Explain the classes please

[DStrukt]

Thanks everyone

[VibrantViolet]

Dagger/anything Necromancer is fun and cool looking. That's mostly a build for solo-play, though.

[ambing1]

Dagger/anything Necromancer is fun and cool looking. That's mostly a build for solo-play, though.

Can't agree more. If you want to go solo, this is what you want.
I'm not saying you can't with other classes but using necromancer is the best choice i guess.

[Popesickle]

I think knowing about the "resource" mechanics and special abilities of each class might make a difference too.

For example, the thief is the only cprofession where abilities 1-5 do not have any cooldown, but cost initiative (works like energy) and the "steal" ability which is unique to the thief allows you to "shadowstep" to the target and steal a random ability from them that you are then able to use against them. Steal has like a 20 second cooldown or something. Every other class has 1 spammable ability and everything else is on a cooldown.

The necromancers special is that when anything dies near you, you suck life force from them, and once you build up so much life force you can transform and you have new abilities to use, until the life force wears off. Life force is needed to do damage, but also works as your HP while in the form, so if you take a bunch of hits you will transform back into your normal self.

The warrior uses a mechanic similar to rage that allows you to do powerful special moves once you have so much.

The elementalist has essentially 4 different "stances": fire, air, earth, and water, and you can switch between stances.

I have not played all the other classes very far in the game but the mesmer summons like mirror images that you can blow up and do other things with them. (very vague, sorry)

Maybe someone else can expound upon other professions

[Deleted]

Mesmer is probably one of the most complicated classes to play mind you - they are quite fragile (cloth armor) and the best builds all focus around staff and greatsword (ranged) and shattering your illusions. Most damage comes from shattering and from the phantasms you summon. If you like a challenge and don't mind being ranged quite often it could be for you. Mesmers do have the best looking spells.

But then again every class can be melee.

Have you played a mesmer? Becuase they are perhaps the most unkillable class in PVE and PVP currently in game, they are stupidly durable when played properly.

The greatsword is lacking as a weapon, and has a odd mix of abilities (its useful but a bit idiosyncratic) far more common is Staff +Sword/pistol or staff+sword/sword.
Shatter builds are unreliable as shatters are hard to get off correctly against other players and moving mobs. Better builds focus on buffs from having clones/phantasms out and keeping you are 3 illusions as much as possible. Or going for an illusion "tank" spec, where you trait and skill for survival and become almost unkillable.

Burst dmg is low compared to warriors for instance, however you ramp up quick as conditions go up and no one applies conditions like a mesmer with a staff, and you can drop multiple mobs (and players!) simultaneously. You also have great in combat mobility with blink and other short range teleports, though we lack a passive move speed increase like elementalists and thiefs (and engineers with kit swapping) so can get left behind with the guardians in zergs!

Memser is one of the busiest classes, there is a lot going on, this makes them very engaging to play and a pain in the arse to fight against in pvp. But it takes some gettting used to.

If you just want to pwn people in the face, go warrior, if you want to be a traditional caster go elementalist, if you want a very engaging active class that rewards effort, mesmer is hard to beat.

But its all personal preference, jump into the mists and try each class at level 80 and see what grabs you.

[Deleted]

The professions in Guild Wars 2 are so much more than just, for example ''Warrior is like Warrior from World of Warcraft, and Guardian is like Paladin''

Because it's just so much more than that. Warriors in Guild Wars 2 can support so much, as well as doing loads of damage. If they want to, they can even go ranged 24/7, it's not like you only equip your bow for pulling.

Guardian can be called the best supporter, but with different traits and utility, they can hit like an iron train at full speed.

Ranger uses a pet, but they aren't only ranged, they can go melee as well, and actually do good, compared to other ranged classes in other games.

[DStrukt]

I went thief at first but soon realised it was the same kinda thing Ive played before in other games, so I changed and I am now mesmer. Havent played too many hours into it, so wont judge yet but its definitely different and so far I like it

[Shadylol]

I think the only thing that does "sick damage" with melee is a melee condition build Necromancer, and they don't really dual wield. You can use two one handed weapons, but you'll only be attacking with one at a time

There are other Melee classes that don't do illness themed damage, though. Warriors have good damage output, with Greatsword or Axes for burst, and main hand Sword for good DoT damage. Thieves and Guardians are also viable, with the Thieves being closer to a WoW Rogue, and the Guardian being more of a support class. Every Class has at least one Melee spec, but they don't seem to do as much damage as those three. My personal recommendation would be a Warrior

[Achyra]

Have you played a mesmer? Becuase they are perhaps the most unkillable class in PVE and PVP currently in game, they are stupidly durable when played properly.

The greatsword is lacking as a weapon, and has a odd mix of abilities (its useful but a bit idiosyncratic) far more common is Staff +Sword/pistol or staff+sword/sword.
Shatter builds are unreliable as shatters are hard to get off correctly against other players and moving mobs. Better builds focus on buffs from having clones/phantasms out and keeping you are 3 illusions as much as possible. Or going for an illusion "tank" spec, where you trait and skill for survival and become almost unkillable.

Burst dmg is low compared to warriors for instance, however you ramp up quick as conditions go up and no one applies conditions like a mesmer with a staff, and you can drop multiple mobs (and players!) simultaneously. You also have great in combat mobility with blink and other short range teleports, though we lack a passive move speed increase like elementalists and thiefs (and engineers with kit swapping) so can get left behind with the guardians in zergs!

Memser is one of the busiest classes, there is a lot going on, this makes them very engaging to play and a pain in the arse to fight against in pvp. But it takes some gettting used to.

If you just want to pwn people in the face, go warrior, if you want to be a traditional caster go elementalist, if you want a very engaging active class that rewards effort, mesmer is hard to beat.

But its all personal preference, jump into the mists and try each class at level 80 and see what grabs you.

This person speaks so much truth. I started as a GS mesmer because that's what I saw everyone else doing it, shatting my clones in various ways but I found that in solo play my clones kinda...blew up wherever they wanted/half the time I don't have time to get more than one up before the mob dies. Now I'm sword/Pistol and Staff and I love it. Chaos storm (staff) is amazing for AoE, the Warlock rocks, the pistol gives my Duelist (Which is just damn cool looking.) and Magic Bullet (nice control) and sword has nice damage, and some utility. In solo play I beefed up my mini-me's for extra damage and just let them go to town, leaving shattering for group play.


Mesmer is a lot of fun, and has some distinctly different playstyles in my opinion. There is always something to do, and you feel good when you get that shatter off perfectly or solo a story quest without going down at all. (My warrior ate all kinds of dirt in stories, my mesmer however feels like...IDK. Some kind of amazing durable little plant demon.) You really feel like you accomplished something when you do well. I can't say that for every game/class/profession/soul I've ever tried. (Or even most.)

[VibrantViolet]

I think the only thing that does "sick damage" with melee is a melee condition build Necromancer, and they don't really dual wield. You can use two one handed weapons, but you'll only be attacking with one at a time

There are other Melee classes that don't do illness themed damage, though. Warriors have good damage output, with Greatsword or Axes for burst, and main hand Sword for good DoT damage. Thieves and Guardians are also viable, with the Thieves being closer to a WoW Rogue, and the Guardian being more of a support class. Every Class has at least one Melee spec, but they don't seem to do as much damage as those three. My personal recommendation would be a Warrior

Necromancers with a Well/Power build are a lot of fun. Use a dagger/warhorn for doing maps, and it's so much fun and much faster, due to the faster killing and speed boost. Gather up some mobs, drop some Wells and switch to staff for dropping Marks, go Death Shroud and hit 4, proceed to loot corpses.

[Shadylol]

Necromancers with a Well/Power build are a lot of fun. Use a dagger/warhorn for doing maps, and it's so much fun and much faster, due to the faster killing and speed boost. Gather up some mobs, drop some Wells and switch to staff for dropping Marks, go Death Shroud and hit 4, proceed to loot corpses.

Okay, but he wants to do sickness damage, with diseases or something. If I remember correctly, the Wells and Marks for Necromancers were more magic and bleeding type stuff

[VibrantViolet]

Okay, but he wants to do sickness damage, with diseases or something. If I remember correctly, the Wells and Marks for Necromancers were more magic and bleeding type stuff

Wells and most of the Marks actually benefit from power, rather then condition. Staff is nice, because you can do condition or power, and it has benefits for either. Mainhand dagger or axe do not help with condition damage, but scepter does. That's why "conditionmancers" run with a scepter/dagger and staff combo. Using a dagger mainhand is fun with the right build, though.

[Korru]

Warrior and bow -> enjoy crazy aoe and kiting...

[ZerOKami]

I just came here to say this.

Thieves. Are not. Glass Cannons.

We can be, but why waste the potential survivability you get while speccing defensive?

Kill 1 in 5 seconds, or kill 5 over 3 minutes while staying alive under fire from all 5 and providing amazing support to allies?