(Part 1) Amazon’s New World: What Class Should You Play | New Player Guide

MMORPG games usually feature class systems. In Amazon’s New World, there are no classes to choose from. This permits you to determine your own style as you develop your character. Nothing is concrete at the start of the game, instead, you can pick up which things interest you as you play and your character will develop accordingly. Let’s explore what weapons to choose, attributes to focus on, different trade skills and builds. 

0:00 Introduction

1:18 Summary and Shoutouts

2:58 The Weapons of New World

9:49 Sword Passives & Skills

14:53 Rapier Passives & Skills

20:17 Hatchet Passives & Skills

25:46 Spear Passives & Skills

2:58 The Weapons of New World

Currently, there are 11 weapons in the game. It’s important to note that when we talk about the weapons, weapons that only benefit from one key attribute are going to use a 1x multiplier for the stat. On the other hand, with weapons that have two attributes, the first attribute will work  0.9 times effectiveness and the second attribute will work at 0.65 times the effectiveness.

ONE-HANDED WEAPONS

1. Straight Sword – This sword is going to benefit primarily from your Strength attribute but also from your Dexterity. This is currently the only weapon that will allow you to equip a shield with it. Definitely a significant all-around starting weapon for any player. Comes with two skill trees: Swordmaster (focusing on damage output) and Defender (focusing on defense and tanking abilities).
2. Rapier – This is a sword that benefits primarily from Dexterity but also benefits from Intelligence. This weapon is going to focus on attacks and evasion. The Blood skill tree is mainly your offensive skill which will cause bleed and rend status debuffs, while the Grace skill tree focuses on evasion and mobility.
3. Hatchet – This benefits from Strength and Dexterity. This is a fun one-handed weapon that is useful as both a melee weapon but will also allow you to throw it from close to medium distances. Skill trees are Berserker (provides fast, hard hitting melee attacks, and offensive utility), and Throwing (allows you to throw the weapon which will cause rend disease and weakening status debuffs). This weapon also has a strong self-healing component to it making it a superb choice for tanks. 

TWO-HANDED WEAPONS

1. Spear – This weapon scales mainly from Dexterity and also benefits from Strength. This is a melee weapon offering both long distance damage and ranged capabilities. Skill trees are Zoner (keeps enemies at a distance and throwing spears from range) and Impaler (focuses on damage, bleed and rend). 
2. Great Axe – Weapon based solely on your Strength attribute and will greatly focus on damage. Skill trees are Reaper (focuses on crowd control and escape prevention) and Mauler (focuses on in your AOE abilities and crowd control). 
3. War Hammer – Strength is its primary attribute. This weapon is going to focus a lot on crowd control. Skill trees are Juggernaut (focusing more on damage) and Crowd Crusher (grants access to powerful stuns). 

RANGED WEAPONS (bows, arrows, and muskets requires ammunition)

1. Bow – This is a long-distance weapon which scales with Dexterity. Mastery trees are Skirmisher (provides both evasion AOE and poison attacks) and Hunter (will mainly focus on damage). 
2. Musket – Damage scales mainly with Dexterity but also with Intelligence. This is the only weapon in the game that benefits from hit scan. Mastery trees are Sharpshooter (focuses on single target damage) and Trapper (will provides access to traps, bombs and other types of crowd control). 

MAGICAL WEAPONS

1. Fire Staff – This weapon is built solely off intelligence. Allows the player to cast spells and to attack at range. Mastery trees are Fire Mage and Pyromancer. Both trees apply high damage and burning debuffs. 
2. Life Staff – Damage scales with Focus. This is a ranged weapon built for support. Mastery trees are Healing (provides strong healing skills) and Protector (will focus on buffs for allies and other healing utility). 
3. Ice Gauntlet – Damage scales with Intelligence. Allows players to cast spells and attacks from range. Mastery trees are Ice Tempest (will focus on AOE damage spells and slows) and Builder (has a stationary pet in a form of pylon which attacks foes and provides buffs and debuffs as well as self-immunity escape spells and more crowd control).

9:49 Sword Passives & Skills

Swordmaster Passives

1. Empowered Stab – Successful heavy attacks grants you 30% Empower for five seconds (Empower increases damage overall).
2. Achilles Heel – Final attack in your light attack chain causes a 20% Slow for two seconds (Slow reduces movement speed).
3. Precision – Swords critical strike chance increased by 10%.
4. Mobility – Allows you to move 33% faster while blocking.
5. Opportunist – Deal 20% more damage to slowed foes.
6. Confidence – While your health is full deal 15% more damage.
7. Freeing Justice – Successfully hitting with a heavy attack cause you to lose all debuffs.
8. Counter Attack – When you block an attack gain 10% increased damage for 20 seconds.
9. Critical Precision – On critical, gain 20% haste for five seconds (Haste increases movement speed).
10. Leadership – This is the ultimate passive ability. While holding a sword all group members damage is increased by 10%.

Swordmaster Skills

1. Reverse Stab – Stab attack that deals a 175% weapon damage and has a 20 seconds cooldown.

Upgrades:

Unstoppable Stab – Reverse Stab now has Grit, making the attack unstoppable.

Tactician – On successful hit with a Reverse Stab, all sword cooldowns are reduced by 25%.

2. Whirling Blade – Deals 145% weapon damage to all foes within 2 meters and with 15 seconds cooldown.

Upgrades:

Opportunity – Whirling Blade causes 20% rend for five seconds (Rend reduces the target’s armor).

Tactical Strike – Whirling Blade reduces cooldown on the ability by 10% for each enemy hit.

3. Leaping Strike – Leap 4 meters and deal 125% weapon damage and has 25 seconds cooldown.

Upgrades:

Final Strike – If you hit a foe below 30% health, deal 50% more damage.

Cowardly Punishment – If Leaping Strike hits a target in the back: cause slow for 6 seconds (slow reduces target’s movement speed).

Defender Passives 

1. Sturdy Shield – Provides 15% more armor.
2. Elemental Resistance – Reduce damage from all magical types by 10%.
3. One With the Shield – When you block with a shield all shield cooldowns are reduced by 1%.
4. Final Blow – The 3rd attack in your light attack deals 30% more damage and cause more threat.
5. Sturdy Grip – Stamina damage is reduced by 25% when blocking a melee attack with a shield.
6. Defensive Training – When you block an attack, gain 10% Fortify for five seconds.
7. Fortitude – While holding a Sword, current and max health are increased by 10%.
8. Recuperation – All incoming healing and regeneration increased by 10%.
9. Defensive Formation – While blocking reduce damage to all other allies within 2 meters by 30%.
10. High Grip – Stamina damage is reduced by 25% when blocking a ranged attack with a shield.

Defender skills

1. Shield Bash – Deals 50% weapon damage and stuns foes in front of you for two seconds. This is Taunt Gem compatible so if you have a Carnelian gem equipped in your sword, this ability cause a 6s taunt to all enemies hit.

Upgrades:

Intimidating Bash – Shield bash causes greatly increased threat and 100% more damage.

Concussive Bash – Shield Bash stun duration increased by one second.

2. Shield Rush – Rush forward 5 meters knocking back foes and dealing 125% weapon damage. With 20 seconds cooldown.

Upgrades:

Improved Rush – On successful hit, all enemies within 5m gain 10% Weaken for four seconds (Weaken reduces damage).

Intimidating Rush – On successful hit, all enemies within 5m, are 30% Slowed for four seconds (Slow reduces movement speed).

3. Final Stand – All damage is reduced for 30% for 8 seconds. Taunt Gem compatible so if you have a Carnelian gem equipped in your sword, this ability will cause a six seconds taunt to all enemies hit. With 45 seconds cooldown.

Upgrades:

Final Count Down – If your health is above 50% damage reduction increased by 20%.

Restoration – Gain 15% of your max health when Final Stand ends.

14:53 Rapier Passives & Skills

Rapier: Blood Passives

1. Refreshing Strikes – Reduces all cooldowns by 1% on any hit.
2. Unerring – Deal 6% more damage to targets with a Rapier bleed.
3. Heavy Puncture – Any heavy attack on a bleeding enemy will extend their Rapier bleeds by two seconds. This will also apply to future stacked applications of the same bleed extending the entire stack.
4. Engarde – Deal 10% more damage when your target has greater than 50% health.
5. Light Edge – Increase damage from both middle swipe attacks in the light attack chain by 8%.

Rapier: Blood skills

1. Tondo – Slash so quickly that it extends the reach of your blade. The strike deals direct damage but also applies a bleed that will deal 100% weapon damage over 12 seconds. This can stack up to 3 times refreshing previous applications. With eleven seconds cooldown.

A.1 Thirst for Blood – When applying the first bleed stack to an opponent this cooldown is reduced by 10%.

A.2 And Again – If you hit any target, even on a blocked hit, this cooldown is reduced by 15%.

A.3 Proper Spacing – Improve your damage from Tondo by 10% if you are 3.5m away from your target or more.

2. Flourish and Finish – Flourish performs an attack knocking back enemies. Pressing ‘Light Attack’ at the end of Flourish will continue this ability by automatically performing ‘Finish’. Finish lunges forward, consuming all Rapier bleeds on any target hit dealing 110% of their damage immediately. With 20 seconds cooldown.

B.1 With Flair – Gain Grit on both Flourish and Finish.

B.2 Swagger – +20 stamina when successfully hitting a target with Finish.

B.3 Fuel – Each tick of damage from Tondo’s bleed reduces the cooldown of this ability by 5%.

B.4 Bloody End – Finish deals 150% of the Rapier’s bleed damage instead of only 110%.

3. Flurry – Enter a posed stance and unleash a series of five quick thrusts attacks with each strike dealing more damage. Flurry can be dodge canceled at any time.

C.1 Overwhelm – Each hit of Flurry does 25% more block damage.

C.2 Fleeting Strikes – Each hit of Flurry reduces the cooldown of this ability by 7%.

C.3 To The Bone – Each hit of Flurry extends the Rapier’s bleed by 1 second. This will also apply to future stacked applications of the same bleed extending the entire stack.

C.4 Finalize – The last hit of Flurry will cause the enemy to stagger.

Grace passives

1. Desperation – Deal 10% more damage when your stamina is below 40%.
2. Red Curtains – Critical strikes reduce all cooldowns by 5%.
3. Controlled Breathing – +3 stamina on any hit.
4. Perfectionist – Deal 10% more damage when your health is full.
5. Swiftness – +3% Haste for 4 seconds on any hit. Can stack up to 5 times.
6. Momentum – Gain 25% increased damage on your next light or heavy attack after performing an ability. Ends on hit or after 3 seconds.

Grace skills

1. Riposte – Enter into a defensive stance for 1 second. If struck during this ability, counters the attacker, stunning them briefly for 1.5 seconds. You are briefly invulnerable upon successful Riposte. Taunt Gem Compatible: If you have a Carnelian gem equipped in your rapier, this ability causes a 4s taunt to all foes within 5 meters. With 20 seconds cooldown.

A.1 Insult to Injury – If the Riposte is triggered successfully, all your attack become uninterruptible for 3 seconds.

A.2 Priority – Reduce the cooldown of other Rapier abilities by 20% when landing a Riposte stun.

A.3 Lasting Consequence – Increase the stun from Riposte to 2 seconds.

2. Evade – Perform a small, reliable sidestep in your current movement direction that cancels any current activity and provides momentary invulnerability. Light attacks made during Evade are performed exceptionally fast.

B.1 Breathe In – Gain 20 stamina immediately on use.

B.2 Allegro – Gain 20% movement speed for 3 seconds on use.

B.3 Adagio –  Evading forward gains 15% increased damage on your next light attack. Ends on hit or after 1 second.

B.4 Crescendo – Individual successful light attacks reduce the cooldown of this ability by 30% each.

3. Fleche – Leave the ground lunging for 10m in a stabbing motion piercing through enemies.

C.1 Quick Lunge – Killing with this ability reduces its cooldown by 80%.

C.2 Backside – After performing Fleche, your next critical strike attack will have its damage increased by 15%. Lasts for 5 seconds.

C.3 Interruption – Pressing “Light Attack” any time during Fleche will stop and perform a static, continuation attack.

20:17 Hatchet Passives & Skills

Berserker Passives

1. Enraged Strikes – If target is below 30% health, Light and Heavy attacks deal 20% more damage.
2. Against All Odds – Increases base damage by 10% for every enemy within 5 meters of player.
3. Frenzied Purge – When hitting an enemy while your health is below 30%: Remove all Bleed, Burn, and Poison DoT effects from the player. With 60-second cooldown.
4. Accumulated Power – After 3 successful light attacks against the same target: gain Empower, granting a 30% damage increase for 3 seconds of until the next attack.
5. Relentless Fury – After a successful Heavy attack: gain Empower granting a 30% damage increase for 3 seconds of after 4 stacks.
6. Fortifying Strikes – Hitting the same target with 3 light attacks grants Fortify, increasing damage absorption by 15% for 3 seconds.
7. Desperate Refresh – All cooldowns are reduced by 5% when hitting an enemy with an attack while your HP is below 30%.
8. Defy Death – When you receive lethal damage: Avoid death, reduce to 50 HP and gain immortality for 4 seconds. With 60 seconds cooldown.

Berserker skills

1. Feral Rush – A sprinting melee attack that causes the player to leap forward, hitting twice. The first hit deals 100% weapon damage and the second deals 115% weapon damage. With 12 seconds cooldown.

A.1 Dispatch –  If target is below 30% health, Feral Rush deals 20% more damage.

A.2 Crippling Strikes – If Feral Rush hits a target in the back, it causes Root, immobilizing target for 2 seconds.

2. Berserk – Triggers a Berserk Mode that increases all attack damage by 20% while active. Berserk Mode will be active for 15 seconds. Taunt Gem Compatible: If you have a Carnelian gem equipped in your hatchet, this ability causes a 8s taunt to all enemies within 8m. With 30 seconds cooldown.

B.1 On The Hunt – Increases movement speed by 20% while in Berserk Mode.

B.2 Berserking Refresh – When Berserk ends, heal yourself for 30% your max health.

B.3 Berserking Purge – Triggering Berserk removes all Crowd Control effects (Stuns, Slows, Roots) from the player.

B.4 Uninterruptible Berserk – While in Berserk, your attacks are uninterruptible during Berserk and you can’t be staggered.

3. Raging Torrent – Perform four fast attacks each dealing 80% weapon damage.

C.1 Aggressive Approach – Hitting a target with Raging Torrent grants Haste, increasing movement speed by 20% for 6 seconds.

C.2 Final Blow – Press “Light Attack” at the end of raging torrent to deal a final attack dealing 115% weapon damage.

Throwing passives

1. Aimed Throw – Replaces block with an Aimed Throw that deals 90% weapon damage. Hold RMB to enter aimed stance. Each throw consumes 30 Stamina.
2. Refreshing Throws –  Light Attacks and Aimed Throws against targets with an active debuff reduces all cooldowns by 5%.
3. Boot and Rally – Light Attacks and Aimed Throws regenerate 20 stamina when hitting targets with an active debuff.
4. Rejuvenating Crits – Successful Critical Hits with Light Attacks or Aimed Throws regenerates 20 Stamina.
5. Critical Throw – Thrown axes are now capable of triggering headshot or random critical hit. Also increases critical hit chance of all attacks by 5%.
6. Exploitation – All attacks deal 15% additional damage to targets with an active debuff.
7. On Fire – Every 3rd successfully thrown axe is a guaranteed Crit.
8. Adrenaline Rush – Dodging within 2 seconds of triggering an ability consumes 25% less Stamina.
9. Persistent Hinderance – Successful throwing axe hits extends all hatchet debuff durations by 2 second.

Throwing skills

1. Rending Throw – Throw an axe dealing 110% weapon damage and applying Rend, reducing target’s damage absorption by 10% for four seconds. With 15 seconds cooldown.

A.1 Targeted Impact – Rend Increased to 20% and duration extended to 6 seconds if further than 8 meters from target.

A.2 Opportunistic – Rending Throw deals an additional 20% damage if target already has an active debuff.

A.3 Second Wind – Using Rending Throw on a target with an active debuff reduces ability cooldown by 20%.

2. Social Distancing – Throw an axe forward and dodge backwards, dealing 120% weapon damage and slowing targets by 15% for 3 seconds. With 15 seconds cooldown.

B.1 Quick Power – Player movement speed increased to 30% for 3 seconds if ability hits a target with an active debuff.

B.2 Stay Back – Slow movement speed effects increased to 25% for 4 seconds.

3. Infected Throw – Throw an axe that deals 130% weapon damage and triggers Disease and weakens target for 5s. (Disease reduces targets healing efficiency by 30%) (Weakens reduce target’s damage by 10%). With 15 seconds cooldown.

C.1 Mortal Power – Increased duration of disease and weakens to 8 seconds on targets below 30% health.

C.2 Aerial Transmission – Creates a 3-meter disease AOE on Impact that lingers in place for 3 seconds.

25:46 Spear Passives & Skills

Zoner Passives

1. Deadly Consistency – +10% damage on consecutive heavy attacks against a single target.
2. Deadly Reach – +10.0% Critical Chance on attacks against targets that are 3+ meters away.
3. Refreshing Reach – Successful heavy attacks reduce all Spear cooldowns by 15%.
4. Invigorating Crits – Restore 20 Stamina on Critical Hits.
5. Strong Conditioning – +30% Stamina Regen when your stamina is below 50%.
6. Evasive Maneuvers – Dodging backwards consumes 20% less stamina for 2 seconds after successful hits.
7. Merciless Strength – +25% damage against knocked down targets.
8. Defensive Stance – Gain Fortify after successful heavy attacks, increasing damage absorption by 15% for 2 seconds.
9. Reserved Strength – +25% damage while Stamina is full.

Zoner skills

1. Cyclone – Spin attack that deals 100% weapon damage, pushes targets back 3m and applies 50% Slow for three seconds. With 12 seconds cooldown.

A.1 Invigorating Combo – Restore 25 Stamina per hit.

A.2 Strong Momentum – Grit is now active during the attack making your attack unstoppable.

2. Javelin – Throw your spear, dealing 125% weapon damage and staggering on hit. With 15 seconds cooldown.

B.1 Forceful Impact – Targets are knocked down on hit.

B.2 Refreshing Position – Headshots reduce cooldown by 50%.

B.3 Deadly Distance – +2.5% damage per meter traveled (+100% max).

3. Sweep – Sweep the target’s legs, dealing 75% weapon damage and knocking them down. With 10 seconds cooldown.

Impaler Passives

1. Precise Jabs – +5% Critical Chance on light attacks.
2. Gripping Jabs – The last hit of the light attack chain applies 30% Slow for 3 seconds to targets below 30% health.
3. Unerring Precision – +20% damage against targets with grit.
4. Exacerbating Crits – Critical Hits extend the duration of Spear debuffs by 2 seconds.
5. Refreshing Jabs – All spear cooldowns are reduced by 10% on the second hit of the light attack chain.
6. Finishing Blows – +15% damage against targets with less than 30% health.
7. Aggressive Maneuvers – The first successful hit with an ability within 2 seconds of dodging reduces all Spear cooldowns by 20%.
8. Exposed Wounds – +15% Critical Chance against targets with Bleed.
9. Exploited Weakness – +15% damager per debuff on target.

Impaler skills

1. Perforate – Three quick piercing strikes that each deal 70% weapon damage and apply Rend, reducing the target’s damage absorption by 5% for 10 seconds. With 12 seconds cooldown.

A.1 Rupturing Strikes – Rend increased to 10% per strike against targets above 50% health.

A.2 Impactful Strikes – Target is staggered if you successfully land all three hits.

2. Skewer – Rush forward and skewer your target, dealing 125% weapon damage. Applies Bleed (10% weapon damage) every 1 second for 10 seconds. With 15 seconds cooldown.

B.1 Deadly Ambush – +20% damage against targets that have full health.

B.2 Follow Through – Gain Empower on Critical Hits, increasing damage by 20% for 10 seconds.

B.3 Deep Wound – Bleed duration increased to 15 seconds.

3. Vault Kick – Use your spear to vault forward and kick your target, dealing 75% weapon damage. Applies Stun for 1.5 seconds. Taunt Gem Compatible: If you have a Carnelian gem equipped in your spear, this ability causes 2 seconds taunts when it hits. (Taunt causes monsters to only focus on you.) With 15 seconds cooldown.

C.1 Relentless Blows – Gain Empower after successful hits on targets below 50% health, increasing damage by 20% for 6 seconds.

C.2 Continuous Motion – Cooldowns for other spear abilities are reduced by 30% on successful hit.

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Credits

Author	Lee Agustin
YouTuber	Ginger Prime
Publisher	MGN
Game	New World