Barrier

In-game screenshot of Barrier's effect on a health orb.

Barrier is a combat mechanic introduced in the Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire expansion. It creates a health barrier that takes damage prior to the health bar. Barrier disappears 5 seconds after being applied. Applying a barrier while one is already active will add to it, but the previously-existing barrier will still disappear 5 seconds after it was originally applied. The amount of barrier generated is based on the source's healing power, and is capped at 50% of the recipient's maximum health.

Similar to healing, the barrier total a skill applies can be calculated using the following formula:

(Coefficient * Healing Power) + Base Value

It is not affected by outgoing healing modifiers.

Related skills

Weapon skills that grant barrier

•   Call of Valor — Warhorn
•   Shock Shield — Hammer
•   Lava Skin — Sword, when attuned to fire and earth
•   Molten Burst — Trident, when attuned to fire and earth

Bundle skills that grant barrier

•   Magnetic Shield — Magnetic Shield (bundle)
•   Stone Sheath — Magnetic Shield (bundle)

Healing skills that grant barrier

•   Sand Flare — Punishment

Utility skills that grant barrier

•   Bulwark Gyro — Well
•   "Protect Me!" — Command
•   Stone Resonance — Stance
•   Sand Swell — Punishment
•   Serpent Siphon — Punishment

Profession mechanic skills that grant barrier

•   Desert Shroud — Shade
•   Sand Cascade — Shade

Trait skills that grant barrier

•   Call of the Dwarf (Song of the Mists) — Strike enemies around you, inflicting weakness, gaining barrier, and gaining additional barrier per target hit.
•   Elixir E (Emergency Elixir) — Elixir. Gain barrier and protection.
•   Lesser Stone Resonance (Bolstered Elements) — Stance. Enter an earthen state, gaining barrier periodically over the course of the stance.
•   Harbinger Shroud (Herald of Sorrow) — Shade. Enter the final shroud, gaining a powerful barrier and priming the shroud for a powerful detonation that damages enemies and bolsters allies. Targets can only be affected by this skill once per activation.

Mount Engage skills that grants barrier

•   Pounce upgraded with Bolster Allies

Bundle skills that deals bonus damage while having barrier

•   Crippling Shield — Magnetic Shield (bundle)

Related traits

Traits that grant barrier

•  Impact Savant - A percentage of the strike damage you deal is converted into barrier. Your vitality is reduced.
•  Crystal Configuration: Eclipse - Corona Burst grants a barrier for each target struck.
•  Desert Empowerment - Manifest Sand Shade grants a barrier to allies near it.
•  Herald of Sorrow - Desert Shroud becomes Harbinger Shroud.
•  Invigorating Strikes - Gain vigor when using a Dual Attack. Dodge rolling grants a barrier.
•  Elemental Refreshment - Gain barrier when using Dual Attack abilities.
•  Resilient Spirit — Periodically gain barrier for each unique boon you have.

Traits that improve barrier

•  Adaptive Armor - Incoming barriers are stronger. Reduce incoming condition damage while you have barrier.

Traits that benefit from barrier

•  Abrasive Grit - Granting an ally a barrier removes conditions afflicting them and grants might. This effect only occurs with barrier from scourge skills and traits.

Related equipment

Upgrade components that grant barrier

Runes

•   Superior Rune of the Rebirth — (6) When suffering a lethal blow.
•   Superior Rune of the Scourge — (6) When struck below 75% health.
•   Superior Rune of the Weaver — (6) When using a stance skill.
•   Superior Rune of Sanctuary — (6) When receiving any heal.

Notes

• Damage dealt to enemy barriers appears as yellow damage numbers.
• Barrier applied to allies appears as light-blue "healing" numbers.
• Barrier will not reduce fall damage.

Version history

Patch	Changes
October 01, 2019	Updated the visual effects of this effect to be less profession specific.
August 28, 2018	Barrier is now displayed in light-blue text when applied. Additionally, granting and receiving barrier is now displayed in the combat log.
December 12, 2017	The application of the barrier effect no longer resets the delay or decay of existing barriers. Barrier no longer decays over time; each application now disappears after 5 seconds, and all skills that grant barrier now give 15% more barrier.
November 07, 2017	The duration before decay begins has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. The time for the barrier to decay has been reduced from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.
September 22, 2017	Path of Fire release: Barrier has been added to the game.

---

Effects (stacking)