MM MM OOOO N N SSSS TTTTTTT EEEEE RRRRRR M M M M O O NN N S T E R R M M M M O O N N N S T E R R M M M O O N N N SSS T EEE RRRRRR M M O O N N N S T E R R M M O O N N N S T E R R M M O O N NN S T E R R M M OOOO N N SSSS T EEEEE R R H H U U N N TTTTTTT EEEEE RRRRRR H H U U NN N T E R R H H U u N N N T E R R HHHHHHHHH U U N N N T EEE RRRRRR H H U U N N N T E R R H H U U N N N T E R R H H U U N NN T E R R H H UUUU N N T EEEEE R R REVEL IN MY ASCII MASTERY! MUAHAHA! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Monster Hunter Great Sword Lines Guide Written by Acrospino As of the day I last updated this FAQ: July 7, 2006. E-mail me at acro6spino9 (at symbol) yahoo (dot) com. Version 1.01 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Table of Contents I. About this FAQ-100% (ATFQ) II. Update History (UDHY) III. Basic Great Sword Combat-100% (BGSC) a. Attacks (ATKS) b. Combos (CMBS) c. Dodging (DDGE) IV. Great Sword Lines-100% (GSLN) a. Iron Sword (IRNS) b. Bone Blade (BBLD) c. Halberd (HLBD) d. Rusted Great Sword (RDGS) e. Bone Katana (BKAT) f. Dragonsword (DRAS) g. Dragonslayer (DRSL) h. Finblade (FBLD) i. Bone (BNEE) j. Unique Great Swords (UEGS) V. Acrospino's Ultra Secret Flashin' Plate Run Strategy-100% (AUPS) VI. Great Sword Superlatives-100% (GSSS) a. Highest Attack Power (HRAP) b. Highest Element (HELE) c. Highest Defense Boost (HDFB) d. Best Sharpness (BTSS) e. Coolest Looking (Opinion) (CTLG) f. Best in Show (BTSW) VII. Legal Mumbo Jumbo-100% (LMJO) VIII. Closing Remarks-100% (CGRS) +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section I. ABOUT THIS FAQ (ATFQ) Well, one summer afternoon, I got bored of sitting around and sending e-mails to to friends. So, I decided to create a FAQ for this wonderful game called Monster Hunter. This FAQ will explore the awesome potential and... lower points of the Great Sword, as well as showing you each of the highest level Great Swords in each Great Sword line. This guide will help you choose the best Great Sword to take on your first Lao, or decide which to pick for that dumb Khezu. Use it creatively and please... be kind. This is my first FAQ. IMPORTANT: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS GUIDE DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE REST OF THE MONSTER HUNTER COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF YOU POST IMFORMATION FOUND IN THIS GUIDE AND GET FLAMED FOR IT. Have a nice day. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section II. UPDATE HISTORY (UDHY) October 15, 2006: Added my online name. :D Version 1.05. August 3, 2006: Submitted guide to Neoseeker. Version 1.05. July 7, 2006: Fixed a table of contents error (thanks iidalv!) and added that blocking with a Great Sword lowers sharpness (thanks alexblainlater!). Version 1.05. June 29, 2006: Fixed a redundant table error (thanks Pyro Prinny), redid my Plate Run Method (thanks Ugly Zebra), and rediscovered that you should NOT use the Rathalos Fire Sword for the Blos brothers. >_> (thanks again Ugly Zebra!) Version 1.04. June 26, 2006: Added Update History and fixed a minor problem in the table of contents. Version 1.01. June 26, 2006: Finished and submitted guide to GameFAQS. Version 1. June 25, 2006: First saved guide on computer. Version 0.1. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section III. BASIC GREAT SWORD COMBAT (BGSC) So, you've picked up this game somewhere. Maybe your local Gamespot or EB Games. You've tried it out and decided to weather the troublesome quests involving Raw Meat and those ugly Velociprey. And, most importantly, you've figured out that your favorite weapon is the towering, powerful Great Sword. The Great Sword is the second-highest attack-powered weapon in the game. Is that why you picked it over a Sword and Shield? Hate to burst your bubble, but Lances have been proven to do more damage in any given length of time than a Great Sword. Well then, how is the Great Sword better? Let's look at this handy-dandy table to figure out the pros and cons of our favorite ground-slashing friend. ------------------------------------------------------------ I PROS I CONS I ------------------------------------------------------------ I +High attack power I -Slow-attacking I I +Can combo endlessly I -Low elemental status I I +Wide variety of elements I -Annoying Upswing I I +Really cool-looking I -Can't run with it drawn I I +Good blocking I -Attacks can stagger allies I ------------------------------------------------------------ As you can see, the pros about balance with the cons. Just like any other weapon you've heard of, there's nothing totally uber about the Great Sword that really makes it a hands-down choice. Yes, vets, that rule applies to lances, too. Now to the attacks. NOTE: The instruction manual refers to all the attacks as "slices". I just think slash sounds better. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IIIa. GREAT SWORD ATTACKS (ATKS) THE VERTICAL SLASH ================== -Up on the Right Analog stick. -Most powerful Great Sword attack. -Greatest vertical and forwards reach of any Great Sword attack. -Sends smaller minions flying. -Slowest Great Sword attack. THE HORIZONTAL SLASH ==================== -Left on the Right Analog stick. -Weakest Great Sword attack. -Greatest horizontal reach of any Great Sword attack. -Staggers smaller minions. -Fastest Great Sword attack (with your weapon drawn). THE UPSWING =========== -Right on the Right Analog stick. -Sends allies AND smaller minions flying. -Mediocre Great Sword attack. -Mediocre reach. -Mediocre speed. -Most mediocre Great Sword attack. -If you're feeling heroic, you could try to upswing a stunned/KO'ed/sleeping/whatever ally out of harm's way. UNSHEATHE ATTACK ================ -Move the Right Analog stick while moving and while weapon is sheathed. -Almost exactly the same as the Vertical Slash. -Fastest Great Sword attack. -Farthest forwards reach. -Probably the best Great Sword attack. (Fastest and most powerful.) KICK ==== -Press the Right Analog stick. -Does absolutely nothing to anything. -Don't even use this. -Can be done with the weapon drawn. Note: Don't ever use the Upswing while allies are near you. That would be disastrous. Only use it if a) It will only hit one ally (and even then, don't use it often), b) You're trying to cut something off and everyone wants it off, even if a few allies go flying (e.g. wyvern tail, Gravios chest, etc.), c) You're soloing a wyvern and you actually WANT the Velociprey behind you to go flying, or d) You're throwing an ally out of harm's way. You could also use it on leeches online as they're trying to carve YOUR kill, but that would be mean... or would it? +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IIIb. GREAT SWORD COMBOS (CMBS) The Great Sword can combo nonstop until interrupted or you roll away. The catch is that you can't combo with the same attack twice. You can do an Upswing-Horizontal Swing combo, but you can't do an Upswing-Upswing combo. You should always roll away after finishing a combo by pressing the Circle button and left or right on the Left Analog stick. This keeps you away from a wyvern's deadly attacks and lets you put your weapon away to start another combo. You should also usually start a combo with an unsheathe attack if your weapon isn't drawn, or you could start it with a horizontal slash if you have your weapon drawn. Both attacks are fast and let you start comboing with minimun delay. INFINITE COMBO ============== I nicknamed this combo the Solo Combo because it involves the Upswing... Left->Right->Left->Right... and again and again... This combo is good for just standing under a wyvern and hacking away at their belly. Never use it if there are allies nearby. This is a good combo to use offline or while a wyvern is stunned. After the combo is complete, roll out of under the wyvern (preferably toward the wings to avoid a bite or tail whip) and unsheathe your weapon to start again. THE WALK ======== Whenever I see this combo I'm reminded of that scene in Pirates of the Carribean where the skeleton men are marching underwater toward the ship... anyways: Left->Up->Left->Up->Left->Up... etc., etc., etc. This is a good combo for online because it doesn't involve the Upswing. Just start at the wyvern's belly and keep Walking until you get to its tail. Then would be a good time to roll away or, if the wyvern is distracted, start another Walk from the tail end. This combo might be good for attacking a wyvern with armor plating on the outside and a soft belly. Gravios comes to mind. THE DAMAGER =========== This attack uses the two most damaging Great Sword moves together to create huge gashes in unlucky wyverns... Unsheathe Attack->Right->Up->Right->Up... and again. This attack makes you move forward slightly for each hit. It is very effective for knocking off tails or horns of unsuspecting wyverns.The nice vertical reach also makes this a good combo for knocking down jumping 'prey or flying Vespoids. Use caution, though. This combo could send someone flying from the upswing. IN THE CLEAR ============ Weird name, but cool combo... Unsheathe Attack/Left->Up->Right->Left->Up->Right... You can mix it up, too. This combo is great for clearing out minions in your way because it reaches many areas. This crude ASCII will hopefully help you picture its effectiveness. *=Hunter. ^=Combo covers area once. &=Combo covers area twice. @=Combo covers area thrice. ____ /^^&&\ /^^^@^^\ I^^^@^^^I I---*---I ^ ^ NOTE: The weird diagonal shape of the symbols shows that the Upswing will swing a bit to the side, not directly over your head. The only blind spots are to your back-left and back-right (plus anywhere out of the reach of your sword), but otherwise this combo can make short work of various annoying 'prey, Vespoids, and Hornetaur. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IIIc. DODGING WITH A GREAT SWORD (DDGE) Great Swords are big, bulky weapons. Carrying one around is no easy task. Thankfully, the folks at Capcom have given us speed-declined hunters some techniques to avoid being slapped around by giant monsters. Thus, we come to the section on dodging. If you stink at dodging, you either need really good armor, lots of healing items, some luck, or all three. There are two real "dodges" and one other technique to get you out of danger. ROLL ==== -Press Circle and a direction on the Left Analog stick. -Yes, you can roll away with a giant Great Sword in your hands. -Uses about 1/4 of your Stamina bar unless you're drinking Power/Mega Juice. -Ineffective when a really BIG monster is about to hit you; it'll hit you even if you roll! -The dodge I use most often. BLOCK ===== -Press R1 to hold up your sword as a shield. -Consumes Stamina/Sharpness when an attack is successfully blocked. -Amount of Stamina/Sharpness consumed depends on the power of the attack. -Most wyverns' physical attacks are blockable. -Some projectile attacks from wyverns are blockable (Gypcero's flash for one) -Good for dodging charging Bullfango. RUN AWAY! ========= -Press R2 to sheathe your weapon and run. -Running consumes double Stamina if a wyvern has spotted you. -Slower than rolling, but better for dodging slower attacks. -Not really a dodge, but still... The above techniques will hopefully help you stay alive in the dog-eat-dog world of Monster Hunter. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IV. GREAT SWORD LINES (GSLN) Ah, now for the fun part. This is the reason I made this guide; to recommend to you the best Great Swords for every situation. There certainly are a lot to choose from! For now, I will only be doing the final upgrades for each line, but in the future, I might work on the Great Swords in between. Enjoy! Oh, yeah, the format: ============================= SWORD NAME ATTACK POWER + ELEMENTAL DAMAGE OTHER BONUSES (if applicable) SHARPNESS METER: Red: Average Orange: Short Yellow: Long Green: Short PATH TO WEAPON TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: Blah Blah Blah TOTAL COST: ____z SHORTCUT MATERIALS: (if applicable) Blah Blah Blah SHORTCUT COST: ____z RATING: Something/10 NOTES: Blah blah blah. Blah blah, blah blah. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Yadda, yadda, yadda. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVa. IRON SWORD LINE (IRNS) ============================= Eager Cleaver 720 ATK + 46 Thunder SHARPNESS METER: Red: Average Orange: Short Yellow: Long Green: Long Iron Sword --> Iron Sword+ --> Iron Katana --> Iron Katana "Grace" --> Iron Katana "Gospel" --> Eager Cleaver TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 5 x Iron Ore 95 x Earth Crystal 56 x Machalite Ore 5 x Electro Sac TOTAL COST: 61,050z SHORTCUT MATERIALS: 10 x Silver Ticket 1 x Lao Scale 1 x Vespoid Bladefin 1 x Hornet Bladefin SHORTCUT COST: 48,000z RATING: 8/10 NOTES: This is an all-around good weapon. If it had alittle more attack, I would have given the Eager a 9/10. The elemental damage is great for a Great Sword, the sharpness is awesome, and the looks are pretty cool, too. What's not to love? Oh, the 95Earth Crystals and 56 Machalite Ore required to make this bad boy. The shortcut materials are also kind ofhard to find. Other than that, you should definately make this, the only Thunder-elemented Great Sword. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: This thing rips apart Plesioth and Cephalos/Cephadrome. It also wouldn't be too bad to take to a fight with the Blos brothers, the Raths, or even Kut-Ku. Melynx also hate Thunder element. ============================= Sentinel 672 ATK +5 Defense SHARPNESS METER: Red: Short Orange: Average Yellow: Very Long Green: Short Iron Sword --> Iron Sword+ --> Buster Sword --> Buster Sword+ --> Buster Blade --> Defender --> Defender+ --> Sentinel TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 89 x Iron Ore 15 x Earth Crystal 30 x Disk Stone TOTAL COST: 19,800z RATING: 6/10 NOTES: This weapon is not all that great. Its attack is miniscule compared to other swords, and it has no element to back it up. Its sharpness is also not that great. The only pluses are that +5 defense bonus (which doesn't really help anyway) and the relative ease-of-collection of its materials. This would only make a good weapon if you really want to collect everything. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: I would only use this weapon in a situation where you somehow expect to get hit a lot (+5 defense) and expect the battle to last a while (low attack). Better bring a lot of potions... ============================= Lacerator Blade+ 720 ATK +2 Defense SHARPNESS METER: Red: Average Orange: Very Short Yellow: Average Green: Short Iron Sword --> Iron Sword+ --> Buster Sword --> Buster Sword+ --> Buster Blade --> Ravager Blade --> Ravager Blade+ --> Lacerator Blade --> Lacerator Blade+ TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 64 x Iron Ore 35 x Earth Crystal 36 x Machalite Ore 6 x Rathian Claw 6 x Rathalos Claw TOTAL COST: 30,150z RATING: 6/10 NOTES: This weapon is about the same as, maybe a little bit better than, the Sentinel. The +2 defense boost is miniscule and the sharpness leaves much to be desired. You'll be doing a lot of mining to get to the Lacerator Blade+, and the only thing good about it is its kind of high 720 ATK. Personally, I would choose the Sentinel over this because of the easier-to-find materials and lack of costs. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: This would be alright on just about anything you know you can kill quickly. Otherwise, bring a lot of Whetstones and some potions. ============================= Tactical Blade 816 ATK +3 Defense SHARPNESS METER: Red: Average Orange: Very Short Yellow: Average Green: Average Iron Sword --> Iron Sword+ --> Buster Sword --> Buster Sword+ --> Buster Blade --> Ravager Blade --> Ravager Blade+ --> Tactical Blade TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 64 x Iron Ore 45 x Earth Crystal 15 x Machalite Ore 20 x Rathain Claw 20 x Rathalos Claw 5 x Mega Demondrug TOTAL COST: 64,950z SHORTCUT MATERIALS: 10 x Silver Ticket 1 x Lao Claw 1 x Rathian Claw 1 x Rathalos Claw SHORTCUT COST: 48,000z RATING: 7/10 NOTES: Ah, finally, the end of the Iron Sword tree. The Tactical Blade is a decent, all-around weapon. It has high attack, pretty good sharpness, a +3 defense boost (which is still miniscule but helps), and... it's a pain in the butt to create. You would be better off using the shortcut on this guy. The total cost and sheer number of materials involved is making my eyes bleed. That's the only downside, though! WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Pretty much anything you know you can kill and maybe even a few things you think you can't! ============================= Well, that's the end of the Iron Sword line! Had enough of mining? Good, because now you're going to get to slay some monsters to make awesome weapons instead of sitting around pressing Square to make awesome weapons! Overall, the Iron Sword line is saved by the Eager Cleaver and Tactical Blade, but the rest of the tree just screams "mediocre". It helps to have some extra time on your hands and to have the Volcano zone open to get these awesome blades. Now: the Bone Blade line! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVb. BONE BLADE LINE (BBLD) ============================= Great Serprentblade 624 ATK SHARPNESS METER: Red: Average Orange: Very Short Yellow: Long Green: Long Bone Blade --> Bone Blade+ --> Serpentblade --> Vile Serpentblade --> Great Serpentblade TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 21 x Sm Monster Bone 2 x Med Monster Bone 9 x Velocidrome Claw 10 x Velociprey Scale 1 x Lightcrystal TOTAL COST: 13,050z RATING: 7/10 NOTES: This is a great weapon for newbies. It should get you all the way to Monoblos offline, and maybe carry you to your Lao online. The only reason the score is less than 9/10 is the lack of attack. More attack would have made this weapon probably one of the best offline Great Swords. It's cheap to make, the materials are practically sitting there waiting to be taken, and the sharpness is nothing to laugh at. The Lightcrystal could be a problem for those who hate Gypceros; however, you can trade your Giant Beak for a Lightcrystal in the Swamp. Overall, if you are a new Great Sword user, you should get this weapon. WYVERN RECOMMENDATIONS: I would have to say anything from Rathian/Rathalos down. The low attack is a hindrance to this weapon. ============================= Rathalos Firesword 672 ATK + 48 Fire SHARPNESS METER: Red: Average Orange: Very Short Yellow: Long Green: Long Bone Blade --> Bone Blade+ --> Agito --> Agito+ --> Dragon Agito --> Redwing --> Rathalos Firesword TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 6 x Sm Monster Bone 12 x Med Monster Bone 1 x Piscine Jaw 10 x Velociprey Fang 3 x Piscine Fang 5 x Rathalos Scale 2 x Flame Sac 8 x Rathalos Claw 1 x Rathalos Wing TOTAL COST: 62,100z RATING: 9/10 NOTES: This weapon is a must-have. While being the only Fire Great Sword, it also boasts great attack, good elemental damage for a Great Sword, and good sharpness. The only downside is the cost of making it. Not only are there a lot of materials involved, there's a lot of money and that *shudder* Rathalos Wing. This sword is a pain in the neck to get, but it's worth it. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Gypceros runs from this sword. Also good against--wow--Kut-Ku, Cephalos/drome, Plesioth (what? Fire good against Water???), Khezu, and even Basarios can take a beating from this thing. Whoa! I didn't realize so many wyverns were weak to Fire! ============================= Sieglinde 816 ATK +2 Def SHARPNESS METER: Red: Long Orange: Short Yellow: Long Green: Average Bone Blade --> Bone Blade+ --> Agito --> Agito+ --> Dragon Agito --> Golem Blade --> Golem Blade+ --> Valkyrie Blade --> Sieglinde TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 6 x Sm Monster Bone 12 x Med Monster Bone 4 x Lg Monster Bone 1 x Piscine Jaw 10 x Velociprey Fang 3 x Piscine Fang 5 x Wyvern Fang 1 x Blos Fang 1 x Blos Jaw 3 x Monster Fluid 8 x Rathian Scale 3 x Rathian Shell 1 x Mega Demondrug TOTAL COST: 42,760z RATING: 7/10 NOTES: This is a pretty good weapon. Good attack, defense bonus (even though it's small), nice sharpness, and cool looks. There is some good news and some bad news about the materials needed to create this monster. The bad news? It needs a lot of materials and lots of money. The good news? What it needs, it doesn't need much of. So, you'll likely only have to go on one or two Blos runs to get the things you need from them. Rathian is different, but you can handle her, right? WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Pretty much anything. This guy can take on even the toughest wyvern, and it can stand for a bit of a long battle, too. ============================= Siegmund 864 ATK +1 Def SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Extremely Short Yellow: Average Green: Long Bone Blade --> Bone Blade+ --> Agito --> Agito+ --> Dragon Agito --> Golem Blade --> Golem Blade+ --> Siegmund TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 6 x Sm Monster Bone 12 x Med Monster Bone 4 x Lg Monster Bone 1 x Piscine Jaw 10 x Velociprey Fang 3 x Piscine Fang 5 x Wyvern Fang 1 x Blos Fang 6 x Monster Fluid 10 x Rathalos Shell 2 x Crimson Horn TOTAL COST: 73,650z RATING: 8/10 NOTES: This is a great weapon! High attack, defense boost (it's a really cruddy one, though...), great sharpness, and the materials aren't that hard to acquire. The one bad spot is the cost. Clost to 75 GRAND! That's a lot of zenni. Otherwise, you should get this weapon. Do a few bug runs with a poison weapon/Monoblos runs/whatever to raise enough money to buy this thing. You won't be sorry you did. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Everything the Sieglinde can handle and then some. ============================= Whew! That's the Bone Blade line! There are some pretty good weapons in there. I would say, overall, the Bone Blade line is better than the Iron Sword line, except for the Eager Cleaver. THAT THING is in a league of its own. Plus, the Bone Blade line is more fun to wade through! Which would you rather do: a million Basarios runs to get ore or a Blos run, then a Plesioth run, then a Rathian run... you get my drift? It's better to spice things up a bit. That's exactly why plate runs suck so bad. Next up is the Halberd line, home to some pretty cool-looking swords with high attack and really crappy sharpness... +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVc. HALBERD LINE (HLBD) ============================= Tormentor 960 ATK SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Very Short Yellow: Average Green: Short Halberd --> Halberd+ --> Judgement --> Executioner --> Executioner+ --> Dark Scythe --> Tormentor TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 7 x Dragonite Ore 7 x Union Ore 5 x Machalite Ore 40 x Iron Ore 10 x Earth Crystal 1 x Med Monster Bone 25 x Lg Monster Bone 3 x Mega Demondrug 5 x Monoblos Spine 5 x Monoblos Shell 1 x Master's Skull 5 x Unknown Skull TOTAL COST: 65,550z RATING: 7/10 NOTES: This is a pretty good weapon. It has one of the highest attack powers of any Great Sword and looks really cool. You could wield this and a Bullfango Mask on Halloween to scare people. Anyways, its downsides are the really cruddy sharpness and the many materials required to complete it. It needs some HR13+ ore and items AND requires you to get to Monoblos offline for some of the parts. It's also really expensive. For those that play offline a lot, this just might be one of the first HR13+ Great Swords you make! WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Anything, I guess. Just bring a lot of Whetstones if you expect it to be a long battle. ============================= That concludes the Halberd Line. The one sword in it is an OK Great Sword. There are better ones to use with the same attack and way better sharpness (Divine Slasher). You should probably make this sword just because it looks so cool and is a great collector's item. Up next is the Rusted Great Sword Line. All you need is a Ruststone, Earth Crystals, and a huge chunk of money! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVd. RUSTED GREAT SWORD LINE (RDGS) ============================= Ancient Blade 912 ATK SHARPNESS METER: Red: Extremely Long Orange: Very Short Yellow: Extremely Short Green: Long Rusted Great Sword --> Tarnished Great Sword --> Legendary Great Sword --> Ancient Blade TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 1 x Great Sword Ruststone 120 x Earth Crystal TOTAL COST: 96,000z RATING: 8/10 NOTES: This weapon is going to take you a while to get. 120 EARTH CRYSTALS! You and Basarios will become good friends. You also need a lot of cash. Do what you usually do to get that. Oh, and you also need some luck. Getting the Great Sword ruststone is going to be hard. You can mine for it in the Volcano while searching for Earth Crystals. Now, to the weapon. This is a decent weapon with good sharpness and nice attack. It is quite possibly the best offline/HR1-12 Great Sword, up there with Siegmund and Eager Cleaver. Why an 8/10, you ask? There are way better online HR13+ Great Swords than this one, but this would make a good item for your collection. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Anything. When I say that, I mean it. ============================= That's the Rusted Great Sword line. It has a pretty good sword that is definately worth getting for offline only players and maybe even some of the lower HRs online. HR13+ should only make this if they're collectors; try Divine Slasher or Tormentor or even Red Dragon Sword instead. Next up: The Bone Katana line, which looks suspiciously like the Iron Katanas... and contains one of the best Great Swords in the game. Just be prepared to slaughter some monsters and get to mining! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVe. BONE KATANA LINE (BKAT) ============================= Divine Slasher 960 ATK SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Extremely Short Yellow: Average Green: Long Bone Katana "Wolf" --> Bone Katana "Shark" --> Bone Katana "Dragon" --> Divine Slasher TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 21 x Dragonite Ore 44 x Machalite Ore 7 x Wyvern Fang 25 x Piscine Fang 23 x Blos Fang TOTAL COST: 118,750z SHORTCUT MATERIALS: 15 x Silver Ticket 1 x Pale Lips 1 x Blos Jaw 1 x Giant Beak SHORTCUT COST: 100,000z RATING: 9.5/10 NOTES: This weapon is almost perfect. It is tied for the highest raw attack power in the game, and the many materials needed to make it make you earn it. You'll have to collect almost 120k zenni to make it the regular way. The shortcut isn't much better. It has great sharpness, high attack, and looks Divine (pun intended). You should definately make this for your collection; it even can match wits with the almighty Red Dragonsword if your wyvern negates Dragon damage. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Anything you can kill and a few things you didn't think you could kill by yourself. This thing is awesome. ============================= Black Katana Mk.II 912 ATK +3 Def SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Extremely Short Yellow: Average Green: Long Bone Katana "Wolf" --> Bone Katana "Shark" --> Black Katana Mk. I --> Black Katana Mk. II TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 14 x Machalite Ore 5 x Dragonite Ore 7 x Wyvern Fang 7 x Hornet Bladefin 15 x Hornet Shell 2 x Mega Demondrug TOTAL COST: 15,450z RATING: 8/10 NOTES: This is a cool weapon. It might be the cheapest HR13+ weapon out there, and it has nice sharpness, high attack, and a defense boost. +3 is OK for a giant, thin Katana. You should make this soon after you hit HR13. It's easy, cheap, and cool-looking. The Hornet Bladefins and Dragonite Ore are the only things that might pose a problem. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Pretty much anything. You should probably use it early on in HR13, though, because it's so easy to make. ============================= That concludes the Bone Katana Line. There's two of the best Great Swords in the game right in there, for different reasons. One is cheap and deadly and the other is expensive, but worth it. You should definately look at this line. Next up: the Dragonsword line, with the best Great Sword in the game. In my opinion, of course. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVf. DRAGONSWORD LINE (DRSL) ============================= Red Dragonsword 960 ATK + 33 Dragon SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Very Short Yellow: Extremely Short Green: Long Fire Dragonsword --> Red Dragonsword TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 4 x Lao Horn 32 x Firestone 10 x Commendation TOTAL COST: 107,700z RATING: 10/10 NOTES: This is quite possibly the best Great Sword in the game. Highest attack in the game plus Dragon element (which KILLS lots of things, especially Lao) equals surefire destruction. Great sharpness helps, too, as do some really cool-looking spikes on a really cool-looking sword. The only bad thing is all those Firestones *gulp* and Lao Horns that might pose a problem. No fear, however! All the materials needed to make this superb weapon can be gotten from the Lao quest! Lao Spines can be traded for Firestones somewhere (and if you're killing Lao, you'll have a lot of those...), Commendations are Lao rewards, and Lao Horns come from... Lao. You'll be fighting the fat guy a lot! WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Anything that Dragon kills (Basarios, Gravios, both Raths) and maybe a few things it doesn't. You could use it on Monoblos. This is tied for the best Great Sword to fight Lao with, the other being the Eternal Annihilator. ============================= That's the Dragonsword line. It's a really good line with only two swords. You'll be doing a lot of Lao runs to get this thing, but it will be worth it. Try this sucker on your next Gravios and see how much easier it is! Next up: the Dragonslayer line, which bears a few similarities to the Dragonsword line! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVg. DRAGONSLAYER LINE (DRGS) ============================= Eternal Annihilator 912 ATK + 42 Dragon SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Miniscule Yellow: Average Green: Long Dragonslayer --> Dragon Massacre --> Eternal Annihilator TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 1 x Lao Plate 5 x Rathalos Plate 5 x Rathian Plate 10 x Lao Scale 10 x Rathalos Scale 10 x Rathian Scale 5 x Silver Ticket 99 x Wyvern Claw 99 x Wyvern Fang TOTAL COST: 300,000z RATING: 9.5/10 NOTES: This is a really good weapon. It has high Dragon element, good sharpness, looks cool, and has a lot of attack. The downside? The materials. You'll probably do about, oh, 75 Lao runs, about 600 Rathalos runs, and about 500 Rathian runs to get all those materials. Just make sure to stay at the inn before each hunt! Oh, yeah, who can miss that 300 THOUSAND ZENNI cost to make this thing? This is probably one of the hardest Great Swords to make in the game. Just hope you have a lot of patience, and soon you'll have this son-of-a-gun in your equipment stash. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Anything that doesn't like Dragon, namely Basarios, Gravios, Rathian, and Rathalos. Maybe you can take this on your next Monoblos run, too. Oh, yeah, don't forget Lao. He hates Dragon. That's when you get to pay him back for all those runs you had to do on him. ============================= That's the Dragonslayer line. It has a really good sword with a lot of really good items required to get it. You will be investing a lot of time into your game to get the cool sword in this line... Just getting the Dragonslayer will be an accomplishment for most. Good luck, and God-speed! Next up: the Finblade line, with the only Water Great Sword in the game that's usable! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVh. FINBLADE LINE (FBLD) ============================= Plesioth Water Sword 768 ATK + 46 Water SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Long Orange: Extremely Short Yellow: Long Green: Average Finblade --> Finblade+ --> Plesioth Water Sword TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 1 x Union Ore 9 x Plesioth Fin 1 x Monster Fluid 4 x Med Monster Bone 2 x Lg Monster Bone 1 x Demondrug 1 X Mega Demondrug TOTAL COST: 63,900z RATING: 8/10 NOTES: This is a good Great Sword to have. Not only is it the only usable Water Great Sword, it also has high attack and above average elemental status for a Great Sword. It looks OK, too. Its sharpness may leave you wandering off to another area during a Kut-Ku fight, but if you just bring a lot of Whetstones, you should be fine. The only thing that's mildly unsettling about creating this guy is the 63,900z required to make it. The Union Ore required to make the Plesioth Water Sword is probably the one thing most frustrating to an offline-only person. Oh, well. Just do that Kirin-Vespoid Bladefin-Union Ore trick and you'll be rockin' the house with the Plesioth Water Sword! WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Lots of wyverns are weak to Water. They are Diablos, Cephadrome, Gravios (not Basarios!), Rathalos, Rathian, Monoblos, Kut-Ku, and, if you're feeling lucky, you could try taking this baby to a Khezu fight. ============================= There you have it: the Finblade line. Definately a must-have for anyone just arriving into HR13 or the online world. Have fun getting the nearly 70 grand required to make it! Next up: the Bone line, with absolutely nothing good about it. Well, maybe one thing... +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVi. BONE LINE (BNEE) ============================= Large Bone 576 ATK SHARPNESS METER: Red: Extremely Long Orange: Very Short Yellow: Nonexistant Green: Nonexistant Bone --> Large Bone TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 1 x Bone 1 x Earth Crystal TOTAL COST: 1,350z RATING: 2/10 NOTES: This Great Sword, well, does what a Hoover does. It has NO green OR yellow sharpness, it looks like someone drank the water out of the Plesioth Water Sword and tossed it in your hands, and its attack is one of the worst for a Great Sword at the end of a line. Only buy this if you're going to try out Great-Swording and don't want to spend the extra money on something nicer. Heck, don't even buy it then; you might see how cruddy this is and then decide that all Great Swords are like this. Trust me, they're not. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Nothing. Don't EVER use this unless you're feeling confident and you see a Kut-Ku waiting there innocently. Only use this if you're just playing around or you like getting your tail kicked by a Kut-Ku. ============================= That's the Bone line. Uggh, after looking at the stats for that, I feel all depressed. Don't even look at this line unless you're really frugal with your zenni. Now, on to something more exciting: Unique Great Swords! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section IVj. UNIQUE GREAT SWORDS (UEGS) ============================= GMR Chrome Heart 816 ATK SHARPNESS METER: Red: Long Orange: Very Short Yellow: Long Green: Very Short GMR Chrome Heart TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 5 x Chrome Voucher 5 x Machalite Ore 35 x Iron Ore 1 x Unknown Skull TOTAL COST: 499z RATING: 7/10 NOTES: This is an OK Great Sword. You get what you pay for, but in this case, you get a little more. Let me start off by saying that this is one sweet-looking sword. If you wanted to impress a newbie, this would be the way to do it. It has nice attack, bearable sharpness, and it's THE cheapest Great Sword in the game. Even cheaper than the Bone series. The event to get the Chrome Vouchers was, to many newbies' dismay, based on how fast you can slay a Diablos. By the time you can solo Diablos, this will be just a little toy in your item box. It still looks cool, though. Make it if you get the chance; this is great for making a good first impression on your new friend you just convinced to buy the game! WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Pretty much anything, though I don't see how you could take on a Diablos (focus of the event) without eating through your Whetstone supplies. ============================= Chrome Razor 912 ATK + 42 Poison SHARPNESS METER: Red: Long Orange: Very Short Yellow: Very Long Green: Long Chrome Razor TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 10 x Gold Ticket 1 x Lao Plate 1 x Rathalos Plate 1 x Rathian Plate TOTAL COST: 150,000z RATING: 9.5/10 NOTES: OK, first off, let me say I have no idea what this thing looks like, so that's not a factor in that nearly-perfect 9.5/10. This sword is AWESOME. Poison is arguably the best 2nd-party status element in the game, maybe tied with Stun. Poison does a pretty good sum of damage to the wyvern if you keep hitting it with the poison. The attack is great, sharpness is commendable, and the materials... could take longer than they do. The 75 Lao runs, 90 Rathian runs, and 105 Rathalos runs needed to get those plates will ALL be worth it. You can bet your 150k zenni on it. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Anything but Lao. This would be a good one for Rathalos so it will be like you're hitting him, even when he's being cowardly and flying away. LAO WILL EAT YOU ALIVE WITH THIS WEAPON! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT USING IT AGAINST HIM! ============================= Frozen Tuna 480 ATK + 33 Water SHARPNESS METER: Red: Very Short Orange: Average Yellow: Short Green: Nonexistant Frozen Tuna TOTAL MATERIALS REQUIRED: 1 x Speartuna 3 x Cool Drink TOTAL COST: 48,000z RATING: 6/10 NOTES: This is the only offline/HR1-12 Great Sword (not counting the Union Ore trick), but that doesn't make it any good. No green sharpness means your weapon does about nothing. The elemental damage is affected by sharpness, too, remember? You won't even DENT Diablos or Gravios using this thing. The only use would be for a really good HR20 to show off by soloing a plain Diablos (not Diablos+). If you wanted to, you might could use this for that GMR Chrome Heart Event. Just don't expect to win anything. WYVERN RECCOMENDATIONS: Meh, maybe an offline Kut-Ku. Or offline Diablos. Don't expect to win any major battles with this one. ============================= That concludes the Unique Great Swords. There is one REALLY good one, one OK one, and one meh one. They all are cool to have, though. You should try to obtain each whenever possible. ============================= Well, that's the end of the Great Sword Lines section. I hope that helped all you people trying to find a good Great Sword out a little bit. I know I'll be using this when I'm making my collection of these awesome slaying machines. Now, for my ultra-secret plate run strategy! Guaranteed to give you a plate in every quest you actually finish! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section V. Acrospino's Ultra-Secret Flashin' Plate Run Strategy! (AUPS) Well, now you've read the meat and potatoes of my guide. You've read about (and hopefully collected) some of the Great Swords listed here. Now, as you hit HR13 and beyond, you've run into an evil enemy and a giant obstacle: the PLATE RUN! Yes, you know what I'm talking about. The hours of torture you spend cutting off tails, only to find that your wyvern has once again stiffed you a plate. Well, I have a new way to conquer that frustration; what better way to get back at something then to throw exploding poop at it? ============================= My plate-run method involves you, a Great Sword/Dual Sword (preferably) containing Dragon/Water element, a bunch of Flash Bombs (flashbug with bomb material), and one VERY unlucky Rathalos/Rathian. This trick does NOT work on Lao. First step: 1) Make your awesome Dragon/Water swords. You could use Red Dragonsword, Dual Dragon Ultimus, Plesioth Water Sword, or Guild Sabers, just to name a few. Just make one that you are proficient with and are confident you can kill a Rathalos/Rathian with. Then: 2) Make your Flash Bombs. You can get 4 free Flash Bombs from the Velocidrome quests or you could combine them. Personally, I would just do a few V-Dromes until you get enough. Next: 3) Do a + quest involving your target wyvern. It could be Troublesome Pair, or any of the HR13+ "Slay the Rathalos/Rathian" quests. Just pick one. After that: 4) Find your target wyvern and CUT THEIR TAIL OFF! This is the most important part. You can only get plates from the TAILS of Rathalos/Rathian. Just keep slashing at it and it'll pop right off. Now for the fun part: 5) Move back, take aim, and... CHUCK THAT FLASH BOMB AT YOUR WYVERN! The wyvern will be stunned, leaving you to carve in peace. Ah, doesn't that feel good? Now you can sit there and watch the wyvern stare around stupidly as you carve his/her tail. This is the tricky step: 6) If you didn't get a plate... either: a) Abandon the quest. or b) Search for the other wyvern (if doing Troublesome Pair). If you did get a plate, dance a little jig, and then finish the quest (or at least try to). If you don't want to finish the quest, go get some stuff to pay for the contract fee. You could mine, kill 'prey, gather stuff... something. ============================= There you have it... my Ultra-Secret Flashin' Plate Run Method! Now, you can show off your new, shiny plates to all your friends. Just stick to the guidelines and you'll do fine! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VI. GREAT SWORD SUPERLATIVES (GSSS) ============================= This is a handy reference spot. Here, you'll find the Great Swords with the most Green sharpness, highest attack power, highest element... There are a number of categories. The format will be like so: ============================= ************** First Place: Yadda. ************** Runner-ups: 2) Blah. 3) Blah blah. 4) Blah, blah. 5) Blah-dee-dee-blah. ============================= Ready? It's time to see who's the best! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VIa. HIGHEST RAW ATTACK POWER (HRAP) ============================= This is the category that most of you want to see. Who has the highest attack power in the game? Who's the winner? Actually, we have a 3-way tie in first place. Let's have a look: ============================= ****************************** First Place: Red Dragonsword ( ) Divine Slasher ( 960 ATK ) Tormentor ( ) ****************************** Runner-ups: 2) Chrome Razor ( ) 3) Black Katana Mk. II ( 912 ATK ) 4) Eternal Annihilator ( ) 5) Ancient Blade ( ) There you have it. It's a three-way tie. Unfortunately for offliners, the only offline Great Sword that placed in this tier is the Ancient Blade. Have fun with Basarios! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VIb. HIGHEST ELEMENT (HELE) ============================= This is a good category for strategists. Here, you figure out which sword has the highest element added to its raw attack power. Let's see who the lucky winner is: ============================= ********************************* First Place: Rathalos Fire Sword ( +48 Fire ) ********************************* Runner-ups: 2) Plesioth Water Sword ( +46 Water ) 3) Eager Cleaver ( +46 Thunder ) 4) Eternal Annihilator ( +42 Dragon ) 5) Chrome Razor ( +42 Poison ) It's the Rathalos Fire Sword! Fortunately, you can get this offline, but you'll either be doing Troublesome Pair or a WHOLE LOT of "Capture the Rathalos". The Eager Cleaver can also be gotten offline. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VIc. HIGHEST DEFENSE BOOST (HDFB) ============================= This one is kind of pointless becuase Great Sword defense boosts are like wearing a piece of Bone armor, but I did it anyways... ============================= ********************** First Place: Sentinel ( +5 DEF ) ********************** Runner-ups: 2) Defender+ ( +4 DEF ) 3) Tactical Blade ( +3 DEF ) 4) Black Katana Mk. II ( +3 DEF ) 5) Sieglinde ( +2 DEF ) *yawns* This is boring. All the above weapons except for the Black Katana Mk. II can be obtained offline. Not that it matters. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VId. BEST SHARPNESS (BTSS) ============================= This was a hard one. There's no scientific way to tell what has the best sharpness except just counting pixels... and I'm too lazy to do that. ============================= ***************************** First Place: Dragon Massacre ***************************** Runner-ups: 2) Siegmund 3) Red Dragonsword 4) Divine Slasher 5) Eternal Annihilator Yes, I know Dragon Massacre is the prequisite to Eternal Annihilator. All of these weapons could probably last you a Rathalos before needing a Whetstone. Sadly, only the Siegmund is obtainable offline. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VIe. COOLEST LOOKING (CTLG) ============================= This is all a matter of opinion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just so you know. ============================= ****************************** First Place: GMR Chrome Heart ****************************** Runner-ups: 2) Siegmund 3) Sieglinde 4) Frozen Tuna 5) Eternal Annihilator The GMR Chrome Heart is one sweet-looking sword. The Frozen Tuna looks good, too. I especially like the Siegmund/Sieglinde. All of the above are obtainable offline except for the GMR Chrome Heart and the Eternal Annihilator. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VIf. BEST IN SHOW (BTSW) ============================= Finally, the moment you've been waiting for: the best Great Sword in the game! Let's have a look: (Note: This is my opinion, though it is based on a few facts.) ============================= ****************************** First Place: Red Dragonsword ****************************** Runner-ups: 2) Eager Cleaver 3) Divine Slasher 4) Rathalos Fire Sword 5) Chrome Razor Those are what I feel are the greatest Great Swords in the game. They all are highly damaging, look cool, and won't disappoint. Only the Rathalos Fire Sword and the Eager Cleaver are obtainable offline, though. ============================= There you have it, folks. Those are the Great Sword Superlatives. That's pretty much all the informative parts of this guide. Thanks for reading, and good luck with that Great Sword! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VII. LEGAL MUMBO JUMBO (LMJO) ============================= Uggh, I hate this. This document may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal or private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission from me. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Basically, don't take my guide or any part of it and use it without giving me credit. I worked hard on this guide. Oh, yeah: All names, places, items and everything else contained in the video game Monster Hunter are the sole property of Capcom. In English: Don't take something out of this game and say anyone did it but Capcom. They worked hard and they deserve credit. Currently, GameFAQs and Neoseeker are allowed to host this FAQ. If you see it on any other site, please e-mail me at the address listed in Section VIII. Copyright 2006-2007 Jason Nance. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Section VIII. CLOSING REMARKS (CGRS) ============================= Thanks for reading. Here's the thanks list: Thanks to: You, for reading. Sanjuro333, for making that great Great Sword line guide. Lord_Grahf, for finding the elemental damages of weapons. Akubarix, for the elemental weaknesses of wyverns. Pyro Prinny, for pointing out a redundant list error. alexblainlater, for pointing out that blocking lowers sharpness. Ugly Zebra, for helping fix my Plate Run method and pointing out that the Blos brothers are NOT weak to fire. iidalv, for pointing out a mistake in the Table of Contents. CJayC, for making this great GameFAQs site. God, for making us all. Capcom, for making this great game. If you need to contact me for some reason, here's my e-mail address: acro6spino9 (at symbol) yahoo (dot) com. Sorry about that, people. I posted the wrong e-mail address. This one works. Send me: Fixes/ideas/constructive criticism. Don't send me: Flames/spam/viruses/information already in my guide. Put MH Great Sword Guide or something along those lines in the subject line so I know what it's about. I will try to update the guide as soon as possible if your bit of info is worth anything. If you have a question, first make sure it's not answered in the guide. Posting the question on the GameFAQs boards is preferable. Look for Acrospino. I finally got online, and, as of this update, I'm HR8. Look for Acrospino. See you on! ============================= Well, I'm off to hunt some more. Maybe Gypceros will give me a Light Crystal this time. Good luck, and happy hunting! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+