Recharge

Recharge, alternatively cooldown or CD, is the interval of time (in seconds) after a skill or ability has been used before it can be used again. While a skill is recharging, its icon is darkened and has a clock-like animation that gradually brightens the icon until the skill has fully recharged. When an ability—such as the weapon set switch—is recharging, a white bar appears above the ability icon that depletes over time until the ability has fully recharged.

Skills have various recharge times. Some, such as Necrotic Bite, don't have any recharge at all and can be used again immediately. Before you can use a skill again it must fully recharge. Healing, Utility, and Elite skills may be swapped while recharging. If these skills are swapped while recharging, the recharge time of the old skill will continue on the new skill.

Weapon skills recharge even if their respective weapon set is not active.

Thief weapon skills do not have a recharge, but are fueled by initiative.

When an effect description states that skills recharge X% faster, it seems to actually reduce the recharge time by X% instead. Thus, for example, a skill that "recharges 20% faster" can actually be used 25% more often (ignoring activation time). The formula for this is:

    actual recharge time = original recharge time / (1 + faster recharge rate)

For example, an ability with a 10 second recharge under  Alacrity (recharges 25% faster) will have an actual recharge time of 10 / (1 + 0.25) = 8 seconds.

Certain Sigils and Runes with active effects also have hidden recharge timers. The time taken to recharge can be found on the item, but there is no way to know exactly how long is left before it can activate again.

Related effects

•  Alacrity — Skills recharge faster.
•  Chilled — Movement speed decreased by 66%; skill cooldown increased by 66%; stacks duration.

Related skills

•   Renewed Focus — Meditation. Focus, making yourself invulnerable and recharging your virtues.
•   Rifle Butt — Knock back your foe with your rifle butt. Successfully striking a foe recovers ammunition for each of your other rifle skills.
•   Backbreaker — Knock down your foe. Weakened foes stay knocked down longer. Recharges Fierce Blow if you control a foe with this ability. Recharges Fierce Blow if striking a target with a defiance bar.
•   Decapitate — Primal Burst. Gather your strength into a powerful attack. If it hits, gain might and recharge this skill.
•   Spectrum Shield — Exceed. Break stun effects and create a holographic shell that reduces incoming damage. This skill recharges faster while above the heat threshold.
•   Distracting Daggers - Physical. Fire a dazing dagger at your enemy. If this ability interrupts a skill, that skill's recharge is increased.
•   Mercy — Cantrip. Lose all malice, instantly refresh Deadeye's Mark, and gain initiative. Gain additional initiative for each stack of malice you had prior to using this skill.
•   Hilt Bash — Daze your foe with a hilt bash. Stun them if you hit from behind, and refresh your Maul ability.
•   Ancestral Grace — Become a wisp of natural energy, traversing to the targeted location. When you reach the target, heal nearby allies and grant protection to your pet. Recharge is reduced if you heal another ally.
•   Ride the Lightning — Ride the lightning to your foe, then strike all nearby foes with an electrical burst. If a foe is hit by the burst, the skill's recharge is halved.
•   Unravel — Stance. For a period of time, you forego your weaver training, choosing to fully attune to elements instead. Gain boons based on your primary attunement, and reduce all attunement cooldowns.
•   Mimic — Manipulation. The next utility skill you use has significantly reduced recharge, and Mimic's recharge is increased by the original recharge of the affected skill.  Mimic's recharge cannot be reset by other mesmer skills.
•   Phantasmal Rogue — Phantasm. Summon a phantasmal rogue that deals increased damage from behind. If the rogue hits, the recharge of this skill is reduced.
•   Signet of Illusions — Signet Passive: Creates a clone every few seconds. Signet Active: Recharges shatter skills.
•   Signet of the Ether — Signet Passive: Heal yourself whenever you summon an illusion. Signet Active: Heal yourself and reduce the recharge of phantasm skills.  Virtuoso: Passive triggers when stocking a blade.
•   Gravedigger — Perform a huge swing that deals heavy damage. Recharges faster if it hits a downed or low-health foe.

Related traits

Traits that reduce recharges of profession mechanics

•  Power of the Virtuous — Gain condition damage based on your vitality. Virtues gain reduced recharge.
•  Renewed Justice — Virtue skill 1 is renewed when you kill a foe.
•  Loremaster — Tome skills gain reduced recharge. Retain Virtues passives while they are on cooldown.
•  Versatile Power — Gain might on weapon swap. Burst skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Mechanized Deployment — Your tool belt skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Loud Whistle — While your health is above the threshold, your pet deals increased strike damage. Your pet swap gains recharge reduction.
•  Swindler's Equilibrium — Successfully evading an attack while wielding a sword or spear recharges Steal. Swords and spears deal increased damage.
•  Lead Attacks — Increases all damage dealt per initiative spent. Steal gains reduced recharge time.
•  Renewing Gaze - Deadeye's Mark recharges if your mark is defeated. Gain regeneration when this recharge occurs.
•  Sleight of Hand — Stealing also dazes the target. Reduces the recharge of Steal.
•  Elemental Enchantment — Gain concentration and your attunements gain reduced recharge.
•  Fresh Air — Recharge air attunement on a critical hit. Gain a ferocity boost when attuning to air.
•  Master of Misdirection — Shatter skills gain recharge reduction.
•  Sinister Shroud — Shroud skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Reaper's Onslaught — Gain ferocity and quickness while in Reaper's Shroud. Hitting with Life Reap reduces the recharge time of shroud skills. Recharge reduction can only occur once per use of Life Reap.

Traits that increase recharges of profession mechanics

•  Sand Savant — Summon only one shade at a time. This greater shade has a modified recharge. Influence a larger area with shade skills. A greater shade counts as three shades for related traits.

Traits that reduce recharges of weapon skills

•  Zealous Blade — Your power is increased. Gain additional power while wielding a greatsword. Your greatsword skills have reduced recharge.
•  Right-Hand Strength — Your precision is increased. Gain increased power while wielding a one-handed weapon in your main hand. Main-hand sword skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Radiant Fire — Gain Zealot's Flame when you critically hit an enemy. Burning you inflict has increased duration, and your torch skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Focus Mastery — Focus skills grant you protection and gain reduced recharge.
•  Stalwart Defender — Gain toughness when wielding a shield, and shield skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Invigorated Bulwark — Increase your healing to other allies each time you block an attack. Mace skills gain reduced recharge and their boons gain increased duration.
•  Honorable Staff — Gain concentration. Gain additional concentration while wielding a staff. Staff skills recharge time is reduced.
•  Forceful Greatsword — Gain power and a chance to gain might on critical strike. Double these bonuses while wielding a greatsword or spear. Greatsword and spear skills recharge faster.
•  Axe Mastery — Gain ferocity. Gain additional ferocity when wielding an axe. Axe skills gain reduced recharge and grant adrenaline when critically striking.
•  Blademaster — Gain expertise. Gain condition damage while wielding a sword. Sword skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Shield Master — Reflect missiles whenever you are blocking. Gain might when you block an attack or reflect a missile. Shield skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Sundering Mace — Stuns, dazes, and knock downs applied by mace skills last longer. Mace skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Quick Breathing — Warhorn skills have an increased number of targets, grant adrenaline per ally affected, and have reduced recharge.
•  Crack Shot — Your longbow, rifle, and harpoon gun skills gain reduced recharge, and their weapon skill 1 attacks are enhanced.
•  Merciless Hammer — Hammer skills gain reduced recharge and deal increased damage when striking a disabled foe. Gain adrenaline when you disable a foe. Disables include stun, taunt, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, fear, and launch.
•  Heat the Soul — Gain condition damage. Gain additional condition damage while wielding a torch. Torch skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Over Shield — Shield skills gain reduced recharge and grant protection to nearby allies. Protection on you gains increased damage reduction.
•  Lead the Wind — Your longbow and harpoon-gun skills pierce and recharge faster. Striking foes beyond the range threshold grants boons.
•  Strider's Defense — Evading an attack grants quickness. Sword skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Quick Draw — When swapping weapons, the next ranger weapon skill you use will recharge faster.
•  Light on your Feet — Damage and condition duration are increased after dodging or using Quick Shot. Short bow skills pierce and gain recharge reduction, and their attacks from behind or while flanking are improved.
•  Ambidexterity — Gain condition damage. Gain additional condition damage while wielding a torch or dagger. Torch and dagger skills recharge faster.
•  Windborne Notes — Warhorn skills gain reduced recharge and grant regeneration around their target. Recover health when you gain regeneration.
•  Two-Handed Training — Greatsword and spear skills deal more damage and recharge faster. Gain fury when you disable a foe.
•  Primal Echoes — Reduces recharge of staff skills. Daze nearby foes when you swap to staff.
•  Aeromancer's Training — Gain ferocity, and gain additional ferocity while attuned to air. Air weapon skills get a reduced recharge time.
•  Aquamancer's Training — Increase healing to other allies. Water-weapon skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Geomancer's Training — Strike damage from nearby foes is reduced. Earth weapon skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Pyromancer's Training — Your fire-weapon skills gain reduced recharge. Deal increased strike damage to burning foes.
•  Fencer's Finesse — Gain a stacking ferocity effect when you or one of your illusions strikes with a one-handed sword or a spear. Reduces recharge on sword and spear skills.
•  Duelist's Discipline — Pistol attacks from you and your illusions have a chance to cause bleeding. Interrupting a foe recharges pistol skills. This trait can only reduce recharge on enemies with defiance bars once per interval.
•  Chaotic Potency — Gain condition damage. Gain additional condition damage while wielding a staff. Staff and trident skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Warden's Feedback — Focus weapon skills reflect projectiles. Reduces recharge on focus weapon skills.
•  The Pledge — Reduces recharge on torch skills. Flame bursts from torch skills inflict additional burning.
•  Malicious Sorcery — Increases attack speed while wielding a scepter. Reduces recharge on scepter skills.
•  Mirrored Axes — Reduce recharge of axe skills. Axe skills generate an additional phantom axe.
•  Spiteful Talisman — Deal increased strike damage to foes with no boons. Focus and axe skills recharge faster.
•  Quickening Thirst — Increases movement speed above the health threshold. Dagger skills recharge faster if activated while above the health threshold.
•  Banshee's Wail — Warhorn skills gain increased effect duration and reduced recharge. Increase healing to other allies.
•  Fell Beacon — Torch skills gain reduced recharge. Gain expertise based on your condition damage.

Traits that reduce recharges of skill types

•  Eternal Armory — Spirit Weapons gain additional casts, improved count recharge, and burn foes with their first strike.
•  Perfect Inscriptions — Signets gain reduced recharge, improved passive effects, and continue to grant their passive bonuses while recharging.
•  Monk's Focus — Meditation skills heal you, grant fury to nearby allies, and gain reduced recharge.
•  Pure of Voice — Shout skills gain reduced recharge and convert conditions to boons on allies.
•  Master of Consecrations — Consecrations gain reduced recharge and increased duration.
•  Piercing Light — Traps gain reduced recharge and slow enemies.
•  Weighty Terms — Your Mantra skills slow nearby foes. This effect may only occur once per interval. Mantras gain reduced charge-recovery time.
•  Peak Performance — Deal increased strike damage. Physical skills have reduced recharge and further increase all outgoing strike damage for a period of time.
•  Signet Mastery — Signets gain reduced recharge and grant a stacking ferocity boon on use. Cast Lesser Signet of Might when striking a foe below the health threshold.
•  Vigorous Shouts — Shout skills gain reduced recharge and heal allies. Gain healing power based on your power.
•  Automated Medical Response — Heal skills are recharged when you are struck while below the health threshold.
•  HGH — Elixirs gain reduced recharge and increased durations, and grant might.
•  Power Wrench — Reduces recharge of your tool-kit skills. Reduce the recharge of your elite skill when you dodge.
•  Gadgeteer — Gadget skills are more powerful and have reduced recharge.
•  Brutish Seals — Activating a Signet grants fury to nearby allies. Signets gain reduced recharge.
•  Trapper's Expertise — Increase the duration of boons and conditions applied by traps. Traps gain reduced recharges and offensive ones cause cripple.
•  Wilderness Knowledge — Survival skills gain reduced recharge, grant fury, and remove conditions.
•  Resounding Timbre — Commands apply additional boons around you and gain reduced recharge.
•  Verdant Etching — Glyphs gain reduced recharge and cast Lesser Seed of Life.
•  Improvisation — Use stolen skills twice. Recharge one random equipped utility skill when you steal. Goes on cooldown regardless of whether a utility skill is recharged. Does not affect inactive sequence skills.
•  Signets of Power — Signets gain reduced recharge time and an additional passive effect.
•  Concealed Defeat — Cast Lesser Smoke Screen when downed. Deception skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Trickster — Tricks gain reduced recharge and remove conditions.
•  Brawler's Tenacity — Physical skills grant endurance when activated and gain reduced recharge.
•  Elemental Surge — Arcane skills gain reduced recharge, grant increased ferocity, and inflict a condition based on your attunement.
•  Inscription — Gain a boon upon casting a glyph based on your attunement. Glyphs gain reduced recharge.
•  Soothing Disruption — Cantrips gain reduced recharge and grant boons.
•  Written in Stone — Signets gain reduced recharge and continue to grant their passive bonuses while recharging.
•  Master of Manipulation — Manipulations gain recharge reduction and grant superspeed to yourself and allies affected by them.
•  Signets of Suffering — Gain enhanced versions of your equipped signet passive effects while in shroud. Signets recharge every second you are in shroud.
•  Master of Corruption — Corruptions gain reduced recharge time and inflict additional conditions on you.
•  Augury of Death — Shouts gain reduced recharge, now siphon health, and gain additional recharge reduction for each foe they hit.
•  Sadistic Searing — Punishment skills gain reduced recharge and cause your next Manifest Sand Shade to inflict burning on foes near it.

Traits that reduce recharges of pet skills

•  Pack Alpha — Your pet's attributes are improved and pet skills gain recharge reduction. Improved attributes are power, condition damage, precision, toughness, and vitality.

Traits that reduce recharges of actions

•  Fast Hands — Weapon-swapping recharges faster.

Traits that increase recharge of skills

•  Power Block — Interrupts deal damage and inflict weakness. Enemy skills that you interrupt have an increased cooldown. Cannot increase recharge of skills with no recharge or skills on creatures with defiance bars. This trait can only damage enemies with defiance bars once per interval.