What are the best classes for each role in 4th edition?

[MadMaxim]

I've been away from these boards for ages now and I'm just getting back into D&D (got a huge chunck of 3.5). I just wanted to know what the best classes are in the particular roles of controller, defender, leader and striker? I'm not up to speed on all the classes but I've got most of the Player's Handbooks (missing the second which should be on its way) and I have a really hard time figuring out which ones are the best in each role. I'm not using it for anything special because I don't have anyone to play with at the moment, but I was quite a powergamer during 3.5, but are the classes really that equal in their particular roles now? Thanks everybody and nice to be back on the boards again!

 

[drothgery]

Defender: I think the CharOp guys will tell you that Figher (classic build, not Knight) is the best, Paladins (both classic and Cavalier) are okay, Swordmages have some problems but are fun, Knights break down in Paragon and Epic but are fine in Heroic. Battleminds have problems.

Leader: It's pretty close between Cleric and Warlord. Bards and Shamans and Artificers have some neat tricks (though Artificer is hindered by being one of the few classes where the only support beyond the book it
appeared has been in Dragon -- Runepriest has the same issue, only more so because it wasn't as good to begin with).

Striker: Classic Ranger and the essentials Thief are the kings of damage-dealing, but the Slayer (fighter), Barbarian, Sorcerer and especially the classic Rogue are quite good as well. Warlock doesn't deal as much damage, but does have some cool stuff; to a lesser extent this is true for Avengers. Blackguard (Paladin), too. Assassin and Vampire not so much.

Controller: For a while it looked like Wizard would end up a second-class controller, but since they got so much more additonal support than the others, they pretty much ended up on the top of the heap anyway. Next best is Invoker, then Psion. The Hunter (Ranger) is okay if you're not too worried about actually controlling with your controller. The nominally striker warlock builds are better at control than the Binder (Warlock), and the Seeker isn't very good.

 

[hipnotode]

its really subjective. it depends on just about everything else in the game.
i dont think theyve really made once class better than the others. seeker and runepriest are reletively undersuported, but thats about it.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

The usual suspects are probably these:

Defender: Fighter, followed by Warden and Paladin

Leader: Warlord, followed by Bard

Striker: Ranger (both melee and ranged), followed by Rogue

Controller: Wizard, followed by Invoker

 

[blalien]

To comment on Peraion Graufalke's list:

Leader: Clerics are the best in terms of raw healing, but tend to lag behind other classes with buffing.

Striker: Rangers and rogues are the best single target strikers. Sorcerers are the best multi target strikers.

Besides that I agree with that list. But no class really outshines or falls behind other classes, at least not as much as in 3.5. It's not perfect, but they really fixed a lot of the balance issues.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Leader: Clerics are the best in terms of raw healing, but tend to lag behind other classes with buffing.

Agreed. As I'm a firm believer in the "dead monsters don't crit" philosophy, I didn't include the Cleric in my list.

Sorcerers are the best multi target strikers.

If only they had a good paragon path that enhances their striker role.

 

[Droogie128]

Agreed. As I'm a firm believer in the "dead monsters don't crit" philosophy, I didn't include the Cleric in my list.


If only they had a good paragon path that enhances their striker role.

Actually, a tiefling or genasi pyromancer can give a Sorcerer a sad face when it comes to aoe damage.

 

[Destil]

Warlords are the strongest leader if you have a party with good basic attacks, though shaman and bard can also do well there.

Note: Psion is the strongest controller by far once you hit mid-paragon because how how broken their low level augmentations are.

 

[malraux]

Arguably the best leader is dependent on what the rest of the party is like, because it interacts pretty heavily with the rest of the party's defenses, basic attacks, and healing surges.

All that said, the huge gulf in power between min/maxed characters and regular characters in 3e is largely gone; if that's what you're wondering about.

 

[blalien]

If only they had a good paragon path that enhances their striker role.

Are you being sarcastic, or is there some amazing sorcerer paragon path I'm not aware of?