Guild Wars 2

Sorry, I’m totally new to WVW. I don’t know what these are officially called, as I only discovered them recently. It’s the points you get when you level up in WVW and can allocate points into things like “Guards”. Right now we (my son and I) are level 11 but still haven’t allocated any points.

Regarding how we play right now, my son likes big zergs, but I prefer small groups.

Also, are these points permanently fixed once placed, or are they like traits in that we can reaoolocate them later for free? Thanks for your help.

Link to the wiki :
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_Experience#WXP_upgrades

I suggest you to start with “Defense against guards” and “Guard killer” since they give +250 vitality and + 250 Power/condition, they both very usefull in every aspect of WvW.

Anet resets the points spent only at the beginning of a league/tournament.

fourhim.3584:

Sorry, I’m totally new to WVW. I don’t know what these are officially called, as I only discovered them recently. It’s the points you get when you level up in WVW and can allocate points into things like “Guards”. Right now we (my son and I) are level 11 but still haven’t allocated any points.

Regarding how we play right now, my son likes big zergs, but I prefer small groups.

Also, are these points permanently fixed once placed, or are they like traits in that we can reaoolocate them later for free? Thanks for your help.

Welcome to WvW. Your son will turn to smaller groups further on aswell, hopefully.

You get one point per level up. You can put these wherever you want, but think it through, as you can’t respec as you can with traits. However you will not stop to get these points and eventually you will end up with all lines maxed out.

If you are a small scale player, I suggest you take guard lines as the final points will grant you “Guard Stacks”. These stacks are either damage based(Guard Killer) or defense based(Defense against Guards). The total number of stacks is 5, and for Guard Killer stacks you will get 20 power/condition damage for each stack for a total of 100 power/condition damage when you have killed 5 of any guard in WvW. For Defense against Guards you get a vitality stack, that grants 500 vitality for each stack – a total of 2500 vitality at max stacks. Very good in solo roaming or small groups. Consider that you need 115 points in each of them to get the actual stacks, so you have to be level 230 to get them both at the same time.

If you are playing alot with zergs I suggest you take lines that favour building siege/repairing or using siege(ex. ram mastery) to cap towers to help out as much as possible.

HF.

I would go for guardstacks (defense against guards) first of all to get more vitality. For me it gives me nearly 3 k extra health and as ele who have a low basic vitality pool, it is really something i need.

When that is done i would take the Supply Master and then go for Guard killer. After that it is all about your liking. If you do a lot of siege then choose the siege you like the most, and make sure to add siege might as well. Some like to go for supplies overall as in repair and build and how much you can carry. Is all about your own like.

But yeah most of all guardstacks, this will give you more then any of the others.

Ok.. your WvW levels are LOCKED once you set them, every time the add a WvW Season you get a free reset (usually given a week before it starts). As for where to allocate the points you have a lot of options given what you want/do.

Most often then not people( and myself included) are going to tell you to aim maxing out “Defense Against Guards” and "Guard Killer " as their max level gives you a stat increase (lost upon death). Another cheap and worthwhile one is Supply Master. You can also just get 1-3 levels in certain lines vs the whole line if you want (think/look up Ram master 1-3).

All and all go to the wiki and look under the WORLD EXPERIENCE WvW section to see everything there is to offer. (you can see this all in game)

the points are semi-permanently placed per character (each character can have different things assigned). A-Net tends to reset them before tournaments and after they make major changes to the WvW ability point system (this has only happened once).

Guard Killer and defense are both helpful but most people like the final abilities on each. GK gives a boost to power and condition damage. Defense gives a boost to vitality. These are somewhat long term goals since each require 115 points to get the abilities.

Mercenaries bane will only help you on EB. Honestly, I dont think this one is very useful at all so save it for later.

Siege bunker reduces the damage you take from siege by 1% per rank. So instead of taking 4k damage from a catapult you are taking 3960 damage (with 1 rank). Judge accordingly

Siege Might increases the damage you do by 1%. If you use siege this might help some, but not too much (except maybe rams, they do like 10k damage to doors)

Supply Capacity increases the amount of supply you can carry by 1 per tier. This is the most expensive ability. Dont prioritize this one unless you REALLY want to carry 1 more supply.

Repair and build mastery allow you to repair/build stuff quicker. they are fairly cheap and arent too bad of an investment.

Supply Master is probably my favorite ability. At T4 you have a chance to randomly regain some supply that you spent when you use yours up (you use your supply to build a ram, then it might give you some back). I dont have T5 in this because i rarely throw siege though.

The last half of abilities are for the various masteries for siege equipment. Most add abilities and more damage. I rarely get on any siege so i dont have any points in these, but if you like a certain type of siege, it wouldnt hurt to put some points into it.

If i only had 11 points to spend, i would probably put them into guard killer (unless i were using a frail character, then id put it into guard defense). The more damage you do to guards, the quicker you can cap something. so if you arent dieing to guards on a frequent basis, i recommend guard killer. This will get you to rank 4 and you will have 1 point left.

1. Defense Against Guards – Max
2. Guard Killer – Max
3. Supply Mastery – 4 pts
4. Build Mastery – 1 pt
5. Repair Mastery – 1 pt

After that it’s really up to you but I would try to max out Siege Bunker before anything else. If you’re on a heavy don’t worry about AC mastery since it’s better for ranged to be on AC’s. If you’re a light don’t go straight for ram mastery since the rams can get hot if people are defending. After enough ranks to complete the preceding list, you should have an idea of where you need to place future points first. At rank 1390 you max out everything anyways.

if you are leveling up still, I recommend you do this:

start out by putting points into siege skills like Arrow Cart Mastery and Ram Mastery (whatever kind of siege you are typically using). also seriously consider getting Build Master 1, Repair Master 1 and Supply Master 4 (as Crius above recommended). don’t worry about Defense Against Guards or Guard Killer yet.

then, the next time your WvW points get reset (e.g. at the beginning of the next tournament season), if you have enough points to max out Defense Against Guards, do that first. if you have enough points left to also max out Guard Killer, do that too. spend remaining points getting Supply Master 4, Build Master 1 and Repair Master 1, then put whatever points you have left into your favorite siege mastery lines.

I don’t think Defense Against Guards or Guard Killer are worth spending any points in, unless you can max them out (but if you can max them out they are definitely worth it). so rely on the opportunity that WvW tournaments provide, to spend points in lines that give more of an immediate benefit, then trade those points in later for maxed out Defense Against Guards and/or Guard Killer.

-ken

sminkiottone.6972:

Link to the wiki :
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_Experience#WXP_upgrades

I suggest you to start with “Defense against guards” and “Guard killer” since they give +250 vitality and + 250 Power/condition, they both very usefull in every aspect of WvW.

Anet resets the points spent only at the beginning of a league/tournament.

After you get those two guard lines, look into Siege Bunker and Siege Might for siege damage output increase and reduction damage input. After that you are much more free to what you upgrade. When I was lower in points, I would make it so I could spend more supply with Build Mastery and Repair Mastery and then flame rams and arrow carts. Don’t upgrade things you don’t use. If you’re never in a golem, don’t upgrade that line until the end. The very last line you should upgrade is supply capacity. Its a LOT of points for only 5 more supply.

sminkiottone.6972:

Link to the wiki :
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_Experience#WXP_upgrades

I suggest you to start with “Defense against guards” and “Guard killer” since they give +250 vitality and + 250 Power/condition, they both very usefull in every aspect of WvW.

Anet resets the points spent only at the beginning of a league/tournament.

Guard Killer only give 100 power/condi (20 per stack).

People say it’s a must but really, if you’re not going to roam, you can pretty much skip it…

My Top 10 list:

1. Defense Against Guards 10 – Applied Fortitude is the best WvW skill in the game.
2. Supply Mastery 4 – Returns supply which can be invaluable.
3. Build Mastery 1 – Faster building of siege which means less time in AC fire and faster tower/keep takes
4. Repair Mastery 1 – Cheap and a time saver
5. Flame Ram Mastery 3 – Takes doors down over 50% faster
6. AC Mastery 4 – The most powerful siege in the game currently
7. Guard Killer – Nice offensive buff but 100 power/100 condi dmg isn’t a game changer
8. Treb Mastery 3 – Steal supplies from an enemy is near priceless
9. Catapult Mastery 5 – Makes catas useful!
10. Siege Might 5 – 5% isn’t a lot but it adds up

I would add that ballista mastery is very powerful. I don’t use them often but when I do I am glad I have the extra kick so I would probably go here for #11.

Aside from Applied Fortitude, Supply Capacity is probably my favorite since I use it ALL the time. The problem with it is that it requires 300 WvW levels. That said I would not fault any player for going down this road after Applied Fortitude. It is without a doubt worth every point.

Snowreap.5174:

I don’t think Defense Against Guards or Guard Killer are worth spending any points in, unless you can max them out (but if you can max them out they are definitely worth it). so rely on the opportunity that WvW tournaments provide, to spend points in lines that give more of an immediate benefit, then trade those points in later for maxed out Defense Against Guards and/or Guard Killer.

-ken

Agreed.

Build master level 1 and Supply mastery level 4 should be everyone’s first 11 points. The immediate returns of increased supply for your team and faster building are far more valuable than a very slight increase to your personal damage to (or reduction from) NPC guards (unless all you do is solo camps on uninhabited maps).

Guard killer/defense lines are only useful at their 115 point max trait. Not sure why people recommend starting with them since you won’t see a tangible benefit for 100-200 hours of gameplay. Even without a point reset, delaying +250vit/100pwr&cnd for 10-20 hours of gameplay isn’t going to ruin the fun of the game. Those lines are “the best” but only when maxed.

my first priority is always maxing supply carrying capacity. but that is just me. I try to mostly be a good dolyak, mostly …

don’t forget to have fun!

2500 more health is extremely important in pretty much every offensive and defensive role in WvW. Everything after that is just nice to have. IMO go straight for Defense Against Guards and don’t take anything before then.

Until you are level 115 it’s useless to get defense against guards.

For a raw noob I think you should get:
Arrow Cart Mastery level 1 (10 points)
Supply Master level 4 (10 points)
Build Mastery level 1 (1 point)
Repair Mastery level 1 (1 point)

That’s your first 22 points.

Once you have 220 levels you can wait until the next season start to reset your points and get guard stacks.

I concur with Cakemeister. If you’re just starting out, focus on Supply Master (ignore the last tier. It’s useless). Build/Repair Mastery is also not strictly necessary, but it does help if you’re running with the zerg.

I hit rank 240 a short while ago and finally maxed out both Defense/Offense against Guards. Those Applied Fortitude and Power bonuses really do make a big difference.

After that, I’d max out one siege weapon of your choice (Arrow Cart is a good default one if you’re unsure), then max out Siege Weapon Defense/Offense when you can.

I don’t think the guard lines are a good idea for a new player. It takes a very heavy investment to unlock applied fortitude, so you’ll see little benefit at all for a long time. By the time you have enough points to actually get guard stacks you can guarantee that ability points will have been reset several times.

Supply master is much better for a new player and will make you immediately useful.

Don’t get ram mastery. Everyone and their grandma has ram mastery.

Wanderer.3248:

I don’t think the guard lines are a good idea for a new player. It takes a very heavy investment to unlock applied fortitude, so you’ll see little benefit at all for a long time. By the time you have enough points to actually get guard stacks you can guarantee that ability points will have been reset several times.

Supply master is much better for a new player and will make you immediately useful.

Don’t get ram mastery. Everyone and their grandma has ram mastery.

I think you overestimate the time needed to get 115 world ranks. It depends, as always, on how much you play. But in general it wouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks at most.

It is easy and relatively quick to get 115 levels of WvW now. No other skill line is as effective and it isn’t even close. 2500 health… focus on that goal as it is the most useful bar none.

I have to agree with the other posters to ignore the Guard Lines until you have enough points. You’re not likely to get 115 points that quickly if you’re only playing WvW casually, and until you get there, those points are essentially being wasted. All those lines really help are with roaming or small groups anyway, and roaming is a lousy way of earning WvW xp.

Supply Master T4, Repair Mastery T1, and Build Mastery T1 should be the priorities. They’re a very quick and easy boost that really benefits actually attacking and defending towers and keeps.

I recommend Ram or Arrowcart after that, as they are both very useful pieces of siege for both small and large groups. Or even the solo player when defending a tower against a zerg. Catapult isn’t a bad choice for a few points either, if only to get more damage against walls.

Beyond that, the choices are pretty up in the air. By the time you get all of those leveled, you should have some idea of what you actually like doing in WvW and can prioritize your points accordingly. Then when the next reset comes around, if you have the sufficient points, you can put them into the Guard lines for the buffs.

Dayra.7405:

WEXP should go into 0) 1 pt only Siege Master and Repair Master 1) max Siege Bunker 2) max Defense against Guards 3) max Guard Killer and then into the sieg weapons you like most. After the first or second siege weapon skills consider Siege Might to max their damage.

Was my opinion. But I also agree that Defense against Guards and Guard Killer only have a value if you max them. And if you WEXP-level slow, it may be a good idea to leave them out till next reset.

I still think that Siege Bunker is more valuable than anything, the damage reduction is clearly noticeable in the arrow rain in front of doors.

If you have only a few WxP points to spend, I’d put them into build mastery, AC mastery and Ballista/Ram Mastery.

once you have the points to get closer to your guard stacks, go get them, but dont bang your head against a wall trying to get stacks, when you could be MORE USEFUL to your server with actual masteries

Thrashbarg.9820:

Snowreap.5174:

I don’t think Defense Against Guards or Guard Killer are worth spending any points in, unless you can max them out (but if you can max them out they are definitely worth it). so rely on the opportunity that WvW tournaments provide, to spend points in lines that give more of an immediate benefit, then trade those points in later for maxed out Defense Against Guards and/or Guard Killer.

-ken

Agreed.

Build master level 1 and Supply mastery level 4 should be everyone’s first 11 points. The immediate returns of increased supply for your team and faster building are far more valuable than a very slight increase to your personal damage to (or reduction from) NPC guards (unless all you do is solo camps on uninhabited maps).

Guard killer/defense lines are only useful at their 115 point max trait. Not sure why people recommend starting with them since you won’t see a tangible benefit for 100-200 hours of gameplay. Even without a point reset, delaying +250vit/100pwr&cnd for 10-20 hours of gameplay isn’t going to ruin the fun of the game. Those lines are “the best” but only when maxed.

Agree with this 100%. I’d even throw in Repair Master after AC master 1 or 2.

Build Master 1
Supply Master 4
AC Master 1 or 2
Repair Master 1

By then you’ll have a better idea of what you like to do.

The guard masteries take a long time to get. But once you get close and the next reset happens, get ’em.

Johje Holan.4607:

Thrashbarg.9820:

Snowreap.5174:

I don’t think Defense Against Guards or Guard Killer are worth spending any points in, unless you can max them out (but if you can max them out they are definitely worth it). so rely on the opportunity that WvW tournaments provide, to spend points in lines that give more of an immediate benefit, then trade those points in later for maxed out Defense Against Guards and/or Guard Killer.

-ken

Agreed.

Build master level 1 and Supply mastery level 4 should be everyone’s first 11 points. The immediate returns of increased supply for your team and faster building are far more valuable than a very slight increase to your personal damage to (or reduction from) NPC guards (unless all you do is solo camps on uninhabited maps).

Guard killer/defense lines are only useful at their 115 point max trait. Not sure why people recommend starting with them since you won’t see a tangible benefit for 100-200 hours of gameplay. Even without a point reset, delaying +250vit/100pwr&cnd for 10-20 hours of gameplay isn’t going to ruin the fun of the game. Those lines are “the best” but only when maxed.

Agree with this 100%. I’d even throw in Repair Master after AC master 1 or 2.

Build Master 1
Supply Master 4
AC Master 1 or 2
Repair Master 1

By then you’ll have a better idea of what you like to do.

The guard masteries take a long time to get. But once you get close and the next reset happens, get ’em.

Yessssssss i knew i was forgetting one. supply master is SUPER good

if you are leveling up super fast (so fast that you are likely to hit rank 115 or higher before the next tournament reset), then simply save up your points unspent until you have 115.

if you make it all the way to 115 without needing those points elsewhere, go ahead and spend them to max out Guard Killer or Defense Against Guards. spending 115 points to max those lines is always worth it, if you spend them all at once. but spending any number of points less than 115 is not worth it. so just save them up, unspent, instead.

if, during that time, you decide you have a critical need for some seige mastery right now, feel free to spend a few points on must-have traits. this will set you back a bit on your way to accumulating 115 unspent points, but if you’re leveling up really fast anyway it won’t matter much.

TL;DR: it is better to have 114 points sitting unspent than to put points into Guard Killer or Defense Against Guards but not enough to max one or both of them out.

-ken