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Monster Hunter Now: Best Great Sword Build for High Damage

Author : Michael

Feb 21,2025

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

The Great Sword in Monster Hunter Now is a powerful weapon, capable of devastating blows. However, its size can make it unwieldy. This guide details a build maximizing its potential using the sleep status effect.

This build prioritizes sleep, requiring materials from both common and rarer monsters.

Optimal Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build

Unlike poison-focused builds for other weapons, this Great Sword build leverages the sleep element for maximum damage.

Item	Effect
Weapon: Frilled Blade	Sleep element; Evade Extender I (Grade 8)
Helmet: Nightshade Paolumu Helmet	Rude Awakener I (Grade 5), Rude Awakener II (Grade 8), Driftstone Slot (Grade 8)
Mail: Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Mail	Status Sneak Attack (Grade 2), Artful Dodger (Grade 4), Driftstone Slot (Grade 5)
Vambraces: Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Vambraces	Status Sneak Attack I (Grade 2), Status Sneak Attack II (Grade 4), Driftstone Slot (Grade 5)
Coil: Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Coil	Evade Extender (Grade 2), Status Sneak Attack (Grade 4), Driftstone Slot (Grade 5)
Greaves: Nightshade Paolumu Greaves	Rude Awakener (Grade 5), Status Sneak Attack (Grade 6), Driftstone Slot (Grade 5)

Weapon Choice: Frilled Blade

The Frilled Blade is the optimal sleep-based Great Sword. Its Evade Extender skill improves defensive maneuvers, though not strictly essential for the build's core functionality. Somnacanth materials are required for crafting.

Helmet & Greaves: Nightmare Paolumu

Nightmare Paolumu, introduced in an early paid event, provides crucial components. Its parts offer various levels of Rude Awakener, significantly boosting damage against sleeping monsters (100% increase on the first hit). While less common now, they appear in events and as rare spawns.

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

These pieces focus on maximizing Status Sneak Attack, guaranteeing sleep buildup with rear attacks. Additional points in Evade Extender and Artful Dodger further enhance survivability. Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is a more readily available monster.

Driftstone Slot Optimization

This build offers numerous Driftstone slots. Prioritize Sleep Attack (Azure) for increased sleep buildup. Alternatively, use slots to enhance dodging (Artful Dodger and Evade Extender, Azure) or rear-attack damage (Sneak Attack, Pale).

Driftstone Slot Effects:

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 ease.
Evade Extender (Pale): Increases evasion distance.

This build transforms the Great Sword into a highly effective sleep-inducing weapon, maximizing damage output and survivability.