Long Sword — Gogma Attack Focus Meta

Overview

Pure raw LS Attack Focus for patch 1.041, built on Headsman's Hamus (Gogma Artian) with Gore Magala's Tyranny (Black Eclipse/Frenzy) + Lord's Soul (Guts/Tenacity) rolled in. A generalist endgame AT build with no elemental bias — flexibility over burst.

Core rotation

The standard loop is to climb the Spirit Gauge to Red and hold it:

• Climb. Spirit Blade I → II → III → Spirit Roundslash. A connected III triggers the gauge upgrade (white → yellow → red).
• Red Spirit Gauge. +10% attack and affinity. Entering and sustaining Red is the build's central goal.
• Long punish window. Spirit Helm Breaker for the cash-out.
• Short window. Iai Spirit Slash (Foresight Slash) — the DPS-safe default on a counter.

Focus Mode is mandatory for aiming at wounds: WEX 5 + CB 3 make every hit on a wounded part crit hard.

Structural thesis — weapon-as-piece

Headsman's Hamus counts as a piece toward set-bonus and group-skill thresholds. On the paper doll the armor shows only 1pc Gore Tyranny (Sororal α) and 2pc Lord's Soul (Udra γ + Dahaad γ), which would suggest no bonus closes. With the weapon as an invisible piece:

• 2pc Gore Tyranny → activates Black Eclipse I (Frenzy mechanic).
• 3pc Lord's Soul → activates Guts/Tenacity (survive one lethal hit).

Gogmapocalypse 2pc (Vambraces α + Greaves α) stands on its own, independent of the weapon. Its effect is Mutual Hostility I (+element while enraged), but this LS Attack Focus build is pure raw — so it rides along as a sidekick skill here. In a future elemental build the roles flip.

Reinforcement — 2× Attack EX + 2× Affinity EX + 1× Sharpness I

This canonical combination is the weapon's theoretical ceiling. The EX tier rolls less often than III in Gogma Artian crafting.

RNG fallback: if EX won't cooperate, swap in an extra III (same layout: 2× each + 1 Sharpness I). The theoretical ceiling drops ~8-12%, but the build stays functional as a practical meta.

Charm — Exploiter III default

Exploiter Charm III (Weakness Exploit +3) is a deterministic craft post-HR100 and pairs with the armor to close the WEX 5 cap.

Optional upgrade via an Appraised Charm R8 (RNG, Melding Pot or HR100+ drop): the ideal roll would be Attack Boost +3 + Weakness Exploit +1 + a weapon [1] slot, or a variant with Agitator +1. Unlikely to drop — it doesn't gate the build, just an opportunistic upgrade.

Native skills and buff cycles

Guts (Lord's Soul 3pc) — survive one lethal hit. It flips the risk profile: you can push DPS closer to the hitbox, take counter-trades instead of dodging, and on Helm Breaker accept the risk of being locked in the animation. Trade-off: Lord's Soul also lowers defense while active, so a second incoming hit right after Guts is severe. Use it as a safety net for a big cash-out (a full Helm Breaker), not for continuous sustain.

Black Eclipse I (Gore Tyranny 2pc) — a Frenzy mechanic. While active it grants sustained affinity through the window; it pays off when you cure the Frenzy through continuous damage (the standard Gore mechanic).

Agitator 5 during the rage window is where the crit trinity lines up — AT rage cycles are predictable (1-2 min between enrages depending on the monster). That's the time to chain long punishes with Helm Breaker.

Target profile

A generalist endgame AT pick for patch 1.041 — AT Arkveld, AT Gogmazios, AT Jin Dahaad, AT Nu Udra. No target-specific pivot. Builds that lean on a strong elemental weakness (Jin Dahaad to fire, etc.) get curated separately as Element Focus when they enter the catalog.