[Top 7] MHW Best Greatswords That Wreck Hard!

Monster Hunter World, Best weapon, Greatsword

Updated:

04 Mar 2022

BIG FAT DAMAGE NUMBERS

Fatalis The Dark Demise

Ladies and gentlemen, I know why you’re here! You need to know which thick slab of metal will work best in chopping off some monster parts to wear them as armor. That’s just perfect because I have just the list for you!

The Greatsword has been with us since the first Monster Hunter. It’s simple in its moveset but man, oh man, does it pack a wallop with every hit! Naturally, with such a slow-moving weapon, you have to carefully pick your moments to strike at the enemy, requiring you to have in-depth knowledge of the hunt to be as efficient as possible. So don’t let that simple moveset fool you into thinking it’s a braindead weapon!

And here are the 7 best Greatswords to sweep up every hunt.

7. Jagras Deathclaw II

Here's a really impressive early game 100% Affinity build by Team Darkside featuring the weapon.

Really impressive early Master Rank damage, white sharpness that you can crank up with the Handicraft armor skill, and two slots for level 3 jewels, all from hunting the good old Great Jagras. This Greatsword can easily carry you through early to midgame, and possibly even near-endgame just because of how easy it is to build, customize with armor skills, and even augment since it’s just a Rarity 10 weapon.

So if you need a reliable weapon as soon as you enter Iceborne, look no further!

1248 Damage
0% Affinity
20 hits of white sharpness
600 Water (Hidden)
2 sockets for level 3 jewels

6. Glacial Demon

Here's a speedrun by Mistilteinn, showcasing a Frostcraft/Punishing Draw build against Alatreon.

An entry from the Frostfang Barioth, with a decently high raw damage and impressive Ice damage that actually makes a difference for every hit, it can be the perfect non-Safi/Kjarr weapon to take against one of the toughest monsters in the game. Paired with Frostcraft and Punishing draw, it makes for a deadly hit & run tactic even in casual hunts.

1296 Damage
15% Affinity
10 hits of purple sharpness with 120 hits of white sharpness
630 Ice

5. Alatreon Revolution

Here’s an Alatreon speedrun by Aris MH using the weapon. There’s something oddly poetic about beating an apocalyptic monster to death with its very own body parts.

This lovely entry comes from, as the name says, Alatreon. Despite the high damage and thick purple sharpness, the Greatsword simply isn’t an ideal weapon in dealing elemental damage — and unfortunately, there simply aren’t a lot of monsters with great Dragon matchups. However, against monsters particularly weak to Dragon, this is one of the best picks.

Although ignoring the elemental DPS, this weapon still makes for comfy and casual all-around builds thanks to that thick purple sharpness and high raw damage.

1344 Damage
0% Affinity
90 hits of purple sharpness
810 Dragon
2 sockets for level 2 jewels

4. Acid Shredder II

A speedrun by Preyahdaliah against Velkhana, clocking in at an impressive 2:58.

What used to be the best Greatsword in the game until Safi’Jiva, this weapon comes from the Acidic Glavenus and Vaal Hazak. Even with blue sharpness, thanks to the right combination of armor skills, it can reach up to 10 hits of purple and last throughout a hunt without ever needing to sharpen. Or you can also just use the Protective Polish armor skill if you’re not confident in only hitting enemy weak points.

Either way, it’s pretty clear why this used to be the best. So if you need to take on the true endgame monsters to hunt their parts, this right here is your best friend.

1392 Damage
0% Affinity
40 hits of blue sharpness
420 Paralysis (Hidden)
1 socket for level 4 jewel

3. Demonlord Goldrod

Another speedrun from Preyahdaliah, and this one is against the Gold Rathian.

Crafted from the Furious Rajang, this Greatsword may have less raw damage compared to the Acid Shredder II but its decent chunk of purple sharpness and 15% affinity already more than makes up for the armor skills you would’ve to use on the latter. And, like a lot of other weapons, its purple sharpness can also be further upgraded by the Handicraft armor skill, bringing it up to a maximum of 90 hits.

The reason this also places higher than the Alatreon Revolution despite sharing the same raw damage is simply because of its higher base affinity and comparatively easier access. This makes it a fantastic option that lets you deal more or less the same damage in most matchups.

1344 Damage
15% Affinity
50 hits of purple sharpness
360 Thunder

2. Lightbreak Blade

This video by IDeVaste goes into detail about the weapon and offers a few build varieties.

This gorgeous entry is from the Raging Brachydios. Super high raw damage with a nice hint of Blast, as well as a slot for level 4 and a slot for level 3 jewels. Truly, it’s one of the best possible greatswords to pick out there. And if you watched IDeVaste’s video, he explains that, while the Safi’Jiva Shattersplitter is usually the speedrunner’s choice thanks to better min-maxing of damage values, Lightbreak Blade is easier to access, making it perfect for most hunts.

1440 Damage
0% Affinity
20 hits of purple
360 Blast
1 socket for level 4 and 1 socket for level 3 jewels

1. Black Fatalis Blade

Here’s a comprehensive video as well as build varieties offered by IDeVaste.

The number one Greatsword comes from the true final boss of the game, Fatalis. The sheer raw damage is actually insane and is exactly what the GS is best known for. The negative affinity may seem terrible but IDeVaste’s video offers a few builds that let you reach 100% even without Weakness Exploit.