Interrupt

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(Redirected from Interrupts)

An interrupt is an action that prevents a foe from completing his or her current action. An interrupt can be triggered by a skill or an effect. Some interrupts can only stop spells or attack skills, while others require conditions be met prior to that interruption taking place. An interrupted skill will not be available again until after its recharge time has passed. An action is considered as any skill with an activation time, as well as all attacks. If you are interrupted, your current skill ends, and any skills waiting to be activated will be un-queued.

It is important to note that interrupts will only count/trigger if they successfully interrupt a skill or action. A target who is running, performing an emote, or activating a skill without an activation time is not considered as a target who is performing an action in Guild Wars.

While knock downs, death, skill failure and skill disabling such as Blackout can stop an action from completing, they are not considered interrupts as far as game mechanics are concerned. Skills that prevent interrupts (such as Mantra of Resolve) are ineffective against these actions.

[edit] Techniques for successful interrupting

As tempting as it may be, don't try to "predict" interrupts unless you believe the target will be forced to use a skill. An example is a Monk who has just been knocked down by a hammer warrior: it is highly likely the Monk will cast immediately upon standing. Barring situations like this, though, it's better to miss a skill than whiff the interrupt, waste the energy, and not have it available for the next skill. This is less of a concern with Ranger interrupts, since they inflict unconditional damage (and can trigger preparations such as Apply Poison), cost very little, and cycle quickly.
With projectile interrupts such as Savage Shot, getting point-blank with your opponent decreases the delay between the shot and hit, increasing your chance of getting a successful interrupt.
Counting recharge on skills that you expect to regularly interrupt (such as wards) helps you know when you should be holding back your actions waiting and when you should be taking care of other duties. Often classes such as monks cannot afford not to use a skill as soon as it recharges (such as energy management), and you will have a predictable interrupt.
Use the ending of knock downs and punishment effects (such as timing your interrupt with the end of Diversion or Blackout) to estimate when an opponent will cast his or her next skill. But don't try to interrupt prematurely!
Be aware of your opponents' skills and combinations that they often use in succession. For example, if their infuser is in the habit of always using Word of Healing on themselves, immediately after infusing, you can get in the habit of interrupting it after your team spikes. Another example is against caster spikes where they will always follow their first spell with a second.
When trying to stop resurrection spells or signets, audio cues are very helpful. For example, Resurrection Chant gives off a loud, distinct jingly/windy noise that gives it away. Get to know these noises.
If you know an opponent will try to use a counter-skill as you cast a particular skill, you can cancel your first skill midway and interrupt their counter. This can work well against Gale or other one-second-or-more cast skills. This is most common with Elementalists attempting to interrupt Diversion with Gale; you can cancel your Diversion and interrupt Gale.

[edit] Interrupt-causing skills

The following skills cause interrupts on any skill type unconditionally:

Disarm If it hits an attacking foe, it disables all attack skills.
Disrupting Chop if the interrupted action was a skill, it becomes disabled.
Distracting Blow interrupts adjacent foes as well.
Distracting Strike if target has cracked armor, disables interrupted skill.
Savage Slash does additional damage if it interrupts a spell.
Skull Crack (elite) causes dazed if it interrupts a spell.
Disrupting Lunge if the interrupted action was a skill, it becomes disabled.
Disrupting Shot does additional damage if it interrupts a skill.
Distracting Shot if the interrupted action was a skill, it becomes disabled.
Magebane Shot (elite) disables Spells for 10 seconds.
Punishing Shot (elite) always causes extra damage.
Savage Shot deals extra damage if it interrupts a spell.
Complicate disables signets if the interrupted action was a signet.
Cry of Frustration also interrupts any action of foes in the area if it successfully interrupts a skill.
Leech Signet gives energy to the caster if it interrupts a spell.
Psychic Distraction (elite) disables the caster's skills and also disables the interrupted skill.
Psychic Instability (elite) also knocks down foe if the interrupted action was a spell.
Tease (elite) also steals energy from all foes in the area.
Web of Disruption also causes a hex which interrupts the target again when it ends.
Beguiling Haze (elite) always shadow steps to the foe and causes dazed.
Disrupting Dagger has half normal spell range.
Disrupting Stab also disables the interrupted skill if it was a spell.
Exhausting Assault also causes exhaustion on the target if it interrupts a spell.
Temple Strike (elite) always causes dazed and blind.

The following skills cause interrupts on any skill, but have a condition:

Agonizing Chop interrupts if it hits a target suffering from deep wound.
Critical Chop interrupts if it causes a critical hit.
Signet of Disruption interrupts spells, and interrupts any action if the foe has a hex on them.
Disrupting Throw interrupts if the target has a condition on them.

The following skills interrupt spells only:

Broad Head Arrow (elite) always inflicts dazed.
Concussion Shot also inflicts dazed if it interrupts.
Signet of Distraction also disables interrupted spell, longer if more signets equipped.

The following skills interrupt spells and chants only:

Power Block (elite) also disables skills of the same attribute as the interrupted spell.
Power Drain also gives energy to the caster if it successfully interrupts.
Power Flux (elite) also causes a hex if it successfully interrupts which causes energy degeneration.
Power Leak also causes the target to lose energy if it successfully interrupts.
Power Leech (elite) also causes a hex if it successfully interrupt which causes energy loss when the target casts spells if it successfully interrupts.
Power Lock also disables interrupted skill.
Power Return also gives energy to the target if it successfully interrupts.
Power Spike also causes the target to take damage if it successfully interrupts.

The following are other special interrupts:

Disrupting Accuracy causes bow attacks to interrupt when they cause a critical hit.
Signet of Clumsiness interrupts attacks only.
Icy Prism interrupts signets and disables them.
Lightning Javelin interrupts attacks only.

The following skills create effects that can cause interrupts:

Dwarven Battle Stance (elite) causes the user's hammer attacks to interrupt.
Choking Gas causes bow attacks to create a cloud around the target that periodically interrupts spells.
Shivers of Dread and Spinal Shivers cause the foe to be interrupted and the caster to lose energy each time the target takes cold damage.
Clumsiness interrupts the target's next attack.
Wandering Eye interrupts the target's next attack.
Maelstrom interrupts spells and deals damage in an area for a time period.
Dissonance interrupts foes when the spirit's attacks hit.
Wailing Weapon causes the target's attacks to interrupt attacking foes.
Warmonger's Weapon causes the target's attacks to interrupt non-attacking foes.
Anthem of Disruption makes next attack skill of allies cause interrupt

[edit] Interrupt-supporting skills

Favorable Winds cause arrows to move twice as fast.
Read the Wind causes arrows to move twice as fast.
Holy Veil doubles casting time of hexes cast on target ally.
Faintheartedness cause target to attack 50% slower.
Meekness cause target and and all foes in the area to attack 50% slower.
Shadow of Fear cause target and and adjacent foes to attack 50% slower.
Arcane Conundrum cause target and adjacent foes to cast spells 100% slower.
Confusing Images target takes twice as long to activate non-attack skills.
Enchanter's Conundrum cause target to cast enchantments 100% slower.
Frustration cause target to cast spells 50% slower and take damage when interrupted.
Migraine cause target to cast spells 100% slower.
Stolen Speed cause target to cast spells 25% slower and make your spells targeting that foe cast 25% faster.
Sum of All Fears cause target to move, attack and cast spells 20% slower.
Rust cause target's signets to activate two times slower.

[edit] Easily interrupted skills

Easily interrupted skills cause successful attacks against the caster to always inflict an interrupt. The Dazed condition makes all your spells (not your skills) easily interruptible. These include:

[edit] Interrupt prevention

The following skills help prevent interrupts caused by any of the above means, with the exception of knockdowns (unless stated):

Trapper's Focus (elite) removes the "easily interrupted" effect from traps.
Mantra of Concentration prevents the next interrupt.
Mantra of Resolve prevents all interrupts and causes the caster to lose energy when interrupted.
Persistence of Memory causes interrupted spells to recharge immediately.
Glyph of Concentration prevents the next spell cast from being interrupted and makes it ignore the penalty of dazed.
Tranquil Was Tanasen (elite) prevents all interrupts while the caster holds the item.
Song of Concentration prevents the next skill used while under the effect from being interrupted.
Pious Concentration prevents interrupts as long as it removes an enchantment each time you would be interrupted.