Open World
Open World builds for Guild Wars 2. A wide variety of GW2 builds and guides for all classes.
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General Builds
Builds meant for general open world play. Useful for general open world and story-mode play, such as events, zerging, map completion, and random shenanigans. These builds typically suggest similar gear to their instanced PvE counterparts (Raids/Fractals/Strikes) for ease of gearing but if you are not worried about this or don't mind investing in a separate gear set for open world then feel free to alter your equipment.
There are currently no test Open World General builds
There are currently no draft Open World General builds
Core Builds
Core builds are builds that do not feature an elite specialization and have gear variants which are accessible to Free To Play players.
A Note From the Editor: Build Philosophy
Build Philosophy is something to be discussed with any build compendium. The builds in this section are fully managed and maintained by myself, though we do occasionally have other contributors. Because of this dynamic, I am often left making difficult decisions related to the section that can have ramifications for how builds are displayed, what type of builds we allow, and many other major issues.
To help keep this in check, it is important to establish a solid philosophy here. It is as follows:
- Builds should be focused on the idea of "General Open World". That is, they should perform well with or without allies.
- Builds should be tailored to a very broad audience including both casual and serious players.
- Builds should be designed with simplicity in mind, especially when it comes to skill usage.
- Builds should use gear similar to their raid counterparts, where available.
- Builds should include basic skill usage for DPS, Defense, and CC.
- Builds should use a priority and key concept system instead of rotations.
- Builds should offer interesting or useful variants.
- Builds should be merged into a single page if there are multiple very similar pages.
- Builds should always list consumable options and encourage players to use them.
Important Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I play these builds in fractals, strikes, and/or raids?
A: No, these builds are for open world. When joining a fractal, strike, or raid group, you should play a Fractal or Raid build.
Q: I don't have the right stats/runes/sigils/unlocked traits for this build. Can I still play it?
A: Yes, but your effectiveness will be limited. Having the right gear and traits is important for maximizing a build's potential. You can still run a build that's close to the recommended build, but you should work your way up to the right gear/traits eventually. Some builds will not function without certain traits, so its worth looking into.
Q: I haven't reached level 80 and don't have these skills/traits unlocked. What should I do?
A: Under level 80 you shouldn't worry about running the absolute best build. Instead, you should try out different weapons, skills, and traits to learn how they work. If you start finding story missions/normal enemies difficult, make sure you're wearing gear appropriate to your level. If you aren't, you can always visit an Armorsmith or Weaponsmith which always offer basic gear within your level range.
Q: The build suggests (X weapon/skill/trait) but I find (Y weapon/skill/trait) more fun to use. Can I use that instead?
A: These builds are meant to be templates which you modify to fit your preferences. Open World has no true "meta". With that said, certain builds hinge heavily on specific traits or gear combinations, so its worth studying and playing the build before you start modifying it.
Q: I would like to contribute suggestions/gameplay tips/new builds. Where do I start?
A: MetaBattle is a community wiki where anyone can contribute! Feel free to edit the build pages or create your own build page. More information can be found at Tutorial and Style Manual.
Raid fundamentals, roles, group requirements, and team composition
Basic advice for leveling a character that includes information and options which can make leveling more efficient
Essential and optional game settings to make your gameplay more fluent in PvE, PvP and WvW
Overview of some of the best and most common ways to earn gold
Help figuring out which Guild Wars 2 profession to try
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