New World Aeternum Sword and Shield Build Guide

The Sword and Shield build in New World remains one of the most versatile setups, ideal for both PvE and PvP encounters. While the sword can be wielded on its own, using the shield unlocks various defensive abilities, making it an indispensable part of the setup. This guide dives into the mechanics of the Sword and Shield, highlighting their offensive and defensive potential, skill trees, and how to optimize this build for different gameplay scenarios.

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The Sword and Shield scales primarily with Strength but also benefits from Dexterity. However, to maximize its damage potential, focusing on Strength is essential. The build's light attacks deal 100% weapon damage, with the final spinning attack landing an additional 5%. Heavy attacks increase this to 120% damage, while charged heavy attacks reach 160%, making them a powerful tool for dispatching enemies quickly.

What truly sets this weapon combination apart is its ability to deal multiple types of damage: Slashing, Thrust, and Strike. Light attacks are classified as slashing, heavy attacks as thrust, and shield-based attacks deal strike or blunt damage. This flexibility makes the build effective against various enemies, especially since different types of foes in New World have varying weaknesses to damage types.

There are three distinct types of shields, each offering a different balance of offense, defense, and weight:

Round Shields: The lightest option, offering the highest damage output but the lowest block stability. Round shields are great for maximizing damage and are particularly useful in 1v1 PvP or questing. However, due to their low block stability, they aren't ideal for tanking large numbers of enemies.

Kite Shields: These shields strike a balance between offense and defense. Heavier than round shields, they provide 10% more block stability but deal 10% less damage. Kite shields are a good option for players who want flexibility and perform well in both tanking and offensive roles.

Tower Shields: The heaviest and most defensive option, offering 10% more block stability than kite shields and providing superior protection at the cost of damage. These shields are best for tanking in large PvP battles or expeditions where blocking numerous attacks is crucial.

The Sword and Shield build features two skill trees: Swordmaster and Defender. Each caters to different playstyles, allowing players to either focus on maximizing damage or becoming a defensive juggernaut.

The Swordmaster tree emphasizes dealing damage and improving sword skills. Here are the key abilities:

Upheaval: This ability deals 200% weapon damage and grants grit, preventing interruptions. It is especially useful to capitalize on enemies being incapacitated after crowd control effects, such as Shield Bash. Although powerful, it has a long cooldown and limited range.

Whirling Blade: This AoE ability hits multiple enemies for slashing damage, making it versatile for clearing mobs or fighting small groups in PvP. Depending on your armor weight, Whirling Blade can apply debuffs like Rend, Weaken, or increased stamina regeneration.

Leaping Strike: A gap-closing ability that lunges you forward, though it's tricky to land due to its small hitbox and short range. It can inflict slow on enemies, making it useful in PvP to hinder fleeing opponents.

The Capstone of this tree, Leadership, passively boosts your party's damage by 10%, making it incredibly valuable in both dungeons and PvP, where group synergy is key.

The Defender tree is geared towards enhancing survivability, crowd control, and tanking:

Shield Bash: A strike damage skill that stuns enemies, ideal for PvP to disable opponents or in dungeons to control aggro. The ability can also be enhanced with taunt gems, making it an excellent tool for tanks to draw enemy attention.

Shield Rush: A mini charge that staggers and weakens enemies. Though its long animation provides grit, initiating combos in PvP or pushing enemies in PvE is useful. The skill also reduces enemy damage and slows their movement, improving your overall control in combat.

Defender's Resolve: This self-buff reduces incoming damage by 30% and reduces stamina damage by 20%, serving as an essential defensive tool for tanks. It can also be used with taunt gems for AoE taunts, making it a must-have for dungeon runs. The ability can also heal you after its effect ends, providing a sustain element.

The Capstone for this tree, Defensive Formation, reduces incoming damage to allies within a 4-meter radius while you're blocking, making it excellent for protecting your team in dungeons or large-scale PvP.

While the Sword and Shield combination excels at defense, pairing it with certain secondary weapons enhances its overall utility:

Great Axe: A solid choice for players looking to contribute more damage, particularly in dungeons. You can switch to the Great Axe to deal AoE damage, clearing mobs faster while still retaining your tank role with the Sword and Shield.

Warhammer: Focused more on crowd control than damage, the Warhammer excels in stunning and disabling enemies, which is particularly useful in both PvE and PvP. It can also deal significant damage to undead enemies.

Life Staff: Though it scales with Focus, using a nature gem in your sword also allows it to scale with Focus. This setup is ideal for creating a "Paladin build," where you can heal yourself while maintaining strong defensive capabilities.

Your choice of armor should reflect the role you intend to play:

Heavy Armor: Ideal for tanking in expeditions, heavy armor provides a 10% boost to block stability, which is crucial for withstanding large numbers of enemy attacks.

Medium Armor: Offers a balance between protection and mobility, making it a great choice for players who want to mix offense and defense, especially in PvP or small-scale PvE encounters.

Light Armor: For players who want to maximize damage output, light armor provides the highest damage bonuses at the cost of protection. This is a good option for solo questing or when you're confident in avoiding damage.

The Sword and Shield is one of the most balanced weapon setups in New World. It excels in survivability, versatility, and its ability to deal multiple types of damage, making it ideal for various situations in both PvE and PvP. While its damage output might not be as high as other weapon combinations, its defensive capabilities and flexibility make it an invaluable tool for both tanking and supporting your team. Whether clearing dungeons, holding your ground in PvP, or questing solo, the Sword and Shield build offers unmatched durability and reliability.

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