New, looking for profession overview - Guild Wars Forums

Werecat · Mar 27, 2009, 06:17 PM // 18:17

Hello all! I looked into guild wars ages ago(did the trial before the release of the first game), and am JUST getting around to actually buying into the game, and I'm excited! I've got the first set(dubbed prophecies now, right?) on order, and should be here in a week or so. So, here is my question. I have no idea where to start. I'd hate to waste my time with a less than optimal proffession combination. So, my question is, is there a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each proffession? Maybe a summary of good proffession combinations and ability combinations? Anything to get me headed in the right direction would be fantastic. Thanks for any help!

payne · Mar 27, 2009, 06:28 PM // 18:28

warrior: good damage per second - best armor of the phrop professions - specs into sword / axe / hammer...as well are just strenght skills

ranger: most versatile profession EVA - use a bow...but great 75% chance to block skills - can use a pet ally...great inflicting conditions

ele: elemental damage = massive damage (until you reach HM - not important now though) - quite versatile

mesmer: great for hexing / degen enemy health / energy stealing

necro: minion summoner / hexing / degening / gain energy when stuff dies

monk: heal your team / protect your time / smite enemy foes to hell!

< rough on each prof

good combos

w/mo - people say its crap but for a newb [mending] can be a nice way to keep yourself alive...ignore people who say you suck for using it
w/e - for [shock] as an additional knockdown

r/n - toucher (people call it lame - including me) but its newb friendly

me/n - mesmer have fast casting (cast your spells faster) me/n to use hexes from both profs with fast cast speeds.
me/e - fast cast on ele spells

n/mo - minion master with area heals for your minions
n/me - see me/n

mo/e - [glyph of lesser energy] - self explanatory really
mo/me - [channeling] - as above

e/mo - reusable rez from monk line
e/me - [channeling] again

remember once you choose your primary profession - and once you've played through half the game you can change your second profession - so you aen't stuck with it if you are unhappy

all professions have their highs and lows - so no class is BETTER than any other - its down to how you play them
for example warriors have great damage but are weak against elemental damage

as you are a newb my advice is play ranger or necro or war or ele...they are the most newb friendly / versatile - and ele is just spam keys and nuke crap

monk - you need some exp of game mechanics etc. and it aen't fun to be raged at if your a newb and mess up when playing with others as monk
mes - best to steer clear of for the time being - amazing profession but not a newb friendly one IMO

LOOOOOOng post but I hope it helps

Spinny · Mar 27, 2009, 06:29 PM // 18:29

Imho, if you're just starting out, then you should just play what you think looks cool or what your think you'll have most fun playing.Then once you've got the hang of things, start to delve into different proffessions and have a play about.
Also, each proffession has it's upside & downside. There's no 'best' proffession, although some will argue. Everything has it's use for somethin in the game.

Edit: @Above, sorry but I really disagree with the wammo bit, there's much much better skills for warriors to use for self heal such as [Healing Signet] and [Lions Comfort]. Mending is just bad. 3Pips of regen for <=1 energy is just bad.

Kumu Honua · Mar 27, 2009, 06:30 PM // 18:30

Look into cancelling your order and getting Trilogy. That is Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall in one. Probably going to cost you the same as just prophecies has...

Additionally, if you get trilogy from Amazon, you will get free shipping and Eye of the North (Giving you the full set) for $50. A good deal if you ask me.

That being said:

There are no "Bad" combinations. Secondary classes are mostly just that. Secondary. You will use your main class skills most of the time. (Some exceptions of course).

If you PvE you will get the learning curve. You gain skills at certain points of the game and you will be able to see what works and what does not. Additionally, NOTHING is set in stone other than your primary profession (And you can just start another character to have a different primary).

Your skills are interchangeable, your secondary class as well. Even your distribution of skill points is up to you.

If you want to know more, your best bet would be to peruse the wiki's. All the information at your fingertips.

Werecat · Mar 27, 2009, 06:38 PM // 18:38

Awesome guys, thanks for the direction! Now that I know what each proffesion is about, I can now pick something I like, ha ha. Anyway, anyone have a link to a particular wiki? Thanks again for the help!

payne · Mar 27, 2009, 06:40 PM // 18:40

www.guildwiki.org

or google: guildwiki.org

can't remember the exact website as I have it favourited

that is pretty much EVERYTHING you'll need to know par price checks on items

also play in Phropecies 1st it has the smallest / most newb friendly learning curve

Spinny · Mar 27, 2009, 06:41 PM // 18:41

http://wiki.guildwars.com --official wiki
http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page --Un-official wiki [Most prefer it]
www.pvxwiki.com --Wiki for builds.

Falling Petal · Mar 27, 2009, 06:48 PM // 18:48

You don't mention what styles of play you've enjoyed in the past with other games. I started out with a ranger because I liked the rouge from Diablo 1 and amazon from Diablo 2. The ranger is very versatile and can do a bit of everything. If you like simple blowing stuff up the elementalist would be a good choice, warrior for hack'n'slash. The monk is good if you enjoy playing a support role in a team, but it might be best to save that for when you know more about the game. I wouldn't recommend a mesmer for a starting character (I'm not saying >don't<, it's just it can be a bit more complicated than other classes). Necro is another fairly versatile class as you can be a caster or raise a minion army (though they die over time unlike in some other games).

There are some great summary articles on the guild wars wiki:

Also you >probably< don't have to wait a week? If you download a trial you >should< be able to play with that for now, then just enter your CD key into your trial account once it arrives and you're good to go. I'm not 100% certain that is correct tho, maybe someone can confirm?

Werecat · Mar 27, 2009, 07:11 PM // 19:11

Oh yeah, good question, ha ha. I was thinking I wanted to do a more "caster" kind of charecter. A little less on the hands on side. So, I'm thinking I'll probably try out the Necromancer. We'll see how that goes, ha ha. Worst case I can delete and restart.

But yeah, I'm going to download the trial tonight and start playing! How long is the trial for?

Eragon Zarroc · Mar 27, 2009, 07:34 PM // 19:34

i would definitely suggest getting a trilogy pack. more campaigns for more gameplay and ur not limited when it comes to skills. being limited in the skills u can use makes things difficult.

**Marty Silverblade** · Mar 27, 2009, 09:04 PM // 21:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werecat

Worst case I can delete and restart.

You can have more than one character on an account. Make a few characters, play around with them, and see which ones you like to play.

Zodiac Meteor · Mar 28, 2009, 02:49 AM // 02:49

Remember, you can create as many different PvP characters. (AKA rerolling) just keep 1 SLOT for a PvP character

Quote:

Trilogy Pack

Can't go wrong with this. You get skills, armor, heroes and a storyline (another game?)

Necro's has the easiest job for starting the game. People call it MM (means Minion Master). You can go more than 2/3's of the game with no problem. However, minions will lose their usage and will die easier. To a point that they even make poor meat shields. But, once you get to that point there will more skills to grab.

I would suggest playing the professions in this order.

1) Necro (It's easy, great to start out with)
2) Elementalist (Also easy, but changing fighting style may become a must)
3) Warrior (Learn to tank asap)
4) Ranger (Same deal as ele, just got to learn to interrupt)
5) Monk (Get the backline basis down.)
6) Ritualist (Not favored as a pure healer/pure damage hybrid learning FTW)
7) Dervish (Not a pure tank nor a midline, harder to learn)
8) Paragon (PvE will only favor the imbagon, sad but true)
9) Mesmer (Less build love than the paragon)
10) Assassin (Get your combo's down right, then come play this)

If you have any trouble, PM me, Zodiac Ele (not always on that character) and I'll see if I could help.

Tommy's · Mar 28, 2009, 08:05 PM // 20:05

For a starter I would suggest going monk or ranger or warrior. Easy to handle and can be of use mostly everywhere. Others ok too ofc

Just try every proffesion for a day or 2, and pick which one you like most.
About your combinations, second prof monk is best to help you keep alive, but this will become useless very soon. Elementist is good pick because of glyph of lesser energy, reducing the energy cost of skills. Ranger is fun for a pet, but far from usefull. In the start of the game it doesn't matter too much if what you run is good, as you most likely will die alot anyways, just the way of learning the game

I would start with something fun, and by the time you need very good builds for hard mode or elite area's you will be able to change your secondary profession alrdy, so don't worry about that!

GL & HF in the world of Guild Wars

Oh btw, disagree with Meteor.. Mesmers ftw! <3 Wouldn't pick it as your first proffesion though. I would put it above rit and derv and para though. But thats just a matter of taste I guess.

Werecat · Mar 30, 2009, 02:50 PM // 14:50

Ok all, thanks for the help! I started my free trial, and things went pretty well. But, how, exactly, do you get new spells and abilities? I started with a necromancer, and got a new ability when I finished a quest, but that was it. I didn't even get a minion spell of any kind... so, do I just need to wait and keep playing? Will more abilities pop up?

Proff · Mar 30, 2009, 03:09 PM // 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werecat

Ok all, thanks for the help! I started my free trial, and things went pretty well. But, how, exactly, do you get new spells and abilities? I started with a necromancer, and got a new ability when I finished a quest, but that was it. I didn't even get a minion spell of any kind... so, do I just need to wait and keep playing? Will more abilities pop up?

Check out the 3 wikis, they have a ton of info, but otherwise keep going through the quests/ missions and "collecting" the skills you get as a reward from the quest and just try out different things but make sure to look through what works and the appropriate section for your profession on this board for build's and some really good how-to's and introductions. You can also buy skills you've unlocked or once you've gotten to certain outpost's in the game for cash and a skill point.

Werecat · Mar 30, 2009, 03:14 PM // 15:14

Awesome, that's what I thought. I got frustrated yesterday, and started a Ranger charecter, and I'll probably stick with her, but atleast now I know how to get abilities, ha ha.

Mar 27, 2009, 06:17 PM // 18:17	#1
Werecat Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Mar 2009	New, looking for profession overview Hello all! I looked into guild wars ages ago(did the trial before the release of the first game), and am JUST getting around to actually buying into the game, and I'm excited! I've got the first set(dubbed prophecies now, right?) on order, and should be here in a week or so. So, here is my question. I have no idea where to start. I'd hate to waste my time with a less than optimal proffession combination. So, my question is, is there a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each proffession? Maybe a summary of good proffession combinations and ability combinations? Anything to get me headed in the right direction would be fantastic. Thanks for any help!

Mar 27, 2009, 06:29 PM // 18:29	#3
Spinny Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: United Kingdom Guild: Flying Pink Pig Goes [zOOm] Profession: R/	Imho, if you're just starting out, then you should just play what you think looks cool or what your think you'll have most fun playing.Then once you've got the hang of things, start to delve into different proffessions and have a play about. Also, each proffession has it's upside & downside. There's no 'best' proffession, although some will argue. Everything has it's use for somethin in the game. Edit: @Above, sorry but I really disagree with the wammo bit, there's much much better skills for warriors to use for self heal such as [Healing Signet] and [Lions Comfort]. Mending is just bad. 3Pips of regen for <=1 energy is just bad. Last edited by Spinny; Mar 27, 2009 at 06:33 PM // 18:33..

Mar 27, 2009, 06:41 PM // 18:41	#7
Spinny Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: United Kingdom Guild: Flying Pink Pig Goes [zOOm] Profession: R/	http://wiki.guildwars.com --official wiki http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page --Un-official wiki [Most prefer it] www.pvxwiki.com --Wiki for builds. Last edited by Spinny; Mar 27, 2009 at 06:43 PM // 18:43..

Mar 28, 2009, 08:05 PM // 20:05	#13
Tommy's Furnace Stoker Join Date: Dec 2006 Guild: [Bone] Profession: Mo/	For a starter I would suggest going monk or ranger or warrior. Easy to handle and can be of use mostly everywhere. Others ok too ofc Just try every proffesion for a day or 2, and pick which one you like most. About your combinations, second prof monk is best to help you keep alive, but this will become useless very soon. Elementist is good pick because of glyph of lesser energy, reducing the energy cost of skills. Ranger is fun for a pet, but far from usefull. In the start of the game it doesn't matter too much if what you run is good, as you most likely will die alot anyways, just the way of learning the game I would start with something fun, and by the time you need very good builds for hard mode or elite area's you will be able to change your secondary profession alrdy, so don't worry about that! GL & HF in the world of Guild Wars Oh btw, disagree with Meteor.. Mesmers ftw! <3 Wouldn't pick it as your first proffesion though. I would put it above rit and derv and para though. But thats just a matter of taste I guess. Last edited by Tommy's; Mar 28, 2009 at 08:07 PM // 20:07..

Mar 27, 2009, 06:28 PM // 18:28	#2
payne Desert Nomad Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: england (currently located on the south coast) Profession: R/	warrior: good damage per second - best armor of the phrop professions - specs into sword / axe / hammer...as well are just strenght skills ranger: most versatile profession EVA - use a bow...but great 75% chance to block skills - can use a pet ally...great inflicting conditions ele: elemental damage = massive damage (until you reach HM - not important now though) - quite versatile mesmer: great for hexing / degen enemy health / energy stealing necro: minion summoner / hexing / degening / gain energy when stuff dies monk: heal your team / protect your time / smite enemy foes to hell! < rough on each prof good combos w/mo - people say its crap but for a newb [mending] can be a nice way to keep yourself alive...ignore people who say you suck for using it w/e - for [shock] as an additional knockdown r/n - toucher (people call it lame - including me) but its newb friendly me/n - mesmer have fast casting (cast your spells faster) me/n to use hexes from both profs with fast cast speeds. me/e - fast cast on ele spells n/mo - minion master with area heals for your minions n/me - see me/n mo/e - [glyph of lesser energy] - self explanatory really mo/me - [channeling] - as above e/mo - reusable rez from monk line e/me - [channeling] again remember once you choose your primary profession - and once you've played through half the game you can change your second profession - so you aen't stuck with it if you are unhappy all professions have their highs and lows - so no class is BETTER than any other - its down to how you play them for example warriors have great damage but are weak against elemental damage as you are a newb my advice is play ranger or necro or war or ele...they are the most newb friendly / versatile - and ele is just spam keys and nuke crap monk - you need some exp of game mechanics etc. and it aen't fun to be raged at if your a newb and mess up when playing with others as monk mes - best to steer clear of for the time being - amazing profession but not a newb friendly one IMO LOOOOOOng post but I hope it helps

Mar 27, 2009, 06:30 PM // 18:30	#4
Kumu Honua Jungle Guide Join Date: Feb 2008	Look into cancelling your order and getting Trilogy. That is Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall in one. Probably going to cost you the same as just prophecies has... Additionally, if you get trilogy from Amazon, you will get free shipping and Eye of the North (Giving you the full set) for $50. A good deal if you ask me. That being said: There are no "Bad" combinations. Secondary classes are mostly just that. Secondary. You will use your main class skills most of the time. (Some exceptions of course). If you PvE you will get the learning curve. You gain skills at certain points of the game and you will be able to see what works and what does not. Additionally, NOTHING is set in stone other than your primary profession (And you can just start another character to have a different primary). Your skills are interchangeable, your secondary class as well. Even your distribution of skill points is up to you. If you want to know more, your best bet would be to peruse the wiki's. All the information at your fingertips.

Mar 27, 2009, 06:38 PM // 18:38	#5
Werecat Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Mar 2009	Awesome guys, thanks for the direction! Now that I know what each proffesion is about, I can now pick something I like, ha ha. Anyway, anyone have a link to a particular wiki? Thanks again for the help!

Mar 27, 2009, 06:40 PM // 18:40	#6
payne Desert Nomad Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: england (currently located on the south coast) Profession: R/	www.guildwiki.org or google: guildwiki.org can't remember the exact website as I have it favourited that is pretty much EVERYTHING you'll need to know par price checks on items also play in Phropecies 1st it has the smallest / most newb friendly learning curve

Mar 27, 2009, 06:48 PM // 18:48	#8
Falling Petal Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Mar 2009	You don't mention what styles of play you've enjoyed in the past with other games. I started out with a ranger because I liked the rouge from Diablo 1 and amazon from Diablo 2. The ranger is very versatile and can do a bit of everything. If you like simple blowing stuff up the elementalist would be a good choice, warrior for hack'n'slash. The monk is good if you enjoy playing a support role in a team, but it might be best to save that for when you know more about the game. I wouldn't recommend a mesmer for a starting character (I'm not saying >don't<, it's just it can be a bit more complicated than other classes). Necro is another fairly versatile class as you can be a caster or raise a minion army (though they die over time unlike in some other games). There are some great summary articles on the guild wars wiki: Also you >probably< don't have to wait a week? If you download a trial you >should< be able to play with that for now, then just enter your CD key into your trial account once it arrives and you're good to go. I'm not 100% certain that is correct tho, maybe someone can confirm?

Mar 27, 2009, 07:11 PM // 19:11	#9
Werecat Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Mar 2009	Oh yeah, good question, ha ha. I was thinking I wanted to do a more "caster" kind of charecter. A little less on the hands on side. So, I'm thinking I'll probably try out the Necromancer. We'll see how that goes, ha ha. Worst case I can delete and restart. But yeah, I'm going to download the trial tonight and start playing! How long is the trial for?

Mar 27, 2009, 07:34 PM // 19:34	#10
Eragon Zarroc Atra estern?? ono thelduin Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madness Incarnate Guild: [Duo] Profession: W/P	i would definitely suggest getting a trilogy pack. more campaigns for more gameplay and ur not limited when it comes to skills. being limited in the skills u can use makes things difficult.

Mar 30, 2009, 02:50 PM // 14:50	#14
Werecat Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Mar 2009	Ok all, thanks for the help! I started my free trial, and things went pretty well. But, how, exactly, do you get new spells and abilities? I started with a necromancer, and got a new ability when I finished a quest, but that was it. I didn't even get a minion spell of any kind... so, do I just need to wait and keep playing? Will more abilities pop up?

Mar 30, 2009, 03:14 PM // 15:14	#16
Werecat Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: Mar 2009	Awesome, that's what I thought. I got frustrated yesterday, and started a Ranger charecter, and I'll probably stick with her, but atleast now I know how to get abilities, ha ha.