Guild Wars 2

So I’m VERY new to this game and I have a thief that I made as my first character that I’m enjoying, but I want to make a second one and can’t decide between whether I want my character to be an Elementalist or a Mesmer. If anyone could answer these questions for me it’d probably help me out a lot in deciding:

• Which class is more versatile? I’d like to have lots of different build options (And if the answer is different, which one has more viable builds that can be used once I get more experienced? I’m not really too concerned with a build being “viable” but it’s still nice to know)
• Which class feels the least repetitive? I don’t want to feel like I’m just casting the same combination of abilities over and over again, I want to be able to have lots of different things I can do at any given time and have to think about which of those things will work best.
• Which is harder to pick up, and which is harder to fully master?
• Which are generally better suited for PvE, WvW, and sPVP, and what roles would I generally be fulfilling in each of those? I’m not sure which I want to focus on yet but I want to know which class tends to be best suited for each.
• Which is more mobile?
• Which has higher potential damage, and which has higher potential utility, or do both of those depend entirely on builds?

If anyone can answer those questions for me it’d be greatly appreciated :D

point 1: i’d say elementalist.

point 2: elementalist again.

point 3: definitely mesmer.

point 4: PvE: elementalist, WvWvW: i’d say both equally, sPvP: mesmer.

point 5: both equally.

point 6: about damage: elementalist, about utility: i’d prefer mesmer for his clones and damage avoiding abilitys, about builds: some builds are of course better than others and sometimes situation dependant, but GW2 is designed to let players choose any kind of build and weapon combinations they like, according to their taste.

Dang, wauwi, that’s depressing. One of my alts is an ele and it’s just too hard for me to play — I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish my class quest with it. With me at the helm, it’s pure glass popgun — no punch but dies in a hurry.

Maybe my next character will be an engineer.

didn’t an ele got that nice “mist form” spell? he also should have a projectile-reflecting ability.

this game’s battle mechanics do rely more on the actual player’s skills rather than raw stats, because it’s more action oriented.
all you need is practice.

Else’s have more versatility because of the four attunements. Mesmers are sought after more for group play because of Time Warp spike DMG and portal.

I love my level 80 Mesmer. I like clones and all of the utility skills.

Else are more dangerous in wvw fights, mesmers are better for wvw tactical play.

Mesmers are awesome if you like jumping puzzles. I usually take my Mesmer to the wvw JP. You have portal to get ppl up, and your focus to pull foes down. It’s a ton of fun.

My main is an elementalist and I play him since the game was released. Here is what I can tell you about the elementalist and what I know about Mesmers from playing against/with them.

1. Ele wins:
PvE and WvW: You can support/heal, deal damage and tank. There is basically nothing you can’t do.
PvP: You can tank and deal some damage. It’s not a huge burst but it is enough to poke enemies to death.

2. Elementalist wins:

You only have very few weapon options but the amount of skills you have because of the different attunements make up for that. There are always different combos you can use and if you don’t feel like doing your damage combo you can just switch to you support combo.

3. I would say eles are easier to pick up but when it comes to mastering they are both the same.

It takes some time until you know how to properly use your illusions and play those mind games as a Mesmer. As an ele you can deal damage and heal well right from the start.

When it comes to mastering those professions I would say they are equal. You can still improve your Mesmer gameplay no matter how long you have played him (especially those mind games for PvP). For eles there is a lot to learn: 4 attunements for each weapon, different skill combos, combo fields and finishers, how to properly engage/disengage, CDs for all the skills and so on.

To sum it up:

No matter how long you played a profession there is always something you can improve so don’t worry about it.

4. Both professions are strong in PvE, PvP and WvW.

Mesmer:

I don’t know the exact builds for PvE, PvP and WvW but here is what I know from playing against/with them:

PvE: The only obvious thing I know is Time Warp is used pretty much all the time. You should ask a Mesmer player if you want to know more.

PvP: Mainly burst builds are used in PvP. Most players I play against use the basic shatter build (google can help you here ).

WvW: It seems like Mesmers also use the PvP builds in WvW. Feel free to ask a Mesmer player if you want to know more.

Ele:

PvE: Like I said, you can be a tank, support or damage dealer (or a mix between those 3). This is one of the reasons why I like playing an ele, you can always change your playstyle and still be useful!

PvP: Well, there is only one really strong build out there: D/D bunker. Google it and you know how to play an ele in PvP.

WvW: The D/D bunker build also works here. High DPS and support staff builds are also really good. Way more fun compared to PvP since you switch between different builds.

5) Both equal. What I like about the ele is the perma swiftness but the Mesmer teleport skills are also nice and fun!

6) Both equal again. They can burst and have good utility. Both depend on their builds (like every other profession).

I would say try both. If you like the attunement switching play an ele (you will need to do this no matter what) and if you like the illusions play a Mesmer (you will need to use them in every build).

My next character is going to be a Mesmer because I like the illusions. No matter which one you choose, both are a lot of fun.