New World: Best Tank Build

thegamer.com:

Due to New World's class-less system, there are actually several ways to play as a tank. Different weapons provide you with different advantages and different styles of play. The classic tank build favors the Sword and Shield and Warhammer, but the SnS also works with weapons like the Great Axe and the Hatchet nicely.

Related: New World: Best Weapons, Ranked

This guide covers some core fundamentals of all tank builds and five of the best tank builds in New World. We'll be looking at good weapon combinations, Masteries, attributes, and tips on how to take these builds to their limit.

Updated September 13, by Harry Alston: We have updated this guide to include more up-to-date information ahead of the Brimstone Sands update! This includes a look at the reworked gems, the best gear, attributes, weapons, and more.

General tips:

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The Sword and Shield are the very first weapons you'll get in New World, which means you can start stacking mastery points and attributes pretty much right away. We've paired the Sword and Shield successfully with the War Hammer for a good balance between sheer defense and CC. This is probably the classic tank build in New World.

The Defender Tree is a good place to start for the Sword. You should pick up Shield Bash and Defiant Stance in this mastery tree, then opt for the Whirling Blade mastery from the Swordmaster tree.

Shield Bash is an excellent taunt skill to use against bosses and a solid stun against fodder enemies. Keep in mind that the stun from Shield Bash is removed when that target takes damage. Use this window to swap weapons or recover your resources.

Defiant Stance is your bread and butter. You gain massive damage resistance, taunt every enemy within proximity,