Heavy Armor Classes

 

A Detailed Overview

Hello friends! On this page, I will try to explain in detail the characters of the Heavy Armor classes as much as I know. To briefly recall the classes under Heavy Armor, they are, in order: Warrior, Guardian, and Revenant.

I started playing GW2 in August 2020, and the first character I created—and mained for nearly a year—was the Necromancer. In 2021, on a friend’s recommendation, I created my first Warrior and began my adventures in Tyria. I played this character for many years, so let’s start with the Warrior class.

Warrior Class

The Warrior is a character who can use almost every weapon. Their survivability and health bar are quite high, and they have many skills that help them stay alive. You might not always see the Warrior in the Meta (the term "Meta" refers to the ongoing cycle of buffs, nerfs, and shifts in the roles characters can fulfill).

In late game and end content, you can see Warriors both as tanks and support roles, as well as dealing high power and condition damage. You can definitely try playing one yourself.

I think the Charr race fits the Warrior very well. Their large weapons and bulky bodies match perfectly. However, if you care a lot about fashion, I’d recommend sticking with the Human race, as their fashion options fit perfectly and their body models don’t cause any graphical issues. Otherwise, your carefully dressed character might look awkward or boring. We will cover fashion in a separate post.

Now, where were we? The Warrior is a very player-friendly class. The only challenging part is that about 70-80% of its gameplay weapons are melee, not ranged. This means in open world and other PvE content, you often have to fight mobs and bosses up close. Without the ability to dodge, your risk of dying increases.

And of course, there is the “downed” state (dawn) mechanics we use in open world content. When you get overwhelmed by mobs and fall, you don’t immediately die because the downed state gives you a chance to fight back for a few seconds. All characters have this mechanic, but my favorite part about Warrior is the third skill that instantly revives you, letting you fight normally again without staying downed. Once you defeat a couple of marked mobs, you are safe from dying or being downed. If you fail to kill them, then you fall completely.

When you start playing the game, open a Warrior and play it—you won’t regret it. The PvP and WvW aspects are very strong, and I will try to explain the roles of characters in those modes in upcoming posts.

Guardian Class

If you want to play as a tank, healer, or provide all kinds of team support—or even deal high damage—then welcome to our very powerful character class that’s beginner-friendly and also deadly in late and endgame content: the Guardian.

The Guardian’s skill bar mainly consists of blue and white tones, and their skills feature various shades of blue. Like all MMORPGs, buff and debuff mechanics exist in GW2, and Guardian is one of the few classes that balances these effects excellently and keeps them on teammates.

The Guardian has various jumping and leaping skills. With recent patches, the variety of weapons they use has increased. Of course, once you master the character, you can play the Guardian effectively anywhere and in any role among all classes in the game.

Our goal is to progress easily and develop ourselves in the early stages without much effort. I believe that long-time GW2 players visiting these pages and commenting here or on other platforms will provide valuable guidance and light for new players and groups wanting to start the game.

Revenant Class

If you enjoy tormenting your enemies with the Torment condition while dashing and leaping across the battlefield, then the Revenant is the perfect class for you. However, it’s important to note that this class is not very beginner-friendly and generally not recommended for players who are just starting out.

Why, you ask? Even before level 10, the class heavily relies on frequent use of your F1-F4 function keys, making it quite mechanically demanding. (Of course, you can remap these keys to your liking. If you’re interested, I can write a dedicated post later explaining how to set up your keybinds effectively. No problem!)

Helpful tip: For a smoother experience, especially with skill combinations and stance switching, I strongly recommend using a gaming mouse with extra buttons suited for MMORPGs.

Now that we’ve shared a few tips, let’s get back to what makes Revenant unique. This class requires you to manage both weapon and legend (stance) swapping, making it a fast-paced and action-heavy choice. While it may be challenging at first, in the hands of an experienced player, the Revenant transforms into a truly legendary powerhouse.

My personal recommendation? Start with Warrior or Guardian to learn the core game mechanics and get comfortable with the combat system. After a few months, you can gradually transition into Revenant, starting with the Herald specialization. It’s a bit less intense when it comes to function key usage.

If you choose Renegade or Vindicator, be prepared for even more complex gameplay—but also some incredibly fun and flashy skills. Ultimately, play what you enjoy. If you love how a skill looks, feels, or sounds, then that’s the right class for you!