Monster Hunter Outlanders: How to Play Ensho Greatsword

To play Ensho effectively in Monster Hunter Outlanders, cycle between hit-and-run draw slashes during neutral phases, use shoulder tackles to absorb incoming hits, and release heavy slashes at the exact peak of Stage 3 charge during monster openings. Because the Greatsword has long animation commitments, avoid spamming attacks from a neutral standing position. Keep the weapon sheathed to maintain mobility until a monster exposes a weak point.

Managing Greatsword Charge Stages

Ensho's primary damage comes from landing fully charged overhead slashes on monster weak points. Releasing an attack too early reduces damage, while holding an attack too long triggers an overcharge that resets the strike to a lower damage tier and leaves Ensho stuck in prolonged recovery frames.

Watch Ensho's character model and listen for auditory cues to release each strike at its peak multiplier:

During neutral combat, rely on quick draw attacks or Stage 2 releases. Reserve uninterrupted Stage 3 rotations for guaranteed openings when a monster is incapacitated or trapped.

Using the Shoulder Tackle and Super Armor

The shoulder tackle is Ensho's primary defensive and combo-bridging tool. Initiating a tackle cancels an ongoing charge buildup and grants immediate super armor frames.

Use the tackle to maintain offensive pressure under the following conditions:

• Canceling through attacks: When a monster starts a telegraphed physical swipe, hip check, or tail whip, activate the tackle to absorb the blow without being knocked back, tripped, or launched.
• Ignoring roars and wind: Tackle through monster roars and wind pressure to stay in point-blank range while the monster remains locked in its animation.
• Advancing charge levels: Successfully tackling through an attack allows you to skip directly into the next charge tier of Ensho's combo string without resetting your position.

Super armor does not grant complete invulnerability. Ensho still takes chip damage from absorbed strikes. If your health is low, roll away from high-damage physical sweeps or elemental attacks rather than attempting to tackle through them.

Hit-and-Run Neutral and Downed Punishes

Carrying an unsheathed Greatsword severely reduces Ensho's movement speed and leaves him vulnerable to charges and projectile attacks. Manage hunts by separating your positioning into two distinct phases:

1. Neutral Phase: Keep the weapon sheathed and sprint to monitor the monster's movements. Approach blind spots near the monster's flanks or hind legs, execute an unsheathed draw slash, cancel the recovery animation with a roll, and immediately sheathe the weapon. Repeat this sequence until you trigger a stagger, exhaust state, or knockdown.
2. Punish Phase: When the monster trips or falls, immediately sprint to high-value hitzones such as the head or tail. Rather than using low-damage horizontal swings, begin your charge sequence so that your peak Stage 3 strike lands squarely on the weak point right before the monster recovers.

Recommended Control Settings

Executing Greatsword charge cancels requires precise directional aim and input timing. Adjust your control scheme to maintain strike accuracy:

• Use a physical controller if available: Analog sticks provide smoother micro-adjustments for strike angles while holding a charge button compared to virtual touch pads.
• Set camera to manual control: Avoid strict lock-on tracking. Ensho attacks directly along character heading, and sudden lock-on camera snaps can pull your slash away from a monster's weak point.
• Interface sizing for touch controls: If playing on a touchscreen, increase the size of the primary attack and evade buttons in the layout settings to prevent missed tackle-cancel inputs.