How to Rune and Gear Your Dervish at Level 20 in Guild Wars

How to Rune and Gear Your Dervish at Level 20 in Guild Wars
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Character Introduction

Guild Wars is a MMORPG that captured the attention of millions of people everywhere. From the incredibly stunning scenery to the combative fighting Guild Wars offers PvE and PvP. Level 20 is the highest level a Guild Wars character can obtain. Once reaching level 20 a Guild Wars character should be developed with runes and armor to reach their highest potential. The Dervish is a melee fighter in Guild Wars.

The Dervish is an up-close fighter that does major damage and can shape-shift into multiple forms that offer differing values of protecting and fighting styles. A Dervish utilizes a scythe to fight off the opposing team or monsters. The Dervish uses energy to cast their skills and perform critical strikes with their scythe. Both PvP and PvE find Dervishes a formidable opponent to face.

A Dervish is typically a melee fighter that enjoys seeing the eyes of his victims before he kills them. However, a Dervish is also known for making great runners in Guild Wars. Low level characters “hire” and pay Dervishes to get them from one town to another while the low level character just stands there. Multiple classes can be a runner but the most common and easy class to make into a runner is Dervish.

Armor Selection

The Dervish has many different armor types specialized just for their class. Level 20 Dervishes should have “maxed” armor since it will give the character the most protection against enemies. Maxed armor for a Dervish is 70.

Here is a list of the different maxed armor types and where to obtain each:

  • Obsidian Armor: The Fissure of Woe

  • Asuran Elite: Rata Sum

  • Deldrimor Elite: Central Transfer Chamber

  • Monument Elite: Eye of the North Outpost

  • Norn Elite: Gunnar’s Hold

  • Ancient Elite: Bone Palace

  • Sunspear Elite: Command Post

  • Primeval Elite: Throne of Secrets

  • Vabbian Elite: The Kodash Bazaar

  • Canthan Elite: Divine Path

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  • Kurzick Elite: Vasburg Armory

  • Luxon Elite: Leviathan Pits

  • Judge Elite: Granite Citadel

  • Saintly Elite: Marhan’s Grotto

  • Woven Elite: Granite Citadel

  • Flowing Elite: Granite Citadel

  • Labyrinthine Elite: Marhan’s Grotto

Armor Selection (cont.)

  • Tyrian Standard: Droknar’s Forge, Wajjun Bazaar, and Boreal Station
  • Istani Standard: Consulate Docks or Command Post
  • Sunspear Standard: Consulate Docks or Command Post
  • Canthan Standard: Kaineng Center
  • Kurzick Standard: House zu Heltzer
  • Luxon Standard: Cavalon
  • Shing Jea Standard: Kaineng Center
  • Ascalon Standard: Kaineng Center
  • Krytan Standard: Bukdek Byway
  • Censor Standard: Droknar’s Forge
  • Dragon Standard: Droknar’s Forge
  • Sacred Standard: Droknar’s Forge
  • Star Standard: Droknar’s Forge
  • Woven Standard: Droknar’s Forge

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The only difference between elite and standard armor is the way it looks and the price. Standard armor is considerably cheaper than elite armor.

Rune Selection

Runes are items that upgrade armor in Guild Wars. Insignias work with runes by adding modifiers. Each armor piece can have 1 insignia and 1 rune attached to it; head, chest, hands, legs, feet. This will allow for up to 5 runes and up to 5 insignias for each complete armor set. You can remove and change runes on a character’s armor but it is very expensive to do so.

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Runes can be obtained from Rune Merchants, loot from drops, or salvages from armor pieces. Some runes are stackable and others are not, however, if two of the same runes are applied the negative benefits will occur but not the positive. So if the runes are giving a +3 buff and -75 health and there are two on instead of getting +6 buff the player receives -125 health and +3 buff.

Ranger Runes and Insignias

Insignia

  • Windwalker Insignia
  • Forsaken Insignia

Minor

  • Minor Mysticism

  • Minor Earth Prayers

  • Minor Scythe Mastery

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  • Minor Wind Prayers

Major

  • Major Mysticism
  • Major Earth Prayers
  • Major Scythe Mastery
  • Major Wind Prayers

Superior

  • Superior Mysticism
  • Superior Earth Prayers
  • Superior Scythe Mastery
  • Superior Wind Prayers

Attributes and Builds

The Dervish’s attributes will primarily be focused on their core profession and include any second profession that is active. The maximum Dervish attribute level with a full set of armor, runes, and weapons can be; Scythe Mastery PvE 21 and PvP 17, all other attributes PvE 20 and PvP 16.

A character’s build and attributes should be similar in nature to ensure the best possible game play as well as the strongest character possible. Builds should focus on 2-3 attributes instead of 4 or 5. When you do this your Guild Wars character is maximizing their potential by putting all their attribute points in one place, as a substitute to placing them in random spots. If a Dervish has skills that are placed in Scythe Mastery then the attributes should be in Scythe Mastery as well. The special attribute for a Dervish is Mysticism.

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Attribute and Builds (cont.)

The basic Dervish attributes explained:

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  1. Mysticism – Special attribute; each Mysticism attribute point allows the character to gain health and energy when enchantments end.
  2. Scythe Mastery – Increases the success rate of critical hits with a scythe.
  3. Wind Prayers – Each Wind Prayers attribute point offers increased effectiveness to cold spells and stances.
  4. Earth Prayers – Each Earth Prayer attribute point increases the efficiency of earth spells and certain enchantments.

Dervish builds can be categorized by what the character shape-shifts into or by the attribute type. Each Dervish build needs to include 1 elite skill in the bar that is from their specializing attribute.

Second Professions and Elite Skills

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Each Dervish that gains level 20 status is going to want every second profession offered in the game. Having multiple second professions will give gamers additional options to customize their characters with buffs and skills. There are 9 different second classes available to the Dervish; Ranger, Paragon, Assassin, Ritualist, Monk, Warrior, Necromancer, Mesmer, and Elementalist.

Elite skills are available from a multitude of zones in the Guild Wars games. Elite skills can be captured from a boss if the player has a Signet of Capture equipped in their skill bar. Signet of Captures are available from Rune Traders in Guild Wars towns and outposts. Every build needs at least one elite skill that corresponds with attributes and weapon points.

Combining Attributes, Builds, Runes, and Armor: Explained

The Dervish needs to combine insignias, weapons, armor, runes, builds, and second profession to make the most powerful character possible. A Dervish who specializes in Scythe Mastery will want to set their gear up in the following way:

  • Obtain a scythe Req. 9-12 Scythe Mastery with stats in Mysticism or Scythe Mastery

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  • Maxed armor, with headgear for Scythe Mastery

  • Insignias and Runes for Mysticism and Scythe Mastery

  • Attributes set in Mysticism and Scythe Mastery

  • Build and skills that reflect Mysticism and Scythe Mastery

  • Scythe Mastery elite skill

Furthermore, if a Dervish wishes to change builds they would want to correlate their skills and attributes and follow the same concept explained above. Armor, attributes, skills, runes, insignias, and weapons all need to have similar traits to enhance each other.

Try not to mix up skills and attributes. While it is possible to do this it does not make for a good character build.