Skills | Hero development Guild Wars 2 Guide

Skills are the basic part of the game in Guild Wars 2. Every action, like attack with sword, shield defense, firing from the pistol or more complicated like summoning companions, taunt, healing or preparing the flame thrower is an effect of use one of the hundreds available skills. Skill system defines your role on the battlefield and, connected with traits system, your whole character. The choice of skills makes your warrior with a greatsword causes monstrous damage, which the other one with the same weapon won't, but buff the team instead.

Skills can be divided onto two groups: weapon skills and slot skills. The first category contains all skills linked with used weapon. At the beginning you have an access only to the first type of attack, but according to your progress, you'll unlock more skills. It's worth mentioning that one handed weapon has three such skills while the two handed has five of them. But the one handed weapon has one big value: you can put another item into your offhand. Thanks to that you can fight with for example the set sword+shield or sword+axe. Although one handed weapons cause less damage, they have broader spectrum of available skills.

Skills for the greatsword and the set sword+axe.

Besides that, you should know that every class has other attacks: warrior with the greatsword will be able to charge, the guardian attacks all surrounding enemies and then pull up the running ones while the mesmer uses his weapon to fire a deadly ray.

The second category of skills, slot skills, contains skills hid under the 6-0 buttons, which can be unlocked by buying them out for the skill points (gained during challenges or leveling up), from the fifth level. Those skills are: healing, utility and elite, which additionally divides on few levels. The higher level, the more powerful is an effect of the skill and the more points you need to unlock it. Those numbers looks like that:

To choose higher levels of the utility skills, you need to have five skills from the lower level; in case of elite skill, two is enough.

Utility skills for warrior. Elite skills have its own, smaller tree.

How does the skills work?

To use the learned skill, you have to place it on the bar. Weapon skills are chosen automatically: equip a weapon and the bar will be fulfilled. In case of slot skills you have to manually inscribed them to the particular keys. You can do it on two ways: press H, choose skills and traits, then slot skills and here the proper button/skill combination or by clicking on the small arrow on the bar.

Two methods of setting skills: in the skill bar or character's menu.

Skill activation is clicking the particular key or choosing it by mouse click. In some cases, the skill requires second click: those are area attacks, you have to confirmed its area. Casting such skills may be improved by activating Fast-Cast Ground Targeting option, thanks to which after pressing the key, the spell will be centered on the cursor.

Skills have different charging time. Some are launched immediately, some needs few moments to get activated (charging bar is displayed), and some others are immediately, but their effect is visible after a few seconds. Actions required longer preparation can be interrupted by pushing, knocking down or stunning the character. In majority of cases you can move during attacks, only a few skills require to stay still.

Attack's charging bar: when it's full, the hero makes the last, stronger blow.

You can see a description of every skill by moving a mouse over it: you get an information about damage, range and additional effects. In some cases you'll see few windows which means, that after using that skill, the next one will have different effect.

After using a skill, you have to wait a while to use it again. In case of weapon skills after attacking and swapping the weapon, the skill will recharge in the background (so it'll be still unavailable for a while).

Waiting for the skills to recharge isn't the greatest thing.