Hello,
Here is a break down in my opinion of the best suited classes for each format to help you decide:
General PvE: Ranger/Elementalist
- Why: Ranger and elementalists have very good mobility and good DPS. They can solo much of the content by themselves and do map completion efficiently. The ranger especially with their pet allows them to be very independant.
- Why Not: Guardians do not have good mobility and can’t get around that easily. Their DPS is good but not the best of the 3. However, they have many support skills that can help them solo content.
Dungeons: Elementalist/ Guardian
- Why: Elementalists and Guardians are a must in dungeons with their vaste array of group support skills. The Elementalist provide with Might and Fury, while the Guardian protects the group from harm. Eles are a sort of squishy but are a great asset to any party. Guardians are always welcome in parties as they greatly increase the party’s chances of survival and success.
- Why Not: Rangers are generally not well liked in dungeons because of the pet mechanic which can hinder a group greatly. They are also very good soloer, which makes them sometimes bad at working in a team other than with their pets. They have however one of the best DPS if played properly and can bring a lot to a party if traited accordingly.
WvW – Zerg: Guardian/Elementalist
- Why: Guardians and Elementalist are part of the Zerg meta and are essential in any Zerg fight. Guardians provide the frontline with support skills to keep everyone up, whilst the Elementalists provide support from long range with their water fiels and many cc’s. They can both very well turn the tide of the fight if played properly.
- Why Not: Rangers are not part of the Zerg meta, but can be used as snipers in the gank team. However, this role can be controversial as it can sometimes upset the Commanders as being not fair play and some Zergs will sometimes refuse to have snipers on their side.
Roaming/PvP: Ranger/Elementalist
- Why: Rangers and Eles have great mobility and very good resilience, which allow them to be very good at roaming or PvP. They also have a decent amount of DPS and good cc’s. The Ranger have a high HP pool, whilst the Eles have very low HP, but they make up for it with their easy access to boons.
- Why Not: Guardians have bad mobility and cannot run away from dangers if they get caught, which makes them not as good in some situations. They have to tank it out or kill the enemy before they get killed. They have however easy access to boons and blocks skills which makes them very tank and gives them a lot of survivability. They also have many cc’s which is always useful. They are a good PvP option, but not as good for WvW Roaming.
Other considerations and conclusions
You were looking for a class that is good all around in PvE, PvP and WvW amongst Ranger, Elementalist and Guardian.
You also mentioned you liked Range and Magic.
The Elementalist is a good all around choice for you, but could be limited on the range side of thing, unless you were to use staff all the time, which i would not recommend.
Another choice would be the Guardian. Guardians have magic and are good all around. Moreover, the new Guardian specialization Dragonhunter will give them longbow which is range. You would therefore get Magic and Range, two things you like.
Therefore, even if it isn’t the most obvious choice, I would recommend Guardian for you.
Hope this helps.
