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Guide to Hero Basics and Optimization

2026-09-26T01:37:04Z

97.217.221.137: /* Recruitment by effort required */

{{new player guide}}
====Caveat ====
''This '''Guide to Heroes''' assumes the reader has access to the '''[[Nightfall]]''' campaign.'' While free accounts can access a small number of heroes in [[Prophecies]], players may find their heroes' overall effectiveness and end-game viability severely limited without having access to the Nightfall campaign.

Nightfall is where '''heroes game mechanic''' were originally introduced, and because of that, the campaign naturally builds your roster as you play. The trade-off here is that these heroes are tied directly to story progression; you actually have to play through the campaign to get them. Generally speaking, you're not just walking into an outpost, completing a quick quest, and then recruiting them. If you're already planning on experiencing Nightfall, then it is the most natural way to build a full hero roster team, but it requires time investment.

Some heroes are available in other campaigns; see the section '''Recruitment by effort required''' for more information.

=Overview=
===Heroes vs. Henchmen===
In Guild Wars you're not a solo fighter. You can (and should!) play in a team. Players are not always available to join you, so you will have to resort to filling your team with NPCs. There are two kinds of AI allies you can choose:
----
;[[Henchman|Henchmen]]
:{{yes}} Available in every outpost.
:{{no}} Fixed set of skills.
:{{no}} Unmodified equipment.
:{{no}} No micro management of skills possible.
;[[Hero|Heroes]]
:{{no}} Unlocked through quests.
:{{yes}} Entirely customizable skill bar.
:{{yes}} Upgradeable equipment
:{{yes}} Advanced micro management options available.
----
:'''''Heroes are better than henchmen'''''
Although henchmen are a good help initially as you don't have much gold to buy new skills, they will soon prove worse than heroes: Because of their fixed skill sets, you can neither improve their individual performance nor create synergies between multiple team members. In endgame areas, equipment modifications will become more important, giving heroes an additional advantage. Lastly, micro management of single skills or flagging heroes individually is extremely helpful in certain situations, especially boss fights, but only possible with heroes, not henchmen.

:'''''Hero build customization'''''
Heroes have access to all skills of their primary and secondary profession which are already unlocked on your account. You can distribute their attribute points, choose their skills and change their secondary profession. To do so you add them to your party and then click on their portrait at the top of the [[Skills and Attributes Panel|skills and attribute window]] (standard hotkey: K). Title based PvE-only skills are unavailable to heroes.

:'''''Hero equipment'''''
Their base armour rating grows with their level, reaching the maximum armour rating at level 20. There are [[Hero armor|hero armor pieces]] but they only change its visual appearance, not the statistics. For power upgrades you have to improve their armour with insignias and runes like that of a player.
Heroes can be equipped with weapons just like a player to benefit from weapon modifiers and better base statistics.

:'''''Micro management'''
You can manipulate the performance of your heroes in various ways. Except for flag usage they require you to open the hero control panel. To do so, invite the hero into your team and click on the number next to its name.

= Hero Control Panel =
=== Formation ===
{{see|Positioning}}
* Heroes will not always line up ranged characters at the rear, with melee characters in front, as you might expect.
* Heroes will change formation when the player changes from a melee weapon to a ranged or a ranged weapon to a melee.
* Heroes holding bundle items will stand in the front with melee characters.
{{clear}}

=== Combat modes ===
{{see|User interface}}
[[Animal companion|Pet]]s belonging to heroes will use the same combat mode as their heroes.

:[[File:Fight.png|25px]] <big>'''Fight'''</big>
Heroes will aggressively confront enemies:
* They will attack (in priority order) called targets, selected targets within [[spirit range]] of the hero, non-selected enemies actively engaged with the party, and non-selected enemies within the hero's aggro range.
* They prefer attacking foes with the lowest [[armor rating]], and will prioritize foes with the lowest health over foes above 50% their [[maximum health]].
* They will separate from the flag or the controlling player, if necessary.

:[[File:Guard.png|25px]] <big>'''Guard'''</big>
Heroes will guard the area near a flag or the controlling player (whichever is closer and within [[earshot]]), refraining from combat until actively engaged.
* They will not attack enemies unless (in priority order) forced to use a skill, the selected target is called, the selected enemy actively engages the party, or the non-selected enemy enters the party's aggro circle.
* They will not move beyond the guarded area unless forced to use a skill and the target is out-of-range.
* They will return to the guarded area after using a forced skill or the enemy moves far beyond [[spirit range]].
* They will often go out of their way to attack a [[spirit]], despite being in "Guard Mode".

:[[File:Avoid Combat.png|25px]] <big>'''Avoid Combat'''</big>
Heroes never attack and will attempt to avoid enemies when attacked, [[kite|kiting]] as needed. They will not attack selected or called targets unless forced to use a skill.
* They generally will not use skills that directly target foes or cause [[point blank area of effect]] damage:
** Non-lethal skills, such as [[Signet of Lost Souls]], will not be used.
* They will use skills that indirectly affect the enemy:
** Damaging skills that target [[ally|allies]], such as [[Smite Hex]], [[Balthazar's Aura]], or [[weapon spells]].
** [[Ward spell|Ward]] and [[well spell]]s that inflict detrimental effects on foes.
** [[Trap]] skills.
** Summoning skills that bring forth [[minion]]s or [[spirit]]s, such as [[Aura of the Lich]] and [[Signet of Binding]] .
** [[Item spell]]s, that require activating urns and dropping them.
** They will use damaging [[Flash Enchantment Spells]] such as [[Heart of Holy Flame]] or [[Zealous Renewal]] if an enemy is in the area of effect.
{{clear}}

===Target lock===
{{see|Priority target}}
{{section-stub}}
Target a foe and then click on the crosshair in the left bottom of the [[Hero Control panel]] to lock your hero unto it until the target gets killed.
{{clear}}

=== Forced skill use ===
{{see|Hero behavior}}
* Heroes can be ordered to execute skills by clicking on the appropriate skill on the hero skill bar.
* When a hero is ordered to execute a skill during the activation of another skill, the hero will cancel the activation of the first skill and proceed with the ordered skill.
* The hero will not use any other skills until they have successfully activated the ordered skill.
** Heroes can be ordered to drop their current [[bundle]] by clicking on their monitor.
;Force
:By clicking on a skill in the hero control panel you force the hero to use it. In case you currently haven't selected a target the hero will chose one on its own. The same applies if you have selected a target which, due to its affiliation, that skill can't be used against; i.e. when you target yourself and force the hero to use a skill which can only be used against foes, such as Flare. If you have locked your hero on a target but were targeting a different foe yourself when forcing the skill usage, the target locking will be bypassed for this one skill usage. There are some issues with forcing skills to be aware of:
:a) When forcing a hero to use a skill against a target which can't be targeted by certain skill types it will stop using skills and wand this foe until it dies. This can be the case when using a hex spell like Lightning Strike or an enchantment like Ice Spear or Patient Spirit against spirits. Another somewhat common cause for this to happen is forcing any spell against a foe enchanted with Spell Breaker, Shadow Form or Obsidian Flesh.
:b) The wanding issue will also appear when you force a hero to use a skill which is currently on recharge or the skill gets interrupted upon its forced usage. The hero will wait until the skill has recharged and then reattempt to use the skill.
:c) When forcing a hero to use a skill the hero is currently using your commanded usage will be treated as executed.
:d) Heroes don't maintain most bonds – enchantments which will stay on the target until removed by the bonder. If you want a hero to maintain a bond such as Strength of Honor on you, you'll first have to suppress this skill.
;Suppress
:Hold down your suppress key (standard: left shift) and left-click on the hero's skill in the hero control panel to suppress it. It'll be marked with a stroke-through red circle. Do this if you don't want your hero to use a certain skill in one fight, if you want to use a skill only manually or if it is a bond you want the hero to maintain.
{{clear}}

===Flags===
{{see|Hero flag}}
You can flag your first three heroes individually using buttons below your compass and the remaining up to four heroes collectively. If you want to individually flag the remaining heroes aswell, you have to assign keybinds. Open the control options (standard hotkey: F11) and select Action: Command Hero 4/5/6/7. Assign keybinds to these so you can use individual flags for all heroes instead of only the first three. This is most useful when you want to lure foes into your prepared and spread-out team. You are introduced to flag usage in the quests [[Command Training]] and [[Hero Tutorial]].

=Equipping Heroes=
[[File:NightfallHeros.jpg|250px|right|Nightfall Heroes]]

Heroes play an important role in the stories of ''Nightfall'' and ''Eye of the North''. As a character progresses through the storyline they perform [[quest]]s which grant access to heroes. Often a hero needs to be included in the party to access or complete certain quests or missions. Heroes can often have special dialogue in quests and missions, especially if they are compulsorily involved, and may sometimes chip in with comments when they are in a party even if they are not required for the mission or quest.

Some heroes obtained in PvE may not start off at the maximum level and need to be included in a party and gain [[experience]] just like a player character. Heroes will also gain experience if they are in the party when experience is rewarded for completing a quest. Similar to henchmen, heroes take a portion of the [[loot]].

Fully equipping all 29 available heroes per character in PvE is an expensive and time-consuming exercise. While maximum equipment for heroes is not strictly required for PvE, it does offer benefits to players willing to invest. A full set of well-equipped heroes is useful in PvE, especially in [[hard mode]], where a well-designed team with complementary skills can vastly improve the player's chances of successfully clearing an area for the [[Vanquisher]] title.

===Equipment slots===
You have seven equipment slots:
*1 [[Weapon]]
*1 [[Offhand]] item
*5 [[Hero armor|pieces of armour]]

Armour can be upgraded with one [[insignia]] and one [[rune]] per piece. Weapons that are wielded with two hands will cover both the weapon and offhand item slot, which means that you or your heroes won't be able to benefit from a shield while wielding a bow. Weapons and offhand items can be upgraded with modifications of three types, but only one modification of the same type per item:

:A) '''[[List of weapon upgrades#Prefix bonuses|Prefix]], Inscription, [[List of weapon upgrades#Suffix bonuses|Suffix]]''': Axe, Bow, Hammer, Spear, Staff, Sword
:B) '''[[Inscription]], Suffix''': Wand, Focus, Shield

===Easy leveling strategies===
It is easy to reach maximum level of 20. These suggestions are for Nightfall heroes only; all heroes in Eye of the North and Beyond already are level 20 at recruiting.
* Heroes can enter hard mode without being level 20; take advantage of this when doing faction farming.
* Heroes can use [[Junundu]] before level 20 without any health or energy penalties; however, their armor ratings will be lower, and they will deal less damage with skills that are affected by armor.
* Use [[scroll]]s to help improve the amount of experience earned per kill.
* Repeating the quest [[A Show of Force]] with the above strategies will result in very fast leveling of heroes.
* Add the heroes you wish to level up into your party before accepting [[quest reward]]s.

=== Cheap equipment strategies ===
A hero with sub-par equipment is better than a hero with no equipment at all. Fortunately, equipment with the best stats are cheap and easy to obtain. Some of the following methods allows you to sacrifice something other than money to have heroes ready for battle.

; Free equipment
* ''Live off the land'', waiting until you find items via [[drop]]s; this costs nothing, but is riskier, since it extends the amount of time you are fighting with poorly-equipped heroes.
* Use [[promotional weapon]]s. (You can use the same item for as many heroes as you like by repeating the ''/bonus'' command after equipping the previous one.)
* [[Collector weapon]]s are essentially free, if you have collected the requisite [[trophy|trophies]].
* The ''[[Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack|Bonus Mission Pack]]'' can offer a small series of free weapons early on.
** [[The Battle of Jahai]] offers you [[Turai's Sword]] and [[Turai's Shield]].
** [[The Rise of the White Mantle]] offers you a [[Saul's Staff]] of [[Smiting Prayers]].
** [[The Tengu Accords]] offers you a [[Togo's Staff]] of [[Channeling Magic]].

; Low-cost alternatives

* Develop only a few heroes at a time; this limits your flexibility, but ensures you always have a few well-equipped heroes.
* Share equipment across heroes and across characters. Weapons can be swapped for free, but [[rune]]s/[[insignia]]s cost about 16{{gold}} per swap.
* Buy cheap runes/insignias: most armor upgrades cost 100{{gold}}, so if you cannot afford the ''best'' runes/insignias, buy cheaper versions (such as a different tier of an attribute rune). Insignias are usually less impactful than runes for a build.
* For casters, weapon damage is usually less important than other modifiers. Caster weapons with lower damage but otherwise good modifiers can be obtained relatively cheaply at some mid-level weapons NPCs, such as [[Hai Jeling]].

===Fast unlocking skills===
New Hero skills can be unlocked together with the heroes, through [[List of skill quests|skill quest]]s, [[currency]], [[skill point]]s, [[hero skill point]]s, [[signet of capture]] or through the [http://store.guildwars.com/ Guild Wars Online Store] by way of the [[Skill Unlock Pack|Unlock Packs - Skill Packs]].

;Balthazar Faction
If too few skills are unlocked on your account, it is most efficient to create a [[PvP character]] slot and farm [[Balthazar Faction]] or buy [[Flame of Balthazar|Flames of Balthazar]]. If you are unsure which among the 150+ skills to unlock first, consider [http://gwpvx.gamepedia.com/Category:All_working_hero_builds builds at PvXwiki] as a guideline for the most frequent and effective skills used in the heroes' skillbar by the Guild Wars Community.

;Campaign skills
A build's effectiveness depends strongly on its skill selection, especially its [[elite skill]], with only a limited selection available early in the game; but once you unlock a skill on your account, all heroes across all your characters (except under [[Melandru's Accord]]) can use them. Moderately effective skill upgrades can make it easier to progress far enough to unlock the most effective skills.

If you are not intently following the story in order, it is worth briefly visiting the other campaigns to unlock more heroes and skills once you reach [[Lion's Arch]], [[Kaineng Center]] (a short walk from [[The Marketplace]]), or [[Consulate Docks]] (after the Istan story).

If you want to power up your team as quickly as possible and story spoilers are not a concern, Tyrian (Prophecies) characters can even be [[run]] directly to Lion's Arch from as early as post-Searing Ascalon, and Elonian (Nightfall) characters may find players offering a [[ferry]] from Kamadan before doing the storyline. Eye of the North is also available at level 10 from a quest in Lion's Arch, Kaineng Center, or Kamadan.

Keep in mind that you must reach a point in the story where you can change your secondary profession (completion of [[Augury Rock]], [[Nahpui Quarter]], or (for Elonian characters only) [[Hunted!]]) before you can buy skills for professions your character did not initially select.

A small selection of elite skills can be obtained with relative ease:

;;Prophecies
Elite skills are not obtainable until late in the campaign; it is recommended to visit other campaigns if you want to unlock useful ones early.
* The [[Crystal Desert]] can be reached early by running to and completing [[Sanctum Cay]], but the difficulty spike can be punishing to new players even when following the typical story progression. Early bosses in the desert missions have relatively useful capturable elite skills such as [[Word of Healing]], [[Ether Renewal]], and [[Warrior's Endurance]]. [[Augury Rock]] and secondary profession changing quests are also in this region.
* The [[Southern Shiverpeaks]] are even more difficult, but could be reached early by a player offering running services from [[Beacon's Perch]]. Useful skills close to outposts there include [[Spiteful Spirit]] and [[Blood is Power]]. With some difficulty or an extended run, you may be able to capture the highly useful [[Energy Surge]] or [[Ineptitude]].
* All non-elite Prophecies and Core skills can be purchased at [[Ember Light Camp]].

;;Factions
* Elite skills are available as early as the [[Kaineng City]] region, with more options becoming reachable once [[Nahpui Quarter]] is complete. Potentially useful early options include [[Word of Healing]], [[Blood is Power]], [[Elemental Attunement]], [[Animate Flesh Golem]], [[Double Dragon]], [[Assassin's Promise]], and [[Heal as One]].
* Factions is the shortest campaign by mission count, and some runner players offer a tour through the region, so it may be the easiest way for a new player to reach highly useful skills such as [[Energy Surge]], and especially [[Soul Twisting]] and [[Signet of Spirits]] which are only obtainable in Factions.
* All non-elite Factions and Core skills can be purchased at [[Kaineng Center]].

;;Nightfall
* Elite skills are obtainable as early as the [[Consulate Docks]] mission (most notably [[Pious Renewal]]), and more can be found by exploring the [[Kourna]] region after completing [[Hunted!]], such as [[Avatar of Dwayna]], [[Vow of Strength]], [[Glimmer of Light]], [[Way of the Assassin]], [[Searing Flames]], and a couple missions later, [[Zealous Benediction]] and [[Blood is Power]].
* Technically, the [[Vabbi]] region can be reached early if you manage to find someone who can [[run]] through the Desolation; they are rare due to the level of skill required, but can enable early access to elites such as [[Energy Surge]].
* Nightfall skills are scattered across Skill Trainers and Hero Skill Trainers throughout the campaign; there is no single place to purchase all of them.

;;Eye of the North
These areas have an effect that boosts your character's attributes at low level, making it recommended to visit early to unlock heroes.
* All Eye of the North areas can also be reached on foot immediately, so if you are willing to travel or can find a runner offering a tour through the region, it is feasible to reach skills such as [[Jagged Bones]], [[Ineptitude]], [[Searing Flames]], and [[Assassin's Promise]].
* All non-elite Eye of the North and Core skills can be purchased at [[Eye of the North (outpost)]], with some being alternatively available at the Hero Skill Trainer there.

=Recruitment strategies=
{{see|New Players's Guide to Heroes}} ''for a quick walkthrough tailored to new players''

Selecting which unlocked heroes to use for your party can be tricky, and it is made harder when you have to choose between two mutually exclusive heroes to recruit. There are three basic strategies:
#choosing by region (if this is your first playthrough and you have not unlocked hard mode)
#choosing by profession (to help balance your team or learn skills for your heroes and yourself)
#choosing by effort required (how quickly you can unlock the heroes if you are experienced and are [[speed clear]]ing)

=== Recruitment by region ===
{| {{STDT}}
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Nightfall
|-
|rowspan=5 | [[Istan]] || {{w}} [[Koss]]
|-
|{{mo}} [[Dunkoro]]
|-
|{{d}} [[Melonni]]
|-
|{{r}} [[Acolyte Jin]] or {{e}} [[Acolyte Sousuke]] (optional, mutually exclusive until campaign completion)
|-
|{{mo}} [[Tahlkora]]
|-
|rowspan=2 | [[Kourna]] || {{e}} [[Zhed Shadowhoof]]
|-
|{{r}} [[Margrid the Sly]] or {{n}} [[Master of Whispers]] (mutually exclusive until campaign completion)
|-
|rowspan=2 | [[Vabbi]] || {{w}} [[Goren]] or {{me}} [[Norgu]] (optional, mutually exclusive until campaign completion)
|-
|{{p}} [[General Morgahn]]
|-
|rowspan=2 | [[Realm of Torment]] || {{w}} Goren, {{r}} Acolyte Jin, {{r}} Margrid the Sly, {{n}} Master of Whispers, {{me}} Norgu, {{e}} Acolyte Sousuke (optional)
|-
|{{any}} [[Razah]] (optional; starts off as a Ritualist, but can change profession)
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Eye of the North
|-
|rowspan=4| [[Far Shiverpeaks]] || {{mo}} [[Ogden Stonehealer]], {{e}} [[Vekk]]
|-
|{{me}} [[Gwen]]
|-
|{{rt}} [[Xandra]], {{d}} [[Kahmu]] (optional)
|-
|{{w}} [[Jora]]
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Charr Homelands]] || {{r}} [[Pyre Fierceshot]]
|-
|{{a}} [[Anton]] (optional)
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Tarnished Coast]] || {{p}} [[Hayda]] (optional)
|-
|{{n}} [[Livia]]
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Requires [[Prophecies]] and Nightfall
|-
|[[Kryta]] || {{n}} [[Olias]] (optional)
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Requires [[Factions]] and Nightfall
|-
|[[Kaineng City]] || {{a}} [[Zenmai]] (optional)
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Requires Prophecies and Eye of the North
|-
|Far Shiverpeaks || {{p}} [[Keiran Thackeray]] (optional)
|-
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Factions
|-
|rowspan=2 | Kaineng City || {{a}} [[Miku]] (optional)
|-
|{{rt}} [[Zei Ri]] (optional)
|-
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=3| Prophecies
|-
|Ascalon (pre-Searing) Kryta || {{w}} [[Devona]] (optional)
|-
|Ascalon || {{me}} [[Ghost of Althea]] (optional)
|-
|- style="background:silver;"
!colspan=2| Requires Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall
|-
|Kryta Kaineng City Istan || {{d}} [[M.O.X.]] (optional)
|}

===Recruitment by profession===

Here are some things to consider:

* Starting skills matter in the beginning. There are three cases in ''Nightfall'' where you must choose one hero over another resulting in four outcomes with duplicate professions. However, these heroes will have different beginning builds. For new players (with few skills unlocked), it can be wise to consider the two builds before selecting:
** '''[[Acolyte Sousuke]] vs [[Acolyte Jin]]:'''
*** ''Vekk/Zhed vs Acolyte Sousuke'': Zhed specializes in [[Water Magic]] and [[Earth Magic]], allowing defense through snares and wards; Vekk specializes in damage-intensive [[anti-melee]] [[Air Magic]]; and Sousuke specializes in damage-intensive [[area of effect]] [[Fire Magic]].
*** ''Pyre/Margrid vs Acolyte Jin'': Pyre has [[Savage Shot]]; Jin has [[Kindle Arrows]]; Margrid has [[Apply Poison]].
*** Elementalists are generally more impactful in PvE than Rangers.
** '''[[Master of Whispers]] vs [[Margrid the Sly]]:'''
*** ''Pyre/Jin vs Margrid the Sly'': If you have Jin or Pyre for another character, Margrid might be a better choice (to pick up the extra skill)
*** ''Livia/Olias vs Master of Whispers'': Both Livia and Olias focus on [[Blood Magic]] and have some [[Death Magic]] (notably: minion skills); Master of Whispers focuses on [[Curses]], with some Blood Magic.
*** Necromancers are generally more impactful in PvE than Rangers.
** '''[[Goren]] vs [[Norgu]]:'''
*** ''Jora/Koss/Devona vs Goren'': Both Jora and Koss use [[Swordsmanship]] and [[Tactics]], each providing [[Bleed]]ing; Goren and Devona use [[Hammer Mastery]] and Tactics, each providing a [[knock down]]. Devona has more knock downs, including the [[elite]] [[Earth Shaker]], whereas Goren has a [[block]]ing [[stance]].
*** ''Gwen/Althea vs Norgu'': Gwen specializes in [[Domination Magic]] and [[Inspiration Magic]]; Althea and Norgu specialize in [[Illusion Magic]], with some Inspiration Magic.
*** Melee AI has considerable room for improvement, whereas Mesmers have become a very impactful class in PvE.

* Be aware of the capabilities of the henchmen available and customize your heroes accordingly. For example: [[Aidan]] lacks [[interrupt]]s, Nightfall monks do not have [[List of hex removal skills|hex]] removal, and there are no [[minion master]] henchmen available in Elona.
* Balance in a party is generally a good thing; for a new account (with few skills unlocked), balancing often means choosing heroes from different professions. On the other hand, two heroes of the same profession may be able to run the same build or similar builds, requiring less skills to be unlocked. Later, as a more experienced player, you can find more good reasons for overlap (especially [[-way]] team builds that use multiple copies of a skill or profession).

=== Recruitment by effort required ===
An alternative way to consider selecting heroes is how quickly you can complete the necessary quests to unlock them.

;<big>Quick or effortless acquisition</big>
These heroes are unlocked early in the storyline; no builds are required and all can be obtained within 1 hour of gameplay:

* Prophecies: {{w}} Devona
* Nightfall: {{w}} Koss, {{mo}} Dunkoro, {{d}} Melonni, {{mo}} Tahlkora, and either {{r}} Acolyte Jin ''or'' {{e}} Acolyte Sousuke
* Eye of the North: {{me}} Gwen, {{e}} Vekk, {{mo}} Ogden
* Core: {{d}} M.O.X. (requires paid account)

;<big>Moderate effort required</big>

These heroes require a short quest, or are obtained automatically after playing through the early part of a storyline:

* Prophecies: {{n}} Olias (requires paid account), {{me}} Ghost of Althea
* Factions: {{a}} Zenmai
* Nightfall:
** {{e}} Zhed Shadowhoof, {{p}} General Morgahn
** One of each pair: {{r}} Margrid the Sly ''or'' {{n}} Master of Whispers; {{w}} Goren ''or'' {{me}} Norgu
* Eye of the North:
** Requires one additional quest each: {{w}} Jora, {{n}} Livia,
** Requires two additional quests each: {{r}} Pyre Fierceshot, {{p}} Hayda
** Via the [[Norn Fighting Tournament]]: {{rt}} Xandra (randomly, [[Guide to the Norn Fighting Tournament|one of seven opponents]] in round 2), {{d}} Kahmu (randomly, [[Guide to the Norn Fighting Tournament|one of seven opponents]] in round 4)

;<big>Significant effort required</big>

These heroes are typically available late or after campaign completion and require an additional quest:

* Nightfall:
** {{any}} Razah (starts as a Ritualist; can be immediately changed to any profession)
** The remaining member of each of these pairs: {{r}} Acolyte Jin ''or'' {{e}} Acolyte Sousuke; {{r}} Margrid the Sly ''or'' {{n}} Master of Whispers; {{w}} Goren ''or'' {{me}} Norgu
* Eye of the North: {{a}} Anton (requires completion of [[The Missing Vanguard]], and has a fairly long quest sequence)

;<big>Most difficult to recruit</big>

These heroes were introduced as part of '''end-game expansion'''—[[Guild Wars Beyond]]—requiring the '''full completion''' of one or two campaigns, and a '''very long''' quest chain. The quests are "end-game" difficult designed to challenge veteran players, and require a preexisting well-designed [[team build]] with complementary skills and considerable time investment (10 or more hours of gameplay), with no possible shortcuts:
* [[War in Kryta]] + [[Hearts of the North]]: {{p}} Keiran.
* [[Winds of Change]]:
** {{a}} Miku (completion of Normal Mode version)
** {{rt}} Zei Ri (completion of Hard Mode version)
        '''Note:''' Keep in mind that you must complete the Normal Mode version before you can unlock the Hard Mode version of each quest.

{{Heroes nav}}
{{User interface nav}}
[[Category:Hero guides| ]]

Guide to making a build

2026-09-25T07:20:22Z

97.217.221.137: /* AI vs players */

{{new player guide}}
{{rewrite}}[[File:EmptyBar.JPG|400px|right|thumb|An empty skillbar]]
==Basics==
Although the basic principles of making a functioning [[build]] remain the same in both [[Player versus Environment|PvE]] or [[Player versus Player|PvP]], they are drastically different environments and builds have to be tailored accordingly.

The choice of the secondary [[profession]] and the [[skill]]s that are available from it can complement the skills from the primary profession. In various situations, the profession's [[attribute|primary attribute]] and its associated skills serve as energy management while utilizing secondary profession skills (e.g. [[Necromancer]]/[[Ritualist]] [[heal]]ers or [[Elementalist]]/[[Monk]] [[bonder]]s).

===Roles===
{{section-stub}}
{{see|Team roles}}
To create an effective build, '''roles''' need to be considered. A role in ''[[Guild Wars]]'' denotes the use for a build, as well as its position on the battlefield. These roles can be anywhere between offense and defense, [[team roles#frontline|frontline]] and [[team roles#backline|backline]], [[shutdown]] and [[team roles#support|support]], and [[melee attack|melee]] and [[range]]d. Builds will almost always be functioning as part of a group. Therefore it is important to understand that there are several team roles and how they interact.

There are five role types, consisting of three major ones and two minor types. They are [[damage]], support, control, and [[pressure]] and [[utility]] respectively. Professions tend to have attribute lines revolving around these roles. This makes it easier to create builds for specific roles.
{| {{STDT|+=text-align:center;}}
|-
! Role || Attribute lines
|-
| Damage || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}} [[Axe Mastery]] 
{{mo}} [[Smiting Prayers]] 
{{e}} [[Air Magic]] 
{{e}} [[Fire Magic]]
|-
| Pressure || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}} [[Sword Mastery]] 
{{r}} [[Marksmanship]] 
{{me}} [[Illusion Magic]]
|-
| Support || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}} [[Tactics]] 
{{mo}} [[Divine Favor]] 
{{mo}} [[Healing Prayers]] 
{{mo}} [[Protection Prayers]] 
{{e}} [[Water Magic]]
|-
| Control || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}} [[Hammer Mastery]] 
{{me}} [[Domination Magic]] 
{{e}} [[Earth Magic]]
|-
| Utility || style="text-align:left;" |
Most lines.
|}

Skills and [[attribute point]]s are limited. Focusing on one role instead of trying to take on several roles at the same time is generally a good idea. A [[Monk]] who wants to focus on [[heal]]ing, [[protection]], and damage can dedicate fewer skills to each role and will have lower attribute ranks for them. Damage dealers with dedicated healing in their team can replace their self-healing skills for damaging skills, allowing them to spread their attribute points across fewer attributes, increasing their effectiveness.

A general rule is that builds tailored towards a single role will be more effective at that role.

==Common mistakes==
===Attribute spread===
{{main|Attribute spread}}
[[File:BadBar.JPG|400px|right|thumb|Too many attributes (Two Elementalist lines and three Monk lines)]]
One of the main restraints when making a build is the allocation of attribute points. It is generally best to try to narrow down a [[character]]'s attribute spread and invest in only two to three attribute lines. This avoids reduced effectiveness overall. A few skills work adequately even at low attribute ranks, e.g. [[Protective Spirit]] does not require high [[Protection Prayers]] to be effective. Typically, good [[Attribute_point#Point_distributions_compared|attribute spread]]s are 12-12-3 (12 in one attribute, 12 in another, and enough attribute points left over to pull a tertiary attribute up to 3) and 12-10-8 (same concept as 12-12-3).

===Energy problems===
{{main|Energy management}}
A build is only useful when it can be used. The majority of skills require [[energy]], which will run out sooner rather than later without sufficient energy management. While powerful skills can be important, such skills tend to require large amounts of energy. Too many such skills on a skill bar can lead to very few uses throughout a battle. When creating a build, energy management is important. Certain skills return energy upon use, whereas others reward energy as a secondary effect. Making sure a build does not run into energy problems is part of making a good build. An alternative to internal energy management is to designate one member of the [[party]], either [[hero]] or player, as a [[battery]].

===Redundancy===
;Bad
{{skill bar preset|mini|Animate Flesh Golem|Animate Bone Fiend|Animate Shambling Horror|Animate Vampiric Horror|Animate Bone Minions|Blood of the Master|Feast for the Dead|Verata's Sacrifice|border=none}}
A build with overlapping skill effects creates redundancies, making it ''less'' effective than other builds with larger spreads of unique effects.
;Good
{{skill bar preset|mini|Animate Flesh Golem|Animate Bone Fiend|Deathly Swarm|Dark Bond|optional|optional|optional|emptyskills=hide|border=none}}
Instead of running five minion creation skills and three minion healing skills, this example build maintains a more effective loadout, while freeing half your slots for whatever secondary and/or utilities the party may requires.

===Niche-situations===
Certain skills are more effective in some situations than others. Builds can be modified according to the challenge at hand. For instance, in [[area]]s with many hostile [[spellcaster]]s, bringing skills that inflict [[Daze]] or [[interrupt]] can make combat much more manageable. If enemies use a lot of skills that inflict [[knock down]], builds can include skills such as [[Ward of Stability]] and [["I Am Unstoppable!"]].

Similarly, areas can be filled with enemies that are immune to a portion of the build(s) that have been utilized in the past, such as immunities to [[burning]] or [[bleeding]]. For these areas a build may need adjustment to be effective again.

==Stacking==
===Skill types===
{{main|Skill type}}
There are certain [[skill type|types of skills]] that do not allow their effects to [[Effect stacking|stack]], nor combine with other skills of the same type. A character may only have one [[glyph]], [[stance]], [[item spell]], [[weapon spell]], or [[preparation]] active at any one time (a character may have one of each active at the same time with no restriction). For example, when [[Glyph of Lesser Energy]] is active, and [[Glyph of Elemental Power]] is used, Glyph of Lesser Energy will be removed and replaced by Glyph of Elemental Power. Similarly, while [[Bonetti's Defense]] is active, using [[Enraging Charge]] will remove Bonetti's Defense and replace it with Enraging Charge. In the latter example, deliberately replacing stances is also known as [[Stance#Stance_canceling|stance canceling]].

===Caps===
Skill effects are limited in effectiveness via various caps, which makes some skill combinations less beneficial.
;Armor
:[[Armor rating]] (also known as AR) bonuses from multiple skills are capped at +25 AR, though a single skill can exceed that cap (having more than one skill giving +AR is situational at best).
;Increased skill activation
:Any non-attack skill cannot activate slower than 150% of its [[activation time]]. For instance, casting [[Arcane Conundrum]] (doubles casting time (+100%)) on an enemy that is already suffering from the [[Dazed]] [[condition]] (doubles casting time (+100%)), will not combine to an activation time of +200% (or greater).
;Health degeneration/regeneration
:A character cannot have more than -10 [[health degeneration]] or +10 [[health regeneration|regeneration]] by any combination of effects at any one time. Per example: to maintain +10 health regeneration while [[Burning]] is in effect, a total of +17 health regeneration is required. When Burning expires, the health regeneration will still only be +10, rather than +17.

==Advanced concepts==
===Synergy===
{{see|Synergy}}
When skills combine with each other in a beneficial way, it is called synergy. Advanced players take advantage of synergy for compounded effect. This concept is less obvious than [[skill chain]]ing. There should be some coherence in what builds consist of and how they might synergize. Per example:

#When a build or team build frequently summons a [[spirit]] in combat, various Restoration Magic spells can heal with improved effectiveness.
#If the [[Burning]] condition can be applied to a large number of enemies, the [[Paragon]] skill [["They're on Fire!"]] will have a much greater effect.
#In areas where a lot of [[physical attack]]s comes from melee [[target]]s, [[point blank area of effect]] skills will be able to affect more enemies reliably.

The use of multiple skill bars (up to 12 in [[Factions]] [[elite mission]]s) can lead to an exceedingly high amount of synergy.

===Bar compression===
{{see|Bar compression}}

===AI vs players===
{{see|Hero behavior}}
Another concept in creating builds, is understanding what player and the hero [[Hero behavior|AI behavior]] excel at or do poorly.

In general, players are able to perform ''predictive'' actions; a player can execute complex tactical maneuvers based on impending situations. The AI cannot do this, unless the hero skills are manually toggled which can be time-consuming and inefficient. For instance, right before a player [[tank]] runs forward to engage a [[mob]] of enemies, a player Monk can cast various Protection Prayers [[enchantment]]s on the tank in advance. But a hero will not do this until the enemies have actually been engaged.

On the other hand, the AI can perform functions requiring ''hair-trigger reflexes'', which no human player can achieve. For example, in the case of [[Mesmer]]s employing interrupt skills, the role can reliably be served by the hero AI. A player can run such a build with great efficiency, being able to predict and interrupt the more important enemy skills in a way the AI cannot; however, the player will need excellent hand-eye coordination, very low reflex times, and a connection to the [[ArenaNet]] servers with extremely low [[lag]].

This concept is vital to understanding why certain builds, run well by players, cannot be employed as usefully by heroes, and vice versa. This accounts for many differences between builds meant for players, and builds meant for heroes.

Understanding the various limitations of players and heroes alike will allow builds to be much more effective.

==External links==
*[https://guildwars.magical.ch/ Guild Wars Build Creator]
*[https://gwpvx.fandom.com/wiki/PvX_wiki PvX Wiki]
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[[Category:Builds| ]]