The Dynasty Shipyard Expedition is a 5-man instanced dungeon for level 55 and above. It is also the most challenging PvE experience you'll have so far in New World. Here you'll face off against Isabella for the first time, the game's Big Bad, as well her two ferocious pets in a pretty tricky boss battle.

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Located in the far southeastern corner of the Ebonscale Reach region, it's a bit of a long walk to get to. This guide covers everything you need to know about builds, damage types, foods, buffs, and step-by-step guides for the entire dungeon.

We have updated and refreshed this guide in October 2022, ahead of the Brimstone Sands release on October 18th. A lot has changed in New World. Let's dive into it.

Preparing For Dynasty Shipyard

Level 55 is a minimum. A couple of levels higher certainly won't hurt, and you might get lucky to group up with some 60s or have some as friends that will make this Expedition easier. You can use the Group Finder to select the Expedition and find a team to run it with. Like the other dungeons, the standard set-up for play is 1 x Healer, 1 x Tank, 3 x DPS. We will go into detail about the best builds for each class below.

Here are some things to keep in mind before heading into the dungeon:

• Every mob inside the dungeon is Corrupted. This makes them weak to: Arcane damage (30% boost), 20% Thrust (so that includes the Spear, Musket, Bow, Rapier and Blunderbuss), and 15% from Nature and by extension, the Life Staff.
• The damage types that get a debuff are the Warhammer and Ice Gauntlet. The Gauntlet actually gets a 40% debuff, so that's not the weapon of choice at all.
• You can put a Nature or Arcane gem into your weapon for extra damage - that's Sapphire for Arcane or Amber gem for Nature. You can check out our complete gem guide for more info.

Preparation for Mutated Dynasty Shipyard

As it stands, there are currently several more challenging versions of the Dynasty Shipyard expedition known as Mutations. This can only be accessed at 600+ Gear Score, check out our guide on how to raise your gear score here, and after you have defeated the first version of the dungeon.

If you are a returning player you will need to re-run the first version of the dungeon again before you can attempt Mutations.

Going into a Mutated expedition is a bit more challenging. Not only do you need the preparation from above, but it's also a good idea to consider honing stones, potions, coatings, and trophies.

You also want to be prepared with the archetypal builds in New World, here are our guides:

• Tank Builds
• Support Healer Builds

Good Builds For Dynasty Shipyard

Some of the best builds for Dynasty Shipyard include:

• Spear and Bow - Good thrust damage, 20% bonus.
• Musket and Rapier - Not known for its PvE potential, the Rapier is actually great for kiting the bosses in Dynasty, and you'll see a lot of solo runs and speed runs that use this combo to great effect. Maybe not the best for those just starting to get to grips with mutations, though.
• Void Gauntlet and Life Staff - This is just your classic Healer set-up.

Some damage values are set to change ahead of the Brimstone Sands update. We will change those values when the update goes live.

Make sure to pick up the requisite quests for Dynasty, as well as any extra faction missions that you might roll. It's a long walk out to the Expedition and you won't really be able to craft another Tuning Orb for the dungeon right away.

Dynasty Shipyard Walkthrough

Dynasty Shipyard is a fairly challenging expedition. There are several mini-bosses and named Elites throughout the dungeon, as well as two major bosses that you need to defeat.

Here's a section-by-section walkthrough.

Eastern Pier - Entrance

This is where you start in the dungeon. There are a couple of useless mobs to get you warmed up for what to expect in the dungeon. Nothing of interest here other than the Dragonglory plant directly opposite where you spawn.

Corrupted Cave - First Miniboss

Here you'll face Summoner Yau. He spawns adds pretty much constantly and has a powerful AoE attack you need to watch out for. Aggro the adds, tank them down and then deal damage to Yau before he spawns more. If you have a decent DPS in your team you'll be fine.

Destroy the Monolith with your Azoth Staff. Pass the Respawn Shrine, grab the stockpile on the left, and you then have to place down some kegs.

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Northern Shore - Spearman Chiu and Maiden Jingfie Minibosses

On to the next area and you'll face two mini bosses here: Spearman Chiu and Maiden Jingfie. Chiu is pretty straightforward, essentially just a big version of the regular Spearman mob you've already faced in the expedition. Dodge, block, attack. Nothing complicated here.

Maiden Jingfie is a bit more tricky. She's a warm-up for what's to come in the Shipyard. This mini boss is a caster who summons several spheres to fire at you, as well as dealing AoE damage around her. Lastly, watch out for her dragon -- she summons it from her sphere, and it deals massive damage. Remember this dragon attack. You will see it before the end of the expedition.

• There is a note on the northern shore for some of that sweet XP.

Marble Courtyard - Commander Chen, Maiden Daiyu, and Maiden Lanfen

Here the Shipyard throws three mini bosses at you at once. Commander Chen, Maiden Daiyu, and Maiden Lanfen. Chen is a big guy with an even bigger sword. You need to get your tank on him after taking down the two Maidens, who are exactly the same as Jingfie (the miniboss you've just killed.) Chen has loads of HP. It's a good idea to pull aggro with the tank and have your DPS backstab him.

• Chen hits hard. Dodge and block work wonders here.
• Chen also has a ground stomp AoE attack as well as a swing with his mighty sword. Both can kill a squishy DPS in one hit. Better to avoid them.

Grab the chests in the Marble Courtyard, the page to the right as you enter, then head toward the Western Piers.

Western Piers - Lieutenant Bolin

The next area is very straightforward: place kegs, wait for them to explode, defend against waves of mobs. Lieutenant Bolin is the only miniboss here and he's very straightforward, just a more powerful version of the regular Shipyard Warriors (the guys with shields.) Have your tank take aggro and get your DPS in behind him. Simple stuff.

• There are two chests here, one in the water, and one on the way up to the boss arena for Isabella.

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Imperial Wharf - Isabella Boss Fight

This is the first boss fight in the expedition and the first proper challenge you'll face. Isabella is a straightforward enough fight, with some pretty predictable attacks, but things get tougher when her two pets are let loose: Oro and Jovo.

• Isabella - She has a Rapier which hits pretty hard, as well as a pistol which she whips out for occasional ranged damage. Both are predictable and easy to dodge. She teleports around a bit here and there and will spawn some Musketeers and other adds, both around her and on the ship just outside the arena. Not a difficult fight if you prioritize the adds and deal damage wherever possible.

It's a good idea to have a ranged player take down the Muskets on the ship and edge of the arena. These can stack up some pretty nasty damage.

• Oro and Jovo - Isabella's pets, these two are massive tiger mobs, essentially, mixed with some rapid attacks of bears. They are...annoying, to say the least. If it's possible for your tank to aggro both you should try, otherwise, one will be pinned down while the other hunts down your squishy DPS and healer. High DD is essential here. The quicker you can kill one the better.

It's a good idea to focus one of the pets first while another player kites the other. This is not an easy part of the fight and you might wipe a couple of times before you get the balance down.

Barracks - Summoner Guang and Captain Kaiwei

Nothing overly special here. Just two more minibosses, much like the ones you've encountered before. Clear out all the buildings here otherwise the chaos of mobs might end your run a bit prematurely. Guang is a summoner like you've seen already, and Kaiwei is another named Warrior mob. Simple stuff. Grab the supply stockpile on the right, as well as the Orichalcum veins and Dragonglory in this area.

Imperial Palace - Empress Zhou Boss Fight

Welcome to the main boss fight in the Dynasty Shipyard, Empress Zhou. Zhou is basically like a much tougher, much meaner Maiden mob that you've already fought a few times before in the Expedition. She has serious AoE damage, spawns adds and totems, and fires out dragons that can cover the entire arena in substantial damage.

• All of her attacks are preempted with a big purple glow. Get ready to dodge.
• The AoE attack (the shockwaves) can be dodged if you time it properly. This is important for ranged DPS and for the healer.
• Destroy the beacons/totems, whatever you want to call them, and you will have a better chance of defeating Zhou. If they're just left on their own the entire arena can become covered with dragon damage, which will kill your entire team with nowhere to hide.
• The fundamentals of the fight are simple: tank aggro on Zhou, defeat adds, and destroy the beacons whenever they spawn. Dodging is really important here, too.

NEXT: New World: Complete Guide And Walkthrough