First off, welcome to GW2! Here are some basics you should learn. Incoming wall of text.
Firstly, there is a huge difference between the combat here and the combat in WoW and most other MMOs. A few things of note:
The combat in this game is much more action-oriented- you can avoid attacks by strafing and dodging as you fight, and using skills to counter enemy attacks. It’s more important to avoid attacks than to heal them. You can avoid attacks via blind, blocks, teleports, and evades/dodges. Every class also has their own healing skill, which is your #6 slot.
There is no healer/tank/DPS trinity. Everyone is responsible for their own survival, for DPSing the enemy, for coordinating support and control to make fights more manageable.
Your success in this game depends largely on your skill as a player, rather than your gear.
I highly recommend giving this a read: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/players/GW2-Combat-system-101-Guide/first
In addition, GW2 is highly unlike WoW in many other respects. The game’s meant to be more of a journey- you take your time and enjoy the process of leveling, explore to your heart’s content, and when you hit 80, there aren’t tiers of raids and gear to chase one after the other. You pretty much find what you enjoy doing and do it.
All classes #1-5 skills are affected by your weapon choice, with main hand weapons affecting #1-3 and offhand are your 4-5 skills. Twohanders use all #1-5. All classes also have their own heal skills, which is the #6 slot. All classes also have 3 utility skills, which are the 7-9 slots. These youll unlock as you level up, the first at lvl5, then lvl 10, and the last one at lvl 20. Lastly, every profession has an elite slot. These are typically very powerful, game changing skills and as such have large cooldowns. Youll unlock this at lvl 30. In these slots youll put skills that youve unlocked via skill points. Dont worry about spending them incorrectly, as by the time you get to lvl 80 youll have more than enough points for every single skill. If not, skill points are still extremely easy to get at lvl 80.
Triple or dual signets are the best for leveling, btw. Assassins signet, signet of agility, and signet of shadows. For the most part leave them just as passive buffs, but be aware of what they do in case you get in a pinch. For example if you run out of endurance and need to dodge that ettins hammer, you can pop signet of shadows and blind his attack so that it misses. if you get a nasty, long lasting condition on you (aka bleed, poison, burning, and others) you can use signet of agility to remove 1 condition, as well as refilling all your endurance. Shadow refuge is also extremely helpful while leveling, allowing you to grab some tougher skill points guarded by a veteran or champion with absolutely 0 combat. Its also a great skill to reset a bit and refresh yourself.
As for weapons, sword+pistol is easily the best for leveling. You can get up on mobs with Sw #2 and then drop black powder, your #5 skill so that theyll miss almost every single attack and you can just autoattack them down. If there are multiple mobs or ranged mobs, use LoS to pull them behind a corner and do the same thing. The #3 skill, pistol whip, also evades any incoming attacks for the duration of the second part of the skill. If also advise using mighty gear at lvls 1-26, strong at 26-65, and berserkers at lvl 65-80. Update your gear every 10 levels or so by buying green quality gear from the Trading post, with the prefixes i described.
The Use of the Word ‘Cheese’
Lyss The Shadow
Legendary Champion of DB [EDGE]
