'New World' Guide: Sword And Shield Builds For Expeditions

The sword and shield is the quintessential weapon combo for tanks in most games, and “New World” is no exception to this. A warrior with these weapons in hand can make for a formidable frontline fighter that carefully balances damage potential and survivability.

In “New World,” the sword and shield combo can be built for either DPS or tank roles depending on what players prefer or what a party requires. The sword’s skill trees cater to each of these roles, giving players enough flexibility to either specialize in one playstyle or use a mix of both.

Here are a few build suggestions for those who want to master the sword and shield for expeditions and tough, open-world content.

“New World” Sword and Shield Build

Players who want to primarily fill a tank role with the sword and shield should spec points into Strength and Constitution and take these active skills:

• Whirling Blade
• Shield Bash
• Defiant Stance

Shield Bash offers a decent single-target stun that also taunts the target to the tank if a Carnelian gem is equipped on the sword. The same goes for Defiant Stance, albeit the taunt lasts longer and affects a small area around the players.

Ideally, Defiant Stance should be used to pull large groups that are already attacking other party members. Whirling Blade will mainly be used as a DPS tool and extra threat generator.

For passives, consider the following ones from the Defender Tree:

• Sturdy Grip
• Defensive Training
• Recuperation
• One with the Shield
• Final Countdown
• Restoration

Players can opt to spec more points for either Shield Bash or Whirling Blade’s passives depending on the party composition. Should the team need more DPS or if the party has two tanks, swap Shield Bash with Reverse Stab.

Secondary Weapons

The War Hammer is a great secondary weapon option for expeditions. It can be used to pull mobs with Path of Destiny and apply even more crowd control effects with Clear Out and Shockwave. The I Can Do This All Day perk also complements the tank playstyle well, as it allows players to block more attacks.

The Spear is another good option due to its crowd control abilities. Spec points into the Zoner skill tree to gain three more crowd control effects to help with large enemy groups.