Guardian

Guardians are devoted fighters who protect their allies and smite their enemies by drawing from the power of their virtues. True guardians are brilliant tacticians and selfless defenders who know when to sacrifice their own defenses to empower their allies to achieve victory. — GuildWars2.com Guardian

**Guardians** specialize in protective and defensive magic. A deep sense of loyalty to their allies fuels their passion and power. As a soldier profession, guardians wear heavy armor.

## Abilities

### Profession mechanic

The Guardians unique abilities are Virtues, virtues provide passive effects to the guardian and when activated provides various effects for nearby allies as well. Guardians have 3 distinct virtues which can be further augmented through traits for more powerful effects.

* Virtue of Justice - Burn foes every few attacks.

Activate: You and your allies inflict burning on the next attack.

* Virtue of Resolve - Regenerates health.

Activate: Heal yourself and nearby allies.

* Virtue of Courage - Grants aegis every few seconds.

Activate: Grant aegis to yourself and nearby allies.
The Guardian has a reputation for being the most durable profession in the game, thanks to their virtues and many utility and elite skills which focus on use of boons and active defense and protecting of allies in general.

Virtues have been said to help balance the guardian; for example, they have a lower base health than the warrior profession but compensate for this with their higher health regeneration granted by Virtue of Resolve.

## Weapon skills

Heals

utility

Elite

downed

drwoning

#### Unique skill types

* Symbols — these ground-based skills inflict damage to enemies and deliver a benefit to allies. Symbols persist for a few seconds and then dissipate. All symbols provide Combo Field: Light.
* Wards — a temporary line or ring on the ground that only pushes enemies that attempt to cross it (negated by Stability).
* Spirit Weapons — summon weapons that follow the guardian and can fight or aid, while also being able to be commanded for an additional effect.
* Consecration — these abilities focus on providing condition removal, projectile reflection and control for the guardian and its allies.
* Meditations — a type of utility skill that involves teleportation, healing, condition removal and AoE damage.

### Specializations

The guardian has five core specializations, and one elite specialization:

Zeal - focuses on improving symbols and spirit weapons.
Radiance - focuses on improving signets, burning, and blinding.
Valor - focuses on improving blocking and meditations.
Honor - focuses on improving dodging, symbols, and shouts.
Virtues - focuses on improving consecrations and virtues.
#### Elite

Dragonhunter — Gains access to longbows, a set of trap skills, and replaces the passive virtues with ones that manifest in a physical form.
## Equipment

### Weapons

There are twelve possible weapon sets for this profession and two weapon sets while underwater. The guardian can equip and alternate between two weapon sets during combat starting at level 15.

* Two-handed
	+ Longbow — Focus on firing massive, single projectiles at a ferocious velocity having lots of potential in assisting allies. (Dragonhunter specialization only)
	+ Greatsword — High-damage, AoE, melee attacks combined with retaliation and positioning.
	+ Hammer — High-damage, AoE, melee attacks combined with protection and control abilities.
	+ Staff — Supportive weapon with mid range AoE attacks, healing and boons.

* Main-hand
	+ Mace — Supportive melee weapon that provides AoE regeneration and blocking.
	+ Scepter — Offensive, long-range, spell casting weapon used to immobilize and smite enemies.
	+ Sword — Balanced melee weapon with offense, defense and mobility.

* Off-hand
	+ Focus — Balanced weapon that provides supportive spells for both offense and self-defense, including condition removal.
	+ Shield — Supportive weapon that provides local AoE projectile defense and protection.
	+ Torch — Offensive weapon that burns enemies while cleansing allies of conditions.

* Aquatic
	+ Spear — High-damage, rapid, close range attacks combined with positioning and control abilities.
	+ Trident — Supportive weapon with long range attacks that provides local AoE projectile defense, healing and condition removal.

### Crafting

The following crafting disciplines can create items that are useful to the guardian:

* Weaponsmith — Greatswords, hammers, maces, shields, spears, swords.
* Artificer — Foci, scepters, staves, tridents.
* Huntsman — Longbows, torches.
* Armorsmith — Heavy armor.
* Jeweler — Jewelry.
* Chef — Food.

## Personal story

As a symbol of my dedication, I wear \_\_\_\_\_.***Conqueror's Pauldrons** ("conqueror's pauldrons") — When I was young, a famed hero returning from battle stopped and gave me his pauldrons. Ever since, I've worn them as my own, and I make every attempt to live up to his legend. I too will be a conqueror.*

***Fanatic's Pauldrons** ("fanatic's pauldrons") — Long ago, I determined my path, and nothing will sway me from it. I'm stalwart in my beliefs and immovable in my loyalties. The weight of my pauldrons reminds me of the burden I carry.*

***Visionary's Helm** ("a visionary's helm") — Tyria is bigger than we know and filled with mystery. This helm is open, allowing me to see with clarity. With it, I will seek out the world's greater truths that others fear to explore.*

## Background

With the turmoil in Elona and the spread of the Order of Whispers into other lands, more Paragon teaching showed elsewhere in Tyria. These teachings melded with other traditions, and over time, the guardians and their abilities can be found throughout the world and among all the races. They are not tied to a particular race, philosophy, or group of gods but rather to a larger concept of proactive defense, of taking the fight to a foe and protecting those you fight alongside while appealing equally to humanity's defensive nature and the charr's desire to rule the battlefield. — Jeff Grubb

It's a pile of Elonian protection magic, mixed with a little monk training, wrapped up in some crazy ritualist hoo-ha from Cantha. A real grab bag of "you can't hurt me". They're called **guardians**, and simply put, they mean trouble. — Macha

## Trivia

* The guardian was previewed under this image until its unveiling on the 27th January 2011.
* The guardian was widely known among fans as *"Blue Mace Lady"* (or simply *"BML"*) prior to being revealed, due to this concept art.
* The guardian was the first profession unveiled that is not present in the original *Guild Wars*.
	+ It borrows themes from a couple of the *Guild Wars* professions. Many of their skills share names with those used by the monk profession in *Guild Wars*, such as the *Healing Prayers*, *Protection Prayers*, and*Smiting Prayers* skills. The paragon was a heavily armored profession which also focused on party-wide buffs.
* During early development the guardian had less magical ability and was called a *"knight"*. As the other professions became more defined, the guardian received more magical type abilities, pulling in aspects of the *Guild Wars* monk and paragon professions.