Guild Wars 2

I keep wanting to reroll because i see some other race that could be slightly better. I cant decide. I love racials skills but i also hate them too. Some tell me they don’t matter, some say that some classes elites are garbage so picking this or that racial elite makes a better build. So here I am stuck….

I really need to know why racials skill either matter or dont matter and why. The classes are engineer, mesmer, necromancer, and any other possible combinations that seem to work very well.

I just want to put this to rest so i can get on with the game without looking over my shoulder about what if.

It doesn’t matter because it will always be inferior to the class skills.
So you can stop rerolling and take the race you want.

They don’t matter and can’t be used in sPvP anyway.

Most racials are just nerfed versions of profession skills.

In my experience there are only two that matter – the Asuran skill that inflicts confusion on a perplexity runes build, and the Norn elite transformation skill that grants long duration stealth.

Some are fun, but nothing beyond those two radically alters gameplay.

Avatar of Melandru can be very useful in some situations. I would not recommend using it over standard profession elites unless you are an ele though.

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Avatar of Melandru can be very useful in some situations. I would not recommend using it over standard profession elites unless you are an ele though.

Or thief when you’re fighting a champion who’s immune to crowd control or need greater crowd control access with the roots. Basilisk venom just doesn’t last long enough.

Agemnon.4608:

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Avatar of Melandru can be very useful in some situations. I would not recommend using it over standard profession elites unless you are an ele though.

Or thief when you’r fighting a champion who’s immune to crowd control or need greater crowd control access with the roots. Basilisk venom just doesn’t last long enough.

See these are what i am talking about. So if your thief going syvari is a bonus over other characters because of the long immobilize. I have read that engi elites are terrible also you get toolbelt skills based on those skills so racial actually makes a difference. I have heard that norm necromancer basically give the necro an escape that the just don’t have in their elite list.

So with that said does anyone know any more combinations on race class that do matter, because based on what people say it can make a big difference.

Mastablasta.2614:

Agemnon.4608:

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Avatar of Melandru can be very useful in some situations. I would not recommend using it over standard profession elites unless you are an ele though.

Or thief when you’r fighting a champion who’s immune to crowd control or need greater crowd control access with the roots. Basilisk venom just doesn’t last long enough.

See these are what i am talking about. So if your thief going syvari is a bonus over other characters because of the long immobilize. I have read that engi elites are terrible also you get toolbelt skills based on those skills so racial actually makes a difference. I have heard that norm necromancer basically give the necro an escape that the just don’t have in their elite list.

So with that said does anyone know any more combinations on race class that do matter, because based on what people say it can make a big difference.

O.O huh? Where are these people that think the racial skills “make a big difference”? Are these the “everyone on the streets is saying” people that Fox news brings up all the time?

I don’t think Ive touched a racial skill since launch week. The dev’s certainly haven’t either.

Mastablasta.2614:

I keep wanting to reroll because i see some other race that could be slightly better. I cant decide. I love racials skills but i also hate them too. Some tell me they don’t matter, some say that some classes elites are garbage so picking this or that racial elite makes a better build. So here I am stuck….

I really need to know why racials skill either matter or dont matter and why. The classes are engineer, mesmer, necromancer, and any other possible combinations that seem to work very well.

I just want to put this to rest so i can get on with the game without looking over my shoulder about what if.

The bear form from norn used to be the only good racial skill, they nerfed it, so dont bother.

Khalisto.5780:

Mastablasta.2614:

I keep wanting to reroll because i see some other race that could be slightly better. I cant decide. I love racials skills but i also hate them too. Some tell me they don’t matter, some say that some classes elites are garbage so picking this or that racial elite makes a better build. So here I am stuck….

I really need to know why racials skill either matter or dont matter and why. The classes are engineer, mesmer, necromancer, and any other possible combinations that seem to work very well.

I just want to put this to rest so i can get on with the game without looking over my shoulder about what if.

The bear form from norn used to be the only good racial skill, they nerfed it, so dont bother try to find a useful one.

For what it’s worth, I’ve never heard someone seriously recommend a racial skill, or recommend rolling a particular race just for that skill. You might occasionally find a situation where a racial skill does something useful (like Avatar of Melandru granting stability,) but it’s not something you really need to plan for.

Just play what you like and I’ll be surprised if you ever regret it. I like racial skills, but they’re more interesting than essential.

In short, pick a race you think *sounds* fun, or has racial skills you think sounds fun. There are some racial skills that have some corner case uses, but for the most part, you’ll be sticking with your profession skills 99+% of the time.

They also went over the elites in the last big update, and *most* classes have useful elites now (Ele players will disagree, but I still love their FGS).

I play mainly a Norn Guardian, and I used to love the Bear/Snow Leopard forms for the crazy good "Rush" skills, that could help you outrun zergs in WvW. This was of much more use for me than any of the old guardian elites. But they went and slowed down those rush skills a *lot* so that zergs can mostly keep up now, though snow leopard still got the stealth skill. This was only really useful in WvW, and only for getting away.

Seems like you go norn when in doubt.

I forget races even have skills sometimes.

Redenaz.8631:

For what it’s worth, I’ve never heard someone seriously recommend a racial skill, or recommend rolling a particular race just for that skill. You might occasionally find a situation where a racial skill does something useful (like Avatar of Melandru granting stability,) but it’s not something you really need to plan for.

Just play what you like and I’ll be surprised if you ever regret it. I like racial skills, but they’re more interesting than essential.

Avatar of Melandru also has 20 seconds long immob.

Human Reaper Of Grenth is awesome. Especially if you are not a Necro it is a ghetto version that gives foes chill.

As others are saying, you’re overthinking this. There are occasional niche situations where one race might be better than another, but 99.9% of the time you’ll be just fine with the profession skills. Just pick the race you like aesthetically and don’t worry about it.

Recently realized that race skills exist, since you know they make no mention of it at character creation. So there I was on my charr necro at low level wonderin wtf this pistol jump back skill and war cry was all about.

Made me hesitate on continuing thinking “I’m sure there are better races for this”

then I realized on my norn guardian, who is 80, that I had racial skills, and never noticed them, and never…ever..once…saw a proper build choosing the race skill over their class skills.

They really should just flat out remove the skills, I see no point in even having racial skills UNLESS…they are deco skills. Like in SWTOR a sith race had a skill where you back hand slap your follower “friend” and that’s all it did.

So maybe remove the race skills as combat skills, have some sort of lore based “action” skill something to use in town or for fun….which wouldn’t be worth the dev time to create mind you.

that reminded me a rage about how charzooka was op…..

Mastablasta.2614:

See these are what i am talking about. So if your thief going syvari is a bonus over other characters because of the long immobilize. I have read that engi elites are terrible also you get toolbelt skills based on those skills so racial actually makes a difference. I have heard that norm necromancer basically give the necro an escape that the just don’t have in their elite list.

So with that said does anyone know any more combinations on race class that do matter, because based on what people say it can make a big difference.

No no no no, you are looking at it wrongly.
It is not that those skills are really good and makes any difference, the thing is that those racial skills are not as useless as the other racials.
Asura Technobabble, and the sylvari and norn skills mentioned are just not useless, but all of them have better options with the regular skills, or at least some of those racials are better in a very specific situation becoming nearly useless.
Some racials like the norn trasformations are actually quite nice BUT the cooldown on them are huge and the duration really small making it just a nice trick to use for fun.

Also, as already mentioned, in PvP you can’t even use racial skills, so yeah … don’t worry about it at all, make the race you like the best and be happy.

I have only ever really used the racial skill norn bear form for thumanovas fractal – heat room. Aside from that they are terrible. Although there is an occasional mist-fire wolf (but that applies to all races).

I love my Sylvari seed turrets. but like others have said racial skills are just weaker versions of other skills and shouldn’t influence which race you pick. Pick the race you like the best.

Just for giggles I have a Sylvarii Guardian that runs around with only racial skills slotted in her right-hand tray. It’s like my own personal hardmode, but it’s kinda fun.

Racial skills don’t have associated toolbelt skills for Engineers.

Redenaz.8631:

For what it’s worth, I’ve never heard someone seriously recommend a racial skill, or recommend rolling a particular race just for that skill. You might occasionally find a situation where a racial skill does something useful (like Avatar of Melandru granting stability,) but it’s not something you really need to plan for.

Just play what you like and I’ll be surprised if you ever regret it. I like racial skills, but they’re more interesting than essential.

This^
(Seriously tho, don’t pick a race for their racial, the class proffessions are much, MUCH more superior)

Torenn.2598:

Racial skills don’t have associated toolbelt skills for Engineers.

Apart from Elites, they do.

There are a few cases where a racial skill grants something otherwise barred from a profession (most, usually to Necros, who get new tricks from Hidden Pistol, Battle Cry, Charrzooka, Pain Inverter, Take Root, Snow Leopard, and who have a profession skill outdone by Radiation Field. Reaper of Grenth has strong Reaper syngery).

However, the acutal power of the skills is overall low.

Embolism.8106:

Torenn.2598:

Racial skills don’t have associated toolbelt skills for Engineers.

Apart from Elites, they do.

I should’ve quoted him. I was referring to the comment, “I have read that engi elites are terrible also you get toolbelt skills based on those skills so racial actually makes a difference.” Either way, I wouldn’t slot a racial skill on my Engineer unless it was the only thing available to me at the moment (e.g. when you’re leveling up and don’t have an elite unlocked yet).

Hi,
the racial skills are not mandatory, but they still can bring some nice benefit. For example an Charr can bring fury because of its battle roar, which is helpful if you don’t have access to fury or if you want to have 100% uptime. I always liked the prayers of the human race, e.g. prayer to Kormir gives 3 condi cleanses – this proved helpful on my thief. Overall I would recommand Asura for condition access, Humans for their prayers (heal skill as well!) and Charr for fury as well as an evade. And all 3 races have good companions elites for PvE.

Mastablasta.2614:

I keep wanting to reroll because i see some other race that could be slightly better. I cant decide. I love racials skills but i also hate them too. Some tell me they don’t matter, some say that some classes elites are garbage so picking this or that racial elite makes a better build. So here I am stuck….

I really need to know why racials skill either matter or dont matter and why. The classes are engineer, mesmer, necromancer, and any other possible combinations that seem to work very well.

I just want to put this to rest so i can get on with the game without looking over my shoulder about what if.

Charr Engi Utility skills:

• Hidden Pistol – extra evade and the toolbelt, Hidden Pistols, can deal some nice direct damage.
• Sharpnel Mine – Works well if you are running a condi build or bleed in particular, the utility and the toolbelt skill can output some nice bleed stacks and duration.

Elites: Not really worth it.

The only racial skill i like to use and i think is useful is Reaper of Grenth human racial elite.
15s duration aoe chill+poison and most evil looking aura around your character make any bigger fight a cakewalk.