New World Sword and Shield Build 2024 - PvE & PvP
Oct. 14, 2024There are also 3 different types of Shields in New World: Aeternum, and they operate similarly with some slight differences:
Round Shields are the lightest, with the lowest Block Stability but highest damage. Block Stability determines how much Stamina is consumed when you block an attack. Use this Shield type if you plan to maximize your damage with Defender Skills, which is ideal for questing or 1v1 PvP, but not so great for tanking Expeditions or larger scale PvP where you might need to block a lot.
Kite Shields are twice as heavy as Round Shields, have 10% more Block Stability, and deal about 10% less damage. They are a solid middle ground between tankiness and damage, and are best used by those that plan to play a mix of offensively and defensively when playing Sword and Shield.
Tower Shields are twice as heavy as Kite Shields, which is a lot, and have 10% more Block Stability than Kite Shields, but do roughly 10% less damage. They are the ideal choice for would be tanks in larger PvP battles and in Expeditions where they will be absorbing a large number of attacks.
New World Aeternum Sword & Shield Pros:
New World Aeternum Sword & Shield Cons:
The first ability isUpheaval, which deals200% weapon damage. You also gaingritwhen you’re casting this skill which makes ituncancelable. Progressing this line gives it a damage increase when used on on Crowd Controlled targets (great for following up a Shield Bash), and a passive that allows you to get a 25% cooldown reduction on other sword skills when it lands, which is handy. The downside is it has a very limited range with a cooldown of 17s so it’s not really spammable.
Next isWhirling Blade, anAoEability that lets you hit multiple enemies at once two times. It dealsslash damage, making it effective against a variety of enemies. Progressing this skill line allows you to get a bonus when you land a hit depending on your armor weight:Lightinflicts 15%rendon your enemies reducing their armor,Mediumincreases yourstamina regenfor4s per hit, andHeavyinflicts your target with a 16%weaken. It also reduces the skill’s cooldown by 5% with each successful hit. It’s useful inPvEwhen pulling groups or even inPvPagainst small to medium-sized groups and its chance to inflict debuffs depending on your armor weight while being somewhat spammable is very useful.
The final ability in this tree isLeaping Strike, which lets you lunge forward to close the gap. However, it doesn’t cover a long distance and has a small hitbox, making it hard to land on moving or retreating enemies. It’s not a highly recommendedgap-closerdue to its inconsistency. Progressing this skill line allows you to increase the damage dealt and inflictslowon enemies for 3s
Thecapstonefor this tree,Leadership, is excellent—it passively boosts your party’s damage by10%while holding a sword. For group content likedungeonsorPvP, it’s hard to find a better passive that provides this level of support to your team.
Shield Bashis a crowd control ability that dealsstrike damagewhilestaggeringandStunningenemies (plural), making it effective against undead. It stuns while dealing damage, which is useful inPvP, especially in one-on-one situations. You can stun your opponent, heal quickly, or perhaps use Upheavel for increased damage. However, it has a smaller hitbox than you’d expect, making it a bit tricky to land. Indungeons, if you’re tanking, It’s taunt gem compatible so it’s also a good way totauntthe target, like when you need to draw the boss’s attention again. Progressing this skill line increases the threat generated, as well as giving a bonus based on your shield type: Round shields increase the crit chance of your next hit by 50% for 5s, Kite shields cleanse 1 debuff from you, and Tower shields increase the stun duration by 1s.
Shield Rushis a mini-charge ability that covers 5m of distance, staggering and pushing back enemies it hits. The animation is long and it grants grit, which prevents you from being staggered while executing the skill. I generally avoid using it because you can often deal more damage with regular attacks. However, inPvP, this can be a good way to initiate a combo by rushing forward and staggering an enemy, leaving them open for attacks. Progressing this skill line lets you inflict 20% weaken and 30% slowed to enemies hit.
The last ability in this tree isDefender’s Resolve, which serves as aself-bufffor 30%incoming base damage reduction. It also gives you 20%stamina damage reduction. It’s also taunt gem compatible so it can serve as anAoE tauntwith an 8m radius, essential for tanking in dungeons. Progressing this skill line gives you a bonus depending on your shield type: Round shield increases your base damage by 20%, Kite shields reduce the potency of slows inflicted on you by 30%, and Tower shields grant a base damage reduction of 20%. It also heals you for 30% of your base health after the buff ends.
Thecapstonefor this tree,Defensive Formation, reduces damage to all allies within a 4m radius by 30% while blocking. This is especially useful when you are fulfilling the role of a support tank. Regarding which capstone to choose, it’s all a bit situational. If you feel like your allies can go without a damage buff, or if you’re taking a very difficult expedition, you can go with this one.
Weapons that pair well with theSwordare theGreat Axe,War Hammer, or even theLife Staffin certain situations. TheGreat Axeis a solid all-around choice for tanking in dungeons. You can switch to yourSword and Shieldwhen you need to tank, then pull out theGreat Axeto help withAoEdamage and clear adds faster, contributing to your team’sDPS. It’s always helpful when the tank can deal some damage, and this is one way to do that in dungeons.
TheWar Hammerworks similarly, but it focuses more oncrowd control (CC). While you may contribute less damage, theHammerlets you start with aCCattack, allowing your DPS to strike without taking hits. Then you can swap toSword and Shieldto taunt and deal with enemies. TheHammeris also great against undead, making it useful in dungeons and in the open world. You could pull a group of enemies,CCthem, and then switch toSword and Shieldto finish them off, or use theGreat Axeto mow through the easier ones and deal with tougher foes with yourSword and Shieldby blocking and playing defensively.
The reason I mention theLife Staffis that, although it scales withFocus, you can slot aNature geminto your sword, allowing it to scale withFocusas well. While it won’t hit as hard as aStrength-basedSword and Shield, this setup lets you keep aLife Staffin your back bar to heal yourself between or during combat. This creates a kind ofPaladin build. You may hear people refer to this setup when they talk aboutPaladin builds, as it allows for healing while maintaining a traditionalSword and Shieldplaystyle.
This build is great for questing, as theSword and Shieldis excellent for taking on groups of enemies, and being able to heal between fights saves you from relying on food, resting, or potions. It’s an efficient way to keep moving without needing help from other players, making your quests go more smoothly.
For Armor, I suggest going withHeavy Armorif you want the addedBlock Stabilitybonus of 10%. This will be useful for going on expeditions where you will most likely be filling the tank role. If you’re just going to small scale PvP or solo quest, I suggest usingMedium ArmororLight Armor. Medium is a good middle ground between protection and damage, while light will give you the most damage possible but little protection.
I think the New World: AeternumSword and ShieldBuilds are probably my favorite in the game overall. It’s the weapon you start with at the beginning, and the fact that you can deal all three damage types with this setup is great. Plus, it’s tough to get killed when you have theSword and Shieldequipped, whether you’re inPvEorPvP. Thelight attackshave wide, horizontal sweeps that easily hit multiple enemies, which is a big advantage in both modes.
That said, it’s probably better suited forPvEthanPvPbecause the damage can feel a bit lacking inPvP. I eventually switched to theGreataxeandHammerfor more damage output. However, in large-scale fights, it’s not always about dealing damage. Sometimes, your role is to draw fire and survive while your teammates handle the heavy damage. So, depending on what you’re aiming to do, theSword and Shieldcan still be a great option inPvP.
Keep an eye out for more weapon guides likeWar Hammer,Greatsword,Flail and ShieldandGreat Axe, don’t forget to check out theNew World Wikifor more info. What weapons are you planning to use at launch? What’s your setup looking like? Feel free to share 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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