In this New World Flail and Shield Build 2024, we’ll be covering the Flail and Shield in both PvE and PvP. You can use the Flail on its own if you’d prefer, however, you won’t be able to make use of some Skills in either Skill Line. That said, it is still an option if you’re trying to manage your weight. The Flail and Shield scale with both Strength and Focus, but they benefit more from Strength. So, if you’re planning to focus on this weapon combo, it’s a good idea to prioritize Strength over Focus in your build.

New World Aeternum Flail and Shield Build Information

• Scaling Stats: Strength (90%), Focus (65%)
• Damage Type: Strike & Arcane
• Light Attack Damage: 100%
• Heavy Attack Damage: 150%
• Taunt Gem Compatible: Yes
• Best Strength Weapon Pairings: Sword & Shield, Great Axe, War Hammer, Greatsword,
• Best Focus Weapon Pairings: Life Staff, Void Gauntlet

New World Flail and Shield Build 2024 – Overview and Strategy

One thing that really sets New World Flail and Shield Builds 2024 apart from other melee weapons in New World Aeternum is its ability to heal while attacking, which is not something many weapons can do. Additionally, the Flail can also heal allies, which is even less common, making it not only a damaging weapon but also a great support weapon as well.

The Flail also has wide horizontal sweeps that can hit many targets simultaneously, which is great for AoEing enemies when questing, in Dungeons, or when PvPing in medium to larger battles. And since it does Strike damage, it can be effective against enemies the Sword is not. This makes Sword and Shield and Flail and Shield a dynamic pairing, swapping when another damage type is needed.

Flail and Shield Builds in New World Aeternum can also set Impairment, which is a Status Effect that not only causes damage over time, but also reduces the damage of the target by inflicting Weaken. As far as I know, it’s the only weapon that can set this status, which is one of the best, if not the best, out there.

The other thing of note is that Flail and Shield has no attacks that use the Shield, unlike Sword and Shield, so the damage of your Shield won’t factor much in Flail and Shield gameplay. However, Equip Load and the type of Shield you are using do impact some of your Flail and Shield Skills, so you should still keep this in mind when determining which Shield type to use.

There are 3 different types of Shields in New World: Aeternum, and they operate similarly with some slight differences:

Round Shields are the lightest, with the lowest Block Stability but highest damage. Block Stability determines how much Stamina is consumed when you block an attack. Use this Shield type if you plan to maximize your damage by keeping your Equip Load Light, which is ideal for questing or 1v1 PvP, but not so great for tanking Expeditions or larger scale PvP where you might need to block a lot.

Kite Shields are twice as heavy as Round Shields, have 10% more Block Stability, and deal about 20% less damage. They are a solid middle ground between tankiness and damage and are best used by those that plan to play a mix of offensively and defensively when playing Flail and Shield.

Tower Shields are twice as heavy as Kite Shields, which is a lot, and have 10% more Block Stability than Kite Shields, but do roughly 10% less damage. They are the ideal choice for would-be tanks in larger PvP battles and in Expeditions where they will be absorbing a large number of attacks.

New World Aeternum Flail & Shield Pros:

• Balanced Offense and Defense
• High Survivability
• Great for tank roles
• Great range for a melee weapon

New World Aeternum Flail & Shield Cons:

• Damage output isn’t as high as the other weapons
• No Shield Skills

Cleric Skill Tree

For this New World Flail and Shield Build 2024, we’ll be starting with the Cleric tree, this one focuses on dealing Arcane Damage and healing allies. If you’re using Flail and Shield while in a group and want some off heals, or maybe you’re the only heals in your group, this is a great line to take.

Now, let’s dive into the Flail and Shield skill trees, starting with the Cleric tree. This one emphasizes arcane damage and healing allies, making it perfect if you’re looking to provide some off-heals in a group or even if you’re the only healer around.

Arcane Smite

The first ability in the Cleric tree is Arcane Smite, which delivers solid arcane damage. It’s an overhead smash that creates a debuffed area on the ground, reducing the damage enemies deal and inflicting damage over time to those standing in it. It’s especially useful when you want to debuff grouped enemies. Upgrading this skill reduces its cooldown based on the number of enemies hit, gives bonuses depending on the shield type you’re using, and can even buff allies in the area with things like lifesteal. This upgrade scales with focus, so pairing it with a Life Staff or Void Gauntlet can make it even more effective.

Arcane Vortex

Next is Arcane Vortex, a multi-hit spinning attack that deals arcane damage and buffs allies within range. As you upgrade it, this ability roots enemies, grants haste to allies, and even provides healing to them. It’s a solid pick for group play since it not only damages enemies but also supports your team with buffs and heals.

Arcane Eruption

Lastly, there’s Arcane Eruption, a quick whip-like attack that deals arcane and strike damage, while also applying two stacks of impairment to the target, reducing their damage output and causing damage over time. Upgrades to this skill can slow targets, extend status debuffs, and heal both yourself and allies based on the damage dealt. While these abilities heal you, they’re even more effective when used in a group setting.

The capstone for this tree is Better Together, which provides periodic healing to you and any nearby allies. However, this only triggers when you have at least one ally nearby, so it’s not ideal for solo play. But in group content, it’s incredibly powerful and one of the best capstones in the game for supporting your party with consistent healing.

Bastion Skill Tree

Now for this New World Flail and Shield Build 2024 let’s talk about the Bastion skill tree, which focuses on damage reduction, buffing allies, and crowd control. If you’re planning to play as a tank or offer strong support in group situations, this is a great tree to look at.

Barrage

The first ability here is Barrage, which functions as a gap-closer. You leap forward and slam your weapon down for strike damage. It doesn’t deal massive damage, but if you have a taunt gem slotted in your weapon, this can taunt enemies, making it ideal for grabbing aggro in dungeons or PvE. It’s also useful in PvP when you need to close the distance on a fleeing player or engage an enemy quickly. Upgrading this skill grants Fortify, boosting your armor. Depending on the shield type, you’ll also gain automatic blocking during the leap, increased damage on the final hit, and a Fortify buff for allies, which boosts their protection as well.

Trip

Next is Trip, a short-range melee attack with low damage, but it knocks down the target. It’s perfect for interrupting attacks, whether you’re questing, in dungeons, or facing opponents in PvP. When upgraded, Trip debuffs the target, allowing you and your allies to cleanse damage over time effects with repeated strikes. It also applies Rend if the target is already weakened, reducing their armor, making it especially good to follow up after using Arcane Smite or Arcane Eruption. The final upgrade offers a follow-up attack that delivers significant damage, which is highly recommended if you plan to make use of this skill.

Warding Bludgeon

The last active skill in this tree is Warding Bludgeon, which leaps you into the air and slams your flail down, providing a major armor buff for you and nearby allies. This is great for defensive support, especially in group play. The upgrades for this skill reduce stamina costs for blocking while the buff is active and apply impairment stacks to enemies attacking you, causing them to take damage over time. Additionally, it can randomly empower both you and a party member, boosting your damage absorption.

Finally, the capstone ability is Human Shield, which links you to an ally within six meters whenever you use a Flail and Shield ability. This causes your ally to take 50% less damage while you take increased damage. It’s fantastic for tanking, PvP, or when playing alongside a duo partner, but it’s not very useful if you’re playing solo, as it relies on that link to another player.

New World Flail and Shield Builds

Solo PvE Flail and Shield Build – New World Aeternum

Group PvE Flail and Shield Tank Build – New World Aeternum

Solo PvP Flail and Shield Build – New World Aeternum

Group PvP Flail and Shield Build – New World Aeternum

New World Aeternum Flail and Shield Build – Weapons & Armor

Weapons that pair well with the Flail are the Great Axe, War Hammer, Greatsword or even the Life Staff in certain situations or Sword and Shield. Pairing with Sword and Shield allows you to maintain a similar playstyle with similar damage, as long as you prioritize Strength. The Sword also deals both Slash and Thrust damage reliably, while the Flail deals Strike and Arcane. This allows you to cover all 3 Physical Damage types easily.

Great Axe, War Hammer, and Greatsword are also all great Strength-scaling weapons, making easy pairings depending on what you want to do. Great Axe is great for AoEing groups of enemies, War Hammer is great for Crowd Control, and Greatsword can be both an excellent offensive and defensive weapon. The downside of these weapons is they are heavy, making it harder to stay Light or Medium weight when using them compared to the Sword.

The reason I mention the Life Staff is that it scales with Focus, although much better than the Flail, so you could use it as a backup weapon for extra healing or survivability. This can make questing easier, along with some PvP as well depending on what you are facing. Your Flail would do less damage if you pump Focus, but you would be much harder to kill in general.

For Armor, I suggest going with Heavy Armor if you want the added Block Stability bonus of 10%, as well as extra damage mitigation from the Mitigated Protection passive. This will be useful for going on Expeditions where you will most likely be filling the tank role. If you’re just going to small-scale PvP or solo quest, I suggest using Medium Armor or Light Armor. Medium is a good middle ground between protection and damage, while Light will give you the most damage possible but little protection. Because you can heal easily with the Flail, wearing Light Armor is not as bad as it would be with some melee weapon types.

New World Aeternum Flail & Shield Build – Final Thoughts

The Flail and Shield is a solid melee weapon overall, though it leans more to the tank/support side than many other melee weapons. It’s incredibly hard to die when using this weapon, however, which is sometimes more important than the damage you deal. Additionally, the light attacks have wide, horizontal sweeps that easily hit multiple enemies, which is a big advantage in both PvE and PvP.

Unlike the Sword and Shield, it’s probably better suited for PvP than PvE because of the healing it can do to allies, which can help keep them alive while you attack. In large-scale fights, it’s not always about dealing damage. Sometimes, your role is to draw fire and survive while your teammates handle the heavy damage. So, depending on what you’re aiming to do, the Flail and Shield can still be a great option in PvE, especially when tanking Expeditions.

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Keep an eye out for more weapon guides like Sword & Shield, Greatsword, War Hammer and Great Axe, and if you have any questions, don’t forget to check out the New World Wiki for more info. What weapons are you planning to use at launch? What’s your setup looking like? Feel free to share in the comments!