Are Ascended Weapons Soulbound in Guild Wars 2?
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No, Ascended weapons are not soulbound. They are account-bound, meaning you can freely transfer them between all the characters on your account. This crucial distinction sets them apart from older gear systems and offers significant flexibility for players looking to experiment with different builds and playstyles. The account-bound nature of Ascended weapons is a key element of the gear progression system in Guild Wars 2, allowing players to invest in powerful equipment that can be used across their entire account.
Understanding Ascended Gear in Guild Wars 2
Before diving deeper into the specifics, it’s important to understand what Ascended gear is and why it’s significant. Ascended gear represents one of the highest tiers of equipment available in the game, boasting a notable 5% increase in stats compared to exotic gear. They also offer the capability to add infusions, which can provide further stat boosts of about 1-2%. This difference might seem small on paper, but in practice, it translates to a significant increase in effectiveness, particularly in high-level content.
The Shift from Soulbound to Account Bound
The introduction of Ascended gear brought with it a significant change to how gear binding worked. Previously, many items were soulbound, meaning they became permanently linked to a single character once used. This often led to frustration when players wanted to try new builds or change roles. With the advent of Ascended gear, developers opted for an account-bound system. This meant that once acquired, Ascended weapons (and armor) could be shared between all the characters on an account, adding immense flexibility and reducing the need to grind for multiple sets of high-tier gear. This decision was also taken to ensure parity between legendary items, which are also account-bound once equipped.
Why Account Binding Matters
The account binding of Ascended weapons has several important implications:
- Flexibility in Character Building: Players can freely move their Ascended weapons between their characters, allowing them to quickly change builds and try out new roles without the hassle of farming for new gear.
- Cost-Efficiency: It reduces the overall cost and effort required to gear up all your characters since you don’t have to collect multiple identical sets of weapons. You can invest in one set of the best equipment and share it across all your characters.
- Experimentation: Encourages players to experiment with different professions and playstyles, knowing that their hard-earned Ascended weapons can be easily shared.
- Future-Proofing: As new game modes or content is released, your Ascended weapons remain viable and easily accessible for your various characters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ascended Weapons
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to provide a more comprehensive understanding of Ascended weapons in Guild Wars 2:
1. What is the main difference between Exotic and Ascended weapons?
The primary difference lies in their stat bonuses. Ascended weapons offer approximately 5% higher base stats than their Exotic counterparts. Additionally, Ascended weapons have infusion slots, which can be used to add even more stats.
2. Are Ascended weapons required for all game content?
No, they are not strictly required for all content, but they are highly recommended for high-level fractals, raids, and World vs World (WvW). While you can clear most base content with exotic equipment, Ascended gear makes a noticeable difference in higher level encounters.
3. How do I obtain Ascended weapons?
Ascended weapons can be obtained through several means: crafting, drops from certain endgame activities (like Fractals and raids), World vs World, and PvP. Crafting Ascended weapons requires specific recipes and materials which is the most reliable method.
4. Can I change the stats on an Ascended weapon?
Yes, you can change the stats of an Ascended weapon by using the Mystic Forge. You’ll need the weapon, an Exotic Inscription with the desired stats, and some other materials.
5. What are infusions and how do they work with Ascended weapons?
Infusions are items that can be slotted into Ascended gear to provide additional stats, further improving your character’s performance. They provide a small boost of 1-2% in the chosen stats.
6. Is it worth salvaging Ascended gear?
Yes, salvaging Ascended gear with an Ascended Salvage Tool or Kit guarantees the return of upgrades like runes, sigils, and infusions, as well as crafting materials like Stabilizing Matrices and Dark Energy. While not for profit, it will return some value.
7. What is a Stabilizing Matrix and how do I get them?
Stabilizing Matrices are crafting materials obtained from salvaging Ascended rings. They are used in crafting various high-level items, primarily ascended gear.
8. What is Dark Energy and where can I find it?
Dark Energy is another crafting material obtained from salvaging Ascended weapons, armor, and trinkets. Salvaging high-level exotic gear also yields some Globs of Dark Matter which can be converted into Dark Energy.
9. Can I craft Ascended gear for other players?
No, crafted Ascended gear is account-bound on acquisition, so you cannot directly trade it to other players. However, you can help them by donating materials used in the crafting process.
10. Are Legendary weapons better than Ascended weapons?
Legendary weapons share the same stat tier as Ascended weapons. The main difference is that Legendaries have customizable appearances, offer stat changing without additional resources, and come with various quality of life perks (like automatically updating stats after a patch).
11. Where can I find Ascended armor?
Ascended armor can be obtained from similar sources as Ascended weapons, which include crafting, drops from Fractals, raids, WvW, and PvP. Raids and Icebrood Saga Strikes provide options for buying some pieces.
12. What are Grandmaster Marks, and how are they used?
Grandmaster Marks are required for crafting Ascended armor and weapons obtained from the Skirmish Supervisor in WvW or the Ascended League Vendors. They also require specific level 500 crafting disciplines.
13. Is there a specific order in which to get Ascended gear?
A good strategy is to obtain Ascended weapons first, then armor. Within the armor, it’s usually advised to prioritize the chest and leg pieces due to their greater stat benefits.
14. Can I remove runes and sigils from Ascended gear?
Yes, you can remove runes, sigils, and infusions from a piece of Ascended gear using an Equipment Extraction Device.
15. How does level affect the drop rate of Ascended gear?
Ascended Gear begins to drop from Chaos Level 50 content with a low drop rate which then increases in more challenging content.
Conclusion
In summary, Ascended weapons are not soulbound; they are account-bound, providing a crucial level of flexibility to your gear. Their higher stats and infusion capability make them a worthwhile goal for serious players, especially those delving into challenging endgame content. Understanding the nuances of how Ascended weapons work, including how to obtain and modify them, can significantly improve your experience in Guild Wars 2.