The Long Sword is still a very strong weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds. This guide builds a powerful late-game High Rank Long Sword build. We’ll discuss ideal weapon picks, armor set synergies, vital talismans, and good decorations. Whether you favor critical hits, elemental damage, or defensive play, this build aims to maximize your Long Sword’s potential. Mastering Iai Slashes and spirit combos will ensure you’re ready to tackle the toughest hunts.
Best Long Sword Build in Monster Hunter Wilds
The Long Sword remains one of the strongest weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds, and by the time players reach this point in the game, they should have a solid grasp of its moveset and timing.
While decorations can be a bit luck-based, players can reliably farm monsters and target specific parts to increase their chances of obtaining the materials they need. For example, if someone is missing a couple of Kut-Ku Wings to craft a piece of Kut-Ku armor, they can focus their attacks on the Yian Kut-Ku’s wings. Once a wound is opened on the wing, using a Focus Strike to destroy it increases the likelihood of getting the Kut-Ku Wing drop.
Given the Long Sword’s strength, many players find little need for a secondary weapon. However, in rare situations where a hunt proves challenging, having a Bow as a backup can be useful. It allows players to deal damage from a distance, study the monster’s attack patterns, and then switch back to the Long Sword when they’re ready to re-engage up close.
Best Swords for Long Sword Build
Once you’ve reached the late game and start tackling High Rank hunts and environments, picking the right Long Sword can make a big difference. Let’s break down some of the best options available to you at this stage.
Uth Khlunda I
The Uth Khlunda I is a solid choice. It’s a Rarity 3 Long Sword that deals higher base damage compared to many other Long Swords, but there’s a catch, it has a -15% affinity, meaning you’ll land fewer critical hits. However, it comes with a Water Element, which is useful since most monsters you’ll face in High Rank aren’t resistant to water.
The weapon skill for the Uth Khlunda I is Power Prolonger Level 2. This means your spirit levels, especially the powerful red level, last longer, giving you more time to unleash Crimson Slashes and deal extra damage. It’s a great pick if you like keeping your weapon powered up and focusing on consistent damage.
G. Veldian Ensis I
Another excellent option is the G. Veldian Ensis I from the Guardian Arkveld tree. This is a Rarity 4 Long Sword, and like the Uth Khlunda I, it offers high base damage but with a slightly better -10% affinity.
What sets it apart is its Dragon Element. This can inflict dragon blight on monsters, temporarily disabling their elemental abilities. For example, a Rathalos hit with dragon blight won’t be able to use its fire breath attacks while the debuff is active.
Its weapon skill is Focus Level 2, which speeds up how quickly your spirit gauge fills with each hit. This is perfect if you want to reach higher spirit levels faster and pull off more powerful moves.
Iron Katana II
If you prefer a Long Sword without negative affinity, consider the Iron Katana II. It’s a Rarity 4 weapon that’s easier to forge since it mainly requires mining materials, making it more accessible.
What makes this weapon shine is its Critical Draw Level 2 skill. This boosts your affinity to 75% for draw attacks, and that includes Iai Slashes. If you’re confident in landing these counterattacks, you’ll be critting most of the time, dealing reliable damage with every well-timed strike.
Dosha Fatecleaver II
Lastly, there’s the Dosha Fatecleaver II from the Doshaguma tree, another Rarity 4 Long Sword. It has slightly higher base damage than the Iron Katana II but comes with a -5% affinity. However, it makes up for this with a +20 Defense bonus.
The standout feature is its weapon skill, Punishing Draw. This not only boosts the damage of your draw attacks by +5 but also adds stun damage. If you’re skilled at landing Iai Slashes, you’ll have the added bonus of occasionally stunning monsters, opening up more opportunities for follow-up attacks.
Which Long Sword Should You Choose
- Go for Uth Khlunda I if you want consistent damage and longer-lasting spirit levels.
- Choose G. Veldian Ensis I if you want to shut down monsters’ elemental attacks and build your spirit gauge quickly.
- Pick Iron Katana II if you’re confident in landing Iai Slashes and want to rack up critical hits.
- Use Dosha Fatecleaver II if you want extra defense and the ability to stun monsters with your draw attacks.
Ultimately, the best Long Sword depends on your playstyle, whether you prioritize crits, elemental damage, or crowd control. Mastering your Iai Slashes and spirit combos will make any of these weapons shine in the right hands.
Best Armor for Long Sword Build
Once you’ve reached the late game in Monster Hunter Wilds and start focusing on High Rank hunts, pairing the right armor with your Long Sword can give you a serious edge. Here’s a breakdown of an effective armor set to complement your weapon and playstyle.
Core Armor Pieces
1. Alloy Alpha Set
- Alloy Coil Alpha (waist)
- Alloy Greaves Alpha (legs)
These two pieces are key for the Quick Sheathe Level 2 skill. This boosts your sheathing speed, which is crucial for landing Iai Slashes, especially against fast, aggressive monsters. Being able to quickly sheathe your weapon allows you to smoothly pull off counterattacks without leaving yourself open for too long.
2. Rompopolo Vambraces Beta (arms)
These vambraces give you Earplugs Level 1 and a Level 2 Decoration slot. The Earplugs skill prevents you from being interrupted by monster roars, helping you stay on the offensive. While experienced players might use the Long Sword’s Foresight Slash to counter roars, that requires precise timing and monster knowledge. For most players, Earplugs makes it easier to keep attacking without worrying about sudden roars.
You can also use the decoration slot to strengthen Earplugs further if needed.
3. Kut-Ku Helm Alpha (head)
Pair this with the Kut-Ku Greaves Alpha if you want to boost your Constitution skill to Level 4.
- Constitution Level 4 reduces stamina depletion from dodging and evading by 40%, perfect for staying mobile and avoiding heavy hits during hunts.
Optional Armor Swaps
If you’re not using Iai Slashes often, consider swapping the Alloy Alpha pieces for Kut-Ku Alpha armor instead.
The main advantage of using the Kut-Ku Alpha set over the Beta set at this stage is simple: you get the skills immediately without relying on decorations, which are random drops and can’t be targeted for farming. This means you can craft the armor and get the skills right away.
Additionally, the Recovery Up Level 3 skill from these pieces boosts how much health you regain when using healing items, letting you get back into the fight faster.
If Earplugs isn’t a priority for you, you can also switch out the Rompopolo Vambraces for the Kut-Ku Vambraces Alpha to round out your Kut-Ku Alpha set.
- For Iai Slash-focused builds: Alloy Coil Alpha + Alloy Greaves Alpha for Quick Sheathe Level 2
- For stamina management: Kut-Ku Helm Alpha + Kut-Ku Greaves Alpha for Constitution Level 4
- For extra defense against roars: Rompopolo Vambraces Beta for Earplugs Level 1
- For faster healing: Kut-Ku Alpha pieces for Recovery Up Level 3
Ultimately, the best armor set depends on your playstyle, whether you prefer fast, reactive counters with Iai Slashes or a more defensive, stamina-conscious approach. With the right gear, you’ll be ready to handle even the toughest High Rank monsters.
Best Tailsman for Long Sword Build
For this Monster Hunter Wilds Long Sword build, we’ll be using the Sheathe Charm I. This charm maxes out the Quick Sheathe skill, which is key for smoother and faster Iai Slashes, a core part of this build. As you progress into the late game, try to gather the materials needed to upgrade the charm to Sheathe Charm II. This boosts the skill even further and opens the door for swapping out the Alloy set pieces for other gear that better suits your playstyle.
Another great option for this build is the Exploiter Charm I. It grants the Weakness Exploit skill, which increases your damage when hitting monster wounds by 3% and boosts your affinity by 5% when striking weak points. This can really push your damage output higher, especially when you’re consistently targeting vulnerable spots.
Best Decorations for Long Sword Build
In Monster Hunter Wilds, there are two types of decorations you can use to enhance your build: weapon decorations and armor decorations.
At this stage in your Long Sword High Rank build, you probably won’t have many decorations yet, unless you’ve been actively farming them. The good news is, this build doesn’t rely on decorations to be effective. It’s designed around gear you can farm early on once you hit High Rank after completing the main story.
As for weapons, aside from the Uth Khlunda I, you can slot decorations into certain Long Swords. For example, the G.Veldian Ensis I has two level 1 decoration slots, perfect for adding two Attack Jewel 1s to boost your damage output.
Depending on the Long Sword you’re using, both the Iron Katana II and the Dosha Fatecleaver II come with one level 1 decoration slot. If you have the right decorations, you can slot a Gambit Jewel 1 into the Dosha Fatecleaver for the Punishing Draw skill at max level, or a Draw Jewel 1 into the Iron Katana for max-level Critical Draw.
