Checking Boxes In New World

 I have 3,000+ hours played in New World.  You may assume I've done and seen everything there is to do in the game, but you'd be wrong.  I have some low hanging fruit that I've not checked off the list and I decided now is the time  to start working on them.

 The first fruit hanging in front of my face was leveling all weapon skills to weapon level 20.  Flail, lifestaff, and void gauntlet were the three weapons I had not yet leveled.  So I grabbed one of each and popped one of my 22 extra "weapon XP boosts" and headed out to Brightwood Isle.

 Why Brightwood Isle?  Because it is a level 30-35 elite zone and if you are max level it is the prime spot for weapon experience.  A few hits per elite enemy results in 100-150 experience.  This makes quick work of the weapon levels.  Note: if you are not max level weapon XP is lower so wait until end game to level weapons as a dedicated activity; while leveling just play what you enjoy.

Level 20 across the board!

 

 Next on the agenda was getting some of my favorite heartrunes upgraded to 700 GS (gearscore).  With Rise of the Angry Earth expansion New World brought upgrades from 625 to 700 to the heartrunes, but the buff is minor so wasn't an item to go out and chase immediately.  But with hundreds of thousands of gold in my pocket and supplies overflowing my storage it was time to get a few to 700.  

 The first up was my Stalwart Heartrune of Stoneform which is now 700 GS!  Now I need to sort through inventory to figure out which ones to do next but stoneform is the primary one I use across my current rotation of builds.  Detonate is probably the next logical one to upgrade.

700 GS
Stalwart Heartrune of Stoneform

 Next I wanted to set up a couple new builds and those builds were best suited by Frigid Dawn armor pieces.  I already have a full set of Frigid Dawn for my tank and PvP sets, but it is so good I need it for more!  Fortunately Glacial Tarn was on the mutation rotation so I hit the queue button in the new cross-server group finder.  Since I play tank the groups were fast to form and after a dozen or so runs I have all the new Frigid Dawn pieces I need for my Flail and Sword/Shield build!

 Another set of boxes to check was completing some artifact upgrades.  This requires some adventuring and completing various activities as well as letting some of my gold supplies go to buy upgrade materials.  I was able to upgrade Nature's Wrath (medium chest), The Butcher (sword), Odo (flail), Serenity (greatsword), and am almost done with Blooddrinker (ring).  Here is what I put on each for the final perk slot:

• Nature's Wrath - health.  I am using this in a few builds and health was the most universal.  If I was just using it for light Firestaff builds I'd have put Flame Harnessing on it for the + fire damage.
• The Butcher - Adding a Gem Slot made the most sense here so I can add a gem for the situation I want to use The Butcher in.
  
• Odo - Burdening Smite is the best perk here for my PvP flail build I am working on.
• Serenity - Adding a Gem Slot made the most sense here.
• Blooddrinker - TBD; not sure what I'd put on it when I finish it.
  

 The best part of all these artifact upgrades is it freed up quest slots to start more artifacts (you can only have 10 started at one time). 

 Speaking of artifacts I still do not have The Wall so that is on my list next time The Ennead is on mutation rotation.  Note: 43 mutation runs previously without it dropping so hoping the pity mechanic kicks in this next time!