Guild Wars 2 Best Class - What's the Best Class to Play?

Updated:

10 Nov 2022

Let’s put it this way: each profession has its own pros and cons, whether you play PvE or PvP / WvW, all of them have something to offer.

It is not like you are limited to only one profession, right?

Warrior

Warrior, the go-to melee class. Explore Tyria with a force to be reckoned with - your arms!

In terms of playstyle, Warriors generally prefer to go melee apart from 2 ranged weapons - Longbow and Rifle. This means that warriors feel very dynamic and driven. They wear Heavy armour and their base HP (level 80) are in the highest tier - 19,212.

In Endgame PvE (Raids/Fractals) it is generally utilised as a Power DPS class with additional Support from its banners.

Its profession mechanic is called Adrenaline - certain actions (usually with every hit) grant you Adrenaline. This fills a Bar - once full you can use a Burst strike, which is often a major damage-dealer.

Berserker (HoT)

Berserkers lay their focus on Condition rather than Power damage (at least they were thought to, you can still very viable run a Power Berserker though).

When the adrenaline bar fills up, you can activate the Berserk Mode - this gives you some very nice stat boosts, visual effects and changes your burst skills to Primal bursts - slightly altering their stats and effects.

Spellbreaker (PoF)

Spellbreakers are perfect deflectors. They share the burst skills with Core Warriors and get another profession skill - Full Counter.

It basically casts up a shield and whenever you are hit for any damage, all of the damage is nullified and AoE bursts around you, hitting multiple targets.

This very neat addition makes Spellbreaker even more durable in fights than the Core Warrior already is.

Why Warrior is great:

Straightforward and reliable damage dealer
Capable of great support to allies - the banners are a HUGE deal considering how passive they are: just put them down and that’s it
Simple rotations that are easy to learn
Apart from Healing, you can take nearly any role

Pick Warrior if:

You like a simple, yet satisfying gameplay - mostly DPS oriented
Wish to support your allies while hardly paying attention to it
Like get in close and personal with all those who oppose you

Guardian

The Guardian - take others under your wings and protect them with your strength!

Another heavy-armoured profession - the Guardian. One could easily think that Guardians are, simply put, Tankers of Guild Wars 2, however, their appearance can be misleading.

They are actually a great pick for anything and are outstanding performers in any role. From Healing and Support to outright badass DPS dealers, both Condition and Power.

Their weakness, however, is their small base HP, which is something you might not expect when faced with a name as ‘Guardian’. This seems to be less of a problem when you learn how to utilise their sustainability through their utility and weapon skills.

Dragonhunter (HoT)

The Longbow wielding Guardian elite profession is usually picked for their decent damage-dealing capabilities. Their utility skills are called traps and they are essentially static AoE abilities that are triggered upon enemy entry (kind of like you would expect from traps).

The usual weapon combo consists of Longbow and Greatsword, both being very capable DPS weapons - one for melee and one for range combat.

In addition to being a good DPS class, Dragonhunters are also quite capable of inflicting Vulnerability and having several defiance bar breaking abilities.

Firebrand (PoF)

Do not let appearances deceive you, this one might look like a librarian -and it sort of is. But… their books pack up a punch.

They have access to new profession skills called Tomes. These Tomes, upon activation, grant the Firebrand a new set of abilities. Each Tome has a different purpose - Tome of Justice focuses on DPS, Tome of Resolve focuses on Healing and Tome of Courage focuses on Support.

They are usually in either a Healing/Support or Condition DPS role, while the far, far superior DPS Condition being burning - this is quite useful to know so one can use Burning duration to their fullest advantage (e.g. from Runes of Balthazar / Baelfire).

Why Guardian is great:

Strong all around
Very versatile (probably the most versatile)
High demand in groups (e.g. Fractals)

Pick Guardian if:

You are undecided on what kind of role you want to play
You like to carry and support others
You want to be sought after

Revenant

The Revenant - return from the depths of the Mists to wreak havoc on your enemies!

The late addition to the Heavy classes. Keep in mind that you need to own an Expansion (any) if you want to play as a Revenant! The story behind revenant is that it channels the powers of Legends from the Mists - quite mysterious if you ask me.

This premium class offers varied playstyle - from staff to hammer to dual swords (still waiting for that Greatsword elite spec, c’mon Anet..). Its unique mechanic simply called Energy works as a charge for contact with those Legendary warriors.

Every utility skill has certain upkeep or drain rate and once your energy falls to zero, you need to let it recharge to be able to use abilities again. Weapon skills also drain Energy, however, this is based on a one-time “cost per cast”.

Herald (HoT)

Simply amazing elite spec, as is to be expected from a premium profession.

Herald also uses energy for the upkeep of its utility skills, however, they grant you and your allies permanent Boons, such as Swiftness, Fury, Might and Protection. As I said, simply amazing...

Renegade (PoF)

This Elite profession calls for Kalla’s Warband to aid them in battle. Kalla’s Warband is a Charr warband who upon being summoned work both as an ally (i.e. they have HPs) and AoE ability. Quite cool, huh?

Combine this with the intelligent use of a Shortbow and you have quite the advantage of control over the battlefield.

Why Revenant is great:

Very impressive DPS output
Has a unique playstyle
Can easily dominate the battlefield

Pick Revenant if:

You want a very aesthetically pleasing combat gameplay
You want to challenge yourself to master the rotation, which at times can be tricky

Ranger

The Ranger - bring your companion and head straight to the heat of the battle!

Our first medium class on this list - Rangers are very skilled at assisted combat. What this means is that they utilise their companion - a pet - to aid them in battle.

It is as if your power is split in half - between you - the Ranger - and your pet. Your pet can take aggro off you, has certain abilities and its own HPs. If used correctly, this can mean a deadly force coming to your enemies from two sides - very formidable.

Druid (HoT)

Druid is specifically a Healing/Support niche spec. It uses the empowering and soothing forces of nature and glyph skills to Heal and Support its allies.

No one outshines Druid healing, even though Heal Firebrand comes relatively close. Druid is outstanding when it comes to Healing and Support, however, it lacks any kind of DPS capability. It mostly uses Staff as the weapon of choice.

Soulbeast (PoF)

Soulbeast is a very neat addition to the Ranger family. It basically allows you to merge with your pet, giving you boosts based on what kind of pet you have summoned.

This means that if you don’t like the typical duo playstyle of a core Ranger, this no longer is an issue.

Besides, the aura you get when you merge is simply epic.

Why Ranger is great:

Divides the strength into the player and the pet
Very capable damage dealer
The most Supportive class out there (assuming Druid is played)

Pick Ranger if:

You want to play duo and have a pet by your side
You want to be able to switch quickly between melee and ranged
You like to have a positional advantage in combat

Thief

The Thief - silently sneak your way to your target and slice their throat open!

The sneaky one - Thief - attacks from the shadows. As a profession, it makes great use of Stealth and sneaky playstyle. Its profession mechanic is called Initiative and it is basically used for every skill the Thief uses.

What is great about Initiative is that while it sort of caps the cast frequency, the skills and abilities (weapon skills not utility!) have no cooldown.

It also has a “Steal” profession skill (F1), which steals an ability that is in close affinity to the enemy from which it has been stolen - these abilities can be both offensive and defensive (i.e. both damage--dealing and CC or granting boons and buffs)

Daredevil (HoT)

The Thief wielding a Staff. This elite spec is mainly focused on two aspects: High mobility and High DPS output.

And it shines in both of them. The majority of the staff skills are mobile ones, so you can be sure you will hardly ever stay still.

This can come in very handy if you are dealing with mobs that cast lots of annoying AoEs.

Deadeye (PoF)

Here we have a sniper. It is no wonder why this class has the Highest Single Target DPS of all. This comes at a great price though - very limited mobility.

So finally we see a different turn in playstyle with Deadeye - we sacrifice a lot of our mobility for massive burst damage increase.

This is largely thanks to Rifle skill 5, which makes us kneel so we can apparently aim better - don’t worry, you can stand up at any time, without a cooldown.

Why Thief is great:

The most mobile class out there
Does not play around, you know what you get
Can prove to be a very versatile player Open World class

Pick Thief if:

You like sneaky and stealthy gameplay
You avoid mobs rather than clear them out
You like the extra mobility, which is always sweet when in combat and/or can’t mount

Engineer

The Engineer - use your gadget-oriented mind to build devices which aid you in battle!

Engineer - the gadget master. Well, not quite… more like a kit master. This one is rather tricky, both to learn and to understand.

See, when we say kits, we mean additional weapons, each with unique abilities, which you store inside your Utility skill bar.

That is the reason why you are NOT able to swap weapons during combat. (It used to be a lot worse - you could only have 1 set of weapon equipped - no swapping)

Scrapper (HoT)

This is a Defensive/Tanky Engineer class. It uses a Hammer as a weapon and Gyros. Not, not the Greek culinary masterpiece. Gyro is sort of a construct the Scrapper makes, which works as a mobile AoE. Picture them as mobile well skills that surround the Scrapper.

This allows for some great defensive, supportive and strategic advantage in combat. However, this has one drawback - the damage output on Scrapper is merely… okay. Which may put some players off.

Holosmith (PoF)

Unlike the Scrapper, Holosmith is very much oriented towards damage dealing. At one point, it was the highest DPS output class and it probably sustained itself somewhere in the top to this day.

It uses a heat mechanic and has access to Photon Forge. This essentially means that when Photon Forge mode is entered, the Holosmith gains a new set of weapon skills and the heat starts building up. Once the heat gets maxed out, there is a burst which deals damage TO YOU and you become overheated. This is prevented by exiting Photon Forge before overheating.

Why Engineer is great:

Very versatile
Great DPS (Holosmith
Great Tank/defence (Scrapper)
Uses a lot of kits (additional weapons sets)

Pick Engineer if:

You like a fun and engaging playstyle (not for everyone though)
You have a thing for gadgets, tools, machines and such...
You need a reliable class

Elementalist

The Elementalist - Channel the power of the elements to unleash magic upon your foes!

In short terms: Glass cannon. This is an extremely powerful profession. With great power comes great… fragility? At least with Elementalist, this holds true.

Many people chose this elemental mage as their first profession, unaware that it is (one of) the hardest one to master.

The way that it works is that you swap through elements and use the one which is the most efficient for the current situation. That means, Fire and Air for damage, Water for healing and Earth for tanky business.

Tempest (HoT)

There is not that much difference between Tempest and Core Ele in terms of the playstyle. Although if you are up for the Healing role, you probably want to pick this one.

Honestly, there is hardly any reason to pick Core over Tempest. It is just like Core, only better. The Overload skills are an amazing addition to the profession - each elemental attunement (Water, Earth, Fire and AIr) have their own AoE Overload skills.

Weaver (PoF)

The Highest DPS in the game, with hardly any contest from the others - assuming you really know what you are doing. This one is really a hard one to master.

You essentially gain combination skills that combine your attunements. So the rotation is… well… intense. You need to know exactly what to do and when to do it. Weaver tends to be very unforgiving of mistakes.

Why Elementalist is great:

The Best DPS in the game. Period.
Very rewarding (if you know how to play it)
Good healing potential (Water - Heal Tempest)

Pick Elementalist if:

You want a real challenge
You can pay close attention to what’s happening
You can focus on using the right abilities at the right time

Necromancer

The Necromancer - channel life force from your foes and summon minions to do your every bidding!

The one who summons and animates the dead. Or at least that is what you might expect from this profession if you played a lot of other MMOs.

Well, not quite. It all revolves around the life force, which lets you use your shroud. Shroud basically creates a veil of shadows around you, granting you a new set of skills and abilities as well as having a separate HP pool. How cool is that, right?

It is no wonder that Necros have the fewest downs and deaths among all the professions.

Reaper (HoT)

More of a melee Necromancer. It usually focuses on Power damage. You get a Greatsword and with it a few skills that make this Elite Spec favourite playstyle of many.

For instance - Gravedigger is a Greatsword skill 2. This heavy hitter deals massive damage AND if you hit a target below 50% health threshold there is no cooldown. Yes, no cooldown… you read that right.

Furthermore, the basic Death Shroud which the Core Necro has, changes to a Reaper Shroud. It gives you a scythe and makes you the death incarnate. Yeah, this was the reason I mained Reaper for so long.

Scourge (PoF)

Now, this desert Necromancer offers some changes to the traditional way of using life force.

It has a Desert Shroud, which no longer gives you a set of neat abilities. Instead, it gives you a barrier and torments foes around you and your summoned shades.

Speaking of Shades, those are summoned static AoEs (no, not followers - they have no HP) and they essentially expand the area of your profession abilities. (So if there is a pulse effect around you then there are pulse effects around your shades)

This allows for the strategic placement of shades to gain an advantage over your enemies on the battlefield.

Why Necromancer is great:

Enormous HP + Shroud HP
Can be very, very hard to kill (in the right hands)
Makes great use of minions

Pick Necromancer if:

You like to deal very reasonable damage and have extremely high sustainability
You like minions following you around
You want the best Solo class possible

Mesmer

The Mesmer - trick the minds of your enemies and baffle them with illusions!

The tricksters and illusionists of Guild Wars 2. If you chose to play as a Mesmer, you are in for a treat.

They can summon clones and their profession skills are called Shatter, which shatter the summoned clones and an effect takes place. Picture it as soap bubbles that you blow and then decide to burst them...expect these bubbles to look exactly like you.

These swindlers cause a lot (and I mean A LOT) of frustration in PvP Game Mode. If you meet a really good Mesmer there, you are in for a trick (rather than a treat)

Chronomancer (HoT)

This elite spec, as the name suggests, manipulates time. This means that it can provide a very smooth supply of Alacrity and Quickness to allies.

That is why Chronomancers are valued greatly when in a group scenario.

Chronomancers are also able to use a profession ability called Continuum Split, which basically lets them create a rift in the space-time continuum at the cost of sacrificing all your clones.

This means that when you cast it a point in time is marked. When the skill effect expires, you return to that point in time, which will revert all your cooldowns, your health and endurance. Mind blown!

Mirage (PoF)

The Mirage is perhaps the most deceptive out of all the Mesmers. It has a Mirage cloak rather than a standard dodge - this lets Mirage gracefully avoid attacks while staying in place.

Considering raw damage, Mirage is perhaps the most efficient, especially if we chose Condition damage. It heavily utilises Bleeding, Confusion and Daze, so it also has access to quite a lot of heavy CC, which is always great for breaking those defiance bars.

Why Mesmer is great:

Can trick and confuse enemies (and you too if you are not careful)
Very high sustain
Decent damage output
Easy to learn (but hard to master)

Pick Mesmer if:

You want a very unique playstyle
You don’t mind seeing yourself (a lot!)
You like to play games with others, such as “find the ball under my cup” - You are the ball, the cups are your clones

Conclusion

As you can see, you can bring any class or profession to the majority of the game content - it all boils down to your own preference and what you enjoy the most.

What matters most to you? Is it the simplicity of the playstyle, aesthetics of the combat, the challenge of mastering the class?

You are the one who decides what is important. (unless you are up for some high endgame content like T4 Fractals or Raids in which case… good luck trying to find a group if you are out of the current Meta…)

In all seriousness though, every class is the best class to play - if you like it enough.

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Maitiú P

Quite a peculiar specimen this one. The light-bringing pioneer eager to go through a horror cave, wrestle a mighty grizzly and return to herald what he has learnt on his way. And then he wakes up...

Gamer Since:

2005

Favorite Genre:

RPG

Currently Playing:

RuneScape, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,

Top 3 Favorite Games:

Guild Wars 2, Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, Sleeping Dogs

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