When it comes to New World, having the best build is optimal for both PvE and PvP. When it comes to having a great Tank build, your ideal loadout begins with the Sword and Shield weapon combo. Before you do anything, however, you must equip your Sword with a Carnelian Gem so that you can use a taunting perk alongside some of your other perks in the Defender skill tree. Because of this, you’ll want to scale up your Dexterity and Constitution so that you can withstand a lot of damage. Tanks are meant to stand at the front lines and take the majority of damage so that other party members can deal damage. Check out our preferred Tank builds for both PvP and PvE in New World.

Best PvP Tank Build in New World

After picking out your Sword and Shield weapon combo, you’ll want to pair it with the Great Axe for a more offensive playstyle. The build will focus exclusively on Dexterity, Strength, and Constitution for great crowd control and defense so your party members can heal and attack. We also recommend using medium armor to have more mobility on the battlefield.

For the best results, you’ll want to focus on these abilities for the Swordmaster and Defender tree:

  • Shield Bash50% more weapon damage and stuns the enemies in front of you for two seconds.Defiant StanceReduce the incoming base damage from attackers for eight seconds.Whirling BladeDeal 145% weapon damage to all enemies within two meters.

For the Great Axe tree, the abilities you want to focus on are:

  • ChargeCharge ten meters to an enemy and deal 120% weapon damage.ReapExtend your Great Axe by five meters to pull enemies towards you and deal 110% weapon damage.ExecuteOverhead attack deals 200% weapon damage and 300% weapon damage to enemies under 50% health.

Best PvE Tank Build in New World

The best PvE Tank build you can make includes pairing your Sword and Shield with a War Hammer. It’s an incredibly simple build and focuses on Dexterity, Strength, and Constitution stats. Unlike the PvP build, we recommend that you use heavy armor since it would be the best type to help negate damage.

  • Shield Bash50% more weapon damage and stuns the enemies in front of you for two seconds.Defiant StanceReduce the incoming base damage from attackers for eight seconds.Reverse StabA ground attack deals 110% weapon damage to enemies in front of you.

For the War Hammer tree, the abilities you want to focus on are:

  • ShockwaveUse the War Hammer to deal 80% damage within a three-meter radius, applying stun for two seconds.Armour BreakerA powerful swing penetrates enemy armor by 35% and deals 140% weapon damage.Path of DestinyA ground attack deals 110% weapon damage to enemies in front of you.

For more New World guides, check out Best Weapons in New World and How to find all resources in New World on Pro Game Guides.