Need serious help on deciding on a 3rd "main" class to play as.

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

Warning: This will be a long post, but I think the best way to get a helpful answer is to go in depth in the "problem" I'm having, what I'm looking for/seeking, and so on and so forth.

 

First thing first is since my 1st time in online rpgs, I've always been a ranged class. I've never been a fan (or good) with melee in a sense. Of course for certain times and certain games I don't have this problem, but majority of the time I just suck at it. Magic classes I didn't get into until about a decade ago and slowly been peeking in as being side by side with the amount of time I stick to ranged classes... one could argue that magic is somewhat ranged in a sense, but whatever.

 

I've started playing/trying out GW2 during one of the free weekends that happened in 2013 near the end of September. Looked through the class descriptions and a few of the choices and only 2 stuck out for me.

One was Ranger. Was interested with the class simply in name, but when I noticed the game had rifles in them and Rangers were not getting rifles and only bows, kind of lured me away from the class. I then tried out Engineer as it seems like the type for me with pistols and rifles. After an hour or so when I've unlocked more of the attacks, I wasn't too thrilled with the way the class seemed. Seemed like a crazy scientist trying a ton of things on the battlefield and a bit gimmicky. Because of this, I stepped away from this class as well.

Then I was on the look to see if there was any class at all I would like in this game... then I scrolled down to Necromancer.

I'm one of those "freaky people" who have a huge fascination with the dead so a magic class... that deals with the dead and dark magic? Sign me up! From the beginning with Axes I was a bit worried it would've been mostly melee, until I noticed the axes had range to them. Just from that I was intrigued in the class and stuck with it for a while (well... during the free weekend).

Was really interested in the class, but then the free weekend was over. Decided one day I will probably buy GW2 and try it out again.

That day never came.

 

Finally I heard of GW2 being free to play and my Necromancer was still there. Picking up where I left off I went to try other set ups and weaponry to the point that I pretty much play as a Staff/Sceptre+Dagger Necro now. So it became my 1st main.

Then someone mentioned that Thief also can use pistols as well but not rifles, but I personally would pick pistols over rifles anyway in the way I usually play online games. After giving Thief a go with Twin Pistols, I just adored it. Liked it so much that I kind of put Necro to the side to the point that my Thief became my 1st level 80 with over 75% of the map completed before I gave Necromancer another go.

 

For the last I would say... half a year or more, I've been getting even more and more in GW2 than before and thought, "I should probably make a 3rd character as well".

My Necro and Thief are human and thought it would be best to make the next a different race. In the end I've decided on Sylvari.

The problem though is the only Sylvari face I'm interested in costs gems for a total makeover kit, so this would not be a simple make-hate-delete-make-hate-delete scenario when real money is involved.

For the last month or 2, I've been trying out all of the classes to try and find another class I'm interested in... and I'm having trouble finding one.

THIS is where the question comes in... well 2 in a way.

 

Would it be off to let's say make the Sylvari as a 2nd Necromancer? I mean I know "you can play however you want", but I'm mainly looking for opinions and suggestions.

The problem I'm having is, yes... I'm willing at times to play close ranged/melee, but don't want that to be the main feel of the class which I seem to get with certain classes already.

When I got hold of Heart of Thorns and finally unlocked Revenant, I decided to give that class a go. Wasn't too thrilled on it as it was pretty much melee and decided to delete it soon.

The problem is I kept forgetting to delete the Revenant... and then Path of Fire was announced. My Thief will now get Rifles and Revenant will get some range that isn't just the hammer no more from the shortbows as a Renegade. So I will hold her for now until I get to try out Renegade to see if I will remake that class or not (my test Revenant is also human, but as I said I never did plan on keeping her). I also didn't get a chance to fully try Renegade during the free trial of Path of Fire like I did with Deadeye for Thief so... I have to wait on that.

 

Back to the question(s).. as I already mentioned as maybe Sylvari as a 2nd Necromancer and willing at times of course to play close-ranged/melee at times, which leads me to ask.

Is there a class out there that can:

1. Mostly play ranged. Play ranged well and not too gimmicky as Engineer and can do decent damage?

2a. Does this class do well in some of the endgame content? The reason I'm asking in this situation is I already know there is no way my Necromancer could ever play the high end Fractals or even Raid, and I'm not even giving it a first thought on a twin pistol Thief going in there as I know no one would allow that within those places.

2b. Not saying a class that is ranged during Fractals/Raids, but a class that isn't so much different in the 2 playstyles. Example would be as I've done some research on one class me and someone was interested in (Mesmer) and the way we were playing it seemed almost night and day to how the class gets the best out of it and seemed also a bit more complicated to get into than imagined.

3. It could be a magic-based class as well and don't have to be ranged, but nothing that seems to be support based in the endgame content. I was never much of a support class player so that's one thing I would not be interested in. Mesmer I know is support, I think Ranger is also support in the endgame content, as well as Revenant and I think Guardian too? I could be wrong, as I'm only going by some of the stuff I came across and from some of the playing I've done.

 

That's pretty much it I would have to say. Any advice/thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I'm not too anxious on slowly leveling another class to 80 just to go, "I don't think I will like/enjoy this down the road and not even an option in endgame content" like I did with Revenant.

 

Thanks in advance.

[onevstheworld.2419]

TBH, why not take up a melee class as a challenge?

 

As a personal opinion, a game gets old when you can no longer grow or have any new challenges. You very rarely get better at anything by always doing what's easy... but you definitely get better by occasionally choosing to do what's difficult.

 

In GW2, you don't even need to find a new class. Every class has a reasonable melee option.

 

If you're still adamant to be ranged, I'd suggest staff Ele or scepter Guardian.

[onevstheworld.2419]

> @"Ayumi Spender.1082" said:

> 2a. Does this class do well in some of the endgame content? The reason I'm asking in this situation is I already know there is no way my Necromancer could ever play the high end Fractals or even Raid, and I'm not even giving it a first thought on a twin pistol Thief going in there as I know no one would allow that within those places.

 

Btw, Necro isn't **that** bad. True, it's not preferred in raids. But it's probably the most stress-free class to do high-end fractals with, especially when you're pugging.

 

 

[Khar.9463]

p/p thief dps is actually solid, albeit single target. You would likely pull higher dps on a p/p thief than 99% of pug necros.

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

> @onevstheworld.2419 said:

> TBH, why not take up a melee class as a challenge?

>

> As a personal opinion, a game gets old when you can no longer grow or have any new challenges. You very rarely get better at anything by always doing what's easy... but you definitely get better by occasionally choosing to do what's difficult.

>

> In GW2, you don't even need to find a new class. Every class has a reasonable melee option.

>

> If you're still adamant to be ranged, I'd suggest staff Ele or scepter Guardian.

 

Oh, that is pretty much how I've been playing Revenant actually. Hammer don't seem that good compared to Sword/Axe or Sword/Sword in attacks/damage and Staff seems to have a better survivability.

The problem I'm having from level 1 all the way to the point that right now I'm mainly doing map completion on Revenant is... I seem to lose my HP to about 5% within the matter of seconds if I'm fighting anything that is more than 2 or 3 enemies. Assuming it would be much worse if I did try to take it to some kind of Fractal or Raids where I might die instantly.

If you had to suggest a decent melee class that I should try out, what would it be?

 

 

> @onevstheworld.2419 said:

> > @"Ayumi Spender.1082" said:

> > 2a. Does this class do well in some of the endgame content? The reason I'm asking in this situation is I already know there is no way my Necromancer could ever play the high end Fractals or even Raid, and I'm not even giving it a first thought on a twin pistol Thief going in there as I know no one would allow that within those places.

>

> Btw, Necro isn't **that** bad. True, it's not preferred in raids. But it's probably the most stress-free class to do high-end fractals with, especially when you're pugging.

>

>

 

Even if I might be able to take my Necro to some of the higher tiers in Fractals, would you have a suggestion for raids then?

 

 

> @Khar.9463 said:

> p/p thief dps is actually solid, albeit single target. You would likely pull higher dps on a p/p thief than 99% of pug necros.

 

The reason it seems Thief with twin pistols might not be able to sit well for Fractals or Raids to me is the times I have played Thief in a few Fractals, I've always been asked if it was possible to either switch to twin daggers or staff. Had that question asked as well for Raids to the point I haven't done a single raid so far in the game.

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

You made a bu-bu. Go back to character select screen and create a ranger. You're welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ayumi Spender.1082]

> @ZeftheWicked.3076 said:

> You made a bu-bu. Go back to character select screen and create a ranger. You're welcome.

>

>

>

>

>

 

Heard mention of Rangers become Druids which are support. That is is really far from a playstyle I could play.

[DerJoker.9081]

You dont have to use the druid specialisation, you can always trait differently, for ranged power dps with longbow & Axe/Axe for example.

Or go and make yourself some Vipers/Rampagers/Sinister Gear and go LOngbow/Shortbow

 

[Lanhelin.3480]

> @"Ayumi Spender.1082" said:

> Mesmer I know is support

 

Only if you choose Chrono and in metabattle-build parties. I tried it and didn't like it much, so I play a core non-shatter power build. Other toons I mainly play are a Scepter Guardian and a Pistol/Shield Scrapper.

There are only two professions that have reliable possibilities to keep mobs at range: Necro and Ranger. Mesmer's illusions and Engineer's turrets can do it too, but, with exception of the iDefender and Thumper Turret, they have very low hp and do it not as steady as a Necro's minion or a Ranger's pet. With any other profession than Necro or Ranger you'll often be in close range to enemies, despite using ranged weapons.

[Eltiana.9420]

You can still make a DPS Ranger, Mesmer or Guardian that only does minimal support. Otherwise I feel like you answered your own question. The only class you didn't mention in your post is Elementalist. Go with that.

[takatsu.9416]

What don't you like about ele if you've tested out all the classes? What about building ranged warrior with rifle and bows - you could do that.

Do you only like guns? In that case you are very limited. Thief is also getting deadeye so extra ranged guns for your main.

 

I also used to play purely max ranged mesmer and that was super fun.

Now I play almost purely melee/mid-range mesmer

That said, if you play high end pve, mesmer is pretty melee, utility/support and a bit tanky

 

But tbh for Gw2, the entire game is based on mobility, i.e. dodges, active defense. Basically all classes are expected to move around melee and ranged, do their own healing, surviving, dps, condi, that's why all classes have options available to them. Especially when high level pve comes into play, when there are mechanics, or in wvw when you need to stack with everyone, or you're asked to fit into the team composition with meta builds, or benefit from boons etc, you'd need to stay with the group and have ability to melee/survive, sometimes staying melee with everyone else is actually safer than being out ranged, so sometimes you really can't just stay ranged entirely unless you're just soloing open world exclusively

[Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.294]

I have a ranger/druid on two separate accounts. The primary is longbow/staff, the second is longbow/axe+axe. While I can't solo a champion in Tangled Depths with either of them (probably...I've only succeeded doing that with my power reaper and chrono), I can run around the open world (including HoT and LWS3 maps) without too much concern. To be honest, I'm not real sure that I won't continue to run them as druids even after completing the soul beast elite spec - I like the playstyle that I have with my pets and my bow. And the reality is, CORE ranger has some viable builds that will compete with the elite spec in PvP and WvW, though Druid is probably always going to be required for raids. PoF may change that...but only time will tell.

 

As for revenant dying to fast...first, check your build - small changes can result in huge differences. Second, rev is ALL about energy management. If you don't manage that resource properly, you will go DOWN. Third...personally, I found mace+axe/hammer to be more successful for me leveling up than anything else. MAYBE that was my play style, maybe it was something else. I just know that before level 80, mace/axe worked for me way better than the sword/axe that I run now - and that is on an almost pure berserker build - I'm running the full exotic mistward armor set with berserker stats, viper's earrings, I and forget the rest of the mishmash of stuff that I haven't fixed on that toon (except for the sword, that is an ascended berserker sword that I crafted). As you can tell, I finished him up before condi was king.

 

The only profession I don't have at least one level 80 of is thief. As soon as I come up with a name that I like, THAT shortcoming will be fixed. As things stand today, I'd bet money it will be a pistol/pistol thief, too.