Greatsword War Hammer Bruiser PvE Build for New World
The following is a PvE physical damage melee build that will use the high single-target burst damage of the Greatsword for boss fights, and then combine that with the crowd-control of the War Hammer. This weapon combination allows for a DPS to shine in all phases of an expedition and have many abilities to support their group so they can progress quickly.
Greatsword War Hammer Bruiser - PvE
In PvE combat this will be played in light armor to maximize damage. It will strictly use the Greatsword in single-target encounters. The War Hammer will shine while clearing trash packs because it will apply crowd-control effects to all enemies. You can then capitalize with devasting Greatsword attacks.
Greatsword Build
Relentless Rush — This will deal AoE damage primarily, but it is also important to use on cooldown to get its empower effect.
Crosscut — This is a high damage ability that can be used for single-target or AoE once enemies are grouped together.
Skyward Slash — This is your primary Rend tool. It also has great single-target and AoE damage.
War Hammer Build
Wrecking Ball — This is a great tool for defensiveness and crowd-control. When it is used it will apply a Fortify buff that will help with survivability. Additionally, it has a unexpectedly large AoE knockdown effect that is essential for starting any kind of crowd-control combo.
Shockwave — In most cases, this should be used as soon as a target is knocked down by
Wrecking Ball. Not only with it provide a massive AoE stun. Every target will be debuffed and rended as long as you use its perk. This makes all targets extremely vulnerable.
Path Of Destiny — This is perfect for free AoE damage and it does stagger, so you can use it to interrupt enemies and apply a slow.
Attributes
In PvE you want to play with as little Constitution as possible. As such, it is best to play around 100-150 Constitution.
The Greatsword will be your primary damage weapon, so be sure to also scale some points into Dexterity for maximum damage.
The Greatsword is a very squishy weapon due to it receiving more damage when in Onslaught stance, so be careful!
Gearing
Slot | Perks | Gem | Weight | Attribute | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greatsword |
|
![]() |
- | Strength | Crafted/BoE |
War Hammer |
|
![]() |
- | Strength | Crafted/BoE |
Helmet |
|
Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | Light | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE |
Chest |
|
Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | Medium | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE |
Gloves |
|
Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | Light | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE |
Pants |
|
Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | Light | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE |
Boots |
|
Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | Light | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE |
Amulet | Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | - | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE | |
Ring*** | Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | - | Strength | Named Drop*** | |
Earring | Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific) | - | Strength or Constitution | Crafted/BoE |
*: The type of Bane and Ward that you slot into your gear will be dependent on the expedition you
are in and the type of enemy that you are facing. For example, if you are fighting Angry Earth enemies
in Genesis you will want Angry Earth Bane and
Angry Earth Ward. Your amulet protection perk
will be similar. Depending on the elemental type of the Mutator you are in, you can wear an elemental
protection amulet for more defensiveness instead of completely switching your gems.
**: The only ability perk that is needed is Sundering Shockwave.
The optional perks depend on your preferences,
Leeching Crosscut can be used for self-healing.
***: Legate's Ring is a best in slot drop from Grave Offerings in Brimstone Sands. You can
pick this up during a chest run, or focus specific locations. It is best because
Slash Damage
and
Keen Awareness cannot normally be on an item together. Since you do not need
Hearty,
this is best.
Overall with gearing, this is the ideal loadout of perks for a best in slot build. With that being said, be sure to refer to the Greatsword Perks guide Perks guide or War Hammer Perks guide to have a better understanding of other flexible perk options to fit into your build. You can decide what you are most comfortable with.
Gem Optimization
For more specific information on optimizing your gems in PvP and PvE please refer to our dedicated guides.
Heartrune
Use Brutal Heartrune of Detonate in PvE for maximum damage output.
Brutal Heartrune of Grasping Vines and
Stalwart Heartrune of Stoneform are secondary utility
options.
Heartrune Usage
Your Heartrune will be used similarly in PvP and PvE scenarios. As such, please refer to our Greatsword guide or War Hammer guide for tips on how it can be used most effectively.
Rotation and Priority List
Single Target Boss Rotation
- Use
Relentless Rush for its empower.
- Use
Skyward Slash to apply rend.
- Use
Crosscut for its damage.
- Dodge to receive an empower for 3 hits.
- Heavy attack 3 times.
- Dodge for empower.
- Repeat
AoE Trash Rotation
- Use
Wrecking Ball on clumps of enemies.
- Follow-up with
Shockwave.
- Use
Relentless Rush for its empower.
- Use
Skyward Slash to apply rend.
- Use
Crosscut.
- Heavy attack with Greatsword
Gameplay Tips
When using the Greatsword or War Hammer in PvP and PvE there are many similar aspects that go into gameplay decisions and rotations. To learn more about how you can improve your gameplay, use certain secondary weapons, or additional information on specific abilities, please refer to the Gameplay section of the Greatsword page or War Hammer page.
FAQ
For more information on the most frequently asked Greatsword or War Hammer questions please refer to the FAQ section of the Greatsword, or WarHammer, for answers on PvP and PvE topics!
Changelog
- 29 Mar. 2023: Updated gear.
- 23 Feb. 2023: Guide added.
Lemoni is a New World content creator with thousands of hours of gameplay. He specializes in theory crafting builds and various gameplay mechanics to improve player performance. He also enjoys long walks on the beach.
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