Guild Wars 2

So I’m trying to figure out which Class to main. I’d like to play the Warrior, but this game seems very, very ranged favored so I’ll probably end up with either a Ranger or an Elementalist. Which does more damage between those two, and of the three, which ones are viable at 80 (PvP and PvE)

I agree the game does punish melee classes a bit at the moment, but I am currently leveling a Warrior at the moment, currently level 41 and I have really enjoyed it. The fact you can be in melee and then switch out to Rifle/Short bow is nice and they do decent damage. I have only low level Elementalist and Ranger, but I have enjoyed them so far although you may find Ele to be a bit squishy to begin with while you learn the mechanics. Although this is all based on low level experience.

I have a level 80 warrior and at times it does feel like I’m at a disadvantage to those who are ranged. However I’ve found that more exciting as I have to dodge and kite effectively rather than than just stand back in one spot. When fighting a giant for example it’s good fun having to evade at the correct time.

Anyway I’m also deciding whether to play a ranger or Ele for my next character.

I am playing Elementalist and it is a lot of fun. Being ranged during events and WvW is nice and if things get messy, your field view is good enough to know when to retreat.

Keep in mind however that Elementalist is very fragile – combination of lowest armor and lowest HP out of all professions, so be prepared to kite, use elemental summons as distractions or play with an ally – or be prepared to die a lot (dungeons and story missions with little room give me trouble).

Ranger is a good option as he has a pet always with him and is way less squishy than the Elementalist (better armor and better HP).

If you are easily annoyed by inconsistent (glitchy) AI, stay away from the Ranger due to its pets. They aren’t bad other than that, but the Longbow is underpowered at the moment, which means everyone goes with either the shortbow or axe.

Ranger DPS falls off pretty quickly while leveling. By your 20s you will notice a pretty significant drop in damage. At least I did, despite speccing properly and wearing appropriate gear. Also, pet AI and function is extremely wonky right now. Your pet either doesn’t do what you want or it dies within seconds. Not to mention pets in PvP can mostly be ignored and/or killed instantly (this seems to speak to an inherent problem within the pet system itself, as Necros have this same issue). Despite this, rangers can still definitely hold their own in PvP due to their high mobility, but their function in high level dungeon/PVE content remains to be seen. Mesmer seems to be in this same boat as well.

As for warrior, it’s probably the most well rounded class in the game, but you will probably get people in this thread telling you that melee combat in this game is broken, which you yourself already pointed out. To a certain degree, it’s an accurate assessment — I don’t know if ranged is favored, but melee combat certainly offers the most challenge in this game as of right now, and in order to be an effective warrior (unless you are going rifle/longbow) you must maximize your dodges and rolls. Or you can just go greatsword with Deep Cuts/glyphs and just two shot everything like most warriors seem to be doing right now.

As for elementalist, you always run the risk of being two-shotted by pretty much anything while at the same time being able to two shot anything yourself…except in PvP. If youre planning on doing mostly PvE content, by all means, roll an elementalist and have fun. In PvP, however, I only see elementalists getting owned left and right.

If you’re looking for a class that does very well in both PvE and PvP, I’d suggest Guardian. Their only downfall is their complete lack of a decent ranged option, which you may find unattractive due to the state of melee combat right now.

I do not think melee combat is broken. It’s very challenging of course, but i can do some damage with my lowly thief with 2 daggers and have good survivability. It’s a matter of knowing which skill to use in which situation and when to dodge or switch weapons. When things get really hairy, i switch to a offhand pistol and blind the enemies, and use the time to recover or use my elite skill. Or just f*** up my opponents.
But i could be really wrong, as i never used a pure ranged character.

warrior.

PVE it kinda blows, Ranged Favored. Grab a rifle or long -bow.

PVP- we are gods. 2 h Hammer/ dual axe with signet spec. or dual axe, (ranged weapon)signet spec/ frenzy.