need help picking between necro and mesmer

[jhern.6097]

i dont have a lot of time to play and im trying to decide between necro and mesmer. i already have a warrior and a ranger. i play tons of open world, wvw, and fractals. im hoping to use my warrior to fill the dps role in groups and my ranger is likely to be a boon support or healer... or both. so what can you tell me about the 2 spellcasters? what roles can they fill? how versatile are they? etc. thanks in advance

[JUN YANG.4328]

for me i will picked necro. i got all class, i play necro the most. dps reaper minions build for open wold. support core build for wvw , and condi scourge for boss or fractals.basically necro is easy to play and covered every situation. the only weakness for me is PVP. i think mesmer is stronger.

[Taril.8619]

Necro fills the role of Power DPS in the form of Reaper. There are some times where it can also fill the role of Healer with Scourge.

Mesmer fills the role of Power DPS with Chronomancer, Condition DPS with Mirage and can also fill the role of Boon support with Chronomancer.

In terms of game modes, Mesmer is not very strong in PvP/WvW and in many cases in PvE its boon support is overshadowed by the Firebrigade combo (Firebrand for Quickness and Renegade for Alacrity).

Necro is good in all game modes. Though it recently took a hit to its PvP/WvW strength with the nerfs it received (Target cap changes on Sand Shades making Scourge pretty terrible in WvW and the changes to Signets nerfed its Core Bunker build in PvP)

Essentially, in the current level of balance... Mesmer is more flexible, as it has more types of builds that are strong but with a larger focus on PvE content only. But Necro performs more consistently across different game modes with its very limited number of builds (For PvE it's mostly just Power Reaper and PvP it's mostly Condi Core. WvW there seems to be a split between Power Reaper and Condi Core, at least until the next round of nerfs...)

Of course, in open world PvE there are many builds that are usable on both classes.

[Chichimec.9364]

You might also check out MetaBattle. They give a variety of builds for each profession in the various game modes, along with suggested gear and gameplay ideas. Browsing through their options can give you a feel for what roles the Necromancer and the Mesmer can play in the various game modes and how to play them.

[Jables.4659]

@JUN YANG.4328 said:

basically necro is easy to play and covered every situation. the only weakness for me is PVP. i think mesmer is stronger.

Mesmer has been very underwhelming in spvp since the february 2020 balance patch, whereas necro has been thriving. If you're talking about a straight up 1v1, sure, core mesmer can still hold its own very well, but mesmer as a whole lacks the tools needed to excel in an actual ranked spvp match. Prior to the Feb. patch, Mesmer could run a highly mobile burst damage build to quickly move around the map, decap points, and +1 into fights (which was even better before portal was nerfed), but its moblity has been severely reduced with mirage losing access to half its dodge bar (which fuels sword leaps) and portal getting its duration cut in half. It could also play a toxic Infinite Horizon condition build for team fighting. By losing half its endurance, it lost a lot of IH damage and its evasiveness was heavily nerfed. Although I'm glad the condition build no longer functions well, I wish they hadn't thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Power Mirage was one of the only specs that could compete with thief for the roamer +1 role.

@jhern.6097 said:so what can you tell me about the 2 spellcasters? what roles can they fill? how versatile are they? etc. thanks in advance

Either class will do for Open world pve content. As mentioned above, necro is a better choice for spvp (but balance is always subject to change). In WvW, it depends on what you want to do. Mesmer is still a very solid solo roamer via Core Greatsword Power and Core hybrid/condition builds. Necromancer has never been a great solo roamer (although there are some adamant players who enjoy giving it the old college try). However, Mesmer is nearly useless in large scale fights, whereas necro has consistently been used as the primary DPS for zergs. In small scale team fights, necromancer is once again very solid as DPS/Support Scourge, DPS Reaper, and Core Bunker. Mesmer can also be very useful for small scale fights by providing stealth to the group and utilizing high power bursts with Greatsword. Tanky Condition builds can also be used here.

For group PVE content, Mesmer is fairly useless in Fractals where the short phases of fights favor Power DPS specs. The only Power DPS build worth using on mesmer is a Chronomancer build based around phantasms, but they take too long to ramp up in damage. Necromancer works better as Power DPS in this environment via the Reaper spec. Necro can also be used as a support in some encounters, but most groups in high tier fractals are not going to need or want one. Mesmer used to be a staple on every team as boon support chrono, but this is no longer the case as Renegade/Firebrand has overtaken the old Chrono/Druid meta. In raids, Chronomancer is far more useful as a power DPS spec that provides quickness to allies. Afaik Condition Mirage is still a viable DPS for Raid bosses where condition DPS is preferred. Necromancer can also be used in raids as Power DPS with reaper. In the case of both fractals and raids, necromancer is outshined by other DPS specs.

[JUN YANG.4328]

@Jables.4659 said:

@JUN YANG.4328 said:

basically necro is easy to play and covered every situation. the only weakness for me is PVP. i think mesmer is stronger.

Mesmer has been very underwhelming in spvp since the february 2020 balance patch, whereas necro has been thriving. If you're talking about a straight up 1v1, sure, core mesmer can still hold its own very well, but mesmer as a whole lacks the tools needed to excel in an actual ranked spvp match. Prior to the Feb. patch, Mesmer could run a highly mobile burst damage build to quickly move around the map, decap points, and +1 into fights (which was even better before portal was nerfed), but its moblity has been severely reduced with mirage losing access to half its dodge bar (which fuels sword leaps) and portal getting its duration cut in half. It could also play a toxic Infinite Horizon condition build for team fighting. By losing half its endurance, it lost a lot of IH damage and its evasiveness was heavily nerfed. Although I'm glad the condition build no longer functions well, I wish they hadn't thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Power Mirage was one of the only specs that could compete with thief for the roamer +1 role.

i totally forgot about this lol. havent play mesmer on PVP since nerfed. i used condi mirage before. it really taking the lead.

[Svarty.8019]

@jhern.6097 said:i dont have a lot of time to play and im trying to decide between necro and mesmer. i already have a warrior and a ranger. i play tons of open world, wvw, and fractals. im hoping to use my warrior to fill the dps role in groups and my ranger is likely to be a boon support or healer... or both. so what can you tell me about the 2 spellcasters? what roles can they fill? how versatile are they? etc. thanks in advance

If you are quick and twitchy and like to troll people, play mesmer. If you are slow, clumsy and lazy and want to die a lot, play necro.

[xeph the tamagotchi.4082]

Personally I play minion master with rise shout power reaper. No issues in doing ANYTHING and seeing now necros have highest hp pool it's very forgiving.