Top 3 New World Aeternum Best DPS Builds for PvE (Rapier, Sword and Shield)

Achieving optimal DPS is crucial for players aiming to excel in high-end PvE content of New World Aeternum. Among the various builds available, these NW Aeternum DPS builds 2024 have emerged as the top damage dealers, particularly in expedition leaderboard competitions.

Top 3 Best New World Aeternum PVE DPS Builds 

1. New World Aeternum Rapier/Spear DPS Build

This Dexterity-focused DPS build in New World Aeternum combines Rapier and Spear to deliver exceptional single-target damage in PvE content, particularly excelling in M3 Expeditions and against world bosses. The build maximizes damage output by stacking Rend, Weaken, and Bleed effects from the Spear before switching to the Rapier's powerful Blood tree abilities for burst damage. While the build shines in organized group content where tanks can hold aggro, allowing for consistent back-attacking and full-health damage bonuses, its low Constitution makes it relatively unforgiving for solo play or situations where damage cannot be avoided. The build also shows surprising versatility in PvP scenarios, utilizing the Spear's crowd control abilities to set up devastating Rapier combinations, though this requires significantly more skill and positioning awareness to execute effectively.

Weapons

• Primary: Rapier

• Secondary: Spear

Abilities & Skills

Rapier:

• Max out every ability in the Blood tree, except for Heavy Puncture and Light Edge.

• Controlled Breathing (Improved stamina management)

• Perfectionist (Increases damage by 10% when health is full)

Spear:

• Perforate (Used to apply Rend and Weaken to enemies)

• Skewer (Selected to inflict a bleed effect)

• Sweep (Provides crowd control)

Attributes

Both weapons scale primarily with Dexterity, allowing for efficient attribute distribution. The Spear also scales with Strength, while the Rapier scales with Intelligence.

• Strength: 25 (Light attack damage bonus)

• Dexterity: 350 (Max)

• Intelligence: 150

• Focus: 25 (Cooldown reduction)

• Constitution: 50

Equipment

• Rapier: Finisher

• Spear: Rallying Spear of the Sentry

• Armor: Azoth Crystal Shirt + Attuned Leather Pants

• Ring: Soulpollen

• Earring: Endless Thirst

2. New World Aeternum Sword and Shield DPS Build

This New World PvE Sword and Shield build focuses on maximizing damage output and providing Empower buffs, which are particularly valuable in group content where Greatsword tanks are prevalent. While the build excels at sustained DPS and group utility through Empower, its single-target damage might fall short of dedicated DPS builds like Rapier. Furthermore, the optimal offhand choice varies depending on the encounter and group composition.

Weapons

• Primary: Sword and Shield

• Secondary: Spear

Attributes

Prioritizes Strength due to the 10% damage bonus on final hits of melee attacks and abilities, which scales well with Sword. The second focus stat is Dexterity, which provides secondary damage scaling. 25 Intelligence can be replaced with Constitution (25-50) for players who need more survivability. 350 Strength, 250 Dexterity, and 50 Intelligence can be achieved with a Wizard's Hat.

• Strength 308

• Dexterity 234

• Intelligence 25

• Focus 5

• Constitution 5

Abilities & Skills

Sword and Shield:

• Swordmaster Tree: Upheaval, Whirling Blade, Leadership

• Defender Tree: Defender’s Resolve, Final Countdown

• Final Point: Recuperation is recommended for general use, Critical Precision for speedrunning, or Restoration/Leaping Strike for situational needs.

Offhand:

• Spear: Javelin, Sweep, Vault Kick (for cooldown reduction). Primarily for controlling Corrupted Birds in specific raid scenarios. Focus on CC, not damage.

• Great Axe: Reap, Maelstrom, Gravity Well. Avoid the final passive of Reap for smoother animations.

• Flail and Shield: Fortify, Shockwave, Arcane Eruption.

• Greatsword: Rupture or Calamity Counter.

• Bow (Ranged DPS): Poison Shot, Explosive Arrow, Penetrating Shot. Prioritizes quick animations for burst damage.

Gear

• Sword: The Butcher (725 Gear Score) with Keenly Jagged, Whirling Blade, and Enchanted. A gem slot with a Diamond is used (not Runeglass).

• Shield: Corrupted Heart Round Shield with Keen, Empowered, and Enchanted.

• Chest: Featherweight with Health (other options are possible if Contagious Upheaval isn't on other gear).

• Gloves: Light Gloves with Enchanted, Health, and Refreshing. Mentions using Azoth Crystal Gloves.

• Pants: Medium Pants with Enchanted, Shirking Energy, and Health.

• Boots: Medium Boots with Enchanted, Refreshing, and Health.

• Amulet: Health, Slash Protection, and ideally Empowered (Divine or others acceptable). Privateer's Heirloom with Slash Hardy, Strength, and Refreshing (would prefer Leeching).

• Earring: Refreshing Toast, Purifying Toast, and Healing Tomb.

3. New World Aeternum Rapier Bleed DPS Build

The Rapier Bleed build stands as the top DPS choice in New World Aeternum, particularly excelling in PvE content and high-end expeditions. This NW PvE DPS build capitalizes on the Blood tree's bleeding effects through Flurry and Flourish & Finish abilities, combined with Evade from the Grace tree for optimal animation canceling and rotation maintenance. It can stack and consume bleeds for massive burst damage, potentially dealing 3,000 damage instantly when properly executed. It is one of the strongest in the current meta stems from recent buffs to damage-over-time effects and the synergy between bleeding mechanics and power-boosting perks, making it indispensable for parties aiming to top expedition leaderboards.

Weapons

• Primary Weapon: Rapier

• Secondary Weapon: Void Gauntlet

Attributes

• 350 Intelligence

• 150 Dexterity

• 25 Focus

• Strength 5

• Constitution 5

Abilities & Skills

Rapier:

• Blood Tree: Max Flurry and Flourish and Finish. Take Refreshing Strikes and Sundering.

• Grace Tree: Max Evade (but skip Adagio and Allegro passives). Take the remaining passives (10% damage at full HP, 5% cooldown on crit, movement speed on hit). Use the extra skill point in the Blood tree for En Garde (10% damage to targets over 50% HP).

Void Gauntlet:

• Focus on Oblivion, Scream, and Tether. Supporting passives for Empower and the critical chance is beneficial.

Gear

Using the Winged Leather Shoes artifact instead of the traditional Nimbo Coat trades an 8% cooldown for a 10% base damage increase.

• Rapier: Finisher

• Secondary Weapon: Void Gauntlet

• Gem: Cut Pristine Diamond

• Armor: Winged Leather Shoes

• Rings: Soulpollen

• Earring: Refreshing Toast and Refreshing are essential. Purifying Toast or Empowering Toast are good third options.

• Amulet: Protection against the specific mutation/enemy damage type, Refreshing, or Health/Empower.