The upcoming online role-playing game Guild Wars will let you create a character by choosing two professions (a primary profession and a secondary one) from a pool of six classes. You'll use this character not only to fight monsters for fame and fortune, but also to take on groups of other players just like you. However, the game will feature a very intense layer of strategy, because any member of each profession will be able to choose from up to 75 different skills, which means that each character--when you include primary and secondary professions--will have access to potentially 150 skills. However, each character can carry only eight skills into battle, and each can access only the special primary attribute of its original class.

　　Pound for pound, the warrior is the toughest character class in the game.

　　We'll continue our profiles of the game's different character classes with the rough, tough warrior. Keep an eye on GameSpot's preview section of Guild Wars for more character profiles, and be sure to watch an exclusive developer interview and exclusive new footage from the game, which is linked below. These profile stories should help you decide what kind of character you'll play in the upcoming "world preview event" on Friday, October 29, in which ArenaNet will open up a test version of the game for you to try out. If you don't make it in to that weekend event--and you're a GameSpot member--don't worry. You'll also be able to try out the game the following weekend--of November 5--in an enhanced event that will feature even more unlocked content.

　　

The Warrior

The warrior is, hands down, the toughest character class in the game. It's the profession that offers the most health and resistance to physical damage, and it's the profession that offers its members the luxury of being able to don the heaviest of armor to further prevent sustaining physical damage. Warriors can specialize in three different classes of weapons--axes, swords, and hammers--and each area of specialization allows the warrior to deal damage in a different way. In addition, the profession also has access to "shouts," which are special group-focused abilities that temporarily give bonuses to both warriors and their companions in battle. Warriors may seem like straightforward characters that run up and start beating on enemies, but they also have advanced proficiencies, like knockdown abilities and combination skills, which are keyed off of specific attacks.

　　Warriors are masters of arms--and they're not bad at yelling stuff, either.

　　

Attributes and Abilities

　　Primary Attribute:

　　Toughness/Strength

　　The warrior's "toughness" primary attribute, which can be used only by characters that choose the warrior as a primary profession, increases a warrior character's toughness, as well as the character's ability to deal damage in battle.

　　Additional Abilities:

　　Shouts / Knockdown / Axe Specialization / Sword Specialization / Hammer Specialization

　　As mentioned above, warriors also possess shouts--abilities that grant temporary bonuses to their companions--which can increase their damage-inflicting abilities or apply additional protection to armor, among other things. Warriors also specialize in "knockdown," an ability that levels enemies flat on their backs, rendering them unable to cast magic spells or use other complex skills.

　　Warriors may specialize in one of three classes of weapon: axes, swords, and hammers. Axes and swords may be used with shields, while hammers are two-handed weapons that deal exceptional damage but require the warrior to trade off some defensive power to use.

　　

Skill List

Normal, Non-Elite Skills: Please note: This skill list is based on the current, prerelease version of the game and is subject to change. Each profession possesses 75 skills total, including 50 normal skills and 25 "elite" skills. Below you can find the most current listing of normal skills. Elite skills will be revealed later. (Additionally, ArenaNet is only revealing a handful of skill descriptions for each profession at this time.)

　　

Icon	Skill and Description
	"For Great Justice!"
	"To the Limit!"
	"Fear Me!"
	"I Will Avenge You!"
	"I Will Survive!"
	"Shields Up!"
	"Watch Yourself!"
	100 Blades Swing twice at target foe and foes adjacent to your target. You deal 75% damage with each hit.
	Axe Rake
	Axe Twist
	Balanced Stance
	Belly Smash
	Berserker Stance
	Bonetti's Defense
	Brutal Blow
	Bull’s Strike
	Counter Blow If this attack hits an attacking foe, that foe is knocked down.
	Crude Swing
	Crushing Blow
	Cyclone Axe Perform a spinning axe attack against all opponents adjacent to you.
	Deadly Riposte
	Defensive Stance
	Deflect Arrows
	Desperation Blow
	Disciplined Stance
	Dismember If it hits, this axe blow will inflict a Deep Wound on the target foe, lowering that foe's maximum Health. (50% miss chance with Axe Mastery 4 or less.)
	Disrupting Chop If it hits, this attack interrupts the target's current action. If that action was a skill, that skill is disabled for an additional 20 seconds.
	Distracting Blow
	Dolyak Signet
	Endure Pain
	Executioner's Strike
	Final Thrust
	Flurry
	Frenzy For 8 seconds, you attack 33% faster in melee, but all hits against you in melee are critical hits.
	Galrath Slash
	Gash
	Griffon’s Sweep
	Hammer Bash Lose all adrenaline. If Hammer Bash hits, your target is knocked down. (50% miss chance with Hammer Mastery 4 or less.)
	Hamstring If this attack hits, your target is Crippled, slowing his movement. (50% miss chance with Swordmanship 4 or less.)
	Healing Signet You gain 76 Health. You take double damage while using this skill.
	Heavy Blow
	Mighty Blow This attack deals 15 more damage if it hits.
	Penetrating Blow This axe attack has 50% armor penetration.
	Power Attack If this attack hits, you strike for 15 more damage (before armor).
	Protector’s Strike
	Pure Strike
	Riposte
	Rush
	Savage Slash
	Seeking Blade
	Sever Artery If this attack hits, the opponent will begin Bleeding, losing Health over time. (50% miss chance with Swordsmanship 4 or less.)
	Shield Stance
	Sprint STANCE. For 14 seconds, you run faster than normal. (Attrib: Strength)
	Staggering Blow If this hammer blow hits, your target will suffer from Weakness. (50% miss chance with Hammer Mastery 4 or less.)
	Swift Chop
	Thrill of Victory
	Warrior's Cunning
	Wary Stance
	Wild Blow

Editor's note 10/27/04: The preview originally stated Guild Wars characters could choose 10 skills, when in fact they can choose only eight. GameSpot regrets the error.