Both my warrior and guardian use a rifle for ranged combat and the swap I use axe/sword. Both axe and sword have ranged attacks which makes leaping in, doing a lot of damage then nipping back out of a fight much easier and I tend to survive a lot longer than I used to. As JHCinSC says, also consider a bow too - as all the attacks work differently. If I get mauled and I do a lot of the time as I do tend to solo a lot - sometimes, retreating out of the fight, equiping something different (axe/mace and bow is my other alternative set) and heading back into the fight again can often mean I can conquer whatever GW2 throws my way. There is no definitive set as to what is best, it's really up to you to find out what works best for your playstyle.