaves (Rude Awakener, Status Sneak Attack, Driftstone Slot) |
Weapon Choice: The Frilled Blade
Sleep-inducing Great Swords are limited, making the Frilled Blade the optimal choice. Its Evade Extender skill significantly improves defensive maneuvers, enhancing survivability. Somnacanth is the source of this weapon's materials.
Helmet and Greaves: Leveraging Nightmare Paolumu
The core of this build utilizes the Nightmare Paolumu, introduced in an early paid event. This monster provides essential weapon parts and skills, including all three levels of Rude Awakener, which boosts damage against sleeping monsters by 100% on the first hit. While less rare now, it might require some hunting.
Mail, Vambraces, and Coil: Maximizing Status Sneak Attack
The remaining pieces primarily focus on maximizing Status Sneak Attack, guaranteeing sleep buildup with rear attacks. Points in Evade Extender and Artful Dodger further enhance evasion. Tzitzi-Ya-Ku, easily tracked with paintballs, provides these materials.
Optimizing Driftstone Slots
This build benefits from a relatively low number of Driftstone slots. Five slots are ideal for Sleep Attack. Alternatively, allocate slots to enhance evasion (Artful Dodger, Evade Extender) or increase damage from rear attacks (Sneak Attack).
- Sleep Attack (Azure): Increases sleep buildup (50 at rank 1, 150 at rank 5).
- Sneak Attack (Pale): Increases damage from rear attacks (10% at rank 1, 30% at rank 5).
- Artful Dodger (Azure): Improves evasion.
- Evade Extender (Pale): Extends evasion distance.
This build transforms the Great Sword into a highly effective sleep-inducing powerhouse. Remember to adapt your strategy based on the specific monster you are hunting.
