Returning Player - State of classes

[baerly.7204]

hi,

 

i haven't really played this game anymore since PoF and currently I'm thinking about picking this game up again.

But I'm currently really unsure what class i wanna play.

I used to play a lot of ele but i got the impression that this class is currently not in a very good state.

Specifically I'm looking for a class that it is easy to find groups for fractals/strikes/raids.

At the moment I'm mostly leaning towards necro or revenant

What kind of builds are currently played for this classes or what other classes would you recommend (fun to play and easy to find PUGs)

[AliamRationem.5172]

You shouldn't have trouble joining groups as any class as DPS.  However, when it comes to support/healer roles, groups will tend to be more selective.  So, as long as you're signing up for DPS you should be okay to play whatever class you like.

[ThunderX.6591]

Necro (check what elite is used mostly now and if is ok for your playstyle), Mesmer (virtuoso), ranger (Soulbeast power or the random condi top dps Untamed), Thief as Specter condi seem to do nice, Mecha power maybe too (but they say they will nerf it more in August).

Guardian dps specs all got nerfed, Catalist hammer dps got nerfed too, Revenant is in a strange position (i find the class decent, not the top obviously, but i don't played it after the 28/06 patch, so don't know how strong is now), the rest have problems (like warrior, even though, Bladesworn is literally top dps elite) so these are my informations about the classes.

Check them, and see what you can get to play nice with.

[anbujackson.9564]

Guardian (firebrand), necro (scourge or harbringer), engineer (pretty much every spec) and mesmer (virtuoso or mirage) are the most popular classes with the best all around performance.

Revenant has renegade and herald which are very good specs but they get outperformed by the avove mentioned classes. Ranger is also very good.

After that you get thief (daredevil and specter). They struggle a bit.

Elementalist has solid support options but its dps options are under Anets special "care".

I suggest you avoid warrior for now because for endgame PvE it only has 3 dps melee specs. 1 is probably the worst dps in the game (spellbreaker) and the other two are "ok" (berserker) or "good" (bladesworn). There are no viable support builds for warrior which makes it the least versatile. Stay on the four mentioned at the top.

[Buran.3796]

   Guardian, Engineer, Thief, Mesmer and Necro are classes with some specs which at the moment are meta for hard instanced PvE content. Everything else is supar. Also, the bias of the team which designs the balance patches was confirmed: some of them doesn't care about some classes they don't actively play and therefore they even't try with those.

[Ruisenior.6342]

   I recommend you going for a Mechanist, you will be able to fit on any role and you will perform good on any pve mode. Lot's of builds to switch (some really easy to play others more challenging like a solo celestial build with grenades that i run for open world) on and later you can try holo and scrapper too.

  Edit: you asked for some builds ill post here you 3, 1 that i almost use for farming maps like silverwastes, another for solo and a support for fractal raids:

---First a very cheap dps build that relies almost on pasive damage and just autoattack and use your mech skills on cd (you can get that gear from crucible of eternity). This performs good on open world and on raid/fractals---http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PeQAQlxy8YusXWMOsXtxfA-zRIYhSBDXC6vK/G-e

---A Celestial solo build, easy to achive 25 might for you and your mech by aplying bleeds (really fun to play). This will perform also very good on any pve content---http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PegAkqlxy0YuMYWMOcL6xcA-zxIY1ohvMirACJBcfVCM-e

---A healer boon support standard build Mainly used for raids and fractals cause you will lack damage to do any stuff by your own---http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PegAk6lNwaZuMPWKeyTXRVA-zRJYqRDfZkaBUdC47s43wG-e

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Ruisenior.6342

[Mik.3401]

Just take guardian, necromancer or engineer and you will be useful everywhere and have access to easy builds. Most other classes cannot really compete unless you sweat

Edited July 22, 2022 by Mik.3401

[otto.5684]

Necro new elite is solid pick. It can play either as condi dps or quickness support + dps. Reverent you will primarily end up playing renegade for damage or support. 
 

Overall, all classes have viability in raids/fractals, but many PUGs are highly biased. You want to be either guardian, necro or rev. 

[baerly.7204]

thanks for all the answers

i decided for necro since this class fantasy / looks appeal to me tho most out of these

 

between scourge / harbringer is it mostly about personal preference of the playstyle or is there something else to consider? since both dps builds are condi (viper)

(scourge can also be played as support if i am correct?)

Edited July 22, 2022 by baerly.7204

[ThunderX.6591]

Harbringer can be condi or power, Ripper can be power (Condi is a strange variation, used very rarely), Scrourge is the support or Condi one.

Check the build (if you can find them) or info about them but remember, in august there will be a new "balance Patch" to change some classes, so, you can start now, but be ready to change elite for what will stay "decent" after it.

 

[Ruisenior.6342]

   Scourge is the best of the pack. It can be played as a healer providing barriers, it lacks boon party besides some might. For solo is way better than harbinger.

   The positive thing of harbinger is that it can apply perma quickness to the party being geared ful vipers (dps), but i think that this will change sooner than later, also very easy to play, Scourge needs more understanding of the class and there are more butons to press.

   In my opinion Harbinger is a good straight forward class, but when i play this spec it doesn't seem to me that im a necromancer, the class is pretty simple and boring and pistol is just anoying it doesnt feel anything attached to grenth. Bad and lazy class design.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Ruisenior.6342

[Angesombre.4630]

Sorry but so much random nerfing since 3 years on the revenant made it lose all flavor I don't recommend it anymore. Yet I had a love at first sight for this class. Only renegade has still some use but for how long.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Angesombre.4630

[Puck.3697]

- Guardian is still beloved in pve content, engineer has recently joined it with machinist. 

- mesmers identity is still gutted although still has some place in pve content. 

- revenant fell out of love after PoF. 

- elementalist still getting needlessly over nerfed but tempest has gotten better I guess. 

- warriors managed to get worse even after it's low state.

- pve content is still dominated by guardians. 

- pvp content is still dominated by guardians and necromancers. 

Firebrand and scourge are still ridiculous in wvwvw. 

Same classes been neglected as usual. Same classes have been continously made great.