Top Early Game Strategies for Avowed

Choosing the right build in *Avowed* can significantly enhance your early game experience, enabling you to tackle enemies effectively while ensuring your survival. Whether your style leans towards close combat, long-range sniping, or the mystique of spellcasting, these builds are designed to give you a strong start in *Avowed*.

Two-Handed Brawler (War Hero Build)

The *Two-Handed Brawler* is tailored for players who thrive on brute force. This build is perfect if you aim to unleash massive damage and dominate the battlefield. By focusing on high-damage two-handed weapons, you'll be able to strike hard while also being resilient enough to endure enemy attacks. This straightforward yet lethal approach is highly effective in the early stages of *Avowed*.

To optimize this build for maximum damage and durability, focus on the following attributes:

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

Might increases your melee damage, Constitution provides more health, and Dexterity aids in attack speed and evasion. Key abilities should revolve around charging into battle, boosting your damage, and regaining health during combat. The Charge ability is crucial as it allows you to swiftly enter the fray and crush enemies before they can react. Combine this with Bleeding Cuts for ongoing damage and Toughness to increase your maximum health, making you an unstoppable force on the battlefield.

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 enjoy a high-risk, high-reward melee style, aiming to swiftly defeat enemies before they can retaliate.

Stealth Ranger (Vanguard Scout Build)

The *Stealth Ranger* is the ideal choice for players who prefer mobility and precision, striking enemies from a distance. This build focuses on utilizing bows, firearms, and stealthy movements, making it perfect for minimizing damage while delivering powerful critical hits. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, the Stealth Ranger emphasizes precision, patience, and keeping foes at bay.

To maximize the effectiveness of this build, concentrate on the following attributes:

• **Perception (3)** – Enhances ranged accuracy and critical hit probability.
• **Dexterity (3)** – Increases movement and attack speed.
• **Might (2)** – Boosts the power of your ranged weapons.
• **Resolve (2)** – Improves resistance to stuns and knockbacks.

Perception increases your chances of landing critical hits, Dexterity enhances your speed and evasion, and Might amplifies your ranged weapon damage. With these stats, you'll be able to execute deadly headshots while maintaining agility. Key abilities should include Tanglefoot to immobilize enemies, Marksmanship to enhance your bow and gun damage, and Shadowing Beyond for temporary invisibility, ensuring enemies rarely get close enough to harm you.

For weapons, opt for a bow or an arquebus for long-range engagements, and carry a pistol with a melee weapon as a backup if enemies close in. This build is ideal for players who enjoy sniping enemies undetected and then disappearing into the shadows. You can discover some of the best weapons hidden in various treasures throughout *Avowed*.

Frost Wizard (Arcane Scholar Build)

If controlling the battlefield with potent magic is your style, the *Frost Wizard* is the best early-game build for you. This build centers on freezing enemies, inflicting high burst damage, and maintaining control over combat. It demands strategic positioning and efficient resource management, but when executed well, it's one of the most powerful setups in *Avowed*.

To excel as a Frost Wizard, focus on these attributes:

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

Intellect boosts your spell power, Perception aids in landing critical hits, and Dexterity speeds up your casting. Your abilities should focus on applying Frost Accumulation to slow and eventually freeze enemies, making them vulnerable targets. Chill Blades are essential for close-range freezing, while Blast of Frost and Bristling Frost deal massive area-of-effect frost damage. If an enemy is frozen, using Charge (from the Fighter tree) will shatter them, causing additional damage.

For weaponry, carry a wand and a frost-based grimoire. Wands allow you to attack even when your Essence is depleted, while a powerful grimoire grants access to devastating frost spells. This build is perfect for players who enjoy the strategic control and high damage output of a spellcaster.

Melee Fighter (War Hero Build)

The Melee Fighter build strikes a balance between offense and defense, making it ideal for players seeking versatility. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, this build focuses on quick attacks, effective blocking, and sustained combat, rather than sheer damage output.

To optimize this build, focus on the following attributes:

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

Might increases your melee damage, Dexterity improves your speed, and Resolve enhances your resistance to stuns and knockbacks. Core abilities should include Charge to close distances quickly, Shield Bash to stagger enemies, and Constant Recovery for passive health regeneration, allowing you to control the battle while staying alive.

For weapons, a one-handed sword or axe paired with a shield is recommended. The shield offers additional defense while allowing you to maintain a steady offensive. This build is perfect for players who want a balanced approach, capable of handling both offensive and defensive situations effectively.

Which Build Should You Choose in Avowed?

If you're after pure melee devastation, the Two-Handed Brawler is your go-to. For those who favor stealth and ranged combat, the Stealth Ranger is the best choice. If magical control and battlefield domination appeal to you, opt for the Frost Wizard. And if you're looking for a well-rounded mix of attack and defense, the Melee Fighter is the way to go.

Ultimately, your choice should also reflect what you find enjoyable. *Avowed* offers a dynamic and engaging combat system, so tailor your build to the elements that you find most fun.

*Avowed is available now on PC and Xbox.*