Hello everyone!
First, before I try to explain the chart listed below I should probably say since I came to GW2 from SWTOR, I have had a VERY difficult time trying to find the “one” class I will play. In every MMO I’ve played, my friends would joke with me how I never would really set much time aside for an alt. That being said, I have leveled several 80’s now and have been testing them based upon my own criteria. The chart will list the results of this research which compares a few of my favorite classes and various builds. Now, before we go any further, you should know the following about this chart and what was done to get these results…
6 Months – The results of this report are based upon 6 months of events on “general” conditions. All characters were given exotic armor/weapons and ascended everything else. Results were tracked on each encounter so that an overall “average” could be taken. There ARE extremes in each where one class would greatly excel but I really wanted to find a middle area that one could expect in “most” cases. The breakdown was not done below “DPS” or “Condi” as I rolled most of those builds into those two areas. The weapon sets listed are those I used most of the time though several other combinations were also tested. Yes, I did some really strange builds for a while!
Objective – The goal I had when I first started doing this was to find “my” class/build. While I’m still not sure I’ve done that it does at least give me an idea of what direction I should focus on. While I do list several areas that data was tracked, my personal concerns are dueling, 1vx, and escaping. Even though other classes listed better overall, my personal selection would be the thief. /sigh…
WvW Results Only – I made no real effort to balance these findings with PvE or PvP. While I did spend time in each, I don’t feel that I have yet to get enough information to make a report. My PvP level is only 38 so…
Results are Opinion – That’s right. I don’t claim and scientific research on anything you’ll see here. Everything in these findings is based upon my own experiences. Those that made the list are the classes/builds I found to be most fun to play. While I did play Rangers, Guards, and Necro’s as well as several other builds of the classes listed, I did not enjoy them enough to keep them going for this report.
Skill Requirements – This is very subjective but I put in an “average” score on how difficult it is to master each class/build combination. While I am NOT a master at anything other than perhaps sleeping, I do think I have a good idea as to the skill level needed. Skill level was subtracted from the total score.
Anyways, the results (overall highest score) are as follows (check the chart for the complete breakdown):
1 Warrior – Conditions, S/W + LB. This class/build scored the best in most cases. While it’s not my personal favorite, the class/build does provide a great deal in several areas making it a good, solid choice to pick. I’ll warn you though, it can get pretty boring at times but winning is also nice…
2 D/D Ele – Celestial Build. I would not have thought this when I first started by the celestial D/D Ele is amazing in so many ways. Yes, it takes some time to build up some good memory on those combo’s but it’s very rewarding. There is something just amazing about using burning speed to rip through a zerg followed by a few CC’s. Look at all those bags!!!
3 D/D Ele – Condition/Perplexity. Ok, there are some strong feelings about these runes so I won’t even go into that topic here. I’ll just say that this class/build was a HUGE surprise on how much fun it could be. 3K+ armor, 1700 condition damage, and a crap load of heals? Yeah, it’s nasty. Seriously, don’t laugh until you give it a try. You’d be surprise on how many people fall for this…
4 Thieves – While the P/D condition thief came in at a close 4th, all the thief builds were about equal in their effectiveness. They are probably the best in dueling and can escape from just about anything! The one area they lack (from my opinion) is their ability to support a zerg. Either case, they are a ton of fun to play even if 50% of everything you’ll see in WvW is a thief…
Anyways, check out the report to see the full details!