Welcome to the updated tier list for the best open world PvE builds in Guild Wars 2. In this guide, we will explore the top builds for each profession, taking into account their damage potential, sustainability, and ease of use. These builds are designed to maximize your efficiency in exploring open world content, including dungeons, events, and challenging bosses. Whether you prefer solo play or want to dominate group encounters, this tier list will help you choose the most suitable build for your needs.

 

• Guardian Specs
• Necromancer Specs
• Warrior Specs
• Ranger Specs
• Thief Specs
• Engineer Specs
• Mesmer Specs
• Revenant Specs

 

↖ Guardian Specs

• Dragonhunter (F Tier): Dragonhunter is a powerful DPS spec commonly used in endgame content such as raids and fractals. However, it needs to self-healing and the ability to generate its own boons, making it less effective in open world PvE. 
• Firebrand (D Tier): Firebrand was a popular choice for its versatility in healing, blocking incoming damage, and dealing damage using tomes. Recent balance changes have limited its effectiveness, reducing its damage output and flexibility. 
• Willbender (A Tier): Willbender is the best Guardian spec for solo play in open world PvE. It excels in condition burst damage, offers alacrity for faster skill recharges, and has improved defensive capabilities. Recent buffs have made it more accessible and enjoyable to use.

 

↖ Necromancer Specs

• Reaper (Legendary Tier): Reaper has received significant buffs in recent balance patches, making it an extremely powerful spec. With high DPS and life force regeneration, it is the easiest spec to use, requiring minimal effort to achieve maximum damage output. 
• Scourge (A Tier): Scourge is a solid ranged spec that excels at hitting multiple targets by spreading its shades. However, recent nerfs to the curses trait have made it slightly squishier. It remains a viable choice for open world encounters. 
• Harbinger (S Tier): Harbinger has become stronger and less complicated to manage after the last balance patch. It offers high DPS and requires players to fight at close range while effectively utilizing elixirs to maximize damage and healing.

 

↖ Warrior Specs

• Berserker (B Tier): After a rework and buffs, Berserker can deal decent burning damage, generate boons, and self-heal while being immune to incoming damage for a short duration. 
• Spellbreaker (B Tier):  A fun and engaging warrior spec that focuses on dealing decent melee damage and removing boons from foes. It can generate boons, heal, and sustain by continuously attacking. 
• Bladesworn (A Tier): Offering high damage and the ability to kill groups of mobs with a single attack, Bladesworn provides healing and boon removal. However, it requires learning and might be challenging for new players. 

 

↖ Ranger Specs

• Druid (D Tier): Druid is a pure healing spec commonly used in endgame content for support. While it can modify its build to heal itself massively, its damage output is significantly reduced.
• Soulbeast (B Tier): With the ability to merge with pets for bonus stats, quickness, and might, Soulbeast offers decent damage and passive healing. 
• Untamed (A Tier): The strongest ranger pick for open world PvE, Untamed boasts the highest damage output and the ability to generate all game boons permanently. However, it is challenging to master and unforgiving for mistakes. 

 

↖ Thief Specs

• Specter (S Tier): Specter is the highest damage-dealing spec among the Thief's options. It excels at cleaving groups of mobs and offers good sustain. However, it is the most challenging spec to master and may be overwhelming for new players. 
• Daredevil (F Tier): Daredevil, similar to Dragonhunter and Chronomancer, focuses on pure damage but lacks self-sustain and boon generation. Its damage output could be higher, making it less effective for open world PvE. 
• Deadeye (C Tier): Deadeye is a single-target spec that generates wounds by attacking marked targets. It offers good damage and passive healing but requires meticulous management of malice to maintain optimal damage output. 

 

↖ Engineer Specs

• Mechanist (Legendary Tier): Mechanist is one of the easiest and strongest specs for open world content. It offers high damage output, condition removal, and crowd control. With access to perma quickness and alacrity, it ensures survivability while dealing damage.
• Scrapper (D Tier): Scrapper excels at cleaving groups of mobs using a hammer but lacks sustain after recent nerfs to its passive healing. It remains a decent option for open world play.
• Holosmith (B Tier): Holosmith received a significant damage buff in the last balance patch, resulting in high damage output and decent self-healing. However, managing heat levels can be challenging and may result in taking high damage or being unable to use Photon Forge.

 

↖ Mesmer Specs

• Chronomancer (F Tier): Chronomancer, similar to Dragonhunter and Daredevil, focuses on either pure damage or full boon support. It needs to have the ability to generate its own boons without sacrificing significant DPS or sustain.
• Mirage (Legendary Tier): Mirage is one of the easiest specs to use, offering good damage and sustain through the use of dodge and ambush attacks. It excels at soloing challenging content and is particularly effective in strike missions.
• Virtuoso (D Tier): Virtuoso focuses on condition damage but needs to generate boons with sacrificing DPS. It can convert a small portion of its condition damage to healing, providing some self-sustain.

 

↖ Revenant Specs

• Herald, Renegade, and Vindicator (Legendary Tier): These three Revenant elite specs utilize the same trait lines and armour to achieve high damage output, generate boons, and provide passive healing, barriers, and damage reduction. They are forgiving specs suitable for players of all skill levels.

 

 

Conclusion:

This concludes our up-to-date tier list for the best open world PvE builds in Guild Wars 2. We hope this guide helps you choose the right specialization for your adventures in the open world. Keep in mind that personal playstyle, preference, and skill level may influence the effectiveness of a particular build for you. Experiment with different specs and find the one that suits your playstyle and helps you maximize your enjoyment of open world content.