MMOEXP-New World Season 10: Optimizing Greatsword and Rapier DPS
Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2025 7:10 am
The fog-shrouded spires of Nighthaven have barely settled since Season 10 dropped on October 13, and already the melee meta is reshaping itself around one of the deadliest pairings Aeternum has ever seen: Greatsword + Rapier. If you're grinding mutated expeditions, pushing deep into the Catacombs, or New World Coins parsing for top DPS in Season 10's gothic raid environments, this hybrid setup stands out as one of the most explosive and consistent damage builds available. It's fast, brutal, and surprisingly resilient-exactly what you need in a season dominated by shadowy horrors, vertical arenas, and nonstop sustained engagements.
This article breaks down why the combo works so well, how to build it properly, what rotations make it shine, and how to gear yourself for maximum performance. With the right setup, you become a surgical whirlwind of bleeds, burns, empowered swings, and burst detonations-melting threats before they can even finish snarling in your direction.
Why Greatsword + Rapier Dominates Season 10
Season 10 pushed the PvE meta into a space where mobility, self-sustain, and high single-target DPS are essential. Encounters like those in Nighthaven and Isle of Night demand that players dodge ground effects, climb through multi-level arenas, and survive constant pressure from corruption- and umbra-infused enemies. Greatsword + Rapier excels in this environment for several key reasons:
1. Elite Hybrid Pressure
Greatsword provides heavy-hit burst and sweeping AOE, while Rapier delivers consistency, mobility, and some of the strongest DoT uptime in the game. Each weapon fills the other's gaps-Greatsword handles empowered windows and stagger output, while Rapier keeps damage flowing even when you're repositioning.
2. Synergy With Season 10 Artifact Mechanics
Doroth's Blade is the centerpiece of this build. Its burn-stacking property turns every heavy attack into an escalating bomb. When you swap to Rapier and consume those burns through Flurry or Tondo interactions, you trigger massive damage spikes. This is a Season 10-exclusive synergy that elevates the combo far above other melee pairings.
3. Mobility in Vertical Arenas
Nighthaven loves throwing multi-floor engagements and teleporting enemies at you. Rapier's Evade and Flourish & Finish keep you alive while stabilizing DPS uptime, preventing the dreaded “mechanics drop-off” many Greatsword players suffer.
4. High Sustain and Safety
With proper perks, both weapons offer surprisingly strong mitigation. Greatsword's Undying Defiance, Calamity Counter, and Steadfast Strikes give healing and fortify windows, while Rapier practically guarantees you never get pinned down long enough to die.
Attribute Split and Ideal Stat Allocation
For maximum output, the meta setup favors:
300 Strength / 150 Dexterity / 50 Constitution
or
250 Strength / 200 Dexterity / 50 Constitution
The first is slightly more burst-heavy, while the second improves consistency and crit scaling with Rapier.
If you want a safer Catacombs setup, bump Constitution to 100 and reduce Dexterity slightly.
Weapon Setup and Perks
Greatsword Ability Loadout (Berserker/Onslaught Blend)
Relentless Rush – Mobility + cleave + stagger. Enables burn stacks with heavies.
Steadfast Strike – Sustain, cooldown reduction, and Fortify generation.
Crosscut – Reliable single-target nuking during Empower windows.
Key Passives to Prioritize:
Overcharge
Swift Onslaught
Aggressive Shift
Relentless Power
Purifying Roar (optional utility)
Rapier Ability Loadout (Blood Line)
Tondo – Your main bleed application and a burn detonation trigger.
Flurry – Rapid multi-hit finisher to consume burn stacks.
Flourish & Finish – Emergency peel, self-control, huge damage finisher.
Essential Passives:
Engarde
Bloody End
Light Edge
Momentum
Perfectionist
Doroth's Blade: The Build's Beating Heart
If you don't have Doroth's Blade yet, prioritize it immediately. Its unique effect applies burn stacks on heavy attacks, which you then consume with Rapier attacks for huge burst detonations. Because Greatsword naturally weaves heavies into its Onslaught rotation, the synergy is seamless and constant.
The explosion effect also scales beautifully with both Strength and Dexterity, making the hybrid attribute profile ideal.
Gear, Perks, and Gems
Armor Perks
Aim for:
Empowering Relentless Rush
Rogue / Keenly Empowered
Refreshing (still best in slot for PvE)
Elemental Aversion for Catacombs and Nighthaven mobs
Weapon Perks
Greatsword:
Keenly Empowered
Trenchant Rend or Trenchant Strikes
Rogue (optional)
Rapier:
Vicious
Keenly Jagged
Refreshing Move or Rogue
Gems
Cut Pristine Opal or Ruby for Greatsword
Cut Pristine Emerald for Rapier (extra finisher crit value)
In endgame mutated content, slot Waldharts or Runeglass Arboreals as needed.
Rotation Guide: How to Maximize Damage
Opener
Heavy Attack with Greatsword → apply first burn
Relentless Rush → stagger + empower
Heavy Attack → more burns
Crosscut → burst window
Swap to Rapier
Tondo → bleed + burn consumption
Flurry → procs more burn detonations
Flourish & Finish → end-of-window spike
This rotation creates a devastating heavy → burn → consume → reapply loop that melts bosses and elite mobs alike.
In sustained fights, return to Greatsword to rebuild Overcharge and your Empower stack cycle, then repeat.
Positioning and Survival Tips
The build's biggest weakness is its reliance on clean positioning. If you get clipped during Overcharge or mid-swap, your DPS drops sharply. Here's how to stay sharp:
Always dodge diagonally, not backward-Rapier excels at lateral repositioning.
Use Steadfast Strike whenever you need to re-establish Fortify or escape healing droughts.
Never open with Rapier unless you're finishing a mob; always let Greatsword start the burn engine.
In vertical arenas, save Relentless Rush for gap-closing and Rapier Evade for micro-adjustments.
Where This Build Shines
Hard Mutators (8–10) – High uptime, strong self-sustain, excellent boss phases.
Catacombs – Fast clears, stable performance against swarms.
Raid Environments – Especially in static fights like Isle of Night or Forgotten Council.
Solo PvE – You're nearly unkillable and your burst is monstrous.
It is not the best for large-scale PvP, though in duels it still performs extremely well with proper kiting.
Final Thoughts
Greatsword + Rapier is one of the most dominant DPS setups in New World Season 10. The build rewards discipline, precise weapon swapping, and smart timing-perfect for players who thrive on execution-heavy gameplay. With Doroth's Blade fueling your burn detonations and each weapon feeding the New World Gold for sale other's strengths, you become a relentless engine of devastation capable of tearing through Nighthaven's nightmares and pushing some of the best numbers in the current PvE meta.
Master the dance, and this setup will make you indispensable in any expedition group or raid team.
This article breaks down why the combo works so well, how to build it properly, what rotations make it shine, and how to gear yourself for maximum performance. With the right setup, you become a surgical whirlwind of bleeds, burns, empowered swings, and burst detonations-melting threats before they can even finish snarling in your direction.
Why Greatsword + Rapier Dominates Season 10
Season 10 pushed the PvE meta into a space where mobility, self-sustain, and high single-target DPS are essential. Encounters like those in Nighthaven and Isle of Night demand that players dodge ground effects, climb through multi-level arenas, and survive constant pressure from corruption- and umbra-infused enemies. Greatsword + Rapier excels in this environment for several key reasons:
1. Elite Hybrid Pressure
Greatsword provides heavy-hit burst and sweeping AOE, while Rapier delivers consistency, mobility, and some of the strongest DoT uptime in the game. Each weapon fills the other's gaps-Greatsword handles empowered windows and stagger output, while Rapier keeps damage flowing even when you're repositioning.
2. Synergy With Season 10 Artifact Mechanics
Doroth's Blade is the centerpiece of this build. Its burn-stacking property turns every heavy attack into an escalating bomb. When you swap to Rapier and consume those burns through Flurry or Tondo interactions, you trigger massive damage spikes. This is a Season 10-exclusive synergy that elevates the combo far above other melee pairings.
3. Mobility in Vertical Arenas
Nighthaven loves throwing multi-floor engagements and teleporting enemies at you. Rapier's Evade and Flourish & Finish keep you alive while stabilizing DPS uptime, preventing the dreaded “mechanics drop-off” many Greatsword players suffer.
4. High Sustain and Safety
With proper perks, both weapons offer surprisingly strong mitigation. Greatsword's Undying Defiance, Calamity Counter, and Steadfast Strikes give healing and fortify windows, while Rapier practically guarantees you never get pinned down long enough to die.
Attribute Split and Ideal Stat Allocation
For maximum output, the meta setup favors:
300 Strength / 150 Dexterity / 50 Constitution
or
250 Strength / 200 Dexterity / 50 Constitution
The first is slightly more burst-heavy, while the second improves consistency and crit scaling with Rapier.
If you want a safer Catacombs setup, bump Constitution to 100 and reduce Dexterity slightly.
Weapon Setup and Perks
Greatsword Ability Loadout (Berserker/Onslaught Blend)
Relentless Rush – Mobility + cleave + stagger. Enables burn stacks with heavies.
Steadfast Strike – Sustain, cooldown reduction, and Fortify generation.
Crosscut – Reliable single-target nuking during Empower windows.
Key Passives to Prioritize:
Overcharge
Swift Onslaught
Aggressive Shift
Relentless Power
Purifying Roar (optional utility)
Rapier Ability Loadout (Blood Line)
Tondo – Your main bleed application and a burn detonation trigger.
Flurry – Rapid multi-hit finisher to consume burn stacks.
Flourish & Finish – Emergency peel, self-control, huge damage finisher.
Essential Passives:
Engarde
Bloody End
Light Edge
Momentum
Perfectionist
Doroth's Blade: The Build's Beating Heart
If you don't have Doroth's Blade yet, prioritize it immediately. Its unique effect applies burn stacks on heavy attacks, which you then consume with Rapier attacks for huge burst detonations. Because Greatsword naturally weaves heavies into its Onslaught rotation, the synergy is seamless and constant.
The explosion effect also scales beautifully with both Strength and Dexterity, making the hybrid attribute profile ideal.
Gear, Perks, and Gems
Armor Perks
Aim for:
Empowering Relentless Rush
Rogue / Keenly Empowered
Refreshing (still best in slot for PvE)
Elemental Aversion for Catacombs and Nighthaven mobs
Weapon Perks
Greatsword:
Keenly Empowered
Trenchant Rend or Trenchant Strikes
Rogue (optional)
Rapier:
Vicious
Keenly Jagged
Refreshing Move or Rogue
Gems
Cut Pristine Opal or Ruby for Greatsword
Cut Pristine Emerald for Rapier (extra finisher crit value)
In endgame mutated content, slot Waldharts or Runeglass Arboreals as needed.
Rotation Guide: How to Maximize Damage
Opener
Heavy Attack with Greatsword → apply first burn
Relentless Rush → stagger + empower
Heavy Attack → more burns
Crosscut → burst window
Swap to Rapier
Tondo → bleed + burn consumption
Flurry → procs more burn detonations
Flourish & Finish → end-of-window spike
This rotation creates a devastating heavy → burn → consume → reapply loop that melts bosses and elite mobs alike.
In sustained fights, return to Greatsword to rebuild Overcharge and your Empower stack cycle, then repeat.
Positioning and Survival Tips
The build's biggest weakness is its reliance on clean positioning. If you get clipped during Overcharge or mid-swap, your DPS drops sharply. Here's how to stay sharp:
Always dodge diagonally, not backward-Rapier excels at lateral repositioning.
Use Steadfast Strike whenever you need to re-establish Fortify or escape healing droughts.
Never open with Rapier unless you're finishing a mob; always let Greatsword start the burn engine.
In vertical arenas, save Relentless Rush for gap-closing and Rapier Evade for micro-adjustments.
Where This Build Shines
Hard Mutators (8–10) – High uptime, strong self-sustain, excellent boss phases.
Catacombs – Fast clears, stable performance against swarms.
Raid Environments – Especially in static fights like Isle of Night or Forgotten Council.
Solo PvE – You're nearly unkillable and your burst is monstrous.
It is not the best for large-scale PvP, though in duels it still performs extremely well with proper kiting.
Final Thoughts
Greatsword + Rapier is one of the most dominant DPS setups in New World Season 10. The build rewards discipline, precise weapon swapping, and smart timing-perfect for players who thrive on execution-heavy gameplay. With Doroth's Blade fueling your burn detonations and each weapon feeding the New World Gold for sale other's strengths, you become a relentless engine of devastation capable of tearing through Nighthaven's nightmares and pushing some of the best numbers in the current PvE meta.
Master the dance, and this setup will make you indispensable in any expedition group or raid team.