Symbol of Blades

Symbol. Teleport to your target, and blind nearby foes. Create a symbol at your feet that damages nearby enemies and benefits allies. — In-game description

Symbol of Blades

Profession

Guardian (skill list)

Weapon

Main hand sword

Type

Symbol

Movement

Shadowstep

Game link

API

9097

“

8  

Symbol of Blades

Symbol. Teleport to your target, and blind nearby foes. Create a symbol at your feet that damages nearby enemies and benefits allies.

 Damage: 238 (0.65)^?

 Damage: 165 (0.45)^?

 Blindness (3s): Next outgoing attack misses.

 Fury (10.5½s): +25% Critical Chance

 Fury (10.5½s): +20% Critical Chance

 Number of Targets: 5

 Symbol Duration: 4 seconds

 Blind Radius: 120

 Symbol Radius: 180

 Combo Field: Light

 Range: 600

— In-game description

Mechanics

• The symbol damages enemies and grants  Fury to allies within its radius for the duration.
•  Blinded is inflicted during the initial strike.
• Can be used out of range to teleport forward.

Related traits

Zeal

• Symbolic Exposure — Symbols inflict vulnerability on foes. Deal increased strike damage to vulnerable foes.
• Renewing Splendor — Heal yourself when you create a light field or finish a combo in a light field.
• Symbolic Avenger — Your strike damage is increased whenever your Symbols hit a foe.
• Furious Focus — Your strike damage and movement speed are increased while you have fury. Create a Lesser Symbol of Blades when you activate Virtue skill 1.

Valor

• Altruistic Healing — Heal yourself when you grant a boon to an ally.

Honor

• Writ of Persistence — Symbols are improved and heal allies.

Virtues

• Inspired Virtue — Virtues apply boons to allies when activated. Deal increased strike damage for each boon on you.

Willbender

• Vanguard Tactics — Activating Courage grants resistance. Shadowstepping grants resolution and protection.

Version history

For a detailed skill history, see here.

Patch	Changes
February 14, 2023	Increased power coefficient per strike from 0.6 to 0.65 in PvE only. Reduced recharge from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.
June 28, 2022	Fury: Critical chance bonus increased from 20% to 25% in PvE only.
February 25, 2020	Competitive content update: (Competitive split) Reduced power coefficient per strike from 0.6 to 0.45.
October 01, 2019	Removed the double strike that occurs when the symbol is first created. Increased damage of each strike by 20% to compensate. Overall damage is unchanged.
July 26, 2016	This skill has been renamed Symbol of Blades and now drops a symbol at the guardian's feet, applying fury to nearby allies for 1.5 seconds. Initial impact damage has been increased to normal symbol values.
March 31, 2015	This ability is no longer able to be used in midair.
March 16, 2015	This skill will no longer activate if a valid path to the target cannot be found.
August 28, 2012	Game release: Flashing Blade has been added to the game.

Trivia

• This skill's functionality was changed with the July 26, 2016 game update. Prior to the update, this skill was called Flashing Blade.