The best sword and shield build for New World

New World doesn't have explicit classes that players can choose from, but rather builds that can be pursued, and the sword and shield is one path that players can take.

Weapons are what players base themselves off of in New World, and those weapons are propelled by the stats that they level up. Each weapon in New World will scale off of stats such as intelligence or strength. The sword and shield itself will primarily scale off of strength with dexterity as a secondary stat.

Aside from the stats that will boost the power and viability of a weapon like sword and shield, there are also separate skill trees that go along with a given weapon set.

Mastery trees will help specialize weapons and allow them to fit a more specific role in New World. Like any other weapon, the sword and shield also have those options.

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Which build is the best for the sword and shield in New World

When choosing a weapon in New World, players need to be aware of what role they would like to fulfill using a given weapon. Archery will force range-based combat and staves are meant for high damage, mana-based damage per second builds. The sword and shield also have their own niche.

Players that want to be more bulky in New World and perform as a tank, then the sword and shield is a perfect option. It's the best way to play as the tank role which is found in so many other MMO games.

Considering attacks are really only done with the shield, players will need to prioritize a build with defense in mind and offense as a secondary trait.

There are two trees that players will eventually choose from on the sword and shield. Those are the Sword Master and the Defender. Which build is the best will depend on what players want from the weapon.

However, there are weapons that deal damage better than the sword and shield, while the sword and shield have no equal for tanking. In that regard, a defensive class under the Defender Mastery Tree is the best option.

When players choose their active abilities, the three best options will be Shield Bash, Shield Rush, and Final Stand. These are based on crowd control and damage mitigation, with damage as a secondary focus.

Then there are passives, and players will have more than five options, but five passive skills stand out for the Defender in New World. The priority is Defensive Formation, followed by Sturdy Shield, Fortitude, One With the Shield, and High Grip.

Of course, there is more to choose from, and players in New World should ensure that they beef up their strength stats above all for the sword and shield.