Fastest Way to Level Weapons in New World Aeternum

Hey, exiles of Aeternum! Ready to max out your weapon mastery in New World: Aeternum and dominate the battlefield? Whether you’re swinging a Greataxe or zapping with a Fire Staff, hitting level 20 fast is key to unlocking killer perks and crushing endgame content. After tons of grinding, I've nailed down the three fastest, solo-friendly ways to level your weapons in 2025 - updated from my old guide since the meta has shifted. From mob swarms to elite brawls, let's dive in and power up those blades and staves!  

Weapon Leveling Basics: Set up for speed

Before we hit the grindstones, stack these boosts:  Double XP weapon tokens: Free from Season Passes - check your inventory (Season tab). Double XP per kill (e.g. 100 to 200 XP).  "All Together Now" Music Buff: +10% XP in groups—needs Music skill 25 (Sheet Music, 5-10 gold). Group with a buddy or company mate, even afar. Tip a minstrel 10 gold if you're lazy!  Attributes: Respec to your weapon's stat (Strength for Hatchet, Intelligence for Fire Staff) - faster kills, more XP. Gear’s optional—attributes do the trick.  AOE skills: Pick area of effect damage perks (e.g. Whirlwind for axe) - Mow down mobs quickly. Reset later (free at 20).  Group up: Solo works, but groups shred faster. Post in the recruitment chat: "Weapon XP grind at Baby Thorp - join up!"

XP table:  

Level 1-5: ~5,000 total XP  5-10: ~15,000 XP TOTAL  10-15: ~30,000 XP  15-20: ~50.000 XP  Total up to 20: ~100,000 XP (varies slightly depending on weapon)Now let's get to the grinding!  

Method 1: Baby Thorp - The Mob Swarm King

Location: Great Cleave—teleport to Battle’s Clash Shrine, head west to Battle’s Clash Crossing.  Why It Rocks: Endless mob waves + a chunky boss kill. My fave—chill yet speedy (5,000-10,000 XP/hour solo, 15,000+ in groups).  

How it works: Triggers “Hounding the Master” mini-event—repeatable loop:  Wave 1: Kill ~10 roaming enemies (50-100 XP each). Lure ‘em into a pile, AOE ‘em down.  Wave 2: 5 more rush you (100 XP each) - ball 'em up, wipe 'em out. 10 sec breather.  Wave 3: 3 lieutenants (200 XP each)-easy kills, groupable. Another break.  Wave 4: 60-sec swarm max kills (50-75 XP per weak mob, 100+ for crawlers). Solo: Hit weak mobs. Group: Spread out, gain 2,000-3,000 XP.  Baby Thorp: Spawns from a portal (500-1,000 XP) - Squishy boss. Use a secondary weapon here (life staff) to level two at once.Tips:  Solo: 5-7K XP/hour - focus on crawlers in wave 4.  Group: 15K+ XP/hour—recruit via chat if empty. Populated servers (e.g. Lilith) often have squads - join in!  Bonus: Refills Azoth—handy for travel.Why Top Tier: Second-nature grind—watch Netflix on the side. New spot is less OP than before the update, but still a beast!

Method 2: Restless Shores Pirate Camp - AOE Heaven

Location: Restless Shores - Teleport to Cinis Shrine, walk north to Channel View Post and Ocean View Post.  Why it rocks: Mid-40s pirates, low damage, fast respawns - perfect AOE grind (7,000-12,000 XP/hour solo, 15,000+ grouped).  
How it works:  Run Channel View Post—aggro all pirates (10-15, 75-150 XP each).  Group ‘em, AOE ‘em—Fire Staff’s Meteor Shower or Hatchet’s Raging Torrent shine.  Hit Ocean View Post next - same deal, 10-15 more.  Loop back - Channel respawns. Repeat endlessly.Tips:  Solo: Easy even with 20+ aggro—low HP mobs (7-10K XP/hour).  Group: Speeds respawn clears—15K+ XP/hour with AOE spam.  Weapons: Greataxe or Fire Staff—max mob shredding.Why Great: Click-heavy but brain-deadly simple - queue up a podcast and go. Steady XP, no event fuss!

Method 3: Brightwood Isle Elite POIs - Elite XP Flex

Location: Brightwood Isle - Teleport to Brightwood Shrine or Wolfbough Shrine, head to the island.  Why it rocks: Low level elites (30s-40s), decent XP per kill (8,000-13,000 XP/hour solo, 15,000+ in a group).  How it works:  Pull 5-10 elites (150-300 XP each)—test your limit (gear-dependent).  AOE ‘em down—Musket’s Powder Burn or Sword’s Leaping Strike work.  Loop the island - respawns will keep coming.Mob notes:  Gravediggers: High HP, spin attack - finish them quickly or skip if swarmed.  Exploders: Mark them (1 hit, 100 XP) - they'll explode for free. Must hit to claim!Tips:  Solo: 8-10K XP/hour - pull 5-7, adjust for gear (625 GS+ ideal).  Group: 15K+ XP/hour-split pulls, max kills.  Learn: Practice mechanics - great for main weapon feel (i.e. rapier dodges).Why Third: Click intensive, riskier - elites hit harder. Still ace for XP and skill preparation!

Bonus method: Chest & portal runs

How: Join Chest Runs (e.g. Myrkguard) or Portal Runs (Shattered Mountain) via World Chat - equip your weapon, go along.  XP: 5,000-10,000 XP/hour mobs (100-200 XP) + event clearing (1,000+).  Bonus: Gold (50-200), loot (obsidian plaster, 5-10 gold).  Tips: Mark everything - XP scales with hits. Lazy but effective!

Optimizing Your Grind

XP target: ~100,000 XP in 20-5-10 hours per method with boosts.  Solo vs. group: Solo's 5-10K XP/hour - group doubles it. Recruit: "LFM Baby Thorp Weapon XP!  Weapon Swap: Main weapon for mobs, secondary (life staff) for bosses - double leveling!  Gear: 600-625 GS fine-tuning attributes (Dexterity for bow), not perfection.

Thanks for reading

This is your 2025 weapon leveling playbook for New World Aeternum! Keep an eye on MMOJUGG for more Exile-approved tips. Happy grinding, Exiles of Aeternum!