Unveil tips on crafting an optimal Great Sword character setup in Avowed. This guide includes suggestions for abilities, stats, weapons, party members, and a suggested leveling path!
Or, if you prefer a more conversational tone: Let’s dive into creating the ultimate Great Sword character in Avowed! Here are some tips on selecting skills, stats, weapons, companions, and a recommended leveling progression. Enjoy!
Mastering the Great Sword Build in Avowed: A Comprehensive Guide
Avowed is a role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, set within the Pillars of Eternity universe. The game transports you to the Living Lands where you’ll unravel a hidden mystery. In Avowed, a distinctive build for the Great Sword has been designed, optimizing damage output, critical hits, and battlefield control. This unique build emphasizes strength, stamina, and critical damage. To excel with this build, it is crucial to choose the optimal skills and companions.
In essence, attributes are vital in this build as they shape your gameplay experience. Choosing the right companion can prove life-saving and offer additional opportunities for inflicting damage. This guide will walk you through the ideal Avowed Great Sword build, along with tips on gameplay and suggested gear options.
- Everything You Need To Know About Great Sword Build Guide in Avowed
- Great Sword Build Features & Mechanics
- Background
- Attribute Points
- Weapon Choices
- Secondary Weapon
- Perfect Block
- Skill Selection
- Levels 1-10 Skills
- Levels 11-20 Skills
- Levels 21-30 Skills
- Best Great Sword Skills Explained
- Companions
- Marius
- Giatta
- Great Sword Gameplay & Tips
- Weapons and Armor
- Beginner Weapon and Armor
- Endgame Weapon and Armor
- Consumables
Everything You Need To Know About Great Sword Build Guide in Avowed
In our game, The Great Sword Affirmation comes equipped with two powerful swords for inflicting significant damage in battle. The Philosopher’s Enigma serves as the main weapon, while Hel’s Tongue acts as the backup. The Philosopher’s Enigma provides a speed boost to your attacks and adds poison damage, enhancing both DPS and the likelihood of causing status effects. In challenging situations, Hel’s Tongue enables you to deal extra fire and frost damage. To excel in this game, it’s advisable to prioritize Might for increased weapon power, Dexterity to boost attack speed, crucial for heavy weapons, and Constitution to enhance your health.
As a gamer wielding a mighty Great Sword, I’d say the top skills to unlock for your build are Charge, Brawn, Bleeding Cuts, and Parry. These abilities work together brilliantly, crafting a versatile and formidable melee warrior. Enhancing these weapons will undeniably boost your combat prowess. Remember, it’s crucial to don armor that strikes a balance between protection and mobility. I suggest medium to heavy armor for optimal agility in the heat of frontline battles. However, keep in mind that Great Swords in Avowed can be quite taxing on your stamina.
| Great Sword Build Pros | Great Sword Build Cons |
|---|---|
| High Damage Output | High Stamina Consumption |
| Increased Stun Potential | Low Diversity |
| High Block Efficiency |
Great Sword Build Features & Mechanics
Below are the essential best Great Sword build features and mechanics for Avowed:
- Background: War Hero
- Attribute Points: Might, Constitution, Dexterity
- Weapon Choices: The Philosopher’s Riddle, Hel’s Tongue
- Best Skills: Brawn, Bleeding Cuts, Retribution, Clear Out, Charge, Unbreakable
- Recommended Companions: Giatta and Marius
- Best Consumables: Darkest Rauataian Chocolate Cookie, Grog, Raw Bleathorn Milk
Background
Choosing the War Hero background is ideal for players who prefer a hands-on, bold, and robust warrior style in Avowed, as it offers a suitable starting weapon and attribute distribution for melee combat. This background is perfect if you enjoy playing a character with a rich military history and high standing within the emperor’s forces. Selecting War Hero grants access to exclusive dialogue options that delve into your character’s military past, and it provides an excellent basis for a Great Sword build due to its emphasis on physical combat.
The setting or history significantly impacts the way you play and what you have at the start. It decides which weapon you begin with in the tutorial, shapes your conversation choices, and influences where your starting points are placed across six attributes. However, these factors don’t limit your access to any gear or powers as the game advances. Choosing a background in Avowed will flesh out your character’s past, offer initial attribute distributions, and customize dialogue options for you.
Attribute Points
For an Avowed Great Sword build, Strength, Endurance, and Agility are key attributes to focus on. Boosting your Strength enhances your overall damage output, thereby intensifying the potency of bleeding effects. A higher Strength value ensures your Great Sword attacks pack a greater punch. Endurance increases your maximum health and resistance to both bleed and poison, making it vital for close-quarters combat. Allocating points into Agility improves both attack speed and action speed, which helps counter the slower swing times characteristic of two-handed weapons like Great Swords.
In addition to your current options, consider channeling some points into Resilience to amplify your endurance limit and rejuvenation rate. This trait facilitates extended battles and faster recuperation. Be cautious when distributing points among your attributes as they significantly impact your gaming style. Upon reaching a new level, you’ll accrue extra attribute points, providing chances to tailor your character. Boost the effectiveness of your attribute points by utilizing the items you gather during gameplay progression. At maximum level 30, you can choose up to 27 attributes. Here is the suggested distribution for a Great Sword build in Avowed:
1. Resilience – Endurance Limit and Rejuvenation Rate
2. Strength – Physical Attack Power
3. Vitality – Health Points
4. Dexterity – Movement Speed and Critical Hit Chance
5. Intelligence – Magic Attack Power (if applicable)
6. Wisdom – Skill Cooldown Reduction and Resource Gathering Efficiency
7. Charisma – Interaction Success Rate and Loot Drops (if applicable)
- Intellect: 0
- Might: 11
- Constitution: 6
- Dexterity: 5
- Resolve: 3
- Perception: 2
Weapon Choices
In simpler terms, Great Swords are large two-handed weapons ideal for inflicting heavy damage in battles. They are particularly useful against challenging bosses during advanced game stages. To amplify their bleeding effect and weaken enemies over time, combine them with Bleeding Cuts. This weapon class is engineered for high-damage output and crowd control, offering a balance between reach, power, and defensive capabilities.
These weapons are effective against multiple opponents because of their extended range compared to smaller melee weapons. In our recommended build, you can wield The Philosopher’s Riddle or Hel’s Tongue – two top-tier Great Swords for maximum impact.
In late-game fights, the main weapon for the Great Sword build is known as The Philosopher’s Riddle, dealing the maximum damage and a stun effect to the enemy. This specifically designed Great Sword excels at taking down tough high-level bosses. It features a passive ability called Poison Lash, which boosts your poison damage by an additional 10%. Its default enchantment, Aggressive Debate, grants you a +15% attack speed increase for 10 seconds following a full combo completion. Due to its high stamina requirement, it’s essential to use your energy prudently. Lastly, the primary enchantment, Aggressive Debate, can be upgraded using your Workbench in camp.
Secondary Weapon
For your secondary weapon in the Great Sword build, you’ll find it’s Hel’s Tongue. This Great Sword features a special passive skill named Emotional. Activate this skill to inflict an additional 10% Fire Damage on enemies with more than half their maximum health, while dealing an extra 10% Frost Damage against enemies below half their maximum health. The default enchantment of Hel’s Tongue is Soul Reaver, which lets you recover 10% of your maximum essence with powerful attacks. This unique weapon provides support utility to complement your skill set, helping you regain power skills. By pairing it with fire and frost spells, you can create an impressive combo. Upgrading this weapon enhances its physical damage and stun potential. As you continue upgrading on the workbench, Hel’s Tongue becomes increasingly effective.
Perfect Block
In the game Avowed, you have the option to wield a Great Sword, which comes with the “Perfect” move. This move allows you to defend against enemy attacks, push back opponents, and swiftly retaliate. The attacker will stumble as a result, offering an opening for a counter-attack. This technique is particularly beneficial for players who favor a defensive fighting style. To boost your skills with the “Perfect Block”, you can acquire the “Parry” ability from the Ranger skill tree. Timing is key to executing a successful “Perfect Block”. Remember, blocking and retaliating will drain your stamina. To enhance your block abilities, consider investing some skill points in both Parry and Reflect. A well-timed parry can divert the attack, make the enemy stumble, and fill the yellow stun meter beneath their health bar.
Skill Selection
As a devoted gamer, I find myself continuously improving my character by unlocking new abilities as I progress through each level, starting from level 2. Each level bestows upon me an additional skill point that I can strategically allocate within one of three distinct skill trees. The beauty lies in the flexibility to combine these skill trees, but it’s advantageous to note that Fighter and Ranger skills complement each other particularly well. Furthermore, I have the freedom to reset my skills whenever I see fit, using gold as currency, although be mindful that the price increases with each level upgrade I undertake.
Levels 1-10 Skills
In the early phases of the game, it’s wise to focus on unlocking the following key abilities: Charge, Constant Recovery, Bleeding Cuts, Brawn, parry, and Power Jump. Allocate your skill points wisely to acquire these skills as they will help you survive during the initial stages. Passive skills are designed to boost either your damage output or survivability, while active skills consume essence and may not be accessible due to their high costs at the beginning of the game.
The following is a sequence detailing the abilities for an optimal Great Sword character build in Avowed, from level 1 to 10:
1. Level 1 Skill
2. Level 2 Skill
3. Level 3 Skill
4. Level 4 Skill
5. Level 5 Skill
6. Level 6 Skill
7. Level 7 Skill
8. Level 8 Skill
9. Level 9 Skill
10. Level 10 Skill
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | ||
| 2 | Charge Rank 1 | Fighter | Dash forward and smash into anything in your way, interrupting enemies and dealing Explosive Damage to break enemy Blocks, destroy walls, and shatter frozen enemies for bonus damage. |
| 3 | Armored Grace Rank 1 | Fighter | Decreases the Stamina penalty for Medium and Heavy armor by 15. |
| 4 | Constant Recovery Rank 1 | Fighter | After taking damage, slowly regenerate 50% of the last amount of Health lost. |
| 5 | Barbaric Shout Rank 1 | Fighter | Let out a fearsome roar that interrupts enemies and empowers you against larger foes. Your weapon attacks become Uninterruptable and deal higher Stun. |
| 6 | Bleeding Cuts Rank 1 | Fighter | Power Attacks with axes and great swords deal Bleed Accumulation. |
| 7 | Brawn Rank 1 | Fighter | Increases damage with two-handed melee weapons by 25%. |
| 8 | Parry Rank 1 | Ranger | Time a perfect Block against a melee attack to knock the enemy back and gain an immediate counter-attack. |
| 9 | Shadowing Beyond Rank 1 | Ranger | Channel the Beyond, becoming Invisible and draining Essence until your next combat action. |
| 10 | Power Jump Rank 1 | Fighter | Press crouch while in the air to slam to the ground, interrupting nearby enemies. The area of effect and amount of Stun dealt increases based on your fall height. |
Levels 11-20 Skills
During the mid-point of the game, it’s advisable to utilize the following skills: Unbreakable for tenacity, Built to Destroy for power, Retribution for retaliation, and Bear Ally for support. Upgrade these abilities to maximize their impact in battle. As you’ll soon face tough opponents wearing heavy armor, focus on boosting your damage effectiveness for the best results.
Here is a sequence of abilities, arranged for the optimal Great Sword Build in Avowed from levels 11 through 20:
1. At level 11, acquire the “Two-Handed Mastery” skill.
2. At level 13, choose the “War Cry” ability.
3. At level 15, select “Shield Basher.”
4. At level 17, pick up “Rallying Cry.”
5. At level 19, opt for “Sunder Armor.”
6. Finally, at level 20, learn the “Executioner” skill.
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Bleeding Cuts Rank 2 | Fighter | Increases the Bleed Accumulation dealt by Bleeding Cuts. |
| 12 | Parry Rank 2 | Ranger | Increases Parry efficiency by 25 %, dealing greater Stun when Parrying enemies. |
| 13 | Charge Rank 2 | Fighter | Increases the distance traveled during Charge by 100% |
| 14 | Unbreakable Rank 1 | Fighter | Decreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 30%. |
| 15 | Built to Destroy Rank 1 | Fighter | Destroying things restores a small amount of Health and Essence. Melee Power Attacks can break destructible walls. |
| 16 | Into the Fray Rank 1 | Fighter | Reach forward, Taunting an enemy and pulling them towards you. |
| 17 | Retribution Rank 1 | Fighter | After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 5 seconds deals +70% of the original damage you received. |
| 18 | Quick Switch Rank 1 | Ranger | Increases your Equip Speed by 50%. |
| 19 | Bear Ally Rank 1 | Ranger | Summon a bear ally to aid you in battle for 30 seconds. |
| 20 | Unbreakable Rank 2 | Fighter | Decreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 50%. |
Levels 21-30 Skills
Enhance your skills to a superior level for increased efficiency and a higher number of bleeding attacks in intense battles. As your skills improve, so does your opportunity for critical strikes.
Here’s a list arranged sequentially of skill upgrades for the optimal Greatsword build in Avowed, starting at level 21 and going up to level 30:
1. Strength (at level 21)
2. Heavy Attack (at level 22)
3. Endurance (at level 23)
4. Critical Chance (at level 24)
5. Critical Damage (at level 25)
6. Two-Handed Weapon Mastery (at level 26)
7. Strength (at level 27)
8. Heavy Attack (at level 28)
9. Endurance (at level 29)
10. Two-Handed Weapon Mastery (at level 30)
| Level | Skill Name | Tree | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Parry Rank 3 | Ranger | Increases Parry efficiency by 50%, dealing greater Stun when Parrying enemies. |
| 22 | Charge Rank 3 | Fighter | Increases the Stun dealt by Charge by 50% |
| 23 | Bleeding Cuts Rank 3 | Fighter | Greatly increases the Bleed Accumulation dealt by Bleeding Cuts. |
| 24 | Retribution Rank 2 | Fighter | After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 8 seconds deals +100% of the original damage you received. |
| 25 | Clear Out Rank 1 | Fighter | Spin in a dangerous whirlwind, becoming Uninterruptable and hitting all nearby enemies with your currently equipped melee weapons. |
| 26 | Brawn Rank 2 | Fighter | Increases damage with two-handed melee weapons by 40%. |
| 27 | Clear Out Rank 2 | Fighter | Clear Out lasts for 2 full rotations. |
| 28 | Retribution Rank 3 | Fighter | After taking damage from an enemy, your next attack within 10 seconds deals +120% of the original damage you received. |
| 29 | Bear Ally Rank 2 | Ranger | Your bear ally roars when summoned, taunting enemies and increasing the damage it deals. |
| 30 | Brawn Rank 3 | Fighter | Increases damage with two-handed melee weapons by 50%. |
Best Great Sword Skills Explained
In the game Avowed, the optimal skills for wielding a Great Sword are Brawn, Bleeding Cuts, Retribution, Clearing Path, Charge, and Unbreakable. The Clearing Path skill, belonging to the Fighter class, enables your character to execute a powerful spinning attack, striking all surrounding enemies with your chosen melee weapon. Brawn is an inherent ability that enhances damage output when using two-handed melee weapons. Bleeding Cuts is another passive ability that amplifies combat efficiency with specific weapons, causing the Bleed Accumulation effect. Charge is an active skill that allows you to quickly charge towards enemies and collide with them.
- Unbreakable- It reduces the stamina cost when blocking.
- Brawn- Increases damage with two-handed melee weapons.
- Bleeding Cuts- It allows your power attacks with axes and great swords to deal bleed accumulation.
- Retribution- It increases the damage of your next attack after taking damage from an enemy.
- Clear Out- This ability involves spinning in a whirlwind to hit all nearby enemies, remaining uninterruptable during the attack.
- Charge- Lets you dash forward, smashing into enemies to interrupt them, break their blocks, destroy walls, and shatter frozen foes for extra damage.
Companions
Giatta and Marius make excellent partners for a player using the Great Sword build. They significantly boost your melee-centric gameplay, improving your performance in fights and overall enjoyment of the game. Marius is particularly skilled at dealing damage; skills like Binding Roots and Wounding Shots are especially useful. With Binding Roots, he can immobilize enemies, setting up chances for bleed attacks. Wounding Shots also inflicts an elemental effect on enemies and slows them down, making crowd control much more manageable. These skills work exceptionally well with the Great Sword build, ramping up damage over time during combat.
In the main story quest “The Animancy Method,” you’ll encounter Giatta, who brings a mix of team buffs that boost both survivability and combat effectiveness. She specializes in keeping the party healthy and enhancing their battle readiness.
– Her Inspiration skill raises attack and movement speed for all allies.
– Use her Barrier ability to shield your allies and Marius’ Heart Seeker ability to intensify damage against weakened foes.
By combining Giatta’s supportive and healing abilities with Marius’ offensive and strategic skills, you can create a well-rounded and powerful party.
Marius
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binding Roots | Heart Seeker | Shadow Step | Wounding Shots |
| Entangle enemies | Increases damage dealt to low-health enemies | Devastating Blow | Damage over time |
Giatta
| Skill 1 | Skill 2 | Skill 3 | Skill 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purification | Barrier | Acceleration | Reconstruction |
| Essence Generator | Protective shields to reduce incoming damage | Increases the movement and attack speed | Heal and restore health |
Great Sword Gameplay & Tips
Accompany Marius and Giatta on your battles; they’ll support you during intense fights, enabling you to inflict significant damage with your weapon. Focus on enhancing Might for greater overall damage, Constitution for boosting health and resilience, and Dexterity for faster attacks and improved accuracy. Select abilities that complement the prowess of a Great Sword. Keep in mind that frequent upgrades to your equipment and weapon are crucial to ensure their combat effectiveness.
Activate the Parry skill, which is part of the Ranger’s talent tree. This skill allows you to momentarily stun enemies by parrying their attacks, paving the way for a strong counterattack. To start a battle and bridge gaps, use the Charge ability. When facing tough opponents, utilize Marius’s control abilities to immobilize them. For optimal performance, select equipment that suits your Great Sword playstyle and amplifies damage output. The Great Sword is best paired with Bleeding Cuts, enhancing its capability to inflict bleeding effects through powerful strikes.
Weapons and Armor
Beginner Weapon and Armor
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Horsecutter | 284 Physical Damage 260 Stun 20 Stamina Cost 3% Critical Hit Chance |
| Secondary Weapon | Unmaker | 284 Physical Damage 260 Stun 20 Stamina Cost 3% Critical Hit Chance |
| Armor | Arcanist’s Gambeson | 8% Damage Reduction -15 Maximum Stamina -20 Maximum Essence |
| Gloves | Death Knight Gloves | -10% Stamina cost while blocking +15% Frost Damage |
| Boots | Boots of the Bricklayer | +10% Dodge Distance |
| Trinket | Night-Mistress’ Favor | Slowly regenerate Essence while close to a Companion |
| Ring | Ring of Pain Amplification | +15% Critical Damage |
| Ring | Ring of the Founder | +10% Damage Against enemies with full health |
- Horsecutter (Great Sword)- Acquire the Horsecutter from the Wavesculpt Hollow. This area is located in the Emerald Stair region, just south of Maxim’s Claim.
- Unmaker (Great Sword)- Located underwater at the Broken Aqueduct, in The Garden.
- Arcanist’s Gambeson- Location is Dawnshore. In the southeastern building of the Yellowband Camp in Dawnshore.
- Death Knight Gloves- Location is Emerald Stair. Kill Captain Aelfyr at the end of the Emerald Stair chapter.
- Boots of the Bricklayer- Location is Dawnshore. Found inside of the Pargrun Cache east of the Overgrown Expanse Party Camp in Dawnshore.
- Night-Mistress’ Favor- Location is Dawnshore. Received as a reward for ignoring talking about Giuliana’s contraband in Giuliana’s Shipment as part of the Side Quest.
- Ring of Pain Amplification- Location is Emerald Stair. Obtained from Dolina as a reward for defeating Amadio and the Xaureps in the Fortified Xaurep Camp in the northeastern Grim Wetlands of Emerald Stair.
- Ring of the Founder- Found in the Ancient Grotto, on the body of the Idol of Secret Hatred Totem Piece.
Endgame Weapon and Armor
| Slot | Item | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | The Philosopher’s Riddle | 284 Physical Damage 260 Stun 20 Stamina Cost 3% Critical Hit Chance |
| Secondary Weapon | Hel’s Tongue | 284 Physical Damage 260 Stun 20 Stamina Cost 3% Critical Hit Chance |
| Armor | Councilor’s Garb | +50% Stealth Attack Damage |
| Gloves | Sentinel Gloves | +15% Stun |
| Boots | Wavebinder Boots | +15 Maximum Essence |
| Trinket | Cartographer’s Companion | +1 Dex, +2 Perception |
| Ring | Chitin Band | -5% damage from beasts |
| Ring | Sigil of the Arcane | +20% ability cast speed -20% ability essence cost |
- The Philosopher’s Riddle (Great Sword)- Location is Dawnshore. Found in the ruined building on the northwest of Castol’s Folly in Dawnshore.
- Hel’s Tongue (Great Sword)- Location is Shatterscarp. Found atop Twin Offerings Overlook, past the Bounty target Xaurip Chief Grithin, and up by the Ancient Memory.
- Councilor’s Garb- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Kill Kostya toward the end of the Main Story Quest “Our Dreams Divide Us Still.”
- Sentinel Gloves- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found in the building on the north side of Ash Forest Outpost. Head up the stairs towards where you rescue Petru, but take a right to jump over and drop into the building.
- Wavebinder Boots- Location is Shatterscarp. Found in a cave at the end of a stream to the east of the Sulfur Mines.
- Cartographer’s Companion- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found on a dead dwarf near the Bounty target Urvolnau west of Berath’s Bounty.
- Chitin Band- Location is Shatterscarp. Looted from a Skeleton Mage east of the Abandoned Mine.
- Sigil of the Arcane- Location is Shatterscarp. It can be found inside a lockbox inside a puzzle door at Shark’s teeth.
Consumables
The Darkest Rauataian Chocolate Cookie is another excellent item that boosts your Perception and Dexterity by 1, increases Movement Speed by 10%. Grog is a useful item that removes Poison, bleeding, and elemental effects from your character. Raw Bleathorn Milk offers you 10 Health Regeneration. To make the most of this, allocate three skill points into survivalist in the ranger tree. Upon unlocking this skill, you’ll be able to craft advanced food and buffs that significantly improve your survivability, damage output, and regeneration.
FAQs about Great Sword in Avowed
What is the best Great Sword build in Avowed?
The optimal Great Sword setup features The Philosopher’s Riddle and Hel’s Tongue for inflicting heavy damage. In challenging situations, it’s wise to have Marius and Giatta as your allies for added support.
Which is the best Background for Great Sword build?
The War Hero makes an ideal backdrop for a Great Sword character, as this build prefers a straightforward, bold, and durable fighter. The War Hero lays a robust base for physical confrontations, a key aspect for a Great Sword build.
Which are the best skills for a Great Sword build?
In the game Avowed, the top abilities for a Great Sword user are Strength (similar to brawn), Wounding Blows (like bleeding cuts), Vengeance (a form of retribution), Eviction (equivalent to clear out), Charge (mimicking a charge), and Indomitable (resembling unbreakable).
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2025-03-12 01:05