19 Feb 2007 at 00:46 - 23
To make it easier, I'll do this by the process of elimination.
10) Monk. I would rather use a Discord Necro than a smithing Monk because it has better energy management and more DPS.
9) Paragon. Excellent defensive skills (I always bring Morgahn with me) but weak offensive skills. I also dislike its conditions and interrupts (the Ranger can do a much better job imo). Personally, I would never put attribute points in Command... would rather have Motivation and Tactics.
Besides, you need to have good reflexes and fast thinking to play a defensive profession well, and heroes are best for that, imo.
8) Mesmer. I never play PvP except Fort Aspenwood, so in PvE I spam Empathy and place Backfire on the Monks. Nice defensive stances but they're useless when you cast spells from range; and I don't use IW when Empathy does more damage and can be cast on multiple foes. There isn't much reason to using complicated combos of hexes because most enemies don't live long enough to make them worth the energy; they're great against bosses though.
7) Assassin. He can tank while playing with henchies and is very good at killing single targets. As long as the Assassin uses AoD, a good prot Monk should have no trouble keeping him alive. Imo, they are a melee and more powerful version of an air Elementalist and they can be very useful in PvE... but most people see them as a lighter tank with more damage output and that's why they hate this profession. I don't play him too much because it takes too much planning and thinking. I use Deadly Arts for killing things and Shadow Arts for staying alive.
6) Ritualist. I dislike resto Ritualists... I would much rather have a Paragon; most of its spirits are too expensive, recharge too slow and last too little... this is the only build that I think seriously needs a buff. Oh, and I would rather use Resurrection Chant or Rebirth instead of Flesh of my Flesh. Channeling Ritualists, on the other hand, have awesome DPS, cheap spirits, and even better recharge (30 compared to 45)... I think they are very powerful, but they're just too slow for me (the best scenario is to place all spirits before aggroing and that can take a long time).
5) Dervish. Excellent tanking and running akills, but Warriors can do more damage because of Strength and their skills. The Dervish can easily tank without any healing while the Warrior needs a little healing but can do much better damage. Btw, I would only use Wind Prayers if (for some odd reason) I wanted to focus on damage instead of staying alive; Earth Prayers are better for running and surviving.
4) Elementalist. I use Fire for AoE damage (SF), Air for single-target damage and blinding, Earth for mass protection and a little damage... I still can't find a reason or situation to use Water. I think they are quite powerful but there is no skill required to play them... the heroes can do just as good of a job as you can.
3) Ranger. I made this profession 3 times (deleted him twice: once because it was my first character and I thought he was useless, second time because I was disappointed with Barrage). Touchers easily rip through Aspenwood (on both sides) and they can do well in PvE when you have a zealous sword/axe. I love my Beastmaster and Interrupter builds, and I never play as a Trapper but I think it could be fun.
2) Necromancer. Playing a MM or Battery can be very exciting. I don't think there is a more loved profession in PvE so I won't talk about how powerful they are. Heroes can make an ok MM (probably the most important build) so that's why Necromancers are placed 2nd.
1) Warrior. Indubitably the most fun and exhilarating profession for me to play because you can get close and personal with your enemies, and deal a significant amount of damage; it just feels more involved than attacking something from a distance and I feel like I made a great contribution than any other meleer ever could. My favorite builds are Triple Chop/Cyclone Axe and Enraged hammer.