Season 4 of New World is fast approaching, and with it comes the exciting addition of 8 new artifacts. In this guide, we will delve into the details of these artifacts, discussing their potential and the impact they might have on your in-game experience. Four of these artifacts have been revealed, and we'll provide insights into their applications, while the other four remain a mystery, yet we can speculate on what they might offer.

 

• Boltcaster
• Vengeance
• The Gladiator
• Quickdraw Gloves
• Winged Leather Shoes
• Koya's Knee Guards
• Deep Freeze
• The Unmoved
• Additional Jewelry Artifacts
• Mastermind
• General Artifact Changes
• Artifact Drop Changes

 

 

↖ Boltcaster

Let's kick things off with the Boltcaster, an artifact that is sure to pique the interest of bow users. This artifact turns a whopping 99% of your damage into lightning damage while providing a 20% damage increase to both your weapons. What makes this artifact even more intriguing is its ability to stun opponents at max health when hit. This could potentially lead to devastating bursts of damage against unsuspecting foes.

 

However, it's worth noting that choosing the lightning damage route may make your bow susceptible to Elemental Aversion. Additionally, there's exciting potential for a bow Rapier build that combines lightning damage for some potent Rapier attacks. If you're a fan of the bow, this artifact is one to watch out for.

 

Issues and Concerns

• Overpowered Damage Output: The Boltcaster Bow adds a substantial damage boost to an already powerful weapon. Bow users with precise aiming can deal significant damage, and the artifact amplifies this problem. The high damage potential may make it difficult to balance the game.
• Crowd Control Dominance: Ranged crowd control in most games is generally limited compared to melee crowd control for balance reasons. The Boltcaster Bow's stun effect has the potential to create severe imbalances in New World PvP, as it can be repeatedly triggered if an opponent's health is restored.
• Thrust Damage Reduction: The Boltcaster Bow's damage conversion to lightning bypasses thrust damage reduction, making it even more potent against opponents who rely on such protection. This potentially upsets the balance in PvP.
• Lack of Counterplay: Being stunned on a full-health hit leaves little room for counterplay. Players may feel frustrated when they are stunned and unable to react.

 

↖ Vengeance

Vengeance, a life staff artifact, is a surprising addition for healers. This artifact adds a unique twist by focusing on damage output. When you successfully heal someone, you gain a 1% damage increase for 10 seconds, stackable up to 20 times.

 

This means that if you're an active healer, you can quickly amass a considerable damage bonus. The question is, will healers be interested in dealing damage, or would they prefer more utility? There's a possibility that Vengeance may have additional unique perks that make it more appealing, similar to The Abyss. Healers, share your thoughts on this artifact's potential and usefulness!

 

↖ The Gladiator

Gladiator is a round shield with a unique ability. It inflicts a bleed when a melee opponent hits you, providing an interesting twist to shield play. The additional perks, including Diminishing Shield Bash and Fortifying Shield Rush, make this shield even more enticing.

 

However, the key question is whether the bleed effect applies when you block an attack or only when you take damage. This distinction could significantly impact the utility of this shield. While it may not be as strong for blocking as other shield options, it still offers more protection than most weapons.

 

Issues and Concerns：

• Mismatched Perks: The Gladiator Shield's combination of perks doesn't seem to complement each other effectively. The bleeding effect relies on getting hit in melee combat, which is counterintuitive for a round shield playstyle, known for its aggressive and evasive nature.
• Limited Use in PvE: In solo PvE, the bleed effect may have some utility, but it's not a game-changer. In group PvE, where you're not often hit in melee, the perk becomes virtually useless. This suggests that Gladiator is primarily designed for PvP.
• PvP Scenarios: In PvP scenarios, players using the Gladiator Shield may not always benefit from all its perks. For instance, if they use it with the Butcher, they might not have the opportunity to use Shield Bash and Shield Rush, rendering some perks less useful.
• Missed Opportunity: Shield Aggression, which is excluded from this artifact, would provide a 5% base damage increase, a more straightforward and reliable bonus compared to the conditional bleed effect. Additionally, the Gladiator Shield does not offer the option to choose an armor artifact, potentially providing more significant benefits.
• Limited Versatility: The artifact's bleed effect only works against melee attacks, making it ineffective against ranged attackers. This narrows down its utility, especially in a game with various weapon and playstyle combinations.

 

↖ Quickdraw Gloves

Quick Draw Gloves are new light armor gloves that offer a brief half-second immunity to damage when you swap weapons, with a 12-second cooldown. While the short duration and cooldown may raise doubts, the potential to negate damage entirely is a game-changer.

 

Timing is crucial here, as a well-executed swap could protect you from devastating attacks. If players can master this artifact's timing, it has the potential to be a game-altering addition to your loadout. It's a high-risk, high-reward choice that can either save your life or leave you vulnerable.

 

Issues and Concerns:

• Potential for Kitefest Meta: The Quick Draw Gloves' effect can significantly benefit kiting, defensive, and self-peeling playstyles. In a PvP setting, this may lead to an unbalanced and frustrating "kitefest" meta, where players repeatedly disengage and re-engage.
• Light Builds' Strength: Defensive light builds are already strong, and the Quick Draw Gloves could further enhance their survivability, potentially making them dominant in PvP.

 

↖ Winged Leather Shoes

The Winged Leather Shoes offer a unique twist to speed-centric builds. With the perk Speed Spe Fire, the base duration of haste is increased by 50%, allowing players to maintain their speed for an extended period. While medium boots, the inclusion of refreshing and freedom perks make these shoes an intriguing choice for those who value mobility.

 

↖ Koya's Knee Guards

Possibly a nod to Skyrim, the Koya's Knee Guards specialize in mitigating ranged physical damage. With a 33% reduction in incoming damage from ranged attacks, players equipped with these light armor guards may find an edge against archers. However, their effectiveness might be limited against elemental damage from ranged casters.

 

↖ Deep Freeze

Deep Freeze enhances damage against frozen or chilled enemies, making it an ideal complement to the Ice Gauntlet. With additional perks like unbroken winds and refreshing move, this artifact caters to those who enjoy crowd control and damage synergy.

 

↖ The Unmoved

The Unmoved artifact brings a unique defensive capability, rendering players unmovable and granting permanent grit. The potential inclusion of stagger immunity makes this artifact intriguing for those seeking resilience against displacement effects.

 

↖ Additional Jewelry Artifacts

Perks include 2% health, stamina, and mana gain per second, with a 75% increase in potion cooldowns. Rejuvenation introduces a trade-off between consistent regeneration and longer potion cooldowns. While potentially appealing to tanky builds, its overall impact on gameplay remains to be tested.

 

↖ Mastermind

Skills deal 30% more damage, but basic attacks deal 25% less damage. Mastermind poses an interesting dynamic for skill-focused builds, particularly mages. The increased damage from skills could make this artifact a staple for those heavily reliant on abilities.

 

↖ General Artifact Changes

• Inferno: Now deals fire damage, with changes to perks like ke and power, and vicious.
• Hell's Fury: Range increased to 8m, dealing 20% more damage when hitting a target within the specified range.
• Nimble: Level requirement removed from 100, now available at PvP track 20.

 

↖ Artifact Drop Changes

• Artifact Drop Rates: Increased from 10% to 20% for end-of-dungeon drops and open-world artifact drops.
• Portal Artifacts: Abyss and Wizard Hat drop rates increased from 3% to 10%.
• PvP Track Artifacts: Anecdotal reports suggest increased drop rates for PvP artifacts on the PvP track.

 

Conclusion:

With the upcoming release of New World Season 4, the introduction of 8 new artifacts promises to bring exciting changes to the game. From the Boltcaster's lightning bow build potential to the unique abilities of Vengeance, The Gladiator, and Quick Draw Gloves, players have a lot to look forward to. Additionally, the anticipation of the unrevealed artifacts adds an extra layer of excitement to the new season. As always, the New World community is eager to explore these artifacts and discover the best builds and strategies. Which artifacts are you most excited about, and what kind of builds are you planning to experiment with in Season 4?