New World has gone through some changes since the initial release just over a year ago. The basic rules and mechanics around leveling and weapon use have gone through some minor tweaks but are still the same, using basic features called Attributes to determine a character's skill with certain weapons.
Unlike other RPGs that require a character to choose a class that limits their ability to wield and equip only certain weapons, the land of Aerterum in New World has no such restrictions. A player's role as a Healer, Tank, or Damage per Second (DPS) is determined by their weapon of choice and their Attribute scores.
Intelligence is an Attribute connected to spellcasting and certain melee damage builds. A character with a high Intelligence in New World is likely going to be assigned a DPS role and will equip and use staves, firearms, or rapiers.
Weapons And Attributes
One of the ways to streamline the leveling process in New World is to choose a combination of weapons that requires no more than two Attribute points. This allows a player to stack their available points into fewer spaces and get better at using certain weapons faster. Until a character reaches level 20, it's free to respec your Attribute points, so players have some time to experiment without the added charge.
There are five Attributes in New World, and four of them determine how skilled a character is with each weapon. Intelligence is one, and the other four are Strength, Dexterity, and Focus. Constitution is the fifth attribute and determines a character's hit points, and is the only Attribute not assigned to any weapons. Some weapons rely only on Intelligence, while others require points in two Attributes for optimum efficiency.
Intelligence Only
- Ice Gaunlet. A weapon that does ranged damage and also can slow down enemy movement. The Mastery Tree is divided into two paths, Ice Tempest or Builder. Both are DPS builds, but the Ice Tempest focuses more on damage and Builder is more of a defensive spec.
- Fire Staff. Also a ranged weapon, this is the first type of magical item that most players find or craft. They can choose between Pyromancer or Fire Mage in the Mastery Tree. Both are DPS builds, but Pyromancer has more options for AoE damage while the Fire Mage is a more focused build.
Intelligence And One Other Attribute
- Void Gaunlet. A new addition to the New World weapons cache, the other Attribute required here is Focus. Players can choose to specialize in either Annialation or Decay in the Mastery Trees. Both are strictly DPS, but the first is more about doing all the damage in one turn while the second focuses on damage over time (DoT).
- 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.
- Musket. Another weapon that scales with both Intelligence and Dexterity, musket-users can be either a Sharpshooter or a Trapper. As the names imply, one is offensive and the other defensive.
- Blunderbuss. Another new option, it divides its Mastery Trees into either Containment or Choas, with one being damage and the other defensive. The blunderbuss scales with Intelligence and Strength.
The Best Weapons That Scale With Intelligence
How effective a player is with a weapon depends on how many points they have assigned to the Attribute that's assigned to that weapon. Even if a character equips a high-quality weapon that uses Intelligence, it won't be as effective if they have a low Intelligence score.
- Arctic Dusk (Tier III). An Arcane Repository and a crafting skill of 82 are required to make this weapon. It has an empty gem socket, is of Rare quality, and buffs the player's Intelligence score by 18 points.
- Enchanted Flame Staff (Tier V). One of the few high-level items that can be acquired through crafting, the materials required include rare items that only drop from epic monsters or on Expeditions. An Arcane Repository and a crafting skill of 196 are also necessary to make this Epic quality item.
- Soaked Musket (Tier IV). A deceptively effective weapon despite its Common quality, this is a rare drop from a Drowned Mariner or a Drowned Grenadier.
- Lazarus Watcher Blunderbuss of the Soldier (Tier V). An Item of Uncommon quality that requires an Engineering skill of 160, it also has a gem socket and buffs the character's Strength Attribute by 30 points.
- Amrine Temple Rapier (Tier III). A Forge and a Weaponsmithing skill of 60 are needed to craft this rapier. It is of Uncommon quality and has one gem socket.
New World is available on PC.