Guild Wars Wiki:Projects/Dye charts/Character stance

Introduction
Different professions wield different weapons in different manners. This affects how well you can view the weapon in the dye preview box. This guide is aimed at helping you decided which character is better suited to taking screenshots of certain items. Remember that guidelines are meant to be a help you decide and should be seen as a recommendation rather than a strict law.

How to use this Guide
The guide is divided up into eleven sections, one for each weapon type available in the game. Each section has a reference image accompanying it showing how the different character models hold different weapons. As you will notice some models use the same stance while others vary significantly.

The reference images are taken using the following specifications:
 * The character model is medium height (exactly half way between the shortest and tallest size)
 * The character model has all armor removed
 * The dye preview box has been expanded completely
 * The dye preview box has been zoomed out completely
 * The weapons used have features typical of the weapon type

While the reference image offer some sort of guidance other factors that you may need to consider include:
 * Your characters size
 * Your characters undergarments
 * The size of weapon being screen captured
 * The angle you need to take the screenshots
 * The extent to which you have expanded the dye preview box
 * The extent to which you have zoomed in on the dye preview box

Weapon stances

 * Remember that the reference images have the dye preview box zoomed out, this will usually be the opposite to what you will be using (as you will want to be zoomed in the majority of the time to get more detail)
 * While the guide may refer to the way a character holds a weapon as to "wield" the models don't actually wield the weapon in a different manner rather their arms are angled differently.

Axe
Observations:
 * The majority of the models wield the axe horizontally (or close to horizontally)
 * Male Monks, male Necromancers and Assassins wield the axe angling upwards
 * Male Rangers, male Mesmers, male Assassins, male Ritualists, male Paragons and Dervishes wield the axe angling down

Bows
Observations:
 * The majority of the models have their arm slightly angled causing the bow to angle up
 * Male Assassins and male Dervishes have their arms extended vertically causing the bow to aim towards the ground

Daggers
Observations: Other notes:
 * The majority of the models have their right hand tilted down and their left hand tilted up
 * Monks, male Necromancers, female Assassins, female Ritualists and female Paragons have both hands tilted slightly upwards
 * Male Dervishes have both hands tilted down
 * Male Ritualists have both hands close to horizontal
 * Dagger screenshots can be taken from both sides allowing a choice of more options

Focus Items
Observations: Other notes:
 * The majority of the models have their arm slightly angled causing the focus item to be slightly tilted upwards
 * Models such as male Rangers, male Monks, male Elementalists, male Ritualists and female Monks are posed in a certain way (or have their hand turned towards their body) that causes clipping issues

Hammers
Recommended models: Observations: Other notes:
 * Male Dervish; hammer's head is not as straight as other models (male Mesmer and male Elementalists) but undergarment is not distracting
 * The majority of the models have the hammer's head elevated on their right hand side with the hammer head tilted
 * Ritualists and Paragons have the hammer's head below their waist
 * Different models have the head angled in different ways allowing better screenshots for different parts (depending on where you are focusing)

Scythes
Observations: Other notes:
 * The majority of the models have the scythe's head elevated fairly high on their right hand side with the hammer head tilted
 * Female Warriors and female Rangers have the scythe's slightly elevated above their waist
 * Ritualists and Paragons have the scythe's head below their waist
 * Different models have the scythe's snathe angled in different ways causing the blade of the scythe to be easier/harder to screen shot
 * Very difficult to find a good angle and fit the whole scythe within the dye preview box

Shields
Observations: Other notes:
 * The majority of the models wield the shield in a similar manner
 * Dying shields may also affect the back of the shield's face, make sure to include information on this as well

Spears
Observations:
 * The majority of the models have their right hand tilted down causing the spear's head to be slightly elevated behind them
 * Male Rangers, male Mesmers, male Ritualists, male Dervishes and female Dervishes have their right hand tilted down causing the spear's head to be elevated behind them (the female Dervish to a much greater extent)
 * Male Monks, male Necromancers, male Assassins, female Monks and female Assassins have their right hand tilted up causing the spear's head to be slightly lower than their waistline
 * Paragons wield the spear with their elbows bent and the spear's head pointed towards the ground

Staves
Observations: Other notes:
 * The majority of the models wield the staff horizontally (or close to horizontally)
 * Male Monks, male Necromancers and Assassins wield the staff angling upwards
 * Male Rangers, male Mesmers, male Assassins, male Ritualists, male Paragons and Dervishes wield the staff angling down
 * Very difficult to fit entire staff within the dye preview box with an effective angle

Swords
Observations:
 * The majority of the models wield the sword horizontally (or close to horizontally)
 * Male Monks, male Necromancers and Assassins wield the sword angling upwards
 * Male Rangers, male Mesmers, male Assassins, male Ritualists, male Paragons and Dervishes wield the sword angling down

Wands
Observations:
 * The majority of the models wield the wand horizontally (or close to horizontally)
 * Male Monks, male Necromancers and Assassins wield the wand angling upwards
 * Male Rangers, male Mesmers, male Assassins, male Ritualists, male Paragons and Dervishes wield the wand angling down