Best Early Builds in Avowed

Choosing the perfect build in *Avowed* can significantly impact your early game experience, enabling you to efficiently tackle enemies while maintaining your survival. Whether you enjoy the thrill of close combat, the precision of long-range attacks, or the power of magical spells, these builds offer a strong foundation to start your journey in *Avowed*.

Two-Handed Brawler (War Hero Build)

The *Two-Handed Brawler* is the embodiment of brute strength. If you're drawn to the thrill of dealing massive damage and plowing through foes, this is your path. Focusing on high-damage two-handed weapons, you'll hit hard and endure enemy assaults with ease. This straightforward yet lethal strategy is highly effective in the early stages of *Avowed*.

To optimize damage and toughness, this build emphasizes:

• Might (3) – Enhances melee damage output.
• Constitution (3) – Boosts health and overall resilience.
• Dexterity (2) – Improves attack speed and dodging capabilities.
• Resolve (2) – Mitigates the effects of enemy stuns and knockbacks.

Might amplifies your melee strikes, Constitution fortifies your health, and Dexterity aids in swift attacks and evasion. Your primary abilities should focus on charging into combat, boosting your damage, and regenerating health during battle. The Charge ability is crucial as it allows you to rush into fights and crush enemies before they can respond. Complement this with Bleeding Cuts for sustained damage and Toughness to increase your maximum health, turning you into an unstoppable force.

For weapons, the Horsecutter two-handed sword or Drawn in Winter axe are top choices. Both deliver devastating blows, ensuring quick and brutal encounters. This build suits players who relish a high-risk, high-reward melee approach, aiming to eliminate enemies swiftly before they can retaliate.

Stealth Ranger (Vanguard Scout Build)

The *Stealth Ranger* is perfect for those who thrive on mobility and precision, sniping enemies from a safe distance. This build centers around bows, firearms, and stealthy movement, ideal for minimizing damage while maximizing critical hits. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, the Stealth Ranger emphasizes accuracy, patience, and keeping adversaries at bay.

This build leverages accuracy, agility, and critical hits for maximum impact:

• Perception (3) – Increases ranged accuracy and critical hit chance.
• Dexterity (3) – Enhances movement and attack speed.
• Might (2) – Amplifies ranged weapon power.
• Resolve (2) – Boosts resistance to stuns and knockbacks.

Perception heightens your critical hit opportunities, Dexterity improves your speed and evasion, and Might boosts your ranged damage. With these attributes, you'll deliver lethal shots while maintaining agility. Key abilities should include Tanglefoot to immobilize enemies, Marksmanship to enhance bow and gun damage, and Shadowing Beyond for temporary invisibility, ensuring enemies seldom get close enough to strike.

For weaponry, opt for a bow or arquebus for long-range engagements, and carry a pistol with a melee weapon as a backup for close encounters. If you enjoy the art of sniping foes undetected and then melting into the shadows, this build is tailor-made for you. Discover some of the best weapons scattered across the vast world of *Avowed*.

Frost Wizard (Arcane Scholar Build)

For those who prefer to dominate the battlefield with magic, the *Frost Wizard* is the ultimate early-game build. It focuses on freezing enemies, unleashing high burst damage, and maintaining control over engagements. This build demands strategic positioning and efficient resource management but, when executed correctly, it's among the most potent setups in *Avowed*.

The Frost Wizard hinges on intelligence, perception, and rapid spellcasting:

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

Intellect amplifies your spell power, Perception increases your critical hit rate, and Dexterity accelerates your casting speed. Your abilities should revolve around applying Frost Accumulation to slow and eventually freeze enemies, making them vulnerable. Chill Blades are essential for close-range freezing, while Blast of Frost and Bristling Frost unleash massive area-of-effect frost damage. If an enemy is frozen, using Charge (borrowed from the Fighter tree) will shatter them, inflicting bonus damage.

Equip yourself with a wand and a frost-based grimoire. Wands allow you to attack even when out of Essence, and a potent grimoire grants access to formidable frost spells. This build is ideal for players who revel in wielding magic to immobilize groups of enemies while dealing substantial damage.

Melee Fighter (War Hero Build)

The Melee Fighter is a well-rounded build that blends offense with defense, perfect for players seeking versatility. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, this build focuses on swift attacks, blocking, and outlasting opponents rather than sheer damage output.

The Melee Fighter Build prioritizes attack damage and speed:

• Might (3) – Increases melee damage.
• Perception (3) – Enhances accuracy and critical spell damage.
• Dexterity (2) – Boosts attack speed.
• Resolve (2) – Prevents interruptions during casting.

Might amplifies your melee strikes, Dexterity increases your speed, and Resolve makes you more resistant to stuns and knockbacks. Your core abilities should include Charge to close gaps, Shield Bash to stagger foes, and Constant Recovery for passive health regeneration, ensuring you can manage fights while staying alive.

For weapons, a one-handed sword or axe paired with a shield is ideal. The shield offers additional defense while allowing you to maintain steady damage output. This build is excellent for players who desire a balanced approach that can handle both offense and defense effectively.

Which Build Should You Choose in Avowed?

If raw melee power is your goal, opt for the Two-Handed Brawler. For those who favor stealth and ranged combat, the Stealth Ranger is your best choice. If you're drawn to magic and battlefield control, the Frost Wizard is the way to go. And for a well-rounded mix of attack and defense, the Melee Fighter is your top pick.

Ultimately, your choice should reflect what you find enjoyable. *Avowed*'s combat system is dynamic and engaging, so tailor your build to the elements that excite you the most.

*Avowed is now available on PC and Xbox.*