Top Early Game Strategies for Avowed

Choosing the right build in *Avowed* can significantly enhance your early game experience, allowing you to tackle enemies effectively while maintaining your survivability. Whether you lean towards melee combat, long-range sniping, or magical spells, the following builds are designed to give you a strong start in *Avowed*.

Two-Handed Brawler (War Hero Build)

The *Two-Handed Brawler* is perfect for those who love brute force. This build focuses on dealing massive damage and bulldozing through enemies with high-damage two-handed weapons. It's a straightforward yet deadly approach that excels in *Avowed's* early game.

To optimize damage and durability, prioritize:

• **Might (3)** – Increases melee damage output.
• **Constitution (3)** – Boosts health and overall tankiness.
• **Dexterity (2)** – Enhances attack speed and dodging.
• **Resolve (2)** – Reduces the impact of enemy stuns and knockbacks.

Might amplifies your melee damage, Constitution increases your health, and Dexterity aids in attack speed and evasion. Your primary abilities should focus on charging into enemies, boosting your damage, and recovering health during combat. The Charge ability is crucial as it allows you to rush into fights and smash enemies before they can react. Combine this with Bleeding Cuts for damage over time and Toughness to increase your max 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 fights. This build suits players who enjoy a high-risk, high-reward melee style, aiming to eliminate enemies swiftly before they can retaliate.

Stealth Ranger (Vanguard Scout Build)

The *Stealth Ranger* is ideal for players who prefer mobility and long-range combat. This build emphasizes bows, firearms, and stealthy movement, allowing you to avoid damage while delivering powerful critical hits. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, the Stealth Ranger focuses on precision, patience, and keeping enemies at a distance.

To maximize effectiveness, focus on:

• **Perception (3)** – Boosts ranged accuracy and critical hit chance.
• **Dexterity (3)** – Improves movement speed and attack speed.
• **Might (2)** – Increases ranged weapon power.
• **Resolve (2)** – Helps resist stuns and knockbacks.

Perception enhances your critical hit chances, Dexterity improves your speed and evasion, and Might increases your ranged weapon damage. With these stats, you'll be able to land deadly headshots while staying agile. Key abilities should include Tanglefoot to root enemies, Marksmanship to boost bow and gun damage, and Shadowing Beyond for temporary invisibility, ensuring enemies rarely get close enough to harm you.

For weapons, a bow or arquebus is ideal for long-range attacks, while a pistol paired with a melee weapon provides backup if enemies close in. This build is perfect for players who enjoy sniping enemies from a distance and then disappearing into the shadows. You can find some of the best weapons in various treasures scattered across *Avowed's* world.

Frost Wizard (Arcane Scholar Build)

If you prefer to dominate the battlefield with powerful magic, the *Frost Wizard* is the best early-game build. It focuses on freezing enemies, delivering high burst damage, and controlling fights. This build requires strategic positioning and effective resource management, but when executed correctly, it's one of the most potent setups in the game.

The Frost Wizard relies on:

• **Intellect (3)** – Boosts spell effectiveness.
• **Perception (3)** – Improves accuracy and spell crit chance.
• **Dexterity (2)** – Speeds up spellcasting.
• **Resolve (2)** – Reduces interruptions while casting.

Intellect enhances your spell effectiveness, Perception aids in critical hits, and Dexterity speeds up your casting. Your abilities should center around applying Frost Accumulation to slow and eventually freeze enemies, making them easy targets. Chill Blades are essential for freezing enemies up close, while Blast of Frost and Bristling Frost deliver massive area-of-effect frost damage. If an enemy is frozen, using Charge (from the Fighter tree) will shatter them instantly, dealing bonus damage.

For weapons, carry a wand and a frost-based grimoire. Wands allow you to attack even when out of Essence, while a good grimoire provides access to powerful frost spells. This build is ideal for players who enjoy controlling the battlefield with heavy damage and crowd control.

Melee Fighter (War Hero Build)

The Melee Fighter is a balanced build that combines offense and defense, making it suitable for players seeking versatility. Unlike the Two-Handed Brawler, this build focuses on quick attacks, blocking, and outlasting opponents rather than sheer damage output.

The Melee Fighter Build emphasizes:

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

Might enhances your melee damage, 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 enemies, and Constant Recovery for passive health regeneration, ensuring you can control fights while staying alive.

For weapons, a one-handed sword or axe paired with a shield is ideal. The shield provides additional defense while allowing you to deal consistent damage. This build is perfect for players who want a well-rounded playstyle that can handle both offense and defense.

Which Build Should You Choose in Avowed?

If you crave pure melee destruction, opt for the Two-Handed Brawler. For those who prefer stealth and ranged combat, the Stealth Ranger is the way to go. If you're drawn to magic and battlefield control, the Frost Wizard is your best choice. And for a balanced mix of attack and defense, the Melee Fighter is your ideal build.

Ultimately, your choice should also reflect what you find fun. *Avowed's* combat system is engaging and diverse, so tailor your build to the aspects you enjoy most.

*Avowed is available now on PC and Xbox.*