Most weapons in New World focus mainly on damaging enemies or providing crowd control, but none specializes in protection more than the Sword & Shield. The combination of these two weapons forms the tankiest set in the game, which many people would like to see in their PvP or expedition fights. Tanks can indeed survive any engagement, whether it be tanking damage from elite mobs or getting the attention of enemy players. Learning the right builds is a must to become the most successful tank in the game.
Sword and Shield
While many weapons can help players survive skirmishes via maneuverability, the Sword and Shield is the only one that focuses on soaking up damage. Players who use this weapon are almost always designated to be the tank in many of the game’s features. To become the beefiest character in the party, you must first understand how this set’s masteries work. Knowing them will help gamers become more comfortable and knowledgeable in maneuvering their gameplay. Here is the list of all Sword and Shield masteries:
Swordmaster
- Whirling Blade – deals 145% damage to every enemy within 2 meters
- Opportunity – Whirling Blade inflicts 5% Rend (reduce armor) for 10 seconds
- Tactical Strike – Whirling Blade reduces its cooldown for every successful hit by 10%
- Reverse Stab – deals 175% thrust damage
- Unstoppable Stab – Reverse Stab cannot be interrupted
- Tactician – successful hits from Unstoppable Stab reduces the cooldown of all sword-related abilities by 25%
- Leaping Strike – deal 135% damage by leaping 4 meters forward
- Final Strike – deal 50% more damage when enemies have less than 30% HP
- Cowardly Punishment – slow down enemies for 8 seconds when you hit them in the back
- Empowered Stab – gain 30% Empower (increased damage) for 5 seconds on effective heavy attacks
- Achilles Heel – the last hit from a series of light attacks will slow enemies by 20% for 2 seconds
- Precision – increase critical hit chance of swords by 10%
- Freeing Justice – remove all adverse effects from your character on successful heavy attacks
- Mobility – move 33% faster when blocking
- Counter Attack – increase damage dealt by 10% for 2 seconds after successful blocks
- Confidence – gain 15% bonus damage dealt when you have full HP
- Critical Precision – earn 20% Haste for 5 seconds on successful critical hits
- Opportunist – attacking slowed enemies increase damage dealt by 10%
- Leadership – increase the damage of all party members by 10% when wielding a sword
Defender
- Shield Rush – deals 125% damage by charging 5 meters while pushing enemies aside
- Improved Rush - all enemies within 5 meters are weakened by 10% for 4 seconds after executing a successful Rush
- Intimidating Rush – all enemies within 5 meters are slowed for 4 seconds after performing a successful Rush
- Shield Bash – stun enemies in front of you for 2 seconds while dealing 50% damage
- Intimidating Bash – significantly increase the Threat and deals 100% more damage when using Shield Bash
- Concussive Bash – increase the duration of stun by 1 second
- Defiant Stance – receive 30% damage reduction for 8 seconds
- Final Count Down – damage reduction is increased by 20% when you have less than 50% HP
- Restoration – gain 15% HP after performing Defiant Stance
- Sturdy Shield – increase armor by 15%
- Sturdy Grip – blocking a melee attack with a shield reduces stamina damage by 15%
- Elemental Resistance – magic attacks have 10% reduced damage
- Defensive training – gain 10% Fortify for 5 seconds on effective shield blocks
- High Grip – blocking ranged attacks with a shield will get 25% reduced Stamina loss
- One With the Shield – increase the recovery time of shield skills by 1% upon successful shield blocks
- Final Blow – increase the damage of every third attack in a series of light attacks by 15% while generating more Threat
- Invigorating Bulwark – hitting an enemy with Shield Bash or Shield Rush recovers 15 Stamina points
- Recuperation – increase healing received and regeneration by 10%
- Defensive Formation – all allies within 2 meters receive 30% damage mitigation when you block with a shield
Best Tank Build in New World
When a party sees you donning the Sword and Shield, they automatically place you in the tank position. You may not want this to happen, but it will become a frequent occurrence in many instances. If you are dedicated to this role, you must know which builds for the masteries are better suited for specific situations. Here are the best setups as a tank:
For PvE
Swordmaster
- Reverse Stab
- Unstoppable Stab
- Tactician
- Mobility
- Opportunist
- Confidence
- Achille’s Heel
Defender
- Shield Bash
- Intimidating Bash
- Concussive Bash
- Sturdy Shield
- Elemental Resistance
- One With the Shield
- Final Blow
- Recuperation
- Defiant Stance
- Final Countdown
- Restoration
- Defensive Formation
For PvP
Swordmaster
- Whirling Blade
- Opportunity
- Tactical Strike
- Freeing Justice
- Counter Attack
Defender
- Shield Bash
- Intimidating Bash
- Concussive Bash
- Sturdy Shield
- Elemental Resistance
- One with The Shield
- Final Blow
- Sturdy Grip
- Defensive Training
- Recuperation
- Defiant Stance
- Final Countdown
- Restoration
- Defensive Formation
Best Attribute for Tanks
As a tank, you should focus more on getting Constitution. This stat increases your maximum health points as well as your defensive capabilities. Sword & Shield scales with this attribute, so all the more reason to invest in it. Your secondary stat will determine which weapon you pair the Sword with, but ideally, items that scale with Strength or Focus are the best to take.
Best Pairings for New World Tanks
Dual weaponry is the norm in New World since players are allowed to equip two items at the same time. For tanks, the appropriate 2nd weapon would be something that complements its sturdiness with hard-hitting frontline skills or inescapable crowd controls. The effectiveness of a frontline depends on how strong he is in soaking up damage and how he can focus all enemy attention on himself. Here are the best pairing for the Sword and Shield:
Sword & Shield and Great Axe
Pairing the Sword & Shield with the Great Axe makes one annoying frontline. Enemies generally avoid targeting a tank when they see one focus on more dangerous opponents. However, when that tank uses a hard-hitting melee weapon, he becomes a big nuisance to the enemy team. This set combines sturdiness and the massive damage from the Great Axe, ensuring that hostiles cannot simply ignore you.
Swordmaster
- Whirling Blade
- Opportunity
- Tactical Strike
- Freeing Justice
- Counter Attack
Defender
- Shield Bash
- Intimidating Bash
- Concussive Bash
- Sturdy Shield
- Elemental Resistance
- One with The Shield
- Final Blow
- Sturdy Grip
- Defensive Training
- Recuperation
- Defiant Stance
- Final Countdown
- Restoration
- Defensive Formation
Great Axe
Reaper
- Charge
- Frenzied Momentum
- Unpredictable Strike
- Reap
- The Collector
- Hunger
- Fatal Attraction
- Execute
- Unstoppable Greed
- Executioner
- Critical Gains
- Keen Edge
- Frustration
- Feed
- Greed
- Death’s Embrace
- Critical Condition
- Executioner’s Speed
- Blood Lust
Sword & Shield and Warhammer
A tank with excellent crowd control is something that will annoy enemies during team fights. When not soaking up damage, you can swap out to your Warhammer and inflict hard-hitting CC attacks to help your teammates fight more smoothly. Your ability to tank damage and provide utility support makes you a great nuisance to opponents.
Sword & Shield
Swordmaster
- Reverse Stab
- Unstoppable Stab
- Tactician
- Mobility
- Opportunist
- Confidence
- Achille’s Heel
Defender
- Shield Bash
- Intimidating Bash
- Concussive Bash
- Sturdy Shield
- Elemental Resistance
- One With the Shield
- Final Blow
- Recuperation
- Defiant Stance
- Final Countdown
- Restoration
- Defensive Formation
Warhammer
Juggernaut
- Armor Breaker
- Indomitable
- Lasting trauma
- Opening Act
- Epitome of Bonk
- Exhaustive Attacks
- Quick Recovery
Crowd Crusher
- Shockwave
- Frailty
- Meteoric Crater
- Path of Destiny
- Seismic Waves
- Stimulated Reduction
- Outnumbered
- Resurgence
- Concussive Impact
- Prevailing Spirit
- Acceleration
- Aftershock
Sword & Shield and Hatchet
This is something you would typically use for PvE. New World is not your typical MMO, and being designated as a tank in an expedition or other content outside PvP can be boring if you only soak up damage. Pairing this weapon with the Hatchet ensures you can deal damage when you are not taking for your teammates. This is also an excellent setup for players looking to play solo.
Sword & Shield
Swordmaster
- Reverse Stab
- Unstoppable Stab
- Tactician
- Opportunist
- Empowered Stab
Defender
- Shield Bash
- Intimidating Bash
- Concussive Bash
- Defiant Stance
- Final Countdown
- Restoration
- Sturdy Shield
- Elemental Resistance
- One with The Shield
- Sturdy Grip
- Defensive Training
- High Grip
- Recuperation
- Defensive Formation
Hatchet
Berserker
- Berserk
- On the Hunt
- Berserking Refresh
- Berserking Purge
- Uninterruptible Berserk
- Raging Torrent
- Against All Odds
- Frenzied Purge
- Fortifying Strikes
- Defy Death
Throwing
- Rending Throw
- Targeted Impact
Alternative Options
- Sword & Shield and Spear – The SSS combo is something many players consider a great alternative to the Warhammer combo. The Spear also allows players to provide excellent crowd control while keeping enemies at bay. In addition, this set can also be great in the PvE setting.
- Sword & Shield and Life Staff – The setup can become a viable option for players looking to support their team. Both weapons can provide special buffs to their teammates. This gear also combines sturdiness and sustainability, which makes tanks even harder to kill. The drawback of this build is that some buffs cannot be active until a specific weapon is drawn out, which limits the capabilities of this tandem.
Gem Options
For the gems, this will rely mainly on what expeditions you will run, so you will be swapping out this stone more often. For example, you will need the Angry Eart Ward for Genesis and Corruption for Tempest. Take time to study which gems work best.
Try Out Different Options
Experimenting is the best way to discover which build works best for you. Try out various pairings and setups to see how well different items synergize. Be careful how you combine weapons, as some will not work well no matter what you do. Make sure to study the stat requirements and skills available of resources before you go experimenting.
