New World Season 10 Nighthaven PvE Build Guide

If you're gearing up to melt bosses in the shadowy depths of catacombs or the intense clashes of the Isle of Night raid, New World Aeternum Season 10: Nighthaven has some thrilling updates that can supercharge your damage output. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or just dipping your toes into endgame content, this guide breaks down the essentials to help you shine as a DPS powerhouse. We've compiled insights from the latest balance changes, focusing on what truly drives group success.

As you dive deeper into Aeternum's challenges, consider bookmarking MMOJUGG for ongoing tips and strategies—it's a handy hub for all things New World. And if you're looking to accelerate your setup, swing by our New World Aeternum Shop to grab Gold Coins, Trophies, Matrices, and more to fuel your journey without the grind.

Mastering Weapon Combos

In Nighthaven, weapon choices aren't just about personal flair—they're about filling critical roles in your group while pumping out consistent damage. The meta favors combos that blend high-output light and heavy attacks with utility like self-sustain and debuffs. Let's unpack the standouts, starting with the must-haves.

The undisputed king for close-quarters devastation is the Rapier + Hatchet pairing. This duo excels in raids thanks to its rapid light attack spam, which keeps your DPS ticking without gaps. Rapier's evades and flurries offer solid peel options, letting you dodge mechanics while staying on target. For Hatchet, swap in Rending Throw over Social Distance to apply a rend debuff, boosting your team's damage by up to 20% against bosses. It's a game-changer for expedition clears, especially when coordinated with tanks.

If you're eyeing a tankier option that still hits hard, Great Sword + Hammer or Great Sword + Sword & Shield steps up. Great Sword's heavy attacks scale beautifully with end-range infixes, delivering tier-top bursts—though it's about half a step behind Rapier/Hatchet in pure DPS. These shine in hybrid roles, where you can swap to Hammer's shockwaves for crowd control or Sword & Shield for unbreakable fortify stacks. Pick based on your comfort level; both handle Nighthaven's mob packs like pros.

For pulling and locking down adds in dungeons, slot in Great Axe with Maelstrom and Gravity Well. One player running this keeps enemies rooted via Reap, preventing chaotic spreads. It's not flashy, but it sets up your DPS for clean rotations.

Then there's the unsung hero: the Rend Specialist (or "Rend Bot"). Using Warhammer with Shockwave, Clear Out, and Path of Destiny, pair it with Spear (for Perforate's weaken) or Sword & Shield (for extra rends). This setup amplifies party-wide damage and reduces incoming hits, often making tough fights easier. Coordinate with your tank—if they're on Great Sword/Hammer, go Spear/Sword & Shield to avoid overlap. Remember, overlapping bleeds or weakens (like from multiple Spears) only counts the highest damage one; duplicates get overwritten, wasting slots. Diversity is key to hitting those ceiling-shattering numbers.

Ranged players, don't sleep on Bow + Fire Staff for the Nighthaven raid. Fire Staff's bursts, paired with Bow's Gravity Well, create lockdown zones while Inferno's close-range bonus (more on that below) pushes your output over the edge. It's vital for kiting phases.

For casual players who want fun without the sweat, Musket + Void Gauntlet, Bow + Void Gauntlet, or Bow + Rapier deliver reliable damage. These offer safer zoning and self-heals, perfect for open-world farming or lighter expeditions. Ice Gauntlet can backline as a secondary for its Ice Storm and Spike utility, but it's fallen off as a primary due to meta shifts toward stamina-efficient melee.

Healers, stick to Void Gauntlet + Life Staff for buffs that make dungeon clears smoother—your DPS will thank you.

Essential Artifacts and Jewelry

Artifacts are your force multipliers in Season 10, and skipping them means leaving damage on the table. Lead with Inferno, a ring artifact granting 15% bonus damage on hits within 15 meters. Farm it from the mutated Imperator's Forge expedition in Great Cleave—expect 4-5 runs for a drop. It's mandatory for melee DPS in raids and catacombs.

For headgear, Old Crown (medium) adds +6 to all attributes, plus three gem slots for that extra 1-2% damage via runic enhancements and 2% mitigation. Grab it from the PvP Rewards Track by grinding 3v3 Arenas or Outpost Rush—whichever mode keeps you engaged. It's a DPS staple for its raw stat boost.

Ability-heavy builds like Rapier thrive with Nimble Coat (medium chest), emphasizing cooldown reduction and mobility. Also from the PvP Track, it edges out Old Crown for rotation-dependent setups. Test both; Great Sword leans toward Old Crown's stats.

Jewelry-wise, Blooddrinker ring is a sustain godsend, offering massive lifesteal to solo tough catacomb bosses or cover healer downtime. Source it from mutated Starstone Barrows in Everfall—run now before the mutation rotates.

For Void Gauntlet users, Lifetaker artifact amps secondary weapon damage by 15%. Defeat the giant simian boss in Elysian Wilds (no banana bribes accepted). Finishers like those from Mammoth expeditions pair well for burst phases.

Heart Runes round out your toolkit. Stalwart of Stoneform from Lazarus expedition provides fortify and mending for clutch survival—non-mutated, so easier farm. Alternatives like Detonate (from Nether's Vines) deliver explosive AoE, or rend-focused ones for team amps. Choose based on content: Stoneform for sustain, Detonate for burst.

Gear Progression From Starter to Endgame

Building your kit starts simple and scales to raid-viable. Kick off at Tower of Sol in Ebonscale Reach—climb to the summit for respawning bosses every 15-20 seconds. AFK farm for armor and weapons; it's BiS starters, but no jewelry drops here.

For variety, scan world chat (/say) for "XC" or "exped" groups—elite chest runs in zones like Cutlass Keys, Elysian Wilds, Brimstone Sands, Shattered Mountain, Everfall, and Reekwater. These yield legendary pieces, Umbral Shards for your 4k weekly cap, and set bonuses. Black or colorful map icons signal active runs; join and loot up.

Once geared, hit Catacombs for the Overcharged Set—DPS heaven with stacks from close kills or hits (up to 5% base damage per stack, 5s cooldown). It's a raid entry requirement, so farm tokens with a buddy; soloing's brutal. Pro tip: Full heavy armor, Serenity gem, Carnelian, and Blooddrinker turns you into a one-person wrecking crew.

Endgame? The Isle of Night raid drops the Enraged Set, my personal chase—10% damage amp at 5% vulnerability cost. It's a beast for PvE, but raid clears are early days; only the first boss is down across servers. Gear score and perks matter hugely here.

Supplement with PvP Track rewards for artifacts and sets—Arenas or Outpost Rush for quick progress.

Perks, Charms, and Attribute Splits for Optimization

Perks define your edge, but watch the hotfix: Stacking old/new Enchanted Ward is getting axed—no refunds, so pivot now.

Prioritize uniques like Terminal Vengeance (rage synergy) or Lifestealer for sustain. Prolonged Favor extends buffs by 10% maxed, juicing damage uptime. Sacrificial Empowerment on every armor piece? Non-negotiable 1.5% base damage hike—snag from faction vendors if needed.

Gem slots are must-haves for 2% mitigation + 1-2% damage runes. Offensive slots for DPS, defensive for tanks. Jewelry: Enchanted Skill/Thrust Damage multipliers, gem slots, and Beloved on earrings (reduces threat, keeps aggro off you). Refreshing Move (1-2% cooldowns on lights/heavies) or flat Refreshing (10% all cooldowns) is universal gold. Amulets: Max HP and protection for mechanic-proofing.

Weapons favor balanced perks like Attunement (pre-nerf warning: diminishing returns incoming on stacks; aim for 1-2, mix with Keen and Crit). Triple Attunement? Future BiS no-more.

Attributes: Even Strength/Dex split for melee DPS. With Old Crown, bump Intelligence to 25 for backstab crits. Cooldown-reliant? 25 Focus. Tanks: 200 Con, rest stamina regen—tweak for survivability.

Charms split defensive/offensive. Stack Enchanted Ward x5 baseline (mitigation king). Keenly Fortify (20% fortify, 5s on 7s CD) is broken—100% uptime, near-unkillable. Tanks add Wellness (magic resist) or Divines (non-Life heals).

Offensive: Harnessing x5 for 50% Empower cap (diminishing after). Vicious (3% flat, crit synergy), Enchanted (2.3% lights/heavies for Hatchet/Great Sword). Keenly Empowered (13% flat, once-stack mandatory). Keenly Jagged for DoT insurance—free power, no stacks.

FAQs on New World S10 Nighthaven PvE Build

What's the fastest way to farm Inferno in Season 10?

Head to mutated Imperator's Forge in Great Cleave—4-5 runs should net it, but group up via world chat for efficiency.

Can I mix Rapier/Hatchet with ranged options?

Absolutely, but keep it primary for melee synergy. Use Bow as secondary for pulls, avoiding rend overlaps.

Is Blooddrinker worth the Starstone grind for non-solo players?

Yes—its lifesteal shines in any group, covering wipes or healer lag without relying on perfect coordination.

How do attunement nerfs affect my current gear?

Triple stacks get diminishing returns (exact % TBD), so diversify to Keen/Crit mixes for sustained DPS.

Best starter progression for new DPS mains?

Tower of Sol drops > elite chest runs > Catacombs for Overcharged. Hit 760 GS before raiding.

Thanks for Reading

There you have it—a roadmap to owning Nighthaven's toughest encounters. Stay tuned to MMOJUGG for more deep dives into Aeternum's evolving meta.