View source for Guide to making a build

{{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]]<br>
{{mo}} [[Smiting Prayers]]<br>
{{e}}  [[Air Magic]]<br>
{{e}}  [[Fire Magic]]
|-
| Pressure || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}}  [[Sword Mastery]]<br>
{{r}}  [[Marksmanship]]<br>
{{me}} [[Illusion Magic]]
|-
| Support || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}}  [[Tactics]]<br>
{{mo}} [[Divine Favor]]<br>
{{mo}} [[Healing Prayers]]<br>
{{mo}} [[Protection Prayers]]<br>
{{e}}  [[Water Magic]]
|-
| Control || style="text-align:left;" |
{{w}}  [[Hammer Mastery]]<br>
{{me}} [[Domination Magic]]<br>
{{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| ]]