Elite skill

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Disambig icon.png This article is about the skill type. For the specific NPC/enemy rank, see NPC rank. For elite specializations, see specialization.

Elite skills are especially powerful skills designed to be used infrequently and have a dramatic effect on the tide of a battle. The last slot on the skill bar is reserved for elite skills. Elite skills typically have much longer recharge times compared to normal utility skills — very few recharge in less than 60 seconds, and some can take up to 4 minutes.

Acquisition[edit]

Elite skills become available when a character reaches level 31. Elite skills associated with an elite specialization become available when a character reaches level 80 and has access to Heart of Thorns, Path of Fire, or End of Dragons content. Most characters will have access to seven or more elite skills, three of them determined by profession, three determined by race and the remaining one by elite specialization. Some races (e.g. norn) have more elite skills than others, balanced by a smaller pool of racial utility skills. Racial elite skills are only usable in PvE and World versus World, and not in Structured PvP.

Characters must unlock Healing skills and Utility skills of a determined skill type before unlocking elite skills. Racial elite skills and Mistfire Wolf unlock automatically at level 31.

While in Heart of the Mists, all characters have access to all skills excluding racial elite skills and Mistfire Wolf. This allows lower level characters to experiment with different skills and see which elite skills they want to unlock first. Some professions only have one elite skill which can be used while in underwater mode. None of the racial elite skills can be used underwater. While it is possible to equip two different elite skills, one during underwater mode and one on the ground, using an elite skill will still cause the slot to be in recharge for the elite skill used, even if using a different elite skill underwater or while on land.

Profession elite skills[edit]

Skill Underwater skills Activation.png Tango-recharge-darker.png Description

Guardian icon small.png Guardian

Renewed Focus.png Renewed Focus 2 90 Meditation. Focus, making yourself invulnerable and recharging your virtues.
"Feel My Wrath!".png "Feel My Wrath!" 0.25¼ 30 Shout. Grant fury and quickness to nearby allies. The duration of the quickness you grant yourself is doubled.
Signet of Courage.png Signet of Courage 20.5½ 60 Signet Passive: Periodically heal allies in an area around you while in combat.
Signet Active: Channel healing and boons in a large area around you, concluding with a large heal if this skill is not interrupted.

Dragonhunter icon small.png Dragonhunter

Dragon's Maw.png Dragon's Maw Not available underwater 0.5½ 40 Trap. Lay a trap that pulls enemies and creates a barrier that holds them in.

Firebrand icon small.png Firebrand

Mantra of Liberation.png Mantra of Liberation 20.25¼ 40 Mantra. Echo remnants of an ancient pamphlet from Vabbi that urged Elonians to freedom. Grant stability and resolution to allies while breaking stun.
The final charge of this ability is more powerful.
ChainPortent of Freedom.png Portent of Freedom 1 Hints of freedom echo around, stabilizing and breaking stuns on you and your allies.
ChainUnhindered Delivery.png Unhindered Delivery 1 Final Charge. Your whispers guard your allies, stabilizing and breaking stuns on them while weakening enemies.

Willbender icon small.png Willbender

Heaven's Palm.png Heaven's Palm Not available underwater 10.25¼ 20 Physical. Shadowstep and slam the ground, knocking down your targeted foe. Foes that aren't targeted are knocked back instead.

Revenant icon small.png Revenant

Jade Winds.png Jade Winds 1 5 Legendary Assassin. Call upon the Jade Wind to turn nearby enemies into jade, stunning them for a short duration.
Energy Expulsion.png Energy Expulsion Not available underwater 2 Legendary Centaur. Force energy to erupt from the tablet, knocking down nearby foes and healing nearby allies.

If this skill is empowered, grant stability to allies near the tablet.
Embrace the Darkness.png Embrace the Darkness 0.5½ 3 Legendary Demon. Summon the power of the legendary demon to transform into a powerful avatar. Pulse torment to nearby foes. Using skills that cost energy increases the torment applied on the next pulse.
ChainResist the Darkness.png Resist the Darkness Legendary Demon. End Embrace the Darkness early.
Rite of the Great Dwarf.png Rite of the Great Dwarf 10.25¼ Legendary Dwarf. Channel the power of the Rite of the Great Dwarf to turn yourself and nearby allies to stone to reduce incoming damage.

Herald icon small.png Herald

Facet of Chaos.png Facet of Chaos Legendary Dragon. Facet. Place the Facet of Chaos on yourself to grant nearby allies protection every few seconds.
ChainChaotic Release.png Chaotic Release 0.75¾ 20 Legendary Dragon. Consume. Consume Facet of Chaos, releasing chaotic winds damaging and knocking back foes while granting superspeed to allies. Facet of Chaos will be disabled while this skill is recharging.

Renegade icon small.png Renegade

Soulcleave's Summit.png Soulcleave's Summit Not available underwater 1 3 Legendary Renegade. Summon Lieutenant Ofela Soulcleave to grant your allies' strikes incredible bloodthirst, inflicting damage and restoring health.
Lieutenant Soulcleave can only empower players to siphon life once per interval, and does not benefit nonplayers.
ChainDismiss Lieutenant Soulcleave.png Dismiss Lieutenant Soulcleave Order Ofela Soulcleave to leave the field.

Vindicator icon small.png Vindicator

Urn of Saint Viktor.png Urn of Saint Viktor 2 Legendary Alliance. Become the Urn of Saint Viktor, taking continuous damage while healing nearby allies. You take reduced damage while in this state, but you cannot be healed.
ChainDrop Urn of Saint Viktor.png Drop Urn of Saint Viktor 1 1 Legendary Alliance. Slam your Urn into the ground, ending the ability. Grant boons and heals[sic] allies based on your health threshold.
Spear of Archemorus.png Spear of Archemorus 0.5½ 12 Legendary Alliance. Call upon the spirit of Archemorus to hurl his spear at your foe, dealing significant damage.

Warrior icon small.png Warrior

Battle Standard.png Battle Standard 2 120 Banner. Place a battle standard that revives fallen allies and finishes downed foes. Once placed, the banner periodically grants boons to allies.
Rampage.png Rampage Not available underwater 1 90 Physical. Take the form of a massive juggernaut, reducing the damage you take and the duration of incoming movement-impeding conditions.
Signet of Rage.png Signet of Rage 0.25¼ 40 Signet Passive: Grants adrenaline while in combat.
Signet Active: Gain fury, might, and swiftness.

Berserker icon small.png Berserker

Head Butt.png Head Butt Not available underwater 0.75¾ 20 Rage. Stun your target and stun yourself. Gain adrenaline and extend berserk duration if you hit.

Spellbreaker icon small.png Spellbreaker

Winds of Disenchantment.png Winds of Disenchantment 10.5½ 90 Meditation. Create an area of calm in which foes have reduced incoming boon duration and lose boons every interval. Enemy missiles entering this area are blocked.

Bladesworn icon small.png Bladesworn

Tactical Reload.png Tactical Reload 0.5½ 30 Armament. Reload ammo on all of your bladesworn skills. Your next Dragon Trigger generates more charges per interval.

Engineer icon small.png Engineer

Plaguelands.png Plague 105 Become a virulent cloud and inflict multiple conditions on foes you touch. Entering this form destroys all minions and removes spectral effects.
Elixir X.png Elixir X Not available underwater 1 85 Elixir. Drink Elixir X to become a rampaging brute or whirling tornado. Underwater, become either a withering plague or a whirlpool.
Elixir X.png Elixir X Underwater skill 1 105 Elixir. Drink Elixir X to become a rampaging brute or whirling tornado. Underwater, become either a withering plague or a whirlpool.
Elite Mortar Kit.png Elite Mortar Kit Not available underwater Engineering Kit. Equip the mortar kit.
Overcharge Supply Crate.png Overcharge Supply Crate Not available underwater Overcharge supply crate's turrets.
Supply Crate.png Supply Crate Not available underwater 1 120 Turret. Request a supply drop of turrets. Turrets overcharge when they are first dropped.
ChainDetonate Net Turret.png Detonate Supply Crate Turrets Not available underwater Detonate your supply crate turrets.
Magnetic Inversion.png Overcharge Supply Crate Underwater skill Overcharge supply crate's turrets.
Supply Crate.png Supply Crate Underwater skill 1 120 Turret. Request a supply drop of turrets. Turrets overcharge when they are first dropped.
ChainDetonate Net Turret.png Detonate Supply Crate Turrets Underwater skill Detonate your supply crate turrets.

Scrapper icon small.png Scrapper

Sneak Gyro.png Sneak Gyro 0.75¾ 45 Well. Deploy a sneak gyro to provide stealth to nearby allies.

Holosmith icon small.png Holosmith

Prime Light Beam.png Prime Light Beam Not available underwater 10.25¼ 60 Exceed. Charge up and fire an explosive beam of light in front of you. When activated above the heat threshold, this attack leaves behind a burning holographic field.

Mechanist icon small.png Mechanist

Overclock Signet.png Overclock Signet Not available underwater 90 Signet Passive: Reduces recharge of other signets.
Signet Active: Order your mech to fire its ultimate weapon, the jade buster cannon. If your mech is not present, instead your mech is summoned, even if Crash Down is on cooldown.

Ranger icon small.png Ranger

"Strength of the Pack!".png "Strength of the Pack!" 1 60 Command. Rampage with your pet, gaining stability, fury, and swiftness. You and your pet also grant might to each other when you attack.
Spirit of Nature.png Spirit of Nature 10.5½ 120 Spirit. Summon a spirit at a target point and convert conditions on allies into boons. The spirit will slam the ground and then shake, granting boons to nearby allies.
ChainNature's Renewal.png Nature's Renewal 0.75¾ Your spirit of nature slams the ground and creates a blast of vital energy that revives nearby downed allies.
Entangle.png Entangle Not available underwater 0.75¾ 60 Survival. Entangle foes around you with vines. Entangled foes bleed and are immobilized until the vines are destroyed.

Druid icon small.png Druid

Glyph of the Stars.png Glyph of the Stars Not available underwater 60 Glyph. Channel the power of the stars to prevent harm to your allies.
Glyph of Empowerment (Celestial Avatar).png Glyph of the Stars Not available underwater 1 48 Glyph. Prevent health drain while downed and revive downed allies in the targeted area. Heal and grant boons to allies in that area.
Glyph of the Stars.png Glyph of the Stars Not available underwater 1 48 Glyph. Heal allies, cleanse conditions, and grant stability to allies in the area.

Soulbeast icon small.png Soulbeast

One Wolf Pack.png One Wolf Pack 0.25¼ 60 Stance. Your successful attacks will trigger a second strike while in this stance.
This effect can occur once per interval.

Untamed icon small.png Untamed

Forest's Fortification.png Forest's Fortification 1 90 Cantrip. Surround yourself with elements of nature, gaining defensive boons and damage reduction. Striking an enemy while this fortification is active reduces the cooldown of this ability.

Thief icon small.png Thief

Thieves Guild.png Thieves Guild 10.5½ 120 Deception. Call more thieves to support you in combat.
Dagger Storm.png Dagger Storm Not available underwater 20.75¾ 90 Trick. Spin around, reflecting projectiles and throwing daggers that cripple and bleed nearby foes. You can move while spinning.
Basilisk Venom.png Basilisk Venom 1 40 Venom. Your attacks are unblockable and turn foes to stone.

Daredevil icon small.png Daredevil

Impact Strike.png Impact Strike Not available underwater 0.5½ 25 Physical. Strike your enemy and stun[sic] them.
ChainUppercut (Daredevil skill).png Uppercut Not available underwater 0.75¾ Deal a heavy blow with your fist, sending enemies flying.
ChainFinishing Blow.png Finishing Blow Not available underwater 10.5½ Deal a downward strike on your foe. Downed enemies struck with this ability are finished.

Deadeye icon small.png Deadeye

Shadow Meld.png Shadow Meld 0.5½ 5 Cantrip. Vanish into stealth.

Specter icon small.png Specter

Shadowfall.png Shadowfall Not available underwater 0.5½ 75 Well. Shadowstep to the target location and drop a well that continuously pulls foes to its center, increasing intensity with each hit.

Elementalist icon small.png Elementalist

Tornado.png Tornado Not available underwater 1 60 Cantrip. Gain stability and shape-shift into a tornado that damages and launches foes.
Whirlpool.png Whirlpool Underwater skill 10.25¼ 60 Cantrip. Shape-shift into a swirling maelstrom that pulls foes into its destructive vortex.
Conjure Fiery Greatsword.png Conjure Fiery Greatsword Not available underwater 1 180 Conjure. Manifest a fiery greatsword in your hands and at the target location. When it lands, it damages and burns foes. Wielders of this weapon gain increased power and condition damage and cast Lesser Fiery Eruption at regular intervals on random enemies.
Glyph of Elementals.png Glyph of Elementals Not available underwater 10.25¼ 40 Glyph. Summon an elemental based on your attunement.
Shocking Bolt.png Shocking Bolt Not available underwater 15 Command your air elemental to fire a stunning bolt at its target.
Stomp (Glyph of Elementals skill).png Stomp Not available underwater 18 Command your earth elemental to stomp the ground, granting protection to allies and crippling foes.
Flame Barrage.png Flame Barrage Not available underwater 15 Command your fire elemental to bombard its target and surrounding foes with burning bolts and then release a burst of fire around itself.
Crashing Waves.png Crashing Waves Not available underwater 15 Command your ice elemental to knock back its target and then release a wave of water that heals allies and removes a condition.
Glyph of Elementals (fire).png Glyph of Elementals Not available underwater 10.25¼ 40 Glyph. Summon an elemental based on your attunement.
Glyph of Elementals (water).png Glyph of Elementals Not available underwater 10.25¼ 40 Glyph. Summon an elemental based on your attunement.
Glyph of Elementals (air).png Glyph of Elementals Not available underwater 10.25¼ 40 Glyph. Summon an elemental based on your attunement.
Glyph of Elementals (earth).png Glyph of Elementals Not available underwater 10.25¼ 40 Glyph. Summon an elemental based on your attunement.

Tempest icon small.png Tempest

"Rebound!".png "Rebound!" 0.25¼ 75 Shout. Shout and infuse your allies with arcane energy. Allies who would take lethal damage while this is active ignore the deathblow and are healed instead. If the effect expires naturally, grant an aura based on your current attunement.

Weaver icon small.png Weaver

Weave Self.png Weave Self 0.75¾ 90 Stance. Temporarily reduce the recharge time of attunements while gaining bonuses for attuning to new elements. Successfully attuning to all elements ends this stance and grants Perfect Weave.
ChainTailored Victory.png Tailored Victory 0.75¾ Release all of your woven elements and end your Weave Self stance, causing gravity itself to unravel around you.

Catalyst icon small.png Catalyst

Elemental Celerity.png Elemental Celerity 0.25¼ 90 Augment. Reduce the recharge of weapon skills of your current attunement. If this is activated in range of your sphere, gain a boon based on its element.

Mesmer icon small.png Mesmer

Time Warp.png Time Warp 0.25¼ 120 Glamour. Create an area that warps time, granting you and your allies quickness while slowing enemies.
Mass Invisibility.png Mass Invisibility 10.25¼ 48 Manipulation. You and all your allies gain stealth for a short time.
Signet of Humility.png Signet of Humility 1 60 Signet Passive: Reduces duration of incoming stuns, dazes, fears, and taunts.
Signet Active: Transform your foe into a moa bird.
(Defiant foes will have their defiant bar reduced instead.)

Chronomancer icon small.png Chronomancer

Gravity Well.png Gravity Well Not available underwater 1 60 Well. Create a powerful well that warps space in an area, knocking down, floating, and pulling foes caught in its event horizon. When it expires, foes still inside the well take heavy damage.

Mirage icon small.png Mirage

Jaunt.png Jaunt Not available underwater 0.5½ Deception. Shadowstep to a target location and confuse nearby foes.

Virtuoso icon small.png Virtuoso

Thousand Cuts.png Thousand Cuts Not available underwater 60 Psionic. Open a portal that devastates targets in a line in front of you with a flurry of blades.

Necromancer icon small.png Necromancer

Plaguelands.png Plaguelands 1 90 Corruption. Create a virulent cloud that inflicts conditions on foes in its area. This plague inflicts additional conditions every second it persists. Inflict bleeding on yourself.
Summon Flesh Golem.png Summon Flesh Golem 10.5½ 48 Minion. Summon a flesh golem to attack foes with crippling claws.
ChainCharge (necromancer skill).png Charge 0.75¾ 40 Command your flesh golem to gain stability and charge a foe, knocking down or launching enemies in its path.
Lich Form.png Lich Form Not available underwater 1 150 Spectral. Assume the form of a lich for a brief time, improving your precision and vitality. Gain life force when this skill ends.
Entering this form removes other spectral effects.

Reaper icon small.png Reaper

"Chilled to the Bone!".png "Chilled to the Bone!" 10.25¼ 30 Shout. Freeze all enemies around you, inflicting conditions on them. Gain boons for each foe you freeze. Deal additional damage and increased stun duration and gain additional boons when striking foes in melee range.

Scourge icon small.png Scourge

Ghastly Breach.png Ghastly Breach 0.75¾ 60 Punishment. Breach into the realm of torment for a brief time, granting might to allies and slowing enemies. Convert a boon on enemies into torment each pulse.

Harbinger icon small.png Harbinger

Elixir of Ambition.png Elixir of Ambition 0.5½ 60 Elixir. Infuse your boundless ambition into an elixir, gaining every possible boon, and then toss the elixir at the targeted area, inflicting all damaging conditions on foes. If you are in the splash area of the elixir, gain Blight.

If you are at or above the Blight threshold when you activate this skill, consume that amount of Blight to double the damage and condition duration.

Racial elite skills[edit]

Skill Underwater skills Activation.png Tango-recharge-darker.png Description

Asura tango icon 20px.png Asura

Summon 7-Series Golem.png Summon 7-Series Golem Not available underwater 2 180 Summon a 7-Series attacking golem to fight for you.
Summon D-Series Golem.png Summon D-Series Golem Not available underwater 2 180 Summon a D-Series defensive golem.
Summon Power Suit.png Summon Power Suit Not available underwater 2 240 Summon a Power Suit which you or your allies can enter and use to combat foes.

Charr tango icon 20px.png Charr

Artillery Barrage.png Artillery Barrage Not available underwater 2 240 Call down an artillery barrage at target location, damaging foes.
Charrzooka.png Charrzooka Not available underwater 0.5½ 180 Pull out a powerful charrzooka that shoots rockets.
Warband Support.png Warband Support Not available underwater 10.5½ 240 Call in members of your warband to assist you.

Human tango icon 20px.png Human

Avatar of Melandru.png Avatar of Melandru Not available underwater 180 Transform into an Avatar of Melandru.
ChainAvatar of Melandru.png Remove Avatar of Melandru Not available underwater Remove the Avatar of Melandru, returning to your normal form.
Hounds of Balthazar.png Hounds of Balthazar Not available underwater 1 240 Summon two Hounds of Balthazar to fight at your side.
Reaper of Grenth.png Reaper of Grenth Not available underwater 1 180 Become a Reaper of Grenth, chilling and poisoning nearby foes.

Norn tango icon 20px.png Norn

Become the Bear.png Become the Bear Not available underwater 0.25¼ 240 Shape-shift into norn bear form.
Become the Raven.png Become the Raven Not available underwater 0.5½ 240 Shape-shift into norn raven form.
Become the Snow Leopard.png Become the Snow Leopard Not available underwater 0.5½ 240 Shape-shift into norn snow leopard form.
Become the Wolf.png Become the Wolf Not available underwater 0.5½ 240 Shape-shift into norn wolf form.

Sylvari tango icon 20px.png Sylvari

Summon Druid Spirit.png Summon Druid Spirit Not available underwater 20.75¾ 240 Summon a Druid Spirit to fight at your side.
Summon Sylvan Hound.png Summon Sylvan Hound Not available underwater 2 180 Summon a sylvan hound to fight at your side.
Take Root.png Take Root Not available underwater 3 150 Take root at your current location, becoming immobile, but causing several turrets to grow nearby.

Common elite skills[edit]

Skill Underwater skills Activation.png Tango-recharge-darker.png Description
Mistfire Wolf.png Mistfire Wolf Not available underwater 1 150 Summon a Mistfire Wolf to fight at your side.

Mistfire Wolf is available to any character on any pre-purchased Digital Deluxe or Collector's Edition account.

Related traits[edit]

Related equipment[edit]