One of the first crucial decisions you’ll make is selecting your Guild Wars 2 Races. This choice goes beyond mere aesthetics, influencing your personal story, some unique racial skills, and your overall experience in this dynamic MMORPG.
With five distinct and fascinating Guild Wars 2 Races to choose from, making the right pick can set the stage for countless hours of immersive gameplay.
Whether you’re drawn to the might of the Charr, the ingenuity of the Asura, the wisdom of the Sylvari or the ferocity of the Norn, this guide will walk you through each Guild Wars 2 Races option.
Overview of Guild Wars 2 Races
Guild Wars 2 boasts a vibrant selection of five playable races, each with its own rich history, culture, and homeland.
These Guild Wars 2 race options are the Humans, a resilient race rebuilding after hardship; the Charr, a fierce and disciplined race with a strong military tradition; the Asura, small in stature but incredibly intelligent inventors and magic users; the Norn, towering hunters who value strength and glory; and the Sylvari, a young and inquisitive race born from the Pale Tree.
Choosing your race in Guild Wars 2 isn’t just about looks. While it primarily affects your personal story during the initial stages of the game, it also grants access to unique racial utility skills and some passive traits that can subtly influence your gameplay.
However, it’s important to note that in Guild Wars 2, your chosen profession (class) has a far more significant impact on your combat role and abilities than your race.
Detailed Breakdown of Each Race
Humans: Once the dominant race in Tyria, the Humans have faced numerous hardships, including the Cataclysm and the rise of Elder Dragons. Despite these challenges, they remain resilient and adaptable, holding onto their ancestral lands in Kryta. Their capital city is Divinity’s Reach, a magnificent testament to their enduring spirit. Human racial skills often reflect their versatility and connection to their history, offering a mix of offensive, defensive, and support options.
Norns: Hailing from the icy Northern lands, the Norn are a towering race of shape-shifters who revere the Spirits of the Wild. Strength, honor, and the thrill of the hunt are central to their culture. Their home in Hoelbrak celebrates individual prowess and legendary deeds. Norn racial skills often involve transforming into their animal forms (Bear, Raven, Snow Leopard, Wolf), granting them unique combat advantages.
Charr: Forged in the merciless crucible of war, the Charr are a fierce and disciplined race with a highly structured military society. Driven from their original homelands, they now control vast territories in Ascalon and reside in the impressive Black Citadel. Charr racial skills emphasize their martial prowess and technological advancements, often featuring powerful offensive maneuvers and tactical advantages like deployable turrets.
Asura: These diminutive but brilliant inventors are masters of arcane science and technological innovation. Their society values intellect and cleverness above all else, and their underground city of Rata Sum is a marvel of magical technology. Asura racial skills reflect their ingenuity, often involving gadgets, golems, and portals, allowing for unique and strategic gameplay.
Sylvari: The youngest of the Guild Wars 2 Races, the Sylvari are beings of nature, born from the Pale Tree in the Tarnished Coast. Curious, innocent, and driven by a Dream that connects them, they explore the world with wonder. Their home, the Grove, pulses with life and magic. Sylvari racial skills often draw upon their connection to nature, with abilities like summoning vines, creating illusions, and healing allies with plant magic.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Race
When selecting your GW 2 race, several factors can influence your decision. Consider your preferred playstyle.
Do you enjoy being a frontline fighter, a cunning rogue, a powerful mage, or a supportive healer? While race doesn’t strictly dictate your role, certain racial skills might complement specific professions or playstyles.
For example, a Norn Warrior might enjoy the added burst damage of their Bear form, while an Asura Engineer could benefit from deploying a handy golem.
Some races have passive traits that provide minor stat bonuses or other effects. The active racial skills can provide additional utility in combat or exploration. Think about how these might fit into your overall gameplay.
Finally, aesthetic and lore considerations play a significant role for many players. Choose a race whose appearance and background story you find appealing..
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Guild Wars 2 Race Change Options
Many players wonder about guild wars 2 change race options after starting their adventure.
Unfortunately, Guild Wars 2 does not currently offer a direct in-game feature to change your character’s race. This decision is tied to the character’s unique personal story, which is race-specific during the initial levels.
While there’s no official Guild Wars 2 race change feature, there are a couple of indirect ways you might approach this.
One option is to create a new character of the desired race. This allows you to experience the game from a fresh perspective with a different racial storyline. The downside, of course, is that you’ll need to level a new character and potentially reacquire gear and progress.
Another consideration is that ArenaNet occasionally offers Total Makeover Kits and Self-Style Hair Kits in the Gem Store.
While these don’t allow you to change your race, they do provide extensive options for customizing your character’s appearance, including gender, facial features, hair, and more..
Best Race in Guild Wars 2 for Different Playstyles
Defining the “best race in Guild Wars 2” is subjective and depends heavily on individual preferences and the specific game mode. However, we can look at some general community perceptions and potential synergies:
- Best race for PvE: For Player versus Environment content, the Asura are often considered strong due to their “racial elite skill” called Summon Power Suit, which can provide a significant damage boost. Additionally, their smaller size can sometimes be advantageous in navigating cluttered environments, though this is more of a minor convenience. The Charr also has some powerful offensive racial skills that can be useful in PvE encounters. Ultimately, profession choice is much more critical in PvE than race.
- Best race for PvP: In Player versus Player scenarios, the smaller hitbox of the Asura can make them slightly harder to target for some abilities. However, skilled players can adapt to any race. Norn transformations can provide burst damage or survivability, which can be useful in PvP. Again, profession and individual skill will be the biggest factors in your PvP success.
- Best race for role-playing: For role-playing, the “best” race is entirely dependent on the character concept you want to create. Each race has a unique culture, history, and set of values, offering a rich tapestry for role-playing opportunities. Humans offer a familiar and relatable perspective, while the Charr provide a more militaristic and honor-bound background. The inquisitive Sylvari and the glory-seeking Norn offer distinct and engaging roles to play. The ingenious Asura provides a unique technological and intellectual focus.
Community Opinions on the Best Race
Community discussions around the best Guild Wars 2 race are varied and often come down to personal taste.
In terms of popularity, Humans and Sylvari tend to be frequently chosen for their aesthetic appeal and relatable storylines.
The Charr also have a strong following due to their imposing presence and compelling lore. Asura players often appreciate the race’s unique look and cleverness, while Norn players enjoy their towering stature and shape-shifting abilities.
The differences are often more flavor than function. Ultimately, the most popular race is often the one that players find the most visually appealing or whose lore they connect with the most..
ExitLag: boost your connection, improve your gameplay
Choosing your race in Guild Wars 2 is a significant first step in your adventure through Tyria. While it may not drastically impact your combat prowess, it will shape your initial experiences and contribute to your overall immersion in the game’s rich world.
We encourage you to explore the different Guild Wars 2 Races, delve into their lore, and pick the one that calls to you the most.
Now, as you embark on your epic journey, don’t let a laggy connection hinder your progress or dampen your fun. Just like choosing the right race sets you up for a great start, optimizing your internet connection is crucial for peak gaming performance. That’s where ExitLag comes in.
Say goodbye to frustrating interruptions and hello to smoother gameplay, allowing you to fully appreciate the world and master your chosen profession, regardless of your Guild Wars 2 Races.
