Can't decide on Mesmer or Necromancer, please help

[Peter Tran]

Hello, my name is Peter, obviously. I want to make a new character (prophecies only) in the game, and I just can't quite decide. I know I want to make a caster, but I don't want to heal, nor do I just want to mindlessly cast spells for damage. I want something that requires a little bit of thought on my part.

This leaves me with just Mesmer or Necromancer. I can't decide at all. I love the ability to manipulate my enemies and capatalize on their mistakes as a Mesmer. But I also love the blood magic, with the minions and the curses with massive degenrations to my enemies as a Necromancer. And I just can't pick. I'd also like suggestions for secondary professions for each of them also.

Thank you.

[thetwistedboy]

Mesmer is less of a mindless caster. Necro can turn into that depending on the build you are using. I'd go with mesmer.

[Xenomortis]

Use the following two pages to make your decision:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Necromancer_armor
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Mesmer_armor

Yes I am totally serious.
Well ok, maybe I'm not completely serious, but it's silly creating a PvE character you think is ugly (so don't make a Male Nec).

Necromancers tend to act as amplifiers for your team. The Curses and Blood line has a number of skills that increase the damage done by the rest of your team and are hence a valuable asset for strong teams with a focus on physicals.
Otherwise they're down to the role of taking Minions, simple and largely ineffective direct damage or shutdown (they have a shutdown build on par with anything the Mesmer can do).

Mesmers get, again, simple direct damage and shutdown. Also Mesmers are typically sought more than Necros in pick-up groups.
It's worth remembering that Mesmers look much better than Necromancers.

[Mike Jack]

Most of what a necro can do can easily be accomplished on a hero.

[IronSheik]

Mesmer is the way to go.

[Kuchiki_pt]

Mesmer. It´s very much better nowadays. Necro is outrunned by heros most of the times

[Neith]

For a person who said they don't want to mindlessly cast spells your best bet would be mesmer. Skill description will tell you what research you have to use for an area you are in. Ex: if the area has more melee foes then caster foes the skills description will tell you what areas they'd be useable in. As a mesmer you'll do a lot of interrupting so you have to know what your skills are what area they are good to use and when touse them, you'll have to watch the foe and time it just right to accomplish the skills ability. So go mesmer. Another option is if you have two slots make one of each and try both and see which you like best.

[Xenomortis]

Originally Posted by Kuchiki_pt

Mesmer. It´s very much better nowadays. Necro is outrunned by heros most of the times

This is false.

[Peter Tran]

Ok thanks much for the info guys. I guess I'll go with the Mesmer then.

Quick question though, and it goes a little off topic; what would be the difference between the Necromancer and Elementalist? If they are both (so called) mindless casters, then what is the difference? Now, I know obviously a Minion Master would be extremely different, but for the other builds.

[Xenomortis]

Originally Posted by Peter Tran

Ok thanks much for the info guys. I guess I'll go with the Mesmer then.

Quick question though, and it goes a little off topic; what would be the difference between the Necromancer and Elementalist? If they are both (so called) mindless casters, then what is the difference? Now, I know obviously a Minion Master would be extremely different, but for the other builds.

Elementalists can either spam prots and Infuse Health with Ether Renewal or throw meaningless damage spells around that don't do anything past the first half of the Normal Mode campaign.
Necromancers and Mesmers are better off not doing that.

[Neith]

in my opinion a necro is more support whereas an ele isn't. necro's support with mark of pain, blood bond, blood rit, bipper, defile enchantments, defile flesh, even Spiteful Spirit is a support cause the foes need a target and well a team makes great targets, there are more skills too. They have better energy regen abilities. ele's are in a sense hard and fast hitters.

[Del]

Originally Posted by Neith

in my opinion a necro is more support whereas an ele isn't. necro's support with mark of pain, blood bond, blood rit, bipper, defile enchantments, defile flesh, even Spiteful Spirit is a support cause the foes need a target and well a team makes great targets, there are more skills too. They have better energy regen abilities. ele's are in a sense hard and fast hitters.

...What?

Also, mes is just as mindless as necro in pve, but do more damage, but necros have no energy problems. Mesmers also have prettier outfits, so i'd go with mes.

[gremlin]

Both classes more than capable of tackling all the pve content, and have good range of builds.
Both are pretty good when run as a hero, I think the idea that heroes run Necros better comes from Minion master and Minion Bombing builds which run very well on Heroes.
They are only two styles of Necro Builds and since they are a little predictable I do hand them over to my heroes to run.

Since we are talking pve here its worth noting that now we have access to 7 heroes a custom designed party makes almost any character class work.
My character is now more a general that anything else and I am there to select where and when to fight call targets and quickly finish off weakened targets.

I do take note of how my character looks so never run a male necro and never let my male mesmer dance.

[Kojima]

I don't think necro are mindless casters. They can either spawn minions, help energy managements or even heal if they have a rit secondary. But like someone already said, all these can be done by heroes.

I think mesmer would be a better idea for you. You have lots more fun getting through the game with a mesmer than with any of the professions if you like to think through the game.

But that said, mesmers can be a frustrating class to play at times. And imo they die the fastest too when it comes to casters class when get attacked. But that would just be my opinion based on what I see with my heroes and with people I have played with

[Peter Tran]

Ok, and I would just like to clear one more thing up. Elementalists are mindless casters, are they? In PvE at least, and compared to the Mesmer.

[Del]

Originally Posted by Peter Tran

Ok, and I would just like to clear one more thing up. Elementalists are mindless casters, are they? In PvE at least, and compared to the Mesmer.

No more mindless than necros or mesmers, but much less effective than either.

[The Josip]

Mesmer is the least mindless class in PvE. If there was a better candidate, I'd play it instead.

Even a simple Mistrust is less mindless than any direct damage spell. That alone because 99% of whatever other professions have.
Interrupts are by definition not mindless.

Just because average mesmer today mindlessly spams Panic does not mean that class is mindelss, but that people either often prefer the easiest (but still effective) way, or they simply don't know any better.

[Xenomortis]

Originally Posted by The Josip

Mesmer is the least mindless class in PvE. If there was a better candidate, I'd play it instead.

Monks .

[The Josip]

Originally Posted by Xenomortis

Monks .

Arguable, but point made. Still, it's a completely different gameplay approach. I love the style of the monk, and really hated staring at the red bars instead of the countryside.

[Peter Tran]

Originally Posted by The Josip

Arguable, but point made. Still, it's a completely different gameplay approach. I love the style of the monk, and really hated staring at the red bars instead of the countryside.

Exactly why I am not a monk.