TL;DR
- Watermark system activates at level 60, governing gear drop quality progression
- Start with PvP quests at Eastburn Outpost for initial gear advantage
- Progress through Lonely Climb (500-550), Reekwater (560-570), then Myrkgard (580-590)
- Smaller dungeon groups increase loot chances for targeted legendary farming
- Tuning Orb materials from elite zones become essential for 570+ progression
Welcome to this comprehensive New World gear progression guide. Drawing from Demone Kim‘s expertise, we’ll provide a detailed roadmap to efficiently boost your gear score from 500 to 600 through optimized farming strategies.
The critical shift occurs at level 60, where your focus transitions from pure stat optimization to managing both gear score and attributes simultaneously. This change stems from the Watermark System, a progression mechanism that activates upon reaching the level cap and determines the quality of equipment drops as you explore high-risk territories and confront challenging enemies. For instance, if your current hatchet has a 500 gear score, continued monster elimination and loot acquisition will progressively elevate this rating.
Many players misunderstand how watermark progression works. Your personal watermark represents the highest gear score tier you’ve received for each equipment slot from world drops. Each elite zone kill has a chance to increase your watermark by small increments, typically 1-5 points per successful upgrade. The system tracks this separately for weapons, armor pieces, and jewelry, requiring targeted farming for balanced progression.
Upon reaching level 60, the recommended starting point is Eastburn Outpost in Great Cleave. Begin with PvP missions to acquire foundational PvP gear. Subsequently, advance to Mountainhome Outpost within Shattered Mountain, which provides access to Madaki’s quest chain. Completing her narrative unlocks legendary weapon quests offering opportunities to obtain powerful 580-rated weapons with enhanced corruption damage.
However, equipment obtained through these questlines doesn’t influence your watermark progression. This creates strategic flexibility—you can pursue PvP missions or immediately commence elite zone grinding. The PvP route provides significant advantages for challenging content later, making periodic gear score improvements the most efficient approach.
Common mistake: Players often waste time farming Ursus Cave unnecessarily. The bear creature there provides no meaningful drops, so bypass it completely. Instead, focus your efforts on Lonely Climb, where concentrated boss encounters yield substantial loot volumes, ideal for advancing from 500 to approximately 550 gear score.

Your progression journey continues in Reekwater, which serves as your primary farming location until reaching 560-570 gear score. Within this region, two key areas demand attention: Forecastle Drift and Eternal Pools Arena. The latter location also provides excellent material farming opportunities for crafting Tuning Orbs essential for confronting the Siren Queen. Monitor dropped items carefully, as they’re crucial for orb construction needed once you approach the 570-580 gear range.

Forecastle Drift farming follows a specific circuit pattern due to the concentration of bosses, all serving as the Siren Queen’s subordinates. Follow the established path and engage each enemy sequentially for optimal efficiency.

Our testing revealed significantly easier gear score advancement beyond 550-560 in this area. However, progression slows considerably in the upper 570s, indicating it’s time to transition to your next destination.
Advanced tip: Form groups of 3-5 players for elite zones rather than solo farming. This balances efficiency with loot distribution while maintaining manageable combat difficulty. Most players require 4-6 hours of focused farming per 10-point gear score increase in these zones.
The subsequent phase directs you to Myrkgard for priest farming and confronting Thorpe at the Cathedral.
Reaching 580-590 marks the conclusion of open-world loot farming effectiveness. Beyond this threshold, dungeon content becomes paramount for acquiring specific legendary items, complemented by crafting systems. With lower gear scores, particularly when facing more difficult encounters, you face substantially increased failure risks unless utilizing dungeon strategies. Demone Kim highlighted a crucial dungeon mechanic—smaller group sizes correlate with improved loot acquisition probabilities. This approach enables appropriate gear score preparation before attempting dungeons where readiness may be uncertain.
Optimization strategy: Prioritize Genesis and Lazarus dungeons once your watermark reaches 590+. These expeditions provide targeted loot pools and guaranteed high-score items. Coordinate with your company to schedule regular dungeon runs, as organized groups typically achieve 25-40% better loot efficiency than random matchmaking.
That concludes today’s guide. For those considering buy New World Coins, MmoGah represents an excellent option. With fifteen years of gaming market experience, they deliver premium quality services with reliable performance.
Action Checklist
- Complete PvP quests at Eastburn Outpost for initial gear foundation
- Farm Lonely Climb bosses in 3-5 player groups for 500-550 progression
- Transition to Reekwater’s Forecastle Drift and Eternal Pools Arena
- Craft Tuning Orbs using materials from Reekwater for Siren Queen access
- Advance to Myrkgard for priest farming and Cathedral encounters
- Focus on Genesis and Lazarus dungeons with optimized small groups for 590+ progression
No reproduction without permission:GameCDjnh » How to Increase Your Gear Score in New World – From 500 – 600 Master the New World gear progression system from 500 to 600 with expert farming routes and strategies
