Phantom Berserker
Overview
The Phantom Berserker is a glass cannon executioner that thrives on precision, stealth, and raw two-handed power. Instead of trading blows, you erase priority targets before they can react. Shadowing Beyond gives you total control of positioning and fight tempo, while Barbaric Shout provides survivability and stun power. Once Flurry of Blows comes online, bosses and elites simply don’t move—perma-staggered under a hail of rapid swings. This is not a tank build; every point is spent on making your first strike decisive and your resets safe. It’s high risk, high reward, but in skilled hands, it’s one of the deadliest setups in Avowed.
Act 1
Might 2872_565498-f9> |
Constitution 2872_445256-c3> |
Dexterity 2872_efcc2f-a7> |
Perception 2872_f3384a-6f> |
Intelligence 2872_f53e1e-39> |
Resolve 2872_f22597-11> |
3 2872_c79643-f7> |
0 2872_f71a4e-82> |
0 2872_b620b5-49> |
3 2872_175d0c-56> |
1 2872_6b5309-20> |
3 2872_f114d1-62> |
At character creation, start with Might and Perception to secure stronger power attacks and early crit chance. Put the rest into Resolve so stamina never runs dry. Constitution and Dexterity are unnecessary unless you struggle to dodge; this is a stealth and strike-first build.
Abilities in the opening levels lean on simple but effective tools: Titan Stomp for early stagger and area control, Driving Kick for a cheap, spammable knockback that deletes enemies near ledges, and Spectral Bulwark to buy free survivability without rage cost. Driving Kick will be your main damage tool until specialization, with Titan Stomp keeping enemies off balance.
Passives to focus on include Downfall (crits against knocked-down enemies), Blunt Force (armor breaks cause knockdowns), and Rolling Thunder (chain heavy attacks faster). These stack perfectly with the two-hander approach and prep you for the burst combos the build is centered around.
Early Levels
Level 2872_22903c-bd> |
Spell/Passive 2872_15186d-ee> |
---|---|
2 2872_7886d3-cb> |
Charge 2872_231dd1-1e> |
3 2872_1b3ef9-0b> |
Constant Recovery 2872_d4daf0-50> |
4 2872_dc1408-39> |
Shadowing Beyond 2872_b60887-2f> |
5 2872_df52d8-63> |
Focus Retaliation 2872_26f1d4-e7> |
6 2872_c3e02d-11> |
Evasive 2872_53c8d2-dc> |
7 2872_288537-16> |
Brawn 2872_4f7cac-12> |
8 2872_112922-53> |
Barbaric Shout 2872_4a39ab-aa> |
9 2872_2ab22c-bf> |
Shadowing Beyond 2872_0ebce7-4f> |
10 2872_1ca3e7-2e> |
Shadowing Beyond 2872_5b262a-bb> |
11 2872_6c71bd-8e> |
Harvest Essence 2872_1e2730-d5> |
12 2872_f427b6-a0> |
Armored Essence 2872_b99eb9-7e> |
13 2872_6f65ca-9d> |
Brawn 2872_23d01b-bf> |
14 2872_839958-a2> |
Constant Recovery 2872_0bd45d-ff> |
15 2872_b6bf82-e0> |
Constant Recovery 2872_e6e00f-75> |
Act 1 Equipment
Item 2872_d1e28d-a3> |
Details 2872_8339b4-fd> |
---|---|
Primary Weapon ![]() The Philosopher’s Riddle 2872_5f7942-29> |
Provides +15% bonus damage and additional status effects 2872_a322d0-4c> |
Offhand Weapon ![]() Caeroc’s Pride 2872_b7199f-a2> |
Additional fire damage and mana resource 2872_c86f89-b6> |
Offhand Weapon 2 ![]() Grimoire of Defense 2872_d3d196-33> |
Provides +30% damage from having all blast abilities and refunds 25% of mana cost on impact 2872_12b3bb-1b> |
Armor ![]() Blackwing Armor 2872_8e6451-70> |
The best armor piece in The Veilguard, provides longer advantage duration, +10% damage for EVERY advantage (you will typically always have 3+), makes the advantages more effective and most importantly heals you for +5% when gaining an advantage which will offset the self damage of Maw of the Black City 2872_3b8a59-eb> |
Boots ![]() Warmage Boots 2872_ff7d2e-8c> |
Makes your abilities a guaranteed critical hit at the cost of our health, this issue is completely negated by Garb of Kinship & Twin Buckle Binding 2872_68de36-c9> |
Gloves ![]() Gloves of the Strangler 2872_64c91e-72> |
Extra Fire Damage 2872_ec99e3-df> |
Ring 1 ![]() Ring of Pain Amplification 2872_1c39b1-e7> |
Significant boosts to our blast ability damage and returns our mana when critical hitting with blast abilities, working in perfect combination with Maw of the Black City 2872_2b1c8c-7c> |
Ring 2 ![]() Any 2872_ea73d4-b5> |
Extra healing and ability damage 2872_d3811a-c3> |
Amulet ![]() Enchanted Suolenet 2872_0dbe56-4b> | 2872_d8c1f3-7d> |
Totem ![]() The Schemer’s Offering 2872_411f06-c4> | 2872_80f723-bb> |
Final Build
Might 2872_931ef6-16> |
Constitution 2872_68bd38-37> |
Dexterity 2872_6f8139-ea> |
Perception 2872_7ccc73-10> |
Intelligence 2872_10f83b-55> |
Resolve 2872_a18db6-e5> |
13 2872_62f7c5-92> |
0 2872_cc5350-dc> |
0 2872_61591f-11> |
13 2872_8e948e-d3> |
5 2872_d7bd60-4e> |
12 2872_8a28d5-86> |
Once you unlock Slayer specialization, the kit comes together. Shadowing Beyond becomes your lifeline and offensive setup — vanish, reposition, heal safely if needed, and emerge for a guaranteed stealth crit. Against bosses, pair Barbaric Shout with Flurry of Blows to lock them down. Shout stuns and grants survivability, while Flurry injects speed into your greatsword, delivering constant crits and building stun so quickly that bosses are unable to act.
Your combat loop is straightforward but deadly: open from stealth with a power attack for a huge crit, trigger Shadowing Beyond if threatened or to chain another opener, and finish with Barbaric Shout + Flurry of Blows to perma-stagger anything still standing. Use Titan Stomp and takedowns to clean up stragglers, and remember that Shadowing Beyond also makes you invulnerable during activation—perfect for dodging big boss swings.
Final Levels
Level 2872_ef9779-f6> |
Spell/Passive 2872_7b5592-71> |
---|---|
16 2872_0f3617-ff> |
Retribution 2872_670aa0-3b> |
17 2872_255917-6b> |
Brawn 2872_03ef09-22> |
18 2872_a4374f-b6> |
Harvest Essence 2872_da77f8-89> |
19 2872_eeab0e-bd> |
Critical Strike 2872_0e2bbc-ac> |
20 2872_3dabab-7f> |
Flurry of Blows 2872_8655df-cd> |
21 2872_3b9a20-aa> |
Flurry of Blows 2872_5c4340-72> |
22 2872_c2835b-55> |
Flurry of Blows 2872_664dd2-27> |
23 2872_b55d5e-01> |
Devastating Criticals 2872_9b7ec2-a5> |
24 2872_c6fa41-6c> |
Devastating Criticals 2872_92d065-bb> |
25 2872_cca630-36> |
Devastating Criticals 2872_16689b-ab> |
26 2872_5d86dc-c4> |
Critical Strike 2872_dd2f83-32> |
27 2872_d7da2f-d0> |
Critical Strike 2872_2da705-c6> |
28 2872_a1c84a-eb> |
Evasive 2872_513c83-e7> |
29 2872_7ccd9d-ba> |
Retribution 2872_c5a256-4b> |
Final Equipment Overview
Armor. You’ve got two clean lanes. Death Knight Armor is the tank route: more damage reduction and stronger sustain so you can learn timings without paying for each mistake. If you pick this path, Sojourner Boots slot neatly in, adding extra healing to the kit and letting you anchor longer when you’re face-tanking a pack while waiting for parry baits. The aggressive lane is St. Garis’ Pride. It trades raw mitigation for stamina flow and occasional free Barbaric Shout procs, which means more shields, more staggers, and more chances to chain heavy finishers without ever feeling winded. Pair it with Berserker Boots for very high stamina regeneration so you can dodge, parry, and swing on every beat. Sentinel Gloves are the constant regardless of chest/boots—the stun boost is exactly what this build scales, turning every perfect parry and every Clear Out swing into faster knockdowns. For jewelry, decide how you want to survive. Berserker Ring adds flat Constitution that stacks nicely with Death Knight. Bitter Bonding converts pressure into sustain; with your hit count and bleeds, the lifesteal keeps you topped through extended trades. The safe second slot is the Ring of Major Deflection for a straight damage-taken shave that compounds with Arcane Veil. Mortal Haven is the right amulet: an emergency Arcane Veil when you dip below 25% acts as a built-in failsafe during greedy strings or late cancels. Taken together, these sets align with the two identities—ironclad bruiser learning timings, or relentless duelist who never lets the engine stall.
Weapons. Horse Cutter is the reason this build exists. Beyond raw two-hand damage, its kit bleeds everything you touch and pays out when your counter counts as the final hit of a combo. That interaction is the keystone: perfect parry → counter → Horse Cutter applies massive stun and an AoE bleed pop, which instantly sets up takedowns or lets Clear Out finish a line of enemies. Every system you invest in amplifies that moment. Barbaric Shout buys the breathing room to fish for the parry. Arcane Veil ensures the trade is safe even if you’re a fraction late. Clear Out corrals the survivors, refreshes your advantage, and forces the next bite. On bosses, you’ll often rotate Shout → charged heavy → parry/counter → Flurry (if slotted) to juggle sustained bleed with consistent stun; on packs, Shout → Clear Out (all three swings) → takedown blitzes most waves with minimal risk. There isn’t a sidegrade that matches Horse Cutter’s payoff for this design—build around it and lean into the counter-finisher synergy.
Item 2872_3d493b-6c> |
Details 2872_04c885-e1> |
---|---|
Primary Weapon ![]() Hel’s Tongue 2872_3a8773-19> |
Provides +15% bonus damage and additional status effects 2872_7d0886-e4> |
Secondary Weapon ![]() Fair Play 2872_3f889a-c1> |
Additional fire damage and mana resource 2872_8d77e4-48> |
Secondary Weapon 2 ![]() Grimoire of Defense 2872_6e9d84-0a> |
Provides +30% damage from having all blast abilities and refunds 25% of mana cost on impact 2872_ca47bd-83> |
Armor ![]() Councilor’s Garb 2872_f0ebd1-58> |
The best armor piece in The Veilguard, provides longer advantage duration, +10% damage for EVERY advantage (you will typically always have 3+), makes the advantages more effective and most importantly heals you for +5% when gaining an advantage which will offset the self damage of Maw of the Black City 2872_d76eb5-3b> |
Boots ![]() Warmage Boots 2872_2b3026-d5> |
Makes your abilities a guaranteed critical hit at the cost of our health, this issue is completely negated by Garb of Kinship & Twin Buckle Binding 2872_90e628-42> |
Gloves ![]() Trickster’s Gloves 2872_f8ad08-27> |
Extra Fire Damage 2872_9867c1-4c> |
Ring 1 ![]() Ring of Prosperity’s Fortune 2872_91460a-30> |
Significant boosts to our blast ability damage and returns our mana when critical hitting with blast abilities, working in perfect combination with Maw of the Black City 2872_af6fd6-ed> |
Ring 2 ![]() Ring of Pain Amplification 2872_1a574e-b2> |
Extra healing and ability damage 2872_57ca30-19> |
Amulet ![]() Scout’s Reach 2872_73ea64-1f> | 2872_c5eb85-e8> |
Totem ![]() Eye’s of the Obscured 2872_1f9aec-9a> | 2872_fbfa7e-c9> |
Build Snapshot

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