Control effect

"CC" redirects here. For the calendar system used in Cantha, see Canthan calendar.

Control effects, also known as Crowd control (CC) or disables, are a set of effects that temporarily prevent actions or movement and disable all skills for the effect's duration. All control effects will interrupt the target. The boon Stability provides immunity against control effects and some utility skills have the ability to break stuns and other control effects listed here.

Some enemies possess a Defiance bar which renders them immune to the effects of both control and "Soft CC" conditions. These effects instead cause varying damage to the defiance bar. Depleting this bar will "break" the enemy, causing a strong negative effect, most commonly stun and increased incoming damage. The Unstoppable ability and Indomitable effects possessed by certain enemies render them totally immune to control as well as movement-restricting conditions like crippled or immobile. Some foes also have specific non-boon stability effects which prevent most forms of control. Item upgrades and traits that increase duration of control effects do not stack - only the highest duration increase will be applied and the other will be ignored.

Control effects

•  Daze — Disables all skills for a short duration.
•  Stun — Prevents movement and actions for a short duration.
•  Knockdown — Knocks the target on ground, preventing movement and actions for a short duration.
•  Pull¹ — Pulls the caster to the target or the target to a specific location and disables them for a short duration.
•  Knockback¹ — Knocks back the target away and on the ground, preventing movement and actions for a short duration.
•  Launch¹ — Throws the target in the air over a short distance, preventing movement and actions for a short duration. Can move Downed targets.
•  Float — Causes the target to float in the air, preventing movement and actions for a short duration. Causes underwater targets to move up.
•  Sink — Causes the underwater target to move downwards.
•  Fear¹² — Disables all skills and causes the target to flee directly away from the caster for a short duration.
•  Taunt¹² — Forces the affected target to run towards the source of taunt with all skills except stun breakers disabled while using their auto-attack skill.

¹ Targets that can take Fall Damage, i.e. PvP/WvW, can be moved off ledges and cliffs.

² Fear and Taunt are both conditions and control effects.

Similar effects

These effects have similar functionality to control effects, except that traits which trigger on "disable" do not recognize them.

•  Petrified caused by Basilisk Venom
• Freeze caused by Deep Freeze (Conjure Frost Bow)

Non-disabling control effects

Some conditions will deal damage to enemy Defiance bar without being considered a disabling mechanic (particularly for purposes of various traits, as well as Stability). Some players refer to these conditions as "soft CC". Outside of defiance bar interaction, they serve a similar purpose as disabling control effects by hindering an opponent's actions or movement.

•  Blinded — Next attack Misses 100%.
•  Chilled — 66% movement speed, skill recharge rate decreased by 66%.
•  Crippled — 50% movement speed.
•  Immobile — Unable to move or rotate.
•  Slow — 50% speed for all character animations, includes movement, dodges, and skill activations.
•  Weakness — Endurance regeneration reduced by 50%. 50% of hits are Glancing blows i.e. never Critical hits and 50% normal damage.

Certain enemies are only vulnerable to specific conditions. For example, Warg Bloodhounds and Charged Souls can only be effectively hindered through the use of conditions that reduce movement speed (Chilled, Crippled and Immobile).

Related traits

Many traits relate to specific control effects and can be found in the relevant page. The traits listed below apply to control effects in general.

Additionally traits which trigger when interrupting a foe using control effects can be found here.

Traits which activate upon an incoming control effect

• Resolute Subconscious (Virtues) — Gain resolution and aegis when disabled. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
• Eye for an Eye (Retribution) — Gain protection when you are disabled. Gain might when you break out of a stun. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, launch, and taunt.
• Autodefense Bomb Dispenser (Inventions) — Drop a smoke bomb when you are disabled. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
• Protection Injection (Alchemy) — Gain protection when you are disabled. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
• Auspicious Anguish (Chaos) — Convert damaging conditions to boons whenever you gain Distortion or become disabled. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
• Dark Defiance (Death Magic) — If you are disabled, gain protection. Incoming condition damage is reduced while you have protection. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, taunt, and launch.

Traits which activate upon disabling a foe

•  Glacial Heart — Mighty Blow becomes Glacial Blow. Chill and damage foes that you disable. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Dulled Senses — Cripple enemies that you disable. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Heavy Light — Gain stability when disabling an enemy. Deal increased strike damage to disabled or defiant foes. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Stoic Demeanor — Retain Courage passive while it is on cooldown. Grant boons to nearby, allies when you disable, immobilize, or slow an enemy. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Lightning Rod — Cast Lightning Rod when you disable a foe. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Vicious Empowerment — Gain Elemental Empowerment and might when you disable or immobilize a foe.
•  Body Blow — Stuns, dazes, knockbacks, pulls, pushes, and launches inflict bleeding and weakness.
•  Merciless Hammer — Hammer and mace skills deal increased damage when striking a disabled or defiant foe. Gain adrenaline when you disable a foe. Disables include stun, taunt, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, and launch.
•  Attacker's Insight — Gain Insight when disabling foes or removing boons. Full Counter refreshes all burst skills on hit.  Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt and fear.
•  Lock On — Striking a stealthed foe triggers Invisible Analysis. Disabling a foe triggers Controlled Analysis. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Twice as Vicious — Disabling a foe increases your damage and condition damage for a short duration.
•  Words of Censure — Blinding, immobilizing, or affecting a foe with crowd control heals nearby allies. Skills that strike many foes at the same time can heal multiple times.
•  Contained Temper — Gain fury when you disable a foe. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, launch, and taunt.
•  Dwarven Battle Training — Deal increased strike damage to weakened foes. Disabling a foe applies weakness. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, taunt, and launch.
•  Ashen Demeanor — Disabling a foe cripples your enemy, which leaves them vulnerable and inspires you with Kalla's Fervor.
•  Insidious Disruption — Disabling a foe inflicts torment on them. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Vicious Expression - You and your illusions deal increased strike damage to foes without boons. Disabling a foe removes boons from them. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Delayed Reactions - Disabling a foe slows them. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear. This trait can only affect the same enemy with once per interval.

Traits which benefit from disable on foes

•  Heavy Light — Gain stability when disabling an enemy. Deal increased strike damage to disabled or defiant foes. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Stormsoul — Deal increased strike damage to disabled or defiant foes. Outgoing stun duration increased. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Predator's Onslaught — You and your pet deal increased strike damage to disabled, defiant, or movement-impaired foes. Affected conditions are stun, taunt, daze, cripple, fear, immobilize, and chilled.
•  Ancient Seeds — Striking a stunned, dazed, knocked down, launched, or defiant foe summons roots to entangle them.
•  Merciless Hammer — Hammer and mace skills deal increased damage when striking a disabled or defiant foe. Gain adrenaline when you disable a foe. Disables include stun, taunt, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, and launch.
•  Unsuspecting Foe — Increased critical-hit chance against disabled or defiant foes. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Superiority Complex — Your critical hits deal more damage. Critical hit damage against disabled foes, or foes below the health threshold, is further increased. Disabled foes are affected by stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, taunt, or launch.

Traits that increase control effect duration

•  Moment of Clarity — Gain an attack of opportunity for you and your pet on interrupting a foe. Daze and stun durations that you inflict last longer. This trait can only grant an attack of opportunity against enemies with defiance bars once per interval.

Related equipment

Upgrade components that affect stun on foes

Sigils

• Sigil of Paralyzation (increases stun duration)
• Superior Rune of the Mesmer (rank 6); +33% daze duration; increase damage to dazed foes by 10%.

See also

• Control
• Interrupt
• Defiance bar
• Stun break

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Effects (stacking)