Despite being launched around the late 2000s, the originalGuild Warscontinues to be a game without an equal or successor in terms of its gameplay, world-building, and especially build craft. As well as having a primary profession (or class), players can also take on a secondary, complementary profession.
As intrepid gaming archeologists continue to rediscoverthis hidden gem, many still find themselves frozen by this important and early choice: their secondary profession. Now that the game has stabilized, there are a few clear-cut best choices for each of the ten professions, with inter-profession mechanic synergy, viability (based on the current meta), and archetype appeal all being important considerations.
The Warrior
Best Synergies: The Assassin, Ranger, & Dervish
A warrior loaded with one or two caster profession spells can be effective, such as a warrior with an air weapon and Conjure Air spell or a warrior with an anti-element mesmer mantra. A ranger pet and healing utility would be useful, but warriors will struggle to make use of a bow in most situations.
However, as the profession with the slowest energy recharge but highest armor, it’s more advisable that warriors adopt another melee profession to take advantage of their natural toughness. TheProphecies-based elite skill, Warrior’s Endurance, helps pay for the most costly melee weapon attacks of other professions.
The Ranger
Best Synergies: The Warrior, Assassin, Ritualist, Dervish
Despite being a ranged profession thatfights with a bow and arrow, the ranger has plenty of skills to help keep them alive and dominating while fighting up close and personal. The warrior is an obvious pairing, as is the dervish and their scythe.
Rangers in Cantha, the setting ofFactions, will find great synergy with the ritualist’s binding spirits skill, as their primary attribute, Expertise, will help reduce the energy cost of summoning them. Dagger-wielding assassins, also ofFactions, make a good fit, especially with a pet.
The Monk
Best Synergies: The Mesmer & Elementalist
Monks tend to be vulnerable due to their importanceas the party’s healer, and as such, mesmer mantas can be useful in deflecting hexes before they even land. A mesmer’s inspiration magic can also be useful for energy management, as they can sap energy from enemies to keep their protection or healing magic going.
The elementalist’s Glyph of Lesser Energy, despite being a skill of the elementalist’s primary attribute skills (meaning it can’t be improved), still helps the monk balance their higher-costing skills by reducing their costs by ten points, an alternative to using enemies as energy batteries.
The Necromancer
Best Synergies: The Assassin, Monk, & Mesmer
The mesmer’s energy management and the monk’s resurrection spells serve the necromancer well enough. However, the assassin’s daggers allow the necromancer to get up close and personal with Blood Magic, and for advanced players with thePropheciescampaign, the anniversary skill, Soul Taker, ups their damage output considerably.
Assassin’s promise has great synergy with the necromancer’s thriving-in-death primary attribute, Soul Reaping, especially when combined with the Death Magic skills that let themexploit the corpses of their enemiesor allies for maximum carnage.
The Mesmer
Best Synergies: The Elementalist, Assassin, Ritualist & Necromancer
Since Fast Casting, their primary attribute, only applies to mesmer spells, mesmers can’t take advantage of their main ability using the spells of other casters. While they may not be able to fast-cast elementalist spells in PVE, they can benefit from having a few direct damage spells in a pinch while theyweave their illusions, and they may find the Glyph of Lesser Energy handy.
Mesmers have the ability to duplicate spells, making a pairing with resurrection-skill using professions like the ritualist or monk highly viable. In terms of gameplay, mesmers are all about tripping their enemies up and hitting them indirectly, a playstyle that also favors necromancers. Finally, the assassin, with its Assassin’s Promise, can provide energy relief for the energy-hungry mesmer.
The Elementalist
Best Synergies: The Mesmer, Ritualist, & Dervish
With a larger amount of energy to play with, the elementalist mixes well with professions that make use of costly skills. The tradeoff is that they cannot sustain much damage. A natural choice forNightfallowners is the dervish, whose Earth Prayers spells can provide some protection.
The elementalist player can easily manage the ritualist’s spirit weapons, arguably better than a ritualist in terms of upkeep, and the mesmer’s skill-echoing utility, as well as its energy management skills, are a great pairing.
The Ritualist
Best Synergies: The Necromancer, Mesmer, Assassin, Mesmer, & Dervish
Given that the ritualist’s primary attribute, Spawning Power, allows them to create minions with more health, a natural fit for a ritualist’s secondary profession is the necromancer. The Spawning Power enchantment, Boon of Creation, should help manage the energy cost of raising a small army of undead minions.
TheNightfall-exclusive Spirit’s Strength elite skill makes putting daggers, a spear, or a scythe from the assassin, paragon, or dervish professions a viable option. The assassin’s ability to shadow step with a ritualist’s held item can make for interesting “bomb-dropping” gameplay. Of course, the ritualist can always benefit from the mesmer’s energy management and anti-hex skills.
The Assassin
Best Synergies: The Ranger, Necromancer, Dervish, Paragon, & Warrior
As the assassin profession is able to fight up close or at a distance and even has enough energy regeneration to competently cast spells, there are many combinations to choose from. The assassin uses hexes and conditions to bring down their target, and the necromancer and mesmer are great at spreading them both.
As perthe sniper assassin archetype, this profession can handily take up the ranger’s bow, the dervish’s scythe, the warrior’s weapons, or the paragon’s spear, but getting the best use out of melee and bow builds will require skills fromNightfalland “Eye of the North” for maximum viability.
The Paragon
Best Synergies: The Warrior, Assassin, & Dervish
Given that paragons are basically mid-range warriors already, albeit with a few more sophisticated shout skills, the two make an excellent pairing. Of course, putting daggers ora sweeping scythe in their handsvia the assassin or dervish works just as well.
to use assassin daggers, the player will need to ownFactionsand bring their paragon at least halfway through the campaign. There is one set of specially made daggers, “Vengence,” available to the paragon via the anniversary event, which is held every April, but dagger skills will still be tied to Cantha.
The Dervish
Best Synergies: The Warrior, Assassin, Monk, & Ritualist
As a natural melee profession, the dervish blends well with the warrior and assassin, as their flash enchantments play well with the warrior’s heavy weapons or the assassin’s quick daggers.
With the anniversary elite skill and weapon, Vow of Revolution and Unveil, the dervish has excellent synergy with the healing professions, the ritualist and monk, as they are able to upkeep plenty of energy while defending themselves with flash enchantments.
