Greatsword War Hammer Bruiser PvE Build for New World

In PvE combat this will be played in light armor to maximize damage. It will strictly use the Greatsword in single-target encounters. The War Hammer will shine while clearing trash packs because it will apply crowd-control effects to all enemies. You can then capitalize with devasting Greatsword attacks.

For this build, it is recommended to use the Serenity Greatsword artifact.

• Relentless Rush — This will deal AoE damage primarily, but it is also important to use on cooldown to get its empower effect.
• Crosscut — This is a high damage ability that can be used for single-target or AoE once enemies are grouped together.
• Skyward Slash — This is your primary Rend tool. It also has great single-target and AoE damage.

• Wrecking Ball — This is a great tool for defensiveness and crowd-control. When it is used it will apply a Fortify buff that will help with survivability. Additionally, it has a unexpectedly large AoE knockdown effect that is essential for starting any kind of crowd-control combo.
• Shockwave — In most cases, this should be used as soon as a target is knocked down by Wrecking Ball. Not only with it provide a massive AoE stun. Every target will be debuffed and rended as long as you use its perk. This makes all targets extremely vulnerable.
• Path Of Destiny — This is perfect for free AoE damage and it does stagger, so you can use it to interrupt enemies and apply a slow.

In PvE you want to play with as little Constitution as possible. As such, it is best to play around 100-150 Constitution.

The Greatsword will be your primary damage weapon, so be sure to also scale some points into Dexterity for maximum damage.

The Greatsword is a very squishy weapon due to it receiving more damage when in Onslaught stance, so be careful!

Slot	Perks	Gem	Weight	Attribute	Source
Greatsword	Trenchant Strikes Bane Perk (Expedition Specific)* Keenly Empowered	Cut Pristine Diamond	-	Strength	Crafted/BoE
War Hammer	Sundering Shockwave Trenchant Strikes* Keenly Jagged	Runeglass of Arboreal Diamond	-	Strength	Crafted/BoE
Helmet	Enchanted Ward Refreshing Ability Perk* or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Chest	Enchanted Ward Refreshing Ability Perk* or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Medium	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Gloves	Enchanted Ward Refreshing Ability Perk* or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Pants	Enchanted Ward Refreshing Ability Perk* or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Boots	Enchanted Ward Refreshing Ability Perk* or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Amulet	Health Divine Protection Perk (Mutator Specific)*	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	-	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Ring**	Slash Damage Keen Awareness Leeching	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	-	Strength	Named Drop**
Earring	Refreshing Toast Purifying Toast or Regenerating Refreshing	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	-	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE

*: The only ability perk that is needed is Sundering Shockwave. The optional perks depend on your preferences, Leeching Crosscut can be used for self-healing.

**: Legate's Ring is a best in slot drop from Grave Offerings in Brimstone Sands. You can pick this up during a chest run, or focus specific locations. It is best because Slash Damage and Keen Awareness cannot normally be on an item together. Since you do not need Hearty, this is best.

Overall with gearing, this is the ideal loadout of perks for a best in slot build. With that being said, be sure to refer to the Greatsword Perks guide Perks guide or War Hammer Perks guide to have a better understanding of other flexible perk options to fit into your build. You can decide what you are most comfortable with.

For more specific information on optimizing your gems in PvP and PvE please refer to our dedicated guides.

Use Brutal Heartrune of Detonate in PvE for maximum damage output.

Brutal Heartrune of Grasping Vines and Stalwart Heartrune of Stoneform are secondary utility options.

Your Heartrune will be used similarly in PvP and PvE scenarios. As such, please refer to our Greatsword guide or War Hammer guide for tips on how it can be used most effectively.

• Use Relentless Rush for its empower.
• Use Skyward Slash to apply rend.
• Use Crosscut for its damage.
• Dodge to receive an empower for 3 hits.
• Heavy attack 3 times.
• Dodge for empower.
• Repeat

• Use Wrecking Ball on clumps of enemies.
• Follow-up with Shockwave.
• Use Relentless Rush for its empower.
• Use Skyward Slash to apply rend.
• Use Crosscut.
• Heavy attack with Greatsword

When using the Greatsword or War Hammer in PvP and PvE there are many similar aspects that go into gameplay decisions and rotations. To learn more about how you can improve your gameplay, use certain secondary weapons, or additional information on specific abilities, please refer to the Gameplay section of the Greatsword page or War Hammer page.

For more information on the most frequently asked Greatsword or War Hammer questions please refer to the FAQ section of the Greatsword, or WarHammer, for answers on PvP and PvE topics!