KEY POINTS

  • Rapiers are great as dueling weapons and for applying offensive debuffs on enemies
  • This weapon type scales primarily with Dexterity along with a secondary Intelligence scaling
  • Rapiers can be used as strong secondary weapons for almost every build

The rapier is an agile weapon class that allows players to dart around the battlefield with swift dashes and stack powerful bleed effects on unlucky targets. Much like in real life, this weapon is preferred by duelists and those who want a more elegant approach to combat.

In “New World,” rapiers are commonly seen wielded as secondary weapons by archers and musketeers thanks to its high Dexterity scaling, which pairs nicely with ranged weapons. However, rapiers can be relied upon as primary weapons and with the right builds, they can be used to decimate enemies in both PvP and PvE alike.

This guide will cover how to use rapiers in combat as well as a sample build to help guide new players.

New World features a fluid, classless system that lets players specialize in different weapon types that fit their preferred playstyles
New World features a fluid, classless system that lets players specialize in different weapon types that fit their preferred playstyles Amazon Games

Rapier Combat Style

Fast and light, rapiers whittle down enemies with precise hits before dodging away from harm’s reach. The Blood skill tree specializes in dealing sustained damage via Bleed, Rend and thrust attacks. Meanwhile, the Grace skill tree focuses more on mobility, baiting enemy attacks and countering with decisive blows.

Grace makes the rapier more attuned as a primary weapon as it offers excellent mobility. On the other hand, Blood is better for applying debuffs and dealing quick bursts of damage before switching to a different weapon that better suits a given situation.

Rapier Builds

In PvE, players can go down the Blood tree for access to consistent damage small groups of enemies. Take the following skills to get a good rapier build for expeditions and general open-world content:

  • Active Skills
    • Tondo
    • Flurry
    • Evade OR Flourish and Finish
  • Passives
    • Refreshing Strikes
    • Unerring
    • Heavy Puncture
    • Thirst For Blood
    • And Again

This build is designed to apply and maintain Tondo’s bleed effect and it’s particularly effective against bosses. Flourish and Finish is great for finishing off weak opponents, but this can be swapped with Evade for better survivability.

As for PvP, Grace can be used to outmaneuver opponents and hit them when they’re vulnerable. Take the following skills:

  • Active Skills
    • Evade
    • Fleche
    • Riposte OR Flurry
  • Passive Skills
    • Breathe In
    • Quick Lunge
    • Backside
    • Red Curtains
    • Swiftness

This setup excels at dealing critical backstab damage by dodging through enemy attacks with Evade and Fleche. Flurry can be used to make this build more viable in PvE but against other players, Riposte is a better option.

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