Classes

Rangers with Barrage should have no problems getting invites in Cantha as there are a lot of closely-packed foes in most areas I’ve played in so far. Stay at bow-range, wield a bow with an energy-reclaiming Zealous string and fire away. Spamming Barrage can get tedious but there’s no denying the satisfaction that comes from the impressively high damage numbers.

Mesmers will find it difficult to get a place in PUGs as usual. (I’m usually startled when my Mesmer is sent blind invites.) The problem is most PUG players aren’t attentive enough to fully appreciate the Mesmer’s brand of chaos. I’ve played mostly with henchmen and most quests and missions are doable with NPCs.

I haven’t played much of the Assassin class but from what I’ve observed, it reminds me of my old N/W meleemancer: frail but capable of dishing out surprising amounts of pain. (The Assassin bosses certainly shocked me with their hitting power the first time I encountered them.) I think the trick with Assassins is you have to time your hit and run attacks well. Most Assassins I’ve observed in Cantha (and Tyria) are adept at the hitting and not as adept at the running. The real problem with the class right now, though, is that there’s an overabundance of them. It’s understandable everyone wants to try them out — I’ve got one myself — but their numbers are ridiculous.