Best Guardian Builds in Guild Wars 2

Guardians in Guild Wars 2 are devoted fighters, so the best Guardian build sounds similar to the best Warrior builds. That said, Guardians have more passive bonuses. In addition to having more passive bonuses, their Virtues give nearby allies a more powerful effect when activated to lose the passive bonus. We've gathered the best Guardian builds below.

All-around Guardian

This is a build that anyone can make, regardless of whether they pay a subscription fee or not. This build is also great for players who want to be good overall, but it requires players to have a Greatsword.

Skills

• Main Skills
  • Virtue of Justice - Passively burns enemies every few attacks. When activated, all nearby party members (including yourself) deal burning damage on the next attack.
  • Virtue of Resolve - Passively regenerates health. When activated, all nearby party members (including yourself) are healed.
  • Virtue of Courage - Passively aegis periodically. When activated, all nearby party members (including yourself) gain aegis.
• Greatsword
  • Strike - A basic attack against enemies.
  • Whirling Wrath - Use your Greatsword to swing in place and hurl projectiles.
  • Leap of Faith - Jump to your enemy and deal a great blow. This attack gives blindness to enemies while healing you.
  • Symbol of Resolution - Pierce the ground with a mystic symbol that damages enemies while providing resolution to allies.
  • Binding Blade - Fire blades at your enemies, causing damage over time. You can pull bound enemies to you. When the enemy moves out of range, the effect ends.
• Utility
  • Litany of Wrath - Heal yourself based on the damage you deal to your enemies.
  • Bane Signet - Passively improves Power. When active, knockdown and damage enemies.
  • Sword of Justice - This spirit weapon appears next to your targetted enemy and attacks all other enemies nearby.
  • "Stand Your Ground" - Grant Stability to all nearby party members (including yourself).
  • "Feel My Wrath!" - Grant Fury and Quickness to nearby party members. The amount of time you have quickness will be double that of other party members.

Specializations

You can choose these specializations when you level up:

• Zeal
  • Lesser Symbol of Resolution
    • Zealous Scepter
  • Symbolic Exposure
    • Zealous Blade
  • Symbolic Power
    • Symbolic Avenger
• Radiance
  • Justice is Blind
    • Healer's Resolution
  • Renewed Justice
    • Retribution
  • Radiant Power
    • Righteous Instincts
• Virtues
  • Inspired Virtue
    • Unscathed Contender
  • Virtue of Resolution
    • Inspiring Vitrue
  • Power of the Virtuous
    • Indomitable Courage

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Support Healer

When you're in PvP, the best kind of support is a healer. The healer is always the most protected because they protect the party. The Support Healer guardian is probably the best one around who can still deal damage:

Skills

• Main Skills
  • Tome of Justice - Burn enemies every few attacks.
    • If used, it burns a Page of the tomb (there are five pages).
  • Tome of Resolve - Regenerates health.
    • This burns a page of the tome every time it's used (there are five pages in total).
  • Tome of Courage - Gain Aegis every so often.
    • Every time this is used, a page of the tome is burned (you can burn up to five pages).
• Staff
  • Bolt of Wrath - A basic attack that shoots a bolt that damages enemies.
  • Holy Strike - Mark an area for Judgment.
    • Judgment heals party members and damages enemies in the area.
  • Symbol of Swiftness - Sear a mystic symbol in a chosen area.
    • All enemies in the area will take damage, while allies in the area will gain Swiftness.
  • Empower - Channel Healing and Might to nearby party members.
    • Complete the skill entirely to give enemies even more health.
  • Line of Warding - Create a line in front of you that no enemy can cross.
• Utility
  • Mantra of Solace - Gain health and grant boons to yourself and all party members close by.
  • Mantra of Potence - This Quickens all party members (including yourself).
  • Bane Signet - Passively improves Power. When active, it damages and knocks down nearby enemies.
  • "Stand Your Ground" - Grants Stability to all members of the party (including yourself).
  • "Feel My Wrath!" - Gives nearby party members Fury and Quickness. The amount of time you have with Quickness is double that of the other party members.

Specializations

It will help if you chose these specializations as you level up:

• Radiance
  • Justice is Blind
    • Right-Hand Strength
  • Renewed Justice
    • Lesser Signet of Wrath
  • Radiant Power
    • Perfect Inscriptions
• Honor
  • Vigorous Precision
    • Invigorated Bulwark
  • Selfless Daring
    • Honorable Staff
  • Purty of Body
    • Writ of Persistence
• Firebrand
  • Tome of Justice
    • Liberators Vow
  • Swift Scholar
    • Weighty Terms
  • Imbued Haste
    • Loremaster

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Dragonhunter

A Dragonhunter build is pretty much indestructible. This is great for both solo and players in a party. You can even use this build in PvP, you just need to make sure that you have a bow and that you have the Dragonhunter specialization.

Skills

• Main Skills
  • Spear of Justice - Passively, players with this ability will burn enemies every few hits. When activated, you will throw a spear and tether any enemies in the way together.
  • Wings of Resolve - Passively regenerates your health. When activated, you will jump into an area and heal all party members you come nearby.
  • Shield of Courage - This passively gives you Aegis. When activated, you will have a shield put in front of you.
    • You will still be vulnerable from your side and back.
• Longbow
  • Puncture Shot - Fire an arrow that goes throw the target. If a second target is hit, both enemies become crippled.
  • True Shot - Charge an arrow before shooting it.
    • This attack goes through enemies.
  • Deflecting Shot - Fire an arrow that knocks enemies back and blocks all missile attacks.
  • Symbol of Energy - Fire an arcing arrow into the air. The arow will explode upon hitting the ground.
  • Hunters Ward - Your arrows form into a barrier and deal damage at a targetted location.
• Utility
  • Purification - Heal yourself and imbue your light into a trap. If any enemies fall into this trap, they will be blinded and their damage taken will heal you.
  • Test of Faith - Lay a trap that activates when enemies come close. A ring of weapons will damage any enemies caught in the trap.
  • Judge's Intervention - Teleport to a chosen area and burn any nearby enemies. 
  • Procession of Blades - Set a trap that activates when enemies come close. When activated, weapons will whirl and damage any enemies near the trap. 
  • Renewed Focus - Focus and make yourself invulnerable to all attacks. During this focus, you retire your virtues.

Specializations

As a player progresses through levels, they should choose these specializations:

• Radiance
  • Justice is Blind
    • Healer's Resolution
  • Renewed Justice
    • Retribution
  • Radiant Power
    • Righteous Instincts
• Virtues
  • Inspired Virtue
    • Unscathed Contender
  • Virtue of Resolution
    • Inspiring Virtue
  • Power of the Virtuous
    • Indomitable Courage
• Dragonhunter
  • Spear of Justice
    • Piercing Light
  • Defender's Dogma
    • Zealot's Aggression
  • Pure of Sight
    • Big Game Hunter

For more on Guild Wars 2, check out 5 Tips for Beginners in Guild Wars 2 or All Professions in Guild Wars 2 here on Pro Game Guides!