Guild Wars: Best Professions, Ranked

Key Takeaways

Monk excels at healing but lacks versatility due to its focus on party health.
Warrior is a reliable tank with high armor, perfect for melee combat lovers.
Assassin offers high-risk, high-reward gameplay with damage bursts and mobility.

As a seasoned veteran of countless battles in the mystical realm of Tyria, I’ve had my fair share of encounters with these enigmatic characters that dwell within the shadows. Among them, none have left such an indelible impression as the Necromancer, the Dervish, the Ritualist, and the Mesmer. Each one a dance with death in their own right, yet each distinctly unique in their approach to the grim reaper’s dance.

In the original game Guild Wars, players were captivated by the diverse play options, a significant factor being its multiclass system. Yet, even though combining roles leads to intriguing outcomes, the main character’s actions are fundamentally linked to their primary profession.

While these professions have changed over the years with balance updates, Guild Wars has not seen any big changes in recent years beyond the 15th-anniversary update. As such, the professions will be ranked according to their viability in today’s build across each of Guild Wars’ campaigns (not just the endgame), their thematic appeal, and how much fun they are to play moment-to-moment.

10 The Monk

The Hit-Point Heal Bot

Upsides: Always popular
Downsides: Offers somewhat niche healing gameplay
Best For: Those who love to be the healer

In the game “Guild Wars”, monks primarily focus on maintaining the health and survival of other players or party members. While they possess the ability to wield magical strikes that ignore enemy armor and double damage against the undead, this skill is most effective in unique situations. Maintaining health can be engaging for those who appreciate this role, but it may not appeal to everyone.

In most cases, a player acting as a monk in reverse whack-a-mole games will primarily focus on monitoring their party’s health indicators. However, there is an alternative approach that emphasizes preemptive and proactive health management through the use of protective prayer abilities. This strategy becomes effective when another monk is responsible for swiftly healing any injuries.

9 The Warrior

The Boiler Plate Melee Fighter

Upsides: Versatile and simple to pick up and play
Downsides: Does not cover any special niche in the end-game
Best For: Beginners, those who love melee combat or cool armor

Typically, when it comes to a game heavily focused on battles, the warrior class is often considered a reliable starting point. Known as the “tank” in Guild Wars, the warrior boasts the highest armor in the game, making them an appealing choice for players who enjoy dealing significant damage directly to their opponents. Moreover, warriors have the unique ability to excel with all melee weapons, including those not exclusively associated with their three specialties (hammer, axe, and sword).

Warriors have limited energy access and often don’t mesh well with many caster secondary professions; however, carrying a few spells won’t be detrimental. Although the warrior may not excel compared to other classes, it is a solid choice and boasts some of the best armor sets available in the game.

8 The Assassin

The Up-Close-And-Personal Glass Cannon

Upsides: Fast-paced and deadly up close
Downsides: Somewhat fragile in the wrong hands
Best For: Those who enjoy skill-based melee combat

The assassin character is a blend of a tenacious combatant and a magic user, ideal for players who thrive on dynamic gameplay that offers both significant rewards and risks. Unlike a warrior, they may not boast the same defensive prowess, but they can inflict substantial damage in quick successions, and even to multiple targets at once.

An assassin may not boast the same level of armor as other melee classes, but they can cleverly employ enchantments or shadowstep spells (essentially teleporting) to stay alive in combat. Their versatility lies in their ability to wield almost any weapon, even projectile ones, which is further enhanced by the assassin’s critical strike attribute that synergizes well with a ranger’s bow.

7 The Elementalist

The Nuke Caster With A Diverse Skill Set

Upsides: Deals ranged, high damage and is easy to learn
Downsides: Not as powerful as other classes at the end game (but still viable)
Best For: Those who like to watch their enemies explode

While the Elementalist may not top the charts in terms of end-game damage output, it remains an excellent choice for both beginners and seasoned players. One reason is that it offers access to powerful ranged spells right from the start, eliminating the need for newcomers to grapple with complex game mechanics before seeing their prowess pay off.

In a nutshell, each of their four components typically executes similar roles: fire causes area-of-effect damage, earth assists with damage reduction, air focuses on dealing concentrated harm, and water slows movement and facilitates healing. Elementalists exhibit an extensive range of build options due to their primary attribute, energy storage, which grants them the ability to smoothly cast multiple high-cost skills in succession throughout the game.

6 The Ranger

The Versatile Marksman And Beastmaster

Upsides: Highly versatile, access to collectible pets
Downsides: Struggles with too many spells
Best For: Newcomers, pet lovers, nature enjoyers

Among various main careers available, the Ranger stands out as one of the most adaptable and compatible with other roles. It complements both martial and magical professions effectively. Additionally, the Ranger’s abilities shine particularly with Beast Mastery, which draws many players due to the appeal of acquiring and training pets. Rangers also have an edge in combat by incorporating elemental resistance into their armor for specific adversary defense.

In simpler terms, Rangers are swift and excel in running across game maps, possessing numerous agile defensive techniques for safe travel. Their main trait, “expertise,” lowers the expense of abilities like marksmanship, traps, pets, and rituals, making them both versatile and powerful.

5 The Paragon

The Ultimate Party Booster

Upsides: One of the highest damage dealers (with a party, henchmen, or heroes)
Downsides: Low skill diversity
Best For: Those who never fight alone

In the game Guild Wars, this heavily armored class that focuses on parties is among the strongest when it comes to player-versus-environment combat. This is due to some key balance adjustments in the final updates. However, they are limited in terms of skill variety. The Paragon’s main mechanic revolves around using their leadership skills to boost and heal allies.

They continue with their chants, echoes, and shouts, all while hurling a spear to wound enemies from afar – similar to the dervish exclusive to Nightfall, the paragon was the final profession introduced in Guild Wars, which means they do not acquire abilities or armor from the initial two campaigns.

4 The Necromancer

Insidious Manipulation And Minion Mastery

Upsides: High energy turnover, undead minions
Downsides: Somewhat passive play
Best For: Goths, emos

This line of work is intriguing to anyone with even a slight affinity for the gothic style. Necromancers find pleasure in decay, crafting and spreading harmful conditions, draining health through dark magic, and amassing an army of undead soldiers from the bodies of their foes.

Necromancers derive power not just from the energy of death, but also by collecting bodies – those of their foes and allies alike. They are valuable additions to any team, whether player or hero, particularly when they specialize in “minion management.” Nevertheless, due to the scarcity of corpses, they often clash with other summoners who rely on deathly entities.

3 The Dervish

The Enchantment-Powered Reaper

Upsides: A high-damage dealing and durable melee fighter
Downsides: Somewhat complex
Best For: Fans of scythes and hoods

The dervish is a remarkable blend of a close-combat warrior who attacks in groups and a spellcaster who affects areas. With their scythes, they can strike three foes simultaneously, while their swift enchantments (which can be instantly cast) have an impact when bestowed and removed.

Some attack skills land harder when they remove enchantments, but dervishes enjoy several benefits for being under them, so there is a constant balancing act at play. They hit groups the hardest with their melee attacks but are renowned for their ability to spread conditions. Thematically, it’s hard to argue with a hooded, scythe-wielding holy warrior.

2 The Ritualist

The Spirit Spamming Static Summoner

Upsides: Extremely diverse number of builds
Downsides: Spirit builds can feel passive
Best For: Players who enjoy farming or a relaxing playstyle

For individuals who favor a hands-off approach to gaming, the Ritualist character is a great pick. The Ritualist’s key advantage lies in its ability to summon spirits or undead entities that are stronger and more powerful in their attacks. Since these spirits possess independent AI, the Ritualist can focus on other tasks within the game, such as buffing allies, launching offensive spells, or providing healing.

This character, known as the Ritualist, is exceptionally versatile, but particularly excels in summoning offensive spirits. In certain scenarios, it has the ability to generate an impressive amount of damage per second, rivaling top figures in the game. In specific situations, it can even hold its own in combat without needing a party for support.

1 The Mesmer

The Master Manipulator Perfect For Experienced Players

Upsides: One of the highest damage dealers, extremely powerful in the right hands
Downsides: Difficult to pick up for newcomers
Best For: Players with advanced knowledge of the game’s mechanics

In the world of Guild Wars, Mesmers showcase some of the most intriguing mechanical designs among classes, not just within this game but across multiplayer RPGs. These characters are exceptionally powerful, yet mastery is required to truly harness their potential. Newcomers might find Mesmers a challenge due to their effectiveness being tied to an extensive understanding of Guild Wars‘ skills and intricacies.

In this class, they have the ability to turn their adversaries’ attacks back on them, draining their energy to bolster their own reserves and impeding the recharge of their skills. This highly skilled vocation, characterized perhaps by an elegant uniform, excels in reducing damage from enemies and swiftly depleting the health of foes by piercing through their armor directly.

2024-09-17 14:34