The best classes for fractals and raids
Fractals are the end content for 5-man groups, while raids are undertaken in groups of ten. Fractals and raids in Guild Wars 2 now have a clearly defined meta with tanks, healers, and damage dealers.
The tanks in Guild Wars 2
Mesmers received the elite specialization “Chronomancer” with Heart of Thorns. This brought the unique buff “Quickness,” which reduces skill recharge times. However, more classes now have access to this, including the Revenant, Thief, and Necromancer.
The player with the highest toughness in the raid is automatically seen as the tank. Tanks can include Heal Firebrands (i.e., Guardians), Heal Mechanists (i.e., Engineers), Heal Druids (i.e., Rangers), and the old Chronomancer.
Which class heals the best?
The support aspect of the fractal and raid meta is still heavily influenced by the Heart of Thorns expansion to this day. This is due to the Druid, the special specialization of the Ranger. The Druid provides good healing and grants the group the boon Might.
Additionally, the Tempest specialization for the Elementalist and the Ventari form for the Revenant are playable and originate from the mentioned expansion.
As already mentioned above, the Tanks Mechanist and Firebrand are also used for healing. It is common in beginner raids to let a healer tank and bring along a second (sometimes even a third) healer who focuses more on the group.
Who is the best damage dealer?
There was the biggest change due to the Secrets of the Obscure expansion and subsequent updates. Currently, the top damage dealers include Power Catalyst or Power Tempest (Elementalist), Power or Condition Willbender (Guardian), Power Virtuoso (Mesmer), and Condition Holosmith (Engineer).
Check out the Snow Crows website for regular guides and benchmarks on the classes.
Which classes are not suitable for raids?
The current meta is now somewhat more balanced than immediately after the launch of Janthir Wilds, but there are still classes like Ranger, Revenant, and Warrior that only appear outside the top 10 with their specializations.
However, keep in mind that classes cannot only be reduced to their pure damage potential. The Necromancer, for example, will probably never have the greatest damage potential of all classes. However, as a Plaguebringer, it brings the Barrier, which can be particularly helpful in inexperienced groups. The special skill “Epidemic” also helps ensure that it is used in groups.
What does the Tier List say for fractals?
In fractals, currently, Renegade Revenants, Scrapper Engineers, Harbinger Necromancers, Specter Thieves, and Rangers as Soulbeast hold an S-Tier rating (via Metabattle). Druids, Mirage Mesmers, Deadeye Thieves, and Vindicator Revenants are rated the lowest.
On the next page, we continue with the best classes for PvP and WvW:
