New Player, Starting Class Question

I have never played Guild Wars before, but a buddy and mine decided to pick up the Trilogy Pack off of Steam to give it a try. Anyway, I'm torn between playing as one of two classes, the Dervish and the Necromancer; I'd like to play a class that is decent at both PVP and PVE. The Dervish interests me due to the scythe weapon and the enchantments, while the Necromancer's Health Drain abilities are my primary interest with that class. Basically I want to know if a Dervish or Health Draining Necromancer are more likely to do well in both PVP and PVE.

Health degeneration is capped, so you'll see it becoming less useful later in PvE and especially when you unlock hard mode. Not all skills that have degen are bad though, as the dervish skill Wounding Strike has bleeding in addition to better things.

Dervish and necromancers both do well in PvE. Make both.

Dervs just had a huge update and are over used alot in pvp. I like necros more tho bc it takes more skill to make better builds now. That's jst me tho. U get 2 professions anyway so go N/D or D/N

welcome to guild wars btw

Necromancers aren't very useful for their health degen. Since it is capped, and enemies later on have ways of circumventing it that it really doesn't matter. If you go and make a Necromancer, generally you're there for excellent utility and buffs, occasionally a damage dealer (which is very good still, just that there's options more valuable to the average party) in the form of the Curse line of hexes or a minion master if there isn't a Hero as one. PvP, they're generally able to find some way of being decent for whatever utility and pressure they can deal, including some degeneration.

Dervishes underwent a massive overhaul. They are now extremely strong in both PvP and PvE, capable of utility, pressure, healing, and straight up damage. Such a class is currently flavor of the month, but for good reason. They make most of the game a joke once you understand the mechanics behind the class, and are capable of fulfilling a variety of roles rather well. I would recommend a Dervish for PvE at the least, as they're capable of fulfilling far more options as a player and still being efficient + wanted in general play. Due to heroes' bad AI regarding melee combat, you aren't to be replaced by a NPC anytime soon either (which is the main issue with Necromancers, sadly. Beyond Order of Undeath minion mastering and spamming Mark of Pain and other hexes with the help of an Assassin elite there is little a hero can't do as good if not better.)

necros are the best for energy management and great for HM dervish still only ok after update look into ritualist they can and do everything and are in almost every speed clear group