Embark on an efficient journey to level 65! This comprehensive New World crafting leveling guide provides a structured route, blending main story progression with optimal trade skill choices․
Discover weapon leveling tips, build ideas, and endgame preparation strategies, all designed to maximize your experience in Aeternum and beyond․
Current State of Leveling (December 12, 2025)
As of today, December 12, 2025, New World leveling has evolved significantly since the Brimstone Sands expansion and subsequent updates․ While questing remains a viable path, particularly with the revamped main story, crafting offers a compelling and often faster alternative to reach level 65․
Recent balance changes, notably those in Season 10, have impacted combat and perk viability, influencing optimal build choices․ However, crafting remains relatively stable, providing consistent XP gains through refining, crafting orders, and town board missions․ The market demand for crafted goods continues to fluctuate, presenting opportunities for profit alongside leveling․
Players are increasingly recognizing the synergy between crafting and combat, utilizing self-sufficiency to enhance their overall progression․ The current meta favors versatile builds, and crafting allows players to tailor gear to their specific needs, making it a crucial component of endgame preparation․
Guide Focus: Crafting & Leveling Synergy
This guide prioritizes the powerful synergy between combat leveling and dedicated crafting progression in New World․ It moves beyond solely focusing on questing or grinding, advocating for a balanced approach where crafting actively supports your combat advancement, and vice-versa․
We’ll demonstrate how strategic resource gathering fuels both your gear and XP gains․ Mastering refining skills not only provides materials for crafting but also contributes significantly to leveling․ Furthermore, fulfilling crafting orders and town board missions offer consistent XP and valuable rewards․
The aim is to create a self-sufficient character capable of thriving in Aeternum․ By intelligently combining combat builds with crafted gear, players can optimize their efficiency and enjoyment, avoiding reliance on external sources for essential equipment and consumables․

Optimal Leveling Route (1-65)
Follow a streamlined path from levels 1-65, integrating main story quests with strategic trade skill leveling for maximum efficiency and a rewarding experience․
Levels 1-25: Initial Crafting Focus
During the initial phase of leveling, from 1 to 25, prioritize establishing a solid foundation in gathering and basic crafting․ Focus on readily available resources and simple recipes to quickly gain experience․ This early investment will accelerate your progress later on․
Concentrate on skills like Skinning and Mining, as they provide consistent resource income and contribute to multiple crafting professions․ Don’t neglect Town Board Missions; they often offer crafting-related quests with valuable XP rewards․ Aim to reach at least level 100 in two gathering skills and a core crafting profession within this range․
Avoid spreading yourself too thin; specialize initially to maximize gains․ Crafting orders, even at low levels, can provide a steady stream of XP and introduce you to the demands of the market․ Remember, early crafting is about building momentum and unlocking essential perks․
Gathering Basics: Skinning & Mining

Skinning and Mining are foundational gathering skills for early leveling․ Skinning provides leather, crucial for Armorsmithing and Leatherworking, while Mining yields ores essential for Weaponsmithing and Engineering․ Prioritize these due to their widespread demand and relatively easy access․
Focus on areas densely populated with wildlife for efficient Skinning, and explore resource nodes in starting zones for Mining․ Utilize gathering gear to increase yield and speed․ Track resource hotspots using the in-game map and online resources․ Remember to manage your inventory effectively to avoid wasted time․
Consider the synergy between these skills; often, mining locations overlap with wildlife areas․ This allows for combined gathering runs, maximizing efficiency․ Early investment in gathering speed perks will significantly accelerate your progress and resource acquisition․
Levels 25-50: Refining & Weapon Crafting
Between levels 25 and 50, shift focus towards refining gathered materials and initiating weapon crafting․ Refining provides substantial experience, especially when processing higher-tier resources․ Invest in refining yield and speed perks to maximize gains and potential profits from selling refined materials on the market․
Weapon crafting, particularly Swords and Axes, offers a good balance of experience and usability; Crafting weapons not only levels the skill but also equips you with progressively better gear․ Prioritize crafting weapons with readily available materials to minimize costs․
Explore crafting orders for consistent XP and potential rewards․ Utilize town board missions that request crafted weapons for additional experience and faction reputation․ Consider specializing in a specific weapon type to accelerate skill progression and unlock advanced crafting recipes․
Refining Materials for Profit & XP
Refining is a cornerstone of efficient leveling between 25-50, offering both experience and profit potential․ Focus on refining materials you gather yourself or purchase affordably from the Trading Post․ Prioritize higher-tier resources like Orichalcum and Runestone for maximum XP gains, but balance this with market demand․
Investing in refining perks, particularly those increasing yield and speed, is crucial․ These perks directly translate to more refined materials and faster processing times, boosting both XP and profitability․ Consider utilizing refining boosters obtained through events or the Trading Post for temporary enhancements․
Monitor market prices closely to identify profitable refining opportunities․ Refine materials that are in high demand and sell them at a premium․ This dual approach of XP gain and profit generation accelerates your overall progression in New World․
Levels 50-65: Master Crafting & Endgame Preparation
Reaching levels 50-65 demands specialization․ Focus on either Armoring or Jewelry Crafting to maximize efficiency and endgame viability․ Armoring provides self-sufficiency in gear, while Jewelry allows crafting of powerful attribute-boosting items․ Prioritize gathering the necessary rare materials for crafting high-tier gear․
Crafting orders become increasingly important during this phase․ Fulfilling high-level orders provides substantial XP and valuable crafting materials․ Simultaneously, refine your understanding of crafting perks and refine materials to increase crafting skill․
Prepare for endgame content by crafting gear sets tailored to your preferred combat style․ Experiment with different perks and attributes to optimize your builds․ Mastering crafting at this stage ensures you’re well-equipped for challenging dungeons, raids, and PvP encounters․
Armoring & Jewelry Crafting Specialization
Armoring offers self-reliance, allowing you to craft resilient gear sets tailored to your combat preferences․ Focus on gathering heavy materials like Iron, Steel, and Orichalcum․ Mastering armor perks – like physical or elemental resistance – is crucial for survivability in challenging content․ Consider specializing in specific armor types (light, medium, heavy) to maximize efficiency․
Jewelry crafting provides access to powerful attribute boosts and synergistic effects․ Gathering rare gemstones and refining them to perfection is paramount․ Focus on crafting amulets, rings, and earrings with desirable perks, catering to both PvE and PvP builds․ Jewelry crafting can be highly profitable due to high demand․
Ultimately, specialization allows for focused perk learning and efficient resource utilization, accelerating your progression towards crafting mastery and endgame gear․

Essential Crafting Skills
Mastering weaponsmithing, armorsmithing, engineering, and alchemy unlocks self-sufficiency and profit potential․ Each skill provides unique benefits for leveling and endgame progression․
Weaponsmithing: Early Leveling & Weapon Progression
Weaponsmithing offers a strong early leveling experience due to readily available resource nodes and consistent demand for basic weapons․ Focus initially on crafting iron, then steel weapons to quickly gain experience․ Prioritize perks that reduce material costs or increase crafting speed․
As you progress, specialize in a specific weapon type – swords, axes, hammers, or spears – to maximize efficiency․ Crafting higher-tier weapons not only levels the skill but also provides gear for your own character, reducing reliance on drops․ Consider crafting refining caches to obtain valuable materials and further boost your leveling speed․
Don’t underestimate the value of crafting simple weapons for the Trading Post; consistent sales can generate income to fund your crafting endeavors and accelerate your progress towards 65․
Armorsmithing: Gear for Self-Sufficiency
Armorsmithing excels at providing gear for your own character, making it a valuable skill for self-sufficiency․ Begin by crafting linen and leather armor, progressing to higher tiers like hide and then iron․ Focus on crafting full sets to maximize experience gains, even if you don’t intend to use every piece․
Prioritize perks that enhance armor stats or reduce resource consumption․ As you level, specialize in a specific armor weight class – light, medium, or heavy – to optimize your crafting efficiency․ Regularly check the Trading Post for material shortages; fulfilling these demands can generate substantial profit․
Crafting armor for yourself allows you to experiment with different builds and optimize your character’s defenses without relying on random drops, ensuring a smoother leveling experience․
Engineering: Consumables & Utility
Engineering is a highly profitable trade skill focused on crafting consumables and utility items crucial for New World adventurers․ Early on, concentrate on crafting basic repair kits, ammunition, and fire starters – items consistently in demand․ As you progress, unlock recipes for more advanced tools like harvesting sickles and mining picks, offering significant benefits․
Focus on maximizing your refining skill alongside Engineering to reduce material costs and increase crafting speed․ The Trading Post is your friend; identify consistently sold items and specialize in their production․ Don’t underestimate the value of crafting food either, as it provides essential buffs․
Engineering provides a steady income stream and enhances your overall gameplay experience by supplying essential tools and consumables․
Alchemy: Potions & Attribute Boosts
Alchemy centers around crafting potions, tinctures, and attribute-boosting foods – vital for both PvE and PvP content in New World․ Initially, focus on health and mana potions, consistently needed by all players․ Leveling Alchemy quickly involves gathering and refining herbs, making resource management key․
As you advance, unlock recipes for powerful attribute-boosting foods, offering significant advantages in combat․ These are highly sought after, providing a lucrative market opportunity․ Mastering Alchemy requires understanding ingredient synergies and potion effects․
Combine Alchemy with gathering skills for self-sufficiency and profit․ Regularly check the Trading Post to identify high-demand potions and foods, adjusting your crafting focus accordingly․

Crafting Build Considerations
Optimize your crafting experience with specialized builds! Choose between a versatile “Jack of All Trades” or a focused “Refined Master,” tailoring perks to your playstyle․
The “Jack of All Trades” Crafting Build
This build prioritizes versatility, allowing you to dabble in multiple crafting disciplines without significant penalty․ It’s ideal for players who enjoy a bit of everything and want to avoid specializing too early․ Perk prioritization focuses on reducing crafting material costs across the board, increasing the chance of receiving bonus crafting XP, and improving the overall speed of crafting processes․
Consider investing in perks that grant proficiency bonuses in multiple trade skills․ This reduces the resource requirements for crafting items in those disciplines․ Furthermore, perks that increase your gathering yield will indirectly benefit this build, providing a steady supply of materials for all your crafting endeavors․ While not the fastest in any single craft, this build offers a well-rounded and adaptable approach to crafting progression․
Perk Prioritization for Versatility
For the “Jack of All Trades” build, prioritize perks that offer broad benefits across multiple crafting disciplines․ “Resourcefulness” is crucial, reducing material costs, while “Craftsman’s Bonus” boosts XP gains – essential for leveling diverse skills․ Early on, focus on perks that unlock crafting tiers, expanding your crafting options quickly․
Later, invest in perks like “Swiftness” to accelerate crafting speed, and “Accurate Repair” to minimize repair costs for self-sufficiency․ Don’t neglect gathering perks; increased yield directly feeds your crafting․ Avoid highly specialized perks initially, as they limit your flexibility․ The goal is to efficiently level all crafting skills, not to master one immediately․ This balanced approach ensures adaptability and sustained progression․
The “Focused Refiner” Crafting Build
This build centers around maximizing refining yield and speed, aiming for substantial profit and rapid XP gains․ Prioritize perks like “Refiner’s Bonus” and “Efficient Refining” to increase the amount of refined materials and reduce processing time․ Invest heavily in gathering skills – mining and skinning – to secure a consistent resource supply․
Focus on a single refining track (e․g․, smelting) to concentrate perk benefits․ “Panacea” can be valuable for reducing repair costs on refining tools․ Market board knowledge is vital; identify high-demand materials to maximize profits․ This build requires consistent monitoring of material prices and efficient resource management․ While less versatile, it offers the fastest path to refining mastery and wealth accumulation․
Maximizing Refining Yield & Speed

To truly excel in refining, prioritize perks like “Refiner’s Bonus” and “Efficient Refining” – these directly impact material yield and processing time․ Utilizing refining stations in settlements with bonuses (Faction controlled territories) provides a significant advantage․ Food buffs, specifically those increasing refining skill, are crucial for maximizing output․
Consider crafting refining boosters to temporarily enhance your skill level․ Batch refining is generally more efficient than processing materials individually․ Regularly monitor the market board to identify materials with high refining margins․ Investing in higher-tier refining tools reduces processing time and increases the chance of obtaining valuable byproducts․ Mastering these techniques will accelerate your leveling and profitability․

Maximizing Crafting XP Gains
Boost your crafting XP through consistent crafting orders, town board missions, and strategic use of crafting boosts and beneficial food consumables!
Crafting Orders: A Consistent XP Source
Crafting orders represent a remarkably consistent and reliable source of experience points for dedicated crafters in New World․ The system connects players needing specific items with crafters willing to fulfill those requests, offering substantial XP rewards upon completion․
Regularly checking the crafting order board in settlements is crucial․ Prioritize orders that align with your crafting skills to maximize efficiency․ Not only do you gain XP, but you also receive valuable materials and gold as compensation․
Consider focusing on crafting orders that require higher-tier materials, as these generally yield greater XP gains․ Furthermore, completing public crafting orders often provides bonus XP, making them particularly attractive․ This method allows for steady progression without relying solely on resource gathering or repetitive crafting․
Town Board Missions: Combining Crafting & Rewards
Town board missions offer a fantastic synergy between crafting progression and valuable rewards within New World․ These missions frequently request crafted items, providing a direct avenue for gaining crafting experience while simultaneously contributing to the settlement’s prosperity․
Regularly check the town board in each settlement you visit․ Missions requiring crafted goods often offer a substantial XP reward alongside faction reputation, gold, and occasionally rare materials․ Prioritize missions that align with your crafting specializations for optimal efficiency․
Completing these missions not only boosts your crafting levels but also enhances your standing with the local faction, unlocking further benefits and opportunities․ It’s a win-win scenario, allowing you to level your skills while actively participating in the game’s world․
Utilizing Crafting Boosts & Food
Maximizing crafting XP gains requires strategic use of both crafting boosts and consumable food buffs in New World․ Crafting boosts, obtainable through various sources like events or the store, directly increase the XP earned from crafting activities․
Complement these boosts with food that provides a “Crafting Luck” or relevant attribute bonus․ Consuming food before crafting sessions can significantly improve your chances of obtaining higher-quality items and, indirectly, more XP through successful crafting․

Stacking these benefits – a crafting boost combined with a well-chosen meal – creates a powerful synergy․ Remember to consider the duration of both effects to optimize your crafting sessions for maximum efficiency and rapid skill progression․

Trade Skill Leveling Tips
Master resource gathering, navigate the market board for profit, and leverage faction ranks for crafting bonuses to accelerate your trade skill progression effectively․
Resource Gathering Efficiency
Maximizing your resource gathering is paramount for swift crafting progression․ Prioritize routes with high node density, utilizing tracking perks on tools to pinpoint valuable resources․ Consider investing in gathering gear with yield and speed bonuses – these significantly impact efficiency․
Effective route planning is crucial; learn spawn patterns for each resource type․ Utilize online maps and community resources to identify optimal gathering locations․ Don’t neglect refining! Refining raw materials not only grants XP but also provides valuable components for crafting;
Remember to diversify your gathering skills․ Skinning, mining, logging, and harvesting all contribute to a well-rounded resource pool․ Selling excess materials on the market board can generate income to fund further crafting endeavors, creating a self-sustaining cycle of progression․
Market Board Strategies for Profit
Mastering the Market Board is key to funding your crafting journey․ Analyze market trends to identify high-demand, profitable items․ Focus on crafting goods with a significant markup potential, considering material costs and crafting fees․
Utilize crafting orders strategically․ Fulfilling orders provides a guaranteed income stream and valuable crafting XP․ Monitor order requests for specific items with favorable rewards․ Don’t underestimate the power of undercut wars; be prepared to adjust prices to remain competitive․
Consider specializing in a niche market․ Becoming known for consistently providing high-quality, in-demand items can establish you as a reliable vendor․ Regularly update your listings and monitor competitor pricing to maximize your profits and accelerate your leveling progress․
Faction Ranks & Crafting Bonuses
Aligning with a faction unlocks unique benefits that can significantly boost your crafting progression․ Increasing your faction rank grants access to valuable crafting modifiers, reducing crafting material costs or increasing the chance of crafting gear with desirable perks․
Participate in faction quests and activities to rapidly climb the ranks․ These quests often reward faction tokens, which can be exchanged for crafting-related bonuses․ Prioritize quests that offer crafting experience or materials as rewards․
Remember that faction choice can influence your crafting specialization․ Certain factions may favor specific crafting disciplines, offering tailored bonuses․ Carefully consider your crafting goals when selecting a faction to maximize your efficiency and profitability․
