Axes of Symmetry

This article is about the original Axes of Symmetry. For the virtuoso version with Weaponmaster Training, see Axes of Symmetry (virtuoso).

You and all your axe clones shadowstep to a random location around your target and strike, applying confusion. This attack breaks enemy targeting, and your illusions change focus to the targeted foe. — In-game description

Axes of Symmetry

Profession

Mesmer (skill list)

Specialization

Mirage

Weapon

Main hand axe

Movement

Shadowstep

Game link

API

43761

“

0.75¾  

8

10

 

Axes of Symmetry

You and all your axe clones shadowstep to a random location around your target and strike, applying confusion. This attack breaks enemy targeting, and your illusions change focus to the targeted foe.

 Damage: 458 (1.25)^?

 Damage: 642 (1.75)^?

₅ Player Confusion (6s): 548 Damage, 81 Damage on Skill Use

₃ Player Confusion (3s): 164 Damage, 49 Damage on Skill Use

 Clone Confusion (6s): 110 Damage, 16 Damage on Skill Use

 Clone Confusion (3s): 55 Damage, 16 Damage on Skill Use

 Breaks Enemy Targeting

 Evade: 0.75¾ seconds

 Combo Finisher: Leap

 Range: 600

— In-game description

Related traits

Dueling

• Mental Gymnastics — When you successfully evade an attack, gain vigor.
• Wandering Mind — Remove a nondamaging condition and gain swiftness whenever you evade an attack.

Illusions

• Malicious Sorcery — Confusion you inflict has increased duration. When you dodge an attack, inflict confusion on your attacker.

Notes

• While only axe clones are teleported, the focus change affects all clones.
• Phantasms are entirely unaffected.

Version history

For a detailed skill history, see here.

Patch	Changes
June 24, 2025	Increased the player confusion stacks from 3 to 5 in PvE only. Clones casting this skill will no longer be interrupted when gaining mirage cloak.
October 08, 2024	Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW.
December 12, 2023	Fixed an issue that caused this skill to have a higher cooldown than intended for virtuosos.
November 28, 2023	Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvE and from 15 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW.
February 25, 2020	Competitive content update: (Competitive split) Increased cooldown from 10 seconds to 15 seconds.
March 05, 2019	Reduced this skill's damage in WvW to match the PvP version of this skill. The number of confusion stacks that this applies is now 3 in all game modes.
December 11, 2018	The physical damage of this skill has been split between game modes and reduced by about 30% in PvP only.
July 10, 2018	Inflicted confusion duration has been reduced from 8 seconds to 6 seconds in PvE.
May 08, 2018	This skill has regained its confusion-inflicting function. Confusion remains split between game modes and will inflict 6 stacks for 3 seconds in PvP and WvW, and 3 stacks for 8 seconds in PvE, with each clone inflicting one stack of the condition.
February 08, 2018	Now applies torment instead of confusion. Previous durations unchanged.
February 06, 2018	The confusion aspect of this skill has been split. Confusion stacks have been reduced in WvW and PvP from 5 to 3, and their duration has been reduced from 4 seconds to 3 seconds. Clone-inflicted confusion duration has been reduced from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.
November 07, 2017	This skill will now rotate the camera to face your target after the shadowstep. This skill now performs a range check before casting. Shortened maximum distance to target after shadowstep by 20%.
September 22, 2017	Path of Fire release: Axes of Symmetry has been added to the game.

Trivia

• An axis of symmetry is a line which splits a graph into two perfect mirror images.

See also

•   Axes of Symmetry (virtuoso)