Which class when played with skill affects your group the most?

[Vexenu]

I think a better way to word this question is, "Which class, when played exceptionally well, can carry a group?" Or put another way, which classes are actually capable of turning a mediocre group into a good one, or a good group into a great one? In sports terms, which classes in the hands of a great player are most likely to make "big plays"?

When I say big plays, I'm not referring to the overall efficiency a group gains from a Shaman landing slow. Or a Cleric CHing a charmed pet, i.e. things owing more to the intrinsic power of the class itself and which even mediocre players can reliably bring to bear. Big plays are like the example someone posted earlier of the Bard charming a mob that was about to fall of a ledge and cause a huge train. Another obvious one is a Paladin landing a LoH on the Enchanter who's desperately trying to CC a bunch of mobs. Or a quick-thinking Necro who had the foresight and reaction time to mem Screaming Terror and land it just in time to save a group member's life. It's not surprising that classes with bigger toolboxes of abilities tend to be better in this regard, since this increases their ability to impact the group. Versatility allows you to fill in the gaps as needed, and filling in the gaps is what smooths out the performance of a group over time. Filling in a big gap with quick thinking is what prevents wipes.

From that perspective, I think we can establish a good top 5 of "big play" classes, based on their ability to fill the gaps in a group as needed, especially in response to emergency situations:

1) Bard
2) Paladin
3) Enchanter
4) Pulling Monk
5) Necromancer