Dragonhunter

“

"I will set my trap and wait for them to come."

The dragon hunter is a ranged, methodical hunter that uses various traps to ensnare their prey while picking them off with arrows of light. Their virtue skills become corporeal and more powerful in exchange for a longer casting time.

— In-game description

Dragonhunter is an elite specialization for the guardian unlocked with the Heart of Thorns expansion. Dragonhunters give physical form to the traditional guardian virtues, making them more powerful in exchange for an increased casting time. Instead of healing and buffing, dragonhunters prefer to aid their allies by killing their common enemies with their great burst damage.

They can use trap skills to deal area damage and deter, or even prevent, enemies from walking out. Dragonhunters can wield longbows, sacrificing area damage for long range single target burst and control. They excel at damage dealing.

List of dragonhunter skills

See also: List of guardian skills

Profession mechanic

#	Skill			Description
F1	Spear of Justice	0.75¾	20	Virtue: Burn foes every few attacks. Activate: Hurl a spear of light that passes through foes. Enemies struck become tethered and receive conditions periodically.
F1	Hunter's Verdict	0.5½	40	Pull all enemies tethered by the Spear of Justice to you, breaking the link. This ability's recharge is separate from that of Spear of Justice.
F2	Wings of Resolve	1	25	Virtue: Regenerates health. Activate: Leap to a target area, healing allies in the area.
F3	Shield of Courage		45	Virtue: Grants aegis periodically. Activate: Grant aegis to nearby allies and create a shield in front of you that blocks attacks. You are vulnerable from the sides and behind while this shield is active.

Weapon skills

#	Skill			Description
Longbow
1	Puncture Shot	0.75¾		Fire an arrow that pierces enemies. If the arrow hits a second target, all enemies struck are crippled.
2	True Shot	0.75¾	4	Charge up energy, creating a powerful attack that pierces through enemies.
3	Deflecting Shot	0.75¾	10	Fire a missile that knocks back enemies and blocks missiles.
4	Symbol of Energy	0.5½	12	Symbol. Fire a slow, arcing arrow that explodes on impact to burn targets and sear a symbol of energy into the ground.
5	Hunter's Ward	1	20	Form your arrows into a barrier, and deal damage at the location.

Slot skills

Healing

Skill				Description
Purification		0.75¾	24	Trap. Heal yourself and imbue your light into a trap. Enemies that trigger this trap are damaged and blinded as the light returns to you for a second heal.

Utility

Skill				Description
Fragments of Faith			25	Trap. Lay a trap that deals damage and unleashes multiple fragments into the area when triggered. Each fragment grants aegis to allies, as long as they don't already have aegis.
Light's Judgment		0.5½	20	Trap. Lay down a trap that creates an area of pure light that reveals enemies and pierces their armor. The first strike dazes foes.
Test of Faith			24	Trap. Lay a trap that creates a ring of weapons that punishes enemies that attempt to cross their threshold. Passthrough damage is increased against disabled targets.
Procession of Blades		0.5½	16	Trap. Set a trap that whirls around and damages enemies when activated.

Elite

Skill				Description
Dragon's Maw		0.5½	40	Trap. Lay a trap that pulls enemies and creates a barrier that holds them in.

List of dragonhunter traits

See also: List of guardian traits

Tier	Trait		Description
Minor Proficiency	Longbow Proficiency		You can wield a longbow.
Minor Adept	Virtuous Action		The guardian's resolve has further increased, allowing Virtues to be manifested as physical aspects. Gain access to Traps.
Major Adept	Hunter's Premonition		Traps skills grant aegis when used.
Major Adept	Dulled Senses		Cripple enemies that you disable. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
Major Adept	Soaring Devastation		Wings of Resolve delivers an attack upon landing. Movement speed is increased.
Minor Master	Defender's Dogma	1	Gain vitality. Blocking an attack causes justice to reach its maximum charge and reduces the cooldown of Spear of Justice.
Major Master	Hunter's Determination		Activating your elite skill breaks stuns.
Major Master	Zealot's Aggression		Deal increased strike damage to crippled foes. Justice's passive effect cripples enemies.
Major Master	Bulwark		Shield of Courage gains increased radius and duration.
Minor Grandmaster	Pure of Sight		Deal bonus strike damage based on your distance to the enemy.
Major Grandmaster	Hunter's Fortification	1	Remove conditions and heal when blocking attacks.
Major Grandmaster	Heavy Light	1	Gain stability when disabling an enemy. Deal increased strike damage to disabled or defiant foes. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
Major Grandmaster	Big Game Hunter		Striking an enemy tethered by your Spear of Justice inflicts vulnerability and increases strike damage dealt. Tether duration is increased.

Lore

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As dragons continue stirring in the land of Tyria, guardians have been honing their light into a physical nature, sharp and deadly enough to pierce scales. The dragonhunter specialization will look to viciously purge the lands of dragons and their ilk, with longbow and traps now at hand. As their prowess with light has increased, they are able to physically manifest their virtues into the world.

— Dragonhunter release notes

Dragonhunters are determined to wipe out the Elder Dragons’ threat entirely, including their minions and everything tainted by them. As the dragons’ influence spreads, these guardians have become less trusting and are relentless in eradicating their prey. With all of the changes to Tyria, dragonhunters have learned to better control their abilities in the fight against Mordremoth and their powers in light-wielding have deepened to the point that they can better physically manifest objects such as traps into the world and use them against their foes.

Braham Eirsson becomes one of the first dragonhunters when he seeks to recover his mother's bow after her death, and makes it his primary focus to hunt down the dragon that killed her.

Gallery

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  Ydalir and Dragonhunter's Gauntlet

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  Wings of Resolve

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  Deflecting Shot

Icons

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  Recolored official promotional icon (original in black and white)

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  Official icon

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  Official icon

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  Wiki icon

Associated items

• Dragonhunter's Longbow
• Ydalir
• Dragonhunter's Gauntlet
• Superior Rune of the Dragonhunter

Related achievements

• Specializations: Adept Dragonhunter — Begin training the guardian's dragonhunter elite specialization. (5)
• Specializations: Master Dragonhunter — Completely train the guardian's dragonhunter elite specialization. (10)
• Specialization Collections: Ydalir — Collect these 14 items and skins to receive the dragonhunter's longbow, Ydalir. (3)

Trivia

• The Dragonhunter name was inspired by medieval witch hunters. Guardians consider themselves protectors of the innocent, and the dragonhunter faction believes justice is the eradication of dragons and their minions.
• Until the Dragonhunter specialization began, Guardians were unable to use longbows, but curiously, they already had the longbow as a spirit weapon skill.

See also

• Meet the Dragonhunter: Guardian's Elite Specialization

External links

• Ready Up: Dragonhunter spotlight on YouTube

References

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Guardian