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

[DomiSotto]

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

 

Play-style and demand on the player imo. I play Serenity and would not touch Infiltration because it requires incredible reflexes and needs to play off-nodes taking/dueling rather than defense or putting pressure with the rest of the team. It takes a high skill cap to be good in 1 vs 1 imo.

Edited February 29, 2016 by DomiSotto

[-OBITUS]

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.

 

Juggernaut/Guardian

Sorceror/Sage --- Powertech/Vanguard

Mercenary/Commando

Sniper/Gunslinger --- Assassin/Shadow

Marauder/Sentinel

Operative/Scoundrel

 

Agreed.

[Greezt]

Play-style and demand on the player imo. I play Serenity and would not touch Infiltration because it requires incredible reflexes and needs to play off-nodes taking/dueling rather than defense or putting pressure with the rest of the team. It takes a high skill cap to be good in 1 vs 1 imo.

 

The only times I've found serenity easy was when queueing with a healer, or when I had a good group with me. So much so that I've stopped queueing as serenity solo.

 

My problem with it is that in order to deal damage (DoTspread) you have to be inside the melee, and serenity is so squishy you generally die against competent teams unless you have support.

 

I also find most people easy to solo as infiltration. In worst case, stealth out, phasewalk and run away.

[AlrikFassbauer]

I'm a little bit surprised that everybody agrees that the survivability of Gunslingers isn't that good ... and on the other hand I'm implicitely told that I must be bad because I just can't survive anything ...

 

My next experiment to try out in PvP are my Scoundrel and my Guardian Tank. I'm really curious in how far I'm able to play them.

[Lhancelot]

I'm a little bit surprised that everybody agrees that the survivability of Gunslingers isn't that good ... and on the other hand I'm implicitely told that I must be bad because I just can't survive anything ...

 

My next experiment to try out in PvP are my Scoundrel and my Guardian Tank. I'm really curious in how far I'm able to play them.

 

The better snipers I seen survive by moving out of LOS before they get tunneled. Basically they have really good situational awareness and they obviously know their defensives well.

 

They roll preemptively before they even get attacked knowing when it's time to get out of a spot. I seen 2-3 really tough snipers on Ebon Hawk and this is what they do...

 

They are really hard to pin down, really slippery, and do massive damage. Also, you never catch them running out of cover in a panic.

 

Oh, and another thing I noticed is they position themselves in places where they can roll and grab health boosts, wz buffs, or simply escape to an area you cannot target them. They use the map/terrain well.

[ace_boogie]

Why do people think sniper is hard to play? I get that in solo ranked, you are a priority target and in regs if you get focused it sucks(but that's any class), but I'd say it's #2 in terms of ease to play behind sorc.

 

I've seen some amazing snipers that at the top level could do things I couldn't dream of like Jodie/Caprica (he will always be Jodie to me). I don't see him much but I learn something EVERY TIME. But he's mastered that class. Still, I don't feel like it's a hard class to do good on, at all.

Edited March 1, 2016 by ace_boogie

[Icykill_]

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.

 

DPS:

Juggernaut/Guardian

Sorceror/Sage --- Powertech/Vanguard

Mercenary/Commando

Sniper/Gunslinger --- Assassin/Shadow

Marauder/Sentinel

Operative/Scoundrel

 

Tank:

Powertech

Juggernaut

Assassin

 

Healer:

Sorceror

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Operative -- Mercenary

 

- I wouldnt rate Juggs as the easiest, but they are certainly highly survivable if you know when and how to use CDs .. But to do decently in DPS you need a bit of skill, and also what your roll is on your team.

Where as you can face roll your keyboard as a Madness Sorc.. Lightning is a bit more challenging and Sorc healing is another face roll spec

Powertechs are fairly easy, far easier than Juggs to do high DPS. If you can't do decent DPS on a PT then you should swap spec.

Mercs are close to the hardest to play properly mainly because of survivability. Sure they have the potential to do a tonne of damage, but any one who can do that is in the top 5% of Merc players or the other team left them alone all match to free cast.

Snipers are much harder to play than people realise, unless there is a premade group of them who can just sit together and basically sit and do full rotations. Playing a sniper solo is quite challenging because you will get targeted very quickly by competent teams, which means getting those long activation time shots off are hard.

Maras are probably the most complicated to play well but in the hands of a skilled player they are probably the most deadly.

Operatives aren't hard to play at all for the average player.

 

I won't go into tanks as it all comes down to if you are a DPS tank or traditional tank and if you have healers to guard or other team mates requiring a guard.

 

Healers are obviously Sorcs.. Operatives and Mercs are close

 

I would rate the DPS in this order

 

Sorc madness

Powertech

Jugg

Assassins

Operatives

Mercs

Snipers (solo)

Maras

[Icykill_]

Why do people think sniper is hard to play? I get that in solo ranked, you are a priority target and in regs if you get focused it sucks(but that's any class), but I'd say it's #2 in terms of ease to play behind sorc.

 

I've seen some amazing snipers that at the top level could do things I couldn't dream of like Jodie/Caprica (he will always be Jodie to me). I don't see him much but I learn something EVERY TIME. But he's mastered that class. Still, I don't feel like it's a hard class to do good on, at all.

 

But you are referring to good snipers, not the average sniper player. If you can master any class's it becomes relatively easy for you, especially if it is your main. New snipers, especially Pve snipers are terrible, at least with the other classes it is easier for average players to be competent. Average snipers are bad to terrible.

[foxmob]

Why do people think sniper is hard to play? I get that in solo ranked, you are a priority target and in regs if you get focused it sucks(but that's any class), but I'd say it's #2 in terms of ease to play behind sorc.

 

I've seen some amazing snipers that at the top level could do things I couldn't dream of like Jodie/Caprica (he will always be Jodie to me). I don't see him much but I learn something EVERY TIME. But he's mastered that class. Still, I don't feel like it's a hard class to do good on, at all.

 

they're fickle. they require very precise cd management. in other words, you can look really really bad on a sniper. I think op dps (particularly concealment) is even more fickle, and deception can be. but there you have it.

 

or to put it in merc terms, on arsenal, I know what I'm going to get when I pop chaff. I know what I'm going to absorb and what's going to pass through. in IO, I never know what's going to get resisted/dodged (35-50% chance). playing against a sniper is kind of like the IO chaff flares: with the exception of what? 5 ppl on the entire server (prolly less now) you never know what you're going to get. even if they are capable of putting up numbers, they're just as likely to get shelled. the merc...he's gonna do what he's gonna do every time out. (by comparison). iunno. that's how I see it. at their worst, the sniper can make a merc look pretty good. at their best, it's pretty much the inverse. historically. haven't played ranked in months.

[AlrikFassbauer]

But you are referring to good snipers, not the average sniper player. If you can master any class's it becomes relatively easy for you, especially if it is your main. New snipers, especially Pve snipers are terrible, at least with the other classes it is easier for average players to be competent. Average snipers are bad to terrible.

 

Exactly this, in my opinion. I really don't know why these 0,0000000000000001 % excellent Gunslingers are *always* used as an example to tell everybody that "Gunslingers are fully viable".

 

Really good players really have no issues with them. It's the average Gunslinger player - like me - who gets constantly pwned.

 

And that's why there are so few of them in the Leaderboards - compared to these masses of other classes (Except Commandos, maybe). Especially in Solo Ranked.

[aristrokratie]

In terms of playing the class effectively in pvp-combat:

-sage/sorcheals

-jugg spanktank

-jugg dps/ dotsorc

-ap

 

-smash mara

-op/ sniper / sin

-rest

[Tykhelituss]

In terms of ease of applying damage, DCD strength, and mobility:

 

1. Powertech

2. Sorcerer

3. Juggernaut

4. Marauder

5. Sniper

6. Mercenary

7. Assassin (actual DPS specs, not tank DPS)

8. Operative

 

Healer strength, in terms of HPS output, ease of survival/DCDs, and mobility:

1. Sorcerer

2. Sorcerer without using anything Roaming Mend and Innervate

3. Sorcerer with just using Roaming Mend

4. Medpacs

5. Mercenary/Operative

[aristrokratie]

Healer strength, in terms of HPS output, ease of survival/DCDs, and mobility:

1. Sorcerer

2. Sorcerer without using anything Roaming Mend and Innervate

3. Sorcerer with just using Roaming Mend

4. Medpacs

5. Mercenary/Operative

 

This is so true

 

Ops need a buff.

 

 

No, I am serious now, mercs need one too... badly

Edited March 1, 2016 by aristrokratie

[DomiSotto]

But you are referring to good snipers, not the average sniper player. If you can master any class's it becomes relatively easy for you, especially if it is your main. New snipers, especially Pve snipers are terrible, at least with the other classes it is easier for average players to be competent. Average snipers are bad to terrible.

 

I am surprised that you would say this after asserting that the Operatives are not hard to play for an average player. I started PvP with a clueless Dirty Fighting GS, and managed, except in arenas. I could not even level a DPS Scop, I've respeced back to heals at level 28 or something. The melee AC is by far harder than the ranged on this class. If I had to pick between the two DPS there, I'd pick GS over Scop, just not the Sharpshooter.

Edited March 1, 2016 by DomiSotto

[Tykhelituss]

This is so true

 

Ops need a buff.

 

 

No, I am serious now, mercs need one too... badly

 

Operative is actually strong, it just isn't taken serious right now because of how much stronger Sorc is.

And the medpac bit is a trolol.

[aristrokratie]

Operative is actually strong, it just isn't taken serious right now because of how much stronger Sorc is.

And the medpac bit is a trolol.

Yeah, but they need slight adjustments, shifting healing from kolto waves to hots and making surgical probe the go to bread and butter heal instead of kolto injection. apart from that they're fine, but I will never miss an opportunity to complain about how garbage everything is compared to sorc

[foxmob]

Operative is actually strong, it just isn't taken serious right now because of how much stronger Sorc is.

And the medpac bit is a trolol.

 

they're both kind of trololol with medpac (op/sin with stealth mechanic) in WZs, but in TDM, they both drop really really fast, faster than a merc, unless they're particularly good.

 

iunno. imo, op is the typical lone wolf (scrapper/conceal) or just an annoyance who does more as a skank-ish healer in lethality. although lethality is a bit better at dmg in 4.0 than I remember in 3.0.

[bamsmacked]

I see a lot of "easy-mode" for Veng/Vigil builds but in my experience that class doesn't even do that much damage until you get full gear and have tons of alacrity.

 

Sure the CDs make it more forgiving but damn, the DoT damage is mediocre compared to other DoT classes like Watchman/Annhi and the shared spec in the Sage-Sorc /Shadow-Sin spec. I know this because I play them both.

 

Not only that but Veng/Vigil doesn't have a lot of built in burst -- really the best opportunity I have for guaranteed decent burst is procing a crit of Blade Storm and then using my Vindicator bonus and following with a crit of Overhead Slash (I do this by Plasma Brand > Vigilant Thrust > Blade Storm > Overhead Slash. It sucks when I do that though because I often waste my dot spreading window just to gain that burst.). And I can only do that once per minute.

 

I don't think it's easy to just straight up kill people with impunity with a Veng/Vigil build. It requires a lot of planning and position to execute properly.

 

I don't see many Focus/Rage builds but I see them having way more potential in shredding single targets to pieces with the burst.

Edited March 1, 2016 by bamsmacked

[QuiveringPotato]

iunno. imo, op is the typical lone wolf (scrapper/conceal) or just an annoyance who does more as a skank-ish healer in lethality. although lethality is a bit better at dmg in 4.0 than I remember in 3.0.

 

Yeah, unfortunately still nowhere near 2.10 Lethality's damage. I remember being able to do 70% of someone's HP (with very lucky crits) in 1 GCD with the good ol' Leth sap-burst. *wistful sigh* Good times.

Edited March 1, 2016 by QuiveringPotato

[Tykhelituss]

they're both kind of trololol with medpac (op/sin with stealth mechanic) in WZs, but in TDM, they both drop really really fast, faster than a merc, unless they're particularly good.

 

iunno. imo, op is the typical lone wolf (scrapper/conceal) or just an annoyance who does more as a skank-ish healer in lethality. although lethality is a bit better at dmg in 4.0 than I remember in 3.0.

 

i meant more that medpacs heal for more than they do. but you raise a good point.

[AlrikFassbauer]

Yeah, unfortunately still nowhere near 2.10 Lethality's damage. I remember being able to do 70% of someone's HP (with very lucky crits) in 1 GCD with the good ol' Leth sap-burst. *wistful sigh* Good times.

 

Lover of totally overpowered classes spotted !

 

"Why, is this a bad thing ?"

Edited March 2, 2016 by AlrikFassbauer

[QuiveringPotato]

Lover of totally overpowered classes spotted !

 

"Why, is this a bad thing ?"

 

It was entirely the enemy's fault if this happened, and super situational. Required to be a 1v1 and also that the enemy had no CC breaker. But yes, please nerf operatives.

[jauvtus]

Hmm...

Sorcs: press buttons randomly

PTs: press buttons

Juggs: press buttons in order

Operatives: press buttons, press Exfiltrate using your brain and watch your surroundings

Sins: if you follow a solid rotation and use your DCDs wisely, you are good to go

Maras: if you follow perfect rotation and use your DCDs perfectly, you are a beast but make ONE mistake and you are done

Mercs: press buttons randomly, you die anyway

[ace_boogie]

Exactly this, in my opinion. I really don't know why these 0,0000000000000001 % excellent Gunslingers are *always* used as an example to tell everybody that "Gunslingers are fully viable".

 

Really good players really have no issues with them. It's the average Gunslinger player - like me - who gets constantly pwned.

 

And that's why there are so few of them in the Leaderboards - compared to these masses of other classes (Except Commandos, maybe). Especially in Solo Ranked.

 

I didnt bring him up to say it was viable, I spoke nothing of "viability"...I referred to Caprica to say how good it could be at the very top of skill level. Not at average level. I play sniper quite a bit and I do pretty well, and I'm nowhere near Caprica's level. And THAT was my point. It's really not hard to actually play if you've ever gave it a real shot.

 

It's short-comings are not a L2P issue. Ive never been stumped by what button to press next, like say on an assassin.

Edited March 3, 2016 by ace_boogie

[foxmob]

I didnt bring him up to say it was viable, I spoke nothing of "viability"...I referred to Caprica to say how good it could be at the very top of skill level. Not at average level. I play sniper quite a bit and I do pretty well, and I'm nowhere near Caprica's level. And THAT was my point. It's really not hard to actually play if you've ever gave it a real shot.

 

it requires a team. so do mercs. sorcs...do not. iunno why one is so much more self-sufficient than the other. but it's been that way going on 2+ years. so I don't think it will change any time soon. some ACs really do require trinity to function properly whereas others really do not.

 

meh. I don't wanna get into this again. prolly shouldn't press...

 

dammit.