Guild Wars 2

I just picked up GW2 a few weeks ago, and I really like almost everything about it…except the combat.

I’ve played a Ranger to 12 and a Thief to 14, and so far I just can’t get the combat system to ‘click’ with me. I’m regularly getting destroyed by mobs my own level and below, and Lord help me if more than one at a time show up.

I’m willing to admit that it is ME that has the issue, I’m sure the system works well, I just can’t seem to ‘get’ it. Weapon Skills, Traits, Skills, Runes, Sigils, etc. – so many variables that I just can’t seem to wrap my head around it, plus it’s so much more dynamic than any other system I’ve played before.

Basically – any advice on things I can try to get this combat system to make sense to me? I’m already ‘practicing’, but I don’t feel like I’m making headway because all I do is die. I really want to get into this game, but I’m definitely getting frustrated. Any advice is appreciated.

Firstly, big warm welcome to the game

Ok, let’s start with the weapon skills as they’re all you have before level 10.

Each weapon gives you different skills available in your default 1-5 slots.. so try out different weapon combinations and unlock the skills (2-5) by attacking easy to kill mobs as weapon skills need to be learned/trained by using that weapon.

.. then read the tooltips on the weapons to find what use they’ll be – some will jump you to the mob (Sword – Skill 2 I think?) or deal AOE damage or jump you back from the mob (Ranger Shortbow – skill 3), allow you to burn enemies (Torch offhand weapon) etc etc.

Once you get used to the weapons you like to use you should find things easier.

This isn’t a button-mash game like some other games but requires some timing and using the “right” skill at best time. You also want to be trying to move (strafing sideways) to avoid the enemy attacks as well as using your skills, swapping weapons (at certain level you’ll be able to have two sets of weapons equipped on your ranger or thief and swap between them in combat.. giving you twice the amount of weapon skills to use)

Then there’s your utility skills which are bought with skill points that you learn by skill challenges around the open world as well as 1pt every level after lvl 10. You get a util skill open as you level your character.

Eventually you’ll have enough skill points to buy all the skills available on a profession as you continue to get them after lvl80 and extras from out in the world so don’t worry about that. Buy the ones you think look useful.

Traits are where the builds come in and they “specialize” your character a little more but again, don’t worry to much at lower levels.. use what you think look useful. You get them reset at 40 & 60 anyways when you expand your trait options.

Dodging – key to survival against enemies (along with the sideways strafing, back-peddling and general mobility) and untraited a character can normally dodge twice in quick succession without needing to wait for the vigor to regenerate (yellow curved bar on top of red health globe). Traited you can often dodge even more.

Read a guide or two for leveling builds in the profession forum for details on best skills, weapons, traits are best while leveling or that you think might suit your playstyle best.

Hope that helps a little and really.. it’s just some practice and start slow

Happy adventuring. salutes

Hey,

If you’re only level 14 don’t even worry about sigils or runes. Maybe pick up a cheap sigil of perception for more crits.

Thief is a really squishy class. You can avoid a lot of damage by dodging. Also use abilities that blind. OR if you’re good at rythm just learn the cloak and dagger timing to stay perma-cheese on NPCs. They won’t even hit you back once you get the timing.

Pistol is a good off hand weapon for leveling up. Good with sword, good with dagger, never use two pistols. For thief it helps to use Ambush trap. This gives you a computer controlled thief that will attack the same target you’re attacking. He can be a good distraction for you. You can use Signet of Malice (thats a thief heal) for PvE which helps keep your HP up. I recommend the trait that cures conditions every 3 seconds in stealth. It is in the Shadow something line of traits. I usually use a dagger/dagger with shortbow on my thief. With my traits, going into stealth on my thief cures conditions and gives me a very nice heal/refills my initiative. Which rocks.

For ranger in PvE you have it the easiest out of any class in the game. Most noob rangers use bears as pets but that’s slow and boring. I highly recommend using a Raven and an Eagle. They both are tough and dish out the best dps for any pet which ends fights faster and ultimately helps you level quicker. Spend some points to get the healing spring heal. I use a greatsword and also a sword with a torch in offhand on my ranger. Use healing spring, then with greatsword use swoop on your target and you will trigger a Healing Combo. Ranger is pretty sick in PvE. Use the torch and two traps and u can take out lots and lots of monsters all at once. I do have bear pets on my ranger but never use them for anything at all. the longbow/shortbow seems to only be good for PvP. Sword/Torch owns with a raven pet and eagle. Also get the troll unguent heal for when you’re underwater and get a shark pet..

Well first you must learn when to use the dodge mechanic in the game; Watch enemies animations. Sometimes timing can be tricky, but you mainly have to get out of red circles and watch for their long “channeled” abilites. Examples: I boar will pull his head and body back a bit to basically ram you which will knock you down. Basically, if the enemy is taking a while and not moving, they are charging a hurtful skill.

As for which traits, weapon skills and all that to use, You have to know what you’re aiming for in the game first. Are you looking to be support, damage, or both. Then I feel people will be able to help you out more.

Traits are basically your skill tree. Runes are basically armor set bonuses, but they work the other way. You must have five runes of the same kind on any piece of armor instead of having the same type of armor.

But yeah, let us know what you’re wanting to roll or your play style in mmo’s and people could probably give you a better explanation on which weapon skills, traits, ect… and why. It takes some time getting used to if you never played a mmo, or you played another game for a long time.

The key to understand is that this combat model is designed for weapon/ability swapping and dodging. You’ll be doing those a lot. I highly suggest hotkeying weapon swap to something can hit easily(I chose to map mine to my mouse wheel click). It will not be uncommon for you to go from Weapon Set 1 to Weapon Set 2 and then back to Weapon Set 1 in a fight.

Just to give you some basic tips for your Ranger(I have an 80 ranger). This is just to start. As you get more comfortable, you can mix and match to your play style.

1> At level 7 you have the ability to swap between two weapon sets. In the first set use a Longbow. In the second weapon set use a Sword in the mainhand and a torch in the off hand.

2> For a typical Ranger longbow rotation, send in the pet(F1). Hit #3: Hunters Shot and then follow up with #2: Rapid Fire. Rapid Fire is a 5 second attack. Each shot does more damage than the previous shot, so you need to let it run it’s full 5 seconds before you use another ability or you’ll clip that shot. Rinse and Repeat till the target is dead. How often you’ll have to Rinse and Repeat this will be determined by your pet choice and whether the target is a normal target, Veteran(bronze/copper ring around their target avatar).

3> For multiple targets, I like run up to my pet, and use Longbow attack #5: Barrage on us and the bad guys and then switch to my melee weapon set and hit #5: Bonfire. You’ll be burning them up while the arrows are raining down.

That really is all you’d need as a Ranger to do 90% of the quests in the game. As far as signets/abilities for a ranger, you can do 90% of the content with Signet of the Wild, Signet of the Hunt, and Quickening Zypher(or Flame Trap if you wanna add a 3rd layer for AoE damage). Troll Unguent for your heal will again get you through most of the content with ease.

Thanks for the advice. I think most of my problem has to do with not staying mobile and not sticking with a weapon set long enough to really learn the skills. I appreciate the advice, I’m going to give all this a shot over the next few day.

Side question – if I’m looking for a more ‘survivable’ option, should I roll a Guardian?

Movement and dodge really are key to staying healthy during combat.

Guardians are the “tankiest” class in GW- heaviest armor, good heal skills, good support buffs. They aren’t big on the DPS but if you want slow and survivable, then yes.

I started with a Ranger as well and had great fun (finding new “juvenile” pets to charm was extra added fun when out exploring) …

BUT, Just recently rolled a Guardian and having great fun with him as well and finding him very survivable indeed. It could be because of the extra experience I have with the world, mobs and the system etc but I’m having most fun on him.

I’d recommend perhaps having both a Ranger and Guardian as they have very different playstyles (generally) so you could play with one for a while then switch and adventure with the other for a time for extra fun.

PS. The daily gathering/events/kills achievement continues over characters so they even encourage us to switch characters it seems.

First off, ranger is very survivable. You’re just not seeing it. Ranger is also a great support class, most people don’t realize this. Guardian is not the tankiest class either. If you want a class that truly never dies to anything then you want an engineer, with elixir gun, tool kit and med kit you will never die (bombs that heal you later on and the kit refinement trait)… EVER. I literally /dance in the rain of arrow carts (plural, more than one cart. ) with my engie thanks to all the heals he has. Engie doesn’t have as many group buffs as guardian but is way more self reliant, has ton’s of condition removal and heals/damage immunity, a healing/tank engie never dies.. What’s fun about engie healer is it’s also a tank. Also you can’t go long range with a guardian, but with engie you can. There’s tons of misinformation about this game because a huge population of the players don’t know what they’re doing. They picked up a few skills at level 3 then never change them for any reason. Like this dude with the longbow idea. I literally just told you not to use longbow in the post above his. The DPS slow and the skills leave u vulnerable. It’s really only good for WvW and on occasion a boss mob that you just can’t stay near long enough.

Ranger “survivability” (dont think thats a real word) is easy if you read anything I posted for you. Healing spring, tons of burst damage from bird pets, self healing combo’s and two pets to soak up the shots for you. They even have utilities that make their pet take all damage from them for 6 seconds. Eziest pve class ever.

As a ranger, go and charm yourself a bear pet – they make good tanks
If the mob is not aggroing your pet and you like fighting with a shortbow (I never got around to liking longbow), press 5 when your pet has reached the mob – if you time it correctly, your pet will be the first to attack the stunned mob again, drawing aggro away from you (and allowing you to hit the mob from behind, effectively stacking bleeds on it).

A guardian is a very “survivable” profession – unfortunately, I find its playstile pretty boring. My main is a necro, and the high HP pool together with the second hp-bar (deathshroud ftw ) make it pretty tough – and also ridicoulusly easy to level (hint: wells. That is, unless they seriously nerf them next month or so…).