Raiding is a new type of challenging content for Guild Wars 2, and we’re dedicated to ensuring that the rewards offered match the challenge they provide. I want to take this opportunity to give an overview of these rewards so that you know what you can expect to work toward with the upcoming release of the first raid wing, Spirit Vale.

The first time you kill each raid boss in a week, you’ll receive access to the boss chest, which contains the boss’s loot. This chest can only be earned the first time you kill the boss each week and will award experience, gold, rare and exotic items, and a chance at ascended gear and unique boss rewards.

Ascended Armor and Weapons

Each boss will have a variety of ascended weapons and armor that they can drop. These ascended items allow their owners to choose which stats they provide from a list determined by the item. Each item can come in one of four varieties: Assaulter, Defender, Healer, or Malicious. Each of these then allows a choice of thematically appropriate attributes. Assaulter and Malicious gear provide offense-oriented sets like Berserker, Assassin, Sinister, Viper, and other similar attribute combinations, while Healer’s gear gives access to support-oriented gear like Apothecary and Giver, and Defender’s gear gives access to defense-oriented gear like Nomad and Knight. As with other ascended gear, you can use the Mystic Forge to change the stats of your gear if you don’t get the attributes you desire.

Experience and Gold Rewards

The first time you kill each boss in a week, you’ll receive 2 gold and a Compendium of Knowledge. The Compendium of Knowledge awards a large amount of experience toward your currently equipped Mastery and is automatically consumed when you pick it up, similar to a Writ of Maguuma Mastery. Additionally, the gold and Compendium of Knowledge rewards are doubled by the Call of the Mists effect. This effect is given to all players while playing in the most recently added raid wing; initially, everyone will get this in Spirit Vale, but as new raid wings are released, the effect will update to provide bonus rewards to players completing the newest content. That means that killing each boss in the most recent raid wing will award 4 gold and 2 Compendiums of Knowledge.

Unique Boss Rewards

Raid bosses also have some additional unique, thematic rewards. These may include miniatures of the boss or their minions—or even unique cosmetic rewards. One such unique reward that can be obtained in Spirit Vale is an infusion that, when equipped, will provide your character with a ghostly aura. While not present at the release of raids, we’ll also be adding new guild decorations that can be built to showcase your guild’s raiding accomplishments.

In addition to the weekly boss chest, a new map currency called magnetite shards is awarded for playing content in the raid. Magnetite shards can be earned by killing bosses and completing events in the raid instance, and small amounts are awarded for failed boss attempts based on how close your group gets to defeating the boss. Magnetite shards are not restricted by the weekly lockout that limits boss rewards, but the amount of shards that can be earned each week is capped. After unlocking the use of ley rifts through the Rift Traveler Mastery, one can find the vendor that seeks magnetite shards within Spirit Vale. This currency is not intended as a primary way to obtain the boss rewards, but it is intended to provide a means for people unlucky with drops to be able to work toward getting a specific reward that they desire.

Just as in otherGuild Wars 2 content, raid rewards will be earned on an individual basis. That means no competing with your fellow raiders for rolls on rare drops and no need for complicated player-run loot systems.

The Journey to Legendary Armor

The journey to building legendary armor is unlocked for your account as soon as you kill a raid boss. You’ll be able to start filling out a thematic collection similar to the legendary weapon and backpack collections. This collection is the first step on the journey to legendary armor and will require many feats within the first several raid wings as well as elsewhere in the Maguuma Jungle. Completion of this first collection will span the first three raid wings. Once completed, it will award a set of ascended precursor armor and unlock the next stages of the journey.

Although the process of upgrading precursor armor into legendary armor is similar to creating other legendary gear, Zommoros will require different gifts. One of these new gifts can be acquired from new Faction Provisioners, who can be found at major outposts in the Maguuma Jungle. These provisioners are looking for help in crafting gear to help survive in the jungle, and by helping them out, you can earn a Gift of Craftsmanship along with a variety of other rewards that they offer in return for your aid.

It’s just a short time until everyone gets the chance to play through Spirit Vale, and we hope you are all as excited as we are for raiding in Guild Wars 2!