Dueling Greatsword

The Dueling Greatsword is a Rare two-handed weapon that rewards defensive mastery with escalating damage bonuses. With 320 Slash power and standard Agility scaling, its baseline performance is solid, but the real draw is its Retaliation mechanic. Every Perfect Block grants a stack of Retaliation that boosts your damage by 15% per stack, accumulating up to 3 stacks for a maximum of 45% bonus damage. This is even more potent than the one-handed Dueling Saber variant, which only grants 10% per stack, making the Dueling Greatsword the premier choice for players who have truly mastered Perfect Block timing.

The Epic upgrade adds a remarkable survival mechanic: reaching maximum Retaliation stacks heals you for 10% of your maximum HP. This transforms the Dueling Greatsword from a pure damage tool into a sustain weapon that rewards consistent defensive play with both offense and healing. In prolonged fights against bosses or elite enemies, this self-healing can reduce or eliminate your reliance on consumable healing items. Combined with the 45% damage bonus at full stacks, the Epic Dueling Greatsword creates a powerful feedback loop where good defense fuels overwhelming offense and keeps you alive simultaneously.

Building around the Dueling Greatsword means prioritizing Perfect Block consistency above all else. Talents that expand the Perfect Block window, reduce block stamina costs, or grant additional effects on successful blocks will amplify your effectiveness enormously. The weapon is at its best in one-on-one encounters where you can focus entirely on reading enemy attack patterns. Against groups, consider using a sweeping opening attack to thin the herd before focusing your Perfect Block gameplay on the remaining threats. While the skill ceiling is high, players who invest the time to master this weapon will find it to be one of the most rewarding greatswords in all of Windrose.