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What’s Your Favorite MMORPG Class?

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Yesterday I asked what your favorite MMORPG race was and why, so today I’m going to ask you about MMORPG classes. Instead of asking you to pick just one overall favorite, I’ll let you pick a few classes  you think are really cool, unique, or awesome enough in their design/idea that you think of them as a favorite .

When you list a class, I want you to explain why and share a little about that class. Many of us may have never tried the classes you think are cool, or even played the games they’re from.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Animist – Dark Age of Camelot

Animists are a pet class around a plant-like affinity. Animists summon turret-like mushroom pets that were a little bit of set-it-and-forget-it. I remember setting up a little forest of mushrooms that did varying things like slow the enemy, aoe, and could act like an awesome trap in PvP. There were also bomb-like pets that would go out and explode.  Very satisfying pet class.

Druid – World of Warcraft

What I love about this class is that it can do it all, but in very different ways. Druids shape shifting into different forms (at least they used to) to become better at those things was something I loved because it made the class feel very true to its lore. Being a bear to tank, a cat to dps, and a tree to heal felt right.  Though it may be different now, I really appreciated how unique the class was because of things like shape shift travel forms and not needing to buy mounts.

Blood Mage – Vanguard

The Blood Mage in VG was cool because it could be a healer or a dps class. From what I remember, it was a glass-cannon that could use its own health to heal or damage and do all sorts of things like rip organs out of its enemies before they died to use them for various purposes. It had nukes, dots, and super strong heals. In many cases, BM’s would often tip the scales of many fights because of their versatility.

Shaman – Warhammer Online

I really like the idea of the Shaman, particularly as it ties in with the Goblin race. WAAAGH! was so cool as a magic. I really liked how all of the abilties tied in with the theme. The aoe heals were cool, and the HoT healing was fun. I don’t think the class was particularly amazing, and lacked where a straight cleric would do, but I enjoyed how it felt diverse.

Bard – EverQuest

Bards in EverQuest were such a cool support class. Using instruments and singing, they would buff groups, pacify enemies, and pull to the group. Back in the day, Bard players had to be particularly skilled and ‘twist’ songs together by activating one, and then deactivating it while quickly activating another. Using the timers of how the songs would pulse for a few seconds after being disabled, a good Bard could have 3 or more songs actively going on the party at all times.

I want to keep going, but I’d probably start to take all the cool ideas and leave nothing for the rest of you. I’m purposely leaving off a few that I hope the rest of you mention. If not, I’ll add them in comments.

  • I would say Bard in Everquest or Vanguard. In VG they had the awesome ability to design their own spells which was super cool. My highest level character in EQ2 was a Troubadour. Just always loved bard classes.

  • Well for me a Cleric or some sort of primary healer quite simply because all I do in a battle is watch HP bars which is fine (i use shadowplay or similar recording program to watch the fight afterwards (:)

    For me playing a healer gets me into groups.

    • A lot of people have been picking favorite classes based on mechanics or gameplay, but picking one because of getting groups quickly (or at all) is definitely legit. That’s why I played a Cleric on Coirnav lately.

      • Yeah too many times I have picked a class based on what I would like to play and have had the experience of LFG for hours ): Anyway healer is fine I do enjoy the buffs and the gameplay.

  • Vanguard Disciple, no contest. Healing a full group by kicking monsters in the face. Living the dream!

    Vanguard was (is – the EMU is coming along beautifully) stuffed to bursting with fantastic classes. The blood mage as you mention was great but so was the Necromancer, with its body grafts, the Psionicist, with its mind-link to all other Psionicists, plus a totally solid line-up of classics done really well.

    Warhammer Squig-Herder is my second-favorite, mostly for its unmatchable comedy value. Punting players off walls never gets old.

    EQ2’s Berserker is my favorite solo class. A whirling wall of AoE mayhem that, like the Disciple, heals by hurting – although the Berserker only heals himself.

    GW2’s Elementalist is my most-played class of the last half-decade. i have three and I play all of them every day. Really fluid and satisfying once you get the hang of swapping between elements.

    EQ Magician and Necromancer are both top-notch and Enchanter is superb if you can keep up the necessary focus and concentration. EQ Beastlord, which I played for years, is wonderful too. EQ2 Beastlord is too fiddly.

    EQ Cleric I absolutely loved back in my full-time grouping days. Best dedicated healer I’ve played anywhere.

    I could go on and on. Most classes in most MMOs are pretty good when you understand them. I can’t play scouts or rogues to save my life but even those I can appreciate when I see someone else making the most of them.

    About the only popular class I really don’t get is the Paladin, which seems to me to be about the most boring set of skills ever put together.

    • Vanguard had a lot of really cool classes. Disciple, Bard (making their own songs), Blood Mage, Pscion, Shaman, etc. Some familiar names in there but pretty unique plays.

      Is the emu for Vanguard out yet and populated with players?

  • Various thieves in UO that could kill people after they attacked me for stealing. Dexer thief with a quarter staff was probably the one I played the most. Steal all the bandaids from dexers while fighting, or all the pearl from mages. Makes them easy to kill! Hands down the most fun I ever had with a class.

    • Sandbox skill-based classes were something I didn’t even mention. UO let you essentially make your own class. Dexers, thieves, summoners, etc. Super cool.

  • The only MMO’s I have seriously played are WoW, LOTRO, SWTOR, and GW2.

    From WoW, my favourite class is the Shaman that used to exist. I loved being support, I loved having a huge variety of totems with actually meaningful buffs. I loved looking at my 5-man composition and selecting the best totems for that group. That playstyle, however, is long gone.

    In LOTRO my favourite was the Minstrel. The whole Bard fantasy in general is awesome, and I just loved being this Hobbit playing music across Middle Earth.

    SWTOR’s Trooper was pretty fun. Nothing special mechanically, just fun to AoE out of that giant cannon.

    GW2… I honestly I never really connected well with any of the classes. I played them all a bunch and eventually left the game dissatisfied. The combat never really connected with me in that game. Pretty to look at, though.

    • One of the classes I didn’t mention was from LOTRO. I played a Minstrel to max level and a Captain. Raided on both. Really enjoyed their class mechanics.

      SWTOR classes just didn’t do it for me for some reason. I wasn’t a fan of the abilities. Couldn’t find a class I liked. Same with GW2 – I couldn’t find a single class I enjoyed.

  • Blue mage in FFXI! It learns monster spells by battling them and getting hit by those spells. See a mob using a special breath effect? blue mage can learn it!

  • EQ1 – Mage, my Reference favorite pet class.
    You had powerful elemental spells but had to make sure not to draw aggro from you pet.Probably my first true memorable moment in an MMO, I remember being in Desert of North Rho and scribing that fire bolt spell for the first time. Back then, seeing a fireball being casted was truly impressive, coming from games like UO. Yeah, it does hint at my age I guess.
    EQ2 – Necro, for some reason the conjuror could never replace the EQ1 Mage so I had to switch over to death magic.
    DAOC – Troll Skald swinging that 2h hammer while running at warp speed.
    Honorable mentions,
    Enchanter, stun-DD!, minor speed. Any hibs casters.
    Hunter, send in the wolf, bows and arrows, finish of with the spear.
    Overall Daoc is the game where I loved so many of the classes, they were just so unique.
    WAR – Goblin Shaman, just the way it looked and its posture while holding that staff. Had such a blast in BG’s with that class.
    LOTRO – Warden and Lore-master, but never got far enough (>50) to truly experience them fully.

    Honorable mentions:
    SWTOR – Jedi Sentinel/Guardian, both were fun and truly what I expected a Jedi to be.
    Wildstar – Engineer

    See a pattern there ? I tend to like casters with pets. But im very picky when choosing that type of class.
    Its hard to list WoW warlocks since they change so much every single xpac. Right now they are in a good place.

    Im definitly old school with a tab-target combat preference.

    Hi I’m Shimrah, I am an Altaholic.

  • Bear Shaman AOC: A rather fragile melee healer who needed to keep his dps up in order to keep its heals up.

    Prepatch old drain nightblades ESO: Similar to the bear shamen but had a healing drain aspect. Where fun to play with a lot to manage.

    DCUO had a build similar to the other two. Melee healer who uses drain but is rather squishy. I forgot the class though.

    Mesmer GW2: Very fun gimic class with a lot to play with.