New World Aeternum Soldier Archetype

In New World: Aeternum, the Soldier archetype is an ideal choice for players who want to serve as the front line of defense, excelling in tanking and group play while still maintaining decent solo capabilities. The Soldier is all about durability, starting with a Sword and Shield and a Hatchet, paired with a full set of heavy armor to maximize protection. This setup offers strong defensive options, making the Soldier one of the best archetypes for players who want to withstand enemy attacks and protect their team in group content such as Expeditions and Dungeons.

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Despite the predefined starting equipment, New World's classless system means that the Soldier is not locked into these choices. Players can freely swap out their weapons and skills and even craft specialties throughout the game, allowing for flexibility in playstyle. However, the Soldier's starting loadout is well-suited for tanking and offers a solid foundation for newcomers looking to fill this crucial role in group content.

The Soldier excels in its role as a tank, designed to take hits and protect teammates by drawing aggro (enemy attention). The Sword and Shield combination is the archetype's primary tool for defense, with abilities like Shield Rush and Defender's Resolve that enhance its ability to soak up damage. Defender's Resolve increases defense and generates threat (aggro) when a Carnelian Gem is slotted, making it perfect for holding enemy attention in group PvE content.

For solo play, the Soldier archetype remains strong thanks to the inclusion of the Hatchet, which is known for its survivability and damage output. The Berserk ability in the Hatchet skill tree provides the Soldier with a significant edge in solo content, granting increased movement speed, life steal, and uninterruptibility, which are essential for clearing large packs of enemies quickly and efficiently.

When allocating attribute points, Soldiers should prioritize Strength as the main stat, with the Constitution as the secondary stat. Strength enhances the damage output of both the Sword and Hatchet, making it essential for both offense and defense. Constitution boosts the Soldier's health pool, making them harder to take down in both PvE and PvP encounters. However, it's also worth investing a few points into Dexterity, particularly in the mid-to-late game. Dexterity acts as a secondary scaling stat for both the Sword and Shield and Hatchet, helping to mitigate the diminishing returns from dumping too many points into Strength.

Primary Stat: Strength – Maximize damage and scaling for the Sword and Hatchet.

Secondary Stat: Constitution – Increase survivability and gain additional armor benefits at stat thresholds.

Tertiary Stat: Dexterity – Invest lightly to boost damage scaling and avoid diminishing returns on Strength.

The Soldier archetype shines as a reliable tank in group content, such as Dungeons and Expeditions. The Sword and Shield skill tree offers several abilities to manage aggro and keep enemies focused on the Soldier instead of squishier teammates. Key abilities like Shield Bash (for stunning enemies) and Leaping Strike (for closing gaps) are invaluable for crowd control and protecting the group. Additionally, the Soldier's natural durability from wearing heavy armor allows them to withstand high damage output from bosses and elite enemies in group encounters.

For solo content, the Soldier's setup is still quite effective. The Hatchet's Berserk ability plays a major role in enhancing the Soldier's solo play. By increasing movement speed and life steal, Berserk enables the Soldier to quickly dispatch enemies while healing through damage, making it a versatile tool for open-world content and solo PvE activities. The Defy Death passive in the Hatchet's skill tree is also critical for solo survival. It allows the Soldier to avoid fatal damage for a short duration, making them nearly unkillable in some situations.

In PvP, the Soldier archetype can be both formidable and limited, depending on the scenario. The Soldier's Sword and Shield combination shines in large-scale group PvP, such as Wars or Outpost Rush. With stun abilities like Shield Bash and gap closers like Leaping Strike, the Soldier can disable opponents and control the battlefield by initiating fights and protecting teammates. Heavy armor provides the durability needed to withstand high bursts of damage from ranged and melee opponents alike.

However, in solo PvP, the Soldier's heavy armor can become a disadvantage. While the Soldier can take more hits, it lacks the mobility of other archetypes, such as the Ranger or Musketeer, which makes it harder to pursue and engage agile opponents. Despite this, the Hatchet's Berserk ability helps to counterbalance this issue by providing movement speed boosts and life steal, giving the Soldier a fighting chance in duels or smaller-scale PvP skirmishes.

The Soldier archetype also comes with valuable crafting bonuses, making it an excellent option for players who want to focus on crafting and gathering in addition to combat. Soldiers receive bonuses in:

These three trade skills complement each other perfectly. Mining allows Soldiers to gather essential resources like iron ore. Smelting converts these ores into usable ingots, and Weapon Smithing allows them to craft powerful weapons. This trade skill synergy is especially beneficial when players need better gear to increase their combat effectiveness in the early game. The Weapon Smithing bonus is particularly valuable, as crafting high-level weapons becomes easier, providing a direct boost to the Soldier's ability to deal damage and progress faster through the levels.

While the Hatchet is an excellent choice for solo content and survivability, players focusing on group-oriented content might consider swapping it for a War Hammer. The War Hammer excels in crowd control, offering abilities like Shockwave and Path of Destiny, which deal with AoE damage and stun enemies, making it a powerful secondary weapon for tanks in expeditions and raids.

The War Hammer's heavy-hitting, slow attacks align well with the tank playstyle, as its abilities often deal damage to multiple enemies while applying debuffs that make enemies more vulnerable. This weapon synergizes well with the Soldier's Sword and Shield, creating a balanced build that maximizes both defense and group utility.

One often overlooked aspect of the Soldier's toolkit is the type of shield used. Round Shields, which are part of the Soldier's default loadout, offer offensive bonuses, making them better suited for PvP where extra damage is crucial. However, players should switch to a Tower Shield as soon as possible for PvE and group tanking. The Tower Shield provides better block stability and overall damage reduction, making it far more effective for tanking in Dungeons and Expeditions. Its increased stamina efficiency ensures that Soldiers can hold their block longer without depleting stamina, an essential feature for surviving boss encounters.

The Soldier archetype in New World: Aeternum is an incredibly well-rounded option for players who want to embrace the tank role, offering strong defensive abilities, versatile crafting bonuses, and flexibility in both solo and group play. With the ability to swap between Sword and Shield, Hatchet, and potentially a War Hammer, the Soldier can adapt to a wide range of combat scenarios. Its valuable crafting bonuses make it a solid choice for players looking to progress through the game efficiently, and its durability ensures that the Soldier will always be a reliable force on the battlefield. Whether in PvE or PvP, the Soldier stands as one of the most resilient and dependable archetypes in New World.

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