The rapier is a symbol of a more romantic age, from a time when duelists and scholars were also honored as warriors. New World is an MMORPG intended to take place on or during the Age of Exploration, a time of swashbuckling, tall ships, stargazing, and storytelling. The rapier is a weapon that fits the aesthetic perfectly.
In New World, the rapier is a one-handed weapon of finesse and precision, intended and designed for melee DPS. It's more limited than others in the sense that it can't be used as a ranged weapon and has limited crowd-control options. However, the look of a character brandishing a sleek rapier is worth the extra effort, and it can be a powerful weapon with the right build.
Acquiring A Rapier
A common item in New World, players can find this simple yet elegant weapon in a variety of places, from the moment a character manages to claw their way out of that shipwreck. The best rapiers can be made at a crafting station or dropped from a high-level boss. One of the most important characters in the lore of Aeternum, Isabella, carries a rapier and drops a pretty sweet one, too.
- Crafting: The rapier is made in the Forge using the Weaponsmithing skill, and a simple weapon of iron, leather, and a bit of wood is all a player needs to get started. This is the same crafting station where characters can make other melee weapons, like swords and warhammers.
- Quest Rewards: Rapiers are often given as quest rewards, either in random chests or as part of the payment for completion.
- Drops: Humanoid enemies can drop their weapons at a player's feet when defeated, but it's also common to find a rapier in a Random Stash in a tree trunk or in a chest that floated free from a shipwreck.
Attributes That Scale With The Rapier
The rapier scales with two Attribute scores, Dexterity and Intelligence, so it's not always an ideal weapon to choose at early levels. Characters also need a few points to put into Constitution, which determines how many hit points they have.
Using a weapon that relies on two Attribute scores at earlier levels, when there are so few points to use, might seem daunting at first. Keep in mind that how fast a character levels will govern the number of points they can use. On the other hand, the more they use the weapon, the more points they can put in the Mastery Tree, regardless of character level.
Because there are so many other weapons that scale with the same two Attribute scores, the rapier can prove to be an interesting choice even if the leveling process isn't as efficient. Most players that use the rapier as their primary weapon make a ranged one their second choice, preferably one that fills the gaps for area-of-effect damage (AoE) and crowd control, which the rapier lacks.
Rapier Mastery Trees
The two branches of the Mastery Tree for the rapier are divided between fancy footwork and decisive death, to put it mildly. Combine the two in equal measure for both damage and dodge abilities, and further customize the finer points of the build to suit either PvE or PvP gameplay.
- Blood: As the name suggests, this Mastery Tree is all about shedding it. The rapier may be the picture of elegance, but that doesn't mean it's soft or gentle. Tondo, one of the first talents that everyone should have, not only extends the reach of a blade but adds a damage-over-time (DoT) effect that lasts for 12 seconds. Flurry is equally useful, delivering a series of quick stabbing thrusts at the enemy. Finally, Flourish And Finish knocks enemies back and then lunges forward for a final blow.
- Grace: Evade is a nice little dodge ability that has the additional benefit of canceling any action in progress. Riposte, which is based on a real finishing move, puts the character in a defensive stance that spins and hits when struck by an enemy. Fleche allows the player to lunge at an enemy and do 145% weapon damage.
Rapier Weapon Combinations
As mentioned above, many players elect to pair the rapier with a ranged weapon. The following synchronize well with the elegant sword.
- Musket: A ranged weapon that scales with the same two Attribute points as the rapier, a musket is a common weapon choice for Privateers, Mercenaries, and of course, Musketeers. That means two weapons and only three Attribute scores to spread between them, which is still decent. The musket Mastery Tree also has some CC abilities like Trap, which are handy for melee weapon combat.
- Bow: The bow only scales with Dexterity, so players can boost their ranged weapon skills while improving their skill with the rapier as well. It's a classic weapon with the same kind of grace and delicate use as the rapier except in ranged form.
- Ice Gauntlet: A possible choice for players that want a magical option, the Ice Gauntlet only scales with Intelligence. The Fire Staff is another option here, also scaling only with Intelligence and having ranged capabilities.