Physical vapor deposited transition metal carbide (TMC) based thin films are known to form nanocomposite microstructures comprised of nanocrystalline metal carbide grains embedded into an amorphous C matrix. The structural and thermomechanical properties of NbC films are strongly influenced by the carbon content determined by the C/Me ratio and the morphology. Here, we employed high power pulsed magnetron sputtering to deposit extremely hard NbC thin films and investigated the influence of the deposition parameters on the microstructure, thermo-mechanical properties, fracture behavior, as well as corrosion and oxidation resistance. Through distinct control of the peak power density, we can control the stoichiometry, as well as crystallinity of the films, that leading to a wide range of thermo-mechanical properties. The extremely high phase stability of NbC coatings (up to 1600 °C) stands in contrast to the limited oxidation resistance at around 600 °C (a well-known effect for coating materials based on TMC).