Today, we cover one of the hottest ongoing debates in Aeternum: the Musket vs Bow discussion. You can probably fathom to some extent why the choice between these two ranged weapons in New World is not an easy one… After all, generally speaking, a musket and a bow have a tech gap between them. One is a more modern piece of weaponry that is fueled with gunpowder and the latter is an elastic launching device that never becomes obsolete. Not to mention, regarding the attribution allocation, both are dexterity-driven and serve the mutual purpose of delivering heavy punishment (single target as well as AOE) from a distance.
Take aim Marksman for we break down the pros and cons of both ranged weapons, along with their mastery skill trees and their level of impact in PVP and PVE. Stay vigilant and continue reading Musket vs Bow.
Table of Contents
Musket
Let us commence with the mastery of the Musket. Like any other weapon in New World, Musket also comes with two skill trees that have distinct themes: Sharpshooter and Trapper.
Sharpshooter skill tree grants a Musket user with high DPS abilities.
1. Power Shot
Overload musket with gunpowder and inflict 150% weapon damage. Doesn’t stack with other overloaded shots.
2. Powder Burn
Inflicts 110% weapon damage and burns the target for additional 20% weapon damage per second (9 seconds duration). Doesn’t stack with other overloaded shots.
3. Shooter’s Stance
Triggers aim stance which lasts for a maximum of 3 shots. While in aim stance, musket users’ accuracy will be amplified, and each shot will deal 100% weapon damage. Moreover, in aim stance, your mobility will be shrunk to zero whereas your reload time will be reduced by 75%.
All three lethal abilities deliver devastating single target damage: thereby, possessing high burst potential. Upgrades of Sharpshooter abilities and passives grant bonus perks for landing headshots, reducing cooldowns, and improving accuracy. It is also important to mention that in New World, basic attack headshots also deliver bonus damage. This increases the skill level needed to be a competent shooter player in New World.
On the right, we have the Trapper skill tree. Becoming proficient in the Trapper skillset will make you more of a utilitarian player. You’ll specialize in laying down exasperating traps which will hinder the movement of your enemies and add various debuffs.
1. Traps
You throw a trap in a specific location. Here it’ll last for 20 seconds. Should a target walk over it, the being caught will be rooted; therefore, immobilizing them for 3 seconds.
2. Sticky Bomb
When thrown, the bomb will latch itself to the first contact it makes. After three seconds, a detonation will take place that’ll deal 175% AOE weapon damage to all the targets caught inside the blast radius.
3. Stopping Power
Overloads the musket with gunpowder. The next shot will be empowered and will inflict 120% weapon damage; also, it’ll stagger the target and land a 4 meters knockback. Does not stack with other overloaded shots.
Enlightening ourselves with what is written above, we can deduce that Trapper’s abilities grants a musket player immense crowd control/utility.
To find out more, make sure to visit: newworld.fandom.com/wiki/Musket_Mastery
Musket Pros
- No projectile drop
- Faster projectile travel time (hits as soon as you press the trigger)
- Immense damage
Musket Cons
- Reload time; albeit can be reduced via passives
- Tougher aim (smaller crosshair)
- Bad hip fire compared to a bow
Bow
As depicted by the visual shown above, Bow mastery trees include Skirmisher and Hunter. Both of these trees promote two different gameplay styles for becoming an eminent archer.
The Hunter skill tree orbit around landing heavy damage which also multiplies with every successful hit. If you are looking to detrimentally injure an opponent with arrows that pierce, split apart and are fired at a swift pace, then being a Hunter will be your calling.
1. Penetrating Shot
Release a piercing arrow that deals 150% weapon damage. The arrow goes through all the targets it comes in contact with for a distance of 100 meters.
2. Rapid Shot
The name itself gives away the nature of the ability. Rapid shot shoots 3 consecutive arrows. The first two arrows deal 100% weapon damage whereas the last shot increases damage by 125% along with a knockback.
3. Splinter Shot
The arrow launched will split into 3 more arrows that’ll deal 50% weapon damage. The Scattershot upgrade increases the number of arrows from 3 to 5.
All of these offensive abilities of Hunter skill tree are vital for dishing out continuous damage. Both single target as well as AOE. The upgrades and passives of this tree simply amplify the overall impact of choosing Hunter. Concussion is at the very bottom of the tree which increases the damage output of landing headshots and grants you a 50% chance of retrieving your arrow back.
The Skirmisher skill tree is all about kiting your opponents and landing decent AOE abilities. A skirmisher takes advantage of the decent and utilizes the hit and run strategy: using skills that grant haste, slow debuff, knockbacks and evasion.
1. Evade Shot
Take a 5-meter leap back and shoot an arrow which deals 125% weapon damage. Upgrade it to also equip yourself with haste; thus, enhancing your mobility.
2. Poison Shot
Your arrow shot will create a 3-meter poison cloud for 6 seconds. Enemies caught inside the blanket of poison are dealt 10% weapon damage per second for 20 seconds.
3. Rain of Arrows
Make it rain! Bombard the battlefield with arrows (7 meters wide) that’ll deal 150% weapon damage.
As said earlier, the upgrades and passives of this skill tree enhance the kiting ability and equip an archer with immense Crowd control.
To find out more, make sure to visit: newworld.fandom.com/wiki/Bow_Mastery
Bow Pros
- No reload required
- Better hip-fire accuracy
- More agile
- Better AOE potential
Bow Cons
- Projectile drop is there
- Compared to a bullet, an arrow takes a little more time to travel (heavy arrow shots are faster)
MUSKET VS BOW: WHICH IS BEST FOR PVP/PVE?
Opinions in New World community obviously differ. However, personally speaking, I find the Musket to be an excellent PVE weapon. Hefty firepower of Musket proves to be absurd in expeditions. Nevertheless, in New World’s PVP events such as Wars and Outpost rushes, Muskets are quite impactful as well when defending strongholds against opposing factions… You get the gist of it.
Bows, on the other hand, taking into account their agile nature are more PVP oriented. Not to mention the amount of AOE damage you can dish out alongside single target punishment as well. You do not have to worry about reloading and can incessantly inflict damage via rapid shots.
In a nutshell, Musket vs Bow has its respective pros and cons. The deciding factor rests on a player’s gaming style and general preference.
What do you think? Which ranged dexterity weapon speaks more to you?
