Initiative

Initiative is a skill cost mechanic unique to the thief profession. It replaces recharge on the thief's weapon skills with a pool of twelve points which are spent when the skills are used and gradually returns over time. Using initiative the thief is able to tactically attack an opponent with their own chains and bursts of damage until they run out of the resource.

Thieves have a base of 12 initiative. Initiative is represented by twelve diamond-shaped indicators above the weapon skill slots. The initiative pool can be expanded up to 15 points through the primary trait line Trickery. Whenever a weapon skill is used, it will consume a certain number of initiative from the available pool. Initiative will replenish naturally at one point every second.

Initiative uses as an icon when present but when consumed it uses as an icon.

Skills which use initiative

Weapon	Equipped in	Skill	Initiative cost
Dagger	Main hand	Heartseeker	3
	Off hand	Dancing Dagger	3
		Cloak and Dagger	5
Pistol	Main hand	Bola Shot	3
	Off hand	Head Shot	4
		Black Powder	6
Sword	Main hand	Infiltrator's Strike	3
		Infiltrator's Return	2
Short bow	Both hands	Cluster Bomb	3
		Disabling Shot	4 (PvE) 5 (PvP/WvW)
		Choking Gas	4 (PvE) 6 (WvW) 7 (PvP)
		Infiltrator's Arrow	6 (PvE) 8 (PvP/WvW)
Staff	Both hands	Weakening Charge	3
		Debilitating Arc	4 (PvE) 5 (PvP/WvW)
		Dust Strike	4
		Vault	5 (PvE) 6 (PvP/WvW)
Rifle	Both hands	Skirmisher's Shot   Spotter's Shot	3
		Double Tap   Three Round Burst	4 (PvE) 6 (PvP/WvW)
		Death's Retreat	4 (PvE) 6 (PvP/WvW)
		Sniper's Cover	4
		Kneel	1
Harpoon gun	Aquatic	Deluge	5
		Escape	4
		Disabling Shot	4
		Ink Shot	5
Spear	Aquatic	Flanking Dive	3
		Nine-Tailed Strike	5
		Break Stance	2
		Tow Line	4
		Hooked Spear	3
		Shadow Assault	5

Dual skills

Main weapon	Off-hand weapon	Skill	Initiative cost
Dagger	Dagger	Death Blossom	4 (PvE) 5 (PvP/WvW)
	Pistol	Shadow Shot	4 (PvE) 5 (PvP/WvW)
	None	Twisting Fangs	4
Pistol	Dagger	Shadow Strike	4
		Repeater	3
	Pistol	Unload	5 (PvE) 6 (PvP/WvW)
	None	Repeater	3
Sword	Dagger	Flanking Strike	4
		Larcenous Strike	2
	Pistol	Pistol Whip	5 (PvE) 6 (PvP/WvW)
	None	Stab	4

Skills which restore initiative

Weapon skills which restore initiative

•   Unload — 2 if all attacks hit (PvE) / 1 if all attacks hit (PvP/WvW)
•   Kneel — 1

Utility skills which restore initiative

•   Infiltrator's Signet — 1 every 10s
•   Roll for Initiative — 6
•   Mercy — 3 plus 1 per spent

Stolen skills which restore initiative

•   Eat Egg — 8

Related traits

Traits that restore Initiative

• Shadow's Rejuvenation (Shadow Arts) — Gain initiative when you enter or exit stealth.
• Upper Hand (Acrobatics) — Gain initiative and regeneration when you evade an attack.
• Kleptomaniac (Trickery) — Stealing gives you initiative.
• Quick Pockets (Trickery) — Gain initiative on swapping weapons while in combat.
• Maleficent Seven (Deadeye) — Increase the maximum malice-stack count. Restore initiative and gain boons upon reaching the maximum number of malice stacks.

Traits that improve Initiative

• Assassin's Reward (Acrobatics) — Heal yourself whenever you use a skill that uses initiative. Heal yourself for each point of initiative spent.
• Preparedness (Trickery) — Increases maximum initiative by 3. Gain increased expertise.
• Lead Attacks (Trickery) — Increases all damage dealt per initiative spent. Steal gains reduced recharge time.

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Skill types and profession mechanics