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Choosing the right weapon inNew World: Aeternumcan make all the difference in your leveling journey. One of the first choices you’ll make is selecting an archetype. Archetypes provide new characters with two starting weapons and bonuses to three Trade Skill professions. There are seven archetypes, featuring some popular weapon pairings that offer synergy in both playstyle and stat distribution.
If you’re unsure which Archetype to pick, don’t stress about it too much, you’ll get more weapons soon and be free to swap to any other weapon combination. More importantly, will be the boosts you get to Trade Skills, if you choose to stick around for end-game activities.
Archetype Tier List
Here’s a list of all the Archetypes in New World: Aeternum.
Ranking Criteria
The tier placement for each archetype in this list is determined by the following criteria:
Sword and Shield + Hatchet
Greatsword + Blunderbuss
S Tier Archetypes
These archetypes have time-tested weapons, good stat synergies, and must-have trade skill bonuses for endgame. They stand out as the unrivalled best options to get a head start on the competition.
Soldier
Firstly, both weapons share the same stat scaling, Strength and Dexterity. TheHatchetstands out as a very strong and capable weapon in New World, especially for solo leveling. Its versatility shines in both melee and ranged combat. One of the main reasons it’s so powerful is theBerserk ability. This skill boosts your damage output, removes all stuns and bleeds, increases movement speed, and even grantslife steal. TheSword and Shieldprovides a good balance between offense and defense. However, its damage output is lower compared to other weapons.
ForTrade Skills, it doesn’t get any better than these three. They are top tier, not only due to being able to craft the best weapons at max level, but you’ll also be self-sufficient in gathering and refining materials withMiningand Smelting.
Ranger
TheSpear is an S-Tier weaponon its own, ideal for players who want a blend of crowd control and damage over time. It excels in stacking bleeds and debuffs on enemies, making it a potent weapon for longer fights. The Spear is not only great for single-target damage but can also disrupt groups of enemies.
TheBowis a good ranged weapon for players who like to keep their distance. Its AOE abilities are solid for crowd control, and its single-target damage is reliable. However, it requires good aim and timing. Another great benefit to these weapons is that they bothscale well with Dexterity.
Logging and Woodcutting are good forearly game gold making, whereas Engineering provides a way to craft some weapons as well as useful tools for other professions.
A Tier Archetypes
These archetypes also have good stat synergies, decent weapon skills, but their trade skills aren’t the best choices.
Destroyer
Both of these weapons scale off of Strength, making it a great choice. This combo is one of the best choices for PvP and will likely be seen with most coordinated groups.
TheGreat Axeearns its place due to its devastating damage output. It’s a solid choice for players who prefer heavy, crushing hits. Its AOE abilities make it useful for handling groups of enemies, although it may not offer as much survivability in prolonged fights. TheWar Hammeris another slow but powerful weapon that specializes in crowd control. It’s useful for stunning and controlling enemies, but its lack of mobility and slow attack speed make it less ideal for solo play.
When it comes to Trade Skills, you’ll be able to craft a lot of useful equipment withArmoringand Leatherworking. Skinning will be able to provide the majority of the raw materials required.
Occultist
Both the Ice Gauntlet and the Fire Staff scale off of Intellect. TheIce Gauntletoffers strong crowd control and utility abilities. While it’s useful for slowing down enemies and controlling the battlefield, its damage isn’t as high as other weapons. TheFire Staffdelivers high damage from a distance, however, its lack of defensive options makes it less ideal for solo players who can’t afford to take too much damage.
The Trade Skill bonuses here are an excellent selection useful for gathering, thencrafting Gems, Rings and Amulets. These professions are also a solid choice to make some gold at max level.
Musketeer
Both the Musket and Rapier scale from Dexterity and Intelligence, so that is certainly a positive.TheRapieris an agile weapon with fast attack speed and powerful counters. It excels in hit-and-run tactics, allowing you to avoid damage while dealing consistent strikes. It does lack AOE options, limiting its use in group fights.
TheMusketcan deal good damage from a distance, but it requires precision and long reload times. It can also be difficult to manage multiple enemies with the Musket’s slower pace. Overall, this combo would be well suited for a single-target playstyle.
The trade skill bonuses here work very well together, offering a good boost to source your materials and refine them into crafts.
Mystic
The Life Staff scales off of Focus, while the Void Gauntlet scales off of Intelligence first, Focus second. This is the classic healer best suited for group play. TheLife Staffexcels in healing and support abilities are fantastic for group play, but it lacks any real offensive capabilities. TheVoid Gauntletprovides debuffs and utility but lacks the raw damage output of other weapons.
The trade skills aren’t particularly exciting, thoughArcanais certainly useful for important consumables and crafting some weapons. Harvesting and Weaving do pair with eachother, though the crafts made are not going to be the most sought after at end-game.
B Tier Archetypes
Still a good choice for weapons, but dear lord the trade skills leave something to be desired.
Swordbearer
It’s worth mentioning that these two weapons do pair quite nicely together.TheGreatswordis one of the best weapons, capable of dealing significant damage and maintaining mobility. While it’s slower compared to some other weapons, its area-of-effect (AOE) abilities allow you to take down groups of enemies efficiently. TheBlunderbussoffers solid close-range damage but struggles at longer distances. Its burst damage is great for solo fights but requires careful positioning.
You may be wondering then why is the Swordbearer at the bottom of this list?Bad. Trade. Skills. Leatherworking is fine but you don’t have a gathering or refining trade skill paired with it. Cooking is a trade skill almost all players will level at some point but isn’t vital.Fishinghas yet to be seen as worthwhile.
