New World Season 10 Tier List - Best PvP & PvE Builds in NW S10

New World Season 10: Nighthaven is shaping up to be the game’s biggest evolution yet — a full reimagining of its endgame and world design. In this New World Season 10 tier list, we have ranked the best builds for PvP and PvE.

New World Season 10 Best Build - Best PvE & PvP Build in NW S10

Players will journey into Nighthaven in New World Season 10, a mysterious new zone filled with gothic castles, haunted forests, and political intrigue, all while uncovering the fate of the Tear of Gaea. The update introduces a procedurally generated Catacombs mode for 3-player dungeon runs, a massive 10-player Isle of Night raid, and sweeping endgame progression overhauls that raise the level cap to 70 and gear score to 800. New systems like Perk Charms and Set Bonuses allow unprecedented build customization, while Umbral upgrades and redesigned perks streamline power progression and balance. Without further ado, let's dive into New World Season 10 build tier list.

• Read: How to Farm Umbral Shards in New World Season 10

S Tier

These are the absolute best New World Season 10 builds in both PvE and PvP right now. They have exceptional synergy with Season 10’s infix bonuses, scaling changes, and animation reworks.

Hatchet + Greatsword

The best raw damage new world build in season 10. Greatsword’s Endrange Infix and heavy attack scaling synergize perfectly with Berserk uptime. Hatchet’s “Defy Death” makes you nearly immortal while dishing out huge DPS. Constant stamina refunds keep pressure high without downtime.

Weakness:

Struggles vs ranged kiting if you mismanage Berserk.
Best For: Expeditions, 1vX fights, frontline bruiser roles.

Greatsword + Sword & Shield

The perfect frontliner New World S10 builds for wars and dungeons. Greatsword heavy sustain and Sword & Shield fortify stacking make you unkillable. Amazing crowd control and peel for allies. Perfect synergy with new Fortify cap expansions.

Weakness:

Low mobility when isolated; relies on positioning.
Best For: Wars, Expeditions, and defending objectives.

Musket + Bow

Season 10 crit-based DoTs give reliable damage over time. Bow’s new Gravity Well arrow lets you trap enemies for combo finishes. Best New World season 10 builds are ideal for coordinated war teams that use range pressure to zone.

Weakness:

Requires perfect positioning; punished hard in close range.
Best For: Wars, OPR, open-world farming.

Blunderbuss + Musket

Essentially a “sniper shotgun” setup. Blunderbuss shreds at close range, Musket secures kills from a distance. Alternating enhancements amplify both burst windows simultaneously. Best New World builds S10 that has great stamina management for chasing or disengaging.

Weakness:

Punishing if you miss your opening combo.
Best For: OPR, small-scale PvP, burst DPS PvE.

Void Gauntlet + Life Staff

Top-tier team utility with void debuffs + heals + cleanses. Void’s new damage scaling makes it offensive and supportive at once. Fortify and Empower cap reworks massively boosted sustain. Enables entire teams to survive and output more damage.

Weakness:

Requires awareness and positioning; easily focused if alone.
Best For: Wars, Expeditions, any group PvE or PvP.

A Tier

These are overpowered New World builds Season 10 for all content and very competitive, but just slightly less versatile or explosive than S-tier.

Blunderbuss + Greatsword

Proximity infix damage bonuses make this combination lethal. Blunderbuss burst combos into Greatsword’s heavy chains. Absolute beast in melee clumps or point defense.

Weakness:

Weak at range; easily kited by bows or muskets.
Best For: OPR, War frontlines, PvE tank/DPS hybrid.

Great Axe + Spear

Root, pull, and rend chains = timeless meta. Synergizes with Season 10 rend stacking buffs. Devastating when coordinated in groups.

Weakness:

Predictable; needs team follow-up.
Best For: Wars, Invasions, Expeditions.

Flail + Sword & Shield

New impair duration buffs = perma-CC tank. Fortify uptime makes it near impossible to push past.

Can heal and shield allies while anchoring choke points.
Weakness:

Low damage; purely a defensive cornerstone.
Best For: Wars, Expeditions, Tank roles.

Hatchet + Rapier

Berserk for sustain, Rapier for finesse and evades. Can outplay enemies by baiting dodges and countering with Reposte. One of the best 1v1 setups.

Weakness:

Low AoE and struggles vs mass CC.
Best For: Solo PvP, open-world duels.

Great Axe + Hatchet

Gravity Well → Berserk combo still melts groups. Endrange damage buff makes it even deadlier. Pure melee chaos, excellent sustain.

Weakness:

Weak vs heavy range comps.
Best For: Wars, Expeditions, open-world PvP.

Bow + Life Staff

Perma-kiting with self-healing. Gravity arrow helps peel and control fights. Great for players who enjoy survivability and independence.

Weakness:

Moderate DPS ceiling; better at surviving than finishing.
Best For: Open world, exploration, solo PvE.

Musket + Rapier

Still the 1v1 king. Musket provides ranged burst, Rapier provides survival and finishers. Crit consistency buff reduces RNG frustration.

Weakness:

Poor AoE; demands perfect aim.
Best For: Duels, OPR, PvP skirmishes.

Greatsword + Warhammer

Massive rend synergy for team burst. Excellent war synergy, amazing AoE cleave. Strong PvE tank hybrid option.

Weakness:

Low mobility, relies on team positioning.
Best For: Wars, Expeditions.

Flail + Void Gauntlet

Flail’s impair stacks boost void empowerment. Buffs, heals, and damage all in one. Perfect for utility-focused players.

Weakness:

Needs high awareness and timing to maximize.
Best For: Wars, Expeditions.

Bow + Rapier

Most polished rotation in the game. Alternating enhancements improve feel and rhythm.  Flexible in all content types.

Weakness:

Requires mechanical skill; not forgiving to mistakes.
Best For: All-around PvE and PvP.

B Tier

Strong in casual or solo play, less dominant in competitive wars or expeditions.

Warhammer + Bow

Can set up allies with AoE stuns then swap to range. Great crowd control chaos in wars.

Weakness:

Melee-to-range transition delays punish mistakes.
Best For: Wars, OPR.

Bow + Hatchet

Great sustain and mobility. Smooth animations after Season 10 polish.

Weakness:

Low burst compared to top DPS builds.
Best For: Open-world farming, solo PvP.

Sword & Shield + Rapier

Extremely hard to kill. Parry and block loops frustrate enemies.

Weakness:

Modest DPS output.
Best For: Arenas, 1v1 PvP.

Musket + Hatchet

Musket chips enemies, Hatchet finishes with Berserk. Great sustain and self-healing.

Weakness:

High swap skill requirement.
Best For: OPR, open world.

Warhammer + Sword & Shield

Max Fortify stacking + crowd control. Defines team fights by controlling space.

Weakness:

Damage negligible.
Best For: Wars, Expedition tanking.

Bow + Greatsword

Greatsword benefits from bow’s softening range pressure. Fluid melee-to-range swaps now feel rewarding.

Weakness:

Requires good spacing and timing.
Best For: PvE and hybrid PvP roles.

C Tier

Playable but less efficient compared to meta setups.

Bow + Void Gauntlet

Applies slows and DoTs for team follow-ups.
Weakness:

Low direct burst; cooldown juggling heavy.
Best For: Supportive PvP in coordinated groups.

Greatsword + Musket

Works decently for bosses that phase in/out of range.
Weakness:

Conflicting playstyles.
Best For: PvE variety, not PvP.

Spear + Rapier

Stamina regen buffs help dodge chaining. Great for skilled players with perfect spacing.

Weakness:

One mistake = death.
Best For: Duels, 1v1 PvP.

Flail + Rapier

New synergy with impair + bleeds. Feels fast and stylish.

Weakness:

Weak in group fights; low AoE.
Best For: Small skirmishes, duels.

D Tier

Fun or creative, but not effective in the current meta.

Great Axe + Life Staff

Split identity, poor scaling.
Best For: Open-world farming only.

Spear + Sword & Shield

Bulky but no damage; drags fights forever.
Best For: Casual solo PvP.

Life Staff + Spear

Stats conflict (Focus vs Dex/Str).
Best For: Experimental play only.

Sword & Shield + Life Staff

Extremely tanky; great for objective holding.
Weakness:

Zero kill pressure.
Best For: War point defense, PvE tanking.