War Hammer Melee Bruiser PvE Build for New World

In PvE combat a Bruiser will play in light armor to maximize damage while using a Great Axe and a War Hammer. It will be great for CC and clumping up trash packs, but also offer great damage output for single target boss fights. It is not the highest damage build, but it is one of the easiest to play and has fantastic group support.

• Armor Breaker — This will deal a quick burst of damage, but it is mostly important for its passive which will apply a large stack of rend. This in combination with Sundering Shockwave will result in significantly more damage for yourself and all your allies.
• 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 — This will be used for its single target rend capabilities, and in combination with Gravity Well when killing trash packs.

• Execute — This is a high damage ability that should only be used on targets below 50% health. It provides incredible single target damage, and can be used to finish off low health trash mobs.
• Maelstrom — This ability offers single-target and AoE burst. It then deflects all incoming projectiles, and it pulls enemies within its range. It will also apply a weaken with its perk.
• Gravity Well — This is the best crowd-control ability in New World. It is mostly used on trash packs so that your group can quickly kill enemies with AoE abilities.

This is general standard build with this weapon combination. This can be used for more self-healing and to have some mobility.

In PvE you want to play with as little Constitution as possible. As such, it is best to play around 100 Constitution, but you can go as low as 50.

The Great Axe and War Hammer are very defensive weapons, so use that to your advantage!

Slot	Perks	Gem	Weight	Attribute	Source
Great Axe	Refreshing Move Thwarting Strikes Bane Perk (Expedition Specific)*	Cut Pristine Diamond	-	Strength	Crafted/BoE
War Hammer	Sundering Shockwave Bane Perk (Expedition Specific)* Keenly Jagged	Runeglass of Arboreal Opal**	-	Strength	Crafted/BoE
Helmet	Ward Protection Perk Refreshing Ability Perk** or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Chest	Ward Protection Perk Refreshing Ability Perk** or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Medium	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Gloves	Ward Protection Perk Refreshing Ability Perk** or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Pants	Ward Protection Perk Refreshing Ability Perk** or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Boots	Ward Protection Perk Refreshing Ability Perk** or Any Viable Third Perk	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Light	Strength or Constitution	Crafted/BoE
Amulet	Health Divine	Elemental Damage Reduction Gem (Mutator Specific)	Cut Pristine Opal	-	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 type of Bane and Ward that you slot into your gear will be dependent on the expedition you are in and the type of enemy that you are facing. For example, if you are fighting Angry Earth enemies in Genesis you will want Angry Earth Bane and Angry Earth Ward. Your amulet protection perk will be similar. Depending on the elemental type of the Mutator you are in, you can wear an elemental protection amulet for more defensiveness instead of completely switching your gems.

**: Your Opal Runeglass could focus on elemental vulnerability to the enemies you are facing, but this will end up wasting thousands of gold. Instead, you can go with Nature damage and it will never be inneffective.

***: The ability perks you need to make sure are in your build are Sundering Shockwave and Insatiable Gravity Well. The optional perks depend on your ability choices, Enfeebling Maelstrom can be used to support the tank, Mending Execute will provide self-sustain, and Penetrating Wrecking Ball can give a slight damage increase.

****: 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 Great Axe 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.

This will increase physical damage dealt by a flat percent, but it has an internal cooldown attached to it. This means that if you swing two light attacks with a Great Axe, only every other swing will have the damage increase. This drastically reduces its effectiveness over time. In PvE it is crucial to play with all Cut Pristine Opal so that you can play with lower Constitution.

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 Great Axe guide or War Hammer guide for tips on how it can be used most effectively.

• Use Shockwave to apply rend.
• Use Armor Breaker to apply rend.
• Light attack with Great Axe and use Maelstrom on cooldown.
• Use Execute on cooldown when target is below 50% health.
• Reapply rends when they have both fallen off, and repeat.

• Use Gravity Well on clumps of enemies, or on a priority target.
• Use Wrecking Ball if targets are stacked together and you need AoE or CC.
• Use Shockwave if targets are stacked together or to apply rend on a single target.
• Use Maelstrom for burst damage and to quickly get Mauler stacks.
• Use Armor Breaker for rend on a single target.
• Use Execute when a target is below 50% health.

When using the Great Axe 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 Great Axe page or War Hammer page.

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