Guild Wars 2

I enjoy WvW a lot, but I’m not very good at it. In a group, I’m fine. But if I go off on my own, and encounter an enemy player, I’ve just learned to run in the opposite direction because I die in every 1v1 battle. I need to know how I can toughen up my characters for these encounters. What sorts of runes, weapons, builds, and trait distributions are people using to get so powerful in 1v1? Any help would be appreciated—my WvW characters are a warrior, necromancer, and guardian.

Quickest most efficient way to get better? Join a WvW guild.

In an active guild there will be constant cross-talk about builds and specs, tactics, and every aspect of WvW. Being exposed to other players and how they play will make you better, and vastly increase your game-knowledge.

Flying solo just slows down the learning process.

The best place to practice 1v1 encounters, and learn builds, is sPvP.

It’s difficult out there when you first start!

You didn’t give us a lot of character information, so first thing to note is that being lvl 80 in exotics makes a huge difference. If you’re losing a lot in 1v1, it could just be that they outgear you.

Caliburn is right about the WvW Guild. When I learned WvW, my guild leader actually ran training drills with us using VoIP. We practiced portal bombing by flipping supply camps, built a few catas and ballistae to demonstrate maximum range, ran the breakout events. He even took time to explain combo fields, as some players were unfamiliar with them. The drill ended in a naked zerg rush. We stripped down (to save on repairs) and charged. Tons of fun, super informative.

I’ve moved servers since then, but if anyone’s on ET, check out the Kingswood Brotherhood (KWBH) lead by Smiley Knight. He’ll make sure you get the training you need.

It is also important to recognize that not everyone and every build can be as effective in 1v1s. I tend to run an active support build on my thief, meaning that I actively support my team mates via revives, enemy pulls and movement hinders (rather than boon boosting) and my traits/skills are tailored to how I do that. However, this same build is awful for fights where I am the main target (such as in 1v1) and I’m not geared to be able to endure or take out others in 1v1 styled scenarios.

So while helpful in some situations (party to zerg fights) I am not so handy in extremely small scale fights. Something I have come to accept (though that doesn’t mean I don’t bury my head in my hands when I get owned ).