12-19-2025, 04:43 PM
Season 10: Nighthaven arrived on October 13 with a storm of fog, vampiric enemies, and New World Coins one of the biggest meta shake-ups the endgame has seen since the Brimstone Sands era. With new elite zones, revamped PvE loops, and a much stronger emphasis on Umbral Shards, players are scrambling to push their gear score, refine their BIS setups, and keep pace with the mutated expedition ladders.
If you've felt the pressure to gear faster-or just want to get the biggest return on your time investment-this breakdown ranks every major gearing strategy in Season 10 based on speed, consistency, and how well it scales into late-game optimization.
Why Season 10 Gear Farming Hits Harder Than Before
Nighthaven isn't just a dramatic new setting; it's a high-stakes progression zone that changes how you approach gearing. Elite density is up nearly 20% in several sub-regions, which means more drops, more combat, but also more player congestion during peak hours. Mutated expeditions now demand 650+ gear score for reliable returns, and Umbral costs spike sharply past 675.
Meanwhile, the addition of auto-crafting queues makes gypsum a smoother flow, but the value of gypsum relative to direct drops has decreased in high-end farming. Instead, the meta is shifting toward any activity that provides:
Heavy elite loops for raw gear drops
Fast Umbral generation
Consistent cast materials and cooldown crafts
Bosses with targeted drops or high-roll GS potential
With these criteria in mind, here's the definitive ranking of Season 10's best gear farming methods.
1. Elite Chest Runs (Still the King of Consistency)
If you're looking for the perfect blend of gear drops, speed, and shard potential, elite chest runs continue to dominate the meta-especially in Nighthaven. The zone's elite layout is tight, vertical, and packed with fast-respawning mobs. Groups can maintain near-constant combat uptime while sweeping dozens of chests in under 30 minutes.
Why It Ranks #1:
Massive volume of gear rolls per hour
Excellent for Umbral Shards via salvaging high-GS drops
Scales with group size-bigger squads clear faster
No tuning or prep required
Low risk for repairs or wipes
Whether you're running Siren's Stand, Myrkgard routes, or the new Nighthaven fog loops, nothing pumps your inventory full of gear faster. BIS hunters will still need refinements afterward, but for raw volume and shard income, nothing dethrones chest runs.
2. Nighthaven Elite Boss Chains
Brand-new to Season 10, Nighthaven's roaming and static bosses provide some of the best targeted gear opportunities added in years. These bosses drop higher average GS than normal elites, have better perk weighting, and grant Umbral Shards at strong rates.
Common warband chains include:
Nightbreaker Outriders
Umbral Sentinels
Heralds of the Deep
Veiled Keep champions
Why It Ranks #2:
High-value drops with improved perk pools
Exceptional Umbral output when farming in a loop
Strong for small to medium groups
Short respawn timers and multiple spawn points
Boss chains don't match the sheer volume of chest loops, but their quality per drop is significantly higher. If you want to focus on specific weapon types or roll for attributes instead of raw junk salvage, this method beats everything except mutated expeditions.
3. Mutated Expeditions (Best for High-End GS Upgrading)
Mutated expeditions sit at the heart of New World's BIS chase. With the right team and optimized routes, players can pull several high-GS drops per hour while stacking gypsum, named gear, and Umbral Shards from mutation completion.
Why It Ranks #3:
Highest potential drop quality in the game
Reliable gypsum and shard generation
Smart loot increases chance of relevant drops
Weekly mutation rotations keep the grind fresh
The downside is accessibility. You need coordinated teammates, time to commit, mutation keys, and gear strong enough to avoid punishing wipes at higher tiers. When everything lines up, though, mutators deliver elite-tier upgrade materials and some of the game's best drop tables.
4. Outpost Rush & PvP Track Farming
If PvP is more your style, Season 10's track system upgrades make OPR and arenas surprisingly efficient for select gear pieces. The PvP track rewards named items at competitive GS levels, plus salt and Umbral Shards that support endgame upgrades.
Why It Ranks #4:
PvP track gear can roll extremely well
Strong source of shards
Works well even in short bursts-good for casual players
Earns gold, salt, and faction tokens simultaneously
OPR isn't as consistent as elite loops because gear rolls are slower overall, but the quality is solid and the side benefits make it a great supplemental method for anyone willing to jump into seasonal war mode.
5. Gypsum Farming & Auto-Crafting Loops
The gypsum system received a huge QoL boost through the auto-crafting queue, making it much less tedious. You can generate multiple casts per day through activities you'd likely be doing anyway: bosses, arenas, OPR, expedition bosses, and regular elite zones.
Why It Ranks #5:
Smooth, predictable progression
Auto-queue eliminates micromanagement
Supports alts extremely well
Works even with very little dedicated playtime
However, gypsum on its own can feel slow compared to high-end farming, and the gear score upgrades require Umbral Shards-so without pairing gypsum with other methods, progression stalls.
6. Crafting & Cooldown Management
Crafting isn't the fastest gearing method, but in Season 10 it shines as a long-term optimization tool. You won't generate gear at the same pace as elite loops, but you will create more targeted BIS pieces.
Cooldown crafts like Asmodeum, Runic Leather, and Phoenixweave remain invaluable, especially for rerolling late-game items or creating endgame sets.
Why It Ranks #6:
Best source for precision BIS items
Helps control perk outcomes and attribute rolls
Integrates with the economy-profit and gear progression together
Crafting is too slow to beat farm methods for raw gearing speed, but it's unmatched for endgame perfection.
7. Trading Post Flipping (The Wild Card)
For players who understand the economy-or are willing to learn-flipping gear, shards, or cooldown materials at the Trading Post can turbo-charge your progression. You can buy undervalued 660+ items, salvage them for Umbral Shards, and reinvest profits into BIS pieces.
Why It Ranks #7:
Extremely efficient when done correctly
Generates gold and shards at the same time
Zero combat required
Its inconsistency keeps it from ranking higher. Prices shift fast, and competition is fierce. But for economic-minded players, flipping remains one of the most unexpectedly powerful gearing strategies in Season 10.
Final Ranking Overview
Elite Chest Runs – Best overall for speed and volume
Nighthaven Boss Chains – Best quality-per-drop outside mutators
Mutated Expeditions – Highest long-term BIS potential
OPR & PvP Tracks – Fun, rewarding, and shard-heavy
Gypsum Farming – Reliable supplemental progression
Crafting – Essential for perfection, slow for gearing
Trading Post Flipping – High reward, high variance
The Bottom Line
Season 10: Nighthaven doesn't just add a new zone-it reshapes how you approach gearing entirely. With heightened elite density, improved boss design, stronger PvP incentives, and cheap New World Coins more fluid shard generation, players now have multiple viable paths to 675+ and BIS.
If you want raw speed, elite chest runs still reign. If you want high-quality gear with targeted drops, Nighthaven bosses are the new hotspot. And if you're hunting perfect endgame sets, mutated expeditions and crafting remain irreplaceable.
Whatever your style, Season 10 offers more gearing freedom than any previous update-and mastering the right method will put you ahead of the curve as the fog continues to thicken around Nighthaven.
If you've felt the pressure to gear faster-or just want to get the biggest return on your time investment-this breakdown ranks every major gearing strategy in Season 10 based on speed, consistency, and how well it scales into late-game optimization.
Why Season 10 Gear Farming Hits Harder Than Before
Nighthaven isn't just a dramatic new setting; it's a high-stakes progression zone that changes how you approach gearing. Elite density is up nearly 20% in several sub-regions, which means more drops, more combat, but also more player congestion during peak hours. Mutated expeditions now demand 650+ gear score for reliable returns, and Umbral costs spike sharply past 675.
Meanwhile, the addition of auto-crafting queues makes gypsum a smoother flow, but the value of gypsum relative to direct drops has decreased in high-end farming. Instead, the meta is shifting toward any activity that provides:
Heavy elite loops for raw gear drops
Fast Umbral generation
Consistent cast materials and cooldown crafts
Bosses with targeted drops or high-roll GS potential
With these criteria in mind, here's the definitive ranking of Season 10's best gear farming methods.
1. Elite Chest Runs (Still the King of Consistency)
If you're looking for the perfect blend of gear drops, speed, and shard potential, elite chest runs continue to dominate the meta-especially in Nighthaven. The zone's elite layout is tight, vertical, and packed with fast-respawning mobs. Groups can maintain near-constant combat uptime while sweeping dozens of chests in under 30 minutes.
Why It Ranks #1:
Massive volume of gear rolls per hour
Excellent for Umbral Shards via salvaging high-GS drops
Scales with group size-bigger squads clear faster
No tuning or prep required
Low risk for repairs or wipes
Whether you're running Siren's Stand, Myrkgard routes, or the new Nighthaven fog loops, nothing pumps your inventory full of gear faster. BIS hunters will still need refinements afterward, but for raw volume and shard income, nothing dethrones chest runs.
2. Nighthaven Elite Boss Chains
Brand-new to Season 10, Nighthaven's roaming and static bosses provide some of the best targeted gear opportunities added in years. These bosses drop higher average GS than normal elites, have better perk weighting, and grant Umbral Shards at strong rates.
Common warband chains include:
Nightbreaker Outriders
Umbral Sentinels
Heralds of the Deep
Veiled Keep champions
Why It Ranks #2:
High-value drops with improved perk pools
Exceptional Umbral output when farming in a loop
Strong for small to medium groups
Short respawn timers and multiple spawn points
Boss chains don't match the sheer volume of chest loops, but their quality per drop is significantly higher. If you want to focus on specific weapon types or roll for attributes instead of raw junk salvage, this method beats everything except mutated expeditions.
3. Mutated Expeditions (Best for High-End GS Upgrading)
Mutated expeditions sit at the heart of New World's BIS chase. With the right team and optimized routes, players can pull several high-GS drops per hour while stacking gypsum, named gear, and Umbral Shards from mutation completion.
Why It Ranks #3:
Highest potential drop quality in the game
Reliable gypsum and shard generation
Smart loot increases chance of relevant drops
Weekly mutation rotations keep the grind fresh
The downside is accessibility. You need coordinated teammates, time to commit, mutation keys, and gear strong enough to avoid punishing wipes at higher tiers. When everything lines up, though, mutators deliver elite-tier upgrade materials and some of the game's best drop tables.
4. Outpost Rush & PvP Track Farming
If PvP is more your style, Season 10's track system upgrades make OPR and arenas surprisingly efficient for select gear pieces. The PvP track rewards named items at competitive GS levels, plus salt and Umbral Shards that support endgame upgrades.
Why It Ranks #4:
PvP track gear can roll extremely well
Strong source of shards
Works well even in short bursts-good for casual players
Earns gold, salt, and faction tokens simultaneously
OPR isn't as consistent as elite loops because gear rolls are slower overall, but the quality is solid and the side benefits make it a great supplemental method for anyone willing to jump into seasonal war mode.
5. Gypsum Farming & Auto-Crafting Loops
The gypsum system received a huge QoL boost through the auto-crafting queue, making it much less tedious. You can generate multiple casts per day through activities you'd likely be doing anyway: bosses, arenas, OPR, expedition bosses, and regular elite zones.
Why It Ranks #5:
Smooth, predictable progression
Auto-queue eliminates micromanagement
Supports alts extremely well
Works even with very little dedicated playtime
However, gypsum on its own can feel slow compared to high-end farming, and the gear score upgrades require Umbral Shards-so without pairing gypsum with other methods, progression stalls.
6. Crafting & Cooldown Management
Crafting isn't the fastest gearing method, but in Season 10 it shines as a long-term optimization tool. You won't generate gear at the same pace as elite loops, but you will create more targeted BIS pieces.
Cooldown crafts like Asmodeum, Runic Leather, and Phoenixweave remain invaluable, especially for rerolling late-game items or creating endgame sets.
Why It Ranks #6:
Best source for precision BIS items
Helps control perk outcomes and attribute rolls
Integrates with the economy-profit and gear progression together
Crafting is too slow to beat farm methods for raw gearing speed, but it's unmatched for endgame perfection.
7. Trading Post Flipping (The Wild Card)
For players who understand the economy-or are willing to learn-flipping gear, shards, or cooldown materials at the Trading Post can turbo-charge your progression. You can buy undervalued 660+ items, salvage them for Umbral Shards, and reinvest profits into BIS pieces.
Why It Ranks #7:
Extremely efficient when done correctly
Generates gold and shards at the same time
Zero combat required
Its inconsistency keeps it from ranking higher. Prices shift fast, and competition is fierce. But for economic-minded players, flipping remains one of the most unexpectedly powerful gearing strategies in Season 10.
Final Ranking Overview
Elite Chest Runs – Best overall for speed and volume
Nighthaven Boss Chains – Best quality-per-drop outside mutators
Mutated Expeditions – Highest long-term BIS potential
OPR & PvP Tracks – Fun, rewarding, and shard-heavy
Gypsum Farming – Reliable supplemental progression
Crafting – Essential for perfection, slow for gearing
Trading Post Flipping – High reward, high variance
The Bottom Line
Season 10: Nighthaven doesn't just add a new zone-it reshapes how you approach gearing entirely. With heightened elite density, improved boss design, stronger PvP incentives, and cheap New World Coins more fluid shard generation, players now have multiple viable paths to 675+ and BIS.
If you want raw speed, elite chest runs still reign. If you want high-quality gear with targeted drops, Nighthaven bosses are the new hotspot. And if you're hunting perfect endgame sets, mutated expeditions and crafting remain irreplaceable.
Whatever your style, Season 10 offers more gearing freedom than any previous update-and mastering the right method will put you ahead of the curve as the fog continues to thicken around Nighthaven.