Best Early Builds in Avowed

Choosing the right build in Avowed significantly impacts your early game experience, enabling efficient enemy engagement and survival. Whether you favor close-quarters combat, ranged attacks, or devastating magic, these builds offer optimal starting points.

Recommended Builds

Two-Handed Brawler (War Hero Build)

The Two-Handed Brawler embodies brute force, ideal for massive damage output and overpowering enemies. This build focuses on high-damage two-handed weapons, maximizing both offensive power and survivability. It's a straightforward yet effective approach for Avowed's early game.

To optimize damage and durability, prioritize:

• Might (3): Increases melee damage.
• Constitution (3): Improves health and tankiness.
• Dexterity (2): Enhances attack speed and dodging.
• Resolve (2): Reduces the impact of stuns and knockbacks.

Key abilities include Charge (for aggressive engagement), Bleeding Cuts (for damage over time), and Toughness (for increased health). The Horsecutter two-handed sword or Drawn in Winter axe are excellent weapon choices. This build suits players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward melee combat, focusing on swift enemy elimination.

Stealth Ranger (Vanguard Scout Build)

The Stealth Ranger excels in mobility and ranged combat. This build utilizes bows, firearms, and stealth maneuvers to inflict significant critical hits while minimizing damage taken. Unlike the Brawler, the Ranger emphasizes precision, patience, and maintaining distance.

This build leverages accuracy, agility, and critical hits:

• Perception (3): Boosts ranged accuracy and critical hit chance.
• Dexterity (3): Improves movement speed and attack speed.
• Might (2): Increases ranged weapon power.
• Resolve (2): Helps resist stuns and knockbacks.

Essential abilities include Tanglefoot (to immobilize enemies), Marksmanship (to increase ranged damage), and Shadowing Beyond (for temporary invisibility). Bows and arquebuses are optimal for long-range attacks, while a pistol provides close-range backup. This build is perfect for players who enjoy eliminating enemies from afar and utilizing stealth tactics.

Frost Wizard (Arcane Scholar Build)

For battlefield control through magic, the Frost Wizard is the best early-game option. It centers around freezing enemies, delivering high burst damage, and managing combat flow. This build requires strategic positioning and resource management but offers significant power.

The Frost Wizard prioritizes:

• Intellect (3): Boosts spell effectiveness.
• Perception (3): Improves accuracy and spell critical hit chance.
• Dexterity (2): Speeds up spellcasting.
• Resolve (2): Reduces interruptions during spellcasting.

Key abilities include Frost Accumulation (to slow and freeze enemies), Chill Blades (for freezing close-range targets), Blast of Frost, and Bristling Frost (for area-of-effect frost damage). Combining these with Charge (from the Fighter tree) shatters frozen enemies for bonus damage. Wands and frost-based grimoires are the preferred weapons. This build is ideal for players who enjoy controlling the battlefield with powerful, freezing spells.

Melee Fighter (War Hero Build)

The Melee Fighter offers a balanced blend of offense and defense, appealing to players seeking a versatile approach. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, this build emphasizes quick attacks, blocking, and prolonged combat rather than raw damage.

The Melee Fighter Build focuses on:

• Might (3): Increases melee damage.
• Perception (3): Improves accuracy and critical spell damage.
• Dexterity (2): Increases attack speed.
• Resolve (2): Prevents interruptions during spellcasting.

Core abilities include Charge, Shield Bash (to stagger enemies), and Constant Recovery (for passive health regeneration). One-handed swords or axes paired with a shield are the ideal weapons, providing both offensive capability and defensive protection. This build is excellent for players who prefer a well-rounded combat style.

Choosing Your Build

The optimal build depends on your preferred playstyle. The Two-Handed Brawler offers pure melee destruction, the Stealth Ranger excels in ranged and stealth combat, the Frost Wizard provides battlefield control through magic, and the Melee Fighter offers a balanced approach. Ultimately, choose the build that best suits your enjoyment of Avowed's engaging combat system.

Avowed is available now on PC and Xbox.