Greatsword Perks for New World

All the perks below are usable in any Greatsword 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 Greatsword and properly gearing your build. In the current state of the game, it is recommended to use the Serenity Greatsword artifact in your builds if you are plan on using it as your main weapon.

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

• Trenchant Strikes — This will add a large burst of damage the Greatsword since most of its output comes from heavy attacks. When you are in Onslaught stance these will cost stamina, but finish just as fast as most weapons' light attacks.
• Attunement Perks — This adds a great burst of damage to every heavy attack.
• Plagued Strikes — The Greatsword does not need 3 damage perks, it has incredible output thanks to Onslaught stance and its passives. So, by adding an anti-heal, it will add great kill potential.
• Trenchant Recovery — This adds a large amount of survivability by granting you boosts of health after dealing heavy attacks.
• Sundering Stacks — Once every 0.5s, attacks inflict a stack of 4% rend, stacking up to 50 times.

• Relentless Rush — Great for PvP when trying to escape CC. The critical hit chance does not have high value because of passives in the Onslaught tree.
• Slowing Rupture — This is a great PvP option if you choose to use Roaring Rupture instead of Steadfast Strike. The slow makes it easy to chase down targets. If you use this ability, you should try to fit this perk into your build.
• Keenly Empowered — Fantastic option for increasing damage in PvP and PvE. This will proc when hitting a target in the back.

• Leeching Crosscut — Decent PvE survivability option if it fits into your build.
• Energizing Counter — Great passive to help with mobility or blocking. This ability is not often used in PvP or PvE, unless you use it for tanking.
• Keenly Jagged — Will stack with the Defiance DoT damage passive, adding great damage pressure.
• Refreshing Move — This can have value in a Defiance build, but is not as needed in damage builds thanks to the Onslaught ultimate.
• Thwarting Strikes — Can be a budget option, but this should almost never be taken. Trenchant Strikes is much better.

• Skyward Nullification — Unnecessary perk, it can be okay for duration removal, but the 20% is negligible and overshadowed by defensive and utility options.
• Steadfast Purification — This is often a wasted perk it will not be used often enough to reduce debuff durations on you. It will be overshadowed by other defensive and utility options.
• Enchanted — This has PvE viability, but is not better than Trenchant Strikes or Thwarting Strikes.
• Keen — The Greatsword has so much passive critical hit chance that this is never needed.
• Shirking Damage Perks — Can be a budget option instead of Attunement or Chain Damage.

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

• Vital Synergy — This perk is only compatible with Chest pieces, and provides a huge boost of stamina regen and incoming healing when your HP gets below 50%.
• Freedom — Fantastic survivability option when stacked four 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 elemental ranged attacks.
• Enchanted Ward — Gain further protection for both light and heavy attacks.

• Refreshing — Top-tier cooldown reduction option so that maximum cooldowns are shorter and abilities come online faster. Used in non-bruiser builds.
• Shirking Heals — Provides a boost of health after succesfully dodging an attack.

• Shirking Fortification — Provides a small amount of defensiveness.

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

• Vital Synergy — This perk is only compatible with Chest pieces, and provides a huge boost of stamina regen and incoming healing when your HP gets below 50%.
• Refreshing — Free cooldown reduction in PvE. This is generally a top pick due to the lackof needing PvP survivability perks.
• Enchanted Ward — Gain further protection for both light and heavy attacks.
• Elemental Aversion — High value defensive option because of the rotating elemental types in mutated expeditions.

• Shirking Fortification — Provides great defensiveness when threat is focused on you and you are forced to dodge enemies.
• Shirking Heals — Provides a boost of health after succesfully dodging an attack.
• 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.

• Freedom — Can be beneficial to reduce CC effects from some enemy types.

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
• Health

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.

• Hearty — Consider this perk a requirement for all Greatsword builds.
• 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 Damage — This should be paired with either Invigorated Punishment or Mortal Empowerment in PvP. This should always be used in PvE. These statements only apply to melee weapons.
• Keen Awareness — This can be used instead of Slash Damage in PvP if you prefer. In PvE, use this with Slash Damage on Legate's Ring.
• 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.

• 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.
• Invigorated Punishment — This is a consistent damage increase and should often be used if playing as a melee since it is likely that you will die in PvP.
• Refreshing — Can be placed as a third perk on an earring or used as a functional perk on other jewelry pieces.
• Leeching — This a great option to pair with Slash Damage and Keen Awareness when playing in a PvE build with Legate's Ring.

• 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
• Fortified Recovery
• Fortified
• Alacrity
• Purify
• Healthy Toast