Most melee weapons in Windrose deal pierce damage. The Dueling Greatsword is different. It deals slash damage, and its two bonus effects are built entirely around the parry mechanic, rewarding players who master perfect blocks with health recovery and stacking melee damage bonuses. You do not need to complete any quest or hunt a specific boss to get it. You just need a Weaponsmith Workshop and the right materials. Here is everything you need to know.
What makes the Dueling Greatsword worth using?
The Dueling Greatsword carries an Agility rating of A, which is strong for a greatsword class weapon. The two bonus effects are what set it apart from other early-to-mid game melee options:
- Bonus Effect 1: Each successful perfect block applies a retaliation effect that increases melee damage by 10%. This stacks up to 3 times, but taking any damage removes all stacks.
- Bonus Effect 2: At maximum stacks, perfect blocks restore 10% of your health.
The key detail here is that both effects are locked behind the perfect block condition. If you are not actively parrying, you are leaving most of the weapon's value on the table. For players who have already developed good parry timing, this sword becomes extremely powerful in sustained fights.
Dueling Greatsword stats overview
Getting all 3 retaliation stacks active before engaging a tough enemy dramatically increases your damage output. Practice perfect blocks on weaker enemies first to build the habit.
How to craft the Dueling Greatsword
The crafting process is straightforward. You need two things: a built Weaponsmith Workshop at your base and the materials listed below.
What materials do you need?
Copper Ingots come from smelting Copper Ore at a Smelting Furnace. According to xboxplay.games, Copper Ore nodes appear at rocky outcrops in the Coastal Jungle and the lower Foothills. The nodes have a greenish-brown appearance. The source recommends gathering at least 50 Copper Ingots upfront to cover your first several upgrades, not just the base craft.
Rough Hide drops from basic wildlife. Boars and wolves are the primary sources, with the source at xboxplay.games noting that boars near forest edges are preferable targets because they are less likely to travel in large packs.
Step-by-step crafting process
- Build a Weaponsmith Workshop at your base (requires Wood and Stone).
- Gather 10 Copper Ingots by smelting Copper Ore at a Smelting Furnace.
- Collect 2 Rough Hide from boars or wolves.
- Interact with the Weaponsmith Workshop and navigate to the Melee tab.
- Select the Dueling Greatsword and confirm the craft.
The Dueling Greatsword cannot be crafted from your hand-held crafting menu. You must use the Weaponsmith Workshop specifically.
How does the upgrade system work?
The Dueling Greatsword scales from level 1 to level 15. Base damage starts at 100 and increases by exactly 20 per level, reaching a maximum of 380 at level 15. Upgrades are sequential, meaning you cannot skip levels.
Full level scaling table
Early levels (1 through 5) only require Copper. Later levels demand Foothills Iron and eventually Tumbaga Ingots as you progress into harder biomes.
According to xboxplay.games, entering the Cursed Swamps with a Dueling Greatsword below level 5 is a significant mistake. Enemy armor ratings in that area will absorb too much of your damage to make fights manageable.
Are there alternative ways to get it?
If you are short on Copper, there are a couple of other options documented by xboxplay.games:
- Bandit Leader drops: Elite Bandit captains in the Foothills have roughly a 5% chance to drop a pre-crafted Dueling Greatsword, sometimes already at level 2 or 3.
- Sunken Treasures: Shipwrecks along the southern coast can contain Armory Crates with finished ingots or high-level Rough Hide, which can speed up the process.
These are slower and less reliable than just crafting the weapon directly, but they are worth knowing about if you happen to encounter them naturally.
What class of player benefits most from this weapon?
The Dueling Greatsword is built for aggressive melee players who are comfortable with parry timing. Its high Impact rating also makes it useful for breaking enemy shields, which most legendary rapiers handle less effectively according to xboxplay.games. The stamina cost is notable since it is a heavy weapon, so pairing it with gear that boosts stamina recovery helps maintain consistent attack chains.
The Dueling Greatsword does not require Ash or Gunpowder to function, unlike ranged options such as the Dragon's Breath. For resource-efficient long-term farming, this makes the greatsword a more sustainable choice.
For more Windrose builds, weapon comparisons, and crafting guides, browse the latest guides at GAMES.GG.