If you are jumping into Warborne: Above Ashes and wondering how to get started in PvP, you are in the right place. Whether you are picking your first Drifter, gearing up for faction wars, or planning the perfect loadout, this guide covers everything you need to hit the ground running.

Warborne: Above Ashes offers a flexible PvP environment. From solo ganking to massive 100v100 battles, you can tailor your playstyle to fit any situation. Below are the best PvP builds for the Total War Test, based on verified gear, latest balancing changes, and synergy with current meta weapons and skills.

1. Ganking Build – Vryssia

Strengths:

High burst assassin with stealth, bleed combos, and excellent map control. Best suited for hunting isolated targets and making quick escapes.

Where to Use:

Map exists, chokepoints, chest spawns, solo farmers

Drifter Skills:

· Shadow Dive: Enter stealth for 9 seconds, gain +15% crit rate, and spectral shield. Next basic attack guarantees a critical hit—60-second cooldown.

· Phantom (Passive): While stationary and unhurt, enter stealth automatically, gaining bonus move speed and crit rate.

Weapon: Hemoblades

· Bleeding Thrust: Dash to target, deal 160% physical damage, apply 2 stacks of Bleed. 5-second cooldown.

· Whirling Blades: Throw 3 blades forward and back. Each hit deals 80% physical damage and applies Bleed.

· Rend and Reap: Leap at the enemy, deal 160% physical damage, apply 2 stacks of Bleed, and heal for 60% of the damage. Has 2 charges.

· Bleed Passive: Inflicts damage over time for 8 seconds. At 6 stacks, triggers Hemorrhage: bonus true damage based on 4% of the target's HP.

Armor:

· Helmet (Leather): Rage – Boosts crit rate and attack speed for 9 seconds after landing a basic attack.

· Chest (Leather): Stun – Short-range AoE physical damage with a 1-second stun.

· Boots (Leather): Titanic Growth – Grants 2500 HP, 20% move speed, and control immunity for 5 seconds.

Combo Rotation:

· Activate Shadow Dive and approach the target in stealth.

· Basic attack to proc guaranteed crit and stack Bleed.

· Use Bleeding Thrust and Whirling Blades for rapid stacking.

· Trigger Rage passive, follow up with Stun.

· Finish with Rend and Reap for burst and healing.

· Activate Titanic Growth to engage or retreat.

Tips:

· Focus on healers and squishier targets.

· Monitor Bleed stacks to optimize Hemorrhage timing.

· Use terrain for cover and re-stealth after kills.

2. Veinhold Extraction Build – Stormblade

Strengths:

High mobility burst DPS. Great in confined spaces for 1v1 or 3v3 combat.

Where to Use:

Veinhold Extractions, Rift solo dungeons, 1v1–3v3 fights

Drifter Skills:

· Tempest Slash: Dash forward, damaging all enemies passed through.

· Lightrend Cut (Passive): Critical hits deal 80% bonus damage and reduce enemy AoE resistance.

Weapon: Storm Spear

· Javelin Throw: After 5 basic attacks, hurl a javelin that deals high damage and grants movement speed.

· Lance Thrust: Series of quick thrusts in a cone, then a powerful slash.

· Sweeping Tempest: Wide sweeping strike, deals heavy damage, knocks enemies back, creates a slowing and weakening zone.

· Spear Scar Passive: After weapon skill use, next 4 basic attacks are faster, have lifesteal, and increased range. Chance to generate a shield.

Armor:

· Helmet (Leather): Break Free – Cleanse and gain CC immunity.

· Chest (Leather): Snarl – Apply an AoE slow and 50% damage debuff to enemies.

· Boots (Leather): Sidestep – Dash forward and gain movement speed.

Combo Rotation:

· Dash in with Tempest Slash.

· Apply Snarl to cripple enemies.

· Stack Duelist’s Flow through basics.

· Use Lance Thrust to burst down wounded enemies.

· Finish with Sweeping Tempest for zone control.

· Use Break Free and Sidestep as needed for survival or chase.

Tips:

· Delay Sweeping Tempest until enemies are grouped or weakened.

· Keep basic attacks flowing to sustain shield buffs.

· Best in tight extraction corridors.

3. Group PvP Build (3v3 to 5v5) – Aegis

Strengths:

Tanky frontliner supporting small teams with shields and CC resistance.

Where to Use:

Small group Rifts, 1v1–3v3 PvEvP arenas

Drifter Skills:

· Shield of Conviction: Apply a massive shield to 5 allies, absorbing 30% of max HP and converting damage dealt into shield sustain.

· Defiant Resolve (Passive): Gains CC immunity and extra resistance when shielded.

Weapon: Titan’s Spineblade

· Sword Slash: Dash and strike, slowing targets.

· Heart of Steel: Cleanse CC, boost resistance, and attack speed.

· Titan’s Stride: Gain pull immunity, max HP, and attack range based on momentum stacks.

Armor:

· Helmet (Plate): Iron Wall – Boost resistance when low HP.

· Chest (Plate): Shield – Grants a huge AoE shield to allies.

· Boots (Plate): Guardian – Leap to a target location, granting CC immunity to allies.

Combo Rotation:

· Activate Shield of Conviction to prep for the fight.

· Leap with Guardian to protect allies during engagement.

· Use Sword Slash and Heart of Steel to build momentum and resistance.

· Trigger Titan’s Stride when needed to counter pulls and boost survivability.

Tips:

· Focus on anchoring team fights, not chasing kills.

· Pre-cast shields when expecting an enemy burst.

· Ideal for controlling small skirmishes and holding objectives.

4. ZvZ Build (100v100) – Sirokos

Strengths:

Frontline tank specializing in mass battles. Provides zone control and heavy crowd suppression.

Where to Use:

Faction wars, sieges, and territory fights

Drifter Skills:

· Sandstorm Dominion: Large AoE silence and slow, shuts down enemy abilities and movement.

· Sand Veil (Passive): Gains resistance to debuffs while inside own sandstorm.

Weapon: Titan’s Spineblade

· Sword Cleave: Massive AoE damage based on the target's max HP.

· Defensive Slash: Block incoming attacks for 3 seconds, gain huge resistance.

· Titan’s Stride: Gain pull immunity, bigger HP, and attack range.

Armor:

· Helmet (Plate): Iron Wall – Boosts healing and resistance when low HP.

· Chest (Plate): Shield – Grants AoE shields to allies.

· Boots (Plate): Guardian – Leap and grant CC immunity.

Combo Rotation:

· Use Guardian to jump into enemy clumps and shield allies.

· Sword Cleave when enemies are stacked for max AoE impact.

· Activate Defensive Slash before diving into heavy zones.

· Titan’s Stride is used when needed to resist pulls and stand your ground.

· Deploy Sandstorm Dominion during major enemy ultimates.

Tips:

· Preemptively use Defensive Slash to prevent getting CC-locked.

· Coordinate Sandstorm Dominion with ally DPS cooldowns.

· Prioritize zone denial over direct kills.

5. Roaming Warband Build – Flex Role (Coming Soon)

The roaming Warband build will focus on skirmishing across open zones, featuring a hybrid Drifter combining survivability, mobility, and sustained DPS. Ideal for players who like dynamic fights, constant repositioning, and quick strikes across enemy lines. We will update this section with full builds and recommendations once the next round of Total War Test data becomes available.

Conclusion

Warborne: Above Ashes offers some of the most flexible and exciting PvP gameplay available. Whether you prefer assassination, frontline tanking, team support, or open-world skirmishing, there is a top-tier Drifter and a build tailored for your style.

Picking the right Drifter and gearing with the help of Warborne Above Ashes Solarbite correctly can make all the difference. These builds have been tested thoroughly in the latest Total War Test environment and reflect the most successful PvP setups for 2025. Adapt them to your own strategy and team composition, and you will dominate Veinhold Extractions, Rift arenas, Warband fights, and massive ZvZ wars.