Guild Wars 2 offers all types of experiences and with this structured player versus player (sPvP) beginner's guide, you'll learn about the most competitive side of the game. In sPvP, players compete in different multiplayer battlegrounds. Players are automatically set to level 80 and get access to every trait, skill, and weapon so that everyone is on an even playing field. This allows sPvP to emphasize skill rather than gear and the time invested in a character.
As soon as you finish your tutorial mission you can begin sPvPing. To do so, press "H" to bring up your character screen and press the PvP tab. Select "Enter the Mists" and you'll be brought to the PvP waiting area. The Mists is full of sPvP vendors with different weapons that you can purchase free of charge to bring in to battle with you. Since Guild Wars 2's combat is all about weapon switching, it's important to go in to battle with the right equipment.
Keep in mind that you won't earn any experience for your sPvP efforts, only glory, which can be used to purchase amazing looking cosmetic gear for use only in structured PvP, and rank, which determines the type of items you can purchase from Glory Vendors.
Once you've spoken to the Glory Vendors and equipped yourself and selected the traits and skills you want to bring in to battle with you, there are two ways to join sPvP: Hot Join Play and Tournaments.
To learn more about Guild Wars 2 structured PvP, check after the break.
Hot Join Play: Hot Join Play allows players to join a sPvP match based on the map and the number of players in the game. You can easily jump in to a match with the "Join Now" button, or you can select a server for you and your friends to play in together by using the server list. Once you get in to a game, players are matched based on their total amount of glory earned.
There are four different Conquest mode maps currently in Guild Wars 2: Battle of Kyhlo, Forest of Niflhel, Legacy of the Foefire, and Raid on the Capricorn. Conquest maps follow the tried and true capture and hold multiplayer system, where teams have to capture a point and kill enemies in order to improve their score. The first team to reach score limit, or the team with the highest score when the time runs out, will win the match.
Each map has different characteristics and even though the objective remains the same, the way you have to approach each map will differ from one to the next. In some, you'll get an advantage for taking down strong NPCs hidden around the map, while in others your team will have access to a trebuchet which they can use to bombard areas on the battlefield to open up new routes of attack.
Tournaments: Tournaments allow players to team up in parties of five and compete against eight teams in a three-round single-elimination tournament and as long as you win one match, you'll get a tournament chest. Tournament chests contain cosmetic gear and tournament tickets and the teams who get to the finals get better chests with nicer rewards. If you want to try your luck in a tournament but don't have four friends, you can even play in a pick-up tournament. If you're looking for hardcore competition, tournaments are for you.
Glory Ranks: Glory is the PvP currency used to buy PvP equipment and to unlock reward chests. There are nine glory ranks, and as you play through sPvP you'll earn glory by doing things like interacting with things like the trebuchet in maps, killing other players, and winning matches. All players start as a rabbit, and every 10 ranks you'll be upgraded to a new rank. The maximum rank is fittingly called the Dragon. Glory vendors sell chests to you based on your glory rank, and the higher your rank, the cooler looking items you can earn.
Here's the amount of Glory you need to purchase items from each Glory Vendor:
| Vendor | Glory Needed |
| Rank 1 Glory Vendor | 0 |
| Rank 10 Glory Vendor | 15,000 |
| Rank 20 Glory Vendor | 50,000 |
| Rank 30 Glory Vendor | 150,000 |
| Rank 40 Glory Vendor | 300,000 |
| Rank 50 Glory Vendor | 750,000 |
| Rank 60 Glory Vendor | 1,150,000 |
| Rank 70 Glory Vendor | 3,000,000 |
| Rank 80 Glory Vendor | 7,500,000 |
Now that you've been briefed on structured PvP in Guild Wars 2, it's time to set you free on to the battlefield. If you want more Guild Wars 2 info, check out our Guild Wars 2 review and our Guild Wars 2 guides.
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