Guild Wars 2

I’d like to start with a little background information:
-I’m a former “constant” gamer that has been away for awhile and now I’m a “whenever I’m not working” gamer
-I don’t have time to max out multiple characters
-My twitch/responsiveness isn’t great, but hopefully it will improve with practice
-My internet connection is DSL (best I can get in my area)
-My PC is high-end (no problem here)
-I mostly prefer PvE and Dungeons, but I would eventually like to be competitive in PvP
-I have played both to 20, but I know that isn’t high enough to judge

With these things considered, I’d like to hear the opinions of some high-end players about which of these two classes would be “better/more realistic” for me to compete with. I would like to play a class with decent/good survivability. I’d like to be able to solo content. I’d like to be a desirable addition to groups. I will probably never have the time to “master” a class, but which of these classes are better for someone who is just “good?” Are there any serious weaknesses of either of these classes that come to mind? Any help would be appreciated…

For right now… in PvE an Ele is far more useful to a group… and easier to learn to use as well.

The only thing a mesmer can do better than the other classes in PvE are time warp (which is VERY good, but not usually worth bringing a mesmer just for that one long cd elite) and confusion (which is unreliable in pve)

However there is an update/patch coming on the 14th which could change that depending on the balancing and possible bugs (which can destroy any class). I would wait until after the 14th to decide to main anything…

I have both an elementalist and a mesmer at 80 so hopefully I can give you some decent feedback. I leveled and geared out the elementalist first D/D spec but I play the mesmer more kittentercat spec. I still have to try a condition build but the main reason I rolled a mesmer was my guild had one and about 5 ele’s heh so I figured we needed more mesmers.

I love both classes but the reason I play the mesmer more (aside from my guild not having any) is bigger numbers and more challenging game play. The elementalist while not as easy as most classes is easier to play for me than the mesmer. I can run into a group of enemies and tank them all day long even killed one or two and bug out if I need to. On the mesmer I have to be a lot more careful but I can drop someone faster than I can on my ele. Both classes have great versatility, but the ele cannot swap weapons easily this leaves you stuck in combat to short, long, or medium range till you can get out of combat. Now take into consideration this is two different styles, mt mesmer mostly glass cannon and my ele mostly tank.

The mesmer has portal and I’ll admit it’s one of the main reasons I like to play it, I feel portal brings much more utility than my elementalist can, this is WvW and PVE I’m talking about (I just recently started doing Spvp so I’m still learning about that). The ele is not without it’s merits curing conditions and group healing along with buffs is amazing but no other class can portal. I dont feel as though the mesmer would be as tanky as the tank ele and the ele would never do as much damage as the glass mesmer but I could be wrong on that.

In terms of gameplay the mesmer is much more twitchy because it’s all active defenses, the ele is mostly just swapping attunements and using combo abilities which still need timing and twitch just not as much as the mesmer. Both have a coolness factor and both shouldnt have problems doing PVE at all. I run mostly in pugs and guild groups either one is usually welcome.

As for you connection the elementalist is probably more forgiving due to regens and condition removals where as the mesmer is more about avoiding getting hit altogether, there’s really not alot of viable healing going on with the mesmer IMO. On the ele I hardly ever use my actually heal and just swap to water for healing on the mesmer it’s constantly on CD lol.

I guess you really would just have to play around with both to determine which one fits your style better I actually started as an engi who is 80 and just sits around collecting dust.

If you have an specific questions about the classes or differences between them, I’d be happy to answer those.

Signet of Inspiration, and Time Warp bring crazy amounts of damage if used right.

In terms of dungeons, I feel that mesmer is a better choice to go. The sheer amount of versatility in the support area is more than welcome. Feedback, null field and even veil have their own unique uses that set it apart from ele. Also, whenever I play with friends who run ele, they tend to complain that they’re tied to cantrips, and have no room to change them.

Another major boon that many people forget mesmers have is boon removal. As far as I know, Necro is the only other profession that has this. and we have on multiple levels. the sword auto attack, Null field, the Disenchanter, and even Arcane theivery all help to get rid of a boss’s boons. Quite useful in higher fractals.

Now, I’m not saying Ele is not viable in anyway, I just feel that Mesmer can bring more support (and dmg imo) to the table in Dungeons than the Ele can. (Although, the DD aura support spam is godly when someone else is built to take the boons.)

Is it allowed to answer “both”?
I feel (playing both) that the classes are so different that I don’t compare them in my head. I don’t feel weaker or stronger than an Elementalist on my Mesmer, just… different.

I can only speak for the mesmer side. They are extremely fun. And they are the most unique class I have ever played in an MMO. You can be a glass cannon, and get good at not getting hit. Or you can become an unkillable cloth tank type with perma regen/protection, and anything in between, they are that versatile. And the mesmer community is byfar the best out of the other professions.

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it. How about some specifics. I’ve heard complaints about Mesmer’s lack of AoE specifically dealing with loot farming. Does this impair them in PvE/Dungeons/WvW? I have also heard of a similar lack of swiftness. Does this hinder the class any any way other than moving from point A to B? Are the updates on the 14th looking good or bad for Mesmers?

I have both an 80 mesmer and an 80 ele, both fully geared. I have done most things with both. In wvw I feel both are incredible, there are few things I can’t kill, few things that can escape me and few times I can’t escape. Over all the ele is better, I can kill multiple opponents easier, I can escape easier, nothing escapes unless there is a tower or something near by. The ele is very repetative in it’s tactics/skill use but it is quite active. The mesmer is more flexable and has alot of trade offs to choose from. It also has very active defence.

In pve I now almost always play my ele, it just feels all round superior. That said, I haven’t had any issues with the mesmer and people love time warp.

There is alot more I can say but others have said much of it. Over all I would reccomend an ele. It feels slightly more fun and alot more powerful (D/D).

Yeah mesmers move a tad bit slower. I play a shatter so all I do in Orr is port to a big group of mobs and mind wrack them and blam all of them are tagged

I also have a lvl 80 mesmer and ele. Like Zevlik, my mesmer is glass canon(ish) and my dd ele is more tanky/heal/condition removal.

I made the mesmer first (well, 2nd after my thief) and still thoroughly enjoyed it, but my play style for WvW is more of a “rush headfirst into the fray so others can follow.” For a mesmer, this wasn’t fully viable as I would soon run out of defensive means, and a reliable way out.

The mesmer is great when your group is being pushed back. You can slow down the approaching enemy and kill them too, allowing for a change in the battle. But this require patience and looking for the key moment to make your move, something that I frequently don’t care to do.

Because of my brash play style, I made a d/d ele with the intent that it will be a WvW only. The ability to stack boons is good
But, while only intended for WvW, I enjoy d/d ele for PvE too.

Overall, I prefer Mesmers for situations when I am needing to be at a distance and play a proactive defensive style. Ele staff is too boring for me, and would rather play my mesmer if it involves something at a distance.

However, when it comes to close range and groups of mobs, I prefer dancing around with my ele, tanking everything and not having to worry about mis-timing a dodge/distortion on a mesmer.

While a mesmer can do melee and an ele can do range well, I just found these to be my natural preferences.
Also, shatters are fine and all, but attunement swapping is more interesting. Again, just preferences.
The mesmer has more viable builds to chose from, so it can be more interesting.

When I prefer Mesmer:
Fractals of the Mist (newest dungeon, current pve end game material), dungeons that require you to attack from afar, dragons and such events.

When I prefer my dd Ele:
WvW, general PvE, dungeons where you don’t need to burst things from afar (Ascalonian catacombs, for instance.)

At the end of the day, it comes down to how you like to play.
BUT. I would hold off a decision until after the release of tomorrow’s patch.

If I could only use one, it would be the elementalist (and suck it up with staff for range.) The mesmer requires a higher level of thinking to survive as it is less forgiving with its (relatively) limited heals/condition removals. An ele has many more condition removals and healing to allow for a more habitual level of play.

D/D ele guide I used as my basis: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Guide-Mastering-the-D-D-ele-11-25-12/first