Greatsword

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The Greatsword (GS) is a two-handed slashing weapon.

# Overview

The Greatsword is the most versatile and well rounded weapon in Mordhau. It kills in three hits or less\*, has more range than most weapons in the game, and its timings are deceptively fast. In the right hands, the Greatsword is one of the most lethal weapons available. The weapon's strikes can swing through multiple opponents as it is a slashing weapon. The Greatsword's alternative mode slightly increases its stabbing damage against all armor tiers while reducing the weapon's range and strike damage, making it effective for combat in tight spaces.

\*GS is 4htk (4 hits to kill) if you stab an opponent's t3 legs, which is an easy mistake to avoid.

## Strengths

The Greatsword's strength lies in its versatility and balanced characteristics.

Its strikes and stabs are both 3htk, so any attack you land is equally valuable, unlike strike-oriented weapons like the Battleaxe or stabbing weapons such as the Estoc. This makes morph to feint mix-ups extremely threatening. Additionally, 3htk is a high amount of damage, surpassed only by the extremely high damage 2htk weapons like Executioner's Sword and the 1htk capabilities of the Maul.

Its 120 cm range combined with no movement slowdown allows GS users to cover more distances than most two-handed weapons in the game. The only weapons with longer range are polearms and the Zweihander.

The GS doesn't have fast windup times, but in skilled hands it's still fast enough to take initiative and slash through multiple opponents in teamfights and 1vX situations. Additionally, the weapon's swing manipulation is incredibly effective; its accels can be deceptively fast and, its drags can be extremely hard to read if performed correctly via correct footwork and mouse movement.

- Good at everything, bad at nothing

- High damage (3htk vs t3 chest) with both strikes and stabs

- Long range

- High skill ceiling

- Excellent weapon for learning

To maximize the weapon's capabilities, it is crucial for the user to use a combination of techniques. Remaining unpredictable such as by mixing accels, drags or morphs to keep your opponent guessing will give you the upper hand in combat. Contrary to the Messer, which possesses poor stab damage but is highly effective for accelerated swings due to its quick release timing - the Greatsword's damage potential lies in the user's mastery of every game mechanics at their disposal.

## Weaknesses

The Greatsword costs 21 points, making it one of the most expensive weapons in the game. As the weapon does not greatly excel in any capacity (e.g. damage, range, stamina drain, etc.), the Greatsword is heavily dependent on the user's skill. Should the player be extremely unpredictable and hard to read with correct footwork and swing manipulation, they would be very hard to counter. If the player fails to do so, they will find themselves struggling to consistently land hits against opponents that wield faster weapons with quicker release timing due to the Greatsword's slower windup.

- High point cost

- Very skill dependent; requires the user to be hard to read and unpredictable

- Slower windups can catch the user's attack being interrupted when faced against multiple opponents or enemies wielding fast weapons

# Skins / Components

The Greatsword has 5 skins with a total of 18 (?) components.

## Skins

 Default
 Dragon Greatsword
 Great Katzbalger
 Raider's Greatsword

## Components

* Default
* Claymore

# Historical References

Historically, greatswords were very large double-edged swords requiring both hands to wield effectively. The Zweihänder is considered a greatsword. These swords were specialty weapons, useful for pinning down spear shafts or swinging in wide arcs around the wielder, useful for denying a large area and threatening multiple enemies at once.

# Notes and Trivia

Upon the game's release, the Greatsword dealt 50 damage on strike against tier 3 head armor, making it a 2htk, and also had a very high turncap (roughly 290 x value)

The Raider Greatsword skin is similar in appearance to the Sword of War from Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.

The Greatsword has been a staple weapon for competitive plays in North America since release because of its versatility and high skill ceiling.

The default Knight class previously had a Longsword, but it was replaced with a Greatsword, as the well-rounded nature of the Greatsword makes it good for learning the game for new players.