The Prestige

Disappear in a cloud of smoke, blinding nearby foes and losing conditions. Reappear three seconds later, burning nearby foes. — In-game description

The Prestige

Profession

Mesmer (skill list)

Weapon

Torch

Game link

API

10285

“

20

30

 

The Prestige

Disappear in a cloud of smoke, blinding nearby foes and losing conditions. Reappear three seconds later, burning nearby foes.

 Damage: 330 (1.0)^?

 Damage: 165 (0.5)^?

 Stealth (3s): Invisible to foes.

 Blindness (5s): Next outgoing attack misses.

 Burning (9s): 1,179 Damage

 Conditions Removed: 1

 Conditions Removed: 2

 Number of Targets: 5

 Radius: 240

 Combo Finisher: Blast

— In-game description

Mechanics

• The  Blinded effect has 120 radius.
• The Blast finisher occurs when burning nearby foes.
  • Despite the tooltip text,  Prismatic Understanding will extend the delay from 3 seconds to 4.5 seconds.

Related traits

Dueling

• Ineptitude — Interrupting a foe inflicts blind, and blinding a foe inflicts confusion. This trait can only activate on enemies with defiance bars once per interval.

Chaos

• Prismatic Understanding — Increased stealth duration from mesmer skills. Gain random boons while you are in stealth.

Illusions

• The Pledge — Flame bursts from torch skills inflict additional burning.

Virtuoso

• Jagged Mind — Blade attacks inflict bleeding on critical hits. A percentage of your condition damage dealt heals you.

Notes

• Although it lists stealth in the tooltip, it actually applies  Hide in Shadows. This does not stack with  Stealth. This is shared with all Mesmer Skills that apply stealth.

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.
May 02, 2023	Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 2 in PvP and WvW. Fixed an issue that caused this skill to reveal the user upon ending.
February 25, 2020	Competitive content update: (Competitive split) Reduced power coefficient from 1.0 to 0.5.
July 10, 2018	Burning duration has been modified from 3 stacks for 3 seconds to 1 stack for 9 seconds.
August 08, 2017	Path of Fire pre-patch: This skill now removes 1 condition when activated.
July 26, 2016	The number of burning stacks have been increased from 1 to 3 stacks for 3 seconds.
August 25, 2015	Fixed a bug that caused this skill to fail to go on recharge if interrupted by effects such as Shocking Aura.
September 09, 2014	Removed an unused range skill fact.
June 03, 2014	Fixed a bug that caused this skill to lack its range indicator.
April 15, 2014	Fixed a bug causing the radius on the blind condition to be smaller than intended.
August 20, 2013	Fixed an issue that caused the blast finisher to occur at the point where the skill is cast, rather than on the mesmer.
March 07, 2013	This ability now plays the blast finisher only at the end of the ability.
March 01, 2013	This ability will now go on full recharge each time when activated.
February 26, 2013	This ability is no longer channeled and will automatically detonate 3 seconds after the ability is used.
November 15, 2012	This skill's damage has been increased by 100%.
September 17, 2012	This skill now requires full recharge if it's interrupted at any time.
September 09, 2012	Fixed a bug so that Burning duration no longer amplifies when additional enemies are present.
August 28, 2012	Game release: The Prestige has been added to the game.

Trivia

• There is a Christopher Nolan film entitled The Prestige, which refers to the third step of a magic trick: after the Pledge (i.e. the setup) and the Turn (i.e. rendering the ordinary into the extraordinary), the trick ends in the Prestige (i.e. returning things to normal). For example, showing an ordinary person in an ordinary box, making them disappear, and then reappear in a cloud of smoke.