Insect Swarm

This article is about the ranger pet skill. For the NPC, see Insect Swarm (NPC).

Beast. Exhale a swarm of insects that hits multiple foes. — In-game description

Insect Swarm

 

Profession

Ranger (skill list)

Pet

Marsh Drake

Slot

Pet (skill list)

Type

Beast

Game link

API

12701

This skill has an underwater replacement: Poison Cloud (marsh drake)

“

10.5½  

20

25

 

Insect Swarm

Beast. Exhale a swarm of insects that hits multiple foes.

 Damage (5x): 2,585 (1.25)^?

 Damage (5x): 2,070 (1.0)^?

₅ Poison (4s): 670 Damage, -33% Heal Effectiveness

 Number of Targets: 3

 Range: 900

— In-game description

Related traits

Skirmishing

• Fang and Claw — Feline, avian, and drake pets gain additional precision and ferocity. Beast skills grant fury around the ranger.

Wilderness Survival

• Carnivore — Steal health from enemies when you or your pet disable them. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
• Poison Master — Upon using a Beast ability, your pet's next attack will inflict poison; your poison damage is increased.

Nature Magic

• Rejuvenation — Beast skills now grant regeneration around the ranger.
• Invigorating Bond — Beast skills heal allies around the ranger.

Beastmastery

• Pack Alpha — Your pet's attributes are improved and pet skills gain recharge reduction. Improved attributes are power, condition damage, precision, toughness, and vitality.
• Go for the Eyes — Nearby foes are blinded by Beast abilities.
• Wilting Strike — Beast abilities inflict weakness on those struck. This effect will only occur once on each target struck by an ability.
• Beastly Warden — Beast abilities taunt nearby foes. Ursine and porcine pets deal increased damage and have increased health.

Soulbeast

• Live Fast — Using a Beast ability grants you offensive boons.
• Predator's Cunning — When you apply poison to a foe, steal some health from them.
• Oppressive Superiority — Deal increased damage to foes at a lower health percentage than you. Conditions you apply to foes at a lower health percentage than you last longer.

Notes

• After this skill's initial cast time, the attack itself is channeled over 1.5 seconds.
• Fires 5 swarms over the full duration of the channel; each swarm bounces up to 2 times and is capable of hitting the same target multiple times.
• Each swarm is treated as a projectile and can be reflected or blocked.
• Each bounce has a maximum range of roughly 400 units.

Version history

For a detailed skill history, see here.

Patch	Changes
November 28, 2023	Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE and from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in WvW and PvP. Reduced the power coefficient from 0.25 to 0.2 in WvW and PvP. Increased the poison duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
June 25, 2013	This skill can no longer fire behind the drake.
April 30, 2013	Reduced cast time from 2.7 seconds to 1.5 seconds.
August 28, 2012	Game release: Insect Swarm has been added to the game.