In this New World Great Axe Build 2024 & Weapon Guide, we’ll be focusing on the Great Axe in both PvE and PvP—one of the 15 weapons in the game. We’ll dive into both the Reaper and Mauler skill trees, breaking down the active and passive abilities, explaining when to use them, and offering tips on how to use the Great Axe effectively. The Great Axe is a strength-scaling weapon, meaning its damage increases with each point of strength you invest.

New World Aeternum Great Axe Build Information

• Scaling Stats: Strength (100%)
• Damage Type: Slash & Void
• Light Attack Damage: 100%
• Heavy Attack Damage: 120%
• Charged Heavy Attack Damage: 160%
• Taunt Gem Compatible: Yes
• Best Strength Weapon Pairings: War Hammer, Hatchet, Greatsword

New World Great Axe Build 2024 – Overview and Strategy

To start this New World Great Axe Build 2024; the damage progression for the Great Axe follows a pattern of around 4, 4, 4, 5 per point, giving you roughly 19 additional points of damage for every 4 points of strength. If you’re looking to maximize damage, focusing on strength is the way to go.

The New World Great Axe Builds excel in AoE (area of effect) damage and also performs well in single-target situations, making it a versatile weapon, particularly for questing. It allows you to pull in groups of enemies and mow them down quickly. Even its light attacks can hit multiple enemies if they connect through them, thanks to its wide, horizontal slashes. This natural AoE ability, even with basic attacks, makes the Great Axe an excellent melee weapon for handling crowds.

New World Aeternum Great Axe Pros:

• Great AoE capabilities
• Ability to close gaps
• Excellent Crowd Control

New World Aeternum Great Axe Cons:

• Slow Attack Speed
• Long Cooldowns

Reaper Skill Tree

Let’s dive into the skill trees for this New World Great Axe Build 2024, starting with the Reaper skill tree. This tree features the abilities Reap, Execute, and Charge.

Charge

Charge allows you to rush at an enemy over a distance of 15m then dealing damage when you reach the target, making it great for closing gaps quickly. You can cancel the charge and trigger the attack by pressing your basic attack. This ability also grants you grit which prevents you from staggering while executing this skill. I often use the Charge ability in PvP because it’s effective for catching enemies that are nearby and for covering long distances quickly. Each time it’s off cooldown, you can use it to make up ground against someone without mobility skills or to escape if you’re under attack. Progressing this skill line allows you to increase the damage with Charge, as well as allowing you to trigger a different attack by pressing the block button while charging.

Reap

Reap is a pulling ability that lets you grab enemies to you and bring them closer. It also damages them and staggers them. This skill is taunt gem compatible, allowing you to taunt enemies hit with the ability. I typically don’t use Reap much since it has a shorter range than Charge. If an enemy is more than 10, 20, or 30 meters away, it’s not very useful for closing the gap. While it can prevent an enemy from escaping, it won’t help you catch up. Progressing this skill line increases Reap’s range, heals you for 30% of the damage Reap deals, and adding another follow-up attack after pulling enemies in.

Execute

Execute is a solid PvE ability for dealing high damage. It deals significant damage to a target with low health but it has a long windup, making it less effective in PvP. Execute does 200% damage and an added 50% damage if the target is below 50% health—ideally when you want to use it. The last passive of this ability guarantees a critical hit if you strike an enemy below 30% health, making it potentially very powerful when upgraded. Most abilities in this tree focus on increasing damage against low-health targets or providing some form of healing.

The capstone of this skill tree is one you’ll want to aim for, especially if you prefer 1v1 PvP. Blood Lust is particularly effective because it increases your movement speed by 20% and deals 15% more damage to enemies within 14 meters. It’s very useful against kiting enemies because this ability helps you catch up, leading to kills that might otherwise slip away and the 15% increase to damage still applies when fighting enemies in PvE.

Mauler Skill Tree

Now, let’s look at the Mauler skill tree in this New World Great Axe Build 2024, which focuses on AoE capabilities. While the Reaper tree is more suited for single-target damage, the Mauler tree shines in AoE situations with abilities like Whirlwind, Maelstrom, and Gravity Well.

Whirlwind

Whirlwind lets you spin around four times, striking enemies repeatedly, making it effective in AoE scenarios. However, it’s not widely used, likely due to its relatively low damage output. You’ll primarily find it useful in PvE, particularly when enemies are clustered around a tank, but it requires significant upgrades to be truly effective. Progressing this skill line allows you 7 spins, an increase in movement speed while spinning, and a 15% increase in damage for each nearby target if surrounded by 3 or more enemies.

Maelstrom

Maelstrom is a versatile ability that allows you to pull enemies while dealing damage, excelling in both PvE and PvP. It has a fast cast time compared to Whirlwind, enabling quick damage output. It is also taunt gem compatible, taunting enemies that are successfully hit. When upgraded, its range increases while protecting you from projectiles, allowing you to secure numerous kills effortlessly in either mode, making it a highly recommended choice.

Gravity Well

Gravity Well is primarily a PvP ability; it allows you to create a vortex that pulls in enemies in the area and roots them for 1s. Enemies caught in the vortex will also be slowed by 60% while inside the affected area. This makes it useful for pinning down enemies or preventing them from escaping when you charge in. While it does deal some damage, it’s not substantial, making it less effective for PvE. I sometimes use it in PvE just for its crowd control benefits and minor damage, but it’s not the ideal choice for that environment. Progressing this skill line allows you to increase its damage as well as grant fortified to allies inside the area.

The capstone of this skill tree, Mauler’s Fury, boosts your damage by 3% for each Great Axe attack, stacking up to 10 times for 3 seconds. Whirlwind and Maelstrom, particularly in large enemy groups, can quickly build up Mauler’s Fury, significantly increasing your overall damage output. It’s great for both PvE and large-scale PvP making it a more viable option if you prefer to boost your damage over your speed.

New World Great Axe Builds 2024

Solo PvE Great Axe Build – New World Aeternum

Group PvE Great Axe Build – New World Aeternum

Solo PvP Great Axe Build – New World Aeternum

Group PvP Great Axe Build – New World Aeternum

New World Aeternum Great Axe Build – Weapons & Armor

When I use the Great Axe, I like to pair it with the War Hammer. Both weapons scale entirely with strength, allowing me to charge in, spin to win, and use Gravity Well before switching to my hammer for more AoE attacks that can stun or stagger enemies. This combination is effective in both PvP and PvE. Staggering enemies in PvE prevents them from attacking you or your teammates, making things easier for your healer. The War Hammer also deals Strike damage, giving you two different damage types to counter enemy resistances.

If the hammer isn’t your preference, I recommend the Hatchet. It scales with both strength and dexterity, but primarily benefits from strength. The hatchet can be used for melee combat or thrown as a ranged option. Many players favor the Berserk ability, which boosts your damage and grants a movement speed buff, making it useful for quickly traversing the landscape or escaping from or closing in on enemies. The Defy Death capstone of Berserker is another excellent feature, granting you temporary immortality once every 60 seconds for 0.5 seconds, which can be a lifesaver in fights.

For armor, I recommend at least Medium Armor for combat, if not Heavy Armor. There might be rare exceptions in PvE where you could opt for light armor for extra damage, especially with a strong healer in your party, but that’s uncommon. In PvP, you’ll take a beating when you charge into a group of enemies to unleash your spin-to-win attacks. If you die before executing your abilities, you won’t get the chance to deal that damage. Therefore, prioritizing heavy armor is advisable to withstand the hits, though medium armor is also a solid choice.

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Keep an eye out for more weapon guides like Sword & Shield, Greatsword, Flail and Shield and War Hammer. If you have any questions about the game, be sure to visit the New World Wiki. What are your thoughts on the Great Axe guide? Got any lingering questions? Drop them in the comments below!