Many players are eager to begin their adventure on the mysterious island of New World: Aeternum. For newcomers to New World: Aeternum, this means creating their character for the first time. One of the most important choices you’ll face in this process is deciding which class, or archetype, to start with. Players can choose from seven unique character archetypes, each with its own strengths, weapons, and starting bonuses. In this article, we will discuss Which Class or Archetypes Should You Pick in New World: Aeternum.
Archetypes in New World: Aeternum
Before you can enter into the game New World: Aeternum, you have to create your character. That includes not only their appearance but also their playstyle from the start. There are multiple options available and all of those have their default weapons and trade skill advantages. Below are the options that you have for archetypes:
Archetype | Weapons | Trade Skill Advantages |
| Soldier | Great Axe (100% Strength) Great Sword (80% Strength, 80% Dexterity) Flail and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Focus) Hatchet (90% Strength, 65% Dexterity) Sword and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Dexterity) War Hammer (100% Strength) | Weaponsmithing, Mining, and Smelting |
| Destroyer | Blunderbuss (90% Strength, 65% Intelligence) Great Axe (100% Strength) Great Sword (80% Strength, 80% Dexterity) Flail and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Focus) Hatchet (90% Strength, 65% Dexterity) Sword and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Dexterity) War Hammer (100% Strength) | Armoring, Skinning, and Leatherworking |
| Ranger | Bow (100% Dexterity) Great Sword (80% Strength, 80% Dexterity) Musket (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence) Rapier (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence) Spear (90% Dexterity, 65% Strength) | Engineering, Logging, and Woodworking |
| Musketeer | Bow (100% Dexterity)Fire Staff (100% Intelligence)Ice Gauntlet (100% Intelligence)Musket (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence)Rapier (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence)Spear (90% Dexterity, 65% Strength) | Armoring, Harvesting, and Weaving |
| Occultist | Blunderbuss (90% Strength, 65% Intelligence) Fire Staff (100% Intelligence) Ice Gauntlet (100% Intelligence) Life Staff (100% Focus) Musket (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence) Rapier (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence) Void Gauntlet (90% Intelligence, 65% Focus) | Jewelcrafting, Mining, and Smelting |
| Mystic | Fire Staff (100% Intelligence) Flail and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Focus) Ice Gauntlet (100% Intelligence) Life Staff (100% Focus) Void Gauntlet (90% Intelligence, 65% Focus) | Arcana, Harvesting, and Weaving |
| Swordbearer | Blunderbuss (90% Strength, 65% Intelligence) Great Axe (100% Strength) Great Sword (80% Strength, 80% Dexterity) Flail and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Focus) Hatchet (90% Strength, 65% Dexterity) Musket (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence) Rapier (90% Dexterity, 65% Intelligence) Spear (90% Dexterity, 65% Strength) Sword and Shield (90% Strength, 65% Dexterity) War Hammer (100% Strength) | Cooking, Fishing, and Leatherworking |
Class you should pick in New World: Aeternum
Even though there are starting archetypes, the great thing about New World: Aeternum is that you’re not tied to a specific playstyle or class. You can switch weapons as you find new ones and upgrade your armour in a way that doesn’t have to match your initial archetype. Ultimately, the key decision is which trade skills and areas you want to focus on when you begin the game.
Having an advantage in any skill is beneficial in New World: Aeternum, but it’s wise to choose an archetype that gives you a headstart in areas like armoring and weaponsmithing. These skills can enhance your combat abilities and allow you to craft better weapons and armor earlier on. The Destroyer offers a great range of starting trade skills, but there’s really no wrong choice. It all comes down to the kind of experience you want in the game. If you’re more focused on combat, pick an archetype with armoring and weapon skills. If you prefer gathering materials, go for one with skills like mining and harvesting.
If you choose to switch up your playstyle, you might need to adjust how you allocate your character’s skill points. Each of the five areas where you can assign points; Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Focus, and Constitution; affects different weapons, except for Constitution. For example, if you move from using a Strength-based weapon like a great axe to a Dexterity-based one like a bow, it might be a good idea to respec. Fortunately, resetting your stat points to their default settings is quick and simple. To respec your character, just go to the Character menu where you assign skill points and click the Respec button at the bottom of the screen. You’ll need to confirm your choice, and then all your earned skill points will be available for you to redistribute.
