How would you rank each class/spec from easiest to most difficult?

[Volxen]

How would you rank each class/spec from easiest to most difficult? By easy/difficult I am mostly talking about ease of rotation, but you can also factor things such as survivability, escapes, and defensive cooldowns into your ranking.

[helpmewin]

Tricky BW, no! Play ur own game.

[Kaedusz]

There are no rotations in PvP. Not in the way the term is used in PvE.

 

With that said, merc has to be somewhere near the bottom.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Kaedusz

[NikSunrider]

There is no such thing as "easy" in PVP.

 

All classes require skill to succeed.

[QuiveringPotato]

Assuming you're a decent player overall and won't have a particularly hard time picking up any class at a basic level, in my opinion this is the scale (to play at a high level). Keep in mind that all classes are relatively easy to play at a low/medium level.

 

Also, let me preface this by saying that this is NOT talking about "rotation", all class' damage/heals/tanking rotations are very easy and not too difficult to get into, the only specs I can think of that take some work with their rotation is IO mercenary (difficult heat management) and Lethality operative (managing your damage with your survivability, which is ALL on the GCD). This ranking is based on being able to efficiently do damage and survive.

 

DPS:

Juggernaut/Guardian (easy dmg, easy DCDs)

 

Sorceror/Sage --- Powertech/Vanguard (easy everything)

 

Mercenary/Commando (challenging DCDs, super easy/very strong dmg)

 

Sniper/Gunslinger --- Assassin/Shadow (challenging DCDs, but no real problems in mobility or kiting/anti-kiting)

 

Marauder/Sentinel (DCDs are unforgiving despite having a lot of them, and even though the class has a lot of rootbreaks, it's still possible to kite a mara pretty badly)

 

Operative/Scoundrel (very, very difficult to balance doing damage with your survivability. Lethality is quite easily the most challenging class in the game, while concealment is fairly easier but still quite difficult. Survivability is very good, but only when used properly; look at how many AWFUL operatives there are in the game and this will be obvious)

 

Tank:

Powertech

Juggernaut

Assassin

 

Healer:

Sorceror

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Operative -- Mercenary

Edited March 1, 2016 by QuiveringPotato

[foxmob]

the hardest classes to play are usually stealth (aside from the occasional crazy patch). I'm only doing it for dps. here's my list. and yes, it's personal preference as much as universal claims or w/e.

 

op dps -- very unforgiving

sniper -- very unforgiving

sin dps -- very unforgiving

 

merc dps -- not as unforgiving as top tier but not the same upside when you pop the right dcd either

 

 

 

PT dps -- very forgiving compared to mercs

 

sorc dps -- more forgiving tha PTs, but like PTs, it's really obvious when you aren't doing it right

 

jugg & mara dps -- both are extremely forgiving, juggs are easy as hell to play (maras are specific to 4.0 -- kinda when overboard on compensating for their lack of mobility before)

Edited February 29, 2016 by foxmob

[chosonman]

Jug - easy button

Pyro - easy button

Merc - easy button

Sorc - little more skill

Op - little more skill

Sin - little more skill

Sniper - hard

Mara - hard

[DerSchneider]

I will rank only popular dps specs.

 

Regs:

 

AP PT - 3 buttons, mid range, super easy

Sorc madness - 4 buttons, offheals, escapes, ranged - easy

Operative - roll and troll. More than 2 of them - insta win.

Arsenal merc - crazy burst, offheals, but requires skill to 1v1 - medium

Assassin dps - melee and takes damage, but has escapes - medium

Jugg vg/rage - full melee and takes tons of damage always, compensates with self heals - medium

Sniper dps - ranged, but no heals, cleanses or big cooldowns at all - hard

Mara dps - melee, no cleanses and very limited cc immunity - very hard.

 

Ranked really depends of what classes are in queue.

I want to know how forgiving jugg is vs a team with 2-3 sorcs.

[chosonman]

Jug - easy button

Pyro - easy button

Merc - easy button

Sorc - little more skill

Op - little more skill

Sin - little more skill

Sniper - hard

Mara - hard

 

I base my critique on how easy it is to kill a particular class when played by a competent player and the predictabilty of which skills they will use in a fight.

 

Easy button = very prdictable rotation

Little more skill = little more varied rotation harder to predict

Hard = complicated rotation, unpredictable

[Volxen]

I base my critique on how easy it is to kill a particular class when played by a competent player and the predictabilty of which skills they will use in a fight.

 

Easy button = very prdictable rotation

Little more skill = little more varied rotation harder to predict

Hard = complicated rotation, unpredictable

 

Maybe this explains why I am having such a hard time with sharpshooter gunslinger (marksman sniper). I've been playing the class on and off for years, though I just recently returned to the game in 4.0 after taking a year or so off. I really, really want to enjoy sharpshooter gunslinger, as I've always liked the idea of a ranged class that has leap/pull/interrupt immunity while in cover (not to mention CC immunity with hunker down/entrench). But I always go down so fast when the other team has decent or really good players, and I struggle to maintain distance from melee players even with leap/pull immunity.

[jedcjedcjedc]

Maybe this explains why I am having such a hard time with sharpshooter gunslinger (marksman sniper). I've been playing the class on and off for years, though I just recently returned to the game in 4.0 after taking a year or so off. I really, really want to enjoy sharpshooter gunslinger, as I've always liked the idea of a ranged class that has leap/pull/interrupt immunity while in cover (not to mention CC immunity with hunker down/entrench). But I always go down so fast when the other team has decent or really good players, and I struggle to maintain distance from melee players even with leap/pull immunity.

 

sniper is a lot like an operative when it comes to your DCDs you have to cycle through them. like for instance a juggernaut jumping to you (say, while you're moving) you can use evasion to wait out his immunity, start using penetrating blasts so that when it runs out the last hit will knock him back (starting your cycle of CD's) when he gets close again, you can either use your knockback or if you need to reposition use your roll then next time the knockback. your shield is kind of a small "oops i messed up and cant get him away from me just yet" button that you can use inbetween whenever. by this time the CD's you used at the start should be back up. If not you have your bigger "oh sh#t" button in imperial preperation that will reset them all for you.

Edited February 29, 2016 by jedcjedcjedc

[JadenVaska]

Veng Jugg - Dot spread spec, quite easy to learn and master. mostly situational but basically just hit impale, scream, and shatter, spread with slam you'll hit a mil easy.

Rage Jugg - One of the best DPS classes around in my opinion. very bursty, with high defensive capabilites. easy to learn and easy to use

Immortal Jugg - Easy to learn difficult to master. If you go full immortal you won't have a lot of dps so killing any class that heals will be hard to do as full tank. that being said those classes will be hard pressed to kill you as wlel.

 

Anhilation Mara very difficult to play. Took me a few hours of hitting a dummy to understand how to play. not really for a beginner new to dot spreading... but it's potential is fantastic!

Carnage Mara - GREAT DPS, hard to master, gore windows etc and very counterable

Fury Mara- easiest to use of the maras. easy and hard burst plus the abiliteis light up for you =D

 

Shield Tech PT - same as immortal jugg

Pyrotech PT - Another dot spread class, bad on heat if you don't maanage your resources.

AP PT - very easy class to use. buttons light up, good survivablity, high speed, and and burst probably the easiset class to play in the game in my opinion.

 

Merc I am excluding because I have never played

 

Lightning Sorc - not hard to play if you read your utilities. lots of this procs that kind of stuff. really easy to play though.

Madnesss Sorc - easies sorc class to play. high survivability, lots of self heals and lots of leeches pretty easy to use and get lots of damage.

Healing Sorc easiest of the healers if you know what procs what and how to keep your fore up

 

Darkness Sin - proc based tank compared to mitigation. you do the highest damage as a tank yet have hte lowest armor. hardest of the tanks in my opinion.

Deception Sin - easy to be a good sin, hard to be a great sin. easy to learn hard to master.

Hatred Sin - very easy dot spread sin class like madness. throw your dots and spread them with your slash.

 

Concealment Operative - same as deception sin. easy to be good, hard to master.

Lethality Operative - fun class, no burst damage but a great support class with off heals. you can get 500k damage plus 500k heals easy

Healing Operative - hardest of hte healers i hear. but best suriviabilyt. not a lot of burst heals and hard to geet high HPS.

 

Excluding sniper because I dont have enough experience

[Kaedusz]

The hardest class to play is Merc/Commando because of their lack of defensive capability. There are no tools with which you can channel your skill(rocket out improved that a bit though) and you are basically left crippled by the class mechanics. That makes the class absolutely unforgiving in a high skill environment, more so than Stealth Classes or mara. Edited February 29, 2016 by Kaedusz

[Lhancelot]

The hardest class to play is Merc/Commando because of their lack of defensive capability. There are no tools with which you can channel your skill(rocket out improved that a bit though) and you are basically left crippled by the class mechanics. That makes the class absolutely unvorgiving in a high skill environment, more so than Stealth Classes or mara.

 

I think this is partially true, especially in regs where you rely on pugs for support. The class has the weakest innate defenses, only being strengthened through utilities.

 

In pug 4v4s versus really good players merc is the most frustrating class to play because you really need a good team to take pressure off the merc.

 

I'd guess in group ranked, you could make it work if you picked defensive utilities fully and had a great support team surrounding the merc. Your healer would have to be tops and tank too.

 

I just have to wonder though if the merc could outperform say, a PT or marauder in group ranked with that same top healer and tank?

 

Much of the damage a merc does can be interrupted or slowed when tunneled whereas with a PT the damage is mostly instant cast stuff so even if tunneled I would think the PT could push out damage.

[DomiSotto]

For me, what I can play is the classes that have minimal number of buttons that are not on CDs all the time, do not require accumulation of a proc to work, have an easy spammable to fall on at all times, and do not have to be combined in complicated ways while moving around to be effective, do not have additional layer of complexity (aka cover) and have minimal positioning requirements and/or severe range limitations.

 

Can play:

 

Merc-DPS, Sorc-Mad or heals (but of course I am one of those who can't master it), Ops heals

 

Can play with some efforts:

 

PT-AP or tank, Shadow- Serenity

 

Can't play:

 

Guardian-Vigi, Mara - Anni; Op-DPS; Slinger - any (staying on target; awkward ability stringing; too complicated; or requires uber situational awareness). Haven't tried anything else, but I think they will all be in the 'can't play' category

Edited February 29, 2016 by DomiSotto

[Newyankalt]

I been getting into PVP more often and I have found Veng Jugg to be by far the easiest. Pyro PT has been fun and putting up pretty good numbers.

[Floplag]

i love how his request included things like escapes, cooldowns, survivability... and yet almost noone mentioned those and went straight to ease of rotation... as if that means anything in PvP.

 

Arsenal Mercs for example do have a simple PvE rotation, yet are completely at the bottom in terms pf PvP due to no real effective defensive skills. Besides, if you are following the "rotation" in PvP as anything other than a guideline for max dps when you are afforded the time to stand still and pew pew you are doing it wrong.

[Quarast]

In terms of rotation, resource management, etc.

Easy- Sniper, jugg, marauder except anni, operative, powertech, arsenal merc, healing sorc, hatred/madness, lightning

Medium- operative healing, deception assassin

Hard- bodyguard, IO, Anni

 

In terms of survivability

Easy- sorcerer, jugg, marauder, pt

Medium- sin, op

Hard- mercenary, sniper

 

Damage potential: easiest to do damage on

Easy- sorc, jugg, marauder, pt, arsenal, sniper, hatred

Medium- deception, concealment, lethality, pyro, lightning

Hard- IO, anni

 

Healing potential

First- sorc

Second- op

Third- merc

 

Just my opinion

[foxmob]

Maybe this explains why I am having such a hard time with sharpshooter gunslinger (marksman sniper). I've been playing the class on and off for years, though I just recently returned to the game in 4.0 after taking a year or so off. I really, really want to enjoy sharpshooter gunslinger, as I've always liked the idea of a ranged class that has leap/pull/interrupt immunity while in cover (not to mention CC immunity with hunker down/entrench). But I always go down so fast when the other team has decent or really good players, and I struggle to maintain distance from melee players even with leap/pull immunity.

 

the nerf to surge hit that spec hardest of all of them. I think it was in november or early december of 2015.

[Rouakh]

In current state the hardest to play is merc IO. Now he even less durable then sorc or operative. And you have to use way more buttons to be really cool.

Merc arsenal is pretty simple tho. Kidna like 4 buttons only. But hes also paper. Dont have so many cool defence stuff like oper or sorc and cant kite for days like these classes. If net is on CD you better hope noone will agro you Cuz its the only lifeseving thing he has.

So, for commando "hold the line" is still "gonna get my *** somewhere safe". Because once you got agro you better fall back to drop it That ability helps if you have some backup.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Rouakh

[foxmob]

In current state the hardest to play is merc IO. Now he even less durable then sorc or operative. And you have to use way more buttons to be really cool.

Merc arsenal is pretty simple tho. Kidna like 4 buttons only. But hes also paper. Dont have so many cool defence stuff like oper or sorc and cant kite for days like these classes. If net is on CD you better hope noone will agro you Cuz its the only lifeseving thing he has.

 

1v1, arsenal is pretty robust -- except I struggle with wars, particularly jugs.

 

but yeah...still don't have to tools to deal with multiple incomings the way every other class seems to be able to.

[Master-Nala]

How would you rank each class/spec from easiest to most difficult? By easy/difficult I am mostly talking about ease of rotation, but you can also factor things such as survivability, escapes, and defensive cooldowns into your ranking.

 

Rotations, as noted above, aren't really as important as they are in PvE. It's more a priority system and knowing how to react to what your opponent is doing. CC, slows, etc. all have to be used frequently and intelligently along with damage powers.

 

However in my opinion only, here my belief as to which classes are the easiest to hardest. By this I don't mean the best, just the ones that are relatively easy to play and be successful in day to day PvP. Ranked is another story. I also don't see a major difference between the classes in this regard. So for example, I put the ranged burst before the ranged DoT specs, but I think the difference is minimal.

 

 

1. Tied for easiest - The three ranged burst specs: Lighting Sorcerer, Arsenal Mercenary, Marksman Sniper
   
2. Madness Sorcerer, Virulence Sniper, Innovative Ordinance Mercenary
   
3. Juggernauts - All specs
   
4. Engineering Sniper
   
5. AP Powertech, Shield Tech Powertech
   
6. Pyrotech Powertech
   
7. Fury Marauder
   
8. All Healers - Corruption Sorcerer, Medicine Operative, Bodyguard Mercenary
   
9. Hatred Assassin, Darkness Assassin
   
10. Concealment Operative, Deception Assassin
    
11. Annihilation Marauder, Carnage Marauder
    
12. Lethality Operative
    

 

Again this just my opinion. I have played all these specs.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Master-Nala

[Greezt]

I don't understand why infiltration counts as harder than serenity... Sure, to master it it's harder, but in the beginner-medium levels?

 

I've played both (currently I mainly do infiltration), and I think serenity's harder until a certain point. You're squishier, you need to keep track of your DoTs, and you're less useful in 1v1.

 

Just my opinion.

[Ruhun]

Rotations, as noted above, aren't really as important as they are in PvE. It's more a priority system and knowing how to react to what your opponent is doing. CC, slows, etc. all have to be used frequently and intelligently along with damage powers.

 

However in my opinion only, here my belief as to which classes are the easiest to hardest. By this I don't mean the best, just the ones that are relatively easy to play and be successful in day to day PvP. Ranked is another story. I also don't see a major difference between the classes in this regard. So for example, I put the ranged burst before the ranged DoT specs, but I think the difference is minimal.

 

 

1. Tied for easiest - The three ranged burst specs: Lighting Sorcerer, Arsenal Mercenary, Marksman Sniper
   
2. Madness Sorcerer, Virulence Sniper, Innovative Ordinance Mercenary
   
3. Juggernauts - All specs
   
4. Engineering Sniper
   
5. AP Powertech, Shield Tech Powertech
   
6. Pyrotech Powertech
   
7. Fury Marauder
   
8. All Healers - Corruption Sorcerer, Medicine Operative, Bodyguard Mercenary
   
9. Hatred Assassin, Darkness Assassin
   
10. Concealment Operative, Deception Assassin
    
11. Annihilation Marauder, Carnage Marauder
    
12. Lethality Operative
    

 

Again this just my opinion. I have played all these specs.

 

I agree with pretty much everything on here, except I find Annihilation Mara harder than Carnage not equal.

[-OBITUS]

Assuming equal skill/you pick up every class with even skill:

 

Juggernauts are easy as balls great dcd's and relatively easy "rotations". Hard to master (Rydarus) but easy enough to pump a million damage.

 

Sorcerers and Powertechs are tied for me as the rotation generally lights up for you. Easier to master but most FOTM nerds don't put in the time. I mean sorcerers just have to h2f and los to make them pay. #BW

 

I'd say sniper and shadow are tied as far as "ease of play". Sure snipers get raped but if baddies let you freecast, you're doing some return mail. Shadows are pretty easy but harder to master.

 

Maras are a ***** to master. Or even play with some competence. The nonexistent dcd's coupled with general low armor makes it fought to survive but if mastered, is great for regs and ranked alike

 

Merca are in hell. Low dcd's, low utilities but nice *** damage.

 

I'm biased but operatives are he hardest class to be decent at. I find terrible operatives in warzones that die from a simple snare or root. The really good operatives are few and far behind but due to the evasiveness of the class, we outshine and thus get nerf calls. To be frank, it's rather like the Jews in Germany but neither apocolatyic or as devastating (Jews worked in banks etc so people thought there were more of them when really they represented fragmented pieces of the population). #NerfOperatives