How Much Gold Per Hour is a Raid in Guild Wars 2?
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The straightforward answer to how much gold per hour you can make raiding in Guild Wars 2 is highly variable, depending on several factors. However, a commonly cited figure is around 30 gold per hour, not including potential high-value drops like ascended gear or rare skins. This figure assumes you have an experienced squad that can efficiently clear raid bosses in roughly 5 minutes or less per boss. Keep in mind this is an average, and your actual earnings can fluctuate widely. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of raid gold farming.
Factors Influencing Raid Gold Per Hour
Several elements contribute to the overall gold you earn from raiding:
Boss Kill Speed
As mentioned, speed is paramount. A well-coordinated group that understands boss mechanics can significantly reduce kill times. Less time spent on each boss directly translates to more bosses killed per hour, increasing your potential gold earnings. If your group struggles with mechanics, the time spent per boss will increase, thus lowering your gold per hour.
Raid Wing Efficiency
Some raid wings are more efficient for gold farming than others. Certain wings have easier boss encounters, while others are more time-consuming. Groups looking to maximize gold often target the faster, more straightforward wings.
Loot Luck and RNG
The random number generator (RNG) plays a big role. Aside from consistent gold drops, you may also obtain valuable ascended gear, rare skins, and other sellable items. These items can drastically increase your gold per hour, but they are unpredictable. Bad luck with drops can severely limit the additional income from drops, making the 30 gold per hour figure feel more concrete.
Group Composition and Experience
An optimized group composition, with roles filled effectively, is crucial for smooth raid clears. Experienced raiders will be more familiar with each encounter, leading to faster and more consistent runs. This familiarity allows your raid to clear the raid more quickly and efficiently, maximizing your gold/hour gain. Conversely, inexperienced groups will take much longer, which reduces the overall gold per hour gain.
Consumable Usage
Using certain consumables, like magic find boosters, can slightly increase your chance of obtaining rare loot. While these don’t impact gold drops directly, the boosted potential for valuable drops is important to consider. If you are going to use boosters, be sure that your raid squad is capable of maximizing the gold per hour, or else the cost of the boosters may outweigh the possible increased gains.
Beyond Basic Gold Drops
While the consistent gold from boss kills forms the base of your income, don’t underestimate the value of other drops:
Ascended Gear
Ascended gear is highly sought after, and drops from raids can be sold on the Trading Post for considerable gold. A single ascended piece can sometimes fetch several gold, significantly boosting your hourly rate.
Rare Skins and Items
Certain raid bosses have unique drops like rare skins or items that are in demand. These can be extremely valuable, providing a significant gold windfall.
Material Drops
Materials like Ectoplasm and crafting materials obtained during raids are consistently in demand and can be sold on the Trading Post to generate additional income.
Alternative Gold Farming Methods
While raids can be a lucrative source of gold, they are not the only way to generate income in Guild Wars 2. Consider supplementing your income with other methods, especially if you don’t have a consistent raid group:
World Boss Trains
Participating in world boss trains is an accessible way to earn a consistent income, especially for new players. While each kill yields less gold than a raid boss, the sheer number of bosses defeated during these events can accumulate a reasonable amount of gold, as well as other drops like crafting materials.
Fractals
Fractals offer daily rewards and valuable loot, and are another consistent source of gold. If your goal is to generate gold, you’ll want to take on the Daily Fractals, which offer the best returns.
Trading Post
Utilizing the Trading Post effectively, buying low and selling high, can be a lucrative endeavor but may require extensive market knowledge and timing. This can be quite a time-intensive way to generate gold, and may require more time investment than simply running raids.
Crafting
Some players choose to specialize in crafting and then sell their creations for profit, although this method may require some market research and specific crafting materials. If you invest time into learning the crafting systems, this can be quite an efficient way to create gold.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the easiest raid boss in GW2?
Cairn is widely considered to be the easiest raid boss, requiring minimal mechanics knowledge and is a good starting point for new raiders.
2. What are some of the most profitable raid wings?
Wings that are generally considered to be more efficient for gold farming include Wings 1, 4 and 5, though it varies on player experience and group.
3. Can I raid with a random group and still make gold?
Yes, but it may not be as efficient. Random raid groups (PUGs) can be hit or miss; some clear content quickly, while others might struggle. The important thing is to find a group with a similar level of experience to yourself.
4. How important is raid knowledge for making good gold?
Raid knowledge is crucial. Understanding boss mechanics and strategies will significantly increase your kill speed and efficiency, resulting in more gold per hour.
5. Does magic find affect raid gold drops?
Magic find does not directly impact gold drops, but it increases the chance of obtaining valuable loot, like ascended gear, which can be sold for gold.
6. Is it legal to buy gold in GW2?
No, buying gold from third-party sellers is against the Rules of Conduct and can result in account penalties. It is not worth the risk to your account to engage in this behavior.
7. What is the maximum gold you can send in-game?
The maximum amount of gold that can be sent via a single in-game mail message is limited to 500 gold. Additionally, there are limits on how much can be accepted per week.
8. How many times can you get the raid rewards?
Raid rewards can be earned once per week per raid wing per character. After that, you won’t get the gold or item rewards again until the weekly reset.
9. Are raids the only good way to make gold?
No. World boss trains, fractals, trading post manipulation and crafting are all viable alternatives for generating gold, though the efficiency differs.
10. How can I find a raid group?
You can look for raid groups through the in-game Looking For Group (LFG) tool, or join a guild that regularly raids. Communities can also be found on Discord.
11. What are some must-have builds for raids?
Popular raid builds often include damage dealers (DPS), healers, and tanks. The meta constantly shifts, so researching current builds is important.
12. Do I need to be level 80 to raid?
Yes, level 80 is required to access raid content.
13. What is the best class for raiding?
There isn’t one “best” class, but popular choices include Thief, Elementalist, and Ranger for DPS, Guardian and Chronomancer for support.
14. How do I get better at raiding?
Practice, watch guides, join a patient group, and ask for feedback. There’s a lot of great content out there to help you learn the mechanics.
15. Is it worth it to spend my time raiding for gold?
This depends on your goals and preferences. If you enjoy the challenge of raiding, and want a more controlled environment to make gold, it can be a reliable source of gold. Otherwise, other gold-making methods may be preferable.
By understanding these factors, you can better manage your expectations and optimize your gold farming during raids in Guild Wars 2. Remember that consistent effort and a strong group will lead to the most consistent and reliable income.