Best New World Sword and Shield Builds for PvP and PvE

In this guide, we will be telling you about some of the Best Sword and Shield Builds in New World. We will be discussing the strengths and weaknesses of this weapon, as well as talk about a couple of different builds focusing on different playstyles.

Sword and Shield Attribute Scaling

Sword will determine your main damage as well as the damage dealt by your shield-based attacks. Since swords scale with Strength, this will be our major focus in every build. The way every build plays will differ based on the skills they have.

Secondary to Strength, our main focus will be Constitution. Sword has bad range and we need to get close to the enemy, and since we are looking at tanky builds, having high constitution provides you a lot of room to absorb damage and get close to those cowardly long-range fighters.

lastly, we may look at Focus if we want to keep an option to heal ourselves or have at least one long-ranged option. Though an unorthodox option, we can even invest in Dexterity to some extent to get a faster option along with the slow sword.

Best Sword and Shield Weapon Combinations

Sword and Shield builds ask for high investments in Strength and Constitution. This means any secondary weapon we prefer is the one that will also benefit from investments in these Attributes.

From this point of view, War Hammer and Great Axe make the best contender for being selected as the secondary weapon in almost every build of Sword and Shield, since these weapons have Grit on them and scale directly with strength as well.

Another contender for pairing with Sword and Shield is the Life staff of course. This allows you to play the Paladin as you can not only be the strongest tank, but also the most dependable healer since you can’t be taken down easily.

Best Sword and Shield Perks

Getting the right combination of perks on your armor and weapons can make all of these Sword and Shield builds even more effective. Below, we have mentioned some of the best gear perks you should be on the lookout for

Contagious Reverse Stab: using Reverse Stab transmits a debuff from the player to the enemy

Fortifying Shield Rush: Hitting a target with Shield Rush ability grants the player Fortify increasing damage absorption for 4s

Accelerated Defiant Stance: increases movement speed for 5s after using Defiant Stance.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Tankiest builds in the game
Strong attacks
Highest health pool
Best for defensive and supportive gameplay

Weaknesses

Slow moving. Have a difficult time with fast enemies
Bad range on attacks. You are at disadvantage against ranged fighters
Bad Damage Per Second (DPS) as compared to other builds

Sword and Shield PvE Tank Build

If your playstyle resembles a tank that can withstand almost anything and still have an excellent damage output, this New World Sword and Shield build is for you.

Your primary weapon is a Sword and your secondary weapon is a Warhammer. This build is better for PvE Gameplay.

Best Sword and Shield Masteries

Here are the Skills you need to unlock and equip for this Sword and Shield tank build:

Shield Rush

Rush forward 5m and bash you opponent, dealing the weapon’s 125.4% damage. This will be the primary skill for almost all your Sword and Shield builds as this move allows you to get close to enemies who are either ranged or keeping their distance from you.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Improved Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m are weakened 10.0% for 10.0s.
Intimidating Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m of you are slowed by 30.0% for 4.0s.

Shield Bash

Deals 50% of the weapon’s damage and stuns enemies for 2 seconds.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Intimidating Bash: Shield Bash causes greatly increased threat and deals 100% more damage.

Defiant Stance

For 8s, the base damage of the enemy’s weapon will be decreased by 30%.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Final Countdown: If your health is above 50%, damage reduction is increased by 20%.

General Passives

Achilles’ Heel: Your light chain finisher will inflict 20% slow for 20 seconds.
Precision: Your critical chance with Sword and Shield is increased by 10%.
Elemental Resistance: Reduces all magical attacks by 10%.
Final Blow: Light Chain finisher deals 15% more damage.
Steady Grip: Stamina Damage for blocking melee attacks is reduced by 15%.

Best War Hammer Masteries

Here are the War hammer skills you need to unlock and equip:

Armor Breaker

A powerful swing that penetrates 35% of the enemy’s armor and deals 140% of the weapon’s damage.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Indomitable: Adds grit to Armor Breaker
Lasting Trauma: Armor Breaker inflicts rend on target, reducing damage absorption by 20.0% for 10.0s.

Shockwave

Slams the hammer on the ground that deals 80% of the weapon’s damage, and stuns enemies for 2 seconds in a 3m radius.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Frailty: The Trauma of the attack causes Weaken, decreasing the damage dealt from the target’s attacks by 10.0% for 10.0s.
Meteoric Crater: The trauma of the attack causes Weaken, decreasing the damage dealt from the target’s attacks by 10.0% for 10.0s.

Path of Destiny

A powerful slam that sends a linear wave that deals 110% of the weapon’s damage.

General Passives

Exhaustive Attacks: All warhammer abilities apply exhaust, slowing the enemy’s stamina regeneration by 20% for 5 seconds.
Prevailing Spirit: Regain 35% of the damage dealt to enemies with Crowd Crusher abilities as health.
Aftershock: Enemies hit by Crowd Crusher abilities are slowed by 20% for 4 seconds.

Attributes

Strength	25
Dexterity	5
Intelligence	5
Focus	5
Constitution	175

Sword and Shield PvP Tank Build

This build focuses on Crowd control and is presented with the intended use in 50v50 War and Siege modes.

Your Primary Weapon is the Sword and Secondary Weapon is the Great Axe. This Build is better for PvP Gameplay.

Sword and Shield Masteries

Reverse Stab

A stab attack that deals 175.0% weapon damage.

Passive to Unlock in Order

Unstoppable Stab: Reverse Stab now has Grit.
Tactician: On a successful hit with Reverse Stab, all sword cooldowns are reduced by 25.0%.

Shield Rush

Passives to Unlock in Order

Improved Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m are weakened 10.0% for 10.0s.
Intimidating Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m of you are slowed by 30.0% for 4.0s.

Defiant Stance

For 8s, the base damage of the enemy’s weapon will be decreased by 30%.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Final Countdown: If your health is above 50%, damage reduction is increased by 20%.
Restoration: When Defiant Stance ends, heal 15.0% of your max health.

General Passives

Empowered Stab: Successful heavy attack grants you 30% empower for 5 seconds.
Mobility: Move 33% faster while blocking.
Opportunist: Deal 10% additional damage to slowed enemies.
Defensive Formation: Blocking reduces damage to all allies by 30%.

Great Axe Masteries

Charge

You charge for 10m and deal 120% of your weapon’s damage to the enemy.

Maelstorm

Perform a fast spinning attack that pulls the enemy close to you and deals 110% damage of the weapon.

Passive to Unlock in Order

Storm’s Reach: Extends Maelstrom’s pull range by 50%.
Absorb: Consumes all projectiles while Maelstrom is active.
No Reprieve: Maelstrom does an extra spin attack, pulling in foes and dealing 110.0% weapon damage.

Gravity Well

An upward swing dealing 99.0% weapon damage and projecting a powerful tear in reality that creates a vortex. The vortex pulls foes within 10m to its center for 3s. The collapsing vortex ends with a damaging burst dealing 125.0% weapon damage.

Passive to Unlock in Order

Crowded Well: Increase burst damage by 10.0% for each foe caught in the vortex.
Unyielding: Allies gain 10.0% Fortify while standing in your well.

General Passives

Critical Gain: On Critical hits, get 10% of the damage dealt back as health.
Critical Condition: Great Axe have 15% chance of landing critical hit on enemies with health below 30%.
Feed: Great Axe attack on enemies with health below 30% give you 10% of the damage from that hit.
Enduring Strike: Adds grit to heavy attacks and grant 20% damage reduction during heavy attacks.

Attributes

Strength	75
Dexterity	5
Intelligence	5
Focus	5
Constitution	129

Sword and Shield PvP DPS Build

Even though this DPS build is weaker than most since it is a Sword and Shield build after all, where it lacks in strength it makes up in damage and can make quick work of your enemies.

The Secondary Weapon is a Spear. This Build is Better for PvP Gameplay.

Sword and Shield Masteries

Leaping Strike

Leap 6m and deal 150.0% weapon damage.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Final Strike: If you hit a foe below 30% health, deal 50.0% more damage.
Cowardly Punishment: If Leaping Strike hits a target in the back, it inflicts a 50.0% slow for 8.0s.

Shield Rush

Passives to Unlock in Order

Improved Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m are weakened 10.0% for 10.0s.
Intimidating Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m of you are slowed by 30.0% for 4.0s.

Shield Bash

Deals 50% of the weapon’s damage and stuns enemies for 2 seconds.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Intimidating Bash: Shield Bash causes greatly increased threat and deals 100% more damage.
Concussive Bash: Shield Bash stun duration increased by 1s.

General Passives

Counter Attack: Block empowers you by 3% for 5 seconds. This can be stacked 5 times for a total of 15% empowerment.
Mobility: Moves 33% faster when blocking.
Critical Precision: on critical hits, get 20% haste for 5 seconds.
Final Blow: Light chain finisher deals 15% extra damage.
Invigorating Bulwark: gain 15 stamina for hitting an enemy with Shield Bash or Shield Rush.

Spear Masteries

Sweep

Sweep the target’s legs, dealing 75.0% weapon damage and knocking them down.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Tenacious Sweep: Grit is now active during the attack.

Skewer

Rush forward and skewer your target, dealing 125.0% weapon damage and applying bleed. Bleed deals 20.0% weapon damage every 1.0s for 10.0s.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Deadly Ambush: Skewer deals 20.0% increased damage against targets that have full health.
Follow Through: Gain empower if Skewer critical hits, increasing damage by 20.0% for 10.0s.
Deep Wound: Bleed duration increased to 15.0s.

Perforate

Execute 3 quick piercing strikes that each deal 80.0% weapon damage and apply rend, reducing the target’s damage absorption by 5.0% for 10.0s.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Rupturing Strikes: Rend increased to 10.0% per strike against targets above 50.0% health.
Impactful Strikes: Target is staggered if you successfully land all 3 hits.

General Passives

Merciless Strength: Increases damage by 25% for knocked down enemies.
Invigorating Crits: Restore 20 stamina on critical hits.
Precise Jabs: Light attacks have a 5% increased chance of critical hits.
Exposed Wounds: Critical chance of bleeding enemies is increased by 15%.

Attributes

Strength	30
Dexterity	30
Intelligence	5
Focus	5
Constitution	100

Sword and Shield PvE DPS Build

This build is a variation from the last in such that it focuses completely on high damage values while trading blows with the enemy. The skills will be selected to incapacitate the enemy and use this to your benefit completely.

The Secondary Weapon for this build is Great Axe. This Build is Better for PvE Gameplay.

Sword and Shield Masteries

Leaping Strike

Leap 6m and deal 150.0% weapon damage.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Final Strike: If you hit a foe below 30% health, deal 50.0% more damage.
Cowardly Punishment: If Leaping Strike hits a target in the back, it inflicts a 50.0% slow for 8.0s.

Shield Rush

Rush forward 5m and bash your opponent, dealing the weapon’s 125.4% damage. This will be the primary skill for almost all your Sword and Shield builds as this move allows you to get close to enemies who are either ranged or keeping their distance from you.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Improved Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m are weakened 10.0% for 10.0s.
Intimidating Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m of you are slowed by 30.0% for 4.0s.

Shield Bash

Deals 50% of the weapon’s damage and stuns enemies for 2 seconds.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Intimidating Bash: Shield Bash causes greatly increased threat and deals 100% more damage.
Concussive Bash: Shield Bash stun duration increased by 1s.

General Passives

Achilles’ Heel: Your light chain finisher will inflict 20% slow for 20 seconds.
Freeing Justice: Successful heavy attacks cause you to lose 1 debuff.
Opportunist: Deal 10% additional damage to slowed enemies.
Counter Attack: Block empowers you by 3% for 5 seconds. This can be stacked 5 times for a total of 15% empowerment.
Mobility: Moves 33% faster when blocking.

Great Axe Masteries

Charge

You charge for 10m and deal 120% of your weapon’s damage to the enemy.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Frenzied Momentum: Charge now deals 120.0 – 140.0% weapon damage based on how far you traveled.

Maelstorm

Perform a fast spinning attack that pulls the enemy close to you and deals 110% damage of the weapon.

Passive to Unlock in Order

Storm’s Reach: Extends Maelstrom’s pull range by 50%.
Absorb: Consumes all projectiles while Maelstrom is active.
No Reprieve: Maelstrom does an extra spin attack, pulling in foes and dealing 110.0% weapon damage.

Reap

Extend your axe 5m, pulling foes to you and dealing 110.0% weapon damage. Taunt Gem Compatible: If you have a Carnelian gem equipped in your great axe, this ability inflicts taunt for 4.0s when it hits.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Collector: Reap range is now 8m.
Hunger: Heal yourself for 30.0% of damage done by Reap.
Fatal Attraction: After pulling, perform a spin attack dealing 115.0% weapon damage.

General Passives

Critical Gain: On Critical hits, get 10% of the damage dealt back as health.
Critical Condition: Great Axe have 15% chance of landing critical hit on enemies with health below 30%.
Feed: Great Axe attack on enemies with health below 30% give you 10% of the damage from that hit.
Enduring Strike: Adds grit to heavy attacks and grant 20% damage reduction during heavy attacks.
Blood Lust: Move 30% faster and deal 15% additional damage when in range of 1.25 m of the enemy.

Attributes

Strength	166
Dexterity	5
Intelligence	5
Focus	5
Constitution	159

Sword and Shield PvP Paladin Build

This build is of a healing PvP character that plays as a support character, being a defensive fort for the team and himself while simultaneously devastating the enemy team.

The Secondary Weapon is a Life Staff. This Build is Better for PvP Gameplay.

Attributes

Strength	100
Dexterity	5
Intelligence	5
Focus	70
Constitution	150

Sword and Shield Masteries

Leaping Strike

Leap 6m and deal 150.0% weapon damage.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Final Strike: If you hit a foe below 30% health, deal 50.0% more damage.
Cowardly Punishment: If Leaping Strike hits a target in the back, it inflicts a 50.0% slow for 8.0s.

Shield Rush

Passives to Unlock in Order

Improved Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m are weakened 10.0% for 10.0s.
Intimidating Rush: On a successful hit, all enemies within 5m of you are slowed by 30.0% for 4.0s.

Whirling Wind

Deal 145.0% weapon damage to all foes within 2m.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Opportunity: Whirling Blade inflicts a 5.0% rend for 10.0s.
Tactical Strike: Whirling Blade reduces its own cooldown by 10.0% for each enemy hit.

Life Staff Masteries

Sacred Ground

Create an area on the ground with a 3m radius that lasts for 12s. Allies in the area are healed for 16.0% weapon damage every second.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Holy Ground: Regenerate stamina and mana 50.0% faster while in Sacred Ground.
Blessed: While allies are in Sacred Ground, they are healed for 50.0% more from all healing.

Light Embrace

Heal target for 80.0% weapon damage +30.0% more for each buff on that target.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Inspire: When you heal a target with Light’s Embrace, that target gains 25.0 stamina.
Connection: When you heal a target with Lights Embrace, gain 2.0% of your max mana for each buff your target has.

Beacon

Shoot out a light projectile that deals 146.0% weapon damage to enemies, attaches to its target and heals all nearby allies for 16.0% weapon damage each second for 10s.

Passives to Unlock in Order

Infused Light: Beacon’s area of effect is now 50% larger.
Radiance’s Blessing: Beacon lasts 5s longer.
Speed of Light: When Beacon heals a target it also applies 20.0% haste for 3.0s