Weapon swap

Weapon swap is the mechanic of switching between the two equipped weapon sets (default key: ~ UK: ` Nordic: §). This ability is unlocked when your character reaches level 10 for all professions. It is automatically unlocked at all levels in structured PvP.

Mechanics

• During combat, swapping has a cooldown of 10 seconds, but you can swap repeatedly out of combat.
• Engineers, elementalists, and bladesworns cannot swap weapons during combat.
• If you choose to leave either the main hand or offhand weapon slot empty in one of the sets, the game will not swap the empty slot, and instead automatically use the weapon in that slot from the first set when you switch to the second.
• There are several traits and sigils effects that trigger on swapping.
• Profession mechanics which change your weapon skills can also trigger on-swap effects:
  • Engineers: by changing kits
    • Holosmiths: by activating or deactivating Photon Forge
  • Elementalists: by switching between attunements
  • Necromancers: by entering or exiting Death Shroud
    • Reapers: by entering or exiting Reaper's Shroud
    • Harbingers: by entering or exiting Harbinger Shroud
  • Druids: by entering or exiting Celestial Avatar
  • Firebrands: by swapping in and out of tomes
  • Specters: by entering or exiting Shadow Shroud
  • Bladesworns: by unsheathing or sheathing their gunsaber
• Revenants swapping legends count as weapon swapping for and will activate "on weapon swap" sigils.
• Switching to a bundle will also trigger on-swap effects.
• Successfully attacking while mounted--which will then dismount you, put you into combat, and swap into your normal weapons--will trigger weapon swapping.

Related traits

Traits that improve weapon swapping

• Brutality (Devastation) — Gain quickness when you swap weapons. While you have quickness, your strikes remove stability. This removal effect can only occur once per interval on each target.
• Versatile Rage (Discipline) — Gain adrenaline on weapon swap.
• Fast Hands (Discipline) — Weapon-swapping recharges faster.
• Brawler's Recovery (Discipline) — Remove conditions when you swap weapons.
• Versatile Power (Discipline) — Gain might on weapon swap. Burst skills gain reduced recharge.
• Unseen Sword (Bladesworn) — Swapping weapons strikes all nearby foes. Will not activate out of combat unless an enemy is within range
• Tail Wind (Skirmishing) — Gain swiftness when swapping weapons in combat.
• Furious Grip (Skirmishing) — Gain fury when swapping weapons in combat.
• Quick Draw (Skirmishing) — When swapping weapons, the next ranger weapon skill you use will recharge faster.
• Quick Pockets (Trickery) — Gain initiative on swapping weapons while in combat.

Related equipment

Runes

• Superior Rune of the Warrior (rank 6 - weapon-swap cooldown reduced by 20%)

Sigils

• Superior Sigil of Battle (gain 5 stacks of might for 12 seconds)
• Superior Sigil of Renewal (heals allies within 360 range)
• Superior Sigil of Mischief (launches 4 blinding snowballs at foes in front of you)
• Superior Sigil of Doom (next attack inflicts 3 stacks of poison for 8 seconds)
• Superior Sigil of Energy (gain 50% endurance)
• Superior Sigil of Geomancy (bleeds nearby foes for 8 seconds)
• Superior Sigil of Hydromancy (damage and chill nearby foes for 2 seconds)
• Superior Sigil of Vision (100% critical hit chance for 3 seconds)
• Superior Sigil of Leeching (next attack steals health)
• Superior Sigil of Agility (gain 5 seconds of swiftness and 1 second of quickness)
• Superior Sigil of Cleansing (removes 3 conditions)

Gallery

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  Super Adventure Box version

Notes

Bug:

If a character below level 10 equips both weapon sets in Heart of the Mists and then returns to PvE, they will retain the ability to weapon swap for as long as they keep the second set equipped.

Anomaly:

Revenant legend swapping count as weapon swapping for "on weapon swap" sigils, but not for other weapon swap mechanics such as Brutality

• Rearranging or equipping a different set of weapons is not the same as swapping. This can be done outside of combat, but never during combat. It never triggers on-swap effects.
• Weapon swap cooldown is not affected by alacrity or any cooldown reducing effects such as adrenal mushroom.
• Sigils that trigger off a weapon swap do not need to be the weapon that gets swapped to trigger.

Trivia

• Prior to the December 3, 2019 game update, engineers and elementalists could only equip one single weapon set.