Guild Wars Reforged — Beginner Guide
Your step-by-step start in Tyria. Avoid common mistakes and hit the ground running.
1. Choose the Right Character Type
✅ Roleplaying Character (Recommended)
Unlocks the full story, quests, missions, loot, titles, and standard progression.Pick this first.
⚔️ PvP-Only Character
Starts on a PvP island with max-level skills and gear, but no PvE access. Only create this after you've experienced the story.
2. Pick Your Campaign Wisely
Prophecies
Best for BeginnersThe original campaign. Slow but gradual progression teaches you the game mechanics. Best first campaign.
Factions
Unlock Assassin & RitualistFaster leveling and shorter story, but harder for beginners. Required to unlock Assassin and Ritualist professions.
Nightfall
Unlock Paragon & DervishSecond-best for beginners. Gives you Hero companions early — crucial for solo play. Required to unlock Paragon and Dervish.
3. Choose Your Professions
Each character has a primary and secondary profession. The secondary profession's skills can be mixed into your skill bar — this is the core of Guild Wars' build system.
⚠️ Beginner Tip: Do NOT start as a Monk unless you have a pre-made party. Monk is challenging for solo new players.
Recommended first combo: Warrior (P) + Elementalist (S) — great damage, decent survivability, and simple to play.
4. Understand the Skill System
⚡ Key Difference from other MMOS:
Skills are NOT auto-unlocked by level. You must actively acquire them through trainers, exploration, or capturing elites from bosses.
- ▸Normal skills: Buy from skill trainers in major cities (costs in-game gold).
- ▸Elite skills: Must be "captured" from elite-skill bosses using a Signet of Capture (unlocked during the story).
- ▸Skill slots (Mobile): You only have 8 skill slots (vs 10 on PC) — choose carefully!
5. Use Heroes & Henchmen
Solo play is viable thanks to the companion system:
🦸 Heroes
Customizable NPCs. You control their skill bar and equip them. Unlocked by completing specific quests. Can also be purchased with in-game gold. Nightfall unlocks these early — another reason to start there.
🗡️ Henchmen
Basic NPCs with fixed skills. Easier to access, cheaper to recruit. Good enough for the early game. Available at most outposts.
6. Master the Aggro Mechanic
Enemy targeting priority (aggro) works differently from most modern games. It's determined by 3 factors:
- Distance: Closer targets have higher priority.
- Health: Lower-health targets have higher priority.
- Armor: Weaker-armor targets have higher priority.
Use this strategically: a low-health tank with high armor draws enemy fire, protecting your squishy damage dealers. Check aggro status via the bubble indicator on your radar.
🎯 Pro Tips
- ▸Buy a longbow early — use it to lure enemies safely from a distance.
- ▸Upgrade your armor frequently — check armor crafters in each new city.
- ▸Keep Hero skill bars simple — only add skills that give clear utility for your current area.
- ▸Check the in-game settings menu to familiarize yourself with control bindings (especially important on mobile).
- ▸Don't spread attribute points too thin — focus on 1-2 maxed attributes per build.