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"Top Early Game Strategies for Avowed"

by Connor Mar 28,2025

Choosing the right build in *Avowed* can significantly enhance your early game experience, enabling you to tackle enemies more effectively while ensuring your survival. Whether you're drawn to melee combat, long-range sniping, or powerful magic, these builds will set you up for success right from the start in *Avowed*.

Two-Handed Brawler (War Hero Build)

Two Handed Sword Build against Captain Aelfyr Avowed

The *Two-Handed Brawler* build is perfect for players who thrive on brute force. This build focuses on dealing massive damage and bulldozing through enemies with high-damage two-handed weapons. It's a straightforward yet incredibly effective approach for the early stages of *Avowed*.

To maximize both damage output and durability, this build prioritizes the following attributes:

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

Might increases your melee damage, Constitution enhances your health, and Dexterity improves your attack speed and evasion. Your primary abilities should focus on charging into battles, boosting your damage, and recovering health mid-fight. The Charge ability is crucial as it allows you to rush into fights and smash enemies before they can react. Pair 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 powerful hits, ensuring fights are short and brutal. This build suits players who enjoy a high-risk, high-reward melee style, aimed at quickly eliminating enemies before they can retaliate.

Stealth Ranger (Vanguard Scout Build)

Scout Ranger Build Avowed

The *Stealth Ranger* build is ideal for those who prefer mobility and picking off enemies from a distance. It focuses on bows, firearms, and stealthy movement, making it perfect for avoiding damage while landing devastating critical hits. This build differs from the Two-Handed Brawler by emphasizing precision, patience, and keeping enemies at bay.

To achieve maximum effectiveness, this build relies on:

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

Perception improves your critical hit chances, Dexterity boosts your speed and evasion, and Might increases your ranged weapon damage. With these attributes, you'll be able to deliver deadly headshots while maintaining agility. Key abilities should include Tanglefoot to root enemies, Marksmanship to enhance bow and gun damage, and Shadowing Beyond for temporary invisibility, ensuring enemies rarely get close enough to strike.

For weapons, a bow or arquebus is ideal for long-range attacks, while a pistol paired with a melee weapon provides close-quarters backup. This build is perfect for players who enjoy sniping enemies before they notice you and then disappearing into the shadows. You can discover some of the best weapons scattered across *Avowed*'s world.

Frost Wizard (Arcane Scholar Build)

Casting spell from grimoire and wand in Avowed

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

The Frost Wizard build focuses on:

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

Intellect boosts your spell power, Perception aids in critical hits, and Dexterity speeds up your casting. Your abilities should revolve around applying Frost Accumulation to slow and eventually freeze enemies, making them easy targets. Chill Blades are essential for close-range freezing, 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) can shatter them instantly, causing 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 grants access to powerful frost spells. This build is ideal for players who enjoy controlling the battlefield and dealing heavy damage with magic.

Melee Fighter (War Hero Build)

Scout Ranger Build Avowed

The *Melee Fighter* build offers a balanced approach, blending offense and defense 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 relies on:

  • 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 enhances your melee damage, Dexterity increases your attack 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 capable of handling both offense and defense.

Which Build Should You Choose in Avowed?

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

Ultimately, your choice should 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.*