Some players enjoy the challenge of beating content alone, not for bragging rights, but for the sheer fun and excitement of it all. Others prefer to test their abilities with solo content because they do not want to be held back by other players. Guild Wars 2 has multiple challenging content that can be soloed by remarkable players that make even veterans of the game sweat. This is where this guide can help. and without further ado, these are the top ten best Guild Wars 2 solo class builds for you to try, Commander.
10. Necromancer - Minion Master Necro
A classic build that almost anyone can use and master and that can be very effective in PvE content. Necromancers are one of the most versatile classes, and they are surprisingly tanky due to their ability to enter the Shroud and have two life bars. What makes minion master necromancers dangerous in PvE is how difficult they are to take down before even entering their shroud form.
The minions do a lot of the work for you and can even be done without any of the elite specializations from the expansion packs. The Death Magic trait line and the "Flesh of the master" perk grant you a "Carapace" boon for every minion you currently control. When combined with Minstrel stats on your armor, weapons, and trinkets, as well as your profession's innate toughness, your necromancer will be extremely difficult to defeat.
Why Minion Master is great for solo?
- The traits combine so well that you not only have multiple minions to aid you in combat, but the more of them you have, the tankier you become.
- When combined with the Blood Magic trait line, you gain access to perks that allow you to heal using shroud. When you use those skills on your minions, they last even longer and allow you to stay in the fight indefinitely, UNLESS you become careless.
- Minion Master Necromancers are simple to create, save for, and equip. If Minstrel and Trailblazer gear sets are too expensive, you can still do well with Givers, Settlers, or even Nomads.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
Minion Master Necromancer builds have previously been used in PvP with varying degrees of success. It all depends on the matchup and build of the enemies you're up against. When a Minion Master Necro takes a node, it can be difficult to deal with them unless the opposing team gangs up on them.
It becomes more of a hindrance when it comes to World vs. World. In World vs World, you must be very mobile or you will be left behind by your teammates or picked off by a large group of enemies.
9. Elementalist - Power Catalyst
End of Dragons introduced the Catalyst elite specialization, which gave Elementalists the mighty hammer as a weapon and the ability to summon a Jade Sphere that is launched on the ground to deploy a combo field of whatever element you are currently attuned to at the time.
The Celestial stat is the one you want to put on your Power Catalyst because it increases all attributes equally, giving you a little bit of everything (Spoiler Alert: You will be seeing this a lot). Choose the Superior Rune of Baelfire for the armor runes to provide a lot of power, condition damage, burning duration, and a percentage of power going into the expertise attribute. When switching weapons or elements, you can't go wrong with Sigils of Energy and Cleansing on your weapons for additional condition cleansing and endurance.
Why Catalyst is great for solo?
- They can generate boons that help you survive longer in a fight, making them deceptively tanky.
- Catalysts use their hammer skills to provide crowd control in a variety of ways.
- Elementalists have the tools they need to provide the coveted role of the controller because the elite specialization's skills and hammer include both offensive and defensive abilities.
Choose this build if:
- You are an experienced Elementalist who can juggle between different elements, know the proper skill rotation required for maximum damage, and when to activate your Hammer weapon 3 skill.
- You are aware of how squishy Elementalists can be and how to properly mitigate damage with timing blocks, dodges, activating the mist form skill, and so on.
- You are roleplaying as Avatar Aang and you are ready to take down the Fire Nation with your friends!
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
There are some similar builds that are quite effective in both PvP and World vs World and run a variation of Power Catalyst. With a little tinkering, you can adapt the build to whatever game mode you want and still have a similar experience with the game. Our verdict is yes. Feel free to play around with the setup.
8. Ranger - Condi Untamed
Who would have guessed that the humble Ranger job would be included on this list? Untamed, a surprising addition to this list brings a lot of much-needed love for the beloved long-range Medium Armor profession. Their core mechanic involves using the F5 skill to "Unleash" either you or your pet, which results in more powerful attack versions of your weapon skills or your pet's attack abilities.
When you unleash your pet, their attack skills become area-of-effect, and when you unleash your character, you use Unleash Ambush skills, which are upgraded versions of your auto-attack skill that grant specific effects. After a few seconds of attacking, you will be able to use more Unleash Ambush abilities while your character is still in the unleashed state. You can also manually control your pet's skills, giving you more control over your pet.
A popular condition-based build focuses on Untamed, which uses the Celestial gear set with Superior Runes of the Krait to increase condition damage and bleeding duration while also inflicting other status effects on enemies when you use your elite skill. The main hand axe and an offhand torch that provides excellent middle to close-range damage are the weapons of choice for Condi Untamed builds.
Why Untamed is great for solo?
- When things get dicey, your pet can be an excellent distraction.
- Untamed has access to a variety of crippling conditions that they can use to take down even the most powerful bosses in the open world.
- You can use an axe and torch as your primary weapons and leave it at that, or you can add a short bow to inflict more conditions on your enemies. You will deal more damage if you continue to move toward the enemy flank.
Choose this build if:
- You want to have a more relaxed time dealing with bosses, but still have active participation through proper positioning and flanking, similar to minion master necro.
- You can comfortably switch between unleashing yourself and your pet during critical situations.
- You wish your real-life fluffy friends could maul your enemies for you while you wail on them with a massive hammer like your Guild Wars 2 Untamed and its pets.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
While the Untamed elite specialization allows players to better control their pets by unleashing their character and manually selecting their pets' attacks, dealing with A.I. can still be a hassle. World vs. World pets should ideally remain close to their owners rather than attacking enemies, but Untamed can simply choose when to command their pets to attack and use specific pet skills.
The same can be said for PvP, but Untamed has had more success in this game mode. You can easily play both game modes by tinkering with the traits and switching your weapons to the longbow and greatsword.
7. Guardian - Power Condi Willbender
Guardian is a Willbender elite specialization that is more combat-oriented than support. They keep the passives from their virtue skills on the F1-F3 keys, but they've been upgraded to be even more useful in combat. Normally, you don't want to use any of the skills in combat, but Willbenders find themselves using them to deal damage and gain powerful boons.
The build primarily utilizes Celestial gear, or for the more daring, Trailblazers, giving you even higher toughness stats at the expense of additional stat increases. Superior Runes of Balthazar, the bread and butter of Condi Willbenders, are installed on armors, increasing both condition damage and burning duration. Use Sword and Scepter with a Superior Sigil of Concentration to increase your boon duration, along with an offhand Torch with a Superior Sigil of Strength to grant you might boons for 10 seconds whenever you land a critical hit.
Why Willbender is great for solo?
- Guardians are, by definition, a support class in Heavy Armor. Combine that trait with Willbenders' combat prowess, and you'll be a one-man army capable of easily defeating even the most difficult solo content.
- If you can do your rotations carefully, you can deal massive amounts of burning damage.
- Choosing Celestial or Trailblazers on your Willbender makes you tankier than regular Guardians.
Choose this build if:
- You want to play a heavy class that can easily switch from support to offense by swapping skills.
- You understand the mechanics of both Guardian and Willbender and can experiment with the virtues with ease.
- You've played D&D as a Paladin and want nothing more than to use your martial prowess to bring righteous justice.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
When it comes to World vs World, there have been players who have had great success with variations of the build. The lack of mobility of Guardians, unless they use staff to grant themselves swiftness boons, is a general weakness that holds them back. Willbenders have movement abilities that compensate for this and allow them to easily navigate maps.
The same can be said about PvP. Given their combat-oriented gameplay, they may feel at ease in this game mode. They are excellent in combat as long as they are not surrounded, but luckily they have the ability to leave a fight, even if only temporarily.
6. Mesmer - Condi Mirage
Because of its gameplay style, the Mesmer profession is regarded as one of the most difficult classes to master. You must manage their ability to attack your enemies with illusions and phantasms, and then use your F1-F4 skills to shatter them, causing a variety of effects ranging from inflicting damage and debuffs on enemies to beneficial boons for you. With the Mirage elite specialization, their dodges are replaced with the Mirage Cloak, which allows them to evade incoming attacks. They gain the ability to use Ambush Skills after a successful mirage cloak, which unleashes a powerful version of their auto-attack skill when certain conditions are met.
One popular Mirage build that can easily solo most PvE content combines the Duelist, Chaos, and Mirage trait lines to create a tanky yet condition-heavy powerhouse with minimal input. It once again utilizes Celestial gear set for its armor, weapons, and trinkets, along with Superior Runes of the Nightmare to increase condition damage. Your weapons will be double staves that require Superior Sigil of Energy and Cleansing to gain endurance and cleanse conditions from yourself.
Why Mirage is great for solo?
- Mirages can use a variety of build variations, ranging from a condition damage-heavy playstyle to a more relaxed, low-input style. Both of which contribute something to the table.
- Mirage builds are extremely mobile, allowing you to zip from one enemy to the next while dealing a constant stream of damage.
- It may appear difficult to master Mirages as a whole at first, but after some practice and learning the mechanics, the profession becomes second nature.
Choose this build if:
- You're looking for a light armor profession that requires a high level of skill but is extremely rewarding once you've mastered it.
- You already know how to play Mesmer, but you want to boost your damage output.
- Do you want to play the role of a Hidden Leaf Village ninja from the Naruto series? Use your phantasms and illusions to dominate all PvE monsters. Believe it!
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
Mirages have been known to use the condition damage variant of the build with varying degrees of success in both PvP and World vs World. Because it is highly mobile, you can easily secure areas in PvP and catch up to your group in World vs World. Your results may vary.
5. Engineer - Condi Mechanist
The End of Dragons expansion pack has granted the wish of Engineer mains who have always wanted a golemancer elite specialization. Enter the Mechanist: an engineer who spent their time tinkering with jade tech and creating a powerful mech that follows it around like a ranger's pet. In contrast to the Necromancer's minions, the Ranger's pets, and the Elementalist's... uh.... Elementals, the Mechanic's trait line allows the Battle Mech to use different abilities.
Want a tough pet to go toe-to-toe with the toughest of bosses? While you blast the boss with range, use a melee-focused mech. Do you want to blast the enemies with your battle partner? Go full range and unleash a barrage of attacks and CC capable of dispatching difficult opponents. You can even configure the mech to be a full-fledged powerhouse capable of destroying enemy projectiles. Superior Rune of Sanctuary on your Celestial armor boosts your vitality, increases the duration of your boons, and grants you a barrier. Choose dual pistols with Superior Sigil of Smoldering to increase burn duration and Superior Sigil of Battle to grant yourself might whenever you switch weapons or kits.
Why Mechanist is great for solo?
- Most of the time, you'll be out of range while the golem takes the hits for you, similar to the Minion Master Necromancer.
- You begin to learn to adapt on the fly because not every scenario and boss is handled in the same manner. You may need to change your traits to make your golem deploy a shield to protect you from projectiles rather than tanking constantly.
- Mechanists deal a surprising amount of condition damage and are one of the builds that are gaining popularity among solo players.
Choose this build if:
- As a medium-armor profession, you want a high-powered golem to tank for you while you blast it with pistols out of enemy range.
- You find it difficult to play as Scrapper or Holosmith and are looking for a more mobile build.
- You want to roleplay the movie Iron Giant to your heart's content, but this time it's just you and the Battle Mech.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
It can be used to help the opposing team win...
It can be used to help the opposing team win... A.I. Pets have a bad reputation in both PvP and World vs World, and Jade Mechs are no exception. Although mechs are a force to be reckoned with in PvE, they don't fare well when pitted against a living, breathing human being, let alone a team of them.
4. Revenant - Condi Renegade
As a class introduced during the Heart of Thorns expansion, you must be familiar with the game's story and mechanics in order to play as a Revenant. Their abilities are linked to the Legends they channel, and they bring to the fold the Legendary Charr Kalla Scorchrazor, the female charr who rebelled against the Flame Legion and inspired others to do the same.
Renegades were popular for their ability to deal so much damage while also having a powerful healing skill, but this has since been nerfed. This, however, did not deter players from using the Renegade build, as they simply adapted to the change, and it remains a viable option for soloing content in PvE. Most Renegade builds that focus on soloing use Celestial stat armor, trinkets, and weapons to increase boon duration and toughness, allowing them to stay in the fight for longer. Condo Renegades primarily use Kalla as their primary damage-dealing and healing legend, switching to Mallyx or Jalis depending on the situation. Their bread and butter is the short bow, with the main hand mace and offhand on the side to round out their build.
Why Renegade is great for solo?
- Renegades are your go-to professions if you want to be a highly mobile yet tanky heavy armor class that can deal a ton of condition damage depending on their positioning.
- Despite a nerf from the developers, the elite specialization's healing skill is still very useful. To use it, you must first become accustomed to being within its field of effect.
- Switching between Kalla for offense and Jalis for defense is critical to victory, and knowing when to use them will keep you out of trouble. The build itself is very forgiving, and you can still make mistakes that aren't too severe.
Choose this build if:
- You want a profession and build that can be used in most game modes due to its stat options and skill set while only changing a few traits.
- You are an experienced player who prefers a more mobile playstyle and is comfortable with constant repositioning.
- You are a true rebel, choosing to liberate loot from enemy champions and bounties.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
This Condi Renegade build has seen some use in both PvP and World vs World, with mixed results. Enemy players are smart and, unlike ordinary enemies in PvE, will tend to avoid area-of-effect skills, making them difficult to use, but it is possible to do so by anticipating your opponent's moves.
3. Thief - Power Deadeye
"Wait a minute, did you just say Deadeye was good?", some elitist might argue. Yes, dear reader, I did say Deadeye is an excellent build for solo classes. The thief profession has always been a great one-on-one damage dealer, even in PvP at times. The Deadeye elite specialization takes some time to master, but once you do, you can use it to take down even the mightiest of champions AND legendary bounties.
A very specific Deadeye build uses Pistol and Dagger to great effect while the target has the Marked status that Deadeyes use on their F1 skill. The marked status boosts your damage by increasing your malice meter above your health. The build makes use of Celestial gear to give the normally squishy Thief some extra toughness, allowing him to tank most hits while also increasing condition damage with Superior Runes of Nightmare. Superior Sigil of Agony and Superior Sigil of Bursting will be used by pistol and off-hand dagger to increase the bleeding duration and condition damage.
Why Deadeye is great for solo?
- The Deadeye's Malice mechanic replaces the core thief's ability to steal with a damage-boosting target, but you must constantly attack it to increase it. The build focuses on thieves' ability to be the best one-on-one fighters.
- If you get too close for comfort, use your number three weapon skill to quickly move backward. You can do the same thing without using Initiative by using the skill "Roll for Initiative" while dodging attacks.
- If things get too dicey, you can use smoke combo fields with blast or leap finishers to hide for a while.
Choose this build if:
- You are confident in your ability to quickly and effectively reposition yourself.
- You understand the mechanics of the thief profession, particularly the use of smoke fields for stealth. You are also aware that not all enemies are vulnerable to blind debuff (the Dredge).
- You want to disprove the naysayers who have been dismissing the thief profession as having no place in the meta for so long.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
The Pistol and Dagger Deadeye has the potential to do amazing things in PvP, but it all depends on the matchup. If the opponent is unprepared or underestimates Deadeye's potential, they will be at a significant disadvantage. If they have a lot of projectile-reflect abilities, the Deadeye should back off.
In World vs. World, the Pistol and Dagger will almost certainly face a slew of projectile reflect skills, especially if they try to attack zergs from behind.
2. Warrior - Cavalier Bladesworn
Warriors, a class close to my heart, are the epitome of hack-and-slash gameplay in Guild Wars 2. Do you want to be a berserk, don't-care-if-you-get-hurt-as-long-as-you-beat-enemies-to-a-pulp mound of muscle? Do you simply want to see big numbers on your screen while you dodge attacks like a pro? Play as any of the warrior variations. However, one popular build you may try is the Cavalier Bladesworn.
Having played a similar build, I can say that it is one of the most enjoyable solo builds to try. Using the Cavalier stat set on your weapons, armor, and trinkets results in a tanky and powerful build, especially when combined with Superior Runes of Strength for increased damage potential. Although it has a lower crit rate, you can easily overcome it by using food and buff-giving items. A Sigil of Vision grants the Bladesworn an insta-crit whenever it switches weapons, while a Sigil of Battle grants might per switch, including switching to the gunsaber.
Why Bladesworn Warrior is great for solo?
- Do you want big numbers on your screen? The Bladesworn Warriors have you covered.
- Did you hear someone yell CC? Bladesworn Warriors have one of the most powerful CC attacks built into their mechanics, the Dragon Trigger attack, Dragon Slash-Force. Although it is their primary method of CC, there is some risk involved because if you go into the F2 Dragon Trigger stance and suddenly move, you will have to wait for the cooldown to let you try Dragon Slash again, but by then, the enemy's CC bar may have been locked.
- The build can not only deal a lot of damage, but it can also take a beating like a champ.
Choose this build if:
- You are the type of player who enjoys a challenge and is willing to put in the time and effort required to complete this build.
- You don't mind a risk-versus-reward gameplay style when using your Dragon Trigger techniques and can perform Dragon Slash flawlessly every time.
- You believe that giving the Warrior class an elite specialization with a built-in "Gunkatana" was the best thing ArenaNet ever did.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
Although the build is heavily reliant on landing the Dragon Slash-Force skill in order to work and deal massive damage, it is doable. A beginner Bladesworn is unlikely to even land it in PvP, let alone World vs World, but when they do, it is extremely satisfying. Maybe not, but if there is a crazy enough Bladesworn-main who can do it all the time in those environments, I salute them.
1. Necromancer - Celestial / Trailblazer Scourge
There is no doubt about what the current best solo class build for PvE is and why they are still powerful despite the nerfs. The Necromancer profession can handle a lot of content on its own if you use the right traits and stats, but when you use the Scourge elite specialization, things get a lot more interesting. Its access to sand shrouds allows it to inflict more status effects on enemies while also providing you and your allies with barriers that help mitigate damage.
Using the Celestial or Trailblazers stats to great effect, a Scourge can use its built-in tankiness to soak up so much damage with the barriers they get from simply using their sand shrouds, as well as inflict pain on enemies with condition damage. Use Superior Runes of the Undead for more condition damage, as well as converting a percentage of your toughness attribute into even more condition damage. Scepter + Dagger / Torch with Sigils of Doom for more torment damage and Malice for condition duration are your best weapons.
Why Scourge is great for solo?
- Their death shroud is transformed into sand shrouds, which produce unique effects. They can also provide barriers that allow you to tank additional health damage. It replaces the necromancer's normal ability to transform into Death Shroud.
- The build can effectively convert condition damage into healing. You won't have to worry about dying with the number of conditions you can dish out.
- Knowing the reputation of necromancers being difficult to kill, the scourge has it in spades thanks to its increased tankiness and healing.
Choose this build if:
- You want to use a tanky build that uses condition damage on enemies like there's no tomorrow while using one of the best PvE professions.
- You don't mind doing a little prep work to make the build work in your favor.
- You've been playing the game since beta and have pent-up rage for necros being ignored for years, and all you want is to see the world burn beneath your shrouded feet.
Can this build be used in PvP and World vs World?
The answer is a resounding yes. The number of Scourge players roaming around in World vs World constantly harassing dolyaks and taking objectives is so large that you'd be surprised to see a lone Scourge doing it alone. They can kill unprepared players if they aren't prepared for a long, drawn-out fight.
If they are a force to be reckoned with in World vs World, the same can be said in PvP. Scourges are just one of the elite specializations of Necromancers, who rule the arena.
Closing Thoughts
As a solo player, you can approach Guild Wars 2 in a variety of ways as long as you understand the basics. Understand your profession's characteristics, skills, and elite specializations. There is no one true way to solo, but these are the professions and builds that can do the job.
Even if some of these seem out of reach for you, either because the equipment required is expensive or you don't know the class well enough to make it work, keep going. There are always alternatives. Learn, survive, and adapt no matter how you get there. Commander, best of luck out there!
