Guild Wars 2

I want to make a new character to get to lvl 80 but I’m not sure which one to choose, mesmer or engineer. I’ve already got a ranger and a necromancer. Both seem fun but I’m not really knowledgeable with both classes. What are the pros and cons of each and which one is more fun for lvl 80 WvW?

Mesmer is better in wvw than engineer in almost every situation. Engi is probably the most fun and at the same time least effective class to play under any normal circumstances.

Actually, except portals Mesmers don`t bring much of anything to WvW except basic ranged dps with some small support, while being pretty squishy.

Engies have 1500 range grenades and toolkit has a 1200 range magnetic pull in toolkit.
He can also push back a 30 man zerg by himself with the trait that makes turrets push back when they explode, and his huge aoe elite stun which also pushes back after turrets in it blow up. There is also some bomb kit fun to be had against zergs with the same effect.

I truly don`t understand why you people keep saying engineer is bad/weak simply because you`re too stupid to play him well.

same seems to apply to you and mesmer, lets say feedback, null field, or time warp to mention some of the most obvious ways mesmer contribute beside portals

Personally I started off as a Mesmer before playing a Necromancer…and because of that it’s made me realize how similar Necros and Mesmers are. For instance you might want to play a Mesmer to have minions that look like you instead of as undead creatures…or to have portals that are useful for more than just yourself. The down side though of being a Mesmer is how pink and just about everything seems to cause butterflies to it though (which is the reason I stopped playing one.) But…if you really like playing as a Minion Necro then I’d recommend trying out a Mesmer…also Mesmer’s are pretty awesome in PvP and WvW alike!

I don’t have any experience with Engineers (unless you count Level 5 as having experience), so I’ll ignore them for now.
My main character is a Mesmer, so I’ll try and explain what I’ve come to learn about them. That said, my detailing may be a bit more… theatrical than necessary.
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Mesmers are the illusionists of the game. They’re the ones that like to create a show. They use misdirection and punishment to keep you at bay, all while barely even touching you themselves.

You have access to Illusions; your Clones and Phantasms.

• Clones are the illusions that look just like you. Their attacks deal no (or very meager amounts of) damage, but they often have some sort of extra effect. Staff clones, for example, use Winds of Chaos, an attack that bounces a couple times between foes and allies applying conditions and boons, respectively. While they lack any real damage with their attacks, they’re the sturdier and usually more readily available of the two types of illusions.
• Phantasms are the illusions that look like a purple-ish ghostly version of you. Their attacks, like Clones, have extra (and normally more powerful) effects, but they can also actually deal damage as well. The Focus phantasm, Phantasmal Warden, sits at the target, and whirls his weapon around in the air for a few seconds that not only damages the target, but also reflects projectiles and even acts as a Whirl Combo Finisher (combining well with your multitude of Ethereal Combo Fields to shoot Confounding Bolts [inflicts Confusion to foes hit] or Focus #4 – Temporal Curtain, a Light Combo Field, to shoot Cleansing Bolts [removes conditions to allies hit]). While Phantasms attack with greater potency, they’re not very durable, so they’re generally only around to deal one attack before being shattered or destroyed.

Your Illusions are used to support yourself and hinder foes, help take/keep the focus away from yourself, and fueling Shatters that can apply effects or purely deal damage and increase strength the more Illusions Shattered.

Mesmers have ways to evade or nullify hits via leaps, blocks, reflects, and teleports and a myriad of ways to punish their foes for even trying. Chaos Storm creates an area that, while standing inside, grants boons to allies and conditions to foes for being hit. Even their primary condition, Confusion, follows that same principle.

Mesmers excel against small groups. They do well in prolonged fights, gaining the advantage the longer the battle lasts. The strength of a Mesmer is their use of misdirection and punishment.
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Unfortunately, that’s also their biggest weakness. Smoke and mirrors work at certain angles, confusing and bewildering those that see from that side. Get a ton of eyes looking at you from all directions, and the illusion can easily fall apart. Of course, seeing it without the set up can render the illusion useless as well.

Rather, a Mesmer can generally handle a few foes at a time (the illusion works from specific angles), but a large mob of enemies can easily overwhelm them (the illusion breaks from everywhere else). Just the same, they can handle taking damage over the course of a prolonged fight (the illusion is being built up), but a sudden burst is not easily survived (the illusion was never set up).

The same can be said about PvP and WvWvW. Against one or even two people, you can pretty much handle yourself just fine. Any more come after you, and you better hightail it out of there quickly. With that, you’re great if you can keep the battle going, but you’re pretty much dead if someone tries to burst you down.

tl;dr
Mesmers fight using misdirection and punishment, favoring prolonged battles against small groups, but can be easily overwhelmed when focused or burst. I like using metaphors to explain things. I’m unable to give a plain and simple explanation.

GummiBear.2756:

same seems to apply to you and mesmer, lets say feedback, null field, or time warp to mention some of the most obvious ways mesmer contribute beside portals

well I don`t know 100% of the things mesmers can do, I know maybe 60-70% from playing them a bit in PvP and a lvl 30 something in PvE

BUT I would never call the mesmer class bad just because I don`t know how to play it to its full potential, which is what morons constantly do when it comes to engineers.

There is no “bad” class, just bad players.

Search for and read the medicat guide. I recently fought some of those against Abaddon’s Mouth…they are not dealing that much damage but are extremely hard to kill and – i guess – fun to play.

(I solved my “problem” with good old banish, knocking him off a cliff ^^)

It depends how you play and what you want to play.

Mesmers seem pretty good 1v1 and in small parties. So if you want to do dungeons or roam in WvW, this will be pretty good.

Engineers have very good aoe, and I think even a quirky burst build. If you like to run with the zerg or PvE farm I would go with engineer.