Is the Great Sword or Zweihander Better for Slicing Through Your Foes?
As a long-time fan of ultra greatswords in RPGs, I am often asked – what‘s the best heavy hitter for smashing through enemies and bosses? Should I go with raw strength or finesse? That perennial question inevitably leads to the iconic greatswords – the aptly named Great Sword and the equally monstrous Zweihander.
After hundreds of hours experimenting and thousands of foes felled, I can say with confidence:
For most builds, the Great Sword comes out on top in terms of pure damage output and ease of use. But advanced players can eke out higher potential from the complex Zweihander.
Let‘s dig into the nitty gritty details…
Base Power – Great Sword‘s Crushing Blows
The Great Sword immediately asserts its dominance with a whopping 400 base damage at +0 upgrade, compared to the Zweihander‘s 360. That‘s an 11% damage lead right off the bat, which only expands as you improve scaling.
This muscle is backed up by the Great Sword‘s penchant for strong vertical chops designed to batter foes into submission. Charging up a heavy attack before releasing a roaring overhead smash simply has no equal. Enemies hit the floor – hard.
Great Sword bringing the pain in Elden Ring
Scaling – Zweihander‘s Late Game Finesse
However, the Zweihander makes up ground at high levels, owing to its excellent scaling with Strength and Dexterity. At +10 upgrade, the Great Sword manages S-rank scaling compared to the Zweihander‘s glittering S/A-rank scaling.
Through carefully tailored upgrades to take advantage of those bonuses, I‘ve seen end-game Zweihanders hitting for over 800 damage with the right build. That‘s enough to slice through legendary bosses like butter!
Scaling Potential
| Weapon | Scaling (Standard) | Scaling (Specialized) |
|---|---|---|
| Great Sword | S-rank | S-rank |
| Zweihander | S/A-rank | S/S-rank |
Zweihander pulls ahead in potential damage
The Zweihander is a dancer – in the right hands it combines range, speed and ever-increasing damage into a beautiful slaughter ballet. Spinning, jumping attacks batter groups while thrusting lunges explode single targets. Finesse personified.
Weight and Requirements – Zweihander‘s Light Touch
Surprisingly for its size, the Zweihander is lighter and easier to wield effectively. It demands only 16 strength to swing with both hands, whereas the Great Sword requires a muscular 28 strength.
Combined with the Zweihander‘s swinging animations having less recovery time between blows, you can flow from move to move rapidly while the Great Sword is still landing from the previous strike.
Zweihander‘s swift combo potential
Advanced players use this flexibility for exhilarating close-quarters combat, chaining leaping slashes, wide sweeps and rapid thrusts to pressure groups of enemies. It‘s risky, but highly rewarding for seasoned veterans.
Movesets and Range – Zweihander‘s Versatility
The Zweihander‘s real advantage lies in moveset versatility stemming from its lighter weight and higher dexterity scaling. Its wild hopping slashes, spinning attacks and long outward sweeps control space and groups beautifully.
Check out the range on those flowing slashes! Enemies have to respect the threat radius lest they catch a thrusting stab for 60% of their health bar. Playing with spacing leads to exciting bait and punish tactics against even shielded opponents in PvP and boss battles.
In contrast, the Great Sword focuses squarely on crashing overhead and uppercut chops supplemented by horizontal sweeps. Straightforward, brutally effective…but also predictable. Savvy enemies keep their distance then exploit the Great Sword‘s lengthy recovery times.
Final Verdict – Raw Power vs Potential
So if all out strength is your goal early on with room to grow later, the Great Sword is peerless. Huge damage even un-upgraded lets you flatten enemies through the mid game easily.
But for advanced players able to leverage finesse, the Zweihander ultimately overtakes through S-rank scaling. Plus the moveset offers exhilarating risk-reward combat. Master its style, and no enemy can stand before you by endgame. Either is a top-tier choice – now get out there, Tarnished! Time to sharpen steel…
