In this New World Hatchet Build 2024 Guide, we’ll focus on the Hatchet in both PvE and PvP, which works both as a melee and ranged weapon. It scales with both Strength and Dexterity, but it leans more toward Strength at a ratio of about 2 to 1. Since you’re not likely to max out any Attribute until much later in the game, it’s best to prioritize Strength if you’re planning to use the Hatchet early on. That said, if you want to pair it with a Dexterity-based weapon, just keep in mind the Hatchet won’t be as strong compared to when you pair it with a Strength weapon due to the scaling difference.

New World Aeternum Hatchet Build Information

• Scaling Stats: Strength (90%), Dexterity (65%)
• Damage Type: Slash
• Light Attack Damage: 100%
• Light Ender Damage: 105%
• Heavy Attack Damage: 120%
• Charged Heavy Attack Damage: 160%
• Taunt Gem Compatible: Yes
• Best Strength Weapon Pairings: Great Axe, War Hammer, Greatsword
• Best Dexterity Weapon Pairings: Rapier, Bow, Spear, Musket

New World Aeternum Hatchet Build 2024 – Overview and Strategy

By far the best aspect of the New World Hatchet Build 2024 is their ability to be thrown and used in melee, and with the lock-on system in New World Aeternum, you should have no problem hitting enemies (or players) with thrown Hatchets as they approach you, and then meleeing them when they finally arrive. This makes it extremely versatile and useful in just about any situation.

If you’re going for a primarily ranged Hatchet build in New World: Aeternum, with a Bow or Musket, the Hatchet can work as a solid secondary weapon. It’s not a bad backup, but it might not be as strong as options like the Rapier or Spear, which naturally scale better with Dexterity. Still, the Hatchet can do the job if you prefer. Its light attacks deal 100% damage, heavy attacks hit for 120%, and charged heavy attacks do 160%. However, landing heavy attacks can be tricky due to the Hatchet‘s short range and small hitbox. You’ll need to be really close to your target, and because of its angled slash, it can sometimes miss smaller enemies, especially if you’re not aimed slightly to the right.

New World Aeternum Hatchet Pros:

• Can be used at Range and Melee
• Can increase Movement Speed with Berserk
• Can prevent death with Defy Death
• Has very fast attack speed

New World Aeternum Hatchet Cons:

• Very short reach for a melee weapon
• Melee skills can be hard to use
• Has little to no AoE

Berserker Skill Tree

Staring with Skill Trees in this New World Hatchet Build 2024; looking at the Hatchet skill trees in New World Aeternum, you have the Berserker kill tree and Throwing skill tree. The Berserker skill tree focuses on fast-paced melee combat with a hatchet that lets you close in on enemies quickly, while the Throwing skill tree obviously focuses on throwing the Hatchet to deal damage and debuff enemies at range.

The Berserker skill tree revolves around landing multiple hits in quick succession. The Hatchet swings faster than heavier weapons like the Great Axe or War Hammer, meaning you’ll do less damage per hit but attack more frequently. This works well for questing since you can often get two hits in before dodging, whereas slower weapons may only allow for one hit before needing to defend. The faster rhythm of combat in PvE suits the Hatchet’s playstyle, making it a strong melee option.

Feral Rush

The Feral Rush ability lets you leap forward and perform a two-hit spin attack, but its short range can be tricky. If you activate it at max distance, the second hit might not connect, and sometimes it misses entirely depending on your ping. It’s great for hitting the back of an enemy or player, especially in PvP where you can upgrade it to root your opponent. However, it’s difficult to land consistently in the middle of combat, so it’s not a go-to ability for every situation. Progressing this skill line allows you to increase Feral Rush’s damage and inflict Root, immobilizing the enemy for a few seconds.

Berserk

Berserk is a fantastic ability, boosting your damage, run speed (when upgraded), and more. It has a relatively long cooldown, which only starts once the ability expires, so you can’t use it constantly. Still, it’s incredibly effective when active and significantly increases your damage output. You can also pair this with a taunt gem to taunt all enemies near you when activating the skill. Keep in mind, though, that Berserk only applies to the hatchet—swapping to another weapon won’t carry over the buff. Progressing this skill line allows you to gain lifesteal when attacking while Berserk is active, removing crowd control debuffs afflicted to you, as well as making you unstaggerable.

Raging Torrent

Raging Torrent is another interesting skill. It unleashes four rapid attacks, faster than your normal light attacks, but it’s easy to get interrupted while performing it. You have to be really close to the enemy, which raises the chances of getting hit mid-combo. It’s highly effective when you manage to pull it off, but it can be risky. Progressing this skill line increases Raging Torrent’s damage and grants you haste.

Most passives in the Berserker tree enhance multiple hits or deal bonus damage when an enemy’s health is low, keeping with the theme of rapid, repetitive strikes. Defy Death is one of the standout passives. This capstone allows you to survive at zero health once every 60 seconds. When you get a hit that would kill you, you’ll instead be immortal for half a second before regaining 500 + half of your health. This can be a game-changer in questing, especially for newer players, and it’s a lifesaver in PvP.

Throwing Skill Tree

Moving on to the Throwing skill tree in this New World Hatchet Build 2024, the skills in this tree focus on ranged damage while inflicting the enemy with debuffs.

Rending Throw

The first ability is Rending Throw. This reduces the target’s protection and deals damage, making it really effective against heavily armored opponents, whether you’re facing another player, a boss, or an elite monster. Opening with this throw can debuff your target, allowing you to follow up with more damage as they close in. Since it’s a ranged attack, you can hit them as they move toward you, which is handy, and it’s easy to land when using lock-on. Progressing this skill line allows you to extend the debuff duration as well as increase the skill’s damage.

One thing to keep in mind is that thrown weapons have a bit of a learning curve when aiming manually. There’s a slight delay between when you activate the ability and when the weapon actually leaves your hand, and the projectiles have a small arc. It’s not a huge arc, but each throw ability has a slightly different trajectory, so you’ll need some practice to get the timing and aim down if you throw manually, but there’s really no need to with Hatchet, so I recommend just using lock-on.

Social Distancing

Social Distancing is another great ability—it deals solid damage and makes you dodge backward. The best part is that it gives you an extra dodge without using stamina, so you can use it point-blank to avoid attacks, especially if you’re running low on stamina or dodging a lot. This makes it perfect for a build that relies heavily on dodging. Even if you’re in heavy armor and don’t dodge as often, it’s still a useful tool for repositioning while slowing down your target, which is especially important in PvP to keep enemies from escaping or catching up to them. Progressing this skill grants you haste when hitting an enemy with an active debuff as well as inflicting root on them.

Infected Throw

Infected Throw is a debuff ability that reduces your target’s healing and damage output by inflicting them with a Disease debuff. It’s great for softening up a player or enemy before they close the gap, limiting their ability to recover or deal full damage when they engage you. If you can land a few of these throws before switching to melee, you’ll have an advantage going into close combat. Progressing this skill line allows you to prolong the debuff’s duration.

Most of the passives in this tree focus on enhancing your throws—some let you aim and throw manually at the cost of stamina, while others reduce cooldowns or increase damage. The theme here is all about making your throwing abilities more powerful. The capstone, Persistent Hindrance, increases the duration of debuffs applied by your thrown attacks. While useful, it’s not as strong as Defy Death, since the debuffs mostly shine in PvP, with the exception of Rend. Overall, Defy Death tends to have more impact, especially in situations where staying alive is crucial, so it’s generally the better choice.

New World Hatchet Builds 2024

Solo PvE Hatchet Build – New World Aeternum

Group PvE Hatchet Build – New World Aeternum

Solo PvP Hatchet Build – New World Aeternum

Group PvP Hatchet Build – New World Aeternum

New World Aeternum Hatchet Build – Weapons & Armor

When pairing the Hatchet with another weapon, you’ll likely want to go with something like the War Hammer, Great Axe, or possibly a ranged Dexterity weapon like a Bow or Musket. These options work well because the Hatchet is great for softening up a target with its throwing abilities before you close in for melee combat.

As for the hatchet‘s melee capabilities, it’s a bit underwhelming due to its small hitboxes. If you find yourself outnumbered, the narrow reach makes it hard to hit multiple enemies at once. Weapons like the Great Axe, War Hammer, or even the Greatsword or Sword have wider horizontal swings, making them more effective for crowd control. The Hatchet’s melee swings are more suited to single-target situations, which can be useful in some PvP scenarios, but if you’re up against more than one player or enemy, you might struggle.

That said, pairing the Hatchet with a Spear or Rapier can work well. You could debuff enemies with your hatchet throws as they approach and soften them up, then switch to a Spear or Rapier to deal melee damage. In this case, the Hatchet isn’t your primary damage dealer but is used to apply debuffs, which can set you up for stronger hits with your secondary weapon.

When it comes to Armor, it depends on your secondary weapon and playstyle. If you’re using a Great Axe or War Hammer, you’ll likely want medium or heavy armor for better defense. However, if you’re using a ranged weapon or spear and rely more on dodging, light or medium armor is a good option to maintain mobility.

New World Aeternum Hatch Build – Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the main reason to use the Hatchet in New World Aeternum, especially after testing it thoroughly, is its ability to debuff and deal damage at range while also being able to melee. While it can deal damage in certain situations, like hunting wolves or in a pinch, it’s not the go-to weapon for maximizing damage in questing or dungeons. Wider weapons with broader hitboxes are much better for handling groups of enemies. The Hatchet excels at applying debuffs and then allowing you to follow up with a different weapon, making it especially effective against tough one off enemies.

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That wraps up our Hatcher weapon guide. We’ve got more weapon guides including Musket, Rapier, Bow, and Spear on the way, so keep an eye out for those. If you’ve got more questions about the game, be sure to check out the New World Wiki for details on crafting materials, weapon choices, and more. What kind of builds are you planning to try early on? Any specific weapons you’re thinking of using? Feel free to share your thoughts on the guide in the comments!