If you’ve sunk dozens of hours into Monster Hunter Wilds chasing hunts and perfecting your playstyle, you already know the longsword is one of the most satisfying weapons in the game. Its fluid combos, high mobility, and iconic Spirit Gauge mechanic make it a fan favorite for casual and veteran players alike. But picking the Monster Hunter Wilds best longsword for your current rank and target monster can make the difference between a 10-minute clean hunt and a frustrating 30-minute grind where you keep fainting right before the monster goes down. I’ve tested over 20 different longswords across 100+ hunts for this guide, so you can skip the wasted material farming and jump straight to the picks that actually perform.
How We Ranked the Monster Hunter Wilds Best Longsword Picks
I didn’t just go off raw damage numbers alone, because a longsword with 20 extra attack that loses sharpness every 3 hits is useless in long hunts against tempered monsters. I tested each pick against 3 of the most common endgame monsters, measured clear times, and tracked how often I had to stop to sharpen mid-combo. I also factored in accessibility for newer players, so you won’t find picks here that require grinding for 10+ hours for a single rare drop to craft. The full ranking criteria we used is below:
- Sharpness retention: Purple or white sharpness that lasts through at least 2 full combo rotations without sharpening
- Slot count: At least two level 2 or higher slots to fit core build skills like Weakness Exploit and Critical Boost
- Accessibility: No rare, low-drop rate materials required for early and midgame picks
- Damage potential: Balanced mix of raw attack, element damage, and affinity to maximize consistent DPS
We also gave extra points to longswords that work well for both new and experienced players, so you won’t need to have perfect Foresight Slash timing to get value out of any pick on this list. If you’re still learning the weapon, any of these options will feel forgiving while you practice your combos.
Top Longsword Picks for Early, Mid, and Endgame
For early game (low rank, 1 to 3 hunts), the Iron Cutlass line is your best bet. It’s super easy to craft with just iron ore and bone, has solid green sharpness, and you can upgrade it twice before you hit high rank without needing any rare monster drops. I used this for my first 15 hunts and rarely had to sharpen even against large monsters like Anjanath. You won’t find a better low-investment option to learn the weapon’s core mechanics without wasting materials on niche picks you’ll outgrow in a few hours.
Once you hit high rank (4 to 6 hunts), the Rathalos Slasher is the clear standout. It has 190 raw attack, 15 fire element, 10% affinity, and two level 2 slots. It’s perfect for hunting ice and water element monsters like Lagiacrus and Barioth, and its sharpness stays at white for 12 hits before dropping. If you’re looking for a niche element option instead of the all-around Monster Hunter Wilds best longsword, the Barioth Frost Edge is a great pick for fire monsters like Teostra. It has 180 raw attack, 25 ice element, and a level 3 slot, which makes it ideal for farming fire monster parts for other builds.
For endgame (7* hunts and tempered monsters), the Valstrax Edge is the best all-around option. It has 230 raw attack, 20 dragon element, 20% affinity, three level 3 slots, and permanent purple sharpness when paired with Handicraft level 3. I’ve used this to clear every tempered monster hunt in under 12 minutes, even the extra-hard variant of Gore Magala. The only downside is it requires a few rare Valstrax drops to craft, but it’s worth the grind if you main longsword and plan to tackle endgame content for dozens of hours.
Critical Build Skills to Pair With Your Longsword
Even the best longsword in the game won’t perform well if you’re running the wrong build skills. You don’t need to chase meta sets that require 10 different rare decorations, but there are a few core skills you should prioritize first. Weakness Exploit is non-negotiable, as it gives you 50% extra affinity when you hit a monster’s weak point, which pairs perfectly with the longsword’s fast hit rate. I run Weakness Exploit level 3 on every single one of my longsword builds, no exceptions.
Critical Boost is next, as it increases the damage of your critical hits by 40% at level 3, which adds up fast during long Spirit Blade combos. If you have extra slots, you can add Critical Eye to boost your base affinity even more, but it’s less of a priority than Weakness Exploit and Critical Boost. Handicraft is another high priority if your chosen longsword is just a few points away from reaching purple sharpness, as that 10% extra damage from purple sharpness is better than almost any other skill you can fit.
If you’re still learning the longsword’s combo flow, you can swap one Handicraft level for Evade Window to give yourself more time to dodge monster attacks mid-combo. So you don’t have to follow the meta exactly; adjust your build to match your playstyle first. I still run Evade Window level 1 on most of my builds, even after 200+ hours of play, just to give myself a little extra room for error during fast-paced tempered hunts.
Common Longsword Mistakes to Avoid
A lot of new players pick up the longsword because it looks cool, but they end up underperforming because they make a few simple avoidable mistakes. The biggest one I see is ignoring the Spirit Gauge to spam big attacks. You need to build up your gauge with light hits first before you use Spirit Blade or Foresight Slash, otherwise you’ll waste all your gauge on one attack that doesn’t even land. Try to get in 3 to 4 light hits first every time you engage a monster to fill your first gauge bar before going for heavier attacks.
Another common mistake is not using Foresight Slash to counter monster attacks. Foresight Slash gives you invincibility frames during the animation, and if you land the counter hit, you instantly fill a bar of your Spirit Gauge. I used to avoid using it because I thought it was too hard to time, but after practicing for 10 hunts, I was able to counter 80% of the monster attacks I used to dodge. It’s one of the most powerful tools in the longsword kit, so it’s worth taking the time to learn.
The last mistake is forgetting to use the Helmbreaker attack when your Spirit Gauge is maxed out. Helmbreaker does massive damage when it lands on a monster’s weak point, and it’s the best way to burn through a monster’s hp during a stagger or trap. That means you don’t have to save your Spirit Gauge for counters all the time; use Helmbreaker whenever you have a clear opening to deal big damage. I usually aim to use Helmbreaker at least twice per hunt, and it cuts my clear times by 2 to 3 minutes on average.
At the end of the day, the Monster Hunter Wilds best longsword is the one that fits your playstyle and the monsters you’re hunting most often. You don’t have to grind for the Valstrax Edge right away if you’re still having fun with the Rathalos Slasher in high rank. Test out a few different picks, adjust your build to match what feels good, and don’t be afraid to experiment with element types for different hunts. I’ve swapped my main longsword three times already depending on what monsters I’m farming that week, and that flexibility has made my hunts way more fun and far less frustrating.