Damage type
Damage type is a visual effect found on weapon items and skills. It makes creatures die with a different animation, depending on the damage type of the final blow. This serves a purely cosmetic purpose and has no impact on combat mechanics. Each weapon has a default damage type, determined by its skin, which can be overridden by attacks from weapon skills that use that weapon. Changing a weapon's skin in the Wardrobe or by using a skin consumable will apply the skin's damage type to the weapon. Bundles also generally override equipped weapons.
There are five damage types (not to be confused with the three damage types (i.e., sources) listed on the Damage page):
- Physical — The default damage type of most weapons. This includes weapon skins that appear to incorporate elemental types but do not list a damage type, like Mjölnir, Cobalt, or Icy Dragon Sword.
- Fire — Creatures that die of a fire attack will collapse in a flaming heap (often while screaming). This is unrelated to the Burning condition, however. Fire is the default type for the Fiery Dragon Sword, Rodgort, The Predator, Incinerator, Royal Flame weapon skins, Luminous weapon skins, and Forged weapon skins.
- Ice — Creatures that die from an ice-type attack will become pale and stiff before collapsing. Ice is the default type for Frostfang, Astralaria, Sorrow's Claw, Ornamented Bearkin Claw, and Wintergreen weapons.
- Lightning — Creatures that are killed using a Lightning attack stiffen and shake uncontrollably, then collapse. Lightning is the default type for Bolt, Meteorlogicus, and Soul Conductor.
- Choking — Creatures that die from a Choking attack go through a "choking" animation (usually clutching at their throats or stiffening, similar to the aforementioned ice damage type). Choking is the default type for Ashfall and some Halloween weapons like The Cure, and is prevalent in Necromancer skills. Some creatures (like golems) are immune.
Gallery[edit]
Physical damage type animation (Click to view)
Fire damage type animation (Click to view)
Ice damage type animation (Click to view)
Lightning damage type animation (Click to view)
- Damage type Choking.gif
Choking damage type animation (Click to view)
Siege damage[edit]
Siege damage is a damage type that has its beginnings in World vs. World. It has been gradually introduced into PvE, though it has only risen to prominence with the introduction of siege damage-capable mounts and events requiring their use.
Unlike the other damage types, siege damage has purely practical application and no cosmetic aspects. Certain objects, particularly structures, are resistant or immune to any damage that lacks the siege descriptor. These objects are always tied to an event, and the event parameters will usually suggest a source of siege damage to use in destroying the object. Often, other sources will also work. It should be noted that siege damage generally doesn't inflict more damage on non-siege targets than it does on resistant ones; it merely counters the resistance if it exists.
No weapons are known to be capable of siege damage. Catapults, Trebuchets, and Flame Rams in WvW are all capable of inflicting siege damage. Warclaws inflict siege damage using their Chain Pull skill. Siege Turtles inflict siege damage with Slam and Turtle Siege. Skyscales inflict siege damage with their Fireball skill if you also have the Sieging Fireball mastery. Some bundles may be siege damage-capable as well.
Notes[edit]
- Heart of Thorns exotic weapons and Forged weapons have Choking as the damage type of the weapon itself, not the skin. This can be seen via the API. Currently, the base weapon's damage type is not used in the game, and only the weapon skin's damage type is in effect.
Trivia[edit]
- In the original Guild Wars, damage types affect game play, increasing or decreasing damage dealt to targets depending on the armor rating of the damage type.
- With the release of Heart of Thorns, weapons with non-physical damage types are now displayed on the weapon's tooltip.
