Great Axe Perks for New World

All the perks below are usable in any Great Axe build. While there are many other perks in the game, these are the perks that are within the scope of having value when using a Great Axe and properly gearing your build.

The perks within this section include general weapon perks and War Hammer specific perks that are in the current META.

• Insatiable Gravity Well — This should always be on a piece of armor. It results in more damage output, and self-healing potential.
• Thwarting Strikes — Very large, free damage increase due to the Great Axe always having grit on its attacks and abilities.
• Refreshing Move — Incredible cooldown reduction perk that is more effective due to the Great Axe hitting multiple enemies at once.
• Attunement Perks — Adds damage to light and heavy attacks, as well as, abilities for supplemental damage to add more pressure.

• Chain Damage Perks — This depends on preference. Some players choose Chain for more Heartrune charge and AoE damage. Generally, Attunement is the more significant option. Either use this or Attunement for your third perk.
• Shirking Damage Perk — Budget third perk option until you get Attunement or Chain Damage.
• Keenly Jagged — Budget third perk option until you get Attunement or Chain Damage.
• Enfeebling Maelstrom — Great defensive utility that keep you alive in both light and medium armor variants by reducing enemy damage output.

• Crippling Reap — When playing with this ability it can be nice to lockdown a target. But, it only applies when they are below 50%. At that point, this target will most likely die if they are pulled in anyway and the slow is insignificant.
• Fortifying Whirlwind — When Whirlwind is used, this adds a significant amount of fortify to help with survival.
• Keen — Not needed, but can be a free damage increase at times.
• Vicious — Can be a slight damage increase, but typically not used.

Mending Execute — If you use Execute this can add self-healing. Great Axe already has self-healing passively, and this is not typically needed.

Refreshing Charge — It can be difficult to land Unpredictable Strike and it is never taken, so this is generally a wasted perk that is overshadowed by defensive options.

Empowering Armor Breaker — It is a very niche perk that will have very low up time and usually not worth prioritizing.

Enchanted — Can be used, but it should never be taken instead of Thwarting Strikes.

The perks within this section include general armor perks for builds that are viable in the current PvP META.

• Resilient — Great for survivability in all PvP environments. Should be stacked on almost every armor piece.
• Freedom — Fantastic survivability option when stacked 3 or 5 times on armor pieces. Allows for you to get out of stuns, slows, and roots more quickly to save your life.
• Elemental Aversion — Defensive option that can provide value when being hit by ranged attacks.

• Refreshing Ward — Top-tier cooldown reduction option so that maximum cooldowns are shorter and abilities come online faster.

• Shirking Fortification — Provides a small amount of defensiveness.
• Refreshing — Alternative source of cooldown reduction when playing a non-bruiser build.

These options are somewhat filler perks that can be used on a three perk item so you have more value than a simple two perk item. They are low value perks in this aspect of gameplay and would not be the pick for a Best in Slot item.

• Physical Aversion
• Invigorated
• Refreshing Evasion

• Refreshing — Free cooldown reduction in PvE. This is generally a top pick due to the lackof needing PvP survivability perks.
• Elemental Aversion — High value defensive option because of the rotating elemental types in mutated expeditions.
• Ward (Ancient, Angry Earth, Corrupted, Lost) — When playing damage roles in end game PvE content, it is important to have this in your gear so you are able to play with less Constitution and have more defensiveness.
• Bane (Ancient, Angry Earth, Corrupted, Lost) — Free damage increase for mutator-specific enemies. This will require you to have multiple different weapons depending on the expedition it is used in.

• Shirking Fortification — Provides great defensiveness when threat is focused on you and you are forced to dodge enemies.
• Physical Aversion — Has less value than Elemental Aversion due to the high amount of magical damage in all expeditions. It can be a viable third perk option.

• Refreshing Evasion — Free cooldown reduction in PvE. It can be useful, but it is better to have Refreshing
• Freedom — Can be beneficial to reduce CC effects from some enemy types.
• Refreshing Ward — Loses value in PvE, it is typically best to just use Refreshing as a DPS. With that being said, this is a good option for tanks.

These options are somewhat filler perks that can be used on a three perk item so you have more value than a simple two perk item. They are low value perks in this aspect of gameplay and would not be the pick for a Best in Slot item.

• Invigorated
• Ward (Beast) — Although listed in C-Tier, this should not ever be taken until there is an expedtion with beast damage in it.

The perks listed below are combined between amulet, ring, and earring. These are the best options for jewelry as a whole. Keep in mind that some of these perks are only able to go on a specific jewelry slot, for example Keen Awareness can only go on a ring.

• Health — This is just free health. This is crucial on any amulet for increased survivability.
• Stamina Recovery — Great survivability option in any kit. When you are being dove on by enemies this has the potential to save your life.
• Slash Protection — Can be a great third perk option on amulet to help provide defensiveness against enemies using melee weapons who are trying to dive onto you.
• Slash Damage — This should be used whenever you have a Great Axe paired with your War Hammer in PvP and PvE.
• Keen Awareness — This is the better second perk option for medium bruiser builds with Great Axe and War Hammer in PvP and PvE.
• Refreshing Toast — Incredible perk to increase self healing and Infused Regeneration Potion usage to remove debuffs. This is a "must-have" on earring.
• Purifying Toast — Necessary for most frontline players in PvP to help with defensiveness and one's ability to play in the frontline. Removing a debuff such as a root, or a DoT, and can save your life.
• Refreshing Ward — Best source of cooldown reduction for medium bruisers in PvP.

• Hearty — Do not use this in a medium loadout build. It is not necessary unless playing in a light armor loadout. If you are playing in light this must be on your ring and it would be S-Tier. It is not needed in PvE.
• Refreshing — Can be placed as a third perk on an earring or used as a functional perk on other jewelry pieces for non-bruiser builds.
• Leeching — This a great option to pair with Slash Damage and Keen Awareness when playing in a medium bruiser build because of Legate's Ring.
• Invigorated Punishment — This can be used if you are looking for a more consistent damage option over Mortal Empowerment, but it is not used by medium bruisers unless they need a budget option. This is only effective in PvP.
• Mortal Empowerment — In light armor builds, especially War Hammer and Blunderbuss, this is the best option instead of Invigorated Punishment. It will allow you to snowball into many kills and do very high amounts of damage. This will only be effective in PvP combat.

• Thrust Protection — Slash Protection should be prioritized, but this can be used if you are struggling against damage from Bows, Muskets, and Blunderbusses.
• Divine — Can be a decent third perk option. Increasing healing received could save your life, but often times this amount is not enough and more defensive options have more value. This is a great PvE option instead of something like Stamina Recovery.
• Regenerating — Free additional healing over time. This can be a decent third perk option.

These options are somewhat filler perks that can be used on a three perk item so you have more value than a simple two perk item. They are low value perks in this aspect of gameplay and would not be the pick for a Best in Slot item.

• Frozen Protection
• Brilliant
• Fortified Recovery
• Fortified
• Alacrity
• Purify
• Refreshing Evasion
• Healthy Toast