Choosing your first profession is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in Guild Wars Reforged. While you can unlock a secondary profession later in the game, your primary profession determines your armor type, primary attribute, and overall playstyle throughout your adventure.
Guild Wars features 10 unique professions, and each one offers a different way to approach combat. Some focus on dealing massive damage, while others specialize in healing, supporting teammates, or controlling enemies. If you’re unsure which class fits your playstyle, this guide explains every profession and what makes each one stand out.
1. Warrior
The Warrior is the easiest profession to understand and one of the best choices for beginners. It wears heavy armor, allowing it to survive longer in close combat while dealing strong melee damage. Warriors can specialize in three weapon types:
- Sword
- Axe
- Hammer
Each weapon has its own strengths. Swords provide steady damage and bleeding effects, axes are known for high burst damage, and hammers specialize in knocking enemies down.
Its primary attribute, Strength, increases armor penetration. Every point invested allows your attack skills to ignore a percentage of enemy armor, making Warriors especially effective against tougher enemies later in the game.
Unlike spellcasters, Warriors mainly use Adrenaline instead of Energy. The more attacks you land, the faster your strongest skills become available.
Best for:
- New players
- Tanky melee combat
- Simple but powerful gameplay
2. Ranger
Many players think the Ranger is only an archer, but the profession offers much more than ranged attacks.
Rangers can:
- Fight with bows
- Tame animal companions
- Place traps
- Summon nature spirits
Their primary attribute, Expertise, reduces the Energy cost of most Ranger skills. This allows Rangers to attack almost constantly without worrying about running out of Energy.
Depending on your build, a Ranger can become:
- Bow damage dealer
- Beast Master with a powerful pet
- Trap specialist
- Spirit support
While Rangers usually don’t deal the highest damage in the game, they are extremely safe and consistent thanks to their long-range attacks and reliable Energy management.
Best for:
- Players who enjoy ranged combat
- Pet lovers
- Flexible builds
3. Monk
The Monk is the main healing profession in Guild Wars and remains one of the most important classes in group content.
Its primary attribute, Divine Favor, provides bonus healing whenever you cast supportive spells on allies.
Monks have three major skill lines:
- Healing Prayers
- Protection Prayers
- Smiting Prayers
Healing Prayers restore health directly, while Protection Prayers prevent damage before it happens. Experienced Monks often rely more on protection than healing because stopping damage is usually more effective than recovering from it.
Smiting Prayers give Monks offensive options, especially against undead enemies.
Although Monks can deal damage, they perform best when supporting a party.
Best for:
- Team players
- Dedicated healers
- Support-focused gameplay
4. Necromancer
Necromancers become stronger as enemies fall in battle. They specialize in curses, life-stealing magic, and raising undead minions.
Their primary attribute, Soul Reaping, restores Energy whenever nearby enemies die. This makes the Necromancer one of the easiest spellcasters to manage during long fights.
The profession includes three major paths:
- Death Magic
- Blood Magic
- Curses
Death Magic focuses on summoning armies of undead servants. Blood Magic steals health from enemies, while Curses weaken opponents with powerful hexes and damage-over-time effects.
Necromancers often overwhelm enemies through constant pressure instead of instant burst damage.
Best for:
- Summoning minions
- Long battles
- Players who enjoy debuffs
5. Mesmer
The Mesmer is considered one of the hardest professions to master. Instead of relying on raw damage, Mesmers interrupt enemy skills, remove Energy, and disable opponents with powerful hexes. Its primary attribute, Fast Casting, reduces casting time and helps Mesmers react quickly during battle.
The profession focuses on:
- Domination Magic
- Illusion Magic
- Inspiration Magic
A skilled Mesmer can completely shut down enemy spellcasters, making difficult encounters much easier for the team.
However, success requires learning enemy skills and reacting at the perfect moment.
Best for:
- Experienced players
- Crowd control
- Interrupt-heavy gameplay
6. Elementalist
If you enjoy huge magical attacks, the Elementalist is the profession for you.
Elementalists have access to four elemental schools:
- Fire
- Water
- Air
- Earth
Each offers a different playstyle. Fire deals massive area damage, Air focuses on lightning attacks and armor penetration, Earth improves defense while dealing earth damage, and Water slows enemies with crowd control abilities.
Their primary attribute, Energy Storage, increases maximum Energy, allowing them to cast several expensive spells before running dry.
Although they deal some of the highest damage in Guild Wars, Elementalists must position carefully because they wear light armor.
Best for:
- Magic users
- High burst damage
- Large-scale spellcasting
7. Assassin
The Assassin is built around speed and precision.
Using dual daggers, Assassins perform attack chains that must be activated in the correct order to unleash devastating finishing attacks.
Its primary attribute, Critical Strikes, increases critical hit chance while restoring Energy whenever critical hits land.
The profession includes:
- Dagger Mastery
- Deadly Arts
- Shadow Arts
Shadow Arts allows Assassins to instantly teleport around the battlefield, making them excellent at eliminating dangerous targets before escaping.
However, poor timing or targeting often leads to quick defeats, making Assassins one of the highest-risk professions in the game.
Best for:
- Fast-paced combat
- High burst damage
- Skilled players
8. Ritualist
The Ritualist is one of the most versatile professions available.
Instead of focusing on a single role, Ritualists can become:
- Healers
- Damage dealers
- Spirit summoners
Their primary attribute, Spawning Power, strengthens summoned spirits while extending the duration of weapon spells.
Ritualists use several unique mechanics, including:
- Binding Rituals
- Weapon Spells
- Item Spells
Many PvE groups consider Restoration Ritualists among the strongest healers because they provide excellent support while remaining easy to play.
Best for:
- Flexible builds
- Team support
- Summoning spirits
9. Paragon
The Paragon serves as a battlefield commander. Using spears alongside powerful Shouts and Chants, Paragons continuously strengthen nearby allies while remaining safely behind the frontline.
Their primary attribute, Leadership, restores Energy whenever party-wide skills affect teammates.
Paragons specialize in:
- Spear Mastery
- Command
- Motivation
Well-played Paragons can keep their team protected with defensive buffs while increasing everyone’s overall damage.
Although their personal damage isn’t the highest, they become incredibly valuable in larger parties.
Best for:
- Support players
- Group content
- Buff-focused gameplay
10. Dervish
The Dervish combines melee combat with powerful holy magic.
Using a large scythe, Dervishes naturally hit multiple enemies with every swing, making them excellent for clearing groups.
Their primary attribute, Mysticism, lowers the Energy cost of enchantments while increasing armor whenever enchantments remain active.
Dervishes specialize in:
- Scythe Mastery
- Earth Prayers
- Wind Prayers
One of their most unique mechanics is transforming into divine Avatars, each granting different combat bonuses.
The profession depends heavily on maintaining enchantments, so enemies capable of removing buffs can become a serious threat.
Best for:
- Magical melee combat
- Area damage
- Self-buff gameplay
Which Guild Wars Profession Should You Choose?
Every profession in Guild Wars Reforged offers something different, and there isn’t a single “best” choice for every player. Warriors and Rangers are excellent starting points for newcomers, while Elementalists deliver explosive magical damage. Monks, Ritualists, and Paragons shine as support characters, while Necromancers, Mesmers, Assassins, and Dervishes reward players who enjoy more advanced mechanics.
The good news is that Guild Wars allows you to unlock a secondary profession later, giving you plenty of opportunities to experiment with different skill combinations. Pick the profession that matches your preferred playstyle, learn its strengths, and you’ll be ready to enjoy everything Guild Wars Reforged has to offer.