Greatsword

Lore & Background

In the Warhammer world, the greatsword is forged in the forges of the Empire and the shipyards of the northern kingdoms alike. Its blade is long enough to keep a Skaven warrior at arm's distance while its weight, swung by a trained knight or a battle-hardened Viking, can split a vermin's skull clean in two. The Order of the Silver Dragon and the various knightly orders of the Empire have long regarded the greatsword as the paragon of martial virtue: honest, unadorned, and lethal. Vikings, by contrast, see the greatsword less as a badge of chivalry and more as a practical extension of the arm. A raider from the fjords does not need a knight's crest etched into the crossguard; she needs a blade that will cleave through a rat-ogre's hide and keep cutting. Both traditions, however, converge on the same battlefield truth: when the Skaven pour out of their tunnels in endless waves, a single, well-timed greatsword strike can turn the tide of a skirmish. In Vermintide 2 the greatsword's design philosophy is preserved faithfully. It is slower than a rapier or a warhammer, but each swing carries a heft that makes Skaven models scatter. The charged attack — a wind-up strike that channels the wielder's full momentum into a single blow — is the weapon's crown jewel, and mastering its timing is what separates a casual player from a true Vermintide veteran.

Reader's Guide

The Greatsword rewards a damage-per-hit playstyle. Its base swings are slower than one-handed weapons, but each hit lands with significantly more force, making it excellent for quickly dispatching elite Skaven and bosses. The charged (power) attack is the centrepiece: build up the charge, and the blade becomes a guillotine on a stick — time it right and you'll bisect a Stormvermin before it can finish its overhead chop. But don't get greedy: the wind-up leaves you wide open, so use it when a pack is bottlenecked or after you've dodged an incoming strike. Pair it with a mobility talent or a quick side-step to keep yourself alive while you line up the killing blow.

Did You Know?

• The Greatsword is the shared primary weapon of two distinct hero classes — Knights and Vikings — giving the same blade very different tactical roles depending on who wields it.
• The charged (power) attack on the Greatsword is a wind-up mechanic: the longer you hold the charge before releasing, the more damage the final swing deals, but you are vulnerable during the wind-up.
• Because the Greatsword is two-handed, heroes wielding it cannot equip a shield or a secondary weapon, which shapes their entire defensive and utility kit around the block/parry or mobility options instead.