Hero Points: Skills, Traits, and Elite Specializations
Hero Points & Elite Specializations
Hero points (HP) unlock skills and traits. Leveling gives you points automatically, but elite specializations need additional points from activities such as exploration or HP trains.
Press H to open the Hero panel, then select Training from the vertical tabs on the left. Here you can see your hero points and the skills and traits available to train.
Leveling and hero challenges provide enough HP to train every skill and trait. Start with what your current build needs.
What are hero points?
Hero points (HP) are a character-specific currency used in the Training tab to unlock healing, utility, and elite skills, as well as traits. Weapon skill slots unlock through leveling and do not cost HP.
Choose the training track you need first. Within a track, unlocks follow a fixed order. The elite skill slot opens at level 31.
Starting at level 11, odd-numbered levels award HP. By level 79, you have received 398 HP, exactly enough for all core skills and traits. Leveling alone covers core training without any map challenges. Gather another 250 HP to fully train one elite specialization.
Ways to earn hero points
Leveling up
Leveling awards HP automatically, starting at level 11. The amount varies by level. By level 80, you will have enough to train all core skills and traits.
Core map hero challenges
Look for hero challenge markers on the map. Challenges include communing with a place, fighting an enemy, and using an item given by an NPC. Each character receives HP from a challenge only on its first completion.
Expansion hero challenges
Hero challenges in HoT, PoF, EoD, and VoE regions award 10 HP each on first completion.
WvW: Notarized Scrolls
Take Testimonies of Castoran Heroics from WvW skirmish rewards and other sources to a Heroics Notary. Buy and use a regional Notarized Scroll to complete one random unfinished challenge in that region. Central Tyrian scrolls give 1 HP and cost 1 testimony; expansion scrolls give 10 HP and cost 10 testimonies. Expansion scrolls require the corresponding expansion. The vendor also exchanges older Proofs of Heroics and Desert or Jade testimonies for the current currency.
What is an HP train?
A hero point train is a group of players completing expansion hero challenges together. This is especially helpful for HoT's group combat challenges. It is a community activity with no fixed minimum party size.
How to join an HP train
Press Y and open Looking For Group. Look for HP Train listings under Heart of Thorns or Path of Fire. Choose a beginner-friendly group and follow its instructions for the starting map and required gliding or mounts.
You must reach each challenge and commune with the object or participate in the fight to get credit. If you fall behind and miss a challenge, you will miss its HP. Stay with the commander.
Completing 25 unfinished expansion challenges gives 250 HP. Routes and point totals vary, so read the listing.
Optional tips
On some HP trains, players voluntarily tip the commander afterward.
Tips are not required. Do not feel obliged to spend gold you need as a beginner. A thank-you is welcome too.
Suggested HP train maps
Heart of Thorns (HoT): Look for routes through Verdant Brink, Auric Basin, and Tangled Depths. Required gliding and mounts depend on the route.
Path of Fire (PoF): Desert Highlands, Elon Riverlands, and other maps. Combat challenges are generally easier than HoT's, making these a good starting point.
Core maps include commune, combat, and item challenges; expansions also have commune challenges without a fight. Core challenges give only 1 HP, but you can collect them while exploring. If HoT's group fights are difficult, ask others to help or try PoF and EoD challenges.
Elite specializations
An elite specialization is a trait line added by its expansion. It changes profession mechanics, skills, traits, and available roles. HoT, PoF, and EoD specializations also unlock a weapon type; VoE specializations do not add new weapons.
You need level 80, the relevant expansion, and all core skills and specializations fully trained. Unlock the first node in H → Training, then equip the specialization in the bottom slot of the Build tab. Training every skill and trait costs 250 HP in total.
Each of these expansions adds one elite specialization for each of the nine professions. Start with the one you want to use. Full training costs 250 HP per specialization. You can unlock several, but equip only one at a time.
SotO provides Weaponmaster Training and additional weapons; Janthir Wilds provides land spears. Neither adds new elite specializations.
You must own the expansion associated with each elite specialization. Free accounts have only core specializations. Check your owned expansions on your ArenaNet account page.
A practical order for gathering hero points
The official wiki lists hero challenge locations and completion requirements. Search for “hero challenge” and the map name.