Gauntlets is the new close-range Tank/DPS weapon arriving with The Frozen Divide: Nix. Here are the strongest early pairings and who each one is for.
The weapon is brand new, so these are launch-window projections based on its announced bruiser identity — not settled meta. We'll update tiers in the first week of Nix.
The natural home for Gauntlets at launch. Sword and Shield carries the defensive backbone while Gauntlets adds close-range pressure, turning a pure tank into a bruiser that punishes anyone who dives the backline.
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The aggressive, high-mobility take on Gauntlets. Dagger's gap-close and stealth utility solve the weapon's biggest weakness — getting onto a target — and let you commit, kill, and reset.
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An all-in melee bruiser. Greatsword brings AoE damage and crowd control, Gauntlets brings single-target grind — together they form a frontline DPS that wants to be in the middle of the fight.
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The frontline healer. Wand healing supports the group from up close while the Gauntlets keep the Mystic alive through the dives that would kill a backline healer.
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A magical bruiser-tank. Orb barriers and buffs shore up the Gauntlets' frontline commitment, turning a melee attacker into a durable, team-enabling anchor.
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A melee-magic hybrid combining Staff spells with Gauntlets melee. Weaves ranged magic pressure into an up-close bruiser for damage that is hard to itemize against.
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A melee DPS with ranged reach. Crossbow poke softens targets before the Gauntlets dive in to grind them down, giving the build flexible engagement range.
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A crowd-control melee DPS. Spear reach and CC set up the target while the Gauntlets deliver sustained close-range damage, converting lockdowns into kills.
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A melee DPS with a ranged fallback. Bow shots handle targets that keep their distance, while the Gauntlets punish anyone who closes the gap in melee.
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Weaknesses
Gauntlets is brand new with The Frozen Divide: Nix (June 25, 2026), so the meta is not settled. The strongest early candidate is Gauntlets & Sword and Shield — a durable bruiser tank. Gauntlets & Dagger is the most aggressive diver, Gauntlets & Greatsword is a frontline melee DPS, and Gauntlets & Wand is a self-sustain skirmisher.
Both. Gauntlets is a Tank/DPS hybrid built for close range. A heavier combat stance delivers durable, high-impact strikes while an aggressive clawed state focuses on relentless damage — so the pairing you choose decides whether you lean tank or DPS.
Early on, Sword and Shield (survivability), Dagger (mobility and burst), Greatsword (AoE and crowd control), and Wand (self-healing) are the most natural off-hands. Expect the community to refine these in the first week after Nix launches.
When a new weapon drops, half your roster respecs overnight. Throney tracks every member's weapon combo and gear so you can see who's actually running Gauntlets and who's ready for the new Nix dungeons. Free for guilds under 20 members.
Throney is a community guild-management tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCsoft or Amazon Games. Source for expansion details: Official Throne and Liberty announcement.