Monster Hunter World: Greatsword Speedrun Guide

Alright, fellow hunters! Today, we're diving deep into the beast that is the Greatsword in Monster Hunter World, specifically for you speedrunners out there. If you've ever watched those insane videos of hunters taking down Elder Dragons in under a minute and thought, "How on earth do they do that?!", then buckle up. We're going to break down the nitty-gritty of Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns, focusing on the strategies, builds, and sheer dedication it takes to shave those precious seconds off your hunts. This isn't just about swinging a giant sword; it's about precision, timing, and knowing your monster inside and out. We'll cover everything from the fundamental mechanics of the Greatsword to advanced techniques that will make you feel like a true speedrunning legend. Get ready to unleash the true power of the Greatsword and conquer the New World faster than you ever thought possible. So, grab your biggest blade, sharpen your focus, and let's get hunting!

Mastering the Greatsword: The Core Mechanics for Speed

When we talk about Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns, the first thing you need to get a handle on is the sword's core mechanics. This isn't your typical hack-and-slash weapon, guys. The Greatsword is all about charge attacks, specifically the True Charged Slash (TCS). This is your bread and butter, your money shot, the move that will shave off those critical seconds. Mastering the TCS involves understanding its three levels of charge, with the third level dealing massive damage. The trick is to land it consistently on the monster's weak points when it's vulnerable. This means learning monster attack patterns, anticipating openings, and knowing when to commit. You'll be using the shoulder tackle to quickly get into a charged state or to cancel out of an unsuccessful attack, preventing you from being left wide open. Don't forget the **](hit-and-run tactics) *; sometimes, a quick charged slash and then dodging away is better than trying to land a full TCS and getting punished. Another crucial aspect is understanding the stagger and KO mechanics. Certain hits, especially TCS on the head, can stagger monsters, creating even more opportunities for damage. With enough head damage, you can even achieve a knockout, giving you a significant window for free attacks. For speedruns, every single hit counts, and maximizing the damage output during these brief openings is paramount. This requires a deep understanding of hitzones, monster weak points, and how your attacks interact with them. Practice makes perfect here; you'll need to get a feel for the timing of your charges and how to position yourself effectively before, during, and after each attack. Remember, the Greatsword is a weapon of calculated destruction, not mindless aggression. Every swing should have a purpose, and every charge should be timed to perfection.

Essential Skills and Combos for Faster Hunts

To truly excel in Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns, you need to go beyond just charging. We're talking about weaving in essential skills and specific combos that maximize your damage per second (DPS) and minimize downtime. The shoulder tackle is your best friend here. It's not just for getting into charge attacks; it's a fantastic way to reposition yourself quickly, dodge certain attacks, or even to transition directly into another charged slash. Think of it as a combo extender and a defensive tool all rolled into one. A common sequence you'll see is: charge attack -> shoulder tackle -> charged attack again. This allows you to keep up pressure and get more hits in during openings. Another key skill is the **](jumping slash) * transitioning into a grounded charge. If you can land a jumping slash from a ledge or by using the Clutch Claw, you can immediately follow up with a charge attack, often reaching a higher charge level faster. For speedruns, this means actively looking for opportunities to use the environment or your Wirebugs (if applicable in later iterations or specific event quests) to chain these aerial-to-ground combos. The Clutch Claw in Monster Hunter World is also a game-changer. Using it to tenderize parts allows your attacks to deal significantly more damage, which is absolutely critical for speedruns. Tenderizing weak points, especially the head, should be a priority in many speedrun strategies. Furthermore, mastering the **)(block and tackle combo) * is vital for survival and maintaining aggression. If you can block an attack and immediately transition into a shoulder tackle, you can often counter-attack much faster than if you were to simply dodge. This requires precise timing and understanding which attacks can be safely tackled through. Some monsters have attacks that will simply knock you back regardless, so knowing when to commit to a tackle and when to dodge is key. For speedrunners, efficient combo execution means less time spent whiffing attacks or recovering, and more time dealing damage to that monster's weak points. Practice these sequences until they are second nature, and you'll see your hunt times plummet.

Building for Power: Key Skills and Gear for Speedrunners

Now, let's talk about the gear, guys. For Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns, your build is almost as important as your skill. We're aiming for raw damage, critical hits, and enough comfort to not get carted instantly. Critical Eye is a no-brainer; you want as much affinity (critical hit chance) as possible to maximize your damage output, especially on those precious TCS hits. Weakness Exploit is another must-have, boosting your affinity significantly when hitting monster weak spots. Combine these two, and you're well on your way to consistent critical damage. Critical Boost is essential to amplify those critical hits even further. Since the Greatsword relies on landing fewer, harder-hitting attacks, making each hit count with critical damage is paramount. Attack Boost is always good for a flat increase in raw damage. For survivability, skills like Health Boost are crucial, especially when you're pushing the limits and facing monsters that can one-shot you. While speedruns aim to avoid damage, a mistake can happen, and having that extra health buffer can be the difference between a successful run and a failed one. Focus is a skill that significantly speeds up your charge attacks, allowing you to reach TCS faster. This is incredibly valuable for Greatsword speedruns as it means you can land your most powerful attack more often within an opening. Regarding weapons, you'll generally want the Greatsword with the highest raw attack power. This often means looking at weapons with natural Sharpness that lasts, or skills like Handicraft to extend it, as you don't want to be sharpening mid-fight in a speedrun. For armor, look for sets that provide good slots for decorations and naturally come with these key skills. Sets like the Teostra set (for its Master's Touch skill, which prevents sharpness loss on critical hits) or parts from monsters like Raging Brachydios are often staples in high-end Greatsword builds due to their excellent skills and slots. Don't forget Gems/Decorations! These are what truly tie your build together. You'll be hunting for decorations that provide Critical Eye, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Attack Boost, and Focus. A well-optimized build with the right decorations can shave significant time off your hunts, turning a good run into a great one. Remember, the goal is to hit as hard and as fast as possible, so your build should reflect that.

Monster Matchups: Exploiting Weaknesses for Record Times

Every monster in Monster Hunter World presents a unique challenge, and for Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns, understanding these specific matchups is key to breaking records. You can't just use the same strategy for every beast. For example, against a highly mobile monster like Nargacuga, your approach will be different than against a behemoth like Uragaan. You need to learn their attack patterns, predict their movements, and identify the precise moments when they are most vulnerable. For fast monsters, you might rely more on **](hit-and-run tactics) * and using the shoulder tackle to quickly reposition after a single charged slash, rather than committing to a full TCS. Against slower, more predictable monsters like Diablos, you can often set up for multiple TCS attacks, especially during their charges or roars. Understanding their stagger thresholds is also vital. Some monsters will fall over after a single well-placed TCS on the head, giving you a massive window. Others require multiple hits or specific conditions to stagger. For speedrunners, this means prioritizing certain attacks or body parts. For instance, focusing purely on the head for KOs and staggers on monsters susceptible to it can drastically shorten hunt times. You’ll also need to consider elemental weaknesses, although for the Greatsword, raw damage and status effects like Paralysis or Sleep can sometimes be more beneficial for creating openings, rather than relying on elemental matchups which are often less impactful for slower, heavy-hitting weapons. However, some monsters do have significant elemental weaknesses that can be exploited even with the Greatsword, especially if you're using specific builds or have extremely optimized gear. Don't underestimate the power of mounts. While not always the fastest strategy for a single run, chaining multiple mounts can provide consistent damage windows and control over the monster. The key is to know when to attempt a mount and how to transition from it into your damage combos. Furthermore, understanding environmental traps and hazards can be a massive time-saver. Luring a monster into a pitfall trap or triggering a rockfall at the right moment can create devastating openings. For true speedrunners, this means meticulous planning of the hunt route and monster positioning. Finally, **)(knowledge of monster tells) * is non-negotiable. Every monster has tells – subtle animations that indicate an incoming attack. Recognizing these tells allows you to dodge, counter, or set up your own attack with perfect timing, turning a defensive reaction into an offensive opportunity. This level of mastery is what separates good hunters from speedrunning legends.

Advanced Techniques and Niche Strategies

For those of you pushing the boundaries of Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns, we need to talk about the truly advanced stuff. This is where you shave off those last few seconds and achieve those mind-blowing times. One of the most crucial advanced techniques is )(optimal positioning and spacing) . It’s not just about hitting the monster; it’s about hitting the monster perfectly to maximize damage and minimize risk. This involves understanding the hitboxes of your attacks and the monster's hitboxes, and always trying to be in a position to land your TCS on the biggest weak point. Another key strategy is the **)(Clutch Claw attack cancel) . After landing a certain attack, you can immediately use the Clutch Claw to latch onto the monster and then perform a strong attack to flinch it, canceling your recovery animation and allowing you to immediately start charging another attack. This is a massive DPS increase and a staple in many high-level speedruns. Mastering the **)(Spirit Blade into TCS transition) , while more prominent in games with the Silkbind Attacks (like Rise/Sunbreak), still has roots in World. The idea is to use certain moves to quickly get into a charged state or to reposition. For instance, using a tackle after a charged attack to immediately begin another charge is a fundamental technique, but advanced players will find ways to chain these into even more complex sequences. **)(Environmental abuse)* * is also a major factor. This could involve baiting monsters under falling rocks, into traps, or using ledges for elevated attacks that lead into immediate charges. Speedrunners meticulously plan these scenarios. Think about specific monster AI manipulation – how can you force a monster into a specific attack or position that benefits you? This might involve specific weapon coatings, baiting certain moves, or even using specific items. **)(Item usage) * can also be optimized. While pure speedruns might limit item usage, some categories allow for things like Speed Sharpening or even specific buffs if they can be applied quickly enough and provide a significant advantage. Finally, there's the concept of **)(damage calculation and hitzone optimization) *. This is where you're not just hitting the monster, but hitting the specific weak point for the maximum possible damage, taking into account all buffs, debuffs, and your gear. Understanding which parts take the most damage from which attacks is paramount. For example, hitting the head of a monster susceptible to KOs with a TCS is almost always the optimal play. These advanced techniques, combined with near-perfect execution and monster knowledge, are what truly define the elite tier of Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns. It’s a journey of continuous refinement and pushing the limits of what’s possible.

The Grind: Practice and Patience for Speedrunning Success

Finally, guys, let's talk about the most important ingredient for Monster Hunter World Greatsword speedruns: the grind. No matter how much you read, watch, or plan, speedrunning requires immense practice and patience. You're not going to land a perfect True Charged Slash on every opening on your first try, or even your hundredth. It takes thousands of attempts to build the muscle memory and the instinctual understanding of monster patterns. You need to be willing to fail, a lot. Each failed run is a learning opportunity. Analyze what went wrong. Did you mistime a dodge? Did you miss your TCS window? Was your positioning off? Identifying these mistakes and correcting them is the core of the improvement process. Many speedrunners spend hours just practicing specific combos or specific monster matchups in training mode or against easier monsters to hone their execution. Consistency is key. A speedrun isn't about one perfect hit; it's about stringing together hundreds of near-perfect actions. You need to be able to execute your core combos and defensive maneuvers reliably, even under pressure. Don't get discouraged by bad RNG (Random Number Generation) either. Monsters don't always cooperate; they might not give you the openings you expect, or they might chain attacks in ways that are difficult to counter. Learning to adapt to unpredictable monster behavior is part of the challenge and part of the skill. For those aspiring to break records, joining communities or watching other speedrunners can provide valuable insights and motivation. Seeing others achieve what you're striving for can be incredibly inspiring, and getting feedback from more experienced players can help you identify areas for improvement. Remember, the path to becoming a top-tier speedrunner is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires dedication, a willingness to learn from mistakes, and an unwavering passion for the game. So keep at it, stay focused, and those record times will eventually be yours. Happy hunting!