The Great Sword in Monster Hunter Now stands out as a formidable weapon, capable of delivering massive damage with each swing. However, its size can make it challenging to wield effectively. To maximize its potential, you'll need to strategize around slowing down your enemies, leveraging sleep-based weapons introduced in recent updates. Here's how to craft the ultimate Monster Hunter Now Great Sword build focused on sleep mechanics.

Best Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build

While the Long Sword thrives with poison, the Great Sword excels with sleep. This build requires materials from a rare monster, though most equipment can be sourced from more common foes.

Full Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build

Weapon

For sleep-based Great Swords, the Frilled Blade is your go-to choice. It comes equipped with Evade Extender, enhancing your ability to create distance post-dodge—a handy skill for managing the Great Sword's bulk. To forge this weapon, you'll need to hunt Somnacanth for the necessary materials.

Helmet & Greaves

The core of this build originates from the Nightmare Paolumu, introduced in the first paid event. This monster provides crucial parts and skills like Rude Awakener, which boosts your damage by 100% on the first hit against a sleeping monster. While Nightmare Paolumu appearances are more frequent now, they might still require patience to encounter outside of specific events or after completing the main story.

Mail, Gauntlets, & Coil

These pieces primarily boost the Status Sneak Attack skill, maximizing sleep buildup from rear attacks. Additional skills like Evade Extender and Artful Dodger aid in evasion. Tzitzi-Ya-Ku supplies most of these components and is more readily available, especially with the paintball tracker.

Best Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Driftstone Slots

This build benefits from a lower threshold to unlock all Driftstone slots, offering flexibility in enhancing your setup. Ideally, allocate five slots to Sleep Attack to maximize sleep buildup. Alternatively, you can enhance evasion with Artful Dodger and Evade Extender or amplify rear attack damage with Sneak Attack.

• Sleep Attack - Boosts the weapon's sleep buildup value. From 50 at rank 1 to 150 at rank 5. (Azure only)
• Sneak Attack - Enhances damage when attacking from behind. From 10% at rank 1 to 30% at rank 5. (Pale only)
• Artful Dodger - Improves evasion ease. From slightly easier at rank 1 to significantly easier at rank 5. (Azure only)
• Evade Extender - Increases evasion distance. From very slightly at rank 1 to massively at rank 5. (Pale only)