Plot Missions

All plot missions are Cooperative Missions.

Characters from other campaigns will join the plot at the third mission, Vizunah Square. Note: Foreign characters cannot earn skill points on the Shing Jea Island missions in normal mode, although they can access them. In Hard Mode foreign characters can earn skill points as well as other mission rewards.

Shing Jea Island

→ When you create your character in Cantha, you can either do Mantid Hatchlings quest given by Instructor Ng (you’ll get basic information how to play the game and you’ll explore Monastery Overlook a bit), or you can go directly to Shing Jea Monastery (go with Master Togo). Finish your Seek Out Headmaster … quest and your profession quests (both primary and secondary). Sometimes, you’ll have to talk to Master Togo (two Audience with Master Togo quests). Finally, finish A Formal Introduction.

1. Minister Cho’s Estate

→ Finish a primary quest arc started in Ran Musu Gardens to eventually end up unlocking Saoshang Trail, which leads to Seitung Harbor. From this location, follow primary quests taking you through Jaya Bluffs and later Haiju Lagoon to finally end up in Zen Daijun.

2. Zen Daijun

→ Travel by boat from Seitung Harbor to The Marketplace, which eventually leads you to Vizunah Square via Mayhem in the Market.

→ If your character is from Tyria or Elona you will end up to Vizunah Square (Foreign Quarter) after taking the Welcome to Cantha quest.

Kaineng City

3. Vizunah Square (2 Party Mission)

→ Travel to Nahpui Quarter via the quests Finding The Oracle and Closer to the Stars.

4. Nahpui Quarter

→ Travel to Tahnnakai Temple via the quest To Tahnnakai Temple.

5. Tahnnakai Temple

→ Do primary quests A Meeting With the Emperor and The Count’s Daughter to gain access to Arborstone.

Echovald Forest / Kurzick Area

6. Arborstone

→ Primary quests The Convocation takes you to Boreas Seabed.

Jade Sea / Luxon Area

7. Boreas Seabed

→ Do City Under Attack which leads to Raisu Pavilion, there take and complete Battle in the Sewers which leads to Sunjiang District.

Kaineng City

8. Sunjiang District

Note: After completing Sunjiang District you need to travel to Cavalon as a Luxon, or to House zu Heltzer as a Kurzick, and complete the missions in the corresponding area. To get to either, you must get the quest from Jamei in Maatu Keep. The two paths meet again in Unwaking Waters.

Echovald Forest / Kurzick Area

→ The primary quest Journey to House zu Heltzer takes you to House zu Heltzer, the Kurzick capital. Here, after Befriending the Kurzicks (collecting 10,000 Kurzick Faction), gather The Defenders of the Forest, which will eventually take you to The Eternal Grove.

9. The Eternal Grove

→ Primary quest Into the Whirlpool takes you from the Vasburg Armory to the Unwaking Waters.

10. Unwaking Waters (2 Party Mission)

Jade Sea / Luxon Area

→ The primary quest Journey to Cavalon takes you to Cavalon, the Luxon capital. Here, after Befriending the Luxons (collecting 10,000 Luxon Faction), retrieve the Stolen Eggs, which will eventually take you to Gyala Hatchery.

9. Gyala Hatchery

→ Primary quest Journey to the Whirlpool takes you from the Leviathan Pits to Unwaking Waters.

10. Unwaking Waters (2 Party Mission)

Kaineng City

→ Primary quest Taking Back the Palace will lead you back to Kaineng Center and further to Raisu Palace.

11. Raisu Palace

12. Imperial Sanctum

Note: Mission numbering here represents the missions’ order in the plot. Notice that there are two different missions under the number 9, which are both needed for completing the 13 Canthan missions, in order to get the Protector of Cantha title. Unwaking Waters and Vizunah Square, on the other hand, which have two different starting outposts, are actually single missions and must only be done once each.

Missions and primary quests sequence

Guild Wars Factions is the second campaign of Guild Wars, released on April 28, 2006 in North America. It is set in the Eastern-styled world of Cantha.

Professions

In addition to the six core professions introduced in Guild Wars Prophecies, players will be able to choose from two additional professions were introduced in Guild Wars Factions.

Assassin

The Assassin walks the shadows, a deadly viper ready to strike at the heart when an enemy least expects it. Wearing only lightweight armor, they have mastered the ability to move as shadows, avoiding damage by not being there when an enemy’s strike lands. Assassins are masters of their chosen weapon, the dagger, and are experts at inflicting Critical Strikes that cause massive damage. Assassins are trained to efficiently link attacks together in a chain to give added combat bonuses. Their other magical skills include hexes that lower a target’s defenses and protect the assassin from harm.

Ritualist

Where a ranger lives as one with the spirit world, a ritualist can and will be its master. Ritualists shield their eyes to better commune with spirits that grant great power and protection. Ritualists channel other-worldly energies from the Mists and commune with spirits through mystic Binding Rituals, bending them to aid their allies or punish their foes. The energy channeled from the Mists powers ritualist skills, enhancing the deadliness of an ally’s weapon and wreaking havoc on an enemy’s health. The ritualist can also use the remains of the dead to defend the living, not by reanimating corpses as a necromancer would, but through the ritual use of urns and ashes.

Cantha

The continent that Guild Wars Factions is based on offers a myriad of opportunities for the player.

4 Distinct Regions

Shing Jea Island

A large island and rural area to the west

Kaineng City

A sprawling metropolis and capital city

Echovald Forest

A petrified forest and home of the Kurzicks

The Jade Sea

A sea turned into solid jade and home of the Luxons

Guild Halls

Factions saw the introduction of 4 new stylised halls

• Isle of Weeping Stone


• Isle of Meditation


• Imperial Isle


• Isle of Jade

Storyline

Factions offers a slew of themed missions, quests, and rewards.

Missions

• 13 Co-operative Missions


• 5 Challenge missions


• 2 Elite missions

200+ Quests

• Quests

Player versus Player

Factions adds new angles to pvp.

Alliance Battle

Alliance Battles are where the Luxon and Kurzick factions battle for control of towns on the game map. Each faction is represented by a team of twelve, split into three squads of four. Players form squads of four which are randomly teamed with two other teams for the match.

Competitive Missions

In these missions, two random teams of eight compete to reach specific objectives. If a player dies they respawn in the base and are able to rejoin the fight to meet the objectives. When the match finishes the players are returned to a waiting area to start the next battle.

Ruins of Ascalon

1. The Great Northern Wall

Scout for the attacking Charr army.

2. Fort Ranik

Push back the invading Charr army and retake the Great Northern Wall.

→ Travel from Frontier Gate to Ruins of Surmia (Quest: Ruins of Surmia).

3. Ruins of Surmia

Rescue the soldiers taken prisoner by the Charr.

4. Nolani Academy

End the siege of the academy and assist Prince Rurik in saving the city of Rin.

Northern Shiverpeaks

→ Travel from Yak’s Bend to Borlis Pass (Quests: The Road to Borlis Pass and The Way is Blocked).

5. Borlis Pass

Negotiate passage to Grooble’s Gulch and shelter for the Ascalon refugees led by Prince Rurik.

6. The Frost Gate

End the siege of the Stone Summit, clear the pass for the Ascalon refugees and open the Frost Gate.

→ Travel from Beacon’s Perch to Gates of Kryta (Quests: To Kryta: Refugees, To Kryta: The Ice Cave and To Kryta: Journey’s End).

Kryta

7. Gates of Kryta

Negotiate asylum and secure a safe place for the Ascalon refugees to settle in Kryta.

*** Characters from other campaigns will begin here.***

→ Travel from Lion’s Arch to D’Alessio Seaboard (Quest: Report to the White Mantle).

8. D’Alessio Seaboard

Lend aid to the White Mantle in their fight against the undead. Protect Confessor Dorian.

9. Divinity Coast

Administer the Test of the Chosen and lead them to Loamhurst.

Maguuma Jungle

→ Travel from Druid’s Overlook to The Wilds (Quest: A Brother’s Fury).

10. The Wilds

Hunt down the Shining Blade, and rescue the Chosen they have kidnapped.

11. Bloodstone Fen

Seek the truth about the White Mantle and what they are doing to the Chosen.

→ Travel from Quarrel Falls to Aurora Glade (Quests: White Mantle Wrath: Demagogue’s Vanguard, Urgent Warning).

12. Aurora Glade

Escape the chasing White Mantle and gain access to the Henge of Denravi.

→ Travel from Henge of Denravi to Riverside Province (Quest: Passage Through The Dark River).

Kryta

13. Riverside Province

Steal the Scepter of Orr from the White Mantle.

14. Sanctum Cay

Deliver the Scepter of Orr to Vizier Khilbron and escape the White Mantle.

Crystal Desert

→ Travel from the Amnoon Oasis to Augury Rock for Ascension (Quest: Sands Of Souls).

The Ascension missions:

Note: The Ascension missions can be done in any order.

After each mission you will be returned to Augury Rock.

15. Dunes of Despair

Help the Ghostly Hero reclaim his throne in the Temple of Ascension.

16. Thirsty River

Annihilate 6 teams of Forgotten to prove yourself worthy of Ascension.

17. Elona Reach

Gather the three Vision Crystals and bring them to the Ghostly Hero to focus the sight of the Gods of Tyria on you.

18. Augury Rock

Defeat your Doppelganger to Ascend..

19. The Dragon’s Lair

Gain audience with the oracle dragon Glint by defeating her six facets.

Southern Shiverpeaks

→ Travel from Droknar’s Forge to the Ice Caves of Sorrow (Quest: Seeking the Seer).

20. Ice Caves of Sorrow

Rescue Shining Blade leader Evennia from the White Mantle and the Mursaat.

21. Iron Mines of Moladune

Get your armor infused by a Seer, then kill the traitor Markis.

22. Thunderhead Keep

Win the fortress of Thunderhead Keep back from the Stone Summit, then defend it against the Mursaat siege.

Ring of Fire Islands

→ Travel from Ember Light Camp to the Ring of Fire (Quest: Final Blow).

23. Ring of Fire

Get into Abaddon’s Mouth, to gain access to the Door of Komalie.

24. Abaddon’s Mouth

Open the Door of Komalie, which is supposed to hold behind it the only way to defeat the Mursaat.

25. Hell’s Precipice

Defeat the Lich Lord and stop his army of Titans.

Guild Wars Prophecies or Prophecies, initially known simply as Guild Wars, is the first released campaign of Guild Wars. The release date was April 28, 2005.

Professions

Guild Wars Prophecies provided the players with the six core professions that are currently featured in every Guild Wars installment.

Warrior

Those who choose to follow the path of the Warrior have chosen a profession dedicated to up close and personal violence (and they love every minute of it). The Warrior is the quintessential hack-and-slash fantasy hero: tough, strong, and an expert at wielding melee weapons on the battlefield (in other words, what many MMO gamers call "the tank"). Warriors are masters of the axe, the sword, and the hammer; though most choose to focus on one weapon over the others. With their heavier armor and damage absorbing runes and shields, Warriors can soak up the abuse that other characters in the group can’t handle, and give other professions in the party such as Rangers or Elementalists the distance needed to make use of ranged abilities. Many Warrior skills are powered by adrenaline, a special power pool generated as the Warrior fights, instead of Energy. This means the Warrior, already a profession with low Energy regeneration, will still have plenty of skills to use even when Energy runs out. A Warrior’s tactical skills are often defensive in nature and help you both protect and lead your troops. Strength is the Warrior’s primary attribute; greater Strength lets the Warrior improve all Strength-based skills and more readily pierce an opponent’s armor.

Ranger

The Ranger is more in touch with living nature than any other profession. Where the Elementalist harnesses and tames the power of the elements, the Ranger lives as one with life in all its abundance, and utilizes unique survival skills that come from this connection. Rangers can perform Nature Rituals that manipulate the environment to hinder enemies, or draw on the power of the wilderness to heal and assist allies in battle. The Ranger can also tame the beasts of the wild and command them to fight at the Ranger’s side. The Ranger is the master of the targeted distance attack and Rangers get the most out of ranged weapons like bows. The Ranger’s primary attribute, Expertise, demonstrates the benefits of communing with nature. Attack skills and Preparations (e.g Apply Poison) will use less energy with the more points you pour into Expertise. In a party, the Ranger is often called upon to pull foes toward the group with a well-aimed arrow. Rangers combine effectively with any secondary profession that performs well at a distance.

Monk

The Monk can speak directly to the gods to open a conduit for divine magic that can heal and protect allies in battle or unleash holy power upon the Monk’s enemies. The Monk’s connection to the gods is illustrated in the primary Monk attribute, Divine Favor, which grants extra healing ability and makes Monk skills more effective. Monks often choose to focus on one of the other attributes. Healing Monks build up the Healing Prayers attribute to revive allies and mend their wounds. Smiting Monks put points into Smiting Prayers, which inflict damage on foes and work especially well against undead enemies. Protection Monks pump up the Protection Prayers attribute and use magic that prevents allies and themselves from taking damage. The Monk is the definitive Guild Wars "support profession," and will probably never have to wait for a group invitation. Combined with a secondary like Warrior or Ranger, Monks can also be quite effective when it comes to hurting the enemy.

Elementalist

The Elementalist commands the four elemental forces: earth, air, fire, and water. With magic derived from the very foundations of nature itself, Elementalists can inflict more damage in a single strike than any other profession. There are as many types of Elementalists as there are elements and ways to combine them. Some Elementalists choose to study two or more elements to maintain broad discipline, though many prefer to focus on one unique element. Earth magic triggers quakes and volcanoes, envelops foes in solid rock, and can add to the strength and stamina of allies. Air magic is driven by the power of storms and lightning, granting allies greater speed or targeting specific foes with a focused, high-damage attack. Fire magic is often considered the most purely destructive form, inflicting searing pain and damage on multiple enemies. The magic of Water is highly manipulative. Water magic summons ice and mist to slow enemies down and blur their vision, inflicts freezing cold damage, and even protects allies from other forms of magical attack. The primary Elementalist attribute, Energy Storage, gives the Elementalist the highest maximum Energy in the game. This makes other professions that use a lot of Energy, like the Monk or the Mesmer, natural choices for an Elementalist’s secondary class. Elementalists should never be at the fore of melee combat, but when surrounded they can tap into a full staple of handy area-of-effect skills just in case.

Necromancer

The Necromancer wields the power of death itself, a power no enemy can stand against forever. The dark arts of the Necromancer—Curses, Death Magic, and Blood Magic—usually take a toll on the caster by forcing a sacrifice of Health, but the harm that befalls a Necromancer’s foes in return makes this a small, if painful, price to pay. Necromancers can command the corpses of their enemies (or even allies) as deadly foot soldiers using Death Magic, while Blood Magic drains Health from foes and transfers it to the Necromancer. Curses hurt the Necromancer, but hurt the Necromancer’s opponents even more by sapping enemy Enchantments and healing abilities. Necromancers keep their Energy bars full with Soul Reaping, the primary Necromancer attribute, which feeds upon the deaths of others. The Necromancer requires patience and discipline to master.

Mesmer

Mesmers are the mental masters of illusion, control, and domination, subverting an enemy’s Energy for their own purposes and supporting the entire party in battle with powerful, mind-bending magic. Domination skills put Mesmers in command of a foe’s Health and Energy, while Illusion can inflict damage, slow an enemy, and drain away the powers of those that oppose them. The Mesmer can call on Inspiration to steal Energy directly from the opposition, and the primary Mesmer attribute Fast Casting works just like it sounds—you can sling your spells at a much higher rate than any other profession. The Mesmer is powerful as a damage-dealing spellcaster, a support player, or both. They should usually avoid the front lines, but can turn the tide of most any fight in seconds.

Tyria

The continent that Guild Wars Prophecies is based on offers a myriad of opportunities for the player.

6 Distinct Regions

Ruins of Ascalon

A kingdom ravaged by war and destruction

Shiverpeak Mountains

Snowy mountains plagued a by a brutal civil war

Kryta

Beautiful grasslands and small forests guarded by the White Mantle

Maguuma Jungle

A lush forest area overrun by plantlife

Crystal Desert

An arid desert inhabited by the ghosts of former warriors

Ring of Fire Islands

A hellish chain of islands ruled by volcanoes

Guild Halls

Guild Wars features eight guild halls

• Burning Isle
• Druid’s Isle
• Frozen Isle
• Hunter’s Isle
• Isle of the Dead
• Nomad’s Isle
• Warrior’s Isle
• Wizard’s Isle

Storyline

Guild Wars offers a slew of themed missions, quests, and rewards.

25 Co-operative Missions

• Missions

205 Quests

• Quests

Player versus Player

Guild Wars is as much a PvP-oriented game as it is PvE.

Random Arenas

Random teams of four compete against each other for various objectives.

Team Arenas

Pre-arranged teams of four compete for various objectives.

Heroes Ascent

Teams of eight progress through several stages to battle for Favor of the Gods.

Guild Battles

Two guilds stage a battle at one of the guild’s hall. They tactically compete to control a flag stand and ultimately kill the opposing team’s guild lord. Wins in Guild Battles are recorded for the ladder during tournament seasons.

The Dervish is a holy warrior who wields a scythe with a martial prowess that enables him or her to lash out at multiple enemies. Dervishes wade into battle with powerful enchantments and prayers that grant them haste, protection, healing, and elemental fury. Their faith and service to all the gods of Elona gifts them with the unique ability to become a living embodiment of a god’s will. The Dervish class is exclusive to the Guild Wars Nightfall campaign.

Bearing a pious heart, dervishes wear hooded robes and bracers as a symbol of humility. The base armor rating of dervish armor is the same as for rangers and assassins.

Attributes

Mysticism (Primary)

Mysticism, the Dervish’s primary attribute, gives you 1 Health for each rank of Mysticism and 1 Energy for every 3 ranks of Mysticism whenever an Enchantment on you ends.

Earth Prayers

Many Dervish Spells, especially those dealing with defense or Earth damage, become more effective with higher Earth Prayers.

Scythe Mastery

Scythe Mastery increases the damage you do with scythes and your chance to inflict a critical hit when using a scythe. Many skills, especially scythe attack skills, become more effective with higher Scythe Mastery.

Wind Prayers

Many Dervish Spells, especially those dealing with movement or cold damage, become more effective with higher Wind Prayers.

Common usage

Combat

Dervishes wield scythes, a weapon with a high damage output. With the ability and skills to inflict damage upon multiple adjacent foes, movement and positioning, as well as careful maintenance of enchantments, become very important for maximum effectiveness.

While dervishes can easily decimate high-leveled groups single-handedly and sport excellent prowess in battle as well as the ability to embody the gods of Tyria, they are not all-powerful or invincible. Many of their skills affect only those that are adjacent to them.

Running

The Dervish can be combined with the Assassin as a secondary profession to create an elite-runner that can escape from and survive extremely dangerous situations. The best Dervish runners primarily ferry other players through the Southern Shiverpeaks.

Tanking

While only having an initial max armor rating of 70, a dervish’s use of multiple enchantments to sustain increased health regeneration and armor makes it an excellent profession for tanking. Because of its larger energy reserve over the Warrior the dervish Obsidian Tank is becoming especially popular for high level farming in areas like the Underworld and the Fissure of Woe.

Paragons are the guardian angels of Elona, the champions of humanity against evil forces. The shining white and gold armor is symbolic of their role as the exemplary and steadfast guardians of all mankind.

Paragons rally allies with chants and shouts which both protect them and increase their combat effectiveness. They have a large base of energy, but only 2 pips of energy regeneration. Many of their skills require adrenaline to use.

Paragons are ranged fighters, throwing one-handed spears at their enemies. A variety of shields are available with paragon attribute requirements (Motivation and Command).

Attributes

Leadership (Primary)

The Paragon’s primary attribute, Leadership, you gain 1 Energy for each ally affected by one of your Shouts or Chants (maximum 1 Energy for every 2 ranks).

Command

Many Paragon skills, especially those that protect your allies or increase your tactical position on the battlefield, become more effective with higher Command.

Motivation

Many Paragon skills, especially those related to Energy management or that inspire your allies, become more effective with higher Motivation.

Spear Mastery

Spear Mastery increases the damage you do with spears and your chance to inflict a critical hit when using a spear. Many skills, especially spear attack skills, become more effective with higher Spear Mastery.

Where a ranger lives as one with the spirit world, a ritualist can and will be its master. Ritualists shield their eyes to better commune with spirits that grant great power and protection.

Ritualists channel other-worldly energies from the Mists and commune with spirits through mystic Binding Rituals, bending them to aid their allies or punish their foes. The energy channeled from the Mists powers ritualist skills, enhancing the deadliness of an ally’s weapon and wreaking havoc on an enemy’s health. The ritualist can also use the remains of the dead to defend the living, not by reanimating corpses as a necromancer would, but through the ritual use of urns and ashes.

Attributes

Spawning Power(Primary)

For each rank of Spawning Power, summoned or animated creatures gain 4% more Health. Spawning Power also makes many Ritualist skills related to spirit creatures more effective.

Channeling Magic

No inherent effect. Many Ritualist skills, especially those related to lightning damage and energy, become more effective with higher Channeling Magic.

Communing

No inherent effect. Many Ritualist skills, especially those related to summoning spirits, become more effective with higher Communing.

Restoration Magic

No inherent effect. Many Ritualist skills, especially those related to healing, life stealing and defense, become more effective with higher Restoration Magic.

Common usage

Restoration

Restoration magic is the healing branch of Ritualist skills. They can be as powerful, or more, than its Monk counterparts, but they’re rarely as simple to use, since its effectiveness often changes depending on conditional factors such as the presence of Spirits nearby, whether you’re holding an item or not and if the spell target is affected by a weapon spell. Nevertheless, a good Restoration ritualist can keep a party alive with remarkable competence.

Channeling

Channeling skills are the most damage-oriented tools available to a Ritualist. Rivaling in raw firepower some of the biggest guns Elementalists have to show, Channeling spells such as Spirit Rift can obliterate enemies quite quickly. However, as most skills of this class, they are not straightforward and often have a catch to use, such as the 3-second delay in Spirit Rift or dealing increased damage if certain conditions are met. The ability to summon damage-dealing spirits and to support the party through weapon spells such as Splinter Weapon further increases the usefulness of Channeling skills.

Spirit wrangler/herder

A Ritualist manager of offensive spirits that uses channeling skills like Painful Bond to increase damage to foes done by spirits , Spirit Boon Strike to damage foes while healing the spirits, and Signet of Spirits or Offering of Spirit to gain energy when spirits are within earshot when Boon of Creation is not enough as energy management. Spirits like Bloodsong, Pain, Anguish, Dissonance, and Shadowsong are seen often. Wanderlust is usually a favorite elite spirit to use along with Earthbind to cause knock downs and Dissonance to interrupt foes while they aren’t knocked down.

Spirit spammer

A ritualist which focuses on summoning spirits as often as possible with skills like Ritual Lord, Weapon of Quickening, and sometimes with the ranger stance Serpent’s Quickness to reduce recharge times of binding rituals and an energy management skill, Boon of Creation. They can either be offensive or defensive spirit spammers.

The offensive variety is like the spirit wrangler but spams attack spirits and uses skills such as Rupture Soul to damage foes before summoning the destroyed spirit, Explosive Growth to damage foes, and Doom to damage foes along with spirits.

The defensive variety uses protective spirits such as Shelter and Union in that order and healing spirits like Life, Recovery, Recuperation. Spirit to Flesh and Spirit’s Gift are used to provide additional healing. Skills such as Signet of Binding and Signet of Creation provide prolong life to a spirit for a limited time to keep spirits alive enough to summon replacements.

Note:Before the Soul Reaping nerf, they were used as a battery to provide energy to necromancers.

Minion bomber

Minion Bombers are a quite unique breed of Ritualists. Relying heavily on Necromancer skills such as Death Nova and Animate Bone Minions, the goal of a Minion Bomber is to create a quick army of disposable creatures and explode them on his enemies. Ritualist/Necromancer characters are well suited for this task, thanks to skills like Explosive Growth and Signet of Creation. While a Necromancer can use more or less the same tactics, Ritualists do it with far greater style.

Secondary professions

Warrior

Defensive stances from the Tactics line combined with defensive Item Spells can offer protection against foes. Shouts such as “Shields Up!” or “Watch Yourself!” can provide defensive benefits to most of your party. The elite skill Spirit’s Strength can be used for a large damage boost combined with a melee weapon and warrior Attack Skills to function like a warrior.

Ranger

The Ritualist’s Spawning Power can be used to reinforce nature spirits with additional health.

Serpent’s Quickness or Quickening Zephyr can reduce the lengthy recharge times on Spirits in place of Ritual Lord to use another elite. Ranger traps can be used to protect vital spirits or allies.

Weapon spells like Splinter Weapon and certain Bow Attacks like Dual Shot or Barrage can provide spiking potential.

Many running skills like Storm’s Embrace, Natural Stride, and Storm Chaser can be used.

Monk

Monk skills can provide additional condition removal and give the ritualist hex removal. Skills such as Martyr or Draw Conditions can be used with Resilient Was Xiko and Resilient Weapon to put conditions on a single person best able to handle them.

Attuned Was Songkai can be used to spam Heal Party or high costing Protection Prayers spells.

Smiting Prayers skills like Zealot’s Fire can be used with spammable weapon spells like Vengeful Weapon to help the ally and punish melee foes who are harassing spell casters or melee characters who are taking damage.

Necromancer

Spawning Power can provide more health to minions at the cost of lower level minions. Spawning Power skills can make great use of minion creation skills to add damage and energy management when summoning minions in a large group and the use of skills like Death Nova to damage foes when minions fall in battle(also with the help of Dark Bond to redirects damage dealt to you to one of your minions) which is common in Minion Bomber builds.

Attuned Was Songkai and Awaken the Blood(+2 to Blood & Curses) could be used to spam Life stealing spells in Blood Magic line or spam curses.

Mesmer

Ritualists can make use of mantras to gain armor against elemental attacks and gain whenever hit by elemental attacks. Mantra of Resolve is used to protect against interrupts which is useful when summoning spirit. Arcane Echo is used to increase the damage potential of channeling magic builds and enable ritualists to farm with Vengeful Was Khanhei effectively.

They can also make use of stances like Physical or Elemental Resistance and an addition of hex removal. Also, mesmer interrupts make a nice addition to the three ritualist interrupts.

The Mesmer skill Signet of Midnight can be to blind the user and the foe while taking advantage of Resilient Weapon and Resilient Was Xiko.

Elementalist

Air Magic skills can be used to inflict damage with armor penetration or conditions like weakness from Enervating Charge or Glimmering Mark which can be combined with the Channeling Magic lightning spells for an effective blinding ritualist. Many glyphs can be used to reduce recharge time and energy cost on spells in the ritualist’s lineup or to help spread item and weapon spells. Note that binding rituals are unaffected.

Several knock down skills from the Earth Magic line can benefit greatly from Earthbind spirit.

Ward spells can help protect the party in addtion to a defensive spirit like Union to stay alive longer. Ward Against Foes can be used to slow down melee foes that are aiming to destroy the spirit. Note that wards do not affect spirits.

Assassin

Assassin skills from the Shadow Arts line is used primarily for mobility purposes to evade and escape from attacks with Dark Escape, Death’s Retreat, and Return allows to shadowstep to a safer location or for defensive purposes with skills like Feigned Neutrality and Shroud of Distress. Note that shadowstepping will cause a bundle item like an urn and ashes to drop which can be used as an advantage depending on the bundle being held.

Spirit Walk allows efficient travel between spirits to use skills that require the ritualist to “touch” their spirits to work or to just escape to spirit that may not be near the foe. Swap allows the ritualist to switch places with a spirit like Destruction, Shadowsong, or a minion while escaping from the foe.

Spirit spammers can make use of Assassin’s Promise to increase mobility by recharging slow recharging spirits with energy return provided that the hexed foe is killed in time.

Spirit’s Strength can be combined with daggers and dagger attack skills for a large damage boost to function more like an assassin than a ritualist.

Paragon

Vocal was Sogolon can be used to make all shouts and chants last longer. There are many good candidates within the Motivation line that will give healing and energy to the party. Signet of Synergy could be used as a substitute Ghostmirror Light as Ritualists usually do not utilize enchantments.

The command skill “Stand Your Ground!” can be used to provide armor for nonmoving allies, mainly spell casters. “Help Me!” could be used to make other allies’ Spells targeting you cast 50% faster last longer just in case you’re being targeted.

The leadership skill Hexbreaker Aria can be used as an unlinked conditional hex removal.

Dervish

Ritualists can make use of skills from the Wind Prayers attribute like Featherfoot Grace to move and remove conditions quicker. Earth Prayers such as Veil of Thorns can be used to cripple the attacking foe and escape.

Spirit’s Strength can be combined with a Scythe and Scythe attack skills for a large damage boost to function more like a melee fighter than a ritualist.

The Assassin walks the shadows, a deadly viper ready to strike at the heart when an enemy least expects it. Wearing only lightweight armor, they have mastered the ability to move as shadows, avoiding damage by not being there when an enemy’s strike lands.

Assassins are masters of their chosen weapon, the dagger, and are experts at inflicting Critical Strikes that cause massive damage. Assassins are trained to efficiently link attacks together in a chain to give added combat bonuses. Their other magical skills include hexes that lower a target’s defenses and protect the assassin from harm.

Attributes

Critical Strikes (Primary)

For each point spent on this primary attribute, the Assassin gains an additional 1% chance to score a critical hit. Assassins also gain Energy whenever they score a critical hit in this way.

Dagger Mastery

Boost the Dagger Mastery attribute to boost the damage the Assassin inflicts with daggers and the chance to land a critical hit with a dagger. Many skills, especially dagger attack skills, become more effective with increased Dagger Mastery. This attribute also improves your chance of performing a Double Attack and striking with both daggers at once.

Deadly Arts

Increase the Deadly Arts attribute to improve the duration and effectiveness of Hexes and other skills that make a single enemy vulnerable to the Assassin’s strikes.

Shadow Arts

Put points into the Shadow Arts attribute to improve skills that boost the Assassin’s defenses and allow instantaneous shadow movement. Shadow Arts also contains some healing skills.

Elementalists command the four elemental forces: earth, air, fire and water. With magic derived from the very foundations of nature itself, Elementalists can inflict more damage in a single strike than any other profession. There are as many types of Elementalists as there are elements and ways to combine them. Some Elementalists choose to study two or more elements to maintain broad discipline, though many prefer to focus on one unique element.

Earth Magic triggers quakes and volcanoes, envelops foes in solid rock and can add to the strength and stamina of allies. Earth Magic is especially powerful against fighters with many skills that cause blindness and knockdown or weaken attacking foes.

Air Magic is driven by the power of storms and lightning, granting allies greater speed or targeting specific foes with a focused, high-damage attack.

Fire Magic is often considered the most purely destructive form, inflicting searing pain and damage on multiple enemies.

Water Magic summons ice and mist to slow enemies down and blur their vision, inflicts freezing cold damage and even protects allies from other forms of magical attack.

The primary elementalist attribute, Energy Storage, gives elementalists the highest maximum energy pool in the game. This is useful as a buffer for exhaustive and high energy skills, but should not be seen as energy management.

Attributes

Energy Storage (Primary)

The Elementalist’s primary attribute, Energy Storage, increases maximum Energy and boosts skills that help regenerate Energy.

Air Magic

Air Magic increases the duration and effectiveness of the Elementalist’s Air skills, which pierce armor, cause Blindness, and knock enemies flat.

Earth Magic

Build up Earth Magic to increase the duration and effectiveness of the Elementalist’s earth skills, which can protect both hero and ally or inflict damage on opponents that ignores their armor.

Fire Magic

Improve Fire Magic to increase the duration and effectiveness of the Elementalist’s fire skills, which inflict fire damage and can affect large areas.

Water Magic

Allocate points to Water Magic to increase the duration and effect of the Elementalist’s water skills, which slow enemy movement and turns the blood of foes to ice. This line of skills includes many snares, these skills are helpful in pvp battles were you need to slow down a enemy.

Common usage

Echoing

Due to the slow recharge of some very powerful nuking skills, some elementalist choose to use the Mesmer skills Arcane Echo and the elite Echo which allows an E/Me to repeat his/her strongest spells upon a target. Using both the echo skills, area of effect spells like Meteor Shower and Rodgort’s Invocation can be cast up to three times in seconds. Using this tactic, the Elementalist can potentially triple their damage per second (DPS). The elite elementalist skill Glyph of Renewal also allows the caster to instantly regain the skill they just cast. Either of these methods delivers high damage output in a very short amount of time, but may also drain the elementalist’s energy in a very short amount of time if proper energy management tactics are not taken.

Nuking

In PvE gameplay, the Elementalist can usually be found filling a heavy damage role called a “nuker”. The role of a nuker is to inflict large amounts of damage over a given area in a short period of time weakening or killing whole groups of enemies. This is typically done using Fire Magic, which lends this role its nickname, but other elements are being used with the introduction of some new skills like the elite skill Sandstorm. An efficient nuker will usually remain behind a set of tanks while they casting spells from a distance. In PvE, a nuker may effectively take out an entire group at once just by understanding the effects of their skills on the enemy AI.

Spiking

Spiking is the art of focusing a lot of damage on a single target during (very) short period. For example, an Elementalist who uses Air Magic to deal a large amount of damage to a single target concentrates its power inflicting more damage on a specific target with 25% armor penetration against that target. Another example of spiking is the Earth Magic skill Obsidian Flame, which is sometimes used by teams during GvG casting it all at the same time at one target to take it out in just 2 seconds.

Necromancers wield the power of death itself - a power no enemy can stand against forever. The dark arts of the necromancer usually take a toll on the caster by forcing a sacrifice of health, but the harm that befalls a necromancer’s foes in return makes this a small, if painful, price to pay.

Necromancers can revive corpses as deadly foot soldiers using Death Magic, Blood Magic steals health from foes and Curses wreak havoc among the Necromancer’s opponents by sapping enemy enchantments and muting their healing ability. Necromancers keep their energy bars full with Soul Reaping, the primary necromancer attribute, which feeds upon the deaths of others.

Attributes

Soul Reaping (Primary)

Soul Reaping, the Necromancer’s primary attribute, improves your ability to gain energy whenever a creature near you dies. For each point you have in Soul Reaping you will gain 1 energy when a creature near you dies (halved for Spirits). You can only gain energy this way once every 5 seconds.

Blood Magic

Blood Magic adds to the duration and effectiveness of skills that steal Health from enemies and give it to you.

Curses

Add points to Curses and boost the duration and effectiveness of Curse skills, reducing your enemies’ effectiveness in battle.

Death Magic

Increase Death Magic to augment the duration and effect of skills that deal cold and shadow damage, as well as those that summon undead minions for you to command.

Common usage

Energy support

Energy support necromancers, often called “batteries” or “BiPs”, use the elite skill Blood is Power to supply their allies with energy. For casters such as the Elementalist and the Monk this is extremely beneficial as it allows them to continue using their skills without running out of energy. Batteries are very popular for supporting Bonding Monks and Nuker Elementalists in areas like the Fissure of Woe.

Minion Masters

Often referred to as MMs, minion masters use Death Magic to animate a small army of undead creatures from the corpses of fallen victims and allies. MMs are extremely popular in all areas of gameplay taking some of the pressure off the team when being swarmed with large or numerous groups of enemies.

Cursing

Another common necromancer build uses curses (hex spells) to drain an enemy’s health or inflict damage whenever any enemy attempts to attack or use spells. One such build uses the elite hex spell Spiteful Spirit more commonly referred to as an SS for short. This build excels at wreaking havoc on enemy groups and is commonly used throughout the game.