Guild Wars Paragon Basic Guide
This guide was created by ClawofCrimson of the Guild Wars Guru Forums. All credit for this guide goes to him. To see the original posting of this guide, click here.
Need more understanding regarding the paragon's skills? Need a build? I wanted to help out paragon lovers/hopefulls out there by putting together a decent guide on the playstyles, skills, builds, strategies, and overall usefullness of the paragon class. Enjoy!
~~~~~What is a Paragon?~~~~~
The Paragon (means: model of excellence) is a highly armored support/damage class introduced in the Nightfall campaign that emulates the role of an angelic leader. And although its uses range from straight damage to party protection/support, don’t be fooled by the ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ role that many online rpg classes are known for. The Paragon can unleash a good deal of damage with their weapon of choice… the spear, throwing them with deadly accuracy and strength providing high Damage per second and pressure like no other class. And at the same time the angelic Paragon can provide beneficial party support using the angelic shouts and chants bestowed on this class.
~~~~~The Paragon’s Assets~~~~~
~A leader’s voice: The Paragon makes use of his/her voice to provide many different effects through shouts, chants, and echoes. The shouts and chants truly define the class. These effects reach the soul of the listener in a way that cannot be removed by any skillful blow or evil spell. The paragons primary attribute 'leadership' returns energy for every ally effected by a shout or chant.(1 Energy for each ally affected... maximum of 1e for every 2 ranks)
Shouts: these activate instantly without a casting time and (unless otherwise stated) effect all allies in your agro bubble. These cannot be interrupted or removed.
Chants: These are similar to shouts in all aspects except casting time. All chants currently have a casting time (usually 1 sec, but some have 2) to activate and ‘can’ be interrupted, but not removed. ( you will display your angelic wings with every activation of a chant) Chants are triggered in different ways... Aria= by spells, Anthem= by attack skill, Song= by any skill, ballad= by taking damage, Lyric= by signet, chorus= by shout/chant.
Echoes: These skills are triggered often by shouts and chants and some can be indefinitely maintained by the use of both. (i.e. Aggressive Refrain and Anthem of flame.... the word 'refrain' signifies that it can be reapplied by a shout/chant) these cannot be removed.
~Well crafted armor: The Paragon’s armor takes second place only to the Warrior’s (+20 AL vs. Physical). With 80 base armor, you would think that this class would be on the front lines, yet the stalwart paragon usually resides as a mid line class, chucking spears and shouting commands. They are also the only other class (other than warriors) who can effectively wield a shield with their primary attributes (two different attributes no less). The average Paragon will also choose to place an insignia on their armor that gives them +10 AL when under the effects of a chant, shout or echo. (centurions insignia) This gives the paragon a possibility of having 111 AL on his equipment alone. (80 base+10 insignia+16 shield +5 spear mod)
~Deadly Spears: The Paragon’s spear flies at its foe from the same range and distance as a short bow. But unlike the ranger, the re-fire rate is almost as fast as a sword or axe.(1.5 seconds refire for the spear, 1.33 for axe/sword, and 1.75 for scythe/hammer) The damage output however is pretty much on par because of the spears damage range 14-27 max (as opposed to 6-28 axe and 15-22sword). In fact, barring skills the spear actually has more Damage per second:
These numbers were determined (auto attacking) with:
~16 mastery
~20% criticals
~+35% perfect damage mods
~33% IAS (since the time of attack speeds are .17 percent difference the spear is calculated at 30.17 ias in the guru calculator under sword...)
spear === DPS = 40.24
swords === DPS = 36.58
axe === DPS = 37.44
Combine that excellent DPS with the spammable, high damage spear attacks like ‘spear of lightning’ , and you have a pretty decent weapon in your hands. The spear skill line also has some pretty nasty conditions to deal with such as Deep wound, Daze, burning,and bleeding.
~~~~~How To Play the Paragon (with example builds)~~~~~
Let’s take a brief look at some of the possible roles available to the Paragon:
~Straight spear Damage :The spear (as we will learn) is probably the most underestimated weapon in the game. It has extremely high Damage per second and can compete with some of the warriors best damage builds. The Spear line (barring skills… under perfect conditions… as have seen already) has higher damage per second than both the Warrior’s axe and sword.
~Straight spear Damage Example Builds:
Spear of lightning, wild throw, blazing spear, cruel spear, "go for the eyes!", aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
16 spear mastery
11 leadership
9 command
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~Condition pressure : You can put on the pressure through the condition spreading skills in 3 of the 4 skill lines available to the paragon, from cripple, to bleeding, to daze. Some of these skills you apply directly, and others through your team.
~Condition pressure Example Build:
Team Condition Pressure:
barbed spear, blazing spear, merciless spear, crippling anthem, anthem of flame, aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
15 spear mastery
11 leadership
11 command
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~Shutdown/ Disruptor: Some of the paragon's skill lend themselves to caster hate and class shutdown. Daze works very well with the re-fire rate of spears and you can cause the enemy casters to curse your very existence:
~Shutdown/ Disruptor Example Build:
barbed spear, blazing spear, Stunning strike, disrupting throw, steam, anthem of flame, Aggressive Refrain, signet of return
11 +1+3 spear mastery
8 water magic
11 +1 leadership.
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~Damage support : Through the use of shouts/chants you can effectively increase the damage output of your entire team. Many skills increase damage apply conditions, and simply make the other martial weapon (sword, dagger, etc..) wielders on your team more effective.
~Damage support Example Build:
Anthem of Flame, "find their weakness!", "Go For The Eyes!", Anthem of Envy, Order of Pain, Focused Anger, Leader's Comfort, Signet of Return
12 lead
11 blood
9 command
9 spear
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~’Battery’ Support : Martial classes aren’t the only classes that can benefit from the paragons skills. Casters can continue to use their energy requiring skills while the Paragon fuels them with energy. Seeing that the Paragon can turn adrenaline into energy pretty effectively while hiding behind a 80AL shell, its not too difficult for the Paragon.
~’Battery’ Support Example Build:
blood is power, aria of zeal, song of power, energizing chorus, hexbreaker aria, leader's comfort, signet of synergy, signet of return
12 +1+2 motivation
9 blood
9 +1 leadership
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~Protection/Healing Support : While the Paragons shouts may not be as potent as the monks healing spells (and that’s why you don’t see the Paragon as the primary healer). They have their uses, and Healing is not all they can do. The Paragon can assist the teams healer more effectively not only with supportive heals, but also with skills that remove hexes and conditions on par with the monk’s. Relieving the monk’s arduous task of party protection with these skills, will make you a favorite among the monasteries.
~Protection/Healing Support Example Build:
mend ailment, Lyric of zeal, hexbreaker aria, finale of restoration, signet of synergy, ballad of restoration, song of restoration, signet of return
16 motivation
13 leadership
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~A combination of the above (Utility) : This class excels at filling utility roles tailored specifically to the teams needs. A paragon can easily function well as a spear hurling damage dealer while reserving one or two skills for condition removal if the situation calls for it, giving it a versatile role in any party. There are also skills that fill specific roles like party wide increased speed. And with a combination of secondary skills, The Paragon’s potential is limitless. You can function very well without your elite which gives you many options for secondary elites and builds.
~ Combo/Utility Example Build :
Spear Damage/Utility
expel hexes, hexbreaker aria, spear of lightning, merciless spear, anthem of flame, aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
15 spear
11 leadership
10 (optional)
~See builds list on bottom of guide~
~~~~~Some useful playing tips (pve)~~~~~
~ “Never fight alone!”: Those who are used to running of into the wild by their lonesome may find that the paragon cannot function as well as a warrior might in this regard, and while there ‘are’ solo builds available to the paragon in certain situations. The entire class is built to support and lead a team. …
~ know your limits.: The paragon ‘can’ provide supportive heals, but the healing power is not nearly as effective as a monk’s. If you are looking to carry the class with protection and heals, then you might consider trading in your spear for a staff and switch to a monk. The same principle may apply to healing/damage etc...
~ Have Battle 'awareness'. : Because of the nature of the paragon's supportive role, a good paragon should know what's happening on the battlefield. If an ally dies you should be the first to call out the rez. (I'm using signet of return on...) You dont want your healers to stop healing or your warriors to stop 'warring'. [skill=text]Signet of Return[/skill] is an excellent rez in this case because it is more effective when more allies are still standing. Also watch your (and your team mate's) positioning. If you are chucking spears you won't have much of a problem, as the spear throwing will position your automatically, but watch your agro bubble when you use your shouts/chants... You want your team to be mostly inside your bubble.
~ spot healing vs. party wide shouts: Know when your build requires you to be focused on your party bar rather than the enemy. If you are providing a good portion of the damage 'and' condition removal utility (for instance), you may want to bring [skill=text]Cautery signet[/skill] instead of [skill=text]"It's just a flesh wound."[/skill]. The ability to spam supportive shouts while not really being completely focused on the health bars of your allies is one of the assets of the paragon, so use it to your advantage.
~ shouts vs. songs: Keep in mind the activation time for chants... If you are running a DPS build you may want to choose 'GFTE' rather than anthem of flame... for a recharge to 'aggressive refrain' for this reason. A shout will activate immediately and you will not skip a beat in the action.
~ Spam adrenal shouts: The primary attribute of the paragon lends itself to the effectiveness of spamming adrenal shouts, turning adrenaline into energy. Not only that, but skills like [skill=text]"go for the eyes!"[/skill] have a 'hidden' value. GFTE will increase the damage of the team's martial weapon users by quite a bit.
Here is an example:
I calculated the average damage "Go for the Eyes!" @ 12 command adds to next weapon hit for all weapons at 16 attribute(daggers also 13 critical strikes).
Quote from guild forums.
* Axe: att 16
Average Attack Damage: 33.36
Average Attack Damage: 56.49 (with GFTE triggering)
+ 23,13 damage
* Spear: att 16
Average Attack Damage: 37.26
Average Attack Damage: 55.35
+ 18,09 damage
~Strength in numbers: The nature of many of the paragon's shouts increases the effectiveness with every paragon that joins the team. This benefit is clearly seen in pvp (where the paragon has received some skill balances because of it) in observe mode. Paragon's can chain shouts and use shout-triggered skills on eachother to create a 'turtle' defense with a swarm of high damage spears flying for offense as well. An example of this effectiveness can be seen with skills like [skill=text]finale of restoration[/skill] which will trigger the multiple shouts of an all paragon team. Even two paragons can be quite effective while chaining [skill=text]"stand your ground!"[/skill] for a constant defensive buff.
~Hexes to watch out for: The paragon is not 'perfect',(dont mind the pun) and shouts do have a few counter hexes. [skill=text]vocal minority[/skill], [skill=text]well of silence[/skill], and [skill=text]ulcerous lungs[/skill] are the current hexes that prevent or damage paragons from shouting. When I know that I will be facing these hexes I make sure to have ample hex removal support. If the hexes are just too thick, then I just switch my build to a straight damage build and change roles. There are some skills out there from different classes that enhance shouts as well ....like [skill=text]vocal was sogolon[/skill] . Also the standard anti melee/ anti adrenaline hexes apply to the paragon as well as a warrior so watch out for [skill=text]spiteful spirit[/skill] and [skill=text]soothing images[/skill] to name just a couple.
~ Communication is Key: Most players dont really realize what the paragon is capable of. So tell them. Start by pinging your build (hold cntrl and click skill bar), and ask the monk if he needs you to take care of hexes/conditions. educate them on skills like [skill=text]"fall back!"[/skill] and[skill=text]song of power[/skill] which could be a waist of energy if they do not know how it works. Tell them that you will be the one to rez while in battle. etc... Also make sure to have your team communicate with you. Know their builds so that you can choose the skills that best fit your team. I tipically have several builds in my templates that will fit just about any situation. And don't be frustrated if your comrades dont notice your input to the team. It's hard to notice the damage/heals of a paragon. Take initiative and be the team's leader if no one else is.
~~~~~What equipment mods/specs should I choose?~~~~~
This is of course subjective, but generally these are the recommended specs.
~General purpose spear Build:
spear: Furious Spearhead (double adrenaline 10%) ,15^50 damage inscription (15% extra damage while above 50% health) ,and spear grip of fortitude (+30hp)
shield: (either motivation or command) Luck of the draw inscription (-5/20%) with +30hp handle.
Armour: centurions insignia with minor runes on all attributes exept the highest invested attribute (spear...which would get the superiour rune on a spear headpeice) the remaining slot should be a rune of vigor (the highest you can afford)
~High energy build:
spear: just switch to a +5 energy inscription
shield: typically you can use the same sheild
armour: switch to radiant armour.
~PVP spear paragon:
spear: you also would need to bring vamperic spearhead and ebon spearhead spears to switch out to in defferent situations.
sheild: you can choose to bring a +(type of damage) sheild to switch to when attacked by that type of damage.... only for the pvp saavy however.
armour: Generally the +hp set is the most used in pvp situations.
If you want to look for greens with the above stats here is a few to watch out for.
Spear:
the Blood spear,Tureksin's Spear: vamp, 15^50, +30 hp
Shrieking spear ,Malyx's cruelty: furious, 15^50, +30 hp
luluh's spear: fiery,15^50, +30 hp
prayer of the forgotten: furious, +5e, +30hp
Shield:
Mallyx supremecy, shagus anthem (command): -5/20%, +30hp
wandalz refuge, mallyx motivation (motivation): -5/20%, +30hp
forgotten shield:+10AL vs. (lightning or fire) +30hp
Other stats may be better in different situations, but these will do well for general use.
~~~~~A closer look at the Attribute lines~~~~~
~The Paragon’s primary Attribute: Leadership: The Paragon’s primary attribute allows you to accomplish several tasks as a paragon. It augments the roles you will play as a damage dealer and support/protection class, and in addition to this, it provides a reliable energy management through the use of shouts:
You gain 1 Energy for each ally affected by one of your Shouts or Chants (maximum 1 Energy for every 2 ranks).
Because of this bonus, many of the party wide shouts/chants you see will tipically be 5 energy less that what is listed. Lets take a look at the elites from this skill line.
[Focused Anger] This is my favourite paragon elite. It allows you to spam adrenal shouts 'and' spear attacks like no other skill, it is not a stance, and it lasts a good amount of time. Definitely get this skill. This skill will trigger on other adrenaline building skills like signet of aggression.
[Soldier's Fury] This skill is decent if you want a non-expensive IAS. keep in mind that chants only last about 10 seconds and the longest shout in the paragon's skillset is about 20 seconds... take aggressive refrain when you can. This skill synergizes well with "watch yourself!"
[Defensive Anthem] Good protection for non attackers. two paragons with 'vocal was sologon' can chain this skill and provide constant protection to a backline, which cannot be removed. Your attacking team-mates will not benefit much from this skill however. From a monks standpoint, taking Aegis on the healer may be a better option.
[Anthem of Fury] If you have a team full of adrenaline warriors/paragons you might want to drop the selfish 'focused anger' for this skill... excellent to pump out the damage and defensive shouts. cheap, recharge time is low.... shweet.
[angelic bond] a powerful protection skill. Be careful not to bond too many people however, you may find that it will be your downfall. Combine this skill with 'stoneflesh aura' for the ability to bond more. With the proper skills a stoneflesh bonder can maintain bonds on multiple allies.
now lets check out the non elites.
["Lead the Way!"] with 5+ allies this will allow the target (you can target self) to move 20 seconds at 10 leadership. I dont believe this skill triggers the bonus energy however, making it pretty expensive... I will test this when I can.
["Make Your Time!"] good for building adrenaline before a battle even begins. Focused anger and 'for great justice' will increase the amount gained.
["They're on Fire!"] TOF as it is also known provides very decent protection, can be indefinitely maintained, and works very well with an 'SFele' partner on your team. After the bonus it will return about 5 energy from a full team, so its pretty cheap as well. This skill is used in the popular 'TOF tank'. removing roughly 1/3 of the damage on all allies is worth the skill. The only issue is keeping the burn going.
[Aggressive Refrain] very good IAS. You can keep this skill going indefinitely with 'anthem of flame' , and with focused anger + 'GFTE' you can gain the initial cost back very quickly. Plus it is an echo, so you can combine this with a stance and it will also trigger centurion's armour. This skill should make its way to most spear damage builds.
[angelic protection] This is purely spike protection. It has it's uses in high end pve areas as well as some pvp.
[anthem of flame] Another excellent skill. with any investment in leadership it will cost you nothing, it will trigger echos like Aggressive Refrain, and it will significantly increase your teams DPS. The only time I do not take this skill on a damage build is when it is replaced by 'GFTE' and blazing spear. combine this with spear of lightning to quickly and reliably end the chant and cause some damage.
[awe] Try using this with the skill 'shock' in pvp. A quick way to inturupt and cause 'daze'. Once the enemy is dazed, start chucking spears to interupt the targets actions. Daze is what casters fear the most. Just make sure you have a decent KD skill or 'awe' will be useless.
[Blazing Finale] You can cast this on yourself, or an ally(pet as well?). The synergy of this skill with several others gives it a hidden value. 'FA+GFTE' will allow you to spam the burn on adjacent enemies, and TOF will significantly reduce the damage that these enemies take. You will also find this skill on the TOF tank build.
[burning refrain] combine with anthem of envy to quickly even the score with your enemies. You can apply this skill to multiple allies with the use of another shout.
[enduring harmony] pretty self explanatory. You can choose to increase defensive shouts/chants on specific allies with this skill.
[glowing signet] Use this to maintain a decent amount of energy in high energy builds. There are plenty of skills to apply the burning, and because of the cast time you only need a second or two.
[hexbreaker aria] excellent skill for turning adrenaline into hex removal. Spam this for energy as well. just make sure the non casters on your team bring at least one spell... like 'mending touch'.
[leader's comfort] the paragon's main self healing skill. It actually works pretty well compared to other self heals like healing signet. (dont forget that you count as an ally as well as minions.) at only 10 leadership you will get healed for 77hp, (if you are alone) 128hp (with 3 heroes) and 140hp (in a full 8/8 team)
[natural temper] a good 'non-elite' alternative to "Focused Anger" if you have room in your bar. It can also be combined with stance skills.
[signet of return] A very very good 'in battle' rez for several reasons. It does not cost anything, it is being cast from a class that is usually not targeted because of the paragons armour stats, It can be re-used (which most people aren't aware of). and with a full 8 man team it will bring the ally back with 70% health and 21% energy.
~Command:
The paragon can 'buff' both the offensive and defensive capabilities of his team through 'command' skills. with enough attributes in this line a command sheild can be wielded as well. the maximum base stats of a shield would be 16 armour level, requiring only 9 command. if you do not meet the requirement for a max shield it will yield only 8AL. Here are the elites that are currently in the command line.
["Incoming!"] Just as the skill suggests... it is most effective when used right before a spike in damage. Because the time frame of duration, it usually doesnt get much use in most pve/pve. But you may find some use for it if you are skilled enough to know how it is used. Efforts to extend the time with other skills like 'vocal was sogolon' or 'enduring harmony' usually just end up cluttering your skill bar. (this skill has received some adjustments from abuse in high end pvp)
[anthem of guidance] Great skill to get past those pesky stances/enchants and can be spammed quite frequently because of the adrenaline cost. I usually find another elite to use however.
[Crippling Anthem] This skill sees most of it's use in pvp. It is quite possibly the best way to keep a snare on the opposing team, and Warriors will love you for it. This also can be spammed frequently.
here are the non-elites.
["brace yourself!"] Usefull in helping allies get past some giants, and protecting your backline from pesky hammer warriors. It is a bit too situational to be found on my pve skill bar however.
["Can't Touch This!"] Also a very situational skill. Take this if you know you will be facing some 'touchy' foes. (also try this on the ghosts in the desolation challenge mission)
["Fall Back!"] Excellent utility skill. Considering the elite 'charge', the paragon has it made with this skill. While it will not work as well as charge in pvp, you can use this skill in many pve situations. The heals will effect minions and pets and if moving the entire duration, it will yeild a 96hp heal. (dont forget the leadership bonus in regards to the cost)
["Find Their Weakness!"] Great for making DW happen. This is the only way for a bow wielding ranger to apply DW using a bow skill. combine with 'GFTE' for a sure hit!
["go for the eyes!"] Excellent +damage for the team (as illustrated elsewhere in this post), extremely spammable, triggers many other skills, returns energy, no cast time ...what more can I say. This is another favourite for me. If you spec into command... try your best to fit this skill in. At 10 command (and 15-16 weapon mastery = about 20% chance to critical as well) ...that gives you about an 80% chance to critical on the next attack... I would bet on those odds. if timed right you can also use skills like 'vicious attack' that depend on critical triggers. (note: you should activate VA right before you use GFTE as it casts instantly and doesnt take into consideration a mid-flight spear)
["help me!"] This assists other healer/caster when targeting yourself. I wouldn't reccomend holding cntrl while you spam this( I'm using 'help me!', I'm using 'help me!') the monk is likely to rage quit. ;D
["make haste!"] Good skill to assist your team-mate in pvp when they are trying to kite/snare. Otherwise it is pretty situational.
["never give up!"] basic 'battery' skill, I usually choose to leave this one out on my command builds.
["never surrender!"] A decent 'mending' skill to use, especially if your team is going through a bog that causes degen, or facing enemies that do aoe damage.
["stand your ground!"] The paragon version of the skill: 'watch yourself'. The best thing about this skill is the fact that it can be combined with WYS, and chained with another paragon for constant defense. with both WYS and SYG up you are providing about 40+ armour to your entire team. Lets say that your team is receiveing 100 base damage from an attack.
fully armoured paragon (110 AL with shield,insignia,and mod) you would receive: 42 dmg, and 21 dmgwith WYS and SYG up.
A 'squishy' caster (60AL) would receive: 100 dmg, and 50 dmg with WYS and SyG up.
["we shall return!"] If your allies insist on rezing instead of you, you can help them out with this skill.
[anthem of envy] Provides some decent +damage. Usually combined with other +dmg skills like 'orders' and 'GFTE'. I usually take this to Tomb of Primeval Kings.
[Bladeturn Refrain] Excellent for places that you know will have lots of slashing damage. Most warrior, Assasin, and dervish monsters cause slashing damage. (and most 'sins in pvp cause piercing)
[godspeed] works well with aegis and other similar skills, if you can coordinate with your hero/team-mate.
[song of concentration] casters will like this skill (if they notice its effect) in certain difficult areas of the game. This skill requires no investment in command to reach its full effect.
~Motivation:
The motivation line will assist the paragon in healing, 'battery' skills, as well as some condition removal. The motivational paragon can bring much desired relief to the stressed out healers.
["It's just a flesh wound."] This skill may seem like a waist at first glance, but when you look closer you can see it's benefits. I'ts a shout so it will not make you skip a beat, It's spammable and it can keep conditions impossible to inflict on your team. Just don't use it when you are under fire. Deep wound can be a real pain if you get targeted.
["the power is yours!"] This 'battery' elite can be very useful if used wisely. Make sure you only have 10 energy and it will not be such a waist. The skill order would look something like this: ballad of restoration>aria of zeal> the power is yours>adrenal skill>adrenal skill>ether signet(from /mes) and rinse and repeat. It is a nice party wide energy gain. But I usually prefer 'BiP' which is an easy cap just outside of chantry of secrets.
[Song of Purification] Another great condition removal skill to choose from... this skill is a bit more continuous, and it works on all allies and not just party members. I tipically prefer cautery signet unless the situation dictates otherwise. (party wide adren. fuelers, Alliance Battles etc...)
[Song of restoration] A must for the healing support paragon. spam spam spam. In functionality this skill is much like a 'heal party' or 'light of deliverance'. another fire and forget skill that won't keep you focused on the party bar.
[Aria of Restoration] A decent party heal. And in pve most players take a spell of some kind. also good for the 'battery' paragon as it will benefit the casters he is fueling.
[Aria of Zeal] A must for the 'battery' paragon the ones that need energy management are the ones casting spells. You can even tell warriors/others to bring a spell like 'mending' to trigger the +energy.
[Ballad of Restoration] Great skill. With some investment in leadership, this skill only will cost 5e. Party wide damage reversal. Motivation Paragons should definitely consider this one.
[Chorus of Restoration] Energy management, and a decent spammable chant for the motivational paragon. Consider this an alternative to 'GFTE' if you are speccing in motiv. and you have brought chants. This skill shines in an all paragon/warrior team.
[Energizing Chorus] Pure energy management. You get some energy return from leadership as well as saving some energy the next time you cast a shout (make sure not to cast an adrenal shout right after this)
[Energizing Finale] This may be a nice 'battery' skill to take but in the light of other energy skills, this one pales in comparison.
[Finale of Restoration] This skill can be an excellent choice when the conditions are met often. So bring this skill when you can frequently spam shouts. The bread and butter heal for all paragon teams.
[Leader's Zeal] Energy management. plain and simple. If for some odd reason you don't have any points in leadership, this skill can be a benefit.
[Lyric of Purification] This skill is nice if you are certain that your whole team has a frequently used signet... but then again when does that happen?
[Lyric of Zeal] Just like it's counterpart, its not really effective in most situations... very very situational skill.
[Mending Refrain] This can be a very nice bonus once you get the ball rolling on multiple allies. It will reduce some pressure off the team. also a good choice to bring if there are shouts flying around.
[Purifying Finale] a pretty decent condition removal...again..when shouts are in abundance. You can slap this on an ally and go back to shouting... this is a good alternative to the condition removal elites, if you want to help out your allies.
[Signet of Synergy] at 15 motivation this will heal you/ally for 100hp... not a bad heal but don't count on this skill alone. Good for some additional spot healing.
[Song of Power] At 15 motivation you will gain back more than you spent on this skill if you let it play out without using a skill. If you choose to use this skill, make sure your team knows how it works... otherwise it can be a huge waist.
[Zealous Anthem] similar to aria of zeal, but for martial attackers. I tend to leave this one off my bar. The warriors shouldn't be needing that much energy.
~Spear mastery:
The paragon's trusty spear is not to be underestimated. Aside from applying straight damage, the spear line can apply pressure inducing conditions, defense shattering assaults, and caster shut-down.
[cruel spear] +damage and deep wound in the same skill, much like some of the warrior elites. Just make sure the target is not moving. (which isn't really that hard). Because there are so many other ways to apply DW as a paragon, I tend to only choose this skill in certain 'all damage' situations.
[stunning strike] This is an excellent skill to shut down pesky caster classes. Barbed spear and disrupting throw are usually on the shutdown skill bar with skill as well, as Barbed spear is a very spammable condition. Remember to keep chucking spears after the daze is applied to interupt every spell.
and the non elites:
[Barbed Spear] Along the same lines of 'sever artery' from the warrior's bar. Its not a really great by itself, but it may be necessary to trigger another skill like 'stunning strike', it's redeeming factor. (along with the fact that you can spam it frequently)
[Blazing spear] Another favoured skill. Providing +damage and degen from an adrenal attack. Though I tend to leave if off my bar when taking anthem of flame.
[disrupting throw] self explanatory. This skill is tipically combined with barbed spear. General morghan can use this skill perfectly
[Harrier's Toss] This skill can be pretty devestating when a whole team of paragons are chucking spears, but watch out for the high energy. Also take note of the 'activation time' it can be a nice spike... (cruel spear + Harrier's toss)
[Merciless Spear] I tend to choose this skill for my DW as it is the easiest to apply. simple wait until the right time.
[Mighty Throw] the casting time is pretty rough, but if you can get past that it is a decent +dmg. This skill shines with all paragon teams and some coordination.
[Slayer's Spear] If you want to apply DW from the start of the battle. here is your skill... a bit expensive for my taste.
[Spear of Lightning] this is your bread and butter damage skill. Its spammable enough, and gives you a quick reliable way to trigger your chants.
[swift javelin] This skill can be a nice addition to a conjure spell or a dervish enchantment build.
[unblockable throw] This one, like mighty throw, is powerful when organized groups use it... but I tend to favour pressure damage instead of spike damage on my paragon.
[vicious attack] If my command stats are high. I will usually take this skill for DW. It is easy to critical if you click this skill just before 'GFTE'. the plus damage is nice as well.
[wearying spear] There are several ways to creatively lessen the downside of this skill... condition removal... rune choice etc.. if you can get past the downside it will make a nice +dmg attack...
[wild throw] +damage, stance removal, adrenaline. I usually try to fit this skill in if I can. good for those pesky stance rangers running around elona.
~No Attribute skills:
These can be used by a /p and p/ with no investment whatsoever.
[cautery signet] Easy Utility skill to use and excellent in application. Your monk may want you to provide support, and this is an excellent choice to do it, while reserving the rest of your skills for whatever you want. combine with remedy sig. to eliminate the downside and remove all conditions from your team every 15 seconds. Compared to the skill 'martyr' this skill has an advantage for several reasons. It does not cost energy, and it doesnt risk some of the more dangerous conditions (daze on a caster..etc..). Just have to deal with the burning.
[remedy signet] remove a condition for free. what's not to like? If you are not using your secondary and you have this skill equiped, you may want to switch to /monk and take 'mending touch', but otherwise a decent removal skill.
[signet of aggression] gain adrenaline while not fighting? a good bonus, but dont count on it to charge your 'cruel spear' right away. this may stack with 'FA.' I will check later.
~~~~~What secondary class should I choose?~~~~~
A secondary class should be chosen to complement the role that you have taken. It is typically not recomended to have a majority of skills from a secondary profession, and its not difficult to see why (i.e. warrior with all fire magic skills will quickly run out of energy). With that said, there are still many options from the secondary professions that will benefit your role as a paragon, and the fact that the paragon can function well even without an elite allows the elite skills from other professions to be used to cap off a good build. A few popular secondary skills:
~Warrior: The warrior is the only other class to have party-wide shouts that the paragon's primary can benefit from. Some of these skills will perfectly complement the paragons' supportive/attack role. Here are some skills that you may commonly find on a paragon from the warriors skillset:
some skills would require some investment in an attribute line...while some would not
"watch yourself!", "shields up!", "for great justice!", "you're all alone!"
~Ranger: The ranger's abilities can augment the paragon's condition spreading ability and provide useful pets and spirits as well. Here are some skills I commonly use from a ranger secondary:
Some skills seem to require investment...but truly do not need any to become useful.
heal as one, Serpent's Quickness, apply poison, infuriating heat
~Monk: Having some skills from your secondary monk profession can help you when you choose the role of heal/protection/restoration support. Some skills that you will find useful are:
These skills do not require investment to be useful.
mending touch, purge signet, remove hex, rebirth
~Necro: The Necromancer secondary can assist the paragon in the roles of "battery support" and "condition pressure" with some very powerful skills. Most of these skill would require at least some investment in attributes. Here are some examples.
blood is power, blood ritual, order of pain, plague signet
~Mesmer: The interupts,mantras, and spells of the mesmer can augment several paragon roles in different ways. If you are playing a 'Daze' condition spreader for instance, the interupts might come in handy. If you are playing a supportive role 'expel hex' is a powerful hex removal skill. Here are some examples of skills you may find useful:
these skills don't necessarily need investment to be useful...
expel hexes, leech signet, mantra of frost, signet of midnight
~Elementalist: The elements can assist i many specialized ways such as providing a knock down to synergize with the skills 'awe' and providing support to your team through the use of wards to go along with your shouts. Examples of such skills are as follows:
shock, ward against melee, mark of rodgort, water trident
~Assassin: The stealthy assassin can provide some dagger skills that assist in a damage build. or a KD skill that can assist in a conditional pressure build, as well as some increased mobility skills that allow you more freedom. Some of these skills may include:
crippling dagger, disrupting dagger, iron palm, dash
~Ritualist: Probably the best skills to glean from the ritualist's bar... are the weapon skills. Skills that increase the effectiveness of the teams weapons can fit well into a damage/offensive support role. some of these weapon skills include:
wailing weapon, splinter weapon, nightmare weapon, weapon of fury
~Dervish: The elonian Dervish has many useful skills to assist it's native counterpart. The powerful enchantments of the dervish can enhance condition pressure builds as well as provide utility skills that can help in adverse situations. Of the many enchantments that can benefit you, here are a few.
Onslaught, ebon dust aura, harrier's grasp, harrier's haste
~~~~~Some Popular Builds (and other's that I have found to be effective/fun)~~~~~
These builds are not all original to me, but I have found these to be a fun addition to your template list. Note the description to determine where they can be used. I will continue to find and post new builds as time goes on. Any adjustments or errors that need to be made should be posted as a reply.
~~~~~Paragon/any~~~~~
Focused Centurion- Spear damage pvp/pve - P/
focused anger, Merciless spear, blazing spear, spear of lightning, "go for the eyes!", Aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
16 spear
11 leadership
9 command
Simple, effective, Meat+potatoes build that is effective just about everywhere. Use 'GFTE' as much as you can to augment damage and keep AR up. AR+GFTE+FA synergy is what makes this build so good. You don't have to stop chucking spears to use GFTE and you can spam it constantly with FA. Save this to your template... it's a goodie. Also you can switch FA out for one of the spear attacks if you wish.( cruel spear or stunning strike)
Alliance commander- p/any- AB support
focused anger, blazing spear, merciless spear, anthem of envy, "go for the eyes!", aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, "fall back!"
16 spear
11 command
9 leadership
Become an asset to the 12 man force in AB with ally-effecting shouts and chants. Use fall back to run from shrine to shrine and spam adrenaline shouts/chants for energy. You can switch the elite to stunning strike if you want to disrupt instead of damage.
~~~~~Paragon/ranger~~~~~
Blazing Hunter-Spear/pet condition pressure P/r
heket's rampage, poisonous bite, barbed spear, blazing spear, merciless spear, heal as one, charm animal, resurrection signet
12 +1+3 spear mastery
12 beast mastery
This is a simple but effective build. Excellent pressure damage coming from your spear, your pet, and the conditions your spreading. Because the paragon can function well without an elite (and because there are only two attribute lines used, Heal as one is a natural choice. This can be done with a R/p as well, but not as effective imo.
~~~~~Paragon/warrior~~~~~
Hammer Time- Paragon thumper P/w
Hammer Bash, Crushing Blow, awe, "Go for the Eyes!", rush, Focused Anger, Aggressive Refrain, leader's comfort
leadership 10+1+2
command 8+2
hammmer 12
Focused anger allows you to spam 'GFTE' and Hammer bash like a mad man. Use awe on casters, and keep AR up for IAS, use rush/leader's comfort as needed. (you can switch out rush/LC for a rez as well)
Focused Swordsman- High adrenal melee damage P/w
barbarous slice, gash, final thrust, "Go for the Eyes!", Focused Anger, Aggressive Refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
12 swordsmanship
10 +1+1 leadership
8 +1 command
This really isn't better that a sword warrior, but it can give you a nice break from spears in pve. It takes advantage of the non stance ias skill AR, and Focused anger to spam those high damage attacks. You can switch out one of the last two skills for 'rush'
Cruel Commander- Damage+Defensive P/w
Spear of lightning, blazing spear, cruel spear, Flail, "watch yourself!", "stand your ground!", leader's comfort, signet of return
11+1+3 spear
9 tactics
8+1 command
8+1 leadership
You can provide +40 armour to your team as well as cause some decent spear damage. The elite is flexible in this build, you can switch it for 'focused anger' 'soldier's fury' 'cautery signet' or really whatever the situation dictates. The defensive skills are 'fire and forget' skills so you can focus on damage if you like.
Watchful Soldier- Damage+Defensive P/w
Spear of lightning, blazing spear, merciless spear, harrier's toss, "watch yourself!", soldier's fury, healing signet, signet of return
11+1+3 spear
11 tactics
9 leadership
Build adrenaline before your team even fights and keep the ias and +AL up with easy to manage shouts and stances. You can switch out the spear skills for whatever you like.
ToF tank- - damage/protection - P/w
"they're on fire!", blazing finale, focused anger, "go for the eyes!", dismember, cyclone axe, leader's comfort, signet of return
12 axe mastery
14 leadership
9 command
This is a build I typically take on my morghan, You can provide decent damage per second with help from burning and also provide protection to the entire team with ToF. Morghan can use this build effectively with the help of an SF ele (like Zhed).
~~~~~Paragon/monk~~~~~
Angelic Commander- Damage+Defensive Pve PUG P/mo
Spear of lightning, blazing spear, cruel spear, "fall back!", hexbreaker aria, mending touch, leader's comfort, rebirth
15 spear
11 leadership
11 command
A build for the novice Paragon which allows you to survive well in a group (usually pve pick up groups), and also give you the tools to help others if the need comes. If you feel that your team is going to die, shout 'fall back' and run away to rez the fallen with rebirth.
~~~~~Paragon/elementalist~~~~~
Steaming Striker- blinder and dazer, shutdown +dmg P/e
barbed spear, blazing spear, Stunning strike, steam, anthem of flame, Aggressive Refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
11 +1+3 spear mastery
8 water magic
11 +1 leadership.
The two most powerful shutdown conditions in the game can be acheived with this build. Although you can still wield a max shield, you will only get 8AL out of it. Take advatage of the + damage of steam as well.
Crippling Gale- team pvp snarer P/e
gale, awe, barbed spear, wild throw, crippling anthem, Aggressive Refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
11+1+3 spear
10+1 leadership
10+1 command
You will need to take radiant armour for the high energy skills, and you can sub gale for another KD like 'shock' or 'meteor' if the energy is too high. In fact many of the skills can be subbed out for the desired team fit.
~~~~~Paragon/ritualist~~~~~
Splintered spear -Aoe Damage build. P/Rt
splinter weapon, wielder's strike, Merciless spear, "Go for the Eyes!", Focused Anger, Aggressive Refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
11+1+3 Spear
9 communing
8 +1 leadership
8+1 command
This build is great for when enemies bunch up. Don't forget that you can apply the weapon spell to others and the +damage is physical in type. If you like barrage as a ranger you may like this one.
~~~~~Paragon/Dervish~~~~~
Dusty Spears- blind bot spammer, melee shutdown pvp- P/d
ebon dust aura, barbed spear, blazing spear, spear of lightning, "go for the eyes!", Aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return
11+1+3 Spear
8 earth prayers
8 +1 leadership
9+1 command
Make sure you have the energy to start the combo (25+10) you can accomplish this with a +5 mod, or radiant armour. spam the adrenal attacks, as they are what will trigger the blind. This can provide support/defense by shutting down dmg builds as well as provide damage yourself. You can switch out the spear skills for whatever takes your fancy
Cruel Harrier- win win damage per second pve/pvp- P/d
harrier's haste, cruel spear, harrier's toss, blazing spear, "go for the eyes!", Aggressive refrain, natural healing, signet of return
11+1+3 Spear
9 wind prayers
8 +1 leadership
8+1 command
with this build you can have both ias and increased speed for reletively cheap. Use cruel spear quickly followed by harrier's toss for a nice spike. follow attackers with HH and punish them for their cowardess.
~~~~~Paragon/necromancer~~~~~
Bloody Zeal Paragon- Battery support pve- P/n
blood is power, aria of zeal, song of power, energizing chorus, hexbreaker aria, leader's comfort, signet of synergy, signet of return
12 +1+2 motivation
9 blood
9 +1 leadership
Pretty self explanatory. Keep your casters fueled with the first three skills and make sure to keep yourself fueled as well with energizing chorus and hexbreaker aria. Watch the saccing from Bip, and keep your health up with SoS and leader's comfort. You can easily change the skills around to include another skill line... you only need 11 in motiv 8 blood and 9ish in leadership...
Shouting Orders- Team +damage pve- P/n
Anthem of Flame, "find their weakness!", "Go For The Eyes!", Anthem of Envy, Order of Pain, Focused Anger, Leader's Comfort, Signet of Return
12 lead
11 blood
9 command
9 spear
This build can replace the orders Necro in a Tombs team BP build. Works well in other situations with many martial damage dealers. Watch the saccing and spam adrenal shouts. The attributes are flexible.
Weary Sender- condition removal+ condition pressure pve- P/n
wearying spear, blazing spear, merciless spear, aria of restoration, cautery signet, plague sending, Leader's Comfort, Signet of Return
16 spear
11 leadership
9 Motivation
Take advantage of self inflicted conditions (wearying spear and Cautery sig.) with plague sending. You can help out the team and apply pressure at the same time. Watch your energy and becareful to time the condition transfer correctly.
Paravirus- - condition pressure - P/n
barbed spear, blazing spear, merciless spear, virulence, anthem of flame, aggressive refrain, Leader's Comfort, Signet of Return
16 spear mastery
10 death
9 leadership
Lots of degen in this build, just be careful when you use virulence not to self inflict disease if the target is too close... this is one of those 'utility template builds'.
~~~~~Paragon/assassin~~~~~
Projectile Paragon- Utility damage Hero/Alliance Battles- P/a
crippling dagger, stunning strike, disrupting dagger, wild throw, expunge enchantments, "fall back!", leader's comfort, signet of return
11+1+3 Spear
8 deadly arts
8 +1 leadership
9+1 command
Good for getting past both enchant-stacked foes and stance spammers. I will sometimes set this build to Morghan, and other times I will play it in AB. Everyone has played Alliance battles and faced a e/d tank or a stance warrior or ranger. This build will put fear into the hearts of those pesky foes.
~~~~~Paragon/mesmer~~~~~
Utility Officer- flexible build (set for FOW) pve- P/m or P/any
spear of lightning, merciless spear, anthem of flame, aggressive refrain, leader's comfort, signet of return, expel hexes, hexbreaker aria
15 spear
11 leadership
10 (optional)
... The parenthesis indicate optional skills (Utility). You could replace these two skills with a number of skill combos. I.E. You may wand to choose cautery signet and remedy signet for condition support or Blood is power and blood ritual for energy support or even focused anger and "go for the eyes!" for more melee support... etc... This build is a good one to save to your template. You can use elites from different professions and different utility skills to fit any situation. I use the above build ^ to help destroy those hex heavy mobs in FoW, but you can use anything you want in those 'optional' skills. When I am using a secondary that does not require investment I usually switch anthem of flame with 'GFTE'.
~~~~~Hero Builds~~~~~
When choosing your hero skills, try to choose builds that synergize with each other and your own.
For instance, this hero build synergizes with eachother in different ways. Zhed will help morghan with burning and meloni takes advantage of the criticals from GFtE.
morgahn:
"they're on fire!", blazing finale, focused anger, "go for the eyes!", dismember, cyclone axe, leader's comfort, signet of return
Zhed:
searing flames, glowing gaze, liquid flame, ]meteor shower, mark of rodgort, fire attunement, leech signet, resurrection signet
Meloni:
eremite's attack, mystic sweep, wild blow, avatar of grenth, mystic regeneration, aura of thorns, vital boon, resurrection signet
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<NOTICE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>
due to 'balance' updates some of these builds do not work as effectively
(example: the armour cap now only allows party members to get abpve 24+ AL with one skill only... they do not stack)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
as this is the only guide on the paragon in this forum. I will sticky until further notice.
Edit: I will continue to update this guide with skills and builds available as time allows. When it is finished I hope it will help some new players out there, as well as give some other players some direction on strategy.