Introduction
In this guide we will go over therapier’s mastery trees, recommended abilities for different scenarios, and tips to optimize the use of the rapier. For all this and more, check out our New World Rapier Guide
General information
The Rapier is a very fast melee weapon that is focused on a variety of quick lunge attacks. It scales primarily on dexterity and secondarily on intelligence. The rapier excels at outmaneuvering opponents and applying damage over time in the form of bleeds that will gradually drain your target’s health. There’s also the option of some burst damage when consuming the bleed. The rapier has many abilities that require precise timing, and if you can time the abilities correctly you will be rewarded for your efforts.
The Rapier has a 3 swing light attack chain and deals thrust damage. The first attack in the chain deals 100% thrust damage, and the middle swipe deals 66%. Performing a heavy attack with the rapier will deal 133% thrust damage.
Rapier Mastery Trees
The Rapier mastery trees consist of the Blood and Grace trees.
Blood Mastery Tree
The blood tree focuses on damage over time, as well as burst damage. The three active abilities in this tree consist ofTondo,Flourish and Finish, andFlurry. There is not a separate key passive for this tree, instead, theFlourish and Finishability can be further enhanced.It’s important to point out that, just like any other key passive, you still have to have at least 10 points in the Blood tree prior to being able to take the last upgrade to the Flourish and Finish ability.
Tondo
Tondois a melee ability with the rapier that has an extended range and applies a bleed. The bleed can stack up to 3 times which will refresh the previous application of the bleed. As you progress further into theTondotree you will be able to significantly reduce the cooldown on the ability, and improve your direct damage from the ability significantly the further away you are from your target when hitting them withTondo.
Flourish and Finish
The staple ability of theBlood TreeisFlourish and Finish. This ability synergizes withTondoand deals quite a bit of damage and provides some decent mobility. Upon usingFlourish and Finishyou will knock back your enemy and can activate a second step to the ability by pressing light attack at the end of flourish. This will then perform the “finish” part of the ability.Finishwill lunge forward and consume all of the rapier bleeds and deal 110% of their damage immediately providing for some good burst damage potential.
As you progress to the first upgrade ofFlourish and Finishyou will gain grit on the ability. This will allow the ability to be uninterruptible. You will also gain stamina upon successfully landing the ability and can reduce the cooldown of the ability for each tick of damage fromTondo’s Bleed.
The last upgrade (considered the key passive for theBlood Tree) increases the damage output of the “Finish” portion of the ability significantly. YourFinishwill now do 150% of the rapier’s bleed damage instead of the previous 110%. This allows for huge burst damage potential and will help you finish your target off after applying significant pressure with bleeds throughout the duration of the fight.
Flurry
The last ability in theBlood TreeisFlurry. When activatingFlurryyou become immobile while unleashing a series of five quick thrust attacks. The damage stacks for each strike, dealing more damage every strike. You can dodge out of the ability at any time. As you progress through theFlurryabilities you will be able to enhance block damage for each hit ofFlurry, reduce the cooldown of the ability, extend your rapier bleed fromTondo, and the last hit ofFlurrywill cause a stagger to your target.
The remaining passives in the blood tree focus on reducing your cooldowns and enhancing the bleed damage.
Grace Mastery Tree
TheGrace Treeis focused heavily on outmaneuvering your opponent. The abilities require timing in order to be used effectively. Three active abilities areRiposte,Evade, andFleche. The Key passive in this tree is calledMomentum.
Riposte
Riposteis an ability that requires a little bit of skill from the player’s standpoint. In order to use this ability properly you have to time it just right. Upon activating riposte you will enter into a defense stance, and if you are hit during that time you will then counter your attacker and stun them and will be briefly invulnerable upon a successfulRiposte. If you are not successful at timing the ability correctly then you do not stun your target and you have to wait for the ability to come off cooldown to use it again. This ability is also taunt gem compatible.
Evade
The next ability isEvade.A movement ability that will allow for much more mobility when using the rapier. This ability allows you to perform a small sidestep in your current movement direction that will cancel any activity and provide you with brief invulnerability. Your light attack’s speed will also be greatly increased during an evade.
As you upgrade theEvadeability you will also gain stamina immediately on use, which will provide for even more mobility because you will be able to keep your stamina bar full enough to dodge rolls more frequently. You will also gain a movement speed increase for a short duration, gain a damage bonus when evading forward, and your light attacks will reduce the cooldown of the ability by 30% each. This cooldown reduction allows you to use this ability very frequently, gain stamina, dodge roll, and use the ability again which provides you with some great mobility in battle.
Fleche
The final ability isFleche. This is another movement ability that allows you to leave the ground and lunge forward for 10m piercing through your enemies and dealing an increased amount of weapon damage. When upgrading this ability you will receive a large cooldown reduction upon killing an enemy, increased critical strike damage on your next critical strike,and you will be able to light attack during the ability to perform a static attack with increased weapon damage.
Key Passive
The key passive isMomentum. It increases the damage for your next light attack or heavy attack after using an ability. This passive does not have a cooldown, but will end after 3 seconds or upon your next hit.
Rapier Recommended Roles
Currently, the Rapier is most frequently used in Healer and Assassin DPS builds. In almost all those cases, the rapier is used as a defensive/mobility back-bar weapon.
Recommended Weapon Pairings with the Rapier
The Rapier scales off of Dexterity, so pairing the Rapier with another weapon that scales off Dexterity is recommended.
- Life Staff – The rapier is the most frequently used back bar weapon for healers. The Grace Mastery Tree Provides excellent mobility
- Bow– The bow scales off of Dexterity, making this a great ranged choice to pair with the hatchet. With this combination, you can kite enemies well while shooting them with the bow, and if they get in range you will have your hatchet to punish them.
- Spear– The spear scales primarily off of Dexterity and secondarily off of Strength, making this an ok pairing with the Rapier as well. The spear can provide you with quite a lot of crowd control options that can help you deal with foes that get too close, and can also provide you with some additional damage over time as well.
- Musket– Similar to the bow, the musket benefits from having the mobility to kite enemies while dealing damage at range. both weapons will benefit from pushing your attributes points into the Dexterity attribute.
You can reference ourbuildssection for specific Life Staff pairings and builds that other players in the community are using.
How to Level the Rapier in New World
The Rapier is typically used as a defensive weapon. Despite this, leveling it can be quite easy with the right skills! Here is the Order you will want to spend your mastery points while leveling.
- Tondo
- Flourish and Finish
- Controlled Breathing
- Fleche
- Quick Lunge
This should give you a good base combo to help you continually deal AOE Bleed damage to mobs while you keep them grouped up. Once you get an Enemy Low, use Fleche to pass through the group of mobs and finish the enemy off with Quick Lunge. This will reset Fleche while getting the other enemies closer to death. Repeat Fleche until you have finished all your enemies, rinse and repeat until your level 20. here is the rest of the Mastery points you can spend to increase the damage of the combo.
- Thirst for Blood
- With Flaire
- Engarde
- Swagger
- Fuel
- And Again
- Proper Spacing
- Unerring
- Bloody End
- Backside
- Perfectionist
- Red Curtains
- Swiftness
Rapier Perks
Every Weapon Ability in New World has a correspondingPerkthat can be found on armor and weapons. Most of the perks scale in power with the Gear Score of the item they are on. It’s important to note that you can only benefit fromone instance of a weapon ability perk at a time. You can obtain the weapon perks randomly from drops or you can craft gear with the specific perk on it. You can enhance your chance at obtaining a specific perk by utilizing mods. Additionally, you can enhance your chance at obtaining your perk with the right stats by using thetimeless shards.
The Ability perks for the Rapier in New World are as follows:
| Weapon Ability Perk | Description | Armor | Weapon | Crafting Mods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keen Tondo | Increase Crit Chance by X% against targets affected by Tondo’s Bleed | 12% | 21% | Steel Rapier Charm |
| Deadly Flourish | Flourish deals X% more damage vs targets below 50% | 25% | 39% | Starmetal Rapier Charm |
| Leeching Flurry | Each hit of Flurry restores returns X% of the damage as health | 29% | 47% | Orichalcum Rapier Charm |
| Sundering Riposte | Riposte inflicts Rend, reducing damage absorption of target by X% for 10 seconds | 15% | 24% | Reinforced Steel Rapier Charm |
| Omnidirectional Evade | Gain X% damage for 2s after using Evade. Adagio upgrade is applied when evading in any direction | 10% | 19% | Reinforced Starmetal Rapier Charm |
| Refreshing Fleche | Hitting a target via a Crit Backstab with Fleche reduces this ability’s cooldown by X% | 19% | 33% | Reinforced Orichalcum Rapier Charm |
Recommended Rapier Gems
The type of gem you will want to slot into your Rapier is heavily dependent upon your build and what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s also going to vary based on PvP vs PvE activities (You can check ourquick reference guidefor gems for a full list of gems and their effects).
Enemy types the Rapier is strong/weak against
With a Rapier the damage type you will be dealing is Thrust. OurDamage Type vs Mob Types Quick Chartguide as a complete breakdown for every weapon. Corrupted and Beasts will be the monsters most affected by this and is ideal to use against them.
- Corrupted: Takes 20% MORE damage from Thrust attacks
- Beast : Takes 20% MORE damage from Thrust attacks
New World Rapier Guide Conclusion
That Concludes our New World Rapier Guide. For more on where to level your Rapier, check out ourWeapon Leveling Locations.
FAQs
What should I pair with a 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.
What weapon goes best with the Rapier in New World? ›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.
What stats are best for Rapier in New World? ›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 is the best mastery for Rapier New World? ›Best Masteries For The Rapier
Description: Lunge 10 meters forward, dealing 145% damage to enemies in your path. Quick Lunge: Kills with this ability reduce its cooldown by 80%. Backside: After performing Fleche, your next critical strike will deal 15% increased damage.
Clubs, hammers, and axes are strength. Daggers and rapiers (classic fencing) are dexterity. Ranged weapons are dexterity due to needing to aim.
Is dexterity or Intelligence better for rapier New World? ›The Primary Attribute for the Rapier in New World is Dexterity. The Secondary Attribute is Intelligence. Investing into either Attribute will increase the damage of your Rapier's basic attacks and special abilities, though you will see a greater bonus for investing in Dexterity.
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.
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.
Is rapier better than longsword? ›Longsword blades tend to be less flexible and broader. Longsword hilts are simpler, usually just a crossbar. Rapier hilts provide greater protection around the wielder's hand with rings, plates, or cups.
What is the best length for a rapier? ›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 scale with dex? ›
The Rapier scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity, and is a good Weapon for mobility during combat.
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.
What is the easiest weapon to level in New World? ›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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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) ...
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.
Why is the rapier the best weapon? ›
Rapiers are long, have excellent reach, and although known as mainly thrusting swords, they are cut-and-thrust weapons that actually cut surprisingly well. Rapiers, as long as you know how to use them, are probably one of the best kinds of swords available- at least for duels and one-on-one flights.
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 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.
Is rapier bad in New World? ›Attack animation from start to finish is quite slow for such a nimble weapon. Tracking either strafing or moving enemies is difficult.
What is the best DPS PvE weapon in New World? ›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.
| 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 |
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.
What metal is best for rapier? ›Many claim that 1060 medium-carbon steel is the best steel overall for sword-making. Medium-carbon steel has the ideal balance of hardness and strength, which impact a sword's ability to keep a cutting edge and its overall durability.
Is a rapier hard to use? ›It is more difficult to use because it requires strength and you have to condition your sword arm to be able to handle it. An average rapier (I mean historical examples) weights more than 1 kg (sometimes up to 1,5 kg) and you must operate it with one hand while keeping that hand in the extended position.
Can you fence with a rapier? ›Rapier fencing was the first truly “civilian” system of fencing, maximized for single combat and meant to be used without either any secondary arms (although their use continued for quite some time) or protective armour.
How effective is a rapier against armor? ›
TL;DR Rapiers weren't designed to be used against armour, and you'd be at a disadvantage when using one similar to any sword. That being said, it'd better against armour than more cut-centric swords would be. Closest thing intended for use vs armor is probably an estoc.
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.
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.
| Slot | Gem |
|---|---|
| Life Staff | Cut Pristine Diamond |
| Rapier | Cut Pristine Amber |
| Helmet* | Cut Pristine Onyx |
| Gloves* | Cut Pristine Onyx |
The captain's rapier is a light melee weapon in the piercing classes. Opening a treasure chest has a 0.25% chance of rewarding the captain's rapier, having a rarity of 'mythic'.
Who wielded rapiers? ›Personal swords were introduced into Western European culture at the beginning of the 16th century. Originally used by common folk and guards for self-defense in cities, the rapier would evolve into a status symbol of the gentleman, and the object of study for swordmasters and smiths.
What is the hardest hitting skill in New World? ›Onslaught Tree. The Onslaught Tree is almost entirely offensive-focused with both its skills and passives. Your hardest-hitting attacks, Damage increasing Buffs and Debuffs, and cooldown reduction are here. The active Skills of the Onslaught Tree are Crosscut, Relentless Rush, and Skyward Slash.
What is the hardest skill to level in New World? ›Fishing is the hardest Gathering skill to level in the beginning, but becomes more easy (relatively) the higher you go.
Is rapier better than Dragon Hunter Lance? ›DividedStory. The items actually each have their own unique style and capabilities believe it or not. - Dragon Hunter Lance | is the best item against Dragons in melee combat. - Ghrazi Rapier | is the best well-rounded item out of them which I commonly use for slayer.
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.
Is rapier Ice Gauntlet 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 armor with rapier? ›With rapier, you'd ideally want light armor so that you can strike and dodge quickly.
Is rapier light or heavy? ›Most historical rapiers weighed between two and a half and four pounds. This many not sound too heavy (or it might), but consider that it is very similar to the common weight range for longswords.
What was paired with a rapier? ›Rapiers are single-handed weapons and they were often employed with off-hand bucklers, daggers, cloaks and even second swords to assist with defense. A buckler is a small round shield that was used with other blades as well, such as the arming sword.
What is a good weapon combination in New World? ›1 Life Staff, Sword, And Shield (Tank/Healing)
No classes in New World means that players don't have to choose between Taking and Healing anymore. The Life Staff only requires Focus when it comes to Attributes, so the player is free to put a few more points in Strength, the primary score for a sword and shield.
Sword and Shield is the most common weapon combo in every RPG. However, most common doesn't mean it's the worst. Due to its decent crowd control, gap closers, and AoE healing with Life Staff, it's probably the best choice for every beginner out there.
Is rapier the best sword? ›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.
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.
What are the best solo New World weapons? ›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 highest DPS strength weapon in New World? ›War Hammer.
This Mastery Tree is divided into either Juggernaut or Crowd Crusher, so it's clear from the start this weapon is about doing damage, and a lot of it. War hammers have the highest damage rating of any other form of arms in New World.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela.
What is the best melee DPS in New World? ›Best Melee DPS Build – Hatchet and Great Axe. When it comes to melee-focused DPS, few options out there are as strong as the Hatchet and Great Axe.
What makes a good rapier? ›Ensure that the blade is flexible enough not to hurt too much when you strike but firm enough not to wobble when you move it through the air or interact with another weapon. A good test for a rapier's flexibility is to hold the sword by the grip and place the sword against a home scale.