Guild Wars 2 Professions - All 9 Classes & What to Play

Guild Wars 2 offers 9 unique classes that are not race or gender-locked. Known as “professions”, each class owns a unique set of skills for each weapon they’re able to use (you can check the weapons offered for each class below).

It’s hard to make a lasting decision if you don’t at least try a few of them for yourself, GW2’s combat is too good to leave options untested imo! Using a Staff with a Guardian or an Elementalist is a completely different experience, so you get the idea!

All 9 classes offer DPS-specific builds, so you don’t need to worry on that front. I do advise you to check what other roles each one can fill below, in order to make a more educated decision.

Elementalist

Elementalist (Female Human), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Elementalists harness the power of the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air—to cast powerful spells. Their ability to change their elemental attunement midcombat is versatile but difficult to master.
Class Strengths: Favors Ranged. Elemental Magic. Versatile Caster.

 

Roles: DPS, Healer
Armor: Light
Weapons: Two Handed: Staff | Main Hand: Dagger, Scepter | Off Hand: Dagger, Focus | Underwater: Trident
Elite Specializations: Tempest (unlocks Warhorn, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Weaver (unlocks Sword, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Engineer

Engineer (Male Charr), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Engineers are jacks-of-all-trades and, with enough time, masters of many. Able to bring dozens of abilities and toolbelt skills to a fight, their art is in choosing the right one to utilize at the perfect time.
Class Strengths: Melee or Ranged. Gadgets, Turrets, and Toolkits. Technomancer.

 

Roles: DPS, Support, Healer
Armor: Medium
Weapons: Two-Handed: Rifle, Hammer | Main-Hand: Pistol, Sword | Off-Hand: Pistol, Shield | Underwater: Harpoon Gun
Elite Specializations: Scrapper (unlocks Hammers, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Holosmith (unlocks Swords, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Guardian

Guardian (Male Norn), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Guardians gain powerful personal enhancements from their virtues, which they can briefly expend to aid friends or damage foes. Formidable on their own, guardians shine brightest in the company of allies.
Class Strengths: Favors Melee. Supports Allies. Defensive Magic.

 

Roles: DPS, Support, Healer
Armor: Heavy
Weapons: Two Handed: Hammer, Greatsword, Staff| Main Hand: Sword, Mace, Scepter| Off Hand: Focus, Torch, Shield | Underwater: Spear, Trident
Elite Specializations: Dragonhunter (unlocks Longbow, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Firebrand (unlocks Axe, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Mesmer

Mesmer (Female Sylvari), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Masters of magical misdirection, mesmers create and shatter clones and illusions of themselves in battle. Mesmers rely on evasion and subterfuge requiring finesse and practice to perfect.
Class Strengths: Favors Ranged. Creates Illusions. Finesse and Misdirection.

 

Roles: DPS, Support
Armor: Light
Weapons: Two-Handed: Greatsword, Staff | Main Hand: Axe, Scepter, Sword | Off-Hand: Focus, Pistol, Shield, Sword, Torch | Underwater: Spear, Trident
Elite Specializations: Chronomancer (unlocks Shield, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Mirage (unlocks Axe, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Necromancer

Necromancer (Male Human), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Necromancers of Tyria are monsters on the battlefield, draining life force from their enemies and entering a death shroud that temporarily grants them powerful abilities and protects them from harm.
Class Strengths: Favors Ranged. Summons Minions. Dark Magic.

 

Roles: DPS, Support, Healer
Armor: Light
Weapons: Two Handed: Staff | Main Hand: Axe, Dagger, Scepter | Off Hand: Dagger, Scepter, Warhorn | Underwater: Spear, Trident
Elite Specializations: Reaper (unlocks Greatsword, requires Heart of Thorns) | Scourge (unlocks Torch, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Ranger

Ranger (Female Norn), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Rangers tame a variety of pet companions to complement their fighting style. Rounding out their arsenal with traps, nature spirits, and survival skills, they have the tools to take on any type of foe.
Class Strengths: Favors Ranged. Pet Companion. Naturalist.

 

Roles: DPS, Healer (Druid specialization)
Armor: Medium
Weapons: Two Handed: Longbow, Shortbow, Greatsword | Main Hand: Sword, Axe | Off Hand: Axe, Dagger, Torch, Warhorn | Underwater: Spear, Harpoon Gun
Elite Specializations: Druid (unlocks Staff, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Soulbeast (unlocks Main-Hand Dagger, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Revenant

Revenant (Female Norn), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Revenants invoke the power of legendary heroes from Tyria’s past, spending their own energy to channel the abilities used by those figures. They are reliable allies and dangerous enemies.
Class Strengths: Melee or Ranged . Invokes Legendary Heroes. Magic-Wielding Fighter.

 

Roles: DPS, Healer
Armor: Heavy
Weapons: Main-Hand: Mace, Sword | Off-Hand: Axe, Sword, Shield | Two-Handed: Hammer, Staff | Underwater: Spear, Trident
Elite Specializations: Herald (unlocks Shield, Legendary Dragon Stance) | Renegade (unlocks Shortbow, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Thief

Thief (Female Asura), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Thieves manage their initiative during combat, expending it to unleash carefully timed attacks. What they lack in defense, they make up for with skills to debilitate, teleport, or vanish from sight.
Class Strengths: Favors Melee. Stealth and Evasion. Acrobatic Combat.

 

Roles: DPS
Armor: Medium
Weapons: Two-Handed: Shortbow | Main-Hand: Dagger, Pistol, Sword | Off-Hand: Dagger, Pistol | Underwater: Harpoon Gun, Spear
Elite Specializations: Daredevil (unlocks Staff, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Deadeye (unlocks Rifle, requires Path of Fire expansion)

Warrior

Warrior (Male Human), Guild Wars 2 Class

Class Description: Warriors build their adrenaline by successfully striking an enemy, then expend it to unleash devastating burst attacks. Warriors are versatile and resilient fighters.
Class Strengths: Favors Melee. High Survivability. Weaponsmaster.

 

Roles: DPS, Support
Armor: Heavy
Weapons: Two Handed: Hammer, Greatsword, Longbow, Rifle | Main Hand: Sword, Axe, Mace | Off Hand: Sword, Axe, Mace, Warhorn, Shield | Underwater: Spear, Harpoon Gun
Elite Specializations: Berserker (unlocks Torch, requires Heart of Thorns expansion) | Spellbreaker (unlocks Dagger, requires Path of Fire expansion)