Best New World AoE Mage build: Ice Gauntlet, Fire Staff, abilities

Nick Farrell
aoe mage guide

Looking for the best New World AoE Mage builds? Here’s the best Fire and Ice Staff builds that will maximise your spell-slinging power.

There are two routes players are able to take in the game to become an AoE (area of effect) Mage. Players will need to get their hands on the Ice Gauntlet or Fire Staff to be wreak havoc, and each offers its own set of skills.

Whether you’re looking for how to get these two powerful Mage weapons or utilize their best build, we’ve got everything you need to know to become New World’s most powerful sorcerer right here.


Contents


An image of the Ice Gauntlet being used by a Syndicate member in New World.
The Syndicate is one of the three Factions within New World.

What is the Ice Gauntlet?

The Ice Gauntlet is a weapon with two mastery trees: Ice Tempest and Builder. As you’d imagine, it dishes out Ice damage, scaling with the player’s Intelligence stat.

Not only does it deal damage, but it also slows enemies – perfect for allies to land the killer blow.

New World: How to get the Ice Gauntlet

To obtain the Ice Gauntlet in New World, you’ll need to be prepared for a little bit of a hunt. This is due to the weapon only being able to be obtained through chests during missions or through the in-game Auction House.

New World AoE Mage: Ice Gauntlet build

A mage user in New World attacking with the Ice Gauntlet
The Ice Gauntlet is a core part of any AoE Mage’s options.

There are plenty of abilities you can purchase with this weapon, but there’re some that’ll have direct AoE damage on enemies within the game. For the full Mastery Tree and even more builds and tips, be sure to check out our Ice Gauntlet guide.

  • Ice Spikes: As the name suggests, your player will summon a flurry of Spikes that’ll go up to eight meters forwards. This also has the chance to freeze your enemy in their tracks, allowing you to get a few extra hits off
  • Ice Storm: Arguably the best ability for the Ice Gauntlet, this will create a storm that does “17.0% weapon damage every 0.25 seconds and slows enemies within a 5 meter.” When you obtain a Gauntlet that has significant damage compared to lower-level ones, this Ice Storm can deal immense damage to players and NPCs
  • Wind Chill: Last but not least, the Wind Chill ability will feature “a column of freezing winds that push back enemies 5 meters while dealing 16.0% weapon damage each hit. Wind Chill has a total range of 7 meters with the farthest 2 meters increasing damage 20% without pushing enemies.”
The AOE ice gauntlet Mage tree in New World
The full in-game mastery tree for the Ice Gauntlet is stacked with ability options.

[Back to top]

What is the Fire Staff?

The Fire Staff is a weapon with two skill trees; Fire Mage and Pyromancer. Like the Ice Gauntlet, its damage scales with intelligence.

If you’re looking to burn enemies to a crisp, it offers high DPS to take down your foes.

New World: How to get the Fire Staff

As with the Ice Gauntlet, we’ve not found a guaranteed drop in Aeternum that’ll give players the Fire Staff. Instead, you’ll need to buy it in the Auction House, or craft one yourself if you’re trying to save some of your hard-earned gold.

One of the better options is the Waning Crescent, and we’ve got a handy guide to help you earn one for yourself.

New World AoE Mage: Fire Staff build

An image from New World of a Fire Staff Attack
The Fire Staff will satisfy your inner pyromaniac, and help your team conquer some of New World’s toughest foes

The Fire Staff differs from the Ice Gauntlet thanks to certain abilities, but some are relatively similar. For a full breakdown on the Masteries, alongside the best skills, builds, and tips for this fiery weapon, make sure to check out our guide.

  • Meteor Shower: Players will summon a flurry of Meteors from the sky which will deal “34.0% weapon damage on initial impact and an additional 20.0% weapon damage per second while targets remain in the AOE.”
  • Flame Thrower: Similar to the Ice Gauntlet’s Wind Chill ability, this will “create a jet of flame from the tip of staff dealing 34.0% weapon damage each second. Each hit catches enemies on fire dealing 3.0% weapon damage each second for 6.0s.”
  • Incinerate: The last AoE ability for the Fire Staff will summon “a fiery explosion dealing 130.0% weapon damage and pushes back all enemies 3.0m.”
An image of the Fire Staff's masteries in New World
The Fire Staff has two Masteries to pick and choose your skills from.

[Back to top]


So, there you have it. That’s everything you need to know about building a deadly AoE Mage in New World.

Looking to become the best adventurer the island of Aeterenum has seen? Check out our guides and tips:

New World faction guide | How to get the Waning Crescent staff | Life Staff mastery tree | Fiber and Linen guide | Fishing guide | Where to find sheep | Candied Strawberries | Great Axe Build

About The Author

Nick is a former Dexerto Games Writer based in Newfoundland, Canada, who covered a wide array of games and esports. Nick has published bylines at multiple outlets such as G FUEL, NME, Gfinity.