Nothing is worse than making a character in an MMORPG and finding out 300 hours down the road that you regret your choice. While Guild Wars 2 only has one faction, it offers a barrage of compelling options that make your first trip to the character creation screen a nightmare. There are five races in total, each with their own capital city, starting area, voice actors, and racial abilities. In order to make your life easier, we’ve created a list of the races along with information that should help make the delay between you installing the game and actually beginning to play as quick and seamless as possible.
Asura
City: Rata Sum, a geometrical impossibility.
Characteristics: Vertically-challenged, intelligent, stubborn as a mule
Racial Abilities:
Pain Inverter [Utility] – Apply Confusion to nearby enemies. You gain retaliation.
Radiation Field [Utility] – Create a Radiation Field at target location, inflicting Poison and Weakness on enemies in the area.
Technobabble [Utility] – Daze target foe.
Summon 7-Series Golem [Elite] – Summon a 7-Series attacking golem to fight for you.
Summon D-Series Golem [Elite] – Summon a D-Series defensive golem.
Summon Power Suit [Elite] – Summon a Power Suit which you or your allies can enter and use to combat enemies.
Description: They may be short in stature, but these magical inventors are intellectual giants. Incredibly intelligent beings, the Asura use their knowledge and skill with magic and crafting to assert their natural dominance. In the world of the Asura, it is not the strong who survive, but the clever. Other races believe they should rule by virtue of their power and strength, but they delude themselves. All will serve the Asura—in due time…
What makes this race cool: The Asura are all about gadgets, tinkering, and inventions. If you enjoy things like wearing goggles and/or read Sir Isaac Newton’s beloved work, then this is the race for you. They’re as short as they are humorous, and every time you log out of the game you’ll have stomach cramps from laughing at all their dialogue. Sure, other races might be able to bench press your entire colony, but your golem can break through a wall like the Kool-Aid man. Plus, your IQ is a higher number than the Charr can even count to. Who cares about deadlifting 800 lbs when you can win a chess tournament? Now that’s really impressive.
Charr
City: Black Citadel, where Rammstein film their music videos.
Characteristics: Large, furry like a kitty cat—but don’t tell them that—they're menacing.
Racial Abilities:
Battle Roar [Utility] – Let out a battle roar, giving fury and might to nearby allies.
Hidden Pistol [Utility] – Shoot target foe with a hidden pistol.
Shrapnel Mine [Utility] – Scatter a mine that cripples and bleeds enemies.
Artillery Barrage [Elite] – Call down an artillery barrage at target location, damaging foes.
Charrzooka [Elite] – Summon a rocket bazooka, replacing your weapon.
Description: The Charr race was forged in the merciless crucible of war. It is all they know. War defines them, and their quest for dominion drives them ever onward. The weakling and the fool have no place among the Charr. Victory is all that matters, and it must be achieved by any means and at any cost.
What makes this race cool: What’s cooler than charging in, roaring like a lion, and then clobbering a group of foes to death? Charr are a bloodthirsty group of wolf-like humanoids that make you feel like a badass when you play them. You like The Beatles? Well, I like Megadeth. Neighbor won’t stop playing loud rap music at 2:00 in the morning? Go over to his house and break the house in half. That’ll teach him a lesson. Diplomacy is for little babies like the Asura, anyway.
Human
City: Divinity’s Reach, a great place to take your next date.
Characteristics: Average, spiritual, Jessica Alba
Racial Abilities:
Prayer to Dwayna [Healing] – Beseech Dwayna to restore your health.
Prayer to Kormir [Utility] – Beseech Kormir to remove 3 conditions from you.
Prayer to Lyssa [Utility] – Pray to Lyssa, granting a random boon on yourself and a random condition to target enemy.
Avatar of Melandru [Elite] – Transform into an Avatar of Melandru, replacing your weapon.
Hounds of Balthazar [Elite] – Summon two Hounds of Balthazar to fight at your side.
Reaper of Grenth [Elite] – Become a Reaper of Grenth, Chilling and Poisoning nearby foes.
Description: Humans have lost their homeland, their security, and their former glory. Even their gods have withdrawn. And yet, the human spirit remains unshaken. These brave defenders of Kryta continue to fight with every ounce of their strength.
Why you should play this race: The Human race is the underdog this time around, and every other race thinks the Humans won't live to see another day. What a joke; you can’t possibly let that happen. Plus, who wants to play a giant, green fern or a big, fuzzy kitty cat anyway? There’s a reason Humans are in practically every video game ever made. We’re the best, and it’ll always be that way. Now excuse me while I go to the temple and pray.
Norn
City: Hoelbrak, home of the next Winter Olympics.
Characteristics: Tall, strong, makes Survivorman look like Survivorlady.
Racial Abilities:
Call Owl [Utility] – Call upon an owl to attack and bleed your foe.
Call Wurm [Utility] – Summons a wurm to fight for you.
Become the Bear [Elite] – Shape-shift into a norn bear form, replacing your weapon.
Become the Raven [Elite] – Shape-shift into norn Raven form, replacing your weapon.
Become the Snow Leopard [Elite] – Shape-shift into norn Snow Leapord form, replacing your weapon.
Become the Wolf [Elite] – Shape-shift into norn wolf form, replacing your weapon.
Description: This race of towering hunters experienced a great defeat when the Ice Dragon drove them from their glacial homeland. Nevertheless, they won’t let one lost battle—no matter how punishing—dampen their enthusiasm for life and the hunt. They know that only the ultimate victor achieves legendary rewards.
Why you should play this race: Fearless, driven, and dependable. The Norn are practically immune to frostbite and are able to survive without that stupid thing they call technology. Structured government and Justin Bieber? Screw that jazz. It’s all about being your own leader. Head to the pub, drink a keg or two, and then punch a random stranger for looking at your lady. Your armor looks cool? Check this out, I’m bigger than a Transformer. My shield could stop a comet, and my boot could kick you to Jupiter. Wanna arm wrestle? Yeah, that’s Norn. You better believe it.
Sylvari
City: The Grove, where hippies sleep on hemp hammocks.
Characteristics: Slender, peaceful, as colorful as a San Francisco parade.
Racial Abilities:
Healing Seed [Healing] – Create a Healing Seed at targeted location which periodically gives nearby allies Regeneration.
Grasping Vines [Utility] – Target foe becomes entangled by vines, and is unable to move until they have been destroyed.
Seed Turret [Utility] – Create a Seed Turret at targeted location which will attack nearby enemies.
Summon Druid Spirit [Elite] – Summon a Druid Spirit to fight at your side.
Summon Fern Mastiff [Elite] – Summon a Fern Mastiff to fight at your side.
Take Root [Elite] – Take root at your current location, becoming immobile, but causing several turrets to grow nearby.
Description: Sylvari are not born. They awaken beneath the Pale Tree with knowledge gleaned in their pre-life Dream. These noble beings travel, seeking adventure and discovery. They struggle to balance curiosity with duty, eagerness with chivalry, and warfare with honor. Magic and mystery entwine to shape the future of this race that has so recently appeared.
Why you should play this race: Global warming is going to destroy the planet and the only way to stop it is to live in the forest and eat organic food. I’m tall, sexy, and you’ve probably seen me on the cover of GQ Magazine. I might look human, but wait until the lights go out and you see my glowing leaf-skin. No, not that leaf-skin. I like popsicles. Do you want to dance?
Now that you've been introduced to the five races of Guild Wars 2, which race will you play?
