User:Tennessee Ernie Ford/Guides/GW2 builds (intro)

Introduction to Guild Wars 2 builds

For those used to GW1 (or just new to MMOs), the build system seems daunting. This introduces the structure of builds used in GW2, but makes no attempt to describe good or bad builds.

Three components of builds

There are three major components to builds:

1. Weapons: your first five skills are entirely determined by your choice of weapons. Weapon skills automatically unlock with practice.
2. Right-side skills: your other five skills are also limited:
   • You have a single slot for health skills; each profession has a choice of three.
   • You have three slots for these skills, which are determined by your profession and race.
   • You have one slot for an elite skill, also determined solely by your profession.
   • You start with the healing slot unlocked; the other slots unlock at Levels 5, 10, 20, and 30 (for the elite).
   • You have to spend skill points to learn skills; you can only earn skill points from skill challenges or playing WvW.
3. Traits: traits are passive benefits that are available by spending trait points in a trait line.
   • You do not have to learn traits.
   • Trait points are earned by gaining levels.
   • Each point spent increases two statistics; a bonus benefit ("minor trait") is granted after allocating 5, 15, and 25 points to the same line; a trait slot ("major trait") is opened at 10, 20, and 30 points.

Four ways to change builds

Most of your build can be changed at any time outside of combat:

1. Change weapons: Changing weapons alters your first five skills.
   • Most profs can swap between two sets during combat; there's a special set for underwater combat.
   • Any prof can change the set outside of combat.
2. Swap utility skills: Any of your other five skills can be changed at any time outside of combat, as long as you have learned the relevant skill.
3. Swap major traits: Similarly, you can swap any major trait for another major trait from the same trait line, also at any time outside of combat.
4. Change trait lines: However, you can only reallocate trait points (and therefore which major trait slots are unlocked and which minor traits benefits you have) by visiting a profession trainer or using a relevant manual. This is the only part of your build that cannot be changed at-will.

Traits 101

Traits vs Attributes

In GW2, traits serve a similar purpose to GW1 attributes: they include innate benefits, per point benefits, and general buffs to the character. However, there are some differences:

• Spending a trait point is 1:1 (no exponential costs to limit the amount you spend).
• There's a hard limit of 30 points/trait.

Trait basics

• Each prof has five trait lines and two types of traits:
  • Traits provide passive benefits: you don't have to do anything to gain their advantage (although taking full advantage requires understanding how they benefit particular skills and combat situations).
  • Each trait line innately improves two secondary stats; nearly all such stats are common to all profs.
  • Each trait line includes innate traits (called "Minor") and swappable traits (called "Major")
    • Minor traits are included automatically at 5, 15, and 25 points spent; you never have a choice of which.
    • Major traits are available in slots at 10, 20, and 30 points spent, with a choice of 12 majors/line.

Personally, I believe that ANet misled us by using "minor" and "major" to distinguish types of traits. I would have preferred:

• Static trait at Novice, Veteran, and Master levels; these are fixed based on your allocation of points.
• Swappable trait; these can be changed at anytime, as long as there's an available slot