In the ever-evolving world of New World Aeternum, few weapons capture the essence of dark, siphoning power like the Lifetaker Void Gauntlet. This Tier V artifact transforms the standard Void Gauntlet into a hybrid menace, blending dexterity-driven melee precision with intelligence-fueled void manipulations. For players grinding through expeditions, wars, and open-world chaos, acquiring the Lifetaker isn't just an upgrade-it's a gateway to dominating both PvE and PvP landscapes. And with the right investment in New World Gold coins, you can expedite your journey by funding gear enhancements and expedition runs, turning tedious farms into efficient power spikes. This guide dives deep into unlocking this elusive artifact and mastering its mechanics, ensuring you wield the void like a true harbinger of decay.

What is the Lifetaker Void Gauntlet?

At its core, the Lifetaker is a one-handed Void Gauntlet artifact introduced in the Rise of the Angry Earth expansion. Unlike traditional Void Gauntlets that scale heavily with Intelligence (90%) and Focus (65%), the Lifetaker shifts the paradigm with a unique scaling of Dexterity (75%) and Intelligence (25%). This makes it a rare hybrid choice, excelling in builds that incorporate ranged DEX weapons like the Bow or Musket, while retaining the Gauntlet's signature void damage output.

The artifact's passive perks are what elevate it to legendary status. It grants a 7.1% heal on damage dealt, stacking lifesteal to keep you in the fight during prolonged engagements. Additionally, it boosts critical hit chance by 7%, synergizing perfectly with the Gauntlet's cooldown reduction mechanics on crits. Ranged heavy attacks apply Disintegrate, a debilitating debuff that deals 5% weapon damage per second and reduces enemy armor by 10% per stack (up to three stacks). Lore-wise, the Lifetaker "taps into the void, siphoning the essence of foes to empower its wielder with each strike," embodying the game's theme of corrupting ancient magics.

Bind-on-pickup and a one-time drop ensure its exclusivity, but once equipped, it becomes a cornerstone for versatile playstyles. Whether you're a solo adventurer kiting elites or a frontline bruiser in outpost rushes, the Lifetaker's blend of sustain, crit potential, and debuffs makes it indispensable. Its void damage also deals 15% more against Ancients, a boon in endgame content like mutated expeditions.

Unlocking the Lifetaker: A Step-by-Step Guide

Obtaining the Lifetaker demands patience, coordination, and a bit of luck, as it's a world drop from a specific elite enemy. Here's how to claim it:

Prerequisites: Reach level 60 and complete the Rise of the Angry Earth storyline to access the Isle of Zurvan. You'll need a gear score of at least 625 for comfortable farming.

Location: Head to the Isle of Zurvan, a corrupted island teeming with void-touched beasts. The drop comes exclusively from Pugnacious Purut, a massive elite monkey boss lurking in the central ruins (coordinates approximately 45% latitude, 60% longitude). This simian horror wields a massive club, summons void minions, and has a respawn timer of about 6 minutes-perfect for repeated attempts but punishing for solo players.

The Hunt: Purut patrols a small arena-like clearing, aggressive toward intruders. Approach stealthily or with a group of 3-5 players. Dodge its sweeping club attacks (which apply a stacking weaken debuff) and interrupt its channel for a void nova that roots and damages in a 10m radius. Focus fire on adds first, then burst the boss with fire or thrust damage-void and ice are resisted. Use crowd control like roots or stuns to lock it down.

The Drop: Upon defeat, Purut has a low drop rate (estimated 5-10% for the Lifetaker). It's a one-time acquisition per character, tied to an artifact quest line that unlocks upon pickup. If it doesn't drop, recycle gypsum casts on higher-tier gear to boost your score and return. Pro tip: Spam expeditions on 3/20 or 4/20 difficulty in nearby zones to gather gypsum and gold for upgrades while waiting.

Post-Unlock Quest: Picking up the Lifetaker triggers a short quest chain involving void essence collection from corrupted sites on Zurvan. Complete it to attune the artifact, unlocking its full perks and binding it to your loadout.

Farming Purut solo is viable with kiting builds, but groups cut farm time in half. Expect 1-2 hours for the drop if lucky; stock up on honing stones and motes beforehand. Once yours, the Lifetaker's value skyrockets-many players report it as the "best secondary for DEX hybrids" in current meta discussions.

Void Gauntlet Fundamentals: Skills and Mastery Trees

To master the Lifetaker, grasp the Void Gauntlet's dual trees: Annihilation (damage/CC focus) and Decay (debuff/healing focus). Light attacks cost no mana and apply minor DoTs; heavy attacks pierce and self-heal for 20% damage. Blocking converts health to mana, a lifesaver in mana-starved rotations.

Annihilation Tree

Petrifying Scream: Frontal cone root (5m, 65% damage) with stagger. Upgrade to Fortifying Echoes for stacking fortify (up to 3x 10%) on multi-hits-ideal for clumping mobs.

Void Blade: Melee mode swap; light attacks (100% slash) and heavies (150% thrust) apply Disintegrate. Voracious Blade upgrade heals 5% per stack below 50% health.

Oblivion: 5m AoE rift (28% damage/sec for 6s) empowering allies (+15% damage). Nullifying Oblivion removes enemy buffs and cuts cooldown by 20%.

Passive: Voidcaller: Six ability hits trigger a 3m aura healing allies (30% damage, Focus-scaled) and DoTing enemies.

Decay Tree

Orb of Decay: Unblockable projectile (90% damage) applying Disintegrate; detonates for 70% AoE. Diminishing Orb reduces enemy buff durations by 25%.

Baleful Tether: 20m link weakening foes (-20% damage) and empowering you (+20%). Slowing Tether adds 30% slow and Disintegrate.

Essence Rupture: Projectile marking targets; allies heal 20% of damage dealt to it for 10s. Refreshing Rupture cuts cooldown by 15% on hits.

Passive: Glimpse of the Void: Four stacks reset all Gauntlet cooldowns on heavy attack (15s internal CD).

Prioritize Petrifying Scream and Orb of Decay for Lifetaker builds, leveraging its crit boost for passive cooldown reductions (up to 10% per crit).

Building Around the Lifetaker: Attributes, Gear, and Perks

The Lifetaker's DEX/INT scaling demands a hybrid attribute spread: 200 DEX, 150 INT, 150 CON for balanced sustain. Pump CON to 200 in PvP for dodge-heavy play. Pair it as a secondary with Bow (ranged DEX synergy) or Life Staff (Focus hybrid for healing).

Gear Recommendations:

Armor: Light for mobility (e.g., Voidweave set) or Medium for bruiser (Abyssal Leather). Aim for 700 GS with Shirking Fortify (dodge fortify) and Freedom (CC reduction).

Jewelry: Keen Awareness rings (+crit), Health amulets, and Refreshing earrings. Gems: Pristine Opal for void damage, Cut Sapphire for INT.

Secondary Weapons: Bow for kiting (Poison Cloud + Mark synergy with Disintegrate) or Ice Gauntlet for CC chains.

Key Perks:

Weapon: Keen (+7% crit, stacking with Lifetaker), Vicious (+20% crit damage).

Armor: Putrefying Scream (disease debuff reducing heals by 20%), Elemental Aversion (15% void resist).

Heartrunes: Brutal Grasping Vines for root vulnerability (+20% damage taken).

Craft mods like Orichalcum Void Gauntlet Charms to roll these. Food: Infused Health Potion for sustain; consumables like Azoth for mana regen.

PvE Mastery: Rotations and Expedition Tips

In PvE, the Lifetaker shines in expeditions and open-world elites, where its lifesteal and DoTs melt packs. Core rotation: Petrifying Scream to root > Oblivion for empower > Orb of Decay (detonate on clump) > Light attack fillers > Heavy for Disintegrate. Trigger Glimpse of the Void every 15s for resets, chaining two full kits.

For solo questing, tether bosses with Baleful Tether, then kite with Bow heavies applying Lifetaker's ranged Disintegrate. In groups, use Essence Rupture on elites-your heals amplify team DPS by 20%. Against Ancients like in Brimstone Sands, void's bonus damage trivializes 15% tougher foes.

Common expedition setup: Lifetaker/Bow, 250 DEX/200 INT/150 CON. Use Voidcaller in mutators for clutch heals. Pro tip: Always Be Clicking (ABC)-light attacks charge Heartrunes 2x faster with DoTs ticking.

Expect 20-30% higher clear speeds post-Lifetaker, especially in 5/20 runs where sustain wins.

Advanced Tips and Common Pitfalls

Maximize Lifetaker by attuning to timeless shards for +1% lifesteal rolls. Experiment with Heartrune swaps: Detonate for burst PvE, Vines for PvP CC. Pitfall: Over-relying on melee-stay ranged to proc Disintegrate without exposure. Mana management is key; block early to convert health before droughts.

Track enemy buffs with Nullifying Oblivion to strip fortifies. In hybrids, swap frequently-Lifetaker deactivates on Blade but re-equips seamlessly. Update gear weekly via gypsum; stale scores lose 10% output.

Conclusion: Embrace the Void's Call

The Lifetaker Void Gauntlet isn't just a weapon-it's a philosophy of siphoned dominance, turning every strike into stolen vitality. From Zurvan's shadowed isles to the bloodied fields of wars, mastering it demands grit, but rewards eternal. Whether soloing myths or anchoring companies, its hybrid edge redefines New World meta. Ready to ascend? If farms feel eternal, consider options to buy New World Coins for instant gypsum and gear boosts, accelerating your void ascent without the grind.