Guild Wars 2

laokoko.7403:

I think the reality is GS/sword/focus meta is very defensive. Just look at all the blind, block you have.

If you are doing hammer, you might as well take the grandmaster traits too. Battle presence is a good group buff. Force of will boost your hp quite huge.

I find force of will particular good, when you actually have problem surviving.

I actually started to use the sword/focus and GS shortly before I took a break, and I was liking the way it felt so I may go back to it, thanks for your input.

Krestfallen.8025:

Someone above linked a PvP Hammer build, but I just thought I’d point out that there’s also a PvE Hammer build that’s used in high level fractals. I believe the variations are:

• 5/5/0/4/0
• 3/5/0/4/2
• and 5/3/0/4/2

You’ll notice they’re all very similar, and it basically comes down to wether or not you need the Master of Consecrations trait at that particular moment, as well as which of a set of three traits you (as an indicidual) happen to value most: Radiant Power for a reliable 10% damage modifier on all weapons, or Zealous Blade + Symbolic Power for a 5% bonus on your Greatsword and a 10% bonus to your symbols.

This is a build that’s a damage build (even more so if you run Hammer/GS rather than just camping Hammer, but that defeats the purpose just a little) who’s goal is to support the party by providing 100% up time on Protection (so a constant -33% damage).

It should be noted that this build is, again, predominantly designed to help clear trash in high level fractals where the enemies can actually lay on the hurt, as opposed to regular PvE scenarios where players make all enemies (even most bosses) look like laughing stocks.

Anecdotally, I’ve found that I can pretty much get away with using this build in most PuGs, or in groups that rely on Phalanx Strength Warriors rather than Elementalist fire field blast combos.
When you encounter organized groups though, people will get a little sour because unfortunately the Hammer also creates a “permanent” light field, which can frustrate people who are attempting to make use of (much) better field combos (basically Fire + Blast or Water + Blast).

The Hammer Synergizes well with both the Greatsword and the Mace/x; GS because it’s basically our best burst weapon, Mace because mace’s dps is only a bit behind sword and it synergizes extremely well with the same traits you’re taking for your hammer anyway.

Thanks for the input and build sir, I will definitely look into it. I will also take a look at the meta wiki that was linked earlier. Thanks all for your input/advice.

Black Box.9312:

Enigma.7384:

Black Box.9312:

If you still don’t like DPS builds, you still won’t like this game.

Never said I didn’t like DPS builds, just said that it doesnt necessarily feel “right” for classes whose concepts are meant for things other than pure dmg. Like I said, if I have to switch out my old build for a “DPS-centric” one I guess i’ll have to. Just checking in to see how the Guardian is coming along after my couple year absence.

From a “conceptual” standpoint, any class was meant to be able to fit any role. What makes guardian not fit for a pure damage role?

Mostly based upon how they initially presented the class during their trailers. It was a class that specialized in “protective and defensive” magic, and the special “virtues” that the guardians possessed made them feel as if they were more support damage/defense oriented rather than straight up damage. I understand the Guardian can perform exceptionally well with pure damage as the meta demonstrates that perfectly. I know they toted the whole “Play your way” idea so that every class can perform whatever role they wish, and thats great, but with the meta it just feels as though there are no real “substantial” (I use that term loosely) differences between the classes besides their shared (and often demaded) ability to deal damage.

Anyways i’m not here to start a hate/bash on DPS, because i’m perfectly fine with swapping my build to accommodate that idea, and i’m thankful regardless for those of you who replied.

Black Box.9312:

If you still don’t like DPS builds, you still won’t like this game.

Never said I didn’t like DPS builds, just said that it doesnt necessarily feel “right” for classes whose concepts are meant for things other than pure dmg. Like I said, if I have to switch out my old build for a “DPS-centric” one I guess i’ll have to. Just checking in to see how the Guardian is coming along after my couple year absence.

So i’m coming back to GW2 after a 2 year break, and I just wanted to get some input on how the Guardian is these days. Has much changed with the Guard or profession balance in general? Is there still a heavy DPS-Meta present in the game? It was something I never got used to when playing a Guardian since I had always played defensively instead of berserk dmg with support. That, and it never seemed to fit the archetypal ideas of the Guardian profession. I’d like to believe that I am returning with a fresh mindset, and ready to adjust if need be since I enjoy the profession so much.

DeanBB.4268:

Updates…best to check the wiki. There was a big update last year and the expansion is coming out soon (define soon?) so watch for Heart of Thorns (“HoT”) news.

Berserker (and focus on DPS in general) is still meta, but that doesn’t mean you only have that option — depending on what you want to do.

Meta builds:

http://metabattle.com/wiki/MetaBattle_Wiki

Thanks for replying. I guess i’ll have to check on the wiki. I went there a lot for information back when I was actively playing. I’m interested to see what new stuff has come out. Also thanks for the link to the Meta wiki I had no idea there was even a site for Meta builds.

I’ll keep this short. The last time I did anything in GW2 was the tower of nightmares so i’ve been for roughly 2 years. Can anyone quick bring me up to speed on how things are now? It can be a bit overwhelming to return to a game you haven’t played in a while especially when they make so many updates!

I know this part should probably belong in the Guardian section, but I just wanted to ask. Has much changed with the Guard or profession balance in general? I ask because when I stopped I was playing a Guardian, and wanted to know how that profession is coming along. In terms of balance is there still a heavy DPS-Meta present in the game? It was something I never got used to when playing a Guardian since I had always played defensively instead of berserk dmg with support. That, and it never seemed to fit the archetypal ideas of the Guardian profession. I’d like to believe that I am returning with a fresh mindset, and ready to adjust if need be since I enjoy the profession so much.

Thanks in advance for any answers!

I really enjoyed the cutscene tbh. It made me feel like I was playing GW1 again. I really hope Anet decides to bring back actual cutscenes like this instead of the artsy background with two people just speaking to each other. It works when its a personal kind of thing, but when something large or important is going on I feel it should be replaced with an outright cutscene.

Irena.1062:

Enigma.7384 You do realize that Alistair is a defender from Dargon Age, right? And yes he’s a human noble.

Yes… I do realize that Alistair is a character from Dragon Age. That doesn’t discount the fact that the name is of Greek origins and means “Protector” I hadn’t played Dragon Age: Origins before creating my GW2 character (shocker) so I had no idea who Alistair was at that point. As for the background, I changed that from “Noble” to “Commoner” after I decided I liked the intial background story. I feel it fits better.

If they ever decide to implement new weapon types I would enjoy having a spear for the Guardian. I think it would fit them quite well, especially since they are the spiritual successors to the Paragons from GW1. The scepter just doesnt really do it for me to be honest. It feels like im playing tennis with the enemy and overall just feels flat. I like this idea, and I hope Anet decides to add more weapons later down the road.

More than anything I want the shield to become viable. The classic look of a sword and shield as well as the shield being the “symbol” of the Guardian just make me drawn to that class. I really hope it gets some adjustments.

I would really like a skelk, particularly the darker, more shadow like ones.

Thanks for responding. That 10/30/0/20/10 build definitely looks interesting i’ve used consecrations in the past, but I totally forgot about the party benefits they can give. I could see Unscathed Conter working well with a focus offhand especially when using Shield of Wrath.

Hey so I recently came back to GW2 after taking a couple months break and was looking to pick up where I left off with my Guardian. I previously acquired enough karma to obtain my god armor while also finding a build I like well enough. Its basically this build, but with slight variations: http://en.gw2codex.com/build/19545-guardians-do-it-all-with-style

Essentially, i’ve been using this build for applying boons via shouts and using AH to give myself some heals, coupled with using my staff for support while in a party. Long story short, i’m getting a bit bored with using the GS and Staff and want to try something new. I see many Guardians running around with scepter/shield or sword/focus i’ve used sword/focus in the past and I generally like its playstyle, but i’ve been wondering about the scepter/shield. I’ve heard shield is more useful in PvP than it is in PvE, but I was wondering how it works coupled with the scepter?

I do like to be supportive as a Guardian. Damage is always nice and I like to have a fair amount but i’m not trying to Neglect the great support abilities that Guardians have at their disposal. All in all, I like it when I can be supportive both defensively and offensively.

Any suggestions?

My character from GW1 may have been Ascalonian but as far as the kingdom itself goes… I hated it especially since it was ruled by a total kittener like Adelbern. I never really felt any pure hatred for the Charr I just saw them as another enemy. However, since meeting Pyre Fierceshot in EotN I really came to admire and respect the Charr and their culture. It was awesome to have an ally who was considered an enemy and to see a comradery building between a human and a Charr. I find it great that now, 250 years later, humans and Charr are beginning to see each others race for what they are and what they can be together.

So for a while now, i’ve been using the Greatsword/Staff combination for my guardian. Mostly been a boon support type of guardian with shouts and support from the staff using AH. However, i’m getting kind of tired of seeing the greatsword all over the place and to be honest, when I first started the Guardian way back in BW1 I was always in love with the look of either a shield or 1-handed sword. It seemed to make the guardian look his part as a defender and protector.

Now, I know that the shield is a bit lack-luster in its usefulness and is very situation-oriented but as of late, i’ve been seeing more and more guards using a scepter and shield combo and I was wondering how that personally works out. I know the scepter’s auto-attack is somewhat broken when it comes to PvP or WvW, but how is it for PvE? Compared to the focus, I understand that the shield is more of a ranged option that compliments the scepter where as the focus is the more melee-oriented choice. Overall I just want some personal input on how these two combinations perform.

So how just how viable is Sword/Focus or Scepter/Shield?

Teraphas.6210:

Should be for new items not already existing

Well the items in the gifts he gave included items already existing in the game. Keep in mind that most of the items included in the gifts were miscellaneous as well as specific items. Not only were festival-items included but other things like everlasting tonics. If A-Net added any new items to the game they could include them in the gifts. Blackrose, I like the idea of having a large amount of gifts to trade for pieces of a precursor weapon, it would be something to work towards since such a large amount would be required.

Anyways, if anyone else has any thoughts or ideas please do contribute! I’d like to hear more.

So if any one here has played GW1 you will remember that each week, starting on monday, Nicholas the Traveler would appear somewhere randomly in the world of Tyria and give players a task to search for a specific item and quantity. In exchange, he would provide the players with a gift of the traveler which contained various items, ranging from simple foods and beverages all the way up to special, unique, and strong weapons. Ever since GW2 started I was hoping that Arena-Net would implement him back into the world of Tyria. While I realize that Nicholas and professor Yakkington are long gone I believe Arena-Net could possibly have him come back as a ghost or have a descendant of him roam the world of Tyria continuing the legacy of his ancestor.

Long story short, I believe this could be a great way to implement the scavenger-hunting idea that Arena-Net was thinking of. Not only would it add a (possibly) new way to obtain precursors it would encourage exploration and add a bit of nostalgia into GW2.

When I pick a race I get really tied into the lore of the world and history (as well as my own personal lore.) I picked a human since I always imagined that they would be the descendant of my two characters from GW1. Since Logan is the great grandson of Gwen it would make sense that my character in the GW2 time period would be the great grandson of my GW1 chars. My two characters from GW1 were a female monk and a male warrior, so as a sort of heritage point I decided to make my main in GW2 a Human Guardian as a culmination of his two ancestors.

It’s definitely faster to go through the game with a friend. My friend and I played through the game together and reached level 80 fairly quickly, only took us about a week and our play time was very casual. I went through the game again solo this time and it took me around 2-3 weeks to do it, granted I took a few breaks here and there. All in all, it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of time to reach 80 in GW2. Just keep this in mind, once you reach 80 be prepared to have goals set or something in mind. Otherwise, the game is going to get real old real fast.

The player characters of GW2 are essentially the “New Generation” of Destiny’s Edge. Think about it, your racial mentor takes a special interest in your character because they see themselves in you. The members of Destiny’s Edge realize that their time has come and gone and while they have gotten over their own pasts, they still want to see you succeed. They’re basically grooming you to become them, and teaching you how to avoid the mistakes that initially tore them apart. They want your character to rise up and become an even greater hero than themselves.

Just my personal opinion of course. That said, I hope to see more of Braham and Rox I liked both of these characters and I hope we see them in the future even when the living story is concluded. I could even see a point in the story where both form a guild (as OP mentioned) which also includes your character. There are many options open and I can’t wait to see how things turn out.

I would personally like to see the return (or at least concepts brought back) of the Dervish. The Dervish was awesome in GW because they used different elemental prayers and enchantments during combat. Since the Dervish is a holy warrior who draws his power from the gods, I could see their F1-F4 skills being related to that. In GW, the Dervish could temporarily become the avatar of one of the gods and would gain additional benefits based on which god they took the form of.

Now since straight up becoming an avatar through an F1 skill would be OP, I would suggest that they are more of a “watered down” form of the avatar, their scythe would be imbued with the element of the god, but they would not gain all of the power. However, an elite skill gained later on could allow them to access the full extent of their avatar power and allow them to temporarily take on the form of one of the gods with all benefits included.

I do genuinely like the town clothes for each of the races. I go through and dye them until I find something i’m happy with, just like my armor. I don’t usually switch to them unless i’m hanging out with friends and chatting though. However, OP I must agree with the new clothes they have added. To be quite honest I find them “distasteful” to say the very least. The way they’ve advertised them and what they look like ultimately made me facepalm lol. I suddenly felt like I was in a Korean MMO or something of that nature. Would I be down for additional town clothes? Hell yea. Just as long as they fit the game world better.

So long story short, my friends and I have been on a hiatus from GW2. We didn’t dislike the game or get bored with it (We’ve played it since the very first beta and are GW1 vets.) we just kind of drifted from it since we weren’t able to get any dungeon groups and the ones we did find were quite rude. I got pretty far into the game story-wise (up to the final dungeon quest) but stopped after that as I started to drift. I’ve been really looking to return and give the game another go through to the end and enjoy it with some people along the way. I like a guild that’s got a great community and is willing to help guild mates out when possible.

-Thanks in advance for reading this.

I would really like to have a shelk. kittening things look kitten.

I was wondering this as well I haven’t seen his facial model in character creation at all. I tried messing around with sliders but to no avail.

This puzzle was so fun once i finally got the hang of it. Beat it 7 times after the initial success. Heck, it was even fun when i failed so many times because i got better each time and the scenery was awesome.

Ghost Tonic, Skeleton Tonic (for me at least) and the Mad King’s Slippers (which everyone gets the first time) Not sure if the tonics are the same as well or if people get anything different.

I love the mesmer because they are so different from traditional mage-like classes. Going into any MMO (guild wars included) I am always the heavy-armored, sword swinging class. When I saw the mesmer and how different it was from Necro and Elementalist I knew that i wanted to play it. I also enjoy it because its unique to Guild Wars, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a class in any other MMO that functions like the mesmer. Also when I finally learned how to play the profession it made me feel great since it was definitely a challenge the first time I tried it.

The last facial choice for female Asura is the exact same model that Zojja has. As for the goggles she wears its the head piece for the T3 light cultural armor.

You can also make yourself look exactly like Eir. Her face model is available as a choice for Norn as well as her tattoo style, hair, and her armor is the T3 medium armor for females. Those are the only two members of Destiny’s Edge who you can make yourself look like. Logan, Rytlock, and Caithe’s facial models are all unique.

That’s the Barbaric Armor set.

Any of the Scholar professions (in your case Necro or Elementalist) could easily fit into the Iron legion. Think about it this way: The Iron legion is dedicated to dominating the battle-field through their use of war machines and weaponry (namely guns) It takes some ingenuity to create the caliber of weapons that the Charr create and since scholars are naturally gifted with magic they could find a way to work that into the legions weapons for use against threats. That’s just the way I see it though, it would make an interesting combination.

^ That’s what I want to know.

Personally I would build both power and precision. Crit damage is nice and all but kinda meh if you dont have any power to back you up.

My Human’s name is Alistair Varen, Male Noble Guardian. To be honest, I just chose Alistair because it sounded cool. However, now that i’ve looked it up, the name is of Greek origin and means “Man’s Defender” or “Protector” it fits amazingly well considering my race and class choice. My last name was just random and I thought it went with Alistair well enough.

I’m currently a level 72 guardian and recently i’ve been having issues deciding which of these trait trees to go down for survivability. Lately in dungeons with my group I hardly feel like a guardian at all because i go down too fast and can’t offer my protective abilities to them. I run a burning build with 30 in Radiance, 10 in Zeal, with sword/torch/greatsword. I’ve gone back and forth between Honor/Valor trying to see which one would benefit me the most. I’m not sure if I should spec in both for some Vitality and Toughness or if going down one tree would make a better difference. I understand that I probably need to dodge and make strategic use of my defenses more but I would like some input as to which tree would give me the most mileage for surviving and helping my team out more.

In the cave by Deadend waypoint there is supposed to be an Asuran named “Agent Xinn” whom you can fight as a skill challenge. I’ve looked up youtube videos and seen screens of them being there, yet everytime I go to that cave I never find anybody there. The message of Xinn saying something to your character will pop up but i’ll never physically see them so I cannot initiate the challenge.