The Occultist in New World Aeternum is a powerful spellcaster archetype that wields both the Fire Staff and Ice Gauntlet, making it a versatile choice for dealing high amounts of AoE damage. This archetype controls multiple enemies control and dishes out massive elemental damage in both PvE and PvP settings. However, the Occultist starts off relatively weak, relying heavily on its abilities, and can be challenging in the early levels. Once you reach level 30 and beyond, this build begins to shine, particularly in group content where its AoE damage becomes a significant asset.
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Weapon Loadout and Playstyle
The Occultist's starting loadout includes the Fire Staff and Ice Gauntlet, offering a great balance between long-range AoE damage and defensive capabilities. Both weapons scale purely off Intelligence, so the attribute point distribution for this archetype is fairly straightforward, focusing on maximizing Intelligence to boost your spell damage.
In terms of armor, the Occultist begins with a full set of light armor. Swapping the light chest armor for a medium chest as soon as possible is recommended, providing more survivability while keeping the character in the "light equip load" category. This will allow you to maintain the 15% damage bonus and access to the dodge roll, which is essential for mobility and avoiding enemy attacks.
Attribute Allocation
The primary focus for an Occultist is Intelligence, as both the Fire Staff and Ice Gauntlet scale with this aA damage, a 75% Intelligence and 25% Constitution split for players looking to balance survivability and damage are ideal. Early on, you might want to aim for thresholds like 100 Intelligence and 25 Constitution, eventually scaling to 150 Intelligence and 50 Constitution. Constitution becomes more important for PvP situations or if you find yourself dying too quickly in PvE, but overall, Intelligence should remain your main focus to maximize your damage output.
At 150 Intelligence, the build benefits from a 10% increase in elemental damage, significantly boosting fire and ice damage, which is critical for late-game content.
Fire Staff Abilities and Playstyles
The Fire Staff is a powerful weapon, capable of dealing massive AoE damage and excelling at long-range combat. There are multiple viable playstyles depending on your preference:
AoE Damage Build (PvE Focus):
Meteor Shower: A fantastic AoE ability that deals consistent damage over a large area.
Fireball: A must-have skill that deals direct fire damage and leaves a burning effect on the ground.
Pillar of Fire: Another great AoE ability that causes an explosion of fire damage in a small area.
PvP Focused Build:
Fireball: Still a must-have for its direct damage and burning effect.
Flamethrower: Flamethrower deals sustained damage for close-quarters combat, making it useful for PvP scenarios where enemies get too close.
Burnout: A mobility tool that lets you dash away from danger while causing an explosion at the end of the dash, useful for escaping sticky PvP situations.
For PvE, a full AoE build (Meteor Shower, Fireball, Pillar of Fire) is ideal for clearing groups of enemies quickly. For PvP, you'll want to prioritize abilities like Burnout and Flamethrower for their mobility and burst potential.
Ice Gauntlet Abilities and Playstyles
The Ice Gauntlet complements the Fire Staff by providing excellent control and survivability options. Here are some key abilities to focus on:
Ice Storm: One of the best AoE abilities in the game, Ice Storm slows enemies and deals continuous damage. It's a staple in almost every Ice Gauntlet build.
Ice Pylon: Particularly useful in solo play, Ice Pylon acts as a stationary turret that deals consistent damage, allowing you to focus on dodging or dealing additional damage with other skills.
Entombed: A defensive ability that encases you in ice, granting invulnerability for a short time and giving you a moment to recover.
For PvP, Ice Shower is highly effective as it roots enemies in place, making them easy targets for your Fire Staff or Ice Gauntlet abilities. Alternatively, Ice Spike offers strong burst damage if you prefer a more aggressive playstyle.
The ultimate for the Ice Gauntlet, Ultimate Chill, increases your damage by 25% when enemies are affected by ice abilities like Ice Storm, making it a powerful choice for maximizing damage.
Crafting and Gathering Bonuses
The Occultist comes with excellent bonuses in Jewel Crafting, Mining, and Smelting. These professions synergize well together, allowing you to gather resources like ores, refine them into metals, and then craft high-value jewelry. Jewel Crafting is one of the most profitable crafting skills early on, especially with access to Carnelian Gems, which tanks will need for their gear. Crafting and selling earrings, which are relatively rare drops, can also provide a significant source of income.
The combination of these crafting skills makes the Occultist powerful in combat and highly valuable as a crafter in the economy of Aeternum.
Potential Weapon Swaps
While the Fire Staff and Ice Gauntlet are powerful, you may want to experiment with different weapon pairings to find a playstyle that suits you. One popular alternative is the Blunderbuss, which scales primarily with Strength but also has Intelligence as a secondary stat. This lets you deal significant close-range burst damage while maintaining your primary Intelligence focus.
For PvP, pairing the Ice Gauntlet with the Blunderbuss can be highly effective. Rooting enemies in place with Ice Shower and then following up with Shrapnel Blast from the Blunderbuss can quickly decimate opponents.
The Occultist is a versatile and powerful archetype in New World Aeternum, capable of dealing massive AoE damage in both PvE and PvP settings. Its reliance on Intelligence and mastery of elemental magic makes it a force to be reckoned with, especially in group content where its ability to control and destroy large groups of enemies becomes invaluable. With strong crafting skills in Jewel Crafting and a focus on elemental damage, the Occultist can thrive in combat and the games.
Whether you're waste to hordes of enemies with Ice Storm and Meteor Shower, or dominating in PvP with Burnout and Fireball, the Occultist will surely leave a lasting impact on Aeternum.
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