Guild Wars 2

Hi,
Just picked the game up after wanting to play for so long. I’m having trouble deciding what class I want to play. I will be doing pretty much 99% pvp once I get going. However, after playing the classes that intrigue me, none stand out to me as the “one”, I find most of them fun in their own way. So I was curious on opinions about what class to choose, I typically like playing ranged, healing, and/or fast moving melee dps. I like ganking players and team battles (large and small). What class is useful across all pvp modes? What class is under played but very good to have in a meta?

I hate to recommend it, because it’s the most meta class right now, but it sounds like you want to play ele.

D/D ele is the meta spec and has medium close range damage, lots of healing, and mobility. Just strong all around, maybe too much so.

The icing on the cake is that there’s two other decent options: staff ele and fresh air.
Staff ele can give you ranged group healing and some aoe damage/cc.
Fresh air is a mid-close range spike dps with decent mobility. Outclassed a little bit by thief and guardian roamers, but it’s doable if you’re good.

OP, you said that you played the classes that “intrigued” you.. specifically, which one were they?

Thief
Mesmer
Ele
Warrior
Ranger

thinking of trying out the Guardian too

oneply.9586:

Thief
Mesmer
Ele
Warrior
Ranger

thinking of trying out the Guardian too

Although Elementalist seems to be the appropriate choice, given your preferences, at this point I’d suggest you to try Engineer, which is somewhat a ranged elementalist with more CC but less healing (AoE and not AoE).

Aside from the healing sounded like Mesmer. Thought depends on whether you play EU or NA as both Meta’s are different and some builds will work in one Meta that would not in the other.

Sounds more then regen condi ranger.

Neptune.2570:

Aside from the healing sounded like Mesmer. Thought depends on whether you play EU or NA as both Meta’s are different and some builds will work in one Meta that would not in the other.

im NA.
i was playing my mesmer more yesterday and its alot of fun. enjoy it more then my ele.
being able to be a healer isnt important but i do find it fun. usually seems to be the most underplayed role in mmos.

You got 5 slots. FIVE.

Unless you plan to start using XIII skills, you do not have to “pick” a class.

Make a class. Play PvP. Don’t like the class? Delete, make another class. Play PvP.

Rinse. Repeat. Profit.

You only need 1 character slot to PvP any and all classes.

You do need more than 1 slot to play all the classes due to the new traits. Some heal skills locked behind things some meta builds use the traits introduced. Unless you want to keep buying the traits. There’s really only game type is conquest in s pvp its more about what role you want to play you want to be in. Thief melee Zerk you will mostly be fighting on far point decaping and doing 1v1s or 2v2s. The celestial classes engi ele and hambow war bulky high dps they have more range to rotate and can pretty much fill most roles on a team. There’s also shatter mes and bunker guard but they are less used in the na meta. Id just recommend finding a group of people in your guild that pvp and see what the group needs. More fun to play in a group

Go to metabattle.com, you can currently browse from 40+ working pvp builds. Making a PvP build is free in most cases, you should be able to try almost every build without spending gold/skill points (you can also pvp from level 2 so just make a new charatcer if you want to try a new class, you don’t have to level it).

Btw your descriptions fits ele, dps guardian and engineer IMO.

GOSU.9574:

You got 5 slots. FIVE.

Unless you plan to start using XIII skills, you do not have to “pick” a class.

Make a class. Play PvP. Don’t like the class? Delete, make another class. Play PvP.

Rinse. Repeat. Profit.

You only need 1 character slot to PvP any and all classes.

There are 10 grandmasters, 20 utility skills and multiple weapon sets PER class. There are a crap ton of runes, sigils and amulets to choose from. How in the hell does he know if he’s really tried out the class or just randomly put together a 3/0/4/3/4 thief with a cavalier amulet because it seemed like a good idea and got the wrong idea of the class? Saying “Figure it out” to a new player in this game, especially for PvP, is a recipe for disaster.

witcher.3197:

Go to metabattle.com, you can currently browse from 40+ working pvp builds. Making a PvP build is free in most cases, you should be able to try almost every build without spending gold/skill points (you can also pvp from level 2 so just make a new charatcer if you want to try a new class, you don’t have to level it).

Btw your descriptions fits ele, dps guardian and engineer IMO.

thank you for that link, clears up alot of other questions.
and if i understand it correctly all i have to have is a lvl 22 character and then i can play with any character regardless of lvl in pvp?

oneply.9586:

witcher.3197:

Go to metabattle.com, you can currently browse from 40+ working pvp builds. Making a PvP build is free in most cases, you should be able to try almost every build without spending gold/skill points (you can also pvp from level 2 so just make a new charatcer if you want to try a new class, you don’t have to level it).

Btw your descriptions fits ele, dps guardian and engineer IMO.

thank you for that link, clears up alot of other questions.
and if i understand it correctly all i have to have is a lvl 22 character and then i can play with any character regardless of lvl in pvp?

You can play from level 2, not 22 (basically you only have to complete the first PvE tutorial instance after character creation) Everyone is equal in pvp, regardless of gear and level. Once you enter the Heart of the Mists, on the middle-top of your screen you’ll find a “PvP Build” button. You can set your amulet (every stat you can gain from gear in pve is in 1 single amulet for pvp), rune, sigils, traits there. Pressing H, opening your hero panel will still show your pve stats, don’t pay attention to that.

You do not even have to unlock every armor piece, you only have to equip chest, leg and feet armors for maximum armor rating. Gear is purely cosmetical in pvp.

The Gates Assassin.9827:

GOSU.9574:

You got 5 slots. FIVE.

Unless you plan to start using XIII skills, you do not have to “pick” a class.

Make a class. Play PvP. Don’t like the class? Delete, make another class. Play PvP.

Rinse. Repeat. Profit.

You only need 1 character slot to PvP any and all classes.

There are 10 grandmasters, 20 utility skills and multiple weapon sets PER class. There are a crap ton of runes, sigils and amulets to choose from. How in the hell does he know if he’s really tried out the class or just randomly put together a 3/0/4/3/4 thief with a cavalier amulet because it seemed like a good idea and got the wrong idea of the class? Saying “Figure it out” to a new player in this game, especially for PvP, is a recipe for disaster.

You are off in the weeds.

I made the point, he doesn’t need to “Choose ONE”, he can play them all. He can learn to play them just like everyone else, he can experiment, use the crappy default builds that haven’t been changed since release, spectate and watch others, google builds, check youtube videos, etc.

I am not even sure what else you expect him to do other than the methods I just listed. He has 5 slots, the only thing you lose out on by not sticking with a toon is the XIII traits, cause you don’t want to unlock them via gold. All the other traits are FREE for a newly created character that enters PvP.

Now perhaps once you have calmed down you can approach the discussion with insight into why you are raging.

witcher.3197:

oneply.9586:

witcher.3197:

Go to metabattle.com, you can currently browse from 40+ working pvp builds. Making a PvP build is free in most cases, you should be able to try almost every build without spending gold/skill points (you can also pvp from level 2 so just make a new charatcer if you want to try a new class, you don’t have to level it).

Btw your descriptions fits ele, dps guardian and engineer IMO.

thank you for that link, clears up alot of other questions.
and if i understand it correctly all i have to have is a lvl 22 character and then i can play with any character regardless of lvl in pvp?

You can play from level 2, not 22 (basically you only have to complete the first PvE tutorial instance after character creation) Everyone is equal in pvp, regardless of gear and level. Once you enter the Heart of the Mists, on the middle-top of your screen you’ll find a “PvP Build” button. You can set your amulet (every stat you can gain from gear in pve is in 1 single amulet for pvp), rune, sigils, traits there. Pressing H, opening your hero panel will still show your pve stats, don’t pay attention to that.

You do not even have to unlock every armor piece, you only have to equip chest, leg and feet armors for maximum armor rating. Gear is purely cosmetical in pvp.

You can pvp at level 2 but he might be confused since the wonderful NPE locked traveling to the mists through the menu until level 20ish. If you want to pvp at level 2 you have to port from your home city to lions arch and then run to the asura gate (unless there is another way to do it by now)

Sizer.5632:

witcher.3197:

oneply.9586:

witcher.3197:

Go to metabattle.com, you can currently browse from 40+ working pvp builds. Making a PvP build is free in most cases, you should be able to try almost every build without spending gold/skill points (you can also pvp from level 2 so just make a new charatcer if you want to try a new class, you don’t have to level it).

Btw your descriptions fits ele, dps guardian and engineer IMO.

thank you for that link, clears up alot of other questions.
and if i understand it correctly all i have to have is a lvl 22 character and then i can play with any character regardless of lvl in pvp?

You can play from level 2, not 22 (basically you only have to complete the first PvE tutorial instance after character creation) Everyone is equal in pvp, regardless of gear and level. Once you enter the Heart of the Mists, on the middle-top of your screen you’ll find a “PvP Build” button. You can set your amulet (every stat you can gain from gear in pve is in 1 single amulet for pvp), rune, sigils, traits there. Pressing H, opening your hero panel will still show your pve stats, don’t pay attention to that.

You do not even have to unlock every armor piece, you only have to equip chest, leg and feet armors for maximum armor rating. Gear is purely cosmetical in pvp.

You can pvp at level 2 but he might be confused since the wonderful NPE locked traveling to the mists through the menu until level 20ish. If you want to pvp at level 2 you have to port from your home city to lions arch and then run to the asura gate (unless there is another way to do it by now)

True, you need to reach lvl 20 with your first character to unlock it for your account. But after that you can still go to pvp from lvl 2 on alts.

My personal favorite is MM Necro. Been running MM since GW1 and I haven’t been disappointed. Check my signature for the full build hope its as fun for you as it is for me. Its is an MM bunker build.

Zoso.8279:

My personal favorite is MM Necro. Been running MM since GW1 and I haven’t been disappointed. Check my signature for the full build hope its as fun for you as it is for me. Its is an MM bunker build.

Yes, go MM necro… why play when the AI can do it for you! Or turret engi, if you like to watch tv while standing afk on a point.

(But seriously, please don’t.)

Ranger is the way to go.

Under played but useful in the meta..that would be mesmer. Ranged: yes, melee dps: not so much if you want to be meta. Healing: zilch.
Wonderful class, second favorite after necro. I only like the caster classes really.

Zord.6457:

Zoso.8279:

My personal favorite is MM Necro. Been running MM since GW1 and I haven’t been disappointed. Check my signature for the full build hope its as fun for you as it is for me. Its is an MM bunker build.

Yes, go MM necro… why play when the AI can do it for you! Or turret engi, if you like to watch tv while standing afk on a point.

(But seriously, please don’t.)

Stop Q.Q it was a suggestion. He can try other classes that spam 1 or 2 buttons….. skill….. You probably die a lot from engi or necro thats why you Q.Q

thanks to all for the suggestions.
not very good at mesmer but its fun, might have to go with an “easier” class to get a better understanding of the game before i continue working on that one. pretty much just got owned everywhere i went in WvW.
still just enjoying working each class up to about 15-20 to see which actually jives with my style of play.

@ witcher
again thank you for that metabattle link, really simplifies the learning curve.