Which Profession is most in-demand?

I have no idea which profession to choose for my character. Which one is most in demand? I was leaning towards Necromancer or Dervish, but something tells me Monk or Warriors are more needed.

P.S. I AM INDEED A NOOB.

Probably a monk... but since the arrival of heroes most players dont PUG anymore (maybe in hard mode but as a new player it's going to take awhile before you can do that), so it doesnt really matter. Just pick a profession that suits you...

In demand for what? PvE?
Depends what you're doing.

Normal Mode, getting through the campaigns? Doesn't matter, you won't really find random people to group with for that (get into a newbie-friendly guild if you want people to play with in the basic parts of the game; your profession won't matter). If you'll be playing with heroes, again, it doesn't really matter. All professions can get through the campaigns.

Hard Mode PUGs (on Zaishen day)? Most professions can get groups, but some are more popular than others -- monks, ritualists.
Elementalists, rangers, and paragons are in current need of a buff -- which the developers claim to be thinking about -- so nobody really begs for those professions in PUGs.

High-end/Speed clears? Depends on the area and the meta team set up.

Really, unless you're planning on taking a specific role in a certain speed clear, don't worry about what other people might want. Take a look at our Campfire section and read about the different professions. Choose what seems like it would be the most fun for you.
It mainly comes down to a choice of three things: Melee (warrior, assassin, dervish), ranged physical (ranger, paragon), or ranged caster (monk, mesmer, necromancer, elementalist, ritualist).
Maybe also consider offense or party-support defense (though most classes can swap between one or the other -- you're not necessarily locked in to being a healer as a monk).
Once you can pick between those playstyles, narrowing down your choices further should be pretty easy.

making a character to fill a slot in a team build you know nothing about is silly, you should do at least one play through before you consider making a char for speedclears, and since you never have to group with players, your professions 'demand' doesn't mean anything until you start doing organized end game content. once youve played through on a char you like, see what it can do, learn a role, and watch the other players to see which role you want to learn next, and then maybe make a char for that role.

I'm kinda new too, but it seems like Ritualists are really popular and in-demand (their elite tomes sell for twice that of other classes'). Rits are really versatile since, depending on their build, they can heal, do lots of damage, and even have some protection and interrupt spirits.

...That being said, it seems like the most "elite" people choose a primary class that has an inherent energy management attribute (e.g. Necromancer's soul reaping, Elementalist's energy storage, Ranger's expertise, etc) and then just choose a useful class like Monk or Ritualist as their secondary.

I started out as a Monk/Necro and played through all the campaigns that way though, so I kinda like my own weird non-"elite" build ...I prolly won't be able to PUG for the Underworld though :P

Not really. There are gimmicks out there that make use of this tactic, but they're the exception and not the rule. If you choose to play mainly as your secondary profession, you miss out on being able to use profession-specific runes -- you'll only be as powerful as 12 points in a given attribute will provide you. A player who is playing as their primary profession can use runes to get up to 16 natural points in an attribute. You also miss the ability to effectively use skills in the primary attribute of your secondary profession (N/Mo playing as a monk will not really be able to use any Divine Favor skills because their Divine Favor will be 0).

Can it be done? Yes. (The beauty of Guild wars is that a lot of things can be done.) But it's not generally the optimal way to play. You'd have a lot of energy, sure, but your skills would be mediocre.

Oh? I'm actually happy to hear that. When I went to Temple of the Ages to possibly look for an Underworld group for the Halloween quest, I saw that the only people looking for PUGs wanted an E/mo (for the energy storage and protection skills spam I guess).

I was kind of disheartened because it made it look like Monk primaries aren't in demand for elite missions... but maybe if I set myself apart with Divine Favor skills like Seed of Life I'd be useful... though I'm not really sure how to use it well yet

Monks are usually always in demand, that I see. A Rit that can resto seems also far and few, since most only know how to run SoS.

For general pve I would recommend a ritualist. As has been said, they are extremely versatile and can fill nearly any needed role.

Monk is the most in demand profession though. I don't enjoy my monk at all when using heroes, no matter if I'm smiting or healing. Trying to h/h with a monk is painfully frustrating. Not difficult, just frustrating. Monks really shine when grouped with others.

So if you solely want to pick your new class based on fitting in well with other players, go monk. Otherwise go rit for an easier time when not grouping with others.

How in the world do Ritualists need a buff?
They're actually used in comparison to rangers.

If you look at the post you quoted, there's a "." behind Ritualists and "Elementalists" starts with a capital, denoting a new sentence. In short, the poster meant monks & ritualists are popular, while the other three are less popular.

I don't do speed-clears, but in ToA, going into the Underworld, I'm guessing they were forming a meta team. They probably didn't want just any E/Mo, but one that would make use of the Energy Storage elite skill Ether Renewal to run a build like this.

There are totally builds and set-ups out there that exploit (for lack of a better term) the hell out of certain skills/attributes to run as something other than your primary. But I would be reluctant to say, as a generalization, "E/Mo is always better than Mo/[whatever]."

Assassins: I would not recommending creating one at this point. While this is the profession of choice for Speed Clears, it's also has a bit of elitism ("show stones") and non-SF sins are a mixed bag.

Dervishes: Currently the melee of choice. While possessing lighter armor than a warrior (but more than casters) they have the most offense in the game right now and have a lot of flexibility in that they have 4 pips of energy regeneration. Dervishes can be rolled into any role and be at least minimally effective.

Elementalists: They have some niche roles, but the only real reason to create one is to be ready for an expected buff that should happen within the next 2-6 months. The fire nuking concept is crippled in Hard Mode and their ability to pump out damage is inferior. They are usually welcomed in most PuGs, providing you are flexible.

Mesmers: I have mixed feelings about mesmers. A good player as a mesmer is a godsend, but few people have the patience and personality to use this profession to it's max potential. If you are willing to take some criticism as you get used to playing this profession correctly, you will have an enjoyable experience. Not the first choice for end-game content with the exception of DoA.

Necromancers: If you want to PuG and play with other people, this is the caster profession of choice. Necromancers have several different playstyles and are extremely effective in all of them. I'm not currently aware of any GW activities where necros are not a welcome addition to the team. The one downside is that it will be boring playing by yourself.

Paragon: Extremely hampered by only having one recognized meta build. Fortunately the one build is a good one and you will be welcomed into almost any PuG (not FoW and UW speed clears though). The "imbagon" build works well when playing solo, providing a lot of survivability and is kind when you make mistakes. However this build is very gimped in 4 man and 6 man missions (not likely to find a good PuG) and you can't farm anything with it.

Ranger: There's nothing wrong with rangers, and there's nothing great. With medium armor and only 3 pips of energy, the only interesting mechanics are their great dodging stances. Originally created to spread multiple conditions, many skill additions later in the game made this role weaker as the campaigns progressed. I do recommend the ranger as a good first profession to explore the GW campaigns. Do note that they have been slated for some reworking and possible buffs in the near future.

Ritualist: Currently the best all around build in GW for all purposes. They are the best solo farmers, and are welcome in all kinds of teams. The only downside is that there are so many of them, you won't be in high demand for PuGs. I do recommend that if you play one that you make it a priority to run more than just the popular SoS build, that you be able to run resto, SoGM communing, and ST protection builds. This will allow you to play with multiple rits.

Warrior: This profession is unfortunately passed it's glory days. Warriors have dominated the meta for a long time, and are being supassed as damage dealers (sins and dervs) and as tanks (Shadowform sins). While no means an uneffective class, it tends to attract a fanbase of players for whom tactics and strategy are an afterthought. Many PuGs view warriors with suspicion of stupidity until proven otherwise.
That being said, some of the best players I've seen in GW use warriors and when used correctly can be a very dynamic profession. They can tank pretty well and can deal pretty good damage. Like the ranger, an excellent choice for first timers.


Others will disagree and agree with all of this, but it's pretty comprehensive from someone who has played every profession at least a little bit in PvE and PvP.


Edit: Holy crap I forgot Monks. Long story short, you are the healer and are always in demand. It's also a thankless job that will make you hate people in general. The good news is that most people allow monks to get away with being total d!cks to people, so if you like to powertrip, this is your class.

Play what you want to play. No sense in playing something that is just in demand, and not even enjoying it. If you are a noob or a newb, best play something you will enjoy in the long haul, not something that others want you to do.

Try out each class for yourself and make your own decision on what you enjoy most. Heroes can cover the missing slots if you need something specific.

This person hit the nail on the head. I could not put any better myself if I tried.

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Most wanted Classes: From greatest to least:

Assassins- Every Speed Clear needs them, so they are the most in demand

Ritualist-They fill so many roles in this game it's overpowered. They ARE the Holy Trinity in Guild Wars

Necromancer- Being the only class with real Energy management, makes them valuable

Mesmers- Big damage, interrupts...The Nuker roll in every other game

Elementist- They fill only one roll

Paragon-they fill only one roll

Dervish- they fill only one roll ( can off tank like a warrior)

Warrior- They fill only one roll, ( they can still tank quit well)

what i tend to see is that people often choose different classes according to the areas they play in (US, Europe, Asia, etc.) that's just what i think (no flame pls haha). Also it really depends where in the game you'll most likely play, I think all classes tend to be more popular depending on how useful they are in certain environments.
In general i find that Monk is the most demanded class in GW, that's what i found a year ago. since builds change and all, may be that it is no longer the case. anyway for me, I chose monk because I could choose a wide range of choices within the class its self. Ranging from healing, to damage dealin, etc.

What it all comes down to: pick whichever profession interests you most. You will probably spend a lot of time playing alone with heroes, so don't compromise your own fun for that of other players.

Don't worry about getting groups for daily Zaishen quests; irrespective of which profession you use, you'll always be able to form a party with people rushing to join it (even if you have difficulty joining other groups).

You actually made a good point. Heroes tend to be your best friends throughout the game, or henchmen, depending on what campaign you're starting from. Technically i find that having an active guild to be part of, with experienced, open-minded, and out-going players, allows you to ask for help from them and not having to do things alone. I remember that a year ago, guilds used to be desperate for monks with good experience to help them out with missions, etc. It was kind of rare to find a monk that knew what he/she was doing. That's why i advise you to look out for that. players tend to be really critical to monks, because their survival all counts on you. so theres a lot of pressure from being a monk, especially most casters, as gameplay for casters tends to be different, its not something you'll learn over night.

It's all about what play style/experience you want. For a beginner you probably want simple roles. Physical; Warrior or Ranger. Caster; Elementalist, Monk. Necromancers etc. require a bit more knowledge of the game on how best to use them and understand the synergy they have with your party.

In demand for Speed clears and farms are the most assassins and mesmers, but do you really want to do SC before you even started GW?
Try more proffesions and pick the one you like, after you're get XPed, there's no problem to make a SC toon.

In general ritualist is the most self-reliant toon, so I'd start with that one.
But mesmers are much fun with, so that would my 2nd choice.

there are many different SC builds... especially with other professions than mesmer and sin.

What SC doesn't include assassin?
(Don't mention SC that can be done without sin slower than a version with sin)

I am saying you don't necessarily only need to use builds with mesmers and sins only.

Blood spike - Necromancers and Monks - Assasin and Paragon secondary combos, DTSC build, Trenchway (majority sins and mesmers, preferably with one monk and ele also), FoW spike (sins, tanks, monks, etc), Spearway (all sins), MQ Monkway, Snoway (sins), Pirateway (mesmers and sins and monk and ele), UW Terraway (mixture of eles, rangers, rits and sins), Caster spike for Urgoz (Monks and rits, mesmers and sin, etc.)

There are builds like those that aren't only mesmers and sins. some builds that are majorly used which don't only use sins or mesmers.

I think I did every vanquish and pretty much every area with heroes. There's a few exceptions.

On my monk I group everything to have a change of pace, but I was forced to hero some quests.

Do yourself a favor and don't play monk as your first class. You will not be good at monk if it's your first class simply because of your given skills, trust me. You want to play a damage profession first because you will have no idea what hexes to remove, how to "pre-prot", and have terrible energy management skills plus no monk skills unlocked. Then again, what do I know, most monks heal people at 90% Health and spam Patient Spirit/Ethereal Light/ single target heals under Healer's Boon.

Beginner friendly but meta: necromancer, ritualist.

Necro:
-->MM (Minion Master): very difficult to mess up, if your team is any good you will cast often ; extreme synergy with barbs
-->SS (Spiteful Spirit) : also very difficult to mess up, with arcane echo you won't be twiddling your thumbs often ; use enfeebling blood, barbs, other hexes on SS downtime strategically
-->Blood orders : was popular in tombs with barrage rangers , packs tons of utility (blood bond+ blood ritual + etc.) on top of the damage boost
-->MoP spike (Mark of Pain): abuse of PvE skills: excellent with coordinated groups, terrible in disorganized ones because your AP (Assassin's Promise) will not activate enough ; synergy with MMs ... give your heroes spears
--> Blood spike: hardly used
--> abuse paragon command shouts or restoration magic with curses that don't require high spec (Shadow of Fear ,Weaken Armor , Enfeebling Blood, etc).

Ritualist is stupidly boring IMO, because spirits do all the work unless you are playing Restoration magic.
-->Signet of Spirits? cast it, painful bond targets, and splinter weapon someone. Oh wait, PUG rits don't use this.
--> SoGM rit: spam communing spirits, use summon spirits. The end.
--> ST rit? I put this on my heroes it is so boring. All you do is plop the spirits when they die
--> Restoration/channeling hybrid: if you use Channeling , Life, Protective was Kaolai
--> DwG : spamming spirit rift + channeled strike is so fun... right.

Dervishes and assassins excel with Strength of Honor and Great Dwarf Weapon/Splinter weapon. PUGs do not usually bring either of these. Dervishes are less linear in play but more reliant on enchantments.

Assassins generally spam 1-2-3 (Jagged Strike, Fox Fangs, Death Blossom ... you can be creative and use Palm Strike or Golden Phoenix Strike to skip lead attack). At one point they used scythes as well.
--> Shadow Form is a speedclear skill. If you use it in normal groups you're an idiot.

Dervishes have tons of build flexibility, all you need is flash enchantments + attacks + an Increased attack speed (IAS) stance. You won't get into speed-clears outside of Fissure of Woe though (FoWSc has Vow of Strength Dervishes).
--> http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:D/W_PvE_AoD_Dervish awesome party heal, with damage
--> http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:D/W_PvE_VoS_Dervish : don't recommend. boring build
--> http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:D/W_PvE_Onslaught_Dervish : also seen in PvP
--> Ebon Dust Aura / Avatar of Grenth
--> Avatar of Baltahzar ala PvP

Warriors require more thought due to stance canceling (i.e. stances don't overlap so you can only be in one). Frenzy/Flail + Enraging Charge /Sprint /other. Most adrenal attack skills require about 6-7 adrenaline so without Enraging Charge or "To the Limit!" they take longer to get attack skills going.
--> Earthshaker +crude swing hammer
--> Warrior's Endurance axe + burst of Aggression eliminates the adrenaline problem
--> Hundred Blades (used in FoWSC) is pretty subpar outside of Mark of pain/barbs
--> Warrior's endurance scythe / daggers
--> Dwarven battle stance hammer (not all that great)
--> Dragon's slash + For Great Justice + Brawling Headbutt+ Steelfang Slash
--> many groups will ask you to play Defy Pain, which is stupid and boring.:( It pretty much locks you to axe with cyclone axe + dismember. Sword/hammer without elites suck.

Mesmer used to be a class that required thinking, but now I think monk is the hardest due to the powercreep and the double damage bosses + increased attack speed of hard mode.
--> Keystone signet: spam signets on recharge and still get results
--> Energy Surge: Mesmer playing like an ele (use with Unnatural signet); use with Mistrust if you can't interrupt for shit (most PvE mesmers).
--> Panic: a set it and forget it mesmer elite? Never happened in the past.
--> Ineptitude / Illusion with Clumsiness + signet of clumsiness + arcane conundrum : you need to know which monsters are melee and which are casters (aka pay attention)
--> Fevered Dreams: abuse of PvE skills
--> Psychic Instability: don't play this if you suck at interrupting, Please. (hard for newbies)
--> Me/A Assassin's Promise Pve skill spam

Don't listen to people and go play elementalist because of some supposed update coming in the near future. You may be waiting quite a long while.
--> Invoke Lightning + chain Lightning. The end.
--> Ether Renewal + monk protection prayers , if you want to play a protter (hard for newbies)
--> Searing Flames +Glowing Gaze is pretty much a Normal mode build
--> Mind Blast + Rodgort's Invocation + filler skills, works more in pVP + Normal mode PvE than Hard mode PvE
--> Assassin's promise + PvE skills + a few earth/air/fire filler skills

Rangers are deemed not damaging. They are utility (distracting shot) + condition pressure (apply poison), which means very little in PvE. Tons of people spam barrage, but you can forgo it for Volley. Pet AI is horrid.

Paragons are wanted but boring as hell, unless you want to be "creative" (i.e. bad) like this paragon in my monk's team once that thought it was Alliance Battles in a dungeon, with Pain Inverter + "Find their Weakness" + "Incoming!" + "Fall Back!".
--> Imbagon (http://www.gwpvx.com/Build:P/W_Imbagon) is pretty much the go-to build
--> you could be creative and run cruel spear or stunning strike but single target DPS isn't too great

Pick Assassin: they're fun and easy to play and they're required for the most of high end PvE SC areas. Just remember that you'll have to find someone to teach you what to do in those areas but you shouldn't worry about that right now.

What id suggest is this - instead of choosing just 1 profession try several .
You can do the same areas/story line on all and see firsthand which are gd for xx and which are gd for xxx.
Its hard to say exactly which is more in demand because it depends on the pugs you join.
Some may only want say sins and if no sin then you are often unwanted.
Also consider that if everyone switched to the most wanted profession we`d all be in an outpost as that profession and no pugs.
i will say this - paragons i view as bottom of the list due to anets bad skills and unless the teams after a specific paragon build you will have probs.

What is fun to play and what is in demand are separate things.