Targeting
"Target" redirects here. For the effect applied by the bounty enemies, see Target (effect). For the command to mark the target for allies, see Call Target. Targeting is a game mechanic for selecting NPCs, player characters, and objects for combat or interaction. Targeting is one of the key elements of the combat system and used to cast skills at a specific enemy or area. Interacting with objects or allied NPCs, like vendors, does not require targeting them, but helps selecting a specific interaction if multiple objects are located close to each other.
Interaction[edit]
Targeting an interactable object or allied NPC can be done by mouse-clicking them or by using "Nearest Ally", "Next Ally", or "Previous Ally" keybinds (unassigned in the Control Options by default). Allied player characters are prioritized over NPCs for targeting when using the keybinds. Some combat skills, primarily the abilities of Thief's elite specialization Specter, have a special effect when targeted at allies.
Combat[edit]
In all game modes, in order to engage the enemy in combat, player needs to target it and use a skill. With default controls, a nearby enemy is targeted by pressing the "Next Enemy" keybind ( Tab by default) or by mouse-selecting it. Targeting with the keybind prioritizes NPC with the highest rank. Alternatively, getting in range of the auto-attacking skill and double-clicking the enemy model starts the auto-attack chain.
Some skills require a target in order to be activated (e.g. Phantasmal Berserker), while others can be used regardless despite having a single-target behavior (e.g. Fireball). If a skill is used without a target, it will be cast in the direction the character or camera are currently facing, and might not hit the enemy. Sometimes, it can be used deliberately, for example, using leap or retreat skills without a target as a movement aid. This is only possible with "Autotargeting" in General Options disabled. Many skills that create projectiles can also be used without a target, for example, directing the camera up or down while casting demonstrates the pathfinding for the free-form projectiles.
After the targeted enemy is defeated, a new target can be selected manually by pressing "Next Enemy", "Previous Enemy" or "Nearest Enemy" keybinds. If "Autotargeting" is enabled, the next foe in range will be selected automatically upon casting a skill or if an ability was already queued just before the previous target was defeated.
Ground targeting[edit]
Ground-targeted skills are instead aimed at the specific area on the ground and usually affect multiple enemies (area of effect skills). These skills can be cast anywhere regardless of the direction the character is facing, but might be obstructed if there is no clear line of sight to the selected area. Ground targeted abilities are indicated by the red target reticle 
in their icon.
- Using the skill will bring up highlighted area of target which can be aimed and subsequently activated with a mouse click.
- Set the option of 'Ground Targeting' in Options -> General Options -> 'Combat/Movement' to 'Instant' in order to aim at your cursor's current position.
- Setting this to Instant is the only way to continuously attack with a ground-targeted 1 skill (eg. Mortar Shot) by holding its hotkey or left mouse with Action Cam; there is no way to auto attack for these types of skills.
- Ground-targeted skills can be used regardless of character facing and can hit targets within the AOE even if they would normally be obstructed (i.e. if they are behind a corner). However, there must still be a clear line of sight between the player and the point targeted, or a "No Line of Sight" message will pop up.
- Most ground-targeted skills which can be used underwater lose that property upon going under water, instead the effect is either applied at caster's location or targeted foe's location.
Skills with ground targeting[edit]
Weapon skills
Symbol of Punishment — Scepter- Symbol of Swiftness — Staff
- Line of Warding — Staff
Deflecting Shot — Longbow- Symbol of Energy — Longbow
- Hunter's Ward — Longbow
Coalescence of Ruin — Hammer- Phase Smash — Hammer
- Drop the Hammer — Hammer
Envoy of Exuberance — Shield
Spiritcrush — Short bow
Whirlwind Attack — Greatsword- Arcing Arrow — Longbow
Glue Shot — Pistol- Jump Shot — Rifle
Thunderclap — Hammer
Barrage — Longbow
Ancestral Grace — Staff- Sublime Conversion — Staff
Cluster Bomb — Short bow- Choking Gas — Short bow
- Infiltrator's Arrow — Short bow
Vault — Staff
Phoenix — Scepter, when attuned to fire- Shatterstone — Scepter, when attuned to water
- Water Trident — Scepter, when attuned to water
- Dust Devil — Scepter, when attuned to earth
- Flamewall — Focus, when attuned to fire
- Lava Font — Staff, when attuned to fire
- Meteor Shower — Staff, when attuned to fire
- Ice Spike — Staff, when attuned to water
- Geyser — Staff, when attuned to water
- Frozen Ground — Staff, when attuned to water
- Healing Rain — Staff, when attuned to water
- Gust — Staff, when attuned to air
- Static Field — Staff, when attuned to air
- Eruption — Staff, when attuned to earth
- Unsteady Ground — Staff, when attuned to earth
Lightning Orb — Warhorn, when attuned to air
Stone Tide — Scepter, when attuned to water and earth- Pressure Blast — Staff, when attuned to fire and water
- Plasma Blast — Staff, when attuned to fire and air
- Pyroclastic Blast — Staff, when attuned to fire and earth
- Monsoon — Staff, when attuned to air and water
- Lahar — Staff, when attuned to water and earth
Temporal Curtain — Focus- Mind Stab — Greatsword
- Chaos Storm — Staff
Tides of Time — Shield
Unstable Bladestorm — Dagger
Enfeebling Blood — Dagger- Grasping Dead — Scepter
- Mark of Blood — Staff
- Chillblains — Staff
- Putrid Mark — Staff
- Reaper's Mark — Staff
Bundle skills
Chapter 3: Azure Sun — Tome of Resolve- Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark — Tome of Courage
- Infusion Bomb — Med Kit
- Super Elixir — Elixir Gun
- Flame Blast — Flamethrower
- Napalm — Flamethrower
- Grenade — Grenade Kit
- Shrapnel Grenade — Grenade Kit
- Flash Grenade — Grenade Kit
- Freeze Grenade — Grenade Kit
- Poison Grenade — Grenade Kit
- Mortar Shot — Elite Mortar Kit
- Poison Gas Shell — Elite Mortar Kit
- Endothermic Shell — Elite Mortar Kit
- Flash Shell — Elite Mortar Kit
- Elixir Shell — Elite Mortar Kit
- Explosive Lava Axe — Conjured Flame
- Frost Storm — Frost Bow
- Firestorm — Fiery Greatsword
- Explosive Lava Axe — Slag Axe
Transform skills
- Seismic Leap — Rampage
- Cosmic Ray — Celestial Avatar
- Seed of Life — Celestial Avatar
- Lunar Impact — Celestial Avatar
Dawn's Repose — Enter Shadow Shroud- Ripple of Horror — Lich Form
- Breakrazor's Bastion — Legendary Renegade Stance
- Well of Gloom — Well
- Well of Eternity — Well
- Well of Blood — Well
Elixir of Promise — Elixir
- Hallowed Ground — Consecration
- Purging Flames — Consecration
- Sanctuary — Consecration
- Wall of Reflection — Consecration
- Merciful Intervention — Meditation
- Signet of Mercy — Signet
- Bow of Truth — Spirit Weapon
- Hammer of Wisdom — Spirit Weapon
- Shield of the Avenger — Spirit Weapon
- Sword of Justice — Spirit Weapon
- Call to Anguish — Legendary Demon Stance
- Inspiring Reinforcement — Legendary Dwarf Stance
- Elemental Blast — Legendary Dragon Stance, Consume
- Darkrazor's Daring — Legendary Renegade Stance
- Icerazor's Ire — Legendary Renegade Stance
- Razorclaw's Rage — Legendary Renegade Stance
Tree Song — Legendary Alliance Stance, Kurzick- Scavenger Burst — Legendary Alliance Stance, Luxon
- Banner of Defense — Banner
- Banner of Discipline — Banner
- Banner of Strength — Banner
- Banner of Tactics — Banner
- Stomp — Physical
- Throw Mine — Gadget
Shift Signet — Signet- Muddy Terrain — Survival
- Shadow Refuge — Deception
- Shadowstep — Deception
Shadow Flare — Cantrip- Well of Bounty — Well
- Well of Silence — Well
- Well of Sorrow — Well
- Well of Tears — Well
- Arcane Wave — Arcane
- Arcane Blast — Arcane
- Lightning Flash — Cantrip
- Conjure Earth Shield — Conjure
- Conjure Flame Axe — Conjure
- Conjure Frost Bow — Conjure
- Conjure Lightning Hammer — Conjure
- Renewal of Air — Glyph, when attuned to air
- Renewal of Earth — Glyph, when attuned to earth
- Renewal of Fire — Glyph, when attuned to fire
- Renewal of Water — Glyph, when attuned to water
- Glyph of Storms — Glyph
- Lightning Storm — Glyph, when attuned to air
- Sandstorm — Glyph, when attuned to earth
- Firestorm — Glyph, when attuned to fire
- Ice Storm — Glyph, when attuned to water
- Signet of Water — Signet
- Feedback — Glamour
- Null Field — Glamour
- Veil — Glamour
- Blink — Manipulation
- Illusion of Life — Manipulation
- Well of Action — Well
- Well of Calamity — Well
- Well of Precognition — Well
- Well of Senility — Well
- Corrosive Poison Cloud — Corruption
- Signet of Undeath — Signet
- Spectral Ring — Spectral
- Well of Corruption — Well
- Well of Darkness — Well
- Well of Power — Well
- Well of Suffering — Well
Sand Swell — Punishment- Serpent Siphon — Punishment
- Elixir of Anguish — Elixir
- Elixir of Bliss — Elixir
- Elixir of Ignorance — Elixir
- Elixir of Risk — Elixir
- Soulcleave's Summit — Legendary Renegade Stance
- Battle Standard — Banner
- Supply Crate — Turret
- Glyph of the Stars — Glyph
- Glyph of the Stars — Glyph
- Shadowfall — Well
- Conjure Fiery Greatsword — Conjure
- Time Warp — Glamour
- Gravity Well — Well
Jaunt — Deception- Elixir of Ambition — Elixir
Profession mechanic skills
- Citadel Bombardment — Citadel Order
- Earthshaker — Hammer, Burst
- Combustive Shot — Longbow, Burst
- Toss Elixir H — Elixir, Tool belt
- Toss Elixir X — Elixir, Tool belt
- Orbital Strike — Tool belt
- Toss Elixir B — Elixir, Tool belt
- Toss Elixir C — Elixir, Tool belt
- Toss Elixir R — Elixir, Tool belt
- Toss Elixir S — Elixir, Tool belt
- Toss Elixir U — Elixir, Tool belt
- Grenade Barrage — Tool belt
- Throw Napalm — Tool belt
- Defense Field — Tool belt
- Crash Down
Call Lightning- Throw Gunk — Stolen skill
- Throw Magnetic Bomb — Stolen skill
- Unstable Artifact — Stolen skill
Deploy Jade Sphere — Jade Sphere, when attuned to fire- Deploy Jade Sphere — Jade Sphere, when attuned to water
- Deploy Jade Sphere — Jade Sphere, when attuned to air
- Deploy Jade Sphere — Jade Sphere, when attuned to earth
Downed skills
Drowning skills
Radiation Field- Summon Power Suit
Artillery Barrage- Fire Rocket Barrage
- Shrapnel Mine
Healing Seed- Seed Turret
Autotargeting[edit]
If Autotargeting is enabled in the General Options, then using a non-ground targeted skill will automatically target a nearby enemy.
- If Autotargeting is disabled, it's possible to target the nearest foe manually using the "Next Enemy", "Nearest Enemy", or "Previous Enemy" keybinds.
- Alternatively, holding down Lock Auto Target keybind temporarily disables autotargeting mechanic, even if it is enabled in Options. It locks the auto-target as long as the key is pressed down and will automatically auto-target the next foe again when the key is let go.
- Additionally, there are keybinds to toggle the Autotargeting on/off or temporarily fully disable it.
Breaking enemy target[edit]
Enemy NPCs also engage in combat by targeting the player character, although it is rarely indicated directly in the user interface. Some skills and effects like Stealth have the ability to break targeting, forcing enemies to select the target again (if their skills require a target). This mechanic works both against hostile NPCs in PvE game mode and enemy players in PvP and WvW game modes.
Channeled skills that were already tracking the target like Rapid Fire will not stop tracking if the character breaks targeting once the channeling has started.
Skills that break enemy targeting[edit]
Weapon skills
Profession mechanic skills
Effects that break enemy targeting[edit]
Detargeting[edit]
Removing the target can be done by left-clicking anywhere in the game world outside of the targetable objects and NPCs. While there is no specific keybind for this action, pressing, instead of holding down, the "Lock Autotarget" keybind also removes the target.
Action Camera[edit]
- Primary article: Action Camera
Action Camera is a special camera mode that enables a third/first person shooter style targeting. With this camera mode active, the mouse cursor is locked in the middle of the screen and transformed into a target reticle. Left-Click casts the first weapon skill, and Right-Click is used to select a character or object as a target.
