Warrior PvP

Warriors in Guild Wars are unique compared to most MMOs, in that they are the main damage dealers for high level, organized PvP.

In City of Heroes, the maxim for a long time was "lolmelee" (which has changed as of late), and in WoW, a pair of hunters usually means instagib. However, in Guild Wars, a single Warrior can require the attention of half the team to manage. Simply being a warrior isn't enough, you need the right build and playstyle to rock it as a PvP tank. But, there are still a number of advantages that come inherently to a warrior.

• Warriors have the best armor, and frequently use shields, so attacks against them to drastically less damage than they would against other professions. Because of this, a warrior tends to be targeted less, and will take less damage by virtue of simply being attacked less.


• Most people who PvE with warriors feel that they don't do good damage, when in reality, that perception is caused by high armor NPCs. Caster armor caps out at 60 AL, meaning you attacks will do double the damage they would do against another warrior.


• Warrior attack skills look weaker than Elementalist skills on paper, but actually do equal or greater damage in application. The damage from an attack skill is added to the damage dealt with the warriors weapon. If I hit you with a sword for 27, but then add +38 from Dragon Slash, that's 65 damage. Also, remember that warriors have inherent armor penetration when using attack skills, so it will do even more damage than the sum of base damage plus bonus damage. The main advantage of Elementalist spells can be found in their range, and the fact that many are area of effect.

Even with these advantages, a poorly built or played warrior will die and fail like anyone else, you'll just look stupider than others in so doing. A good warrior balances attack skills, utility, self preservation, and mobility. Take for example this warrior. The shock-axe warrior is one of the most iconic warrior builds to run, be it GvG, AB, HA, RA, TA or competitive missions. Variations of this build have been used for years, and it's rarely fallen out of favor in the PvP meta (and if it did, it never stayed out for long).

Depending on the environment, you can expect different levels of support. In GvG, HA, or TA, one can expect consistent and competent support from one or more monks. In this situation, a warrior can focus less on keeping himself alive, so long as he can trust his backline. However, in AB, RA, or competitive missions, one cannot usually control who your teammates are. In these situations, a warrior has to be able to keep themselves alive, and that means altering ones build. That can mean bringing along a self heal, including a block stance, or having a way to boost HP to counter a spike. A warrior that brings Lion's Comfort and Defy Pain, with a high Strength spec, will be very difficult to kill, especially 1v1. A warrior running Shield Bash can completely negate an enemy assassin's attack chain, saving himself from a nasty spike.

The most important part of being an effective warrior is target awareness. A battle can be won or lost based on who the warrior attacks, or doesn't attack. A well timed knock-lock can prevent the monk from saving an ally, prevent a rez, or snare a foe long enough for the team to attack en mass and kill it. A sword warrior running Crippling Slash can make a monks like hell by applying cripple, bleed, and deep wound to multiple targets, slowing an enemy teams advance or retreat. Sometimes, rather than going after casters and playing a game of monk stomp, you have to lineback and run interference against enemy warriors. It all depends on the situation, and the situation can change rapidly and often.