Best Avowed Spear Build

Discover how to create the best Spear build in Avowed, with recommendations for skills, attributes, weapons, companions and leveling progression!


Best Avowed Spear Build
Best Avowed Spear Build (Source: Xbox Game Studios)

Avowed is a first-person RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, the game occurs in the Living Lands, where you uncover a secret mystery. A Spear build in Avowed is basically a melee-focused playstyle that uses one-handed spears to attack enemies from mid-range. This setup offers a balance between damage, reach, and crowd control. Selecting the right companion is essential as they can save your life and give you opportunities to stagger enemies. Attributes play an important role in this build as your gameplay mostly depends on them, so allocate the points wisely. In this guide, we’ll cover the best Avowed Spear build and the gameplay tips along with gear to choose from.

Everything You Need To Know About Spear Build Guide in Avowed

Spear build in Avowed offers a balance between offense and defense in tough combat. Our Spear build includes a Spear in the main hand and a Shield in off-hand to deal massive damage and defend your character from incoming damage. Might, Constitution, Resolve, and Dexterity are the best attributes to invest your points in. Might increase your physical damage potential, Constitution enhances health along with stamina, and Dexterity scales your attack speed.

Skills like Charge, Clear Out, Devastating Criticals, Finesse, and Parry are the best ones to unlock for the Avowed Spear build. Marius and Gaitta are the best companions to include in this build as they help you in battling the enemies. War Hero is the perfect background choice for the Spear build as it complements your playstyle. Upgrading your spear is essential if you’re running this build in the endgame as well. However, this setup has a limitation in the early game as your spear deals lower damage.

Spear Build ProsSpear Build Cons
Extended ReachLimitation in Early Game
Decent Damage PotentialStamina Management
One-Handed Versatility 

Spear Build Features & Mechanics

Below are the essential best Spear build features and mechanics for Avowed:

  • Background: War Hero
  • Attribute Points: Might, Constitution, Resolve
  • Weapon Choices: Spear, Shield, Spear
  • Best Skills: Critical Strike, Finesse, Clear Out, Charge, Parry, Devastating Criticals
  • Recommended Companions: Marius and Giatta
  • Best Consumables: Fruitful Wine, Gros, Wild Mushroom

Background

War Hero is the best background for the Avowed Spear build. This background provides a starting weapon of a common spear. This makes it easier to allocate initial attribute points that enhance melee combat effectiveness. Select the War Hero background to unlock unique dialogue options that reflect the character’s military history and esteemed position within the emperor’s forces. War Hero offers a robust foundation for players seeking a formidable melee combatant. This background has more health, stamina, and resistance to status effects. This is the best background to choose if your playstyle favors a direct, aggressive, and resilient warrior.

Background plays a pivotal role in shaping your role-playing experience. It affects your dialogue options and determines your starting weapon during the tutorial. Your initial allocation of attribute points across six stats is also influenced. However, they do not restrict your access to any equipment or abilities as the game progresses. Regardless of your background, you can use any equipment and abilities. Avowed enriches your character’s backstory and provides initial attribute distributions and dialogue options by selecting the background.

Attribute Points

Might, Constitution, and Resolve are the best attributes to invest in for the Spear build in Avowed. Might allow you to increase overall damage output and boost carrying capacity. Investing points in Might benefit you in melee combat and inventory management. Constitution increases maximum health and provides resistance to poison and bleed effects. Resolve, on the other hand, enhances maximum stamina and improves Second Wind efficiency. This allows you for sustained attacks and better survivability.

Allocating points to these attributes will enhance your performance in combat while equipping the Spear. You can also invest in Dexterity as it improves attack speed and weapon-switching efficiency, providing you flexibility in tough encounters. You can earn additional attribute points upon leveling up, offering opportunities to customize your build. Enhance your attribute points by using the consumables you acquire while progressing. You can select 27 attributes at a maximum level of 30. Below is the distribution of the attribute points for the Spear build in Avowed.

  • Intellect: 0
  • Might: 13
  • Constitution: 5
  • Resolve: 4
  • Dexterity: 3
  • Perception: 2

Weapon Choices

Spears are your best weapon in the Avowed Spear build. Spears are designed to be wielded with one hand. They allow the players to engage enemies directly with melee attacks. Spears have a longer reach than some other one-handed weapons. This allows you to keep the enemies away from you. Use a spear in main hand and Shield in the off-hand, allowing you for more offensive and defensive strategies. Use a spear as your secondary weapon to deal damage if your main hand weapon is not working well in combat. This combination provides you more versatility in tough encounters where you need to deal more damage and protect your player as well.

Best Weapon

Umpara’s Spear is your primary weapon in the Spear build. This is the best spear players can acquire while progressing, allowing you to dominate the enemies with its longer reach. Umpara’s Spear comes with unique enchantments that boost its overall attributes, making it more powerful in tough encounters. Strike The Heart is the passive ability of this weapon allowing you to deal an additional 25% critical hit chance on enemies. Deadly Mechanism enchantment allows your power attacks to launch a poison dart. This makes your spear to deal damage over time. The base enchantment can be upgraded to the Unbalancing Rhythm and Paralyzing Toxin. Upgrading it to the Unbalancing Rhythm allows you to gain a 20% damage reduction for 10 seconds after completing a full combo in a fight. Paralyzing Toxin poison effect on the enemy, making your enemies go slow and drain their health over time.

Use shield in your off-hand weapon to defend your character from the incoming attacks. This is a one-handed weapon to enhance survivability in tough encounters. Putting a shield in your off-hand gives you the best defensive playstyle where you can use it to block, parry, deflect, and protect. This weapon type comes with block efficiency, allowing you to defend your character against incoming attacks in tough encounters. Bastion of Solace is the best shield to use because it has high blocking and parrying efficiency. It has two unique perks and each one provides unique bonuses to your character.

Secondary Weapon

Wayfinder is your secondary weapon for the Avowed Sper build. Wayfinder’s unique enchantment enhances its capability and effectiveness in tough battles. Clear The Way enchantment allows your full combo attack to deal high stun to nearby enemies in combat. Seeker’s Flight enchantment boosts the distance traveled during a power attack. Fortuitous Journey boosts your movement speed and mitigates the damage. The higher stun value means that you get the opening for dealing a massive attack to kill the enemy. Seeker’s Flight enhances your mobility in combat, allowing you to cover more areas and strike enemies. Wayfinder is the best spear if you prefer an agile playstyle.

Skill Selection

Charge, Parry, Barbaric Shout, Devastating Criticals, Piercing Thrusts, and Finesse are the best skills to unlock at the initial levels. Invest skill points to gain the skills that can keep you alive in the initial stages of the game. Passive skills are used to increase damage or survivability, while active skills require essence, and you can’t use them due to their cost.

Levels 1-10 Skills

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Spear Build for Avowed from levels 1 to 10:

LevelSkill NameTreeDescription
1None
2Charge Rank 1FighterDash forward and smash into anything in your way, interrupting enemies and dealing Explosive Damage to break enemy Blocks, destroy walls, and shatter frozen enemies for bonus damage. 
3Shield Bash Rank 1FighterAttacking while holding Block slams your shield forward to Stun, push back, and interrupt enemies. 
4Parry Rank 1RangerTime a perfect Block against a melee attack to knock the enemy back and gain an immediate counter-attack. 
5Evasive Rank 1RangerReduces the Stamina cost of Dodge by 25%. 
6Barbaric Shout Rank 1FighterLet out a fearsome roar that interrupts enemies and empowers you against larger foes. Your weapon attacks become Uninterruptable and deal higher Stun. 
7Devastating Criticals Rank 1FighterCritical Hits with melee weapons deal 30% more damage. 
8Piercing Thrusts Rank 1RangerPower Attacks with daggers, swords, and spears deal +25% damage. 
9Finesse Rank 1RangerIncreases damage with one-handed melee weapons by 25%. 
10Quick Switch Rank 1RangerIncreases your Equip Speed by 50%. 

Levels 11-20 Skills

Unbreakable, Built to Destroy, Critical Strike, and Reflect are the best skills to use while fighting the enemies in mid-game combats. Upgrade your equipped abilities to make them more effective in combat. You need to enhance the damage effectiveness as you’ll encounter high-level enemies equipped with heavy armor.

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Spear Build for Avowed from levels 11 to 20:

LevelSkill NameTreeDescription
11Unbreakable Rank 1FighterDecreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 30%. 
12Built to Destroy Rank 1FighterDestroying things restores a small amount of Health and Essence. Melee Power Attacks can break destructible walls. 
13Charge Rank 2FighterIncreases the distance traveled during Charge by 100%
14Constant Recovery Rank 1FighterAfter taking damage, slowly regenerate 50% of the last amount of Health lost. 
15Critical Strike Rank 1RangerIncreases your Critical Hit Chance by 10%. 
16Finesse Rank 2RangerIncreases damage with one-handed melee weapons by 40%.
17Parry Rank 2RangerIncreases Parry efficiency by 25 %, dealing greater Stun when Parrying enemies.
18Piercing Thrusts Rank 2RangerPower Attacks with daggers, swords, and spears deal +35% damage.
19Reflect Rank 1FighterA perfectly-timed Block with a shield or wand reflects arrows and similar projectiles back at the attacker. 
20Devastating Criticals Rank 2FighterCritical Hits with melee weapons deal 50% more damage.

Levels 21-30 Skills

Upgrade your abilities to the higher rank to make them more effective and deal more damage with your Spear during intense combat. The higher your abilities are, the more chances you get for the deadly hits.

Below is a list, in order, of the skills for the Best Spear Build for Avowed from levels 21 to 30:

LevelSkill NameTreeDescription
21Charge Rank 3FighterIncreases the Stun dealt by Charge by 50%
22Clear Out Rank 1FighterSpin in a dangerous whirlwind, becoming Uninterruptable and hitting all nearby enemies with your currently equipped melee weapons. 
23Parry Rank 3RangerIncreases Parry efficiency by 50%, dealing greater Stun when Parrying enemies.
24Clear Out Rank 2FighterClear Out lasts for 2 full rotations.
25Critical Strike Rank 2RangerIncreases your Critical Hit Chance by 15%.
26Clear Out Rank 3FighterClear Out lasts for 3 full rotations.
27Piercing Thrusts Rank 3RangerPower Attacks with daggers, swords, and spears deal +40% damage.
28Critical Strike Rank 3RangerIncreases your Critical Hit Chance by 20%.
29Finesse Rank 3RangerIncreases damage with one-handed melee weapons by 50%.
30Unbreakable Rank 2FighterDecreases the Stamina cost when Blocking by 50%.

Best Spear Skills Explained

Critical Strike, Finesse, Clear Out, Charge, Parry, and Devastating Criticals are the best skills for the Avowed Spear build. Charge is an active ability that enables you to dash forward, disrupting enemies and dealing explosive damage upon impact. Parry is a passive ability that enables you to deflect melee attacks, stagger enemies, and execute counterattacks. Clear Out is an active ability that deals significant AoE damage. Devastating Criticals is a passive ability that enhances the damage output of your melee weapon critical hits. Critical Strike allows you to boost your critical chance in tough encounters.

  • Devastating Criticals- Boost the damage of critical hits with melee weapons.
  • Critical Strike- It increases your critical hit chance, allowing you to dominate enemies with your Spear.
  • Finesse- This skill increases damage with one-handed melee weapons.
  • Clear Out- It allows you to spin in a whirlwind to hit all nearby enemies.
  • Charge- This is essential for reaching targets out of range. Don’t spam the ability, as it can drain your essence.
  • Parry- Allows you to knock back enemies and counterattack after a perfect block.

Companions

Marius and Giatta are the best companions for the Avowed Spear build. Marius’s Bleeding Cuts ability inflicts damage over time, weakening enemies before direct engagement. His Thorny Shield reflects the damage to attackers. Marius is a crowd-control companion, and his ability, like Binding Roots, allows you to focus on dealing damage without being overwhelmed by multiple foes. Use Marius’s Heart Seeker’s ability to increase damage dealt to low-health enemies. His crowd control and high burst damage abilities align well with stealth eliminations.

Marius becomes available after progressing through the main story quest, “An Untimely End.” Giatta offers healing, shields, and buffs that can enhance your combat effectiveness. His abilities like Barrier grant temporary health shields and Acceleration boost movement and attack speed. This allows you to boost your critical hit potential by keeping you alive. Pairing Giatta and Marius can create a balanced team that supports a Spear build. Giatta joins your party during the main story quest, “The Animancy Method.”

Marius

Best Marius Companion Build Guide Avowed
Skill 1Skill 2Skill 3Skill 4
Binding RootsHeart SeekerShadow StepWounding Shots
Entangle enemiesIncreases damage dealt to low-health enemiesDevastating BlowDamage over time

Giatta

Giatta is undoubtedly the best companion in Avowed (Image via Xbox Game Studios)
Giatta is undoubtedly the best companion in Avowed (Image via Xbox Game Studios)
Skill 1Skill 2Skill 3Skill 4
PurificationBarrierAccelerationReconstruction
Essence GeneratorProtective shields to reduce incoming damageIncreases the movement and attack speedHeal and restore health

Spear Gameplay & Tips

Use Marius and Giatta as your companions while running Spear build in Avowed. They help you in tough encounters, making it easy for you to dominate the enemies. Invest attribute points in Might, Constitution, and Dexterity. Might increases physical damage, Dexterity, boost attack speed and accuracy, and Constitution enhances health and resilience. Choosing the right spear is crucial for maximizing damage and utility. Upgrade your spear to increase its damage and stun potential. Use the Spear’s reach to keep the enemy at a distance. It’s best to dodge and reposition to exploit enemy weaknesses and avoid attacks.

You need to learn enemy behavior and adjust the strategies accordingly. Use Giatta for healing and buffs to support combat and Marius for crowd control to manage multiple enemies. Charge attacks to break enemy defenses, allowing you to deal massive damage. Use the Shield Bash ability to stun enemies, breaking their defenses and providing crowd control. Equip the best shield in your off-hand to protect your character from incoming attacks. Abilities like Charge are very crucial as they allow you to dash forward to engage enemies swiftly, interrupting their actions and dealing explosive damage.

Weapons and Armor

Beginner Weapon and Armor

SlotItemBonus
Primary WeaponGiant’s SlumberPower Attacks deal Stun
Off Hand WeaponBeetle’s BulwarkBlock Efficiency: 49 Stability: 20 Parry Efficiency: 140 Elemental Resistance: 20
Secondary WeaponExceptional SpearPhysical Damage: 80 Stun: 84 Stamina Cost: 13 Critical Hit Chance: 6%
ArmorStelgaer’s PrideReduce the incoming damage and maximum stamina +10
GlovesBlackwing Gloves+1% Critical Hit Chance
BootsTranton Family Greaves+20 Maximum Health +20% Dodge Distance +10% Move Speed
TrinketThe Fantastic AlembicDrinking a potion clears all your Accumulations
RingDelver’s Caution+1 Dexerity, +15% Parkour Speed
RingRing of Pain Amplification+15% Critical Damage

Locations

  • Giant’s Slumber (Spear)- Location is Emerald Stair. Found stabbed in the body of a dead creature in the ruins under Naku Tedek Grounds, accessed toward the end of the Emerald Stair chapter.
  • Beetle’s Bulwark (Shield)- Location is Dawnshore. Pruchase it from Sanza from Sanza’s Makeshift Emporium. Located in High Market, Paradis City in Dawnshore.
  • Exceptional Spear (Spear)- Purchasable from Merchant Stephan located at Essence of War in Fior mes Iverno in Emerald Stair.
  • Stelgaer’s Pride- Location is Dawnshore. Found in a boarded-up cave underneath Watcher’s Mirror on the eastern cliff as part of the Treasure Map.
  • Blackwing Gloves- Location is Dawnshore. Found in a backpack on the roof of the Aedyran Embassy in Southern Paradis in Dawnshore.
  • Tranton Family Greaves- Location is Emerald Stair. Killing Conner Tranton of the Trantons’ bounty target in the Overgrown Homestead in the southwest of The Wildwoods in Emerald Stair.
  • The Fantastic Alembic- Location is Dawnshore. Give the Luminous Adra to Sapiento in the Side Quest “Precious Light”.
  • Delver’s Caution- Location is Dawnshore. Obtained as a reward for speaking to Ofryc at the end of the Side Quest “Dawntreader” in Dawnshore.
  • Ring of Pain Amplification- Location is Emerald Stair. Obtained from Dolina as a reward for defeating Amadio and the Xaureps in the Fortified Xaurep Camp in the northeastern Grim Wetlands of Emerald Stair.

Endgame Weapon and Armor

SlotItemBonus
Primary WeaponUmpara’s Spear168 Physical Damage 156 Stun 13 Stamina Cost 6% Critical Hit Chance
Off Hand WeaponBastion of SolaceBlock Efficiency: 91 Stability: 20 Parry Efficiency: 380 Elemental Resistance: 50
Secondary WeaponWayfinderPhysical Damage: 168 Stun: 156 Stamina Cost: 13 Critical Hit Chance: 6%
ArmorHelwalker’s Vestments+25% Melee Damage, -50% Damage Reduction
GlovesGauntlets of Devotion-10% Stamina cost while Blocking
BootsGreaves of Exalted Stride+10% resistance to Poison and Bleed Accumulation
TrinketSojourner BootsIncreases your health restoration from all sources by 5%
RingPainter’s Brush+5% Critical Hit Chance
RingAshfall’s Legacy+10% Attack Damage and +20% Critical Hit Damage

Locations

  • Umpara’s Spear (Spear)- Location is Shatterscarp. Give Keipo the Leviathan Heart at the end of the Side Quest “Heart of Valor.”
  • Bastion of Solace (Shield)- Rewarded from the main quest Our Dreams Divide Us Still in the Galawain’s Tusks region.
  • Wayfinder (Spear)- Looted from an opened Sarcophagus, northeast of Maegfolc Garden.
  • Sky Mother’s Embrace- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Purchased from Stockkeeper Eberk at the Warden Quartermaster’s Supplies for 81,250 Skeyt.
  • Trickster’s Gloves- Location is Shatterscarp. Found on a skeleton underwater in the Sand Sea Oasis, right next to the Sapphire Eye.
  • Sojourner Boots- Location is Shatterscarp. Purchased from Cinzia at The Dead Swordfish in Thirdborn.
  • Helwalker’s Vestments- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Found behind a door sealed by three electric switches in the northwest wall of the Shrine to Galawain.
  • Gauntlets of Devotion- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Purchased from Forgemaster Dela at Abydon’s Forge in Solace Keep for 9,500 Skeyt.
  • Greaves of Exalted Stride- Location is Galawain’s Tusks. Sold by Merchant Alonya at Oddments and Oddities south of the Living Archives for 9,500 Skeyt.

Consumables

Fruitful Wine is the best consumable to use as it grants +2 Constitution and +5% Damage Reduction. Grog is another effective consumable because it cures Poison, Bleed, and Elemental Accumulations. It restores Health based on the amount cured, +70% Poison, Bleed, and Elemental Damage Resistance. Wild Mushroom Stew provides you +2 Resolve and +5% Maximum Stamina. You need to take three points into the survivalist skill in the ranger tree. Once unlocked, you can craft advanced food and buffs that drastically increase your survivability, damage, and regeneration.

FAQs about Spear in Avowed

What is the best Spear build in Avowed?

The best spear build in Avowed uses a Spear in main hand and a Shield in off hand to deal massive damage and defend your character from incoming damage.

Which is the best Background for the Spear build?

War Hero is the best background for the Avowed Spear build. This background provides a starting weapon of a common spear. This makes it easier to allocate initial attribute points that enhance melee combat effectiveness.

Which are the best skills for a Spear build?

Critical Strike, Finesse, Clear Out, Charge, Parry, and Devastating Criticals are the best skills for the Avowed Spear build.

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