Guild Wars 2

If your focus is going to be Support, then you’ll probably want to focus on a Mantra-based build. The Inspiration line lets you heal and cleanse your allies quite a few ways. Taking, for instance, Inspiration III, X, XI lets you heal allies with mantras and cleanse & give vigor on shatter. Couple that with Dueling X and you’ve got a lot of clones to keep your allies alive.

Maybe something like this: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQFAWl0npItVpxANUrNytxYyKG50l8SOlMggB-TxwHABBcBAYUHAAPAAhAYC-e

I did the Boss Blitz as level 50 without too much trouble. Did get downed a lot until I learned the fights. They’re pretty straightforward. Bring some ranged weapons and party buffs and you’ll be fine.

Yea I missed the Fused Gauntlets and Slickpack. Gotta get them.

Assassin = Thief

Ritualist = Turret Engineer if it worked – ashes would be like kits

Paragon = Guardian – heavy armor party booner

Monk – not needed in GW2 since there is no dedicated healing class.

Dervish – this one I’d like to see. Guardian is sorta like Dervish, in the sense that it’s a melee profession boosted by “enchantments.” But I’d love to see an actual scythe wielding, aura blanketed, spinning powerhouse like we had with the Dervish. Also, those transformations rocked!

I’d go for the Gas Mask. It’s a sweet helm, unlike any others, and can be used on any/all your characters.

I have the same issue with the Fused Gauntlets vs the Slickpack, and I’m leaning toward Gauntlets only because the Slickpack only really works thematically with Engi, and we all know the engi/hobosack issue.

You’re already 30, enjoy the class, and have a guardian friend you’re leveling with. Ele all the way.

Ele is much more dynamic and warrior can get quite boring.

I don’t think it would work because of the way pawning an item works. You have to put up an item with a value of say $500 and you get a loan of $200 + interest. The reason this works in real life is because it’s not as easy to sell a used item for its valued price in a global market like we can in GW2 with the TP.

If a player needs gold in-game, all he/she has to do is sell the item on the TP. Boom, instant gold at full value. Later, they can rebuy the item from the TP. The money lost for that person is the % cost of listing and selling on the TP, which iirc is 10%. Of course, the market fluctuates too, so they could potentially lose a lot or even make a profit. But for a short duration investment, it should be roughly 10%.

That means that for someone to go to you as a pawn broker, you’re interest fees would have to be competitive with the TP. Now, the TP’s cut is a fixed percentage, regardless of time it takes to sell. You have to decide if the interest on your loan accrues over time or is fixed. Will the interest be the same for someone who turns around and pays off their loan in a day vs someone who takes the full duration of the loan (say, 1-2 weeks)?

Gotta crunch the numbers. I will say though, that the trustworthiness of you will play into this venture. What specifically would draw someone to you for gold vs using the TP? The reward has to be worth the risk. After all, people who use pawn brokers do so for 1 of 2 reasons: micro-loan (which banks generally don’t give) or their credit (financial reliability rating) isn’t viable for a loan.

Edit: It’d be funny if GW2 had PvP servers. Then you could employ “leg-breakers” to grief those who don’t pay up.

Read stuff. Read the heart and event descriptions. Read the skill tooltips. Read the hints. Read your map. Read your mail. Read (watch) the dialogue in cutscenes.

My buddy just started this game too and is constantly asking me questions that he’d already have answers to if he’d just slow down and read the text that pops up on the screen.

Also, try out all the professions. You might be surprised which you ultimately fall in love with. I was.

+1

they would be great as the next non-dragon big bad. Instead of various alliances, we’d have the reemergence of the Mursaat and White Mantle. It’d also open the way for us to head back down to UW iirc.

Hey man, variety and avoiding monotony is important. I’d try something focused on pumping out 3x Phantasmal Warlocks for big damage. Dungeon bosses and world bosses always have tons of conditions on them so the damage should be pretty substantial.

This would be a decent framework, allowing you to trait for glamours, as well as focus reflection if needed. Use healing signet to pump out 2 iWarlocks back to back. Or trait for signet recharge and use it more often.

Sage.2870:

What I’m looking for:

- a fast one (i.e. one that has the run speed buff. I love jumping puzzles, as well as simply running around the zones and this is a crucial point for me);
- can (meaning as a valid, strong spec, not as an obscure possibility) be played entirely ranged with shortbow/longbow/staff etc… don’t like guns though (love ranged combat, ability to kite and such);
- does good AoE (can be from direct damage just as much as from DOTs).

I’m hesitant to name any profession since none actually fit the bill.

All professions except Mesmer and guardian have easy perma-speed boosts, in the way of signets or traits.

Ranger is the only profession that can use bows as the main weapons. All others it’s a supplement weapon or gimmicky.

100% ranged combat is generally looked down upon because it doesn’t cleave and keeps you out of range of your allies’ boons.

Elementalist and engineer are the only professions that have solid ranged aoe. Engineer is a gun class, so that’s out. Ele uses staff and scepter and dagger.

Same here Danikat.

@OP: One thing of note is that the necro starter masks look very different depending on your race. Charr look great with them, very menacing. Humans, not so much imo. You may not get the same look with a race other than Charr.

Also, it doesn’t matter what race you make a new character. The starter skins are profession-based, and are then only restricted by armor type after unlock.

And you’re absolutely positive it’s a | and not a lower case L or upper case i? Because I didn’t think the game allowed that character in names.

If you want to avoid monotony, avoid warrior. Yes, it’s strong. It’s also the most boring class in the game.

Necro is fun. It’s strong in large groups & open world. Dungeons, not the best. But if fun is all you’re after, then go with your gut.

My other recommendations: Engineer and Mesmer

at·tri·tion
1. the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure.

Basically, whoever can stand strong the longest wins the war of attrition. It’s not about escape. It’s about pressure; withstanding and dishing pressure.

Guardian attrition is done with boons, healing, and blocks while applying pressure with hacks, slashes, and burns.

Necro attrition is done differently, namely by generating LF to use DS as a 2nd health bar and siphoning health, while applying pressure with conditions and minions.

As long as the tools designed to make attrition possible work properly, everything is good. No matter the combat design, I think stability is important for any class designed for survival by attrition. Being able to stand tall requires being able to stand. Stun-locking shouldn’t be possible. The health siphoning could be better imo. A I think minions should have just 1 or 2 more dynamic traits, similar to Mesmer clone interaction.

Or you can get closer to completion for another achievement. It shows the 2 closest to completion achievements.

Also, you can complete any and all achievements at any times, not just those in the summary panel.

Why is Greatsword considered to be bad? Obviously, sword is the best (removes boons, stacks vuln, has evade). And while I wouldn’t bring it into a dungeon due to that fact, I still like my GS in open world. #3 aside, it’s pretty good.

Groonz.7825:

This is mainly for the people who missed out on past living story rewards.

And unfortunately, that’s me. I need to amass 3200 “thingies” to get Fused Gauntlets and the Slickpack. I have a feeling I’m going to grind 1600 and agonize over which to buy first (gauntlets probably) and then just give up on grinding out another 1600.

I loved the Cliffs last time but there’s not much of a change this time around. Such minor changes so-as not to make it fresh. And the Pavilion…don’t get me started.

Thanks for the clarification guys.

Great Guide!! I took a bit of a break from GW2 and now I want to get back on my Mesmer, thanks to you.

The build links confuse me because you don’t change the utility skills (and I understand why) but you’ve still got Signet Mastery (Dom VI) traited in all of them. What else would you trait if you’ve got no signets and running Mantras.

Also, the 6/6/0/0/2 build is described as max-dps single target, but I don’t understand the Blurred Inscriptions choice, especially with no signets. I would think Harmonious Mantras with maybe MoP would be better for some extra spike damage and more reliable Mantra charge uptime.

I’d love to know this as well. I understand event-specific currencies, but I think that after the event they should go into an “Event Collection Bank Tab.” If they don’t become deposit-able after the event, we know to trash em. That’d clear things up nicely.

I’d love to know this as well. I understand event-specific currencies, but I think that after the event they should go into an “Event Collection Bank Tab.” If they don’t become deposit-able after the event, we know to trash em. That’d clear things up nicely.

Tip: use a low level alt or roll a brand new one for crystal hunting. The WP cost for a level 2 is negligible.

Well last year everyone was up-scaled to 80 in Labrynthine Cliffs

Same here. Have Verizon Fios. Tried it 20+ times. Progress varies but it always drops to 0 kb/s and sits there. Been trying for an hour.

Called Verizon support and they said it’s not their end. Speed test shows my internet connection is actually slightly faster than what my package advertises. Have no firewall up.

Dunno why it seems all of us Fios users are getting hosed but it seems like it’s a GW2 server overload to me.

Edit: Thank you Kilam!! That worked. You sir, are a genius. What the crap does that fix do?

Thala.2801:

I swear, the most common complaint I must hear from the GW2 community is “I’m mad that ArenaNet removed this stupidly exploitative farming method”. Why do people keep expecting them to stay?

Huge difference between “fix exploitative farming method” and “absolutely no drops whatsoever.” As the developer, it’s their job to create enjoyable and rewarding content.

Wow…that’s just abysmal. I mean, kind of insulting really. A red post said not to trash them and even used exclamation points to emphasize the importance of keeping them. What a disappointment.

It’s like they’ve forgotten about rewards and instead focused on sinks; gold sinks, loot sinks, event item sinks. Just cleaning up the excess. Apparently, we don’t need loot from the Pavillion now. So we got that going for us…

Mystic.5934:

what happened to “Rumors tell of a merchant interested in items from major events in Tyria’s recent history, including Blade Shards. Players are encouraged to hold on to these items if they are interested in trading with her when she appears.”
are blade shards the only thing this merchant is interested in???

They probably mean zaitaffy & candy corn, just like always. Which sucks, and is a complete cop out if so. Was hoping for vendors for woolen Wintersday items and old Marionette leftovers, etc.

You’ve got almost no additional condition damage, so I’d think that dropping Supreme Justice in favor of Radiant Power (which would also net you +50 precision and +50 condition damage) would be the better choice.

The only reason I’d keep SJ would be if you’re having a hard time maintaining 100% burn, but with those runes and koi cakes it seems like you’d be fine. If not, drop Amplified Wrath and pick up Radiant Power. You need to maintain burn so that you get the +27% damage from Fiery Wrath, Radiant Power, and runes.

phys.7689:

Seras.5702:

I like the last boss in HotW P1. Rampages around the area with spinning attack prevents constant stacking. It’s not a genius fight, but sure as hell more interesting than stacking against a wall, chain blasting fire fields, and going thru a meta build rotation.

this boss is, imo pretty boring, and tedious. This isnt just about learning the fight, i thought so the first time i did HOTW.

Perhaps people should stop thinking about random easy anti stacking mechanics, and start thinking about interesting reactive fights.

the key isnt just to make people not stack, it is to make fights more interesting and reward players for paying attention and working together at the right times.

Seras.5702:

It’s not a genius fight, but sure as hell more interesting than stacking

I never said it was amazing. But it’s a fight that at least requires more than just pressing your 1-0 keys and the occasional dodge.

Having said that, I absolutely think we need more interesting fights. Those that require active cooperation, strategy, and possibly damage control. I’d love to see fights in dungeons with fail scenarios that lead to alternate subsequent phases, not just suppressing add spawns. I’d love to see bosses with skills/styles more akin to player professions. Quicker but lighter attacks with high movement and condition clearing. Wouldn’t that be fun for condition classes? Knowing the boss can cleanse would mean condition classes have a purpose, to constantly reapply those DoTs.

Any way you choose, the fights need more than 1 simple change or added mechanic to make them more dynamic and reactive. I don’t have the ultimate solution; that’s not my job. Unfortunately, I’m not very optimistic, given Anet’s recent update making kitten near everything in the world simpler. Dumbing down leveling and the difficulty of open world mobs is a bad sign in my book.

Honestly, leveling wasn’t as bad 2 months ago before they pushed every meaningful milestone back 20 levels. With no traits till 30, and no GMs till 80, leveling feels like a boring chore now. That’s saying a lot, since I’m an altoholic with many 80s and many deleted alts. I just can’t bring myself to level a new toon with these changes.

Hopefully, tomorrow’s update will give you both access to more tomes and a Pavillion zerg like last time for fast levels.

I like the last boss in HotW P1. Rampages around the area with spinning attack prevents constant stacking. It’s not a genius fight, but sure as hell more interesting than stacking against a wall, chain blasting fire fields, and going thru a meta build rotation.

Personally, I love my Celestial set. It offers the survivability you’re after without sacrificing too much in the damage department. And Engineer is one of the very few classes that benefits from the condition damage the set offers just as much as it does from the other stats. Plus, you’re not sacrificing all of your crit like you are with PVT.

Asura of course.

I know open world isn’t the most challenging (or at all) but my buddy is new to GW2 and I want to guide him but not slip into a coma in the process. What I’m getting is that Guardian is simply not a very interesting profession unless you’re built for active defense?

I love FT, and despite the hate I’ll continue to unless I’m in a speed-clear run. Otherwise, it’s just so much fun.

I’ve been running this: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fdQQFAUlUUpyq1UxWLseNSdBNqoA6AUguK6EGjQD-TFSDwAMeAAJUC+U53L1fqcBAYt/AIdAAMBREAzWA-w

Using the new GM trait for boons from turrets, I’ve got aoe fury & prot, plus thumper brings mad blast finishers for even more might stacking. A quick drop > overcharge of thumper gives protection and knockback, a great “o kitten ” button.

So I’ve got 5 level 80’s but Guardian is one of those classes I could never stick with due to boredom. It just seemed too safe with not enough punch. I’ve heard that guardians can pump out decent damage, but it’s never felt very exciting playing one. Granted, that was some time ago, before I really understood this game as I do now.

So I come for advice: how do I resurrect my Guardian and make it exciting, dynamic, and fresh? What weapons or play styles are most fun (subjective, I know)? Is there a better race for racial elites or are the Guardian elites good?

I’ll be leveling with my friend so I’ll be spending most of my time in open world side-by-side with a necro.

I agree with OP. Haven’t had time to read the other posts, but I think that stacking is a boring and particle-effect nightmare that needs to go, but not because it’s inherently bad, but because boss fights need to be more dynamic. This simple strategy works because the bosses are simple and slow. Mechanics like the ones OP suggested would go far to force players to spread out, but can additionally be added upon simply to make the fights more dynamic. It’s one thing to force everyone to spread out, but I think it should go further; standing on your spot and AAing isn’t fun either. More frequent attacks for less damage (like you get in WvW/PvP) would be a nice start. It’d mean smarter play, determining which attacks to eat and which to mitigate, as well as be more exciting than “see telegraph > count to 2 > dodge” every 15 seconds.

It wouldn’t be such a big deal if they were in any way salvageable. I have a Warden’s Greatsword sitting in my bags that I can do literally nothing with. It’s soulbound and rare and the skin is unlocked but it’s useless and I can’t even break it down. Skins would be the best solution.

I honestly cannot understand why you’d prefer having your gold spread out amongst all your toons. It’s highly inconvenient.

You’re on your Engineer and want to buy some strength runes but you don’t have 70g on your Engi, so you swap to your Necro cuz that’s where more of your money is, and oops, now your Necro has no money for when you want new armor for a power build so you have to swap to your Ele…

What a pain. No thanks, I like my money account bound. I always know exactly how much gold I have. Nothing worse than burning 60g regearing a single toon, only to find out later when you switch toons that you only had 90g to begin with and now you’re effectively broke.

Also, how is putting your money in a bank (a centralized location) any different than putting it in your account wallet (a centralized location)?

Most people take both Bountiful Interruption and Debilitating Dissipation. What’s the other trait you’re taking?

Dunno if you’re looking for PvE or WvW. I’ve been rocking this FT build in PvE since the latest patch and have been loving it.

It hinges around serious might stacking: Juggernaut, new Strength Runes, and Sigils of Battle and Strength. I also slot Thumper Turret instead of EG for 3x blast finishers in Napalm.

Having to trait 4 into Alchemy for Deadly Mixtures lets us now put only 2 more pts in for Experimental Turrets. That trait is sick, giving the group Fury, Vigor, and Prot.

Food: you’ve got so many choices. Omnomberry Ghosts increases your damage & survivability with life steals. And since FT has such a fast fire rate, that’s quite a lot. Or you can go with Chocolate Omnomberry Cream for +20% boon duration, boosting your ET boons by a full second each. Or Curry Butternut Squash Soup for straight up better crits.

I think 4/0/6/2/2 would work better, taking Confusing Enchantments and Signet Mastery for more SoI uses.
Master of Misdirection seems necessary when using Perplexity Runes.
And Vigorous Revelation is one more useful boon to share (since that’s the focus of this build) when shattering (which you plan to do often).
I think the healing sigils are trying to do too much. The healing won’t be that impressive. You’re better off going for Sigil of Doom and Geomancy imo for more varied conditions.

Hell, I’d have been happier if we used the Signet of Capture on 10 random champs to attain the new GM traits. As it is, I’ve been unable to earn most of them due to constantly open temples and a poor Karka spawn schedule.

That’s actually the point. To give some incentive to not die constantly. There’s no monetary drawback any longer. Now it’s a matter of convenience. It’s taking me time to remember, but we’ll soon all be conditioned to hit up a repair NPC whenever we wander past.

Head to Kessex Hills and drop some Toxic Alliance fiends. Those you can finish.

I love the feeling of not being alone in the world any longer. It’s finally a massively multiplayer game again.

Well obviously we’d want them to be implemented properly. Nobody is asking for FoW with more easy risen and blue drops everywhere. The idea is that the fights would be difficult, require group cohesion, and (now that we can swap traits on the fly) potentially tweaking builds throughout. The draw of UW & FoW was that almost every encounter was difficult, not just the bosses. Trash wouldn’t be trash, so the potential drops should mirror the difficulty. And maybe even full clear chests with higher-than-normal precursor chances.

And it looks like you’ve got boobs.

Most of my characters are female because they do just look better. They rock the light armor, while males look goofy. All male med armor is trenchcoats, while female have some other options. Both sexes look good in heavy armor, but sometimes males look bulky.

I’ve actually been considering changing my human guardian to female.