Guild Wars 2 Beginner 2023 Guide: Everything You Need To Know

Welcome to the world of Guild Wars 2 in 2023, where epic adventures await and countless opportunities to shape your destiny lie ahead. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll delve into the rich and dynamic universe of this MMORPG, focusing on the playable races, character customization, classes, user interface essentials, and more.

Playable Races

Guild Wars 2 offers five playable races:

1. Human: A versatile and familiar choice, humans are a balanced race with a rich storyline.
2. Norn: These giants are known for their shapeshifting abilities and connection to the spirits of the wild.
3. Asura: Intelligent and technologically advanced, Asura are known for their small size and remarkable inventions.
4. Sylvari: Plant-like beings with a unique connection to the Dream and a diverse range of appearances.
5. Charr: Fierce and warlike creatures, Charr are known for their military prowess and tribal society.

The choice of race doesn’t grant significant gameplay advantages; instead, it primarily affects your character’s personal story, animations, and a few racially locked skills. Choose the race that resonates with you and aligns with your character’s backstory.

Classes

Guild Wars 2 offers nine distinct classes, each with its unique playstyle and abilities. These classes are divided into three armor types: heavy, medium, and light. Here’s a brief overview of the classes:

1. Guardan (Heavy): A defensive magic melee combatant, excelling in group content.
2. Warrior (Heavy): A versatile melee class with a wide range of weapons and excellent solo and group potential.
3. Revenant (Heavy): Available with expansions, Revenants can channel legendary figures for their abilities, but they can only choose two at a time.
4. Engineer (Medium): The only non-magic class, Engineers rely on intelligence and toolkits to adapt to various situations.
5. Thief (Medium): Agile and elusive, Thieves specialize in shadowy combat and are known for their high skill ceiling.
6. Ranger (Medium): A pet-summoning class with a variety of nature magic skills, perfect for ranged combat.
7. Mesmer (Light): A unique class summoning illusions to fight, manipulate, and deceive enemies, with a high skill ceiling.
8. Necromancer (Light): Masters of death and destruction, Necromancers have a unique Death Shroud form and excel in controlling enemies.
9. Elementalist (Light): Elementalists can harness the power of all four primal elements, offering versatility but with a steep learning curve.

When selecting a class, consider your preferred playstyle, whether it’s melee combat, ranged attacks, magic, or support abilities. Experiment with different classes to find the one that suits you best.

Character Customization

Guild Wars 2 offers extensive character customization, allowing you to change your character’s appearance, body tattoos, physique, height, and more. You can create a unique character or choose to randomize it if you prefer. Additionally, your choices during character creation will impact your character’s personal story, making your experience in the game unique.

UI Basics

The user interface (UI) in Guild Wars 2 provides essential information and options for your character. Some key features include:

1. Main Menu: Access character and account settings, as well as control options.
2. Contacts and Looking for Group: Manage your friends list, group invitations, and find players to join.
3. Party and Squad: Create or join parties and squads for group play.
4. Mentor Tag: Indicate that you’re willing to help and answer questions from other players.
5. Hero Panel: Access information about your character, equipment, wardrobe, achievements, and more.
6. Inventory: Manage your items and equipment, with options to deposit crafting materials.
7. Mail: Send and receive in-game mail from other players or story missions.
8. Guild: Manage your membership in up to five guilds.
9. In-Game Shop: Access the Gem Store, where you can purchase cosmetics, convenience items, and more.
10. Trading Post: Buy and sell items with other players in the game’s marketplace.

Explore these options to enhance your gameplay and improve your character’s capabilities.

Hero Panel

The Hero Panel provides access to your character’s skills, specializations, and elite specializations. This panel is vital for customizing your character’s abilities and traits. You can unlock skills, improve trait lines, and select elite specializations as you progress.

Combat Overview

Combat is dynamic and engaging. You’ll engage in combat with various enemies, and each class has unique abilities and skills. Keep an eye on your endurance bar, as it indicates whether you’re in combat. Conditions and boons play a significant role in combat, affecting both you and your enemies. Learning to manage these effects is crucial for success in battles.

Skills and abilities vary depending on your class and weapon choices, and your role in combat can be damage, support, control, or a combination of these. Experiment with different skills and traits to find a playstyle that suits you.

Endgame Modes

Guild Wars 2 offers several endgame modes to keep you engaged once you reach the max level (level 80):

1. Open World: Continue exploring the vast open world, participate in world events, and engage in various activities.
2. Fractals of The Mists: Challenge yourself in dungeons with unique mechanics and boss fights that scale in difficulty.
3. Strike Missions: Team up with 10 players to take on challenging boss fights with mechanics to master.
4. Raids: Experience the most challenging PVE content in the form of epic boss battles and puzzles.
5. PvP (Structured PvP): Engage in competitive player versus player matches in normalized combat, available from level 2.
6. World vs. World: Join massive battles in this large-scale, server-based PVP mode, capturing objectives and territories.

Each endgame mode offers a different experience, so choose the one that suits your preferences and playstyle. Guild Wars 2 is a dynamic and evolving game with frequent updates and expansions, ensuring there’s always something new to explore and conquer.

Remember, the best way to learn and enjoy Guild Wars 2 is to dive into the game and explore the world of Tyria. Experiment with different classes, try out various game modes, and meet other players to enhance your gaming experience. Enjoy your journey in Guild Wars 2!