Guild Wars 2 offers a unique blend of action combat and tab-targeting options that provide players with a high degree of freedom and versatility in battle. Mastering the mechanics of both combat modes can greatly enhance your aim, flexibility, and overall gameplay experience. In this guide, we will explore the key techniques and settings to optimize your combat abilities in Guild Wars 2.

• Tab Targeting
• Detargeting
• Retargeting
• Ground Targeting
• Action Camera

↖ Tab Targeting

Tab targeting in Guild Wars 2 allows you to select and focus on specific enemies. While most skills can be used without a target, having a target selected can help you land your skills accurately and provide additional information about the target. To cycle through available targets, press the tab key. Each press of the tab key will select the nearest targetable enemy in front of you.

If you want to deselect the current target and find a new one quickly, you can left-click in the open space and then press the tab key to restart the targeting sequence from the nearest target. When facing a single enemy, tab targeting is the fastest and easiest way to select your target without needing to aim manually.

However, in situations where multiple enemies are present, using the left mouse click to select targets can be useful as well. Unlike in some other MMOs, you need to click directly on the character rather than their name tag or UI frame to target them. This can be challenging when multiple characters overlap. To overcome this, combining left-click for precise targeting and tab targeting for faster but less precise selection can help you find the desired target more efficiently. Additionally, there are key bindings available to target the nearest enemy or ally, though targeting allies is often unnecessary for most support skills.

↖ Detargeting

Detargeting is the process of deselecting your current target. This can be done by left-clicking in an open space. However, when your screen is filled with targets, accidentally clicking on one can be frustrating. To avoid this, you can press the escape key or set a key binding for the "lock auto-target" option, which instantly detargets your current selection. Note that this should not be confused with the auto-targeting option, which you should turn off to have full control over your target selection.

Detargeting also allows you to change the direction of your skills for better mobility or aim. Some skills in Guild Wars 2 move your character in relation to the target. By detargeting these skills, you can change your character's facing direction and use the skill to advance towards or away from the enemy, depending on the situation. This technique provides greater versatility in combat and allows you to adapt your skills based on the circumstances.

Furthermore, detargeting can be advantageous when dealing with skills that have a forward trajectory. By shooting these skills at your target, they will move in their direction. However, if the target is moving in a different direction, they may already be out of range by the time the skill reaches them. By detargeting and shooting the skill ahead of them or in a straight line behind them, you can improve your aim and increase the chances of hitting your target effectively.

↖ Retargeting

Retargeting is an important option that you should enable in Guild Wars 2. It allows skills to transfer their aim to a different target halfway through the cast. This feature is particularly useful when you're using a skill that involves multiple projectiles or attacks. For example, if you're shooting a volley of arrows at a target and they start blocking, you can retarget the attack to another enemy by tabbing or left-clicking on a new target. This ensures that your attacks are not wasted and increases your overall effectiveness in combat.

↖ Ground Targeting

Ground targeting is essential for using area of effect (AoE) skills effectively. When using ground-targeted skills, a circle or line appears around your mouse cursor, indicating the area where the skill will be aimed. Most of these skills can be aimed regardless of your character's facing direction, but some may also serve as movement skills.

To enhance the efficiency of ground-targeted skills, you can enable the setting for fast ground targeting or instant ground targeting. Fast ground targeting shows the range and radius of the skill and casts it at the location of your mouse when you release the key, requiring only one key press. Instant ground targeting, on the other hand, immediately casts the skill as soon as you press the key without showing the ranges. Instant ground targeting is preferable for experienced players who can react quickly, while beginners may find fast ground targeting more helpful.

If you want to cast ground-targeted skills at your character's feet, you can hover your mouse cursor over any UI element like the skill bar or minimap. In situations where you can stand on terrain but can't teleport through it due to no valid pathing, you can de-target tab-targeted port skills to cast them at your feet or hover your UI for ground-targeted skills to place them at your feet. While clicking skills is a viable option for performing this technique, it's recommended to avoid it for better precision.

There are additional options available to make ground-targeted skills easier to aim. "Lock ground target at max range" allows you to push your cursor as far as possible, ensuring the skill is cast at its maximum range. This eliminates the need to search for the exact range and allows you to flick your mouse to the top of the screen quickly and cast the skill at max range. Another option is "snap ground target to current target," which automatically places the ground target under your current target. This can be useful for builds that heavily rely on ground-targeted skills, as it saves you from constantly aiming them. However, for skills that need precise targeting of moving enemies, there may be better options. You can use the key bind to toggle snap ground targeting to the current target to switch between using specific skills for different situations.

↖ Action Camera

Guild Wars 2 offers an action camera mode that allows you to control your character's movement and camera simultaneously, minimizing the number of inputs required. This mode is particularly helpful for beginners or those who are still getting accustomed to the game's movement mechanics. However, using the action camera restricts your ability to use ground-targeted skills without moving your camera and cursor. It also eliminates the option to look around independently without affecting your character's movement direction, potentially reducing your accuracy and leading to tunnel vision.

Action camera mode can still be used effectively, and you can customize the game to suit your convenience. Ultimately, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable with your setup. However, if you're willing to put in the effort to optimize your keybinds, it can greatly enhance your gameplay experience. Practice and develop muscle memory for your new keybinds to fully utilize the immersive and reactive combat in Guild Wars 2.

Conclusion:

Guild Wars 2 offers a versatile combat system that combines action combat and tab targeting, allowing you to play in a style that suits your preferences. Understanding and mastering the mechanics of both combat modes will enhance your gameplay and make your skills more effective. Experiment with the techniques mentioned in this guide, find what works best for you, and most importantly, enjoy the combat experience in Guild Wars 2.