Defender Greatsword MHW
Screenshot by Prima Games.

How to Craft & Upgrade the Defender Great Sword in Monster Hunter World (MHW)

Great hunters need great weapons

Before the Iceborne expansion became available, weapons like the Defender Great Sword were released in Monster Hunter World for a quick damage boost. This guide will cover how you can craft the sword for yourself and upgrade it along the way.

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How to Craft the Defender Great Sword in Monster Hunter World

To craft the Defender Great Sword, go to the Smithy vendor with one Iron Ore and select the item under the “Forge Weapons” section of the equipment tab. This specific great sword will be at the top of the list of weapons you can craft as a base for further upgrades. You will also need 600 Zenni to craft a weapon out of the one Iron Ore.

Compared to other weapons in Monster Hunter World, the Defender set is incredibly easy to make. On top of the cheap price for crafting these weapons at the Smithy, they dish out a ton of damage. The idea with this gear is to boost your way through the main MHW story so you can start the Iceborne expansion as soon as possible. But you’ll have plenty of grinding to do going forward.

How to Upgrade the Defender Great Sword in Monster Hunter World

You can upgrade The Defender Great Sword by speaking to the Smithy and spending an Anjanth Scale under the Defender Tree. This will boost the sword to Rarity 3, which is 816 damage. However, three additional upgrades can get the weapon all the way to Rarity 7. Below you can find the full upgrade list.

The Defender Great Sword Upgrade List in MHW:

  • Rarity 1 (Craft) – 1 Iron Ore and 600z
  • Rarity 3 – 1 Anjanath Scale and 1,000z
  • Rarity 5 – 1 Commendation and 3,000z
  • Rarity 6 – Pink Rathian Scale+ and 6,000z
  • Rarity 7 – 1 Immortal Dragonscale and 10,000z

The final upgrade brings the weapon to 1,056 base damage and 390 blast damage. You will have no issues blasting through the base game content with all the upgrades under your belt. But if you’re new to the game, I still recommend taking your time.

In the meantime, make sure to have some Firecell Stone to continue upgrading in the future.


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Author
Daniel Wenerowicz
Dan has been writing gaming guides, news, and features for three years after graduating with a BA in writing . You can find him covering Call of Duty for eternity, action-adventure games, and nearly any other major release.