Running guide

Common Runs
Running isn't as common in Factions as it is in Prophecies because in Cantha most locations have a gate guard at the entry who will only let you pass if the player speaking to him has a specific quest. This requires that the player being run makes it to the gate guard, meaning they have to run themselves and survive, which voids the entire purpose of being run. One popular run is from The Marketplace to Kaineng City for Canthan born characters, but it's a trivial run with no real threat. Also the most common running professions are warriors due to their healing/speed buffs and high AL, rangers due to their dodge/speed buffs and high AL against elemental damage.

Some popular runs are:
 * From Lions Arch to Ascalon City (For Character from other campains}
 * The Droknar Run
 * From Lions Arch to Sanctum Cay, Beacon's Perch or Temple of the Ages.
 * From Bergen Hot Springs to Temple of the Ages or Beetletun, or vice versa
 * From The Amnoon Oasis to Augury Rock (see The Amnoon Oasis to Augury Rock)
 * From Augury Rock to the mission locations in the Crystal Desert, see the Ascension guide
 * From Henge of Denravi to Maguuma Stade
 * From Thunderhead Keep to Marhan's Grotto
 * From Iron Mines of Moladune to Copperhammer Mines
 * From Copperhammer Mines to Granite Citadel
 * From Piken Square to Yak's Bend
 * From Yak's Bend to Beacon's Perch
 * From Beacon's Perch to Gates of Kryta or Lion's Arch
 * From Ascalon City or Piken Square to Lion's Arch (combining several of the preceeding runs into one quicker process)
 * From Cavalon to Bai Paasu Reach, Eredon Terrace, Breaker Hollow, Jade Flats (Luxon) and Aspenwood Gate (Luxon)
 * From House zu Heltzer to Aspenwood Gate (Kurzick), Saint Anjeka's Shrine, Lutgardis Conservatory, Brauer Academy and Jade Flats (Kurzick)

Running skills
Here's a list of the most common skills used in a running build with a short description of why they're useful for running.

Movement speed
Shouts:
 * "Charge!" (Elite, affects ALL allies within earshot)
 * "Fall Back!" (Also heals while moving)
 * "Lead the Way!" (Duration based on allies nearby)
 * "Make Haste!" (Target other ally)
 * Godspeed (While under the effect of an Enchantment)

Enchantments:
 * Armor of Mist
 * Burning Speed (Beware of the burning effect taking some of your health)
 * Windborne Speed
 * Flame Djinn's Haste (Damages adjacent foes)
 * Storm Djinn's Haste (Beware of energy loss)
 * Illusion of Haste (After this wears off, you will be Crippled)
 * Featherfoot Grace (Conditions expire 50% faster)

Stances (only one stance may be active at a time):
 * Battle Rage (Elite, requires adrenaline)
 * Bull's Charge (Elite)
 * Charging Strike (Elite)
 * Enraging Charge (Ends and gives you adrenaline if you attack)
 * Rush (Requires adrenaline)
 * Sprint
 * Escape (Elite)
 * Dodge
 * Storm Chaser (May also be used to generate energy for other skills if running through an elemental area ie: The Shiverpeak Mountains)
 * Zojun's Haste
 * Run as One (Affects you and your pet)
 * Dash
 * Dark Escape
 * Harrier's Haste
 * Pious Haste
 * Enchanted Haste
 * Whirling Charge

Forms (only one form may be active at a time):
 * Avatar of Balthazar (Elite)

More skills can be found on the movement speed quick reference, although the skills listed here are specifically for running.

Other skills
Here are some other potentially useful skills for running. Many areas include monsters with damaging attacks, knockdown, hexes, etc. that all need to be countered or negated in order to complete a run.

Anti-knockdown Skills:
 * Balanced Stance
 * Fleeting Stability

Skills which negate/prevent damage:
 * Mist Form
 * Vow of Silence
 * Shadow Form
 * Spell Breaker

Defensive Skills:
 * Bonetti's Defense
 * Defensive Stance
 * "Shields Up!"
 * Whirling Defense
 * Swirling Aura

Healing skills:
 * Watchful Intervention
 * Mending
 * Divine Intervention
 * Death's Charge
 * Heart of Shadow
 * Mystic Regeneration
 * Healing Signet
 * Watchful Spirit
 * Restful Breeze

Skills which provide extra health/armor:
 * Endure Pain
 * Defy Pain (Elite, requires adrenaline)
 * Signet of Stamina
 * Feigned Neutrality
 * Avatar of Balthazar
 * Vital Boon
 * Conviction

Anti-hex:
 * Pious Restoration
 * Inspired Hex
 * Revealed Hex
 * Hex Breaker
 * Smite Hex
 * Holy Veil

Skills
The cooldown on "Charge!" is 20 seconds so with a high Tactics attribute there will only be a 9-10 second gap before you can use it again. Using a stance during "Charge!"'s downtime will usually allow for continuous running (25% movement increase). Using "Charge!" and two stances will allow for continuous 25% movement increases with alternating 33% increases in speed.

Of the list above, Sprint, Enraging Charge, "Charge!", Harrier's Haste and Storm Chaser are the ones most favored by runners for a couple reasons:
 * They last at least 10 seconds (if the linked attribute is high enough) which is adequate for dodging groups and gaining distance quickly.
 * They are shouts or stances, which do not have an activation time. This means a character can use them on the fly while running without stopping. While Armor of Mist is a spell that lasts longer and increases speed more than Sprint, it requires runners to stop and cast it for two full seconds, which often allows monsters to surround them.  Unless this is cast before getting into the threat range of a mob, this is usually fatal.

Note: Dodge is often used by those who use Storm Chaser as an extra boost after Storm Chaser wears off to get past the really long gauntlet of foes that are sometimes encountered. Similarly, Charge! is often used in conjunction with Sprint to allow the player to quickly outpace pursuing foes. Dodge also represents an obvious choice for Ranger primary runners since the duration can be increased with Expertise and it adds +33% speed instead of +25%.

Warming up:
Many runners activate some sort of healing regeneration (typically Mending for monks or Troll Unguent for rangers) for a healing boost just before encountering a group of foes. This helps to combat the health degeneration often inflicted on runners by enemy mesmers and other occasional attacks that hit a runner. Elementalists may also start with either Windborne Speed or Armor of Mist, which allows them to save the stances or shouts (which don't require any activation time) for when they're actually surrounded by foes. Beware of mesmers with Shatter Enchantment when using enchantments such as Mending. These will make casting the enchantment a waste of energy and health. Using Watchful Spirit can also be used as it always gives 2 pips of regeneration and requires no investment in the Divine Favor attribute. Some runners may also chose to use Signet of Stamina for the additional health throughout the run. There is a difference in strategy between different classes. Rangers mainly try to block attacks using skills that also provide a speed buff such as Escape. Warriors and Dervishes on the other hand will often try to tank the damage. Warriors with healing skills such as healing breeze and skills to increase health. Dervishes tend to prefer Mystic Regeneration.

Learning from other runners
Sometimes the best way to learn is to have someone teach you or to watch someone successfully do something. Dying while others run you offers a convenient way to watch the runners and see how they do what they do. Simply click on the surviving runner's name in the Party List and observe. You can see what skills they're using and when they use them. Be sure to check with your runner prior to dying, as some runs, particularly in missions, require payment shortly before completion.

Video Links
Video Link of a Solo Elementalist Run to Lion's Arch, Part 1 (click "more>>" to the right of the related videos to view the other 5 parts)