Guild Wars 2

Hi,

I am returning after an extremely long break.

I played a bit of mesmer back just after release, but with lack of content after the story, I left.

The game looks vibrant and I would really like to do some raiding.

Which is the best support class for a newb or learner? 1, to be needed 2, so i can learn tactics and raid mechanics

Druid (Ranger elite specialisation) seems to be the best fit. I’d still read up and watch a couple of guide videos if you plan to stick to only 1 class though.

Chronomancer (mesmer elite specialisation) works too but mesmer in general can be a bit tough for newcomers.

Guardian is very straight forward and is quite supporty, gets run as pure damage in raids though.

IMO that would be magi druid. Doing your basic job should be pretty easy, but there’s high skill cap and a lot of potential to grow as a player.

Condi PS warrior might be even better, but it’s questionable whether it’s a support role or not. One of your tasks would be providing might, banners and possibly take care of some stuff (support), but you’re also contributing a lot of DPS, so it’s kind of a hybrid role, not a pure support.

I would say that druid is a solid support role, but there are others. Tempest provides lots of boons and auras (also keeping up dps like the aforementioned warrior), guardian can be decently supporty, engineer can also but that definitely has a higher skill floor than most other classes. Mesmer (with Chronomancer) is the main source for quickness and alacrity (yes there are other sources, but nowhere near as good), and can support in some other unique ways, but again, high skill floor there.

Just letting you know the options, but druid would be the one I’d recommend.

chronomancer, berserker and Druid are the most popular support class in end game pve.

I’d suggest that a PS Warrior — that is, “Phoenix Strength”, which shares might with the team, plus banners — is also in the “support” bracket.

Really, though, I feel like the “support” role question shows a misunderstanding of how the game actually plays out, in that nobody is “just support”; everyone does DPS.

SlippyCheeze.5483:

I’d suggest that a PS Warrior — that is, “Phoenix Strength”, which shares might with the team, plus banners — is also in the “support” bracket.

Really, though, I feel like the “support” role question shows a misunderstanding of how the game actually plays out, in that nobody is “just support”; everyone does DPS.

Sadly it might be the case, I am a support player in other MMORPGS and have done in every game i have played.

Though the normal stance is to assist with an understanding of how the game operates.

My core ethos in a group when i play is not to be top of meters but fore-fill a role that will help the group complete content, so in your wealth of knowledge, what category would you put this under in GW, so i get the terminology correct?

vaidd.7902:

SlippyCheeze.5483:

I’d suggest that a PS Warrior — that is, “Phoenix Strength”, which shares might with the team, plus banners — is also in the “support” bracket.

Really, though, I feel like the “support” role question shows a misunderstanding of how the game actually plays out, in that nobody is “just support”; everyone does DPS.

Sadly it might be the case, I am a support player in other MMORPGS and have done in every game i have played.

Though the normal stance is to assist with an understanding of how the game operates.

My core ethos in a group when i play is not to be top of meters but fore-fill a role that will help the group complete content, so in your wealth of knowledge, what category would you put this under in GW, so i get the terminology correct?

Support is still the right term, it’s just not nearly the focus it would be in other games. For example, PS Warriors bring lots of group support, but much of it comes as a side effect of their doing their regular DPS.

Likewise, you will see occasional references to tanks — frequently cloth wearing mesmers / chronomancers — which are a thing that happen in raids, but nowhere else in GW2, and they fill a vastly different role to tanks in most MMOs. (eg: they occasionally get chased by the boss, while avoiding damage, rather than being full time “keep attention on me, and mitigate damage” people who keep the DPS free to DPS.)

I hope that helps you understand where this is coming from: it’s not that support doesn’t exist, it’s that support is mostly a side-effect of doing what would be considered a DPS role in other games.

(Druid, as healer, is about the only non-DPS-focused role that brings substantial group support to the table, without much DPS focus. Not that they don’t hit the boss too, but they are much more built for healing and buffing. Everyone else has that by side-effect.)

SlippyCheeze.5483:

I’d suggest that a PS Warrior — that is, “Phoenix Strength”, which shares might with the team, plus banners — is also in the “support” bracket.

Really, though, I feel like the “support” role question shows a misunderstanding of how the game actually plays out, in that nobody is “just support”; everyone does DPS.

That would be Phalanx Strength

SlippyCheeze.5483:

Thank you for your reply, I understand where you are coming from and appreciate your time to reply.