Running

Running refers to a player or players leading another player or group through areas that would otherwise prove difficult or time consuming for them. The runner often runs past all enemies, using speed boosting and shadow steps, to reach the destination for the person being ran. In Guild Wars, Running refers to two activities:
 * 1) Rapid travel to a target location, typically through avoiding or ignoring foes.
 * 2) Rapid completion of missions or quests, typically by avoiding or ignoring all foes but those absolutely essential to completing the task.

Both activities require specialized builds, equipment, and practice. People offer their services as runners to speed up the game for those who can afford to pay for the privilege. People buy runs to unlock towns for access to services (such as max armor crafters in Droknar's Forge) or to quests or bounties (such as Gadd's Encampment to defeat Mobrin). Typically, the runnee remains stationary or dies while the runner does all the work.

Such running is highly beneficial to those wishing to skip large portions of the Prophecies campaign, or get to outposts that are otherwise difficult to reach.

The release of Factions reduced the amount of running due to gate locks and by requiring quests to be completed to take a player further in the game. Nightfall's main island can be fully ran, but one cannot proceed to the Realm of Torment without completing primary quests.

Tourist running

 * Prophecies runs:
 * Kryta / Ascalon
 * From Ascalon City → Lion's Arch → Temple of the Ages → Sanctum Cay. This run (often known as the Krytan Tour) is popular among local and foreign players who want to skip the Maguuma Jungle part of storyline and reach Crystal Desert early to gain a boost on levels, drops and become Ascended.[[image:ascalontolionsarch.jpg|Track Map: Ascalon-Lion's Arch Line|thumb]]
 * Other common runs include:
 * From Temple of the Ages → Henge of Denravi, in order to do gain access to Secret Underground Lair, various farming sites, and Missions.
 * From Lions Arch → the ports of Kamadan, Kaineng Center, and Eye of the North, to quickly gain access to skills, armor, heros, etc. A must for Survival title hunters.
 * From Lion's Arch → Beacon's Perch → Yak's Bend → Ascalon City. This run (often known as the Ascalon Tour) allows characters from other campaigns get new skills, begin the Tyrian storyline for the Protector of Tyria title, complete quest chains and participate in the special events that appear in Ascalon City.
 * Southern Shiverpeaks
 * From Beacon's Perch → Droknar's Forge. The most well-known run begins in Beacon's Perch and ends in Droknar's Forge. This run (often known as the Droks run) allows a player to skip from near the beginning of Prophecies to the very end, granting them access to endgame armor and elite skills.
 * Other common runs include:
 * From Droknar's Forge → the Iron Mines of Moladune in order to acquire Infusion.[[image:droktogrotto.jpg|Track Map: Southern Shiverpeaks Line|thumb]]
 * From Camp Rankor → The Granite Citadel or Marhan's Grotto, where prestige armor is available. Allows players quick access to Sorrow's Furnace, farming, and quest chains.
 * Crystal Desert
 * From Amnoon Oasis → Augury Rock → the outposts and mission locations in the Crystal Desert and The Desolation. This run (often known as the desert tour) allows players to quickly Ascend and gain access to The Dragon's Lair (and the Tomb of the Primeval Kings).


 * Factions runs:
 * Kaineng City
 * From Seitung Harbor → the ports of Kamadan, Lion's Arch, and Eye of the North, to quickly gain access to skills, armor, heros, etc. A must for Survival title hunters.
 * From Kaineng Center → Seitung Harbor and Vizunah Square (Foreign Quarter), to quickly gain access to Shing Jea Boardwalk and Dragons' Throats' Challenge Mission.
 * From Dragon's Throat → Sunjiang District, to quickly gain access to Closer to the Stars and and Senji's Corner skills.
 * From Senji's Corner → Maatu Keep and Tahnnakai Temple, to quickly gain access to Zin Ku Corridor and Maatu Keep skills.
 * Jade Sea / Echovald Forest
 * From Zos Shivros Channel → Breaker Hollow → Cavalon, to skip the Sunjiang District mission and gain access to the areas around Cavalon.
 * From Cavalon → Bai Paasu Reach → Eredon Terrace → Breaker Hollow (often known as the Luxon Tour).
 * From Cavalon → Jade Flats (Luxon) and Aspenwood Gate (Luxon), for quick access to Competitive Missions and faction farm.
 * From House zu Heltzer → Saint Anjeka's Shrine → Lutgardis Conservatory → Brauer Academy (often known as the Kurzick Tour).
 * From House zu Heltzer → Aspenwood Gate (Kurzick) and Jade Flats (Kurzick) for quick access to Competitive Missions and faction farm.


 * Nightfall runs:
 * Istan
 * From Kamadan → the ports of Lions Arch, Kaineng Center, and Eye of the North, to quickly gain access to skills, armor, heros, etc. A must for Survival title hunters.
 * The Desolation / Vabbi
 * From Sunspear Sanctuary → The Kodash Bazaar → Moddok Crevice, to quickly gain access to Vabbian armor. This run (often known as the Vabbi Tour) allows players to gain access to all Vabbian outposts and to skip a portion of the Nightfall campaign.
 * Other common runs include:
 * From Sunspear Sanctuary → Gate of Desolation → Remains of Sahlahja → Bone Palace → Augury Rock. This run (often known as the Desolation Run) to quickly gain access to Ancient armor and the outposts and mission locations in the Crystal Desert and The Desolation.


 * Eye of the North runs:
 * Far Shiverpeaks / Tarnished Coast
 * From Gunnar's Hold and/or Sifhalla → Rata Sum or Tarnished Haven. This run (often known as the GW:EN tour) allows players to gain access to The Knowledgeable Asura and The Path to Revelations quest-chains in Eye of the North.Olafstead-to-Umbral Grotto.jpg
 * Other common runs include:
 * From Vlox's Falls → Gadd's Encampment, in order to do gain access to Shards of Orr dungeon, in addition to the heroes Livia and Hayda.
 * From Eye of the North → Destruction's Depths in order to gain quick acces to Glint's Challenge for Cloth of the Brotherhood without completing Against the Destroyers quest chains.

Mission running
Often referred to as mission "rushing", this occurs when players offer to rush other, less experienced players through difficult or long missions, often for a price. These rushers may make use of either a hybrid fighting/running build, or the use of Heroes for fighting through the mission. Commonly rushed missions include Sanctum Cay, Iron Mines of Moladune and Ruins of Morah. Most missions will require the rusher to engage in combat, The Great Northern Wall, Sanctum Cay, Jennur's Horde, Elona Reach and Riverside Province being the exceptions where no fighting is required.

Dungeon running
A dungeon run is when a person (usually a 600 monk with one or two heroes) runs through an Eye of the North dungeon in hard mode. People pay for these runs because the difficulty of these dungeons in hard mode is extremely high and they are rewarded with Eye of the North mastery points, a completed Master Dungeon guide, Delver faction, and the chance at a rare chest drop. Commonly, players will meet in Doomlore Shrine to arrange and receive runs. Sometimes the runner will need a perma to run to the actual dungeon for them.

Paying for runs
Many runners require payment for their services, the timing and amount varying on the run. Whether hiring another player to run you, or running a group of players yourself, you should watch out for scams. Although you can report unscrupulous players to ArenaNet, you are unlikely to recoup your loss of time or money, therefore, keep the following tips in mind:

Insist that players pay before reaching the final destination; asking to be paid on arrival is offering an opportunity to be scammed; once at the target outpost, the only incentive for the customer to pay is honesty and good will. On longer runs, ask for several payments.
 * Runners


 * Customers
 * If you need a run, go to Beacon's Perch to search for a run, as that is where many pro runners chill, and one can usually complete a run for you.
 * Never pay up front for a run, since this leaves the runner with little incentive to complete the promised activity. Insist that payment be made in the explorable area close to the destination. At most, offer to pay half at a half-way point.
 * Familiarize yourself with the going rates. If you've regularly seen a run priced at 1000 gold, do not pay 3000 for it.
 * It can be difficult to determine the market price for some runs by looking at the trade window: when possible, check with friends, guild-mates, or on fansites that offer market information.
 * Ignore advertising hype:
 * Guaranteed arrival and pro-runner are subjective terms that have little meaning. Experienced runners do not necessarily deserve more than relatively new ones; you also have no way of evaluating abilities until after the run is over.
 * Test runners can often good bargains on running. It might take a bit longer, but you will get to where you need to be.
 * Beware of claims that a recent update means a particular run costs more. Check the game updates to see if a build has been rendered less effective. If the runner is unwilling to run for what you're willing to pay, wait for another runner.


 * Special considerations
 * Survivor-candidates should alert their runners before engaging them. Some runs, particularly "Droks," require special measures to ensure that the players being run do not die en route.

Similar terms

 * Ferry is when one player includes others in their party to complete a quest that grants access to a new area, typically because it cannot be reached by physically running from one area to another.
 * A run also refers to a single trip through an area, quest, or mission, e.g. "I need to do another farming run" or "let's run that mission together".
 * Players also run particular builds, e.g. "are you going to run a Minion Master build?"