Help me pick a race for Guardian

[Taolas]

I rather like the Guardian skills and might have one be my second main character... but I just can't seem to figure out what race to do.

Asura - Have one for main. Cool armor and animations, but don't really want two Asura main characters.
Charr - Don't like heavy armor/theme.
Sylvari - Their skin color merges with their armor, which would be a major hassle . Don't love their heavy armor for a Guardian theme.
Humans - Love their heavy armor, but don't like their racial skills and am rather bored of them.
Norn - Could work out. I like their racials. Their heavy armor is usually skimpy or 'meh'. I want to be fully clad in steel.

Any thoughts that could help me decide?

[VKhaun]

If you go to the very far right of the Sylvari skin colors (and it goes waaaay over, like six pages) there's a solid black near the far right bottom corner. The top left skin pattern is really a 'no pattern' and doesn't put a pattern color on you. You can also set glow to zero and the eyes to solid black. That, inside the guardian's big open faced helms that hang away from the face, looks REALLY wicked. Try it once. There's a question during creation to pick from two shoulder armors or a helm. See how it looks with the light armor and very dark space under the helmet.

That's what I did for my Guardian and I love it with all the blue glowing and silver armor.

[Andile™]

Ginormous charr. Go! :-)

[VKhaun]

Nah I'm with him on that one. Somehow the whole mystic fighter guardian theme doesn't work as an eight foot tall furry running on all fours.

[Taolas]

Hmm... tried it, but not quite feeling it. Seems like it could be darker or something. I tried the cultural armors too and didn't think anything felt quite right. I lol'd at the super saiyan helm though.

Certain colors, like blood red, make interesting armor, but then I'm back to not being able to change my skin color to match it well.

[VKhaun]

Can't argue. Sylvari in black was my cop-out because I didn't think any race besides human fit the guardian, and I already have a human.

[Taolas]

Same boat, huh. I think if I spent a ton of time, I could find a sylvari that worked alright, but nah. I also don't like the male sylvari grunts, they're a bit annoying. Not sure about female.

[Graveworm]

Same boat, huh. I think if I spent a ton of time, I could find a sylvari that worked alright, but nah. I also don't like the male sylvari grunts, they're a bit annoying. Not sure about female.

You really can't go wrong with Jennifer Hale.

[Andile™]

RPing sissies

[Zavon]

It really sounds like Norn is the only one that would work for you, based on your first post.

[Taolas]

I'll probably browse the Norn armor one more time and if there's nothing I like at all, then I'll go human.

[Taolas]

I made a female Sylvari and they could work out just fine. The only problem again is skin color affecting armor... and I'm wondering, which armors does that effect? Just cultural ones? I could avoid them. Or is it dungeon armors and a lot more?

[VKhaun]

I made a female Sylvari and they could work out just fine. The only problem again is skin color affecting armor... and I'm wondering, which armors does that effect? Just cultural ones? I could avoid them. Or is it dungeon armors and a lot more?

How does skin color affect armor?

[Taolas]

For Sylvari, at least the cultural armors blend with their skin color in certain areas. The same color cultural armor will look quite different on a pink vs black vs white sylvari. if I get to level 80 and want purple cultural armor, but it clashes horribly with my skin choice... well there's nothing I could do about it. So that worries me, but I need to scour the dungeon armor pics and see how widespread it is.

[VKhaun]

Are you sure this isn't your dye menu choices being different at different times you viewed them?

[Taolas]

You can see this with the character setup armors. Select a skin color then go back to the class selection screen (don't change class). Your skin color will be updated and the armor will be highlighted differently and such. Some show more than others.

[Graveworm]

For Sylvari, at least the cultural armors blend with their skin color in certain areas. The same color cultural armor will look quite different on a pink vs black vs white sylvari. if I get to level 80 and want purple cultural armor, but it clashes horribly with my skin choice... well there's nothing I could do about it. So that worries me, but I need to scour the dungeon armor pics and see how widespread it is.

From what I can tell, the Sylvari cultural "armor" is supposed to be an organic extension of the Sylvari's body. I don't expect that regular armor will be color-matched to your skin tone.

[Zoobi]

All of the dungeon armor looks exactly the same. At least for my asuran thief they do. All have the same piratey look to them.

[Taolas]

You have to use the second tab. The first tab is some odd generic dungeon armor, the second is dungeon specific and it varies widely.

[Boxy Brown]

Wait, what are the Human racials and why don't you love them? I didn't know there were racial abilities in the game, I just made all my characters humans because I thought they looked the coolest.

[Zavon]

Wait, what are the Human racials and why don't you love them? I didn't know there were racial abilities in the game, I just made all my characters humans because I thought they looked the coolest.

Racials aren't usable in PvP. Humans have one of the best racials, iirc, The Hounds of Balthazar.

[Taolas]

Racials can be used in WvW. Most races get to summon a temporary pet.