Guides/Starting out
Which expansion to buy first
Each expansion adds its own way of moving through the world, its own elite specialisations and its own masteries. What is in each, and why the answer for a newcomer is almost always the same one.
On this page
The base game is free and expansions are bought one at a time, permanently. Where to start is a question everyone asks, and the answer turns less on story than on how you want to move around the world.
Short answer
Path of Fire. It carries the mounts, and mounts change the game more than anything else on this list.
Heart of Thorns next, for the glider. The rest to taste.
What each one gives
| Expansion | Movement | Elite specialisations |
|---|---|---|
| Heart of Thorns | the glider, Gliding | Dragonhunter, Herald, Berserker, Scrapper, Druid, Daredevil, Tempest, Chronomancer, Reaper |
| Path of Fire | every mount | Firebrand, Renegade, Spellbreaker, Holosmith, Soulbeast, Deadeye, Weaver, Mirage, Scourge |
| End of Dragons | skiffs, jade bots, the turtle | Willbender, Vindicator, Bladesworn, Mechanist, Untamed, Specter, Catalyst, Virtuoso, Harbinger |
| Secrets of the Obscure | Flight Training | none |
| Janthir Wilds | Warclaw in PvE, homesteading | none |
| Visions of Eternity | none | Luminary, Conduit, Paragon, Amalgam, Galeshot, Antiquary, Evoker, Troubadour, Ritualist |
Every expansion also brings its own masteries, maps and story.
Why Path of Fire
Mounts work everywhere, not only on the expansion’s maps. Take a raptor and the base-game maps you walked across shrink by half. A Springer for one gold opens up places that had no route at all (the order and the prices).
It is the one purchase that changes how the game feels immediately and permanently, rather than adding content off to one side.
The second argument: the griffon and the skyscale live here, and they are the most striking mounts in the game.
Why Heart of Thorns second
The glider is the second-biggest change to movement. It is also where raids begin (what those are) and where the maps many players still consider the best-built in the game sit.
The downside: HoT is famous for punishing newcomers. The maps are vertical, the enemies are vicious, and after comfortable Kryta it is a shock. Hence second rather than first.
When End of Dragons
When you want the two-seat turtle, fishing, skiffs and jade bots (about the turtle). This expansion is about conveniences and new toys more than about movement.
It also holds a fresh set of elite specialisations, some of which rewrite their class outright: Virtuoso removes the mesmer’s clones altogether (why that matters).
Secrets of the Obscure and later
Secrets of the Obscure brings Flight Training and, more practically, the short route to a Skyscale for 15 gold instead of the long Season 4 slog (the comparison).
Janthir Wilds adds the Warclaw in PvE and homesteading, a corner of the world you furnish yourself.
Visions of Eternity is the newest, with another full set of elite specialisations.
What not to do
Do not buy everything at once. Each expansion holds months of content. Buy one, exhaust it, buy the next.
Do not buy an expansion for a single mount or specialisation. Count what else comes with it: maps, story, masteries.
Do not rush into any expansion at level 20. The base game is free and holds tens of hours. Work out whether this is your game first (what to do at the start).
One detail about episodes
Living World seasons shipped between expansions and are sold separately for gems. 🔴 Episodes unlocked free for anyone who logged in while they were current, so if you played at any point in the past, some of them may already sit on your account. Check before buying.