[Gear] GW2: Was tun mit 80 ? Ein Community Quest Guide für jedes Ziel.
A community-led quest log for the rest of the game
So you’re level 80 in Guild Wars 2.
Introduction
This guide was inspired by the excellent “So you just hit level 50?” guide over at the Final Fantasy XIV subreddit (/r/ffxiv). I want to make a quest log of sorts for players who just hit level 80 and need direction – or even veteran players who are a bit bored and need a new goal!
The progression system is a lot different than in FFXIV, so whereas that guide was split into a series of tiers, this guide is divided into two sections – a series of goals, and a series of quests. The goals give you motivation – the quests are what you do to achieve them. However, all of the systems in Guild Wars 2 are woven together, so there will inevitably be some overlap. In the end, Guild Wars 2 is about setting your own goals, so if you’re having fun, you’re doing it right.
(If that last sentence made you want to close this window in disgust, proceed down to the Overcoming Difficult Challenges section.)
Table of Contents
STEP II. CHOOSING A PROGRESSION PATH
Goal: Completion and Collection
Goal: Overcoming difficult challenges
The Quest for Exotic Equipment
The Quest for Ascended Equipment
The Quest for Traits and Skills
The Quest for Armor and Weapon Skins
The Quest for Dungeons and Fractals
The Quest for the World Bosses
The Quest for the Living Story
The Quest for Achievements and Collections
APPENDIX A: Common Abbreviations
I. FIRST STEPS
Let’s take stock of your character before you set your goals.
Get your level 80 gear.
Everything you do in Guild Wars 2 is going to benefit from wearing proper equipment (except maybe structured PvP, where you’re automatically on a level playing field with everyone). Even if you just want to run around completing collections, it would be best not to die along the way!
If you’re lacking gold right now, don’t get hung up on getting the absolute best set of gear right off the bat. We’ll handle that later on in this guide. Start with something cheap that will keep you alive. The excellent No-Nonsense Guide to Gearing Up at Level 80 recommends a cheap masterwork set of level 80 gear that’ll cost you under a gold. Then you can get started on the rest of the guide.
Regardless, you’ll likely want to invest in a more expensive, and well, personal, set of gear soon. Something that complements how you like to play the game. So you should start to ask yourself…
What do I want to do?
Now that you’re level 80, it will be expensive to buy new weapons and armor. So, you should get an idea of what sort of build you’d like to play in order to invest your time and money into the best gear for you!
Tip: Want to test out a build before you purchase the gear? You can enter the Heart of the Mists (sPvP lobby) and experiment with different builds. You will have access to all skills, traits, and gear in the lobby. You can also test out your build by practicing with the Target Golems, fight some NPCs, or challenge yourself by joining a battle.
Want to run dungeons or Fractals of the Mists? It’s probably best to invest in a set of Berserker’s gear (Power, Precision & Ferocity) for maximum damage. However, keep in mind that dungeons and Fractals of the Mists are much tougher PvE content so if you are having difficulty surviving, then a mix of Berserker’s gear and some gear that provides some defence will work well too.
Want to do open world events? A balanced set of gear focused on damage but with reasonable amounts of survivability would be a good idea.
Want to run with a commander in WvW? You’ll probably want to focus more on survivability so you don’t melt in the epic clashes between 50 man armies. Any gear that provides toughness or vitality is a good start to WvW, such as Soldier’s (Power, Toughness, Vitality). However, do consider that you still require some damage output, so you may want to invest in some power gear as well.
No idea? Want to do a little of everything? If you think you’ll want to pick a more specialized build later, it may be safest to stick with a Berserker’s set. It’ll help you kill things faster so you can make more money when you’re ready to decide. If you really just don’t care and want to do jumping puzzles without dying, a balanced set with a little bit of defense and a little bit of offense like Valkyrie’s (Power, Vitality & Ferocity) is a good starting choice. However, it is good to keep in mind that much of GW2’s combat revolves around using dodges and active defenses.
http://metabattle.com/ is a great resource for meta builds in Guild Wars 2.
http://intothemists.com/ is another website where you can see various builds by players.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Equipment_acquisition_by_stats is the official GW2 wiki on equipment acquisition and a list of different gear stats that you can obtain in-game A must website to see when you are gearing up!
http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/2u75kg/dnt_updated_pve_build_guides_for_each_profession/ is a great guide on the current meta builds as of January 27th, 2015.
STEP II. CHOOSING A PROGRESSION PATH
Now
Goal: Combat Generalist
The combat generalist wants to experience all the content that the game has to offer. They probably don’t have time to absolutely maximize their effectiveness in every area, but they want a good shot at everything.
If this sounds fun, you’ll probably want to work towards multiple gear sets for different play types. You’ll be using the following guides:
- The quest for exotic equipment
- The quest for a legendary weapon
- The quest for Dungeon Mastery and Fractals (to practice your skills in speed clearing dungeons)
- The quest for meta-events (to practice your skills in an open world setting)
- The quest for WvW Mastery (to practice your skills in an open-world PvP setting)
- The quest for sPvP Mastery (to practice your skills in an arena setting)
- The quest for the world bosses (to practice your skills against the most difficult PvE in the game)
Goal: Combat Specialist
The combat specialist wants to absolutely maximize their effectiveness in a single type of play. For example, the dungeon runner wants to clear dungeons as fast as possible. The WvW roamer wants to survive, evade, and strike without warning.
If specializing sounds fun, it would be a great idea to absolutely maximize your build’s effectiveness. That means you’ll need to use the following guides:
- All of the quests that a Combat Generalists would complete
- The quest for ascended equipment
Goal: Altoholic
The evolved form of the combat generalist, the altoholic can’t decide on a class or race to play, much less a gear set. But fear not: the leveling process is one of the greatest joys of Guild Wars 2, and each time you level a new character, you’re sure to discover something new!
If starting a new character sounds fun, go for it! Many systems in the game – including skins and achievements – are account bound now, so you won’t be “wasting” time playing a new character.
I won’t list any quests here, since your primary quest is simply to level from 1-80 again! But if you decide to focus on a single character, the rest of the goals are here and waiting for you.
Tip: If you want to get the most out of your alt, pick a different armor class, race and Order (Vigil, Priory, or Whispers). You’ll unlock new skins and make use of previously collected ones in your wardrobe.
Goal: The Prettiest Princess
The prettiest princess wants to be the fairest in all the land. Somewhere out there, there is an outfit that will complement the marbling on their fur just perfectly – they just need to track it down and earn it!
If a life of glamour sounds fun, you’ll be using the following guides, based on the armor set that interests you:
- The quest for exotic equipment
- The quest for ascended equipment
- The quest for achievements (You can get unique skins from them!)
- The quest for dungeon mastery (Each dungeon has unique skins!)
- The quest for sPvP mastery (You can earn shiny rewards from PvP reward tracks!)
- The quest for armor skins (Gotta catch ‘em all!)
Goal: Completion and Collection
The completionist lives for the moment when 99% ticks to 100%; when all the boxes are checked; when the save file gets a gold star. The collector loves amassing a bank full of shiny trinkets. Preferably all of them. It’s not unhealthy, really!
If you’re a completionist or collector, you have a lot to do!
- All of the quests. Good luck.
- You may be particularly interested in the Quests for Achievements and Collections!
Goal: Exploration
The explorer loves seeing what’s around the corner – getting to the top of the mountain, discovering that secret base inside the cave with the lore biscuit that no one will see except for them.
If you’re an explorer, you’re in for a treat, but first you’ll need to prepare yourself for the rigors of the wilderness:
- The quest for exotic equipment
Then enjoy the world of Tyria!
- The quest for jumping puzzles
- The quest for map completion
- The quest for mini dungeons
- The quest for the living story
- The quest for meta-events (and world bosses)
Goal: Living the Story
The story enthusiast is kept interested by a compelling story that motivates their adventures. The flavor and lore of Tyria and its people only adds to the intrigue.
First, get yourself geared up so you don’t die on the way!
- The quest for exotic equipment
Then try these quests to get straight to the story:
- The quest for the living story
- The quest for map completion
- The quest for dungeon mastery and Fractals of the Mists
- The quest for mini dungeons
- The quest for meta-events
Goal: Overcoming difficult challenges
Sometimes the joy of a game comes from the sense of accomplishment: that moment when you finally slay a boss after three hours of agony and probably hunger.
Luckily, there are tons of achievements for you.
You’ll first need to complete these quests…
- The quest for exotic equipment
- The quest for ascended equipment (optional, if you want an edge)
- The quest forskills
To enjoy these challenges:
- The quest for the world bosses
- The quest for dungeon mastery and fractals
- The quest for WvW Mastery
- The quest for sPvP Mastery
- The quest for meta-events
- The quest for the living story (you’ll be particularly interested in the achievements)
- The quest for jumping puzzles (don’t underestimate their challenge!)
Goal: Commander
The commander wants to lead an army; to manage not just their own skill bar, but to direct the talents of 50 other players. And why? To lead their server to victory! To overcome the greatest open world challenges! And probably a little bit of vanity.
First you’ll want to get geared up.
- The quest for exotic equipment
- The quest for traits
Then you’ll want to get the bling so everyone can’t help but follow you. Sprawling mustaches optional but recommended.
- The quest for ascended equipment
- The quest for a legendary
Then you’ll want to master your build:
- The quest for sPvP Mastery
- The quest for WvW Mastery
Then you’ll command the players of Guild Wars 2 in overcoming great challenges!
- The quest for WvW Mastery (now as a commander!)
- The quest for the world bosses
The quest for meta-events
STEP III: GET SOCIAL
No matter how great your goals are, it’s never as much fun to accomplish them alone. If you have a good idea of what you want to get out of the game, you can find a guild with a great group of people that will join you in working toward your goals!
Join a Guild
While not essential, it is highly recommended that you join a guild. Finding a good guild is a bit of an art, but you have a few options:
- Look out for advertisements in map chat
- Check the guild recruitment forums
- Check /r/GuildRecruitment
- Start a guild yourself!
And my favorite…
- Play the game, talk to people, look for guild tags, and ask if they’re recruiting
STEP IV: EMBARK ON YOUR QUEST
In “Choosing a Progression Path” above, I gave an overview of different sorts of players and their goals. I hope you found that a few of the goals fit who you are as a player.
Though I suggested quests for each type of player, everyone is different. If any of these quests sound fun, go for it! Don’t feel limited to the quests that match your perceived goal.
Remember, these don’t have to be done in any order (except for possibly acquiring exotic armor before ascended) – just do what sounds fun.
How to Make Gold
You’ll notice that a lot of the quests below related to gearing and builds can be solved by throwing money at them. Here are some great guides for making gold:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/wiki/guides#wiki_gold-making_guides
http://www.gw2shinies.com/ This website shows you items you can profit from, although be careful, some items are not popular in demand and may sell very slowly. Be SURE to do your research.
GW2Spidy | Guild Wars 2 Tradingpost Graphs allows you to monitor the trend of items on the TP.
The Quest for Exotic Equipment
You’ll need exotic armor to contribute at your maximum potential in all types of content.
The quests in this guide will be way more fun if you’re properly geared. You’ll have that fuzzy feeling that you’re contributing to the team, and that alive feeling from not dying all the time.
However, this is not a gearing guide. There are plenty of existing gearing guides that go into great detail on how to pick the best builds and put them together in the most cost-efficient way. You can find many of them here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/wiki/guides
Quest Log
__ Decide on your first build
__ Get an exotic set of level 80 armor
__ Get an exotic set of level 80 accessories
__ Get a level 80 exotic weapon of each type that your class can equip
__ Equip all of your weapons with superior sigils
__ Equip all of your armor with superior runes (matching set recommended!)
Tips
- Decide what kind of build you want to play (see the first section of this guide, and remember that http://www.metabattle.com is a great resource!)
If you want to play multiple builds, your quest just got more expensive, but at least people will stand in awe as you rip off your Berserker armor to reveal the Power/Toughness/Vitality set within as you charge towards Tequatl.
Tip: If you want a surefire and efficient path through the exotic gearing process, check out No-Nonsense Guide to Gearing Up at Level 80.
Note: Runes for armor and sigils for weapon are crucial to completing your gear. Rune sets can add up to 300 stat points to your character (more than one exotic chestpiece) but may include other bonuses, while sigils help to give your weapons an added punch. Having a set of 6 matching runes provides a much larger bonus than a mixed set. Look for runes (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Rune) and sigils (http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sigil) that complement your build, keeping in mind what you can afford. Some sets may actually cost more than your entire armor set, but there are many cheap ones that will provide adequate bonuses.
- Get the gear you want using one of the following methods. Some gear will come with runes and sigils included. Take the price of the runes and the sigils you need into account when deciding the most cost-effective way to get your gear.
- Purchase with gold
- Purchase with karma
- Craft it
- Earn it by running dungeons
- Purchase with guild commendations
- Buying gear with badges of honor
- Pray to the RNG gods for drops from mobs, armor boxes, or the mystic forge
- Buying gear with gold is a great option if you just want the freedom to play the content you want to play. Almost everything in the game earns you gold – even reward tracks in sPvP. Check out the gold guides above for more information.
- Buying gear with karma* is an option for certain sets. The karma vendors at the temples in Orr sell some gear sets. See the wiki for more information. If you want them, you’ll need to gather a group in Orr to take the temple that you want, and buy your hard earned armor!
- Crafting it is an option at crafting level 400 for all professions except Chef. At this point, you can make exotic gear, and you probably have a lot of materials lying around from your travels. Crafting yourself a set might not be as expensive as you think.
Here’s a great resource for leveling crafting efficiently: http://www.gw2crafts.net/
- Buying gear with dungeon tokens will make a lot of sense to veteran MMO players. Each dungeon drops a different token that can be used to buy dungeon specific armor (with special skin and stat combinations). Running these dungeons repeatedly and farming the tokens can be a great way to get the armor you want while earning some gold on the side! There is a bit of a ‘chicken and the egg’ problem though – to run dungeons effectively, after all, you do need good gear – but there are plenty of friendly groups who will be willing to run dungeons with you even if you don’t have optimal gear. That’s one great thing about having a guild!
- Buying gear with guild commendations is useful for berserker weapons and certain armor slots. You may purchase exotic backpieces, exotic weapons, or profession gear boxes with a mix of gold and guild commendations (earned by completing guild missions with your – you guessed it – guild). Just keep in mind that guild commendations are limited in supply and can buy other stuff too, so think before you spend them. Generally speaking, guild commendations should be saved up to buy ascended trinkets due to the limited number you can obtain per week, so use them sparingly.
- Buying gear with badges of honor* from World vs. World. If you have an abundance of badges and a little bit of gold, Weapon Master and Armor Master NPCs in the Eternal Battlegrounds and Borderland maps have exotic level 80 gear with most stat types available. However, these items cannot be forged or salvaged, so purchase with care.
- Finally, exotic gear does drop randomly from mobs, and you can buy random armor boxes from vendors like the Laurel vendor (for daily achievements). But this can be a slow and indirect method, unless you really just don’t want to bother with the above methods, or you’re feeling lucky. And, if you’re feeling really lucky, you have a chance of making an exotic in the mystic forge by tossing in four of your old rares. (But it’s probably a better idea just to sell them and use the money to buy what you really want.)
The Quest for Ascended Equipment
If you want to absolutely maximize your stats or participate in high-level fractals (a type of mini-dungeon that requires ‘agony resistance’ – only available on ascended gear).
Ascended is a tier of gear above exotic. However, the stats are only minimally better, and it requires exponentially more resources than the jump from rare to exotic. You can enjoy the game without ever touching ascended gear. With that said, if you want to be the very best, like no one ever was, you now have a long term goal!
Quest Log
__ Commit to a build
__ Get the crafting discipline of your choice to 400
__ Get the crafting discipline of your choice to 450
__ Craft your first time-gated ascended crafting material
__ Get the crafting discipline of your choice to 500
__ Craft an ascended weapon
__ Craft all ascended weapons for your class
__ Craft a piece of ascended head armor
__ Craft a piece of ascended shoulder armor
__ Craft a piece of ascended chest armor
__ Craft a piece of ascended leg armor
__ Craft a piece of ascended hands armor
__ Craft a piece of ascended feet armor
Tips
- Really, really decide what kind of build you want to run. You’re not going to be able to invest in many sets of ascended armor.
- It’s worth noting that many ascended crafting materials and currencies are time-gated; that is, no matter how much you play, you can only make a set number of them per day. Because of this, if you’re looking for the most efficient path, you’ll want to start on time gated materials early, or pay a premium at the trading post.
If you don’t want to waste any time, I recommend making time gated ascended crafting materials as soon as possible. You also won’t want to use time gated currencies like laurels and guild commendations where non-time gated options are reasonable – but time gated currencies are a great way to catch up if you don’t play as much every day.
You can see the time gated ascended materials on the wiki.
- Buy your ascended accessories. (This is the easy part.)
How?
- The Laurel Merchant. You earn laurels from logging into the game. The laurel merchant sells several varieties of ascended accessories. Just buy them and wear them!
- The Badge of Honor Merchant. You can also buy some ascended accessories with badges of honor in WvW.
- Fractals are a sort of playlist of mini dungeons that offer unique rewards and ever increasing challenge. Fractals offer ascended accessories as rewards.
- The Guild Commendation Trader. Guild commendations are awarded for completing guild missions once per week. You may purchase ascended accessories from the guild commendation trader for 12 commendations and 5 gold. Just keep in mind that guild commendations are limited in supply and can buy other stuff too, so think before you spend them.
- Craft the rest of your ascended armor.
How?
- Ascended crafting. Each armor crafting profession has a progression path from 400-500. At 450 and 500, you can start crafting ascended armor pieces.Here’s a great resource for leveling crafting efficiently: http://www.gw2crafts.net/
The ingredients for ascended crafting are varied:
- Time gated processed materials, such as Spool of Silk Weaving Thread that can be crafted from cloth once per day. Start on these early, or pay a premium on the trading post.
- Ascended materials such as Dragonite Ore and the delicious Bloodstone Dust. You can earn this stuff from tons of activities in the game.
- Traditional crafting materials you used to get from 0-400. Not just Tier 6 materials, but everything from silk to iron to glittering dust of all kinds will be used in ascended crafting. Don’t throw them away!
- It is remotely possible that ascended armor will drop from mobs, but it would probably take you several lifetimes to get a matching set. The odds are only slightly better in high-level fractals. Hey, you might get lucky, though!
The Quest for a Legendary
If you want to experience shininess unlike anything even the Skritt have imagined.
A Legendary Weapon is the ultimate status symbol in Guild Wars 2. These are the weapons you see shooting rainbow unicorns, the weapons that make flowers grow where you walk. However, be aware that they are a major time (and gold) commitment, and their benefits are mostly cosmetic; their stats are equal to ascended weapons, other than the added bonus that you can freely swap stats at will, so there’s no stress of committing to a build.
Legendaries are crafted by obtaining several special “Gifts” and combining them with a very rare precursor weapon in the Mystic Forge.
Quest Log
__ Gawk at the amazing weapons on the Guild Wars 2 Wiki
__ Pick a weapon. (Hint: If you already have a precursor weapon, this might influence your decision.)
__ Craft a gift of mastery
__ Craft a gift of fortune
__ Craft your weapon’s gift
__ Obtain a precursor weapon
__ Craft your weapon in the mystic forge
Tips
- http://gw2legends.net/ lists all required ingredients, and lets you keep track of your progress
- If you’re already incredibly rich and hate crafting, you can buy a legendary weapon off of the trading post. Even if you don’t want to buy one outright, this will at least give you a rough idea of its value.
- Precursor weapons can also be obtained from the trading post. This might not be a bad method, considering their rarity.
- The method to obtain precursor weapons will be changing in the upcoming Heart of Thorns expansion pack. Currently, precursors are essentially a random drop – in Heart of Thorns, there will be a more direct way to earn them.
The Quest for Traits and Skills
If you want more options for your build and combat style.
Exploring the world can be its own reward, but it’s also rewarding in a far more specific way – it rewards you with new skills and traits that you can use to customize your character’s combat style.
Quest Log
__ Unlock all traits for your chosen build
__ Unlock all adept traits
__ Unlock all master traits
__ Unlock all grandmaster traits
__ Unlock all skills for your chosen build
__ Unlock all tier 1 skills
__ Unlock all tier 2 skills
__ Unlock all tier 3 skills
__ Unlock all tier 1 elite skills
__ Unlock all tier 2 elite skills
__ Unlock all healing skills
Tips
Traits
- Consider your combat style and build, as discussed earlier in the guide. You might have found a build on metabattle that you like. Or you might just like to browse the traits page for what sounds fun.
- Take a look at your traits page. ’Locked’ traits will present an open-world activity that must be completed in order to unlock them.
- Complete the open world activity to unlock the trait.
- Repeat, except this time do it with the super awesome trait you just earned.
Skills
- Consider your combat style and build.
- Buy skills you can afford. You probably already know this, but you can buy skills with skill points. When you have enough points, buy the skill you want!
- Do skill challenges in the world to earn more. You also earn an additional skill point for each additional level’s worth of XP you gain after 80.
- Repeat, more skillfully.
The Quest for Armor and Weapon Skins
If you like looking awesome, or if you’ve gotta catch ‘em all.
One of Guild Wars 2’s greatest strengths is its outstanding artistry, and that extends to the armor you equip and the weapons you wield. There are countless skins to earn, and – amazingly – once you unlock them, they are unlocked forever without taking up any inventory space.
Quest Log
__ Unlock at least one dungeon set
__ Unlock at least one ascended set
__ Unlock at least one outfit
__ Unlock at least one holiday set
__ Unlock at least one legendary weapon skin
__ Unlock at least one cultural armor set
__ Unlock at least one order set
__ Unlock at least one karma vendor set
Tips
Try it on.
You can browse the account wardrobe in your bank to try on every single piece of clothing and weapon in the game. (That’s your bank, not the similarly labeled wardrobe in your hero panel!)
Here’s a trick for previewing dye that you don’t own yet – if you open the trading post while previewing a piece of armor, you can right click a dye from the trading post and preview it without buying it.
Check the Wiki to find out how to obtain the skins you want.
The Guild Wars 2 wiki has information on every skin in the game, and how to obtain it. You can even access the wiki by typing ‘/wiki [whatever you need more information on]’ in the game’s chat panel!
General tips on hunting for skins:
- There are tons of good skins in the gem store, but you don’t have to buy them with a credit card. If you have enough gold, you can convert gems into gold, and buy them that way. So, every skin is obtainable in game with enough effort.
- Running dungeons can be a focused way to unlock skins unique to that dungeon – plus, they signify a very prestigious achievement, which can be fun. If you’re wearing the Citadel of Flames armor, people will have no doubt that you’ve mastered the Citadel of Flames.
- Cultural armor is another great source of skins. Depending on the tier, they can cost a lot of gold, but remember that they can be sold to vendors, to get a few gold back. You can obtain cultural armor from NPCs in each of the races’ home cities.
- The Order you joined in the Personal Story sells unique skins, too. (If you create an alt of each order and armor type, you can unlock them all and use them on any character you like.)
- Crafting is another unique source of acquiring skins.
- The Mystic Forge lets you craft unique exotic weapons. Check the GW2 Wiki for those recipes.
- And, of course unique skins drop from monsters, champion bags and event chests.
- For inspiration on your armor set, check out /r/GuildWarsDyeJob or GW2 Style.
The Quest for Map Completion
To see every corner of the game’s stunning artwork, and to get a gold star by your name. (Literally.)
Now for the twist. You’ve been doing the quest for map completion all along. You probably completed quite a few hearts, vistas, and other map activities while you were leveling. When you open the map, you’ll see a percentage completion for the map you’re currently on, and the percentage completion for all of the maps. I think you know what you have to do.
Quest Log
__ Reach 50% completion
__ Reach 75% completion
__ Reach 100% completion
__ Complete all vistas, skill challenges, and points of interest in Southsun Cove
__ Complete all vistas, skill challenges, and points of interest in Dry Top
__ Complete all vistas, skill challenges, and points of interest in the Silverwastes
Tips
Map completion is straightforward, but it can be made more interesting with These Weird Tricks:
- Hearts go faster when there are events nearby. Personally, I try to avoid doing a heart by itself – I follow events around the map, and many hearts naturally take care of themselves. It’s more fun that way, and if you plan your route, it can be faster too.
- Mouse over the name of the map on the world map to seee xactly what you still need to do.
- Talk to the heart NPCs. Heart NPCs often provide context for an area and explain why you’re doing what you’re doing. Plus, after you finish a heart they turn into merchants that often sell unique items.
- Look up. Not just for vistas, which are often on cliffs, but to enjoy the beautiful scenery as you complete the map. Increasing your FOV in camera settings helps with this.
- Some people really enjoy speed running. There are documented paths for the most efficient map completion paths. It’s not something I recommend on a first character since you’d be blowing through so much of the game’s content so quickly, but it’s an option if it appeals to you. Check out this thread if it sounds interesting, and check out this website for efficient pre-determined routes of each map: Map completion routes
Tip: Not all maps count for map completion. Most of the newer maps, such as Dry Top and Southsun Cove don’t have any hearts at all, and don’t show a map completion percentage. That doesn’t mean they’re not worth exploring – these maps are some of the most compelling content in the game, with map-wide dynamic events culminating in big rewards and big bosses.
Tip: When you’ve completed the map, you probably still haven’t seen everything. Check out the quest for mini dungeons and the quest for jumping puzzles for some awesome hidden content.
The Quest for Mini Dungeons
To find secret areas that aren’t included in Map Completion. (Yes, not everything of interest is on the map!)
Quick quiz: How many dungeons are in Guild Wars 2? Seven? Eight? Twenty six!? Depends on how mini you like your dungeons.
Mini dungeons are explorable areas that are hidden in the open world. There are puzzles and challenging enemies, and some pretty neat sights and lore. They’re not going to drop a big chest of gold at the end like a normal, instanced dungeon, but they do tend to give Explorer achievements.
They’re not marked on the map, and require careful exploration to find. They may be opened by events, or you may be able to walk right in. Keep your eyes peeled while you explore the map, and when in doubt, use the tips below!
Quest Log
__ Find at least one mini dungeon without consulting the wiki
__ Complete the flame temple tombs mini dungeon
__ Complete all mini dungeon Explorer achievements
Tips
- Check the wiki for a list of all of the mini dungeons in the game: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Mini-dungeon
- I recommend starting with the Flame Temple Tombs. It’s a pretty interesting adventure, and though there’s no achievement, I certainly found it rewarding to make it to the end.
- Many of the mini dungeons have achievements for you if you make it to the end. Good luck!
The Quest for Jumping Puzzles
For a unique challenge that isn’t related to combat, and to see some of the most stunning vistas in the game!
Have you ever walked into a cave behind a beautiful waterfall and looked up to see a ledge that seemed just out of reach? There’s probably a way up there. And yeah, there are probably achievements.
Jumping puzzles are one part careful exploration, one part precise platforming, and one part unbridled rage. It’s perfectly natural to feel rage and even hatred as you fall from that ledge for the seventh time, but that’s nothing compared to the joy you will feel when you make it to the top of the cliff, you open the big golden door, and the little achievement sound dings. It’s the full spectrum of human emotion in minutes.
Quest Log
__ Find at least one jumping puzzle without consulting the wiki
__ Complete at least one jumping puzzle without consulting the wiki
__ Complete at least one jumping puzzle without using a mesmer portal
__ Complete the Aetherblade Hideout jumping puzzle
__ Complete the Aetherblade Hideout diving achievement
__ Complete the Obsidian Sanctum jumping puzzle
__ Complete the Silverwastes jumping puzzle
__ Find three jumping puzzles in Lion’s Arch
__ Find a jumping puzzle in the WvW Borderlands
__ Break at least one controller (optional, but possibly satisfying)
__ Complete at least one jumping puzzle in every region (Ascalon, Kryta, Maguuma Jungle, Maguuma Wastes, Ruins of Orr and Shiverpeak Mountains)
__ Complete all jumping puzzle Explorer achievements
__ Complete all diving achievements
Tips
How to find jumping puzzles
Keep your eyes peeled as you explore. They usually won’t be marked with points of interest. If you see a ledge, look for another ledge lower down. If there’s a few funny shaped rocks in a row, there may be a reason. If you see a note on the ground, it may lead to something.
You can also consult the wiki for locations:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Jumping_puzzle
There’s usually at least one in every zone (except Brisbane Wildlands)
How to finish jumping puzzles
If you find yourself heading up an uncertain path that seems to keep going against all odds, you’ve probably stumbled into a jumping puzzle. It’s not always immediately obvious which way to proceed – look for oddly shaped terrain, and don’t forget to look behind you. Also, remember that waterfalls aren’t solid.
Use a small character. Though all characters have the same footprint, it can be hard to see what’s beneath you with a burly charr or a norn.
Necromancers can use spectral walk to prevent falling damage or get a second chance at a failed jump. Simply activate it before jumping, and tap the skill again if you didn’t make the jump to return to your previous location.
Are you good at jumping puzzles but your friend isn’t? Or do you simply want to help others get their achievement? Mesmers with portal entre can teleport others instantly to wherever they are.
Make use of leap skills to easily clear distances.
Swiftness is a double-edged sword, some jumping puzzles require you to jump on stilt-like platforms and swiftness may make you easily overshoot it.
Some jumping puzzles have checkpoints. If you see interactable objects, make sure to use them and see if they unlock anything of interest.
Not all jumping puzzles are beaten just by making it to the end. You might need to find a key or carry a bomb to a specific location. The wiki has you covered if you’re stumped. Even when you’ve gotten the achievement, keep looking for a chest! Or vice versa.
A Note on Falling Damage
When you miss a jump, you’ll take the same percentage of fall damage no matter how high your armor, toughness, and vitality are. The best way to leap off of a ledge and survive is to take a 50% fall damage trait. There’s one for every profession.
Superior rune of Snowfall also offers a fall damage reduction on its 4th bonus. It stacks with 50% fall damage traits for a overall 75% reduction in falling damage.
Community Favorites
There are a lot of jumping puzzles in the game, and of course some are more memorable than others. Here’s a few that are fun to start with:
- The puzzle in the Silverwastes is a tour-de-force that will take you on a journey across the map.
- The puzzle in the Obsidian Sanctum is interesting, since it’s in a WvW area with PvP enabled. Be careful, and go with a group.
The Quest for Dungeons and Fractals
To dive deeper into the world of Tyria. To learn about the lore behind Destiny’s Edge. To make gold and earn unique skins. To experience the game’s “infinite dungeon”, Fractals of the Mists.
Dungeons are instanced areas meant to be completed with five players. They are often somewhat linear, challenging players to make it from the beginning to the end and defeat the final boss.
Each Dungeon has a Story Mode, which will introduce you to the story of the area, and three Explorable Modes, which will take you on more challenging paths through the area.
Fractals of the Mists (FoTM) are a variant of the standard dungeon that involve 4 sets of small, randomized dungeons linked together with a boss fight at the end. These small, randomized dungeons are known as fractals.
As you complete these randomized dungeons, the difficulty begins to rise along with the rewards. Soon, you will begin to experience a new condition called Agony, which can only be countered by a special tier of gear called Ascended, which can be infused with Agony Resistance. As the stakes continue to rise, fractals begin to exhibit Mistlock Instabilities, which change the rules of the dungeon to make things even harder.
Quest Log
__ Complete the story mode of each dungeon
__ Complete all explorable paths of the Ascalonian Catacombs
__ Complete all explorable paths of Caudecus’s Manor
__ Complete all explorable paths of Twilight Arbor
__ Complete all explorable paths of Sorrow’s Embrace
__ Complete all explorable paths of Citadel of Flame
__ Complete all explorable paths of Honor of the Waves
__ Complete all explorable paths of Crucible of Eternity
__ Complete all explorable paths of The Ruined City of Arah
__ Get the Dungeon Master achievement
__ Complete your first three fractals
__ Defeat your first fractal boss
__ Reach FotM Level 10
__ Complete your first agony resistance infusion
__ Reach FotM Level 30
__ Complete your first Mistlock Instability
__ Reach FotM Level 50
Tips
- Check out the many great dungeon guides available here: http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/wiki/guides#wiki_dungeon_guides
- http://gw2dungeons.net/
The Quest for Meta-Events
To experience the most interesting open-world content in the game.
The world of Tyria is chock full of events popping up all over the place. As you’ve no doubt noticed, some are better than others. And some are really good. Meta-events are events that are linked together into a larger objective or story. Sometimes they span an entire map. This quest will lead you through the most interesting meta-events in the game.
Quest Log
I’ve picked some of my favorite meta events and listed them here. If you have your own favorites, leave a comment!
Note: There is some overlap between The Quest for the Meta-Events and the Quest for the World Bosses, since many meta-events culminate in world bosses. Best just to do both quests to make sure you don’t miss anything!
__ Complete the Secrets of the Swamp meta event in Queensdale
__ Complete the Kralkatorrik’s Legacy meta event in the Blazeridge Steppes
__ Complete the Breaking the Claw of Jormag meta event in Frostgorge Sound
__ Complete the Gates of Arah meta event in Cursed Shore
__ Complete the Crash Site meta event in Dry Top at Tier 3
__ Complete the Crash Site meta event in Dry Top at Tier 4
__ Defeat at least one champion in The Breach meta event in the Silverwastes
__ Defeat the Mordrem Vinewraith in the Mordrem Vinewraith meta event in the Silverwastes
For an even greater challenge, check The Quest for the Uber Bosses, below.
Tips
- Some events spawn on a timer; others are triggered by events in the map. You won’t always be able to do an event exactly when you arrive in an area. Check the wiki for spawning information.
The Quest for the World Bosses
To overcome the greatest PvE challenges in the game.
As MMO players, we’ve come to expect that the hardest challenges in the game will come at the end of some long dungeon, which we can only enter if we’ve gotten the iLvl 90 pants from the dungeon before it. In Guild Wars 2, the dungeons can be difficult, sure, but the hardest challenges are found in the open world.
Some meta events culminate in huge boss fights with tons of other players. You can participate in the fight just by being there when it happens, and they’re never gated behind the equipment you’re wearing.
The hardest of these fights are referred to by the wiki as Hardcore World Bosses, and require not just individual skill but immense coordination between everyone participating – which is quite a feat, since everyone can take part! As a participant, it’s extremely important to follow the instructions of the commander that is leading the fight. For example, during the Tequatl the Sunless fight, forces have to be split between damaging the boss and manning the turrets to take down defenses and other hazards.
If you’re interested in taking on the hardcore world bosses, you’ll probably want to learn the strategy behind the boss, and perhaps join a guild of players dedicated to taking on the boss.
World bosses spawn on a timer – see the wiki for which boss will spawn when:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/World_boss
Alternatively, check out GW2Timer for a clearer representation, complete with an optional downloadable overlay for GW2 so you never miss an event ever again.
Quest Log
Basic World Bosses
These don’t require too much strategy – just show up at the right time and enjoy the spectacle.
__ Defeat the Shadow Behemoth
__ Defeat Golem Mark II
__ Defeat Svanir Shaman Chief
__ Defeat the Claw of Jormag
__ Defeat the Fire Elemental
__ Defeat Admiral Taidha Covington
__ Defeat the Great Jungle Wurm
__ Defeat the Megadestroyer
__ Defeat the Shatterer
__ Defeat the Svanir Shama Chief
__ Defeat Modniir Ulgoth
__ Defeat the Vinewraith (this one is not on a timer, but is the culmination of the meta events in the Silverwastes)
Hardcore World Bosses
__ (Optional) Join a guild dedicated to downing mega bosses. TTS (Tequatl Terror Squad) is one of the most famous.
__ Watch a video about defeating the Karka Queen
__ Defeat the Karka Queen
__ Command a map in defeating the Karka Queen
__ Watch a video about defeating Tequatl the Sunless
__ Defeat Tequatl the Sunless
__ Command a map in defeating Tequatl the Sunless
__ Watch a video about defeating the Evolved Jungle Wurm
__ Defeat the Evolved Jungle Wurm in Triple Trouble
__ Command a map in defeating the Evolved Jungle Wurm
Tips
- Mega bosses cannot be defeated alone or by accident. Coordination is essential. Listen to map chat, follow your commanders, and join a voice server if one is advertised.
- Several guilds are dedicated to downing mega bosses. Some even leave their doors open to committed players. This guide is not an exhaustive list of guilds, but you’ll probably find them if you go looking for the bosses!
The Quest for WvW
To fight for your server pride. To experience large-scale warfare. To enjoy large-scale PvP with some PvE elements. To enjoy an alternate way of earning gold.
World vs. World – commonly referred to as WvW or WvWvW or Wuv or even Wubwub or just beatboxed dubstep noises – is a giant, ongoing battle between three servers. You’ll launch sieges against keeps, knock down many doors, engage in huge clashes with other players, and reap oodles of loot.
You’ll also earn a special type of experience that will increase your rank in WvW. You gain loot chests as your rank rises that could contain ascended or exotic gear, as well as an ability point per rank. These ability points are spent on WvW-specific masteries, such as Arrow Cart Mastery, which allows you to remove enemy stealth when you use arrow carts.
This is not a WvW guide, as the strategic layout of the game mode is immense. Hopefully this will at least get you started.
Quest Log
__ Talk to the WvW instructor in the spawning grounds of any WvW map
__ Capture a keep in the Eternal Battlegrounds
__ Capture a keep in the Borderlands
__ Capture a keep in the Edge of the Mists
__ Capture Stonemist castle in the Eternal Battlegrounds
__ Reach Rank 10 – Scout
__ Reach Rank 50 – Footman
__ Reach Rank 150 – Bronze Invader
__ Complete a WXP Upgrade Path
__ Obtain map completion in all four WvW maps
__ Win a match of WvW
__ (Optional) Join the TeamSpeak for your server and take part in the strategy
__ (Optional) Purchase a commander tag and respectfully work with your server to learn how to command an army
Tips
- There’s way too much to cover in this guide – check the guides at http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/wiki/guides#wiki_world_vs_world_.28wvw.29 for more information on how to succeed in WvW
The Quest for sPvP
To experience the most purely competitive mode of the game. To enjoy an alternate way of earning gold and skins.
As if acronyms like PvE and WvW weren’t confusing enough, now we’re adding little letters to the front of them too?
sPvP refers to “Structured PvP”, as opposed to the more chaotic type of PvP found in WvW. In sPvP, you’ll be fighting on small arenas in 5v5 matches. There’s matchmaking and leaderboards, and most importantly, all players are on an equal playing field, regardless of gear. Instead of stats being based on your gear, they’re based on a separate PvP build. (You’ll still keep your looks.)
Despite the competitive nature of sPvP, you can still earn rewards for your character! As you play, you’ll earn loot based on the “Reward Track” you’ve selected. These reward tracks mirror the rewards that you would get from various PvE activities, so even if you’re not into PvE, you can still get all of the same shinies.
Quest Log
__ Complete the tutorial in the Heart of the Mists
__ Warm up in a hot join game
__ Practice in an unranked matchmaking game
__ Complete a PvP reward track
__ Complete all PvP reward tracks
__ Capture an orb on Spirit Watch
__ Get a triple kill with the Skyhammer on Skyhammer
__ Capture the Meditation of Tranquility on Temple of the Silent Storm
__ Form a team of friends or guild mates
__ Win 1 match in a ranked matchmaking game with your team
__ Rank on the PvP Leaderboards
Tips
- sPvP may be a rude awakening for players who have mainly stuck to the open world. The combat system in Guild Wars 2 is incredibly deep, and due to the strength in numbers you experience in the open world, you may not have truly honed your skills until now. Don’t be discouraged. Keep practicing, and you’ll find your enjoyment of all game types beginning to improve.
- Players new to pvp may want to try out the builds listed here to gain a head start:
MetaBattle Wiki – Guild Wars 2 Builds
The Quest for the Living Story
To enjoy a good story. To gain a deeper understanding of the world around you, and context for why the world is like it is. To earn some unique rewards.
There’s a rich history behind what you see in Tyria, and it’s constantly changing as the game is updated and new maps, events, and quests are added. There’s plenty of story to catch up on right now, and when you’re done, you can speculate with the rest of us on what’s coming up next!
Up until now, ArenaNet has added story in the form of “Living Story Seasons”, in which new story is added roughly every two weeks. The first season was very temporary – the world changed rapidly and events came and went. It was very exciting if you were there, but hard to explain if you weren’t. Luckily, there are some videos to catch you up in the quest log below, and we can all hope that it will one day return to the game
Season 2, on the other hand, will be available forever. If you logged on during the initial release of each chapter, you received permanent access for free; otherwise, it will cost you 200 gems per chapter (or the equivalent in gold). The Season 2 story quests are the best in the game and will set you up for the upcoming Heart of Thorns expansion, so don’t miss them!
Quest Log
__ Complete your personal story
__ Watch this short overview of season one
__ For more depth, watch this video and this video by the venerable Wooden Potatoes on the first half of season one
__ (Optional) Read this synopsis on the wiki for more season one details
__ Unlock each episode of season 2
__ Complete season 2
Tip: All season two episodes have difficult achievements that give you more challenging objectives than simply finishing the story. Since these achievements are not directly relevant to the story, we’ve put them in The Quest for Achievements and Collections.
The Quest for Achievements and Collections
If you like seeing numbers go up, and also like shiny rewards that you get when numbers go up.
If you’re the type of person who likes checking things off of checklists, good! I made this guide for you. But if you really like checking things off of checklists, ArenaNet has made what is maybe the biggest checklist of all time in the Achievements panel. If you’ve exhausted the quests in this guide, you can look towards the Achievements panel for inspiration for your next challenge.
Collections are a special category of achievement that task you with collecting a full set of items that are usually related to a central theme. There are collections as trivial as collecting all of the junk items in the game, a collection that requires you to acquire the Almighty Spoons of Tyria, and, collections as insane as collecting every single ascended armor skin!
Some collections are finished incidentally, just by playing the game normally, but some take you on a quest through the world, to places you may never have been before.
Quest Log
Achievements
There are a ridiculous amount of achievements in the game, and we could never list them all here.
But some achievements stand out from the rest for being particularly hard to get, taking you to hidden areas, or just encouraging you to play the game in a unique way. Those are the achievements we want to list here.
__ Complete a daily PvE achievement
__ Complete a daily PvP achievement
__ Complete a daily WvW achievement
__ Complete an Explorer achievement
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP1
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP2
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP3
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP4
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP5
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP6
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP7
__ Complete all achievements in S2:EP8
__ Obtain the final daily login reward
__ Reach 2,500 Achievement Points
__ Reach 5,000 Achievement Points
__ Reach 10,000 Achievement Points
__ Reach 15,000 Achievement Points
Collections
__ Talk to the Collections Instructor to learn about Collections
__ Unlock one collection
__ Collect all of the Almighty Spoons of Tyria
__ Complete one Basic Collection
__ Complete 5 Basic Collections
__ Complete 15 Basic Collections
__ Complete all Basic Collections
__ Complete one Rare Collection
__ Complete all Rare Collections
Tips
- All of the quests in this guide will get you achievement points!
- Do your daily achievements to get a guaranteed source of achievement points each day.
- Many achievements are repeatable, from killing a creatures to salvaging items.
- Make sure to test your best damaging skills on bunnies and flies to get those “Deal [Massive Amounts] of Damage” achievements.
- Get your crafting level up to gain more and more points (if you have resources open new characters and level up their crafting skills).
The Quest for Your Own Quest
What? You’ve completed every quest in this guide? Checked every blank, followed every tip? Well, I guess you’ve beaten the game. Feel free to uninstall, or perhaps make an angry post over at the Guild Wars 2 forums.
Or, you can seek inspiration from the community, and continue to forge your own path through Tyria!
Quest Log
__ Complete a duo dungeon run
__ Complete a solo dungeon run
__ Complete a dungeon/Fractals of the Mists run as fast as possible, or with zero deaths in your party
__ Complete a no-armor dungeon run (or a no-pants dungeon run ^.^)
__ Level from 1 to 80 with zero deaths
__ Level a character of every profession
__Level a character 1-80 in first person with the UI turned off
__ Cosplay as Ronald McDonald and mail french fries to passersby (this has actually happened to me)
__ Start a guild
__ Complete a jumping puzzle as fast as possible!
__ Create your own event! Some community ideas include lore storytelling, hide-n-seek, trivia quiz, and naked dance partying. The possibilities are endless!
__ Go roleplaying (There are people who roleplay in GW2!)
APPENDIX A: Common Abbreviations
This appendix will contain common abbreviations used in the Guild Wars 2 community, and their meanings.
PvE – Player vs. Environment – refers to the combat and activities in the game which are not focused on competing against other players to succeed. Map completion, story quests, and world bosses are all examples of PvE content.
PvP – Player vs. Player – refers to game modes where a player participates in competitive gaming against other players, as opposed to the co-operative activities in PvE.
Meta – the currently accepted “best” builds in the game. These usually change with balance patches, or as people discover new and innovative builds. Keep in mind that different builds are useful for different sorts of content.
WvW – World Versus World is a PvP game mode where players from three different servers, or worlds, battle in the Mists.
RP – Role play refers to the act of creating a story and personality for your characters, and interacting with other players who do the same.
FotM– Fractal of The Mists. The level 80 dungeon that is broken into randomly selected mini dungeons. Fractals scale from 1-50 increasing in both difficulty and rewards as you go up. The entrance is located in Lion’s Arch.
FoV – Field of view. Can be changed in options menu.
AC- Ascalonian Catacombs. The lowest level dungeon in the game at level 30 for story mode and 35 for Explorable. The entrance is in Plains of Ashford.
CM– Caudecus’s Manor. A dungeon located in Queensdale. The minimum level required is Level 40 for Story Mode and 45 for Explorable.
TA- Twilight Arbor. A dungeon located in Caledon Forest. The minimum level required is Level 50 for Story Mode and 55 for Explorable.
SE– Sorrow’s Embrace. A dungeon located in Dredgehaunt Cliffs. The minimum level required is Level 60 for Story Mode and 65 for Explorable.
Zerk – Otherwise known as berserker, is a stat combo with POWER/precision/ferocity. Not to be confused with ‘zerg’.
Zerg – A large group of players who use numbers rather than strategy to defeat enemies, therefore requiring little to no skill. This tactic is commonly known as zerging.
The wiki also offers a rather extensive list of abbreviations:
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Abbreviations
[Add more abbreviations here!]