Guide to Elite Specializations in Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire edition

It’s important to know what your specific class is capable of doing in any game. Guild Wars 2 is no different, and since the launch of Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire, and now the upcoming End of Dragons expansions there’s a lot that is possible. With the introduction of new Elite Specializations, changing Metas for PvP, Raids, and Strikes, there’s a lot of information that players need to consider when choosing your class build. This is a list of all the Elite Specializations for the Path of Fire expansion and what they do.

Deadeye

There’s a lot to be said for the Thief. It’s fast-paced, lethal, and able to vanish into thin air. The Deadeye specialization does fit nicely with the Thief, apart from the reduction in mobility. With the ability to now use a rifle and cantrips, the Thief becomes the ultimate sniper class. With the Kneel ability, you can better the skills on your rifle, and your cantrips allow you to change up your attacks. Deadeye is not as popular a build in PvP modes but can be found in some instances of WvW, Raids, and the Open World.

Firebrand

Giving even more fiery abilities to the Guardian and a book that they can use to throw fire at enemies, the Firebrand does precisely what its name says. With the axe now part of their arsenal, the Firebrands Tomes replace their virtues and allow players to use the pages as spell attacks. In addition, they’re primarily mantra-focused, granting them access to the Guardian’s signature boon abilities. Firebrands are very popular builds in Raids and Strikes, as well as in the Open world.’

Holosmith

Engineers love to build things, and in this case, they’re making things straight out of light. With access to the Photon Forge, the Engineer can use heat to construct while wielding a sword. With less focus on playstyle based on Gyros and turrets, the Holosmith blasts through enemies with conditions, though if not careful, they’ll take damage from their skills. They also gain access to the Exceed ability, which increases if the heat threshold is too high. Holosmiths are excellent choices for Raids, Strikes, WvW, PvP, and the Open World.

Mirage

With access to an axe, the Mesmer becomes more focused on ambushing and fooling their targets. With many different conditions and the ability to Ambush their foes before teleporting away, the Mirage is the epitome of tricky to fight and deal with. Their main uses are in PvP, the Open World, as supports, and DPS in Strikes and Raids and WvW as a more solo-based roamer.

Renegade

Granting access to the legendary Charr Kalla Scorchrazor allows the Revenant to access the Legendary Renegade Stance as well as a short bow. Additionally, Renegades gain the ability to summon Warband members into the fight once they channel the Stance. With abilities like Icerazor’s Ire, which summons Visk Icerazor to condition foes, and the ability to heal and do damage with their Elite skills, the Renegade is an allrounder. They are mainly used Raids and Strikes, with some solid places for use in Open World combat and some instances of PvP and WvW as a solo roaming damage dealer from a distance.

Scourge

Scourges do a lot of support and utility-based combat. The Scourge is an excellent support with the ability to stack Torment and shield their comrades. They gain access to the torch, and with their ability to summon Sand Shades rather than use a Death Shroud, they can bestow sand shields to their allies. Scourges also gain access to their Punishment skills, allowing them to deal with heaps of condition-based damage and even teleport their allies if needed. Scourges are great supports in PvP settings; they’re also great in the Open World and are used as condition-oriented DPS in Raids and Strikes. They’re also excellent choices for WvW in large groups.

Soulbeast

The Soulbeast allows the Ranger to focus more on the bond they have with their pet. They can merge with their pets through Stances to enter into a Beastmode. Soulbeasts are also able to use a dagger. The ability of the Soulbeast varies based on the pet they’ve merged with, some granting knockbacks, others allowing you to move faster. The Stances that the Soulbeast can assume will also enable them to grant boons and cause conditions. Soulbeats are highly viable in PvP modes, the Open World and can be seen as either normal DPS or condition-based DPS in Raids and Strikes. They’re also strong in both group-based and solo WvW.