Quick Links
- Nerfs To The Rapier In Brimstone Sands Update
- Best Rapier Builds In New World
- Rapier And Bow Build
- Rapier And Fire Staff Build
- Rapier and Ice Gauntlet CC Duelist Build
The Rapier continues to be a pretty popular weapon, even with the recent changes. New World. Its potentially massive damage output cements it as a PvP'ers dream weapon, although its lack of defensive capabilities does mean you might be taking some big hits.
RELATED: New World: Best Weapons, Ranked
With extreme mobility, plenty of damage, and damage-over-time active skills, the Rapier is best suited for those who prefer not getting hit rather than trying to soak up damage. Here's our comprehensive guide to the best Rapier build, with weapon pairings, attributes, and gameplay tips.
We updated this guide on October 20 to reflect the new changes to the Rapier as of the Brimstone Sands update.
Nerfs To The Rapier In Brimstone Sands Update
As of the Brimstone Sands update, the Rapier has received some pretty hefty nerfs. According to the official patch notes, the Rapier "was being primarily used as a pocket escape weapon which was never its intended purpose." The nerfs reflect this, and will definitely shift the meta away from this powerful weapon.
- Allegro and Breathe In no longer trigger immediately when you cast the ability, but only when you successfully evade an attack. This raises the skill ceiling for Evade and makes it so the haste from Allegro can only be activated when dodging an attack, and the extra stamina from Breathe In matches this.
- Riposte has also received some nerfs. The invulnerability window has been reduced, the counter-attack hit box is smaller, and it is now more likely to only hit one player rather than multiple.
- Tondo and Flourish now use Slash instead of Thrust damage. This changes how the Rapier works in some Expeditions.
Overall, these changes mean the Rapier is now more difficult to use, but potentially more rewarding in 1-on-1 situations.
How Does This Impact Our Best Rapier Builds?
In theory, this shouldn't impact the Rapier's best builds as such, but rather change how you play with the Rapier. In wars and OPR, the Rapier is now more suited to one-on-one combat, rather than as a secondary weapon while in big team fights.
You will need to be more careful when using Evade. You will no longer just get free haste and stamina - you need to choose the moment you activate it carefully, and you will need to be in combat to actually get the bonuses from the ability's passives.
Best Rapier Builds In New World
The Rapier is all about mobility, dealing damage, and dancing away from your opponent. Skilled Rapier players are able to parry attacks to create openings, inflict multiple bleed effects on a target, or traverse the battlefield with incredible speed. Your playstyle will be determined by your secondary weapon and which Weapon Mastery tree you focus on.
The Rapier features two Weapon Mastery trees:
- Blood: Focuses on inflicting the bleed status effect, dealing damage over time.
- Bleed stacks can be consumed with Flourish and Finish, dealing immense burst damage.
- Grace: Emphasizes speed, allowing you to whirl through targets or dodge incoming attacks.
Some of the best active skills here include Riposte, Evade, and Tondo, although Flourish and Finish and Fleche also have their uses. In truth, there are many ways to play with the Rapier. We'll go over some of the best weapon combinations for the Rapier here.
Return to Quick Links
Rapier And Bow Build
We actually had this build down as one of our favorites at the start of the closed beta, based on the Alpha build and everything that came before, and it turns out that, yes, this build is super strong.
You've got the extreme mobility of the Rapier paired with the ranged damage of the Bow. This build comes with more flexibility than the Musket, as you won't be slowing down to take shots often. It's really a fast-paced duelist PVP build. Here's a closer look.
Best Masteries For The Rapier
The Rapier is all about evasion, dodging, and dealing damage with Bleed. Here are the best active skills for this build.
Skill | Effect | Recommended Masteries |
|---|---|---|
Tondo |
|
|
Evade |
|
|
Riposte |
|
|
RELATED: New World: The Best Build To Level Up Fast
Tondo applies bleed damage that stacks over time, up to three times. The And Again passive increases damage against a single target, which makes this even better for close-quarters one-on-one PVP. Very strong for denying your opponent heals and to stack ticking damage that can't be blocked.
Evade makes the Rapier so fun to play with. You can dance and skip all over, getting out of trouble, mostly. Allegro and Breathe In are very powerful - the extra Haste from Allegro and the extra Stamina from Breathe in while dodging attacks are a staple of the Rapier's playstyle.
Riposte is a great "Okay, let's slow down for a second" active ability. It places you into a defensive stance. If you're attacked during this short period, you'll instantly stun the enemy. You can then dance backward with your bow, apply poison, or deal bleed damage. Very strong if you can land it.
Best Masteries For The Bow
You can check out our more comprehensive Bow build right here, but we'll still cover the basics of the masteries that will complement the gameplay of the Rapier.
Skill | Effect | Recommended Masteries |
|---|---|---|
Rapid Shot |
|
|
Evade Shot |
|
|
Poison Shot |
|
|
Rapid Shot is a great active skill to activate right after a successful Rapier riposte. Jump back, hit the stunned enemy with three rapid shots, dealing extra damage, and continuing the knockback with the third shot.
Evade Shot complements the extreme mobility of the Rapier and adds to how much you can dodge attacks.
Poison Shot allows you to inflict poison and bleed with the same build. Your enemy will be wondering what's hit them. The Skirmisher tree also comes with some useful debuff-buffing passives, like Battle Precision, which causes damage-over-time effects to last 20 percent longer.
You can also use the Musket to great effect. Check out our Musket build guide to see how we paired the Rapier with the other ranged weapon in the game.
Best Attributes And Gear
- Attribute: Dexterity
- Armor: Light
For this build, you should spec almost entirely into Dexterity. Both the Rapier and Bow scale off Dex. Light armor is also preferred for extra mobility, although you can experiment with medium armor for better survivability. Keep your eyes out for gear that increases your Dexterity, grants cooldown reduction, or any perks that enhance bleed or poison.
Return to Quick Links
Rapier And Fire Staff Build
This build is designed mostly as a PVE build and uses the damage of the Fire Staff and the secondary Intelligence scaling of the Rapier to balance out your damage. You will be able to cover most enemy vulnerabilities with this build -- Fire damage from the Staff, Thrust damage from the Rapier, and then you get a bit creative with a Topaz to convert your Rapier damage to Lightning.
Best Masteries For The Rapier
This is your standard Rapier setup, although it favors the Grace tree heavily. Evade, Riposte, and Fleche should give you the mobility you need to tackle large groups of PvE enemies.
Skill | Effect | Recommended Masteries |
|---|---|---|
Fleche |
|
|
Evade |
|
|
Riposte |
|
|
RELATED: New World: Starstone Barrows Expedition Guide
Fleche is a phenomenal movement tool. You can use Fleche as an opener, gap closer, or a disengage tool. It deals solid damage in PvE and opens up endless strategies for PvP.
Evade gives you a panic button when you mistime a dodge, giving you invulnerability frames during the animation. When paired with Allegro, you'll be incredibly hard to hit. As of the Brimstone Sands update, you will need to successfully evade attacks to get the buffs from Allegro and Breathe In. This means you will need to get up close and personal with an enemy, something that this glass-cannon build can struggle with.
Riposte punishes opponents for being predictable, giving you an opening to deal some serious damage. Pair this with Insult to Injury, a related Weapon Mastery passive, to prevent being interrupted during your counterattack.
Best Masteries For The Fire Staff
The Fire Staff is extremely strong. Your auto-attacks deal big damage even without worrying about mana usage for your abilities.
Skill | Effect | Recommended Masteries |
|---|---|---|
Pillar of Flame |
|
|
Fireball |
|
|
Burn Out |
|
|
Pillar of Flame deals excellent damage over a small radius, making this a great choice for PvE add clear.
Fireball hits hard, inflicts burn, and spawns a burning field on impact. What's not to love?
Burn Out is a fantastic movement skill that pairs nicely with your Rapier's Fleche ability. Use both abilities together to cover some serious ground.
We also want to briefly mention the Flare and Spell Focus passives in the Fire Mage tree. These two passives will cause your Heavy Attacks to grant Mana, allowing you to ignore mana potions entirely. WHen your abilities are on cooldown and your mana is low, remember to heavy attack.
You can check out our Fire Staff build guide for an in-depth look at a PVP version of this build.
Best Attributes And Gear
- Attribute: Intelligence
- Put leftover points into Dexterity
- Armor: Light or medium
For this build, you'll want to scale Intelligence as much as you can. Obtain a Rapier with a gem socket and fit it with a Topaz gem. This will cause your Rapier to deal Lightning damage and scale with your Intelligence. For armor, light armor is recommended if you want to deal maximum DPS. But if you're having issues surviving, consider wearing medium armor instead.
Return to Quick Links
Rapier and Ice Gauntlet CC Duelist Build
The other popular build during the closed beta pairs the Rapier with the heavy CC of the Ice Gauntlet. Here's how it works: you dance around your enemy with the Rapier's mobility, and then dunk on your enemy with Ice Storm/Shower ability of the Ice Gauntlet. It's a pretty powerful combination. Here are the best masteries for the Ice Gauntlet when paired with the Rapier.
Best Masteries For The Ice Gauntlet
.jpg "Best Rapier Builds In New World (8)")
Skill | Effect | Recommended Masteries |
|---|---|---|
Ice Spikes |
|
|
Ice Shower |
|
|
Ice Pylon |
|
|
The three active skills in this build are: Ice Shower, Ice Pylon, and Ice Spikes. We've tried a few different combinations, and these seem to work very well. Ice Pylons can be placed and then pretty much forgotten about as you deal damage with the Rapier. If tiered up, the Pylon will cause your opponents to be slowed, making it easier to hit attacks.
We've taken Ice Shower over Ice Storm for one simple reason: we prefer the root of the Shower over the general slow of the Storm. Both are tricky to hit, especially if you're facing off against an opponent who is also playing a duelist (high mobility) build.
Lastly, an almost strange pick: Ice Spikes. You don't use this too often, but we think it works super well with the high-mobility Rapier, leaving a trail of damaging/slowing spikes behind your player. It's almost a passive ability, if that makes sense. Once activated, you don't need to worry about it.
For the Rapier, go all-in on the Grace tree, using Fleche, Evade, and Riposte to enhance your mobility.
If you want, you can check out our more in-depth Ice Gauntlet build guide here.
Best Attributes And Gear
- Attribute: Intelligence
- Armor: Medium
This build scales solely off Intelligence, making your Rapier deal slightly less damage than other builds. Be sure to equip your Rapier with a Topaz gem to assist its damage scaling. We recommend medium armor for this build since you're focusing more on applying crowd control effects than raw damage. Keep your eyes peeled for any armor pieces that enhance your Ice Gauntlet abilities.
If these builds piqued your interest in other playstyles or weapon archetypes, you can also check out our other New World build guides below:
- New World: Best Tank Build
- New World: Best Bow Build
- New World: Best Spear Build
- New World: Best Musket Build
- New World: Best Support Healer Build
Return to Quick Links NEXT: New World: Complete Guide And Walkthrough
FAQs
What is the best PvE build for Rapier New World? ›
The best build for PvE is the rapier and fire staff. The fire staff gives you the range that the rapier desperately needs to round out its skillset, and outputs staggering amounts of damage, allowing you to rip through foes with utmost efficiency.
What is the best attribute for Rapier New World? ›Attributes. The Rapier scales with both Dexterity and Intelligence, but Dexterity is what you should put most of your points into, especially if your secondary weapon uses a different stat.
What pairs best with Rapier New World? ›In almost all cases it is best to play builds with a Rapier in light armor. This makes them very mobile and increase the overall damage and healing you can put out. There are some niche builds, such as a medium Spear or a medium Healer, that can still use the mobility of the Rapier very well.
Is dexterity or Intelligence better for rapier New World? ›Rapier. The only blade that factors in the Intelligence Attribute, the other important score for the rapier is Dexterity. The Mastery Tree is divided into Blood or Grace, with one focusing more on doing damage and the other on defensive maneuvers.
What is the best rapier length? ›Though I have worked with rapiers as long as those advocated by Capo Ferro, I think having a rapier whose quillons (crossbar) come up to your belly button, when the point is resting on the floor, provides a good and manageable blade length for most practitioners (typically between 39” and 45”).
Does rapier use dex or str? ›Clubs, hammers, and axes are strength. Daggers and rapiers (classic fencing) are dexterity. Ranged weapons are dexterity due to needing to aim.
What is a rapier best for? ›A rapier (/ˈreɪpiər/) or espada ropera is a type of sword with a slender and sharply pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Does rapier scale with dex? ›The Rapier scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity, and is a good Weapon for mobility during combat.
Can you use 2 rapiers? ›Rapiers are finesse weapons, but unlike all other finesse weapons they are not light weapons, so you need the Dual-wielded feat, but once you have it, yes you can dual-wield rapiers.
Is rapier better than Spear new world? ›Rapier is high skill high reward, spear is a little better rounded, but less potential. Lots of damage/avoidance vs lots of CC/range.
Is Ice Gauntlet and rapier good? ›
The Ice Gauntlet / Rapier weapon combo is packed with tons of defensive utility, in fact every single skill on this build has great defensive capabilities! This build does well in all sorts of solo and group PvP combat, so I hope you guys enjoy!
Should I use light or medium for Rapier New World? ›Best Attributes And Gear
Both the Rapier and Bow scale off Dex. Light armor is also preferred for extra mobility, although you can experiment with medium armor for better survivability.
With rapier, you'd ideally want light armor so that you can strike and dodge quickly.
What is the best early game Rapier? ›Rogier's Rapier is one such upgraded and extremely powerful weapon that players can come across very early in the game. The weapon can be obtained with a +8 reinforcement stat, and for players who have been investing points in Dexterity, the armament has become a must-have during the early to mid-game.
Is the rapier op? ›Buffs scale with the weapon's base AR, which is often higher infused. The Ice Rapier barely loses physical damage infused, so it's perfect for caster builds. This is also the reason, the Ice Rapier in particular is considered OP.
How good is the chaos rapier? ›3 Chaos Rapier
The Chaos Rapier is the only Thrusting Sword to possess innate fire attack, which makes it even more useful in getting by enemy defenses. However, players should not infuse it with Fire, as it loses too much physical attack and scaling to be worth the minor increase in fire attack.
The Hatchet And Bow Speed Leveling Build. The Hatchet and Bow have so far proven to be one of the fastest ways to level up in New World, mostly thanks to the weapon combination's great movement speed buffs and general sustainability. Here's everything you need to know about making these weapons work for you.
What is the weakness of a rapier? ›Disadvantages. Rapiers were not well suited for battlefield combat. They were not particularly strong swords, the blade is thin and can not cut through armor as a longsword or flamberge can. Their thin and small stature made them inadequate for blocking blows from most larger weapons, like maces or axes.
Is it easy to break a rapier? ›Yet, a rapier blade is by no means fragile nor vulnerable to being easily broken or cut by other swords (though its slender tip might on occasion snap).
Can a rapier beat a longsword? ›Both swords varied greatly in length and that will have a great impact on how this plays out. If you're pitting a relatively short Spanish rapier against a full-blown longsword that needs two hands to be used at all, then the longsworder has a much greater reach advantage and hence advantage overall.
Why is dex better than str? ›
Strength builds allow players to take and dish out hits equally effectively, while dexterity builds allow players to become opportunistic assassins who dish out massive damage before retreating.
What is the damage bonus for the rapier? ›You have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
What fighting style does a rapier use? ›The rapier relies primarily on 'stesso tempo' (single time) fencing. This is where you strike and displace (parry) your opponent's blade with single actions, as opposed to the parry-riposte which is common in smallsword and sabre, which is dui tempi.
What weapon goes best with the rapier? ›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.
Can a katana beat a rapier? ›Obviously, a katana can't match the rapier thrust for thrust. What a rapier does best is fight point-on with linear stabs, and no heavier, wider blade will possibly out maneuver it. Playing to the rapier's strength by using a katana horizontally is a losing game.
What is the hardest hitting Dex weapon? ›- 1 Vyke's War Spear.
- 2 Godskin Peeler. ...
- 3 Eleonora's Poleblade. ...
- 4 Bloodhound Claw. ...
- 5 Wing Of Astel. ...
- 6 Moonveil Katana. ...
- 7 Rivers Of Blood Katana. ...
- 8 Hand Of Malenia. ...
- 8 The Parrying Dagger.
- 7 The Godskin Peeler.
- 6 The Wakizashi.
- 5 The Scythe.
- 4 The Hand of Malenia.
- 3 Morgott's Cursed Sword.
- 2 The Uchigatana.
- 1 Moonveil.
Moonveil is one of the best Dexterity weapons in Elden Ring, and just so happens to be one of the best Intelligence weapons as well. Moonveil also has one of Elden Ring's best unique weapon skills in Transient Moonlight.
Are rapiers good for combat? ›use in fencing
The long rapier was beautifully balanced, excellent in attack, and superb for keeping an opponent at a distance, but it was too heavy for all the movements of combat.
Rapiers also have a lot of steel in the protective hilt for which they are so well known, a quality that increases the weight and inertia of the sword, and that therefore decreases its liveliness.
Do rapiers slash or stab? ›
Thrusting swords such as the rapier and eventually the smallsword were designed to impale their targets quickly and inflict deep stab wounds. Their long and straight yet light and well balanced design made them highly maneuverable and deadly in a duel but fairly ineffective when used in a slashing or chopping motion.
What is the best 2 handed weapon in New World? ›The Greatsword is a Strength and Dexterity-based two-handed weapon that is able to deal massive damage to many enemies at once with its wild sword-swinging skills, and large range. This is an excellent weapon to rip through 20 to 30 enemies at once.
What is the best weapon in New World DPS? ›The hatchet is a fast and deadly melee weapon that dishes out strong DPS. The musket is a long-range weapon that fires hitscan projectiles.
Is New World rapier good for PvE? ›In PvE the Rapier has great persistent damage through its damage over time effects, and it has very impactful abilities to help with burst. It can be a primary weapon in Corrupted expeditions, or it can act as a secondary weapon that will always maintain a powerful bleed.
Is rapier or estoc better? ›For pvp it depends, the rapier has higher critical damage but the estoc has higher base damage, making it a better choice for turtling. I'd recommend the rapier though, it's really light which makes it excellent as a secondary weapon.
What weapons combo best with Ice Gauntlet? ›Ice Shower, a Void Gauntlet's utility will perfectly adjust to the needs of the Ice Gauntlet. Alternatively, the damage and CC of the Ice Gauntlet can pair very well with a Blunderbuss for high damage output, or a Fire Staff to execute enemies and provide defensiveness.
Is the estoc better than the rapier? ›I'd say not. An Estoc is normally a square section blade, designed to puncture armour. It is usually a heavier blade designed for two handed battlefield use. The rapier is normally edged, so can be used for cut as well as thrust, and lighter for single handed use.
What is the best PvE damage weapon New World? ›| New World Weapons | Description | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Staff | A staff that casts fire spells and deals impressive damage. | S |
| Sword & Shield | The Sword and Shield are tanky weapon combination that deals damage at the melee range. | A |
| Spear | The Spear offers both short-range control and long-distance piercing damage. | A |
Fire Staff
This mighty magic weapon deals the highest damage in the game. It has access to a combination of long-range and close-range attacks that burn its victims to a crisp. Moreover, it excels at both single-target and AoE damage dealing, which makes it very versatile in PvE encounters.
Best Attributes And Gear
The Musket and Rapier's damage both scale with Dexterity. For the purpose of this combo, you will want to stack as many points into Dexterity as you can. Aim to hit 300 points in total. You can use a Dexterity food, like Filet in Mushroom Sauce, to really max out your Dex points.
Should I use light or medium for rapier New World? ›
Best Attributes And Gear
Both the Rapier and Bow scale off Dex. Light armor is also preferred for extra mobility, although you can experiment with medium armor for better survivability.
Clubs, hammers, and axes are strength. Daggers and rapiers (classic fencing) are dexterity. Ranged weapons are dexterity due to needing to aim.
What weapon is best for solo New World? ›Weapons. Dexterity-based Hunters would prefer a bow or a musket. For those that depend on Strength, a spear or a hatchet.
What is the easiest weapon in New World? ›The best starting weapon combinations in New World are the Sword and Shield or Great Axe equipped with a Hatchet as the alternative weapon for both.
What is the best skill weapon in New World? ›- 1 Life Staff, Sword, And Shield (Tank/Healing)
- 2 Spear, Bow (Ranged/Melee DPS) ...
- 3 Fire Staff, Ice Gauntlet (Ranged DPS) ...
- 4 Life Staff, Hatchet (Healing) ...
- 5 Ice Gauntlet, Musket (Ranged DPS) ...
- 6 Hatchet, Great Axe (Melee DPS) ...
- 7 Blunderbuss, Rapier (Ranged/Melee DPS) ...
Life Staff + Void Gauntlet
This is the most effective PVE healing build, as they are currently the only two weapons that scale with focus, and the only two weapons which provide ways to restore the health of allies.
Guardian Druid
Guardian Druids have the best damage output out of all tanks and are some of the best AoE Tanks out there.
Sword and Shield is almost always the recommended beginner weapon.
Is Ghrazi rapier good for strength? ›The Ghrazi rapier provides the highest strength and stab bonus out of any weapon for its attack speed. In addition to not degrading unlike the Abyssal tentacle, this makes the rapier the melee weapon with the highest damage output for general use.
Does rapier require strength? ›The Rapier scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity, and is a good Weapon for mobility during combat. This sword is lightweight, but sharp. A piercing sword with a sharp, slender blade.
Is rapier better than Spear New World? ›
Rapier is high skill high reward, spear is a little better rounded, but less potential. Lots of damage/avoidance vs lots of CC/range.