New World Greatsword Build 2024 - PvE & PvP
Oct. 14, 2024What makes theGreatswordstand out are its uniqueOnslaught StanceandDefiant Stancemechanics. Using abilities from theOnslaughtskill tree puts you intoOnslaught Stance, which boosts your damage output but also increases the damage you take while cutting down your charged heavy attack time by half. This offensive stance is great when you want to focus on maximizing damage without worrying much about defense, making it ideal for questing, small-scale PvP, or when you’re playing a DPS role in expeditions.
Defiant Stance, on the other hand, reduces both your incoming and outgoing damage, and automatically blocks when charging a heavy attack. This defensive stance is perfect when you’re surrounded by multiple enemies, engaged in larger PvP battles, or even tanking in expeditions. Both stances last 10 seconds after using a related skill, so you’ll find yourself switching stances often. However, swapping weapons will remove the stance, and you’ll typically start a fight without one unless you’ve just used aGreatswordability.
Thanks to its wide horizontallight attacksthat can cleave through multiple enemies, theGreatswordcan be played in two primary ways: pairing it with aranged weaponto deal damage from a distance before switching to melee or using it fortankingin expeditions alongside aSword and Shieldsince two of theDefiantskills generate threat. These are just a couple of common playstyles, but you can explore other approaches.
New World Aeternum Greatsword Pros:
New World Aeternum Greatsword Cons:
Starting with theOnslaughtskill tree, the first ability isRelentless Rush. This ability makes you dash through enemies while spinning, hitting twice and applyingslowto all affected targets. It’s excellent for hitting groups, especially when enemies are clustered together—like around a tank in a dungeon, during questing when you’ve pulled multiple enemies, or even inPvPwhen players are grouped up. When you upgrade this skill, it gets even better with a boost todamagefromEmpower. Additionally, if you’re inOnslaught Stance, it roots targets, which is particularly useful inPvP. Meanwhile, if you’re inDefiant Stance, it heals you for 15% of the damage dealt, making it more effective forPvEsurvivability. There’s also a cooldown reduction of 50% if you kill an enemy with this skill, but since you’ll likely use it on cooldown regardless of enemy health, this may not trigger too often unless you’re questing or in a dungeon with smaller enemies.
Next isCrosscut, which performs two crossing slashes followed by a heavy overhead strike. Each hit deals more damage than the previous one, with the final hit doing significantly more. I wouldn’t recommend using this skill without its first upgrade that grantsgrit, as you can easily be interrupted during the animation. The final upgrade increases the damage of the last hit when your target is below 50% health—or 75% if you’re already inOnslaught Stance. This means it’s not ideal to start a fight with this ability. You’ll want to use something likeRelentless Rushorlight attacksto whittle down enemy health first before usingCrosscutto capitalize on the increased damage for the finishing blow.
The final skill in theOnslaughttree isSkyward Slash, which performs an upward slash. When upgraded, it allows for a follow-up attack that dealsdamage, appliesrend, staggers the target, and, when fully upgraded, addsdiseaseto reduce healing. This skill can be tricky to use, especially inPvP, due to its long animation, but it’s valuable for debuffing targets—particularly players inPvPwhere healing is more critical.
Finally, theUnrelenting Onslaughtcapstone reduces the cooldown of yourGreatswordabilities by 2% forlight attacksand 10% forcharged heavy attacks. While this seems strong on paper, it’s not as impactful in practice, especially if you’re killing enemies quickly during questing. You’ll often defeat targets before cooldown reduction has much of an effect, making it less useful in those scenarios.
This tree is ideal for aggressive, high-damage play, but you’ll want to make sure you’ve got your timing and positioning right to make the most out of its abilities.
Moving on to theDefianceskill tree, the first ability isSteadfast Strike, which delivers a forward stab followed by a spinning slash. This skillstaggers,pullsthe target, andgenerates threat, making it a solid option for grabbing aggro in dungeons. It also restores 20staminaper enemy hit, which is great for tanking and also useful inPvP. Upgrades forSteadfast Strikeallow it to heal you on the first hit, applybleedingwhen you’re inDefiant Stance, and reduce the cooldown of your otherGreatswordabilities when it hits.
Next isCalamity Counter, which automatically blocks for 2 seconds, reducing stamina damage by 90%, followed by acounterattackthat eitherstaggersorknocks backenemies based on how many attacks you blocked. This is excellent for tanking groups of enemies in dungeons, large-scalePvP, or when questing with multiple enemies. Upgrades let this ability applybleeding, increasecritical hit chanceon counterattacks, and, when used fromDefiant Stance, heal you. This creates synergy with other skills, like usingRelentless Rushfor additional healing and following up withCrosscutfor maximum impact.
The final skill in this tree isRoaring Rupture, which plunges your sword into the ground, sending out ashockwavethat deals damage, boosts your protection, and generatesthreaton nearby enemies. It’s great for tanking, and upgrades allow it tocleanse two debuffs,weakentargets (reducing their damage), and make youuninterruptiblefor 5 seconds. This skill is useful for dungeon pulls orPvPscenarios, letting you continue attacking without being interrupted. The final upgrade lets you eitherpushenemies away orpullthem towards you, useful for both grouping enemies forAOEattacks or controlling positioning inPvP.
TheUndying Defiancecapstone provides passive healing for 5% of the damage you deal, increasing to 15% for a short time after blocking an attack. This is especially useful while questing, inPvP, or tanking in dungeons, as it helps sustain your health without relying heavily on healing from others.
One notable passive ability in this tree isArrow Deflection, which allows you to block 100% of incoming projectile damage. With thelock-onfeature inPvP, this can be invaluable for blocking ranged attacks as you approach enemies, making it a must-have forPvPplayers.
When it comes toArmorfor your New World: Aeternum Greatsword Build, your choice depends on your role and playstyle. If you’re wielding aGreatsword, medium armor is ideal for a balance of mobility and defense, making it suitable for questing. For more challenging encounters, such asPvPor tanking in dungeons, heavy armor is preferable for superior protection. While medium armor allows you to absorb damage and remain mobile, heavy armor can enhance your survivability in tough situations.
That wraps up the New World: AeternumGreatswordBuild guide. Hopefully, you found it helpful. TheGreatswordis a versatile weapon that can be paired with a ranged option if you enjoy mixingmeleeandrangedstyles. You can also combine it with anotherstrengthordexterityweapon, giving you a unique playstyle thanks to its dual scaling. Whether you’re switching between theRapierfor quick dodges or pulling out theGreatswordfor heavy hits, this weapon offers plenty of flexibility.
Keep an eye out for more weapon guides likeSword & Shield,War Hammer,Flail and ShieldandGreat Axe. Will you be playingGreatswordat launch, or are you planning something else? What are you thinking of pairing it with? Let me know in the comments!
Castielle
Senior Editor at Fextralife. I enjoy gaming, playing and watching sports, cooking yummy food, watching a good movie and hanging out with Fex.
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