Primary Profession: The decision to choose a primary profession as opposed to a secondary is based on three factors. The type of armor, the special attribute assigned to a profession, and the ability to add runes (plus the +1 skill helmet) for your primary. If you are willing to sacrifice health to use a superior rune, the later will have a greater effect on your decision.

For example, A/R looks like a good build for someone who would like to use the better Critical Strike ability with arrows. But they are sacrificing a potential 4 skill levels to their barrage for the extra critical hits.

Good builds include W/M (Paladin), N/M (Minion Master), and R/N (Touch Ranger). Don't use something like A/E since you won't have enough energy to cast many elementalist spells. Or Rit/W because you won't have the armor to fight toe to toe and don't have the excellent adrenaline ability warriors rely on. Counter-Arguement: Any two professions work if it gives you the desired result. Normally players choose a secondary for particular skills in one attribute. If an A/E is using daggers that produce cold damage, they may use an elemental skill that freezes an enemy when they take cold damage, but not need to cast very many spells.

Basic Tactics

Set Function Keys for weapon selection.

Use 'C' or '\' key to highlight nearest opponent and 'tab' to cycle to next foe. Then use 'space bar' to quickly select. Leaders should call their targets by using 'cntl'{'space' or 'spell'} This will put a target next to their character's name. Others in the group should focus their fire, by using 't' for the same target and then 'space' to select. Spellcasters that have a condition on them like Dazed, can hold the 'cntl' key down and click on the condition, so the rest of the team knows and can remove it. Don't spam a message by clicking several times. We need to see the other messages.

Mesmers should be casting hexes on magic users. It seems that in each battle my Paladin has Spirit Shackles cast on me. That is basically worthless. Sure Weakness or Imagined Burden may have some effect, but not a severe one. Mesmers are very useful, are the best counter to magic professions, and should be spending their energy there.

Basic Strategy

Avoid large groups, spread out and capture lightly protected shrines.