Playstyle questions

I've played through factions with an assassin and am looking to go through the prophecies campaign now. I also have a ritualist that I've played upto sunjiang but haven't really been motivated to go further.

I was just wondering, if I should take the assassin or rit through prophecies or should I roll up a different class?

Namely, I would like to know...

Which class has the easiest time getting through PvE with henchmen?

Which class has the most potential at single target spiking?

PvE is kinda like facing off against a pressure build. So, would would it be suitable to fight pressure vs pressure, or since PvE isn't so much a specialised pressure fight that we should go for spike vs pressure?

I've seen assassin's doing very well in Prophecies, and I'm saying that because things dont explode when they die unlike Factions.

For most of the time, spiking will come in handy, and your ability to switch and attack will show off your efficiency as well.

try being a necro great fun

Spiking one target isn't that much in order in pve, having your party attack the same target is more. But with henchies that is not a problem, hehe.

Typically in one area of the game will have counters versus certain things. Like foes using ward vs elements in certain parts, stances in others. Making other classes more effecient at different stages of the game.

Take mesmers for instance. At the start of the game the total hp of monsters is low enough for conjure phantasm to kill stuff in a few seconds. As the hp of the monsters grow this becomes a less efficient way of killing stuff, so a warrior wil be able to smash thing much quicker. Elementalists get much added power for their attributes and by then they will also outdamage the mesmer. For this part of the game the mesmer needs to become more a support char, interrupting, hexing. Mostly conditional damage tho (high dmg on spellcasters with backfire).

Towards the end the hp of monsters is huge, but so are their armor levels. The warrior and elementalist suddenly have difficulty maintaining their damage (as far as elementalists go the most popular one, fire, has the most difficulties here as the monsters are strong against it). A mesmer however has armor penetrating spells, energy burn on a mid-level monster is outdamaged by what others can do, but on the end level parties tend to start to ask for domination 'nukers'.

So really, every class is good, it's just what you prefer. You'll be needing to adept to different areas anyway

Hmm... nice way of putting things in perspective Effendi.

A problem that I had with my Rit was that since my targetting would continually switch as I cast my spirits and heal my party, the targetting of my henchmen would leave the target that I had called after a few seconds. Would this also be the case with the mesmer?

I haven't really played the mesmer (as I don't think I'm quite good enough), but the desire has been there. They do have the best looking armor around. The main deterrent for me is if it gets hard to direct your henchmen in PvE.