The Long Sword is one of the most popular weapons in Monster Hunter World. Its versatility and power make it a strong choice for any aspiring hunter, and with the right build, it can carry through both the base game and Iceborne expansion.
Best Low Rank Long Sword Build
This is a basic setup for a beginner Long Sword hunter that will carry you through most of the Low Rank quests in Monster Hunter World. The weapon is crafted using Tobi Kadachi materials, so you can obtain it quite early in the game.
- Weapon: Kadachi Fang I
- Head: Rathalos Helm
- Chest: Rathalos Mail
- Gloves: Rathalos Gloves
- Waist: Odogaron Coil
- Legs: Kulu Greaves
While you won’t be able to obtain the Rathalos or Odogaron armor pieces for this build until the end of Low Rank, they’re well worth the wait. They offer a nice set of skills including Attack Boost, Weakness Exploit, and Critical Eye, which are key to any Long Sword build.
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Best High Rank Long Sword Build
High Rank is where buildcrafting really opens up in Monster Hunter World. With the addition of Decorations (and armor having higher skill levels by default), you can really start to hone your desired build in the later half of the base game.
- Weapon: Empress Sword “Blaze”
- Head: Strategist Spectacles Alpha
- Chest: Bone Mail Alpha
- Gloves: Kaiser Vambraces Alpha
- Waist: Nergigante Coil Beta
- Legs: Odogaron Greaves Alpha
While you can slot any Long Sword into this build without affecting much, Empress Sword “Blaze” is easily one of the best High Rank Long Swords in all of Monster Hunter World. You’ll have to take down the fearsome Lunastra to farm materials for it, though, so you may want to settle for a lesser Long Sword if you don’t have the time or patience to put up with one of World’s fiercest foes.
The armor pieces for this High Rank build primarily provide levels to the Attack Boost skill, which is a solid choice for any hunter. You’ll also get a few levels of Critical Eye, Weakness Exploit, and a hint of Speed Sharpening from the Odogaron Greaves.
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This build doesn’t have much room for Decorations since it favors Alpha pieces over Beta pieces, but any available Decoration slots should be used to maximize your Critical Eye or Weakness Exploit levels. Don’t panic if you can’t get a perfect set of Decorations to drop for now, you can get by with just about anything in High Rank.
Best Master Rank Long Sword Build
Moving on to Master Rank is a big step for a new hunter. Your build matters a lot more in Master Rank, but you won’t be able to perfect it until you complete the Iceborne campaign and start grinding the toughest fights for the rarest resources.
- Weapon: Hellish Slasher
- Head: Rex Roar Helm Beta
- Chest: Rex Roar Mail Beta
- Gloves: Rex Roar Braces Beta
- Waist: Kirin Hoop Beta
- Legs: Garuga Greaves Beta
When you’re first getting used to Master Rank, you should just use whatever gear you’re able to craft. Even the most basic Master Rank armor and weapons will outclass the strongest High Rank gear, so don’t be afraid to replace your kit if you’re struggling to survive early Master Rank quests.
Once you’ve leveled up quite a bit in Master Rank, you can start working toward the ultimate Long Sword build. The Hellish Slasher is arguably the best Long Sword in the entire game, but you’ll need to grind a ton of difficult arena quests involving some of the game’s most notorious monsters to obtain the necessary crafting materials.
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Thankfully, getting the armor for this build is much easier. This build mainly uses pieces from the Tigrex armor set, but it mixes in pieces from the Kirin and Yian Garuga sets as well. These armor pieces grant multiple levels of Attack Boost with a handful of other minor skills like Health Boost and Free Meal.
What sets this build apart is its reliance on Beta armor pieces with plenty of Decoration slots, which you should fill with as many Expert Jewels and Critical Jewels as possible. These will level up your Critical Eye and Critical Boost skills respectively. Since the main armor pieces are lacking in crit-related skills, these Decorations are a must for this Master Rank build.
Regardless of your Hunter Rank, the main ideas for a good Long Sword build remain the same. Pick your favorite weapon, choose some armor pieces with decent stats and skills, and then hone your gear to fit your playstyle using Decorations. Learning how to craft a build will help you in all Monster Hunter games, so you can take what you’ve learned and apply it to newer titles like Monster Hunter Rise.
