Running is when one player leads a group of (usually lower level) players to areas in the game that would otherwise be unreachable (or at least very difficult to reach) for the non-runners. The runner runs past all enemy mobs and zones to the next area. The lower level players cannot survive encounters with the powerful mobs and are killed, or they sit comfortably in a safe spot while waiting for the runner(s).
Enemies in Guild Wars move just as fast or faster than player characters. Pursuing foes cannot be shaken off simply by trying to run away. Eventually players will be forced to fight back or heal themselves, unless the player manages to zone. Therefore, most runners use skills that increase movement speed like Sprint, "Charge!" or Storm Chaser, which allows the player to actually escape enemies. Runners often choose warrior for their primary profession with monk or ranger as their secondary profession. These characters can use Sprint, have the best armor, can wear absorption armor and runes, and can heal themselves. However, it is quite possible to do some runs with other profession combinations, which can be useful for simply moving your own characters through Tyria. The Ranger's additional armor against elemental helps in many places. There are also quite a few Ranger Assassin runners, who utilise the Ranger stances such as Escape with the Assassin's Dash and Death's Charge.
When the runners reach the entrance to the next area and pass through (i.e. zone), all party members (whether killed or sitting at the other end of the area) are teleported to the next area. If all other party members are already dead, a runner only has to run "close enough" to the other end of an area to resurrect at the resurrection shrine. This is quite chancy and should never be counted on.
The advantage running provides to lower level players is access to merchants and crafters selling powerful items and skills not otherwise available to them. They do end up paying for things they could have acquired for free had they gone through the game sequentially. More importantly, players escorted to more advanced areas of the game gain little experience, both in terms of how to play the game as well as in actual experience points for their character. Because of the experience of learning how to play the game, it is generally not recommended that players use running services much if at all during their first play through the game. Player that are run through several areas and skip numerous missions and quests may be surrounded by others who have much higher levels. Generally speaking, parties are not interested in grouping with players that are too low in level to be of much use, making it difficult for them to adventure further. Players who find their characters too low in level in a certain area sometimes seek a power leveling service.
Players also run to complete certain quests or missions (e.g. deliver an item or perform infusion) without actually fighting monsters along the way.
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 necessitates that the player being run makes it to the gate guard, which means 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. Runners are beginning to run to the 5 Luxon and Kurzick towns.
The Business of Running
Experienced players often require payment from others to run them. Weaker players or players not interested in playing the PvE campaign often offer payment to runners in popular running locations like Beacon's Perch, Droknar's Forge and Augury Rock.
Whether hiring another player to run you, or running a group of players yourself, you should watch out for scams.
Some of the most popular runs in the game right now are:
- The Droknar Run
- From Temple of the Ages to Sanctum Cay
- 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
- 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)
Profession Running Guide
Shouts which make you run faster
"Charge!" (Elite)
Enchantments which make you run faster:
Armor of Mist- Burning Speed
Windborne Speed- Illusion of Haste (after this wears off, you will be Crippled)
Stances which make you run faster (only one stance may be active at a time):
- Battle Rage (Elite, requires adrenaline)
- Bull's Charge (Elite)
- Rush (requires adrenaline)
- Sprint
- Dodge
- Escape (Elite)
- Storm Chaser
- Zojun's Haste
- Run as One
- Dash
- Dark Escape
The cooldown on "Charge!" is only 20 seconds so with a good 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 intermixed with 33% increases in speed.
Other potentially useful skills for running:
- Balanced Stance is vital for getting past areas where there are enemies with knockdown attacks. Balanced Stance is also the reason that "Charge!" is so important for difficult runs: As a shout, it stacks with Balanced Stance, so you can run faster and not be knocked down. (You can only have one stance active at a time, so you can't use Balanced Stance and Sprint together.)
- "To the Limit!" is the only way, other than taking damage, in which a Warrior can gain adrenaline while running (and not fighting). This Adrenaline can then be used for skills such as Bonetti's Defense, Rush, or Riposte.
- Echo can be used just before a group of foes to double Sprint, Dodge or Storm Chaser for a longer run time with a single run skill. This can also be useful when you know that you will be facing foes such as Losaru Windcaster who can cast Diversion which will increase recharge time. It could also be used to double Balanced Stance.
- Defensive Stance, Disciplined Stance, "Shields Up!", or other stances or shouts that allow you to evade or block attacks.
- Other miscellaneous defensive skills, such as Deadly Riposte, Shield Bash, or Endure Pain, provides some extra defense. These are certainly less popular but viable choices for someone simply trying to run themselves somewhere before all skills have been attained.
- As a start for skills beyond the Warrior profession, see: Holy Veil, Mending, Distortion, Illusion of Weakness, Throw Dirt, Swirling Aura
Of the list above, Sprint, "Charge!" and Storm Chaser are the ones most favored by runners for a few reasons:
- They last at least 10 seconds (if the linked attribute is high enough) which is most adequate for dodging groups and getting far quickly.
- They are shouts or stances that do not have an activation time. This means a character can invoke them on the fly while running. While Armor of Mist is a spell that lasts longer and runs faster than Sprint, it requires runners to stop and invoke it for two full seconds, which often allows monsters surround them. Unless this is cast before getting into the threat range of a mob, this is usually fatal.
Also, the elite skills besides "Charge!" are very rarely used by warrior runners, because Charge! is so much better.
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 which 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%).
Tip: 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 if you watch the bar at the center of the top of the screen.
Warming up:
Many runners activate some sort of healing regeneration (typically Mending for ?/Mo or Mo/? or Troll Unguent for R/? or ?/R) 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. Runners who are an E/? or ?/E will also start either Windborne Speed or Armor of Mist, which allows them to save the stances/shout (which don't require any activation time) for when they're actually surrounded by foes.