Leveling Up

Overview

The following guide covers basic advice for leveling a character and includes information on how to level up and options that can make leveling more efficient. It is important that this guide be treated like a guideline rather than a list of hard rules; do not just blindly follow it. Instead, think about what's convenient and important to you, and use this guide to fill in the blanks.

Leveling Up

In Guild Wars 2, leveling up is a major part of the game. You start leveling right away by finishing the tutorial and you don't ever stop.

As a new player, your goal shouldn't generally be to get to level 80 (the maximum base level) as fast as possible but rather to enjoy and learn the game. Guild Wars 2's leveling process is smooth and well thought out, so taking your time can be as rewarding as any other activity you might choose to do. There are a number of ways to gain experience:

Standard Leveling

In this style of leveling, you explore the world and complete hearts and dynamic events, unlock waypoints and points of interest, view vistas, and interact with the core world of Tyria. This also involves doing dungeons and completing your Personal Story. This is the style of leveling primarily covered in this guide, as it requires you to make decisions about your build fairly early on.

There are a number of sources to look out for when earning experience through the "standard" methods, including:

1. Map Completion - Exploring the world and discovering new areas is the primary way to level early on. Completing hero challenges and hearts or uncovering vistas or waypoints will grant experience equal to a percentage of your level.
2. Events - While exploring, orange "Dynamic Events" may be encountered. Completing these rewards a large amount of experience based on your level.
3. Dungeons - Dungeons are unlocked at level 30 and grant experience equal to 75% of the experience between your current level and the next. This means if a player is already at 50% of the level, completing a dungeon would level them up and grant additional experience into their new level.
4. Monster Kills - Killing any enemy grants experience based on the creature's level and how long it has been alive. Often, it is a good idea to kill "neutral" creatures, as they have often been alive for longer than hostile creatures and will grant significant experience.

Crafting

Training any crafting profession grants experience for each successful craft, granting far more experience if the player is under level 15 or has a currently active Booster. Since training at least one or two professions is strongly recommended, this can be a good option to level new characters or to finish out the final few levels of an existing character.

Tomes and Writs of Experience

Tomes and Writs can be obtained through many different methods in the game, primarily through sPvP and World vs World. Some can also be gained as part of the daily Login Reward systems. A Tome of Experience will grant 100% of the difference between the players current level and the player's next level, while a Writ of Experience grants 5%. It is fine to use these as they are acquired. After level 80, they can be useful for gaining Spirit Shards, a valuable currency, or for leveling alts quickly.

Level Boosts

Level 80 Boosts come with the expansions and can also be bought in the gemstore. These boost your character directly to level 80 in addition to granting them a basic set of starting gear. The gear and build granted to you by a level 80 boost is typically very poor but will suffice while you get your start as a fresh level 80. The boost also grants a number of other benefits, such as unlocking all the level 80 waypoints and giving you a very small amount of starting gold.

It is heavily recommended that you avoid boosting to level 80 for your first character. The game can be quite overwhelming, as there is an incredible amount to learn. Take it slow, get a feel for the combat system.

Level Up Rewards

Each player gains special rewards and unlocks each time they level, until they hit level 80. These are called Level Up Rewards, and while most of them aren't especially useful, some will be used and referenced in this guide.

Dungeons

Dungeons are a useful resource for new players, as they can help teach you how some late-game instanced content, such as a fractals, will work. Dungeons can range in difficulty from "impossible to fail" to "harder than most end-game content", but in general they are an excellent way to introduce yourself to instanced PVE. Dungeons are also a significant source of income at lower levels.

There are eight dungeons in total. You will unlock a new dungeon in each tier of your progression, and each dungeon has two modes - "Story" and "Explorable".

Ascalonian Catacombs

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The first dungeon unlocked is Ascalonian Catacombs, or AC. AC Story unlocks at Level 30 and Explorable unlocks at Level 35. There are three Explorable Paths. You can find the dungeon in the Plains of Ashford at this waypoint: [&BIYBAAA=]

The dungeon is relatively easy and popular, so it is recommended that you complete the story and the three Explorable paths when you are comfortable doing so.

• Note that especially for Explorable Path 1 (Hodgins), your group should be primarily Power focused, as otherwise you will have a hard time in Hodgins's first Scepter Room.

Caudecus's Manor

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Caudecus's Manor, or "CM" (not to be confused with "Challenge Mode") is unlocked at level 40, with the Explorable Paths unlocking at 45. This dungeon is significantly more difficult than AC, but at a minimum the Story should be completed before moving on to higher tiers. CM can be found at this waypoint in Queensdale: [&BPoAAAA=]

• Note that a thief who knows how to chain stealth can make this dungeon much, much easier.

Twilight Arbor

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Twilight Arbor, "TA", is found within the tangled vines of Caledon Forest at the Twilight Arbor waypoint ([&BMgGAAA=]). The TA story unlocks at Level 50, however the dungeon is a bit unusual beyond that. It has two Explorable Paths, known as "Up" and "Forward", which are unlocked at level 55. Additionally, TA contains the "Aetherblade" path, which is a level 80 Explorable Path and one of the hardest dungeon paths to complete. While Up and Forward are not overly difficult, it is recommended to revisit TA Aetherblade after level 80 to complete it.

• A good thief can stealth the party through the dangerous blooms. Blooms can also be destroyed with ranged weapons.

Sorrow's Embrace

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"SE" is one of the physically largest dungeons and has one of the easier paths of the bunch. SE story unlocks at level 60 and its three Explorable Paths unlock at 65. It is recommended to at least attempt to complete both the Story and the Explorable Paths before moving to the next tier. You can find SE in the Dredgehaunt Cliffs, at this waypoint: [&BD8FAAA=]

• It is advised to bring projectile reflects against the dredge, as they often have very hard-hitting projectiles.

Citadel of Flame

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Perhaps the most popular dungeon on this list, Citadel of Flame, or "COF", is a gauntlet of fire and violence with a very "classic dungeon" feel to it. COF's story unlocks at level 70 and its Explorable Paths unlock at 75. The dungeon can be found at the Citadel of Flame waypoint ([&BEAFAAA=]), though this is one of the few dungeons with an entrance that is frequently locked by an event.

If the COF entrance is locked behind a wall of spikes and fire, the "Escort Razen the Raider to the Gates of Flame" and "Hold the Gates of Flame Against Waves of Flame Legion" events will need to be completed to unlock it.

• Classes with portals, such as Thief, Necro, or Mesmer, can be extremely useful in this dungeon.

Honor of the Waves

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One of the most hated dungeons, Honor of the Waves (HotW) takes place in the frozen wastes of Frostgorge Sound. Its story mode unlocks at 76 and its explorable paths are available at level 80. The Story is relatively easy and gives a good amount of experience, so it is recommended to complete it before hitting level 80. The other paths are not necessary but contain a handful of achievements. At the minimum, Path 1 is somewhat simple and doesn't involve underwater combat like the other two. HotW can be found here: [&BEMFAAA=]

• Paths 2 and 3 of this dungeon contain underwater combat.

Crucible of Eternity

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"COE" is one of the more difficult options in this list but also one of the most rewarding. Kills in COE have a chance of awarding Charged Cores and Charged Lodestones, which are quite valuable. COE's story unlocks at level 78, with its Explorable Paths unlocking at 80. Similar to COF, COE's entrance can become blocked by map meta events which must be completed to unlock its entrance. It is recommended that the player complete COE's story before hitting level 80, as it gives significant experience and is fairly easy. COE can be found here: [&BEIFAAA=]

• This dungeon requires decent party coordination in several areas, as well as high DPS from the party.

The Ruined City of Arah

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Arah is the last dungeon on this list and is absolutely gargantuan, with many useful glitches and skips that a party can use to bypass sections of it and a mid-boss that is harder than a lot of "hardcore" end-game bosses. Arah's story mode unlocks at level 80 as the final segment of the player's Personal Story. Once completed, the Player can also venture into Arah's Explorable Modes.

Arah contains four Explorable Modes: The Jotun, The Mursaat, The Forgotten, and The Seer. Each path has completely different bosses and mechanics other than the midboss - Giganticus Lupicus. Lupi is a major obstacle for most groups due to his extremely high health and damage in addition to his "Grub" mechanic which is often quite a challenge for newer players. While there are ways to exploit Lupi into being relatively easy, it can be beneficial to cut your teeth on him as he is simple to learn but can be quite difficult even when compared to some other end-game bosses.

As you are already level 80, you will not need to complete any of the Arah Explorable Paths. Arah can be found here: [&BCADAAA=]

• Sometimes the entrance to Arah will be locked by an event that spawns there. The event is much shorter than COE or COF's events and spawns less frequently.

General Tips

Upgrade Gear Often

Even Common (white) gear of a slightly higher level can outclass Masterwork (green) gear of a lower level, so upgrading your gear often can be critical. You can visit Armorsmiths and Weaponsmiths that you find to obtain Common gear that you can use - Be sure to compare the stats on the gear you're looking at with what you're wearing by hovering over it. If the numbers are red, they're lower. Green? Higher. This can be a good way to keep your stats up to par as you level up.

Note that there is an easily-accessible Armorsmith and Weaponsmith in the PVP lobby which will sell you Common Gear of your level tier.

Stick with Power

You always want to focus on gear that has Power as its main attribute Pre-80. The secondary and tertiary characteristics of the gear can effectively be whatever you want, but Power should be your primary focus. Couple it with Toughness for more defense or Precision for more damage. Avoid Condition Damage, as Pre-80 builds can seldom make effective use of it outside of a few exceptions.

Take It Slow

You can grind out a level 80 by hand in just a few hours if you're dedicated and know the routes, but that's not going to be recommended here. You want to absorb the game, get a feel for its combat system. Guild Wars 2 is very different than many other MMOs, so rushing to 80 won't do you any good.

Party Up

This one actually applies to the whole game, but Guild Wars 2 is a social game. While its fine to play solo, bringing in friends can make the game more fun and rewarding. You can use the LFG tool if you own the core game or the expansions, so don't be afraid to post looking for more folks!

Follow the Content Guide

This one is more of a preference than anything; just under or above your minimap you will see an arrow pointing to nearby objectives. While leveling, it is recommended to follow this objective compass which will lead you towards new content.

You can also ignore it, or even change what kind of content it will point to, but if you're a bit lost this is a helpful tool to use.

Use Consumables

There are a large number of consumables which will boost your experience gain, in fact there are too many to list here. Some of the more common consumables include:

• Nourishment (food) - 10-15% bonus to all experience gained. Obtain these from crafting or as drops!
• Enhancement (utilities) - 10-15% bonus to all experience gained. Obtain these from crafting or as drops!
• Banners & Guild Buffs - 5-10% bonus to experience. Obtained via Guild Commendations or found in frequently-traveled locations.
• Experience Boosters - There are many types of these, such as Birthday Boosters, Celebration Boosters, Experience Boosters, and Laurel Experience Boosters. These can boost your experience gain by up to 150% and some will also grant you "kill streak" experience boosts for chaining monster kills together.
  • Note that Celebration Boosters will usually stack with Experience Boosters

If this is a bit overwhelming, that's totally fine! Try and at least use some food and utilities frequently, as the slight bonus to experience they grant is significant over time.

Class-Specific Choices

This section focuses on choices to be made specific to each class. While these aren't necessarily leveling "builds", they can serve as a general guideline for traits, skills, and weapons you might choose when leveling one of the classes below. It is recommended to experiment with weapons, skills, and traits that suit your taste, rather than copying the choices below, but you can use these as a reference point for said experimentation.

Note that the options below assume that you are focusing on gear with Power. This should always be the case while under level 80, as condition damage lacks most of its important aspects at low levels.

Elementalist

Elementalist

Elementalist is a hard class for new players due to having both the lowest health and lowest armor of any class. To make up for this, it is recommended to keep an eye out for skills that allow you to evade, such as Burning Speed, or skills and traits that grant some defense, such as Obsidian Flesh. It is important to note that, unlike most classes, Elementalist cannot swap weapons while in combat. Instead, swapping Attunements will count as a Weapon Swap.

Attunements

Elementalist's profession mechanic is "Attunements" which come in four flavors: Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. Attuning to a different element will change the skills currently on your skillbar as if you had equipped new weapons. This makes Elementalist somewhat complex, as it has a very large number of skills due to this mechanic.

Weapons

While leveling as Elementalist, it is recommended to use either Scepter or Dagger as your mainhand weapon, with Focus or Dagger as your offhand. Doing this, you will rely heavily on Air Attunement for damage.

Skills

Glyph of Lesser Elementals and Glyph of Storms are extremely powerful skills. You can rely on these for both defense (When cast in Earth Attunement) and offense (Air Attunement and Fire Attunement). At higher levels, Glyph of Elementals can also be a very powerful tool. Arcane Shield, Arcane Blast, and Armor of Earth are also excellent options.

Until you get mounts, Signet of Air is a good option for the movement speed.

Traits

When first unlocking traits, it is highly recommended to go for Fire.

Arcane and Water will offer a mixture of offense and defense, while Air will offer a massive damage increase if taken after Fire. Earth offers some defense, but tends to perform poorly under level 80.

Engineer

Engineer

Engineer is a class that can be either extremely easy or extremely difficult to play, depending on context and build. Like Elementalist, Engineer cannot swap weapons in combat; instead, Engineer has a type of skill called "Kits" which will function as a Weapon Swap. When leveling an Engineer, it is recommended to try some of the different Kits to get a feel for them, as they are often important in end-game builds and understanding how to "juggle" them is a good skill to learn.

The Toolbelt

Engineer's Profession Mechanic is the Toolbelt. The skills on your toolbelt will change based on the Healing Skill, Utilities, and Elite Skill you choose. This is very similar to Elementalist's Attunements in some ways. This gives Engineer a rather large number of skill options at once and can be overwhelming. It is recommended to take it slow when learning Engineer and to spend time familiarizing yourself with the Toolbelt and what each new skill does.

Weapons

Engineer is heavily limited on its choice of weapons due to the aforementioned Kit mechanics. While leveling, Rifle is basically the best option as Pistols do very, very low damage. Fortunately, we can create a build that does not rely on the base weapon used and instead relies heavily on kits.

Skills

Bomb Kit should be the immediate goal when leveling an Engineer. Its Skill 1 deals very high damage. Grenade Kit is another powerful option due to Grenade Barrage and its relatively good ranged damage, however new players may find this skill somewhat difficult to use due to its reliance on Ground Targeting. When leveling, it is completely viable to camp Bomb Kit and spam 1 while occasionally swapping to Grenade Kit to use Skill 2, 4, and 5.

Other strong skills include Elixir U, Elixir B, and Rifle Turret. Rocket Boots can also be a great option for extra mobility.

Traits

When leveling, it is often best to aim for either Explosives or Firearms first.

Afterwards, aim for the other that wasn't taken. Tools can also be taken for a mixture of defense and offense, while Alchemy is a very powerful defensive specialization. Inventions is somewhat weak pre-80, but can be good if taking several Turrets.

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian is a paladin-esque class that focuses on high damage and Active Defense, especially through its ability to spam Aegis to block attacks. Guardian is often thought of as a defensive class by new players, but its damage is very high and it can be quite hard to play at first due to its extremely low health pool (tied with Elementalist).

Virtues

Guardian's profession mechanic is called "Virtues". As a core guardian, there are three Virtues available: Virtue of Justice, Virtue of Resolve, and Virtue of Courage. These Virtues each have a passive effect, which occurs naturally, and an active effect which places the passive on cooldown. These are relatively simple to use compared to some other profession mechanics.

Weapons

Greatsword is core guardian's bread and butter, and it is highly recommended to use it as your primary weapon. For secondary weapons, Sword/Focus is generally the best option, but Scepter/Focus will allow for some ranged engagement. Note that if using the Valor traitline, a Shield instead of Focus can be very strong.

Skills

Sword of Justice is one of Guardian's most powerful skills, and this remains true even in end-game open world, raids, and fractals. This skill deals high damage and applies Vulnerability, which increases all damage the target takes. This should be one of the first skills you aim for when leveling your Guardian.

Other powerful skills include Hammer of Wisdom for crowd control, Bane Signet for damage, "Stand Your Ground!" and "Retreat!" for defense, and Wall of Reflection for projectile hate. Also note that Litany of Wrath is an exceptionally powerful heal skill which can keep you alive even through extremely high incoming damage so long as you stay attacking things.

Traits

It is highly recommended to aim for Zeal as your first specialization. This will grant you higher 24px Vulnerabilty uptime and a large boost to damage.

After Zeal, feel free to explore Radiance for more DPS, Virtues for both DPS and defense, Honor for defense and allied support, or Valor for extremely high personal defense.

Mesmer

Mesmer

Mesmer is an illusionist and duelist that focuses on creating clones and disorienting enemies. It has relatively low damage compared to other classes below level 80, but features a wide array of powerful utility that makes it a great class for players that prefer to use tricks and strategy over brute force.

Illusions and Shatters

Mesmer's profession mechanic comes in two flavors. The active skills are called Shatters, and each performs a different role from damage to crowd control to defense. Complementing these Shatters are Mesmer's Illusions. These come in two varieties: Phantasms and Clones. Clones are created through a variety of sources and will use the Skill 1 of whatever weapon they were summoned with. For example, if you create a Clone while wielding a Greatsword, your Clone will use Spatial Surge. Phantasms are only created through specific weapon or utility skills, and possess their own powerful attack. Once their attack is finished, a Phantasm will disappear and become a CLone.

These two mechanics work together: Shatters will "consume" any existing Clones (up to three). The more clones a Shatter consumes, the more powerful the Shatter becomes. This mechanic remains relevant in virtually every Mesmer build in the game, so it is important to begin getting used to it even early on.

Weapons

Unlike other classes, Mesmer actually does have a few weapons that can be rather poor to use at early levels: Specifically Torch, Staff, and Scepter. These weapons will do absymally low damage at early levels and are typically best avoided. Instead, Greatsword and Sword/Sword are often the best options, though offhand Focus and Pistol can be potent as well.

Skills

Mantra of Pain is one of Mesmer's strongest skills early on. This skill is a cast-and-forget ability which deals damage in an area around your target. Mirror Images and Phantasmal Disenchanter can also be quite powerful, even at low levels, due to their ability to give you more clones. More clones means more shatters.

Other powerful skills include Blink and Arcane Thievery. It should also be noted that Mesmers have access to Portal Entre, which allows the mesmer to teleport themselves and other allies between two points with ease.

Early on, it may be a good idea to unlock Signet of Inspiration for the passive Swiftness.

Traits

Mesmer is fairly reliant on traits for its damage, and even its clone generation in some cases. Dueling, Illusions, and Domination can all be valid first choices, but the best "first" option is typically Domination

• Furious Interruption can be taken if using Greatsword + Sword/Pistol

After Domination, Dueling and Illusions are recommended for increased damage. Chaos or Inspiration can also be taken for a large increase to defense.

Necromancer

Necromancer

Necromancer is one of the easiest classes to play in the game and is designed to perform very well when alone compared to other classes. It's a somewhat selfish class without much support for allies, but because of this it can be a very powerful solo class.

Shroud

Necromancer's profession mechanic is called "Death Shroud". This ability works a bit like an Elementalist's attunement - Changing all of your equipped weapon skills as if you had equipped a new weapon. This ability will disable your heal and utility skills, and while active you will lose Life Force instead of Health when struck. This is a bit of a blessing and a curse

Weapons

Necromancer's weapons get much stronger once elite specializations like Scourge or Reaper have been unlocked, but while leveling Dagger and Axe mainhands are ideal. Staff can also provide some cleave damage, which Necromancer lacks at times. For offhands, feel free to use any offhands you prefer, but Warhorn can be an excellent choice due to its additional crowd control.

Skills

Necromancer can branch into many different skills when leveling, but in general it is recommended to either focus on Minions or Wells. Well of Suffering and Well of Darkness are both very strong abilities which deal area damage while the various Minions provide additional defense by virtue of providing additional targets for enemies to hit.

Early on, it may also be a good idea to unlock Signet of the Locust for increased movement speed.

Traits

Spite, Blood Magic, and Soul Reaping are all excellent choices for Necromancer when leveling up, and each brings something different to the table. In general, Spite will offer higher DPS while Blood Magic brings higher defense and Soul Reaping provides a smoother flow to the class by making Life Force easier to get. For a generally-good option, pick Spite.

Additionally, if using Minions, Death Magic can provide a strong boost to defense.

Ranger

Ranger

Ranger is a strong, versatile class that brings a pet and can spec for group support, DPS, or even healing in the late game. It has naturally high armor, health, and damage which makes it an excellent starter class.

Pets

Ranger's profession mechanic is its pet. This is not especially interactive, but it does provide the player with a second body which can be useful in many situations. Late-game, pets are often used for crowd control or "merged" with by the Soulbeast Elite Specialization for extra stats. Early game, they serve as useful allies that can provide boons, crowd control, or a cute screenshot.

Weapons

Ranger's weapons are almost all good, and its hard to go wrong when choosing one. In general, offhand Dagger, offhand Torch, and Shortbow are more geared towards condition damage, which makes them a bit sub-par for leveling. Other options, like Greatsword, Longbow, and Axes are fantastic and it is encouraged to choose one you think is fun. Each weapon set has a trait that will modify how it functions, which can be a big deal when leveling up. In general, our default recommendation is to play with Axe/Axe + Longbow.

Skills

Ranger has many excellent skills, but Frost Spirit, Storm Spirit, and Stone Spirit are especially good. Frost Trap is excellent for area damage and synergizes with Remorseless if it's taken. "We Heal As One!" is generally the best heal option, while "Strength of the Pack!" is a great elite for running around in open world. Other great skills include "Protect Me!", Signet of Stone, and Signet of the Wild. Early on, it may also be good to run Signet of the Hunt for the increased movement speed.

Traits

Ranger's traits are straightforward and typically work to either buff the ranger or their pet, or create interactions between the two. Beastmastery and Marksmanship are both excellent options to start off with, and Skirmishing or Wildnerness survival can be good later on for either increased damage or defense. For most setups, we recommend taking Marksmanship at first.

• Remorseless can also be taken if you have Frost Trap. Use Barrage when on Longbow, and Frost Trap on other weapon sets to proc this trait.

Revenant

Revenant

Revenant is an exceptionally powerful class that can fill a multitude of roles end-game and outperforms almost anything else when solo. It grants itself almost every boon in the game and has some of the highest sustain possible. Revenant is also quite different from other classes in how it handles Skills, which will be covered in the next section.

Energy

Revenant's profession mechanic is "Energy". Its skills consume energy when used, and Energy must regenerate or be replenished to continue using skills. Skills will consume energy in two ways: Direct, or Upkeep. Skills that directly consume energy have a flat energy cost that is subtracted from the energy total. Skills that use Upkeep will subtract an amount from the Energy Total over time. Upkeep is managed by "Pips" just above the Revenants Energy bar. Five pips point right, indicating energy gain over time, and five pips point left, indicating energy lost. This means the maximum possible upkeep active at once is 10, or a drain of 5% Energy per second.

Energy is replenished at a rate of 1% per pip active on the right side, or will be reset to exactly 50% on swapping Legends (or to 75% if Charged Mists is activated).

Weapons

Revenant's core weapons are generally great, but we recommend Sword/Sword as your primary damage set. Your second set can be Staff for its high crowd control or Hammer for a ranged option.

Skills

Rather than unlocking individual skills, Revenant's skills are tied to its secondary profession mechanic, Legends. You unlock Legends in the same way you would unlock normal skill types, but you cannot mix skills form one Legend with another. This means that instead of mixing and matching several skills, you instead select from several "loadouts". This has upsides and downsides, but helps to simplify the options, at least.

When selecting skills early on, it is recommended to go for Legendary Dwarf Stance and Legendary Assassin Stance as these are more geared towards Power damage. Vengeful Hammers and Impossible Odds add a lot of damage, and most of the Dwarf skills are very strong for defense.

Traits

Devastation and Invocation are Revanant's strongest core traits for Power builds, and we generally recommend aiming for Devastation when first starting. This provides a large increase to damage and a huge amount of sustain.

Later on, aim for Retribution for an increase to defense and damage.

Thief

Thief

Thief is a strong solo class that specializes in damage, mobility, and utility. It has easy access to Stealth, and is the only class pre-80 that can consistently stealth around enemies to reach places that would normally require combat. It also has access to Infiltrator's Arrow, a potent mobility tool which is especially good before you get mounts.

Steal & Initiative

Thief's profession mechanic is called Steal, and it's very straightforward. It is a 1200 range Shadowstep that will teleport you to your target. On reaching your target, it will grant you a second skill in the F2 slot which is based on the target's "Class". In PVE, this can be a bit unpredictable. The stolen skills are usually somewhat mediocre, but Detonate Plasma is very powerful.

Several traits, especially in Trickery, will modify Steal to behave in different ways. When leveling, this mechanic is mostly useful as a way to gain boons, extra stealth, or as a teleport.

Thief also has a secondary profession mechanic called Initiative. This mechanic means that Thief's weapon skills have no cooldowns; instead, they cost Initative. This point system allows a player to spam one skill for DPS, which has both pros and cons.

Weapons

Thief's core weapons are all relatively good options, and unlike other classes Thief's 3rd skill changes based on which two weapons are equipped (if using 1-handed weapons). These are called Dual Skills, and some of them are quite powerful.

A few weapon sets to consider are Pistol + Pistol for Unload, Dagger + Pistol for Shadow Shot and Black Powder, Sword + Pistol for Pistol Whip, which is a long-duration evade (the tooltip is incorrect), or Dagger + Dagger for high damage via Cloak and Dagger ⇒ Backstab.

As Thief's weapon skills have no cooldowns, it is often recommended to keep a Shortbow in the second slot for the mobility it provides.

Skills

Thief's skills are largely geared towards mobility, defense, or utility. Assassin's Signet and Signet of Agility are both excellent options when leveling. Smoke Screen can be used for stealth and defense, while Shadow Refuge provides even more stealth.

For heal skills, Hide in Shadows and Signet of Malice are both recommended. For your elite, Thieves Guild is very strong.

Signet of Shadows can be taken for even more movement speed.

Traits

It is hard to compete with Critical Strikes and Trickery while leveling on Thief. They offer high damage, high healing, and personal boon support which can make leveling a breeze. In particular, Signets of Power is a very strong trait if using signets while leveling.

• No Quarter can be taken for higher DPS at the cost of personal sustain

Later on, aim for Deadly Arts for damage, Acrobatics for defense, or Shadow Arts for an increase to stealth duration.

Warrior

Warrior

Warrior is an easy-to-play, heavy armor class with high HP. It is very straightforward and this makes it ideal for new players, though it has a lack of active defense or sustain until late-game which can make it very reliant on the player's ability to dodge in very high pressure situations.

Burst Skills

Warrior's profession mechanic is its Burst. Its F1 skill will change based on the weapon that is currently equipped. These Burst skills are fueled by Adrenaline, indicated by a yellow bar to the left of the skill. As a core warrior, Adrenaline will build up in three stages, and using a Burst will consume each full bar of Adrenaline. The more bars of Adrenaline that are consumed, the higher damage the Burst skill deals.

Adrenaline is gained from a variety of sources passively during combat, or occasionally actively through skills like "To the Limit!".

Weapons

Warrior is a weaponmaster, and has access to a wide array of different weapon options. Rather than focusing on which weapons should be used, its often better to just focus on which to avoid. Longbow and Sword (both mainhand and offhand) are highly focused on Condition damage, and since Power is stronger when leveling it is generaly recommended to avoid these. Other than that, the rest are quite good and you are encouraged to experiment. We recommend Greatsword + Axe/Axe.

Skills

Warrior's Signets and Shouts are generally the best options to aim for at first, though Banners and Stances are also good. In particular, "For Great Justice!", Signet of Might, and Signet of Fury will grant a massive boost to damage, while "Shake It Off!" and Dolyak Signet are great for extra defense. For your elite, Signet of Rage is excellent for building adrenaline. For healing, all options are strong. Mending will trigger Peak Performance if using it, while Healing Signet grants passive sustain and "To the Limit!" is good for Adrenaline generation. Defiant Stance can be used to counter high-pressure fights.

Traits

In general it is best to take Discipline first, as this traitline provides a smoother flow to the class, extra movement speed, and Quickness.

Later, you can aim for Strength and Arms for more damage, Tactics for ally support and self-healing, or Defense for more defense.