Why do casters (mainly monks) use swords?

Title pretty much says it. I don't see any benefit over wands except for hiding energy, which doesn't seem very necessary in pve.

enchantments last longer

actually they can provide more energy than wands with an unconditional energy+5 inscription, vs the conditional energy+5 (hp above 50%) you find on wands.

Swords, axes, and spears all have the constant +5e you are also able to add more health +30 and an enchant mod vs the wands 5e over 50% and 20% hsr.

You'll mainly see people using them as high health sets +60health and armor while getting spiked helps a lot. Hiding energy works good with -5e as when you die you are able to swap to a higher set and get more energy back(technically).

In addition to the above, if you are carrying non-caster weapons an AI mesmer won't stick backfire on you. Useful in ABs at the mesmer shrine, and I assume in PvE too.

So this would be using a shield too, right? What would be optimal mods for a shield? +30 health and...?

And so for a sword "caster" mods would be +5e and 20% enchanting vs a wand with +5e^50 and 20%HSR?

In serious PvP, you'll take a shield with +30 health and +10 armor vs. (insert damage type here) for as many damage types as you imagine you'll come up against. This is far more effective than -5 physical damage 20% of the time or really any of the other mods. I typically run a -2^enchanted inscription for casual PvP since if I'm taking pressure I'll be putting up prots.

And yes, the definition of a "caster" item is a one-handed martial weapon with +5e and +20% enchanting.

This. Especially in HM. I think one of the things they won't stick on you if you're carrying a martial weapon are things like Energy Burn. It won't prevent them interrupting you, of course, but when you're playing in HM, one Energy Burn can really, really hurt. (According to wiki, Charr Chaots have 16 Domination Magic in HM. That's 11e from one energy burn. If you're from one of the classes with less inherent energy management - monk, rit, mesmer - that's really going to hurt.)

showing off shield sets in pve is quite fun and the main reason i use one. the mesmer ai not putting backfire on someone without a wand or someshit is negated by stupid heros who MUST put splinter weapon on me and make me have to micro it

nothing prevent you to hit with your sword or preferably your spear to trigger splinter, even if your a caster.

They look pretty. I said it. In PvE, it's nice to avoid the Energy Burn and the Backfire and so on.... but some of the selection of caster weapons has to do with the desire, and the ability, to look good.

I Farm Baddies, above, says that showing off the sets in PvE is "quite fun," and he's not alone in thinking that.

I'm not so sure 20% enchanting is the best way to go for a shield set, if you need the longer enchants, change to ur staff instead. I personally use the defensive mod (+5 armour) as I feel stacking armour is more important (the more dmg u reduce, the less you have to heal). when you think about it, +30hp mods dont actually come into effect until you have, you know less than 30hp whereas +5ar ones are always helping.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10388503

This thread should explain it best.

Its kinda annoying sometimes when you use swords/axes when you are a caster. If I accidentally press the space bar I end up going up to the enemy for melee combat.. I prefer spears since they are made for mid-range combat so I may be able to fight if I choose (no matter how little damage) while healing as a monk, spiking as an ele... etc.

Monster AI doesn't use caster-hate spells on casters using melee/ranged non-caster weapons.
:]

To show off their leet PvE equipment.

95% of the time you don't need the +5 energy, but the faster recharge/cast you get from a staff sure might help. A lot of the time you wont need the +20% enchantment duration either, in which case you should be in wand and focus set.

I dunno about that one. Those buggers really love smacking my ranger in the gob with E-surge lately. >_>

It's for the +60hp.

Staves are better for 20% ench, because you can get 20% fsr /40% fcr.

As it has been stated many times above, I take one for the +60 health and Damage -2 While Enchant on my monk.

It's been a while, actually - but I do remember mesmers laying the smackdown that much harder when I'm using my 40/40 set than my martial weapon set. I use the latter mostly for the +armour and the +hp because I'm paranoid and my (old) computer lagged so much I've been running on the motto 'dead monks don't heal' ever since.