Guild Wars 2

Thanks! This is a great guide that covers all the basic mechanics, a really good introduction for people who want a solid understanding when starting out, but also worth looking at to remind yourself when coming back to the game.
Also, DreamyAbaddon is awesome

Great guide for newbies ( like myself ) to help them understand the mechanics of GW2 due to the fact that GW2 is really different from the previous MMORPG i played. Keep up the good work

Excellent guide. It provided me with a lot of useful information that helped me get into the game and survive and complete the task. Important to read especially if you’re just starting out in this game like me.

Very thorough and informative. This guide is phenomenal.

As a french guy, i really liked this guide who explained the Combat System really well. sometimes, word have a letter missing but we understand what you want to say to us.
You should make some bold on the BABYSITTER word in case of. All the advices, you say are really usefull because some people like me before, played like a support and was doing not enough damage.

-A belgium guy, Omage

Honestly as a new play this guide helps a significant amount. I read this after i played for a bit and realized i completed kittened up my character xD. This seriously should be on the official guide how to play the game.

Very helpful and well written guide, and thanks for the videos. Thanks also to Truefaith for explaining combos. This thread should be stickied. Wish I had this information when I first started the game.

A very helpful and informative guide! I’ll definitely bookmark this and cross reference it once in a while when I need to look at it. ^^

Great guide tons of help STICKY THIS!

Great guide. Showed me a whole new perspective of the combat system in Guild Wars 2. Played since release and never considered a lot of these important things. Cheers for the help! Peace.

I knew my way around skills in general and how you’re able to make them synergise, but I never used these 3 important factors (Damage/Control/Support) logically when it comes to making my build. Also, the timing of spells and how important it is to base your traits off your play style, I never really combined them for the best outcome.

This Guide, is the holy grail of all GW2 guides, i would recomend this to anyone that is new to GW2. This is a great cookie cutter guide for anyone that wants to play THIER WAY. Great guide

As a french candian, I think this guide is really well thought of, and of any things I have searched or any popular video I have watched, it is explained in a shorter but way more straight to the point way that’s really easy to understand, before I was more focused on doing ridiculous amount of damage and dying quickly, calling the game bullsh** and being a d**khead about losses, Keeping yourself alive with the three steps shown by Abbadon is also rewarding in damage output, and I am no longer afraid to say that I enjoy Guild Wars 2 combat system over WoW, and I have been playing WoW for 8 years now.

Great guide! Very helpful!

Good details as a regular Wow player this combat system is really new to me and is really hard to think of as no tanks no dps no healers. But knowing this early on will help me learn this as i progress and maybe die less

So for wow like player CC (crowd control can be think of as control)
Support is healing movement speed any buffs
Damage is anykind of damage dots!

Great guide.

I made a post yesterday asking for some advice, and this guy took the time to contact me and show me tips of how to better effectively approach various pve situations.

Well this guide was just what i needed to know the ins and outs of the combat system considering its completely different from any other MMO out there. It was easy to read and understand and it had videos which are far better for me to learn with :p.. all in all thanks for the guide and keep up the good work dreamy ^^

Good guide. Seems like everything is there for getting started and even into novice and advanced tactics. Its good that it defines the terminology fairly well and the videos are great visual aides for linking between the text and the practice of combat in guild wars 2. I came in thinking it was going to play similarly to WoW and other games of that sort and was surprised with the vastly different mechanics. This guide will definitely help to keep me focused on properly playing and advancing in this game. I cant think of much of anything that needs to be added, but i may reconsider after reading a few extra times and learning more about the gameplay. This is a solid guide and will be my go to when i forget how to do stuff in Guild Wars 2.

Thanks for the help Abbadon

good guide, well set for new players to learn game mechanics. Keep up the good work Hope to see more from you in the future

Change the way i view GW2 lol. This helps me a lot understanding the battle mechanics.

Thank you very much

PS: The author is Super PRO. Knows a lot about the game.

I want to say “Thank You” to Everybody who has given their honest feedback comments.

I’ve notice that my Written guide version regarding (Weapons) (Traits) & (Armor) confuses some of you out there.

I’m currently working on Upgrading my guide by adding a Video Version regarding that topic. This new video I’m working on will give everyone the visual explanation needed for my visual learners out there.

I will also be working on Updating my written version in relations to this topic because the video version will SHOW most of it. But fear not, I will write the small details down on the Written version for you readers out there to continue to follow.

Thank you all again for the support,
You are all the reasons why I put passionate work on perfecting my guide. <3

My Guide has been Updated & Upgraded with a new video!

Check it out! ^-^ Let me know what you all think.

Added:
How-To-Build-Class (Video)
Restructured the Written Guide & Video Orders.

This is extremely helpful to new players, and the video’s are a MUST WATCH. i recommend this to any new players.

Great guide, simple to understand videos. All new players should definitely read this. I liked your point when you said “You wont be looking for a specific Class you need to party with. Instead, You’ll be looking for good players who you can coordinate with as a Team”. Top job Dreamy, keep the guides coming, helps a lot.

The updated and restructured guide is the most awesome and easy to understand guide I’ve ever read for any game! New players should definitely give this a read/watch before they start playing. ^^

Great changes from the older version, the shortening of the text really helps and the revisions make it a much more fluid to read. The guide videos help to show what you are talking about and will hopefully help new players choose traits and build their characters.

very helpful informative and will help out anyone needing it and people who don’t know about coming to Guild Wars 2 should check out these videos

really helpful guide and i watched the thief vid on ur channel which was awesome. TY- Weasley

Not only is the guide very easy to understand and comprehend. The quality of the video is as good as it gets……well done.

Honestly when i first played this game i was blown away. mainly because it was the first MMO game i played that featured a dodge system. Besides S4 League had dodge

I bought the book and spent about 5-6 hours reading the who ,whats and wheres about characters and the perfect setups for beginners, but this guide here explained everything in a few short videos.

I was the type of player who rolled solo and never thought about co-op but as i saw later on in the game, co-op is a must. But this guide has taught me something i never got from the book.
Mainly characters and their own unique play-style. How u can take that style and turn it into pure awesomeness with ur own personal touches. I’m not gonna ramble all day. Bottom line: This guide is A MUST

PS: If the creator is ok with it i will also recommend this guide to my buddies who play GW2

Mugen, I know dreamy personally. He will be more than happy if you spread the word about his guide and everything else that he has provided. The tools and information he has brought to us is just tremendous.

Well… It’s the best guide i was reading so far. Thank you for that useful post.

Finally, this gets stickied! o/

looking forward to more video you make. everything’s clear and easy to understand for new, foreign player like me. Thank you Thank you. Rawr~~<3

Really really great guide. As a new player in GW2, the whole combat system was confusing at first. I was used to the “tank, dps, heal” kind of system and that’s what really screwed me over. But once I learned about and practiced the different strategies, it really saved my laugh.

Your guide was very helpful and I thoroughly enjoyed the in-game help.

You completely opened my mind towards the game mechanics and gave me a new outlook on how skills should be used. Your definite extensive knowledge of the D/C/S system will definitely make me think while I play these times around.

You have amazing general knowledge of the game as well. I felt more compelled to play with the game instead of for my own personal game. I feel as though I can now thoroughly take part in all the content it has to offer, and enjoy it with other people, this will more specifically pertain to WvW for me.

Your gameplay and breakdown of the fights were amazingly done. You displayed what they did and why you used it, and precisely when to use it. You actually displayed the D/C/S in action and it was easily seen how it works. I definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to up their game, or just learn more!

The only thing I would change is the fact you should start adding your PVP and WVW views!! I cannot find anything to change about this guide because I took it to a personal level with you in game to personally learn the material, and it worked. Anyone who tells you otherwise did not do this and is not willing to.

Awesome post! Thank you for sharing!

This is the best guide ever – not only is it 100% genuine, it is flexible with all play styles….this is not cookie cutter build, it teaches you how to play so you can make your own build and be a good player, dreamy abaddon is one of the best teachers I have ever seen.

At first i was afraid i would be confused at everything i need to learn playing this new game, but this completely helped me.

This guide is so awesome that it not only shows how GW2 can be so different from other MMOs, and teaches you the basics and what to expect of the combat system. All the possibilities, the different builds, customization and how to do them your way and not someone else is just nice.

Also the videos, they show exactly what you’re trying to say, and are beatifully explained.

I’m one of the noobies who got/will get helped by this awesome guide and i’ll absolutely follow it.

Wait!, So Pure DPS is not the only way to play!? Who would have thunk it… (/end sarcasm)

I really liked this guide. Even as a vet player, I have found many of the suggestions to be quite helpful. Thanks!

Thanks for this amazing guide. It was definitely worth going through it. I had no idea the game had so much more to it than just going around and spamming skills. The game started to feel boring since all I was doing is getting pwned by spamming skills, even by regular monsters. Now, I’m very excited to go into the game and start to practice what I’ve learned from this guide. Thanks again!

Very informative and eye opening to the way that Guild Wars works! I do not think I could have been as effective without your help!

While I can appreciate what this guide is trying to do, I believe that new players need to be cautioned against the faulty belief that you can “build to your own playstyle” and be effective.

Frankly, that is nonsense in the current game (as of June 2014). As Death & Taxes and countless other top guilds in PvE have noted countless times, there are specific, high-powered builds for PvE content which are simply better than any other alternatives. Furthermore, the overall most effective gear in PvE is Berserker’s. Nobody “balances stats” unless that person for some inane reason wants to weaken himself. Of course, all PvE content IS VERY EASY in this game right now, so technically, yes, Random “Totally Unique Playstyle” Guy could clunk his way through it. Good luck, though, with getting into high-tier fractals (without being carried).

Furthermore, new players need to take the videos posted on this guide with a HEAVY GRAIN OF SALT. The videos indicate that the author was BELOW RANK 10 in sPvP while making those videos (and the videos are not even that old!). Based on the low rank, you should safely assume that, despite the guide writer’s best intentions, he is not really qualified to be steering people in the direction of builds in sPvP, given his low amount of time spent playing sPvP. The proof for this is that if you speak to ANY high-tier sPvP or WvW player, that player will say anything OTHER than “pick your own playstyle!” Rather, the advice you’ll likely receive is, “FOLLOW THE CURRENT META.”

The “meta” exists for a glaringly obvious reason: because the game is not perfectly balanced. If it was, then sure, we could be out there choosing builds based according to nothing more than, “Oh, I need to balance my stats out! And this ability looks fun!” Realistically, though, that is NOT EFFECTIVE and INEFFICIENT in PvE, sPvP, and WvW as of June 2014. Can you still do this, and ignore the meta-game and the “cookie cutter / flavor of the month” builds? Yes, BUT you will not be terribly effective or efficient, and frankly you will not be accepted by any high-tier guild. Maybe you do not care about that, though, and that is 100% FINE—-just realize that the advice given by this guide is unrealistic and illogical given the current game.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a superbly-skillful sPvP player myself, as my leaderboard ranking indicates, although I do have a fairly high LEVEL rank (i.e., I’ve played sPvP fairly frequently). I do, however, have MANY, MANY hours of WvW experience, have completed all dungeons multiple times (Dungeon Master title) and have completed high-level fractals even prior to their recent nerfs/level readjustment; therefore I am fully aware of the current state of PvE in GW2.

Emperor.1360:

Snip

I can only speak of my experience with one class but so far following this guide has helped me.

Before I read it I was leveling my Engineer the way the forums described as one of the most efficient way : by letting enemies come at me and spamming bomb kit. It was working well enough in most situation, but it wasn’t really fun, so after reaching level 30 I set my engineer aside and went back to my level 80 ranger.

Then I read this guide and though “okay, let’s try it his way”. So I took my engineer, dropped the rifle for two pistols, dropped the bomb kit and whatever the other two skills were and equipped elixir B, flamethrower (because I wanted to have it) and after some testing when for Elixir gun to complement it all. It took a bit to get used to but I became a lot better than with bombs, I killed more, I died less and lo and behold : I was having fun! I still am by the way.

I’m sure that for high level content, some builds will be way more efficient than others, but if you can play and have fun with a build than only you appreciate, why the hell not?

@Emperor.1360:

I play on 8 classes and have 5 builds per class.
That’s 40 different types of builds and playstyles I have created and I played since beta.

While PvP is something I do for fun, I’m more of a PvE player and It’s safe to say I’m more then qualified to teach new players and veterans how combat and builds work.

You may not like how this guide is presented or it may conflict your idea of so called metas but the FACT is, lots of players who had issues with combat and simply died to much are now dying way less and play more effective now than ever by their own standards, not mine or yours. Just go read what other people are saying in my guide and that should give you an idea of what I mean.

This guide teaches new players all they need to know regarding how to make their own builds by choose skills/traits and stats they need. It doesn’t tell them what builds to choose that other’s made. While it may still need some minor improvements here and there, this guide has evolved since it’s first release and it will continue to evolve when I have more time to work on it.

Emperor.1360:

Yeah, I have to disagree with you Emperor. This is an amazing guide, and the suggestions made will give players what they need to survive the REALLY HARD content in this game.

I’ve played ranger since launch and have completed all dungeons, fractals 50, and every other challenge you can imagine. I also am level 270 something in WvW on the Quarry, and Wolf in sPvP, which I play casually.

Make no mistake: the glass cannon “meta” builds are extremely kitten. Don’t mistake the builds used for speed runs for being necessarily wrong (or powerful) in any way. There is a reason everyone bundles in a corner, against a wall, to get through the content when using these (it’s a quasi exploit)… These builds will get you downed repeatedly/wiped in tough content, though. (Fractals, Tequatal, Wurms, WvW, tricky world events, etc.) These really are 1 trick pony builds.

I would highly recommend following the steps in this guide for just about anyone (beginning or advanced). You can derive really strong builds that will get you through anything and work very well.

The single largest reason Tequatal (and wurm) missions fail is an over abundance of kitten builds that can’t mitigate incoming damage. I love the map chat: “respawn and run back if you are double downed” when 20 bodies are floating around under his belly!
It would be better for everyone if they just logged out…

You really can, and should, build to your play style.

This guide explains basic mechanics and character building very well. I feel like people transitioning from any other mmo should read this guide. Totally worth the read!

One of the best guides ever Thanks a lot for the help …100% needs to be featured

I found this guide helpful and I’m really grateful you created it. Guide gives quite deep explanation on how combat in GW works and it speeds up learning process of newcomers. Videos are a grate adventage of this guide also, as it’s definitely much easier to understand some things if you can see them.

It’s a great guide, pretty much one of the best in my opinion. I found it very useful because GW combat is unique so for some people it might be hard to get into when they first meet it.