This reference guide breaks down the hard crowd control (CC) skills for each of the nine professions in Guild Wars 2. Hard CC skills inflict direct damage to a target’s Defiance Bar (also known as the “Break Bar”), whereas soft CC skills deal damage over time. We chose to focus on hard CC skills because they are the most effective at quickly draining an enemy’s Defiance Bar when time is of the essence. There are many bosses in GW2 with Defiance Bars that must quickly be depleted if players are to successfully defeat them. The goal of this guide is to serve as a reference for new and experienced players that may not be aware of all the hard CC skills available to their classes. For a general overview of the Defiance Bar you may want to check out our “Break-bar Combat Tips” article.

Defiance Bar Damage Calculation (Hard CC)

Effect Multiplier Freeze duration * 60 Stone duration * 150 Ward 150 per pass All other effects: duration * 100 -Daze ^ -Pull ^ -Knockback ^ -Knockdown ^ -Launch ^ -Stun ^ -Transform ^

**While most of the damage calculations in the tables below are accurate to the best of our knowledge, there are several skills where precise damage data was unavailable. For those skills we have provided an educated estimate in-line with similar skills, with conservative approximations. Much of the data was sourced from the official Guild Wars 2 Wiki.

Hard CC Skills By Profession

The following tables list the various hard CC skills of each profession organized by effect type. The damage calculation represents the amount of damage that a skill inflicts upon a target’s defiance bar. We have also provided our recommended hard CC skills based on damage and practicality. For these recommendations we have chosen to exclude underwater skills. Although some of our recommendations may not be practical for general play, we tried to select the skills that provide a high level of Defiance Bar damage while still remaining reasonably accessible and without compromising build quality.

Skills highlighted in green represent hard CC skills with damage of 200 or higher.

Skills highlighted in blue represent our hard CC skill recommendations.

Elementalist

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Comet Focus #5 (Water) 200 Magnetic Surge Conjure Earth Shield #3 200 Pull Magnetic Leap Dagger #3 (Earth) 150 Magnetic Current Trident #3 (Earth) 150 Whirlpool Utility (Underwater) <750 Magnetic Shield Conjure Earth Shield #4 150 Cyclone Warhorn #4 (Air) 150 Knockback Gust Staff #3 (Air) 150 Unsteady Ground Staff #4 (Earth) 300 Crashing Waves Glyph of Elementals (Water) 150 Tidal Surge Warhorn #4 (Water) 150 Knockdown Earthquake Dagger #4 (Earth) 200 Gale Focus #5 (Air) 400 Launch Updraft Dagger #5 (Air) 332 Tornado Elite <1160 Wind Blast Conjure Lightning Hammer #3 232 Stun Shocking Aura Dagger #3 (Air) 100 Static Field Staff #5 (Air) 200 Static Field Conjure Lightning Hammer #5 200 Lightning Cage Trident #5 (Air) 100 Shocking Bolt Glyph of Elementals (Air) 100 Deep Freeze Conjure Frost Bow #5 300

Thief

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Headshot Pistol #4 25 Distracting Dagger Utility 25 Impact Strike Elite 200 Tactical Strike (From Behind)

Sword #1 200 Pull Tow Line Spear #4 150 Scorpion Wire Utility 150 Knockback Cheap Shot Drowning #2 150 Shoot Rifle Steal 150 Knockdown Scorpion Wire Utility 100 Tripwire Utility 300 Throw Rock Steal 100 Hook Strike Staff #1 200 Reflexive Strike (Bandit’s Defense) Utility 200 Launch Branch Bash Steal 232 Shoot Rifle Steal 232 Impact Strike (Uppercut)

Elite 232 Stun Pistol Whip Sword/Pistol #3 50 Basilisk Venom Elite 150-450+

Bone Crack Steal 200 Palm Strike (Fist Flurry)

Utility 200

Tips

Using the “Venomous Aura” trait with “Basilisk Venom” grants nearby allies access to Basilisk Venom’s CC effect.

The “Sleight of Hand” trait applies daze when stealing.

Revenant

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Debilitating Slam Staff #2 50 Pull Grasping Shadow Sword #5 150 Temporal Rift Axe #5 150 Knockback Surge of the Mists Staff #5 450-750 Forceful Displacement Downed #2 150 Knockdown Drop the Hammer Hammer #5 200 Launch Chaotic Release Elite (Glint) 232 Stun Jade Winds Elite (Shiro) 300

Tips

The “Momentary Pacification” trait causes nearby foes to become dazed when you use an elite skill.

Warrior

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Pommel Bash Mace #3 100 Uppercut Elite (Rampage #1) 50 Skull Grinder Mace Burst (Berserker) 100 Gun Flame Rifle Burst (Berserker) 25 Pull Harpoon Pull Spear #3 150 Knockback Rifle Butt Rifle #5 150 Staggering Blow Hammer #4 150 Repeating Shot Harpoon Gun #5 600 Kick Drowning 150 Kick Utility 150 Kick Elite (Rampage #2) 150 Knockdown Backbreaker Hammer #5 200 Tremor Mace #5 200 Bull’s Charge Utility 200 Throw Boulder Elite (Rampage #4) 200 Hammer Toss Downed #2 200 Launch Stomp Utility 232 Wild Blow Utility 332 Stun Earthshaker Hammer Burst 100-200 Skull Crack Mace Burst 100-300 Throw Boulder Elite (Rampage) 200 Whirling Strike Spear Burst 100-200 Shield Bash Shield #4 200 Head Butt Elite 300

Necromancer

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Wail of Doom Warhorn #4 200 Pull Dark Spear Spear #5 150 Deadly Catch Spear #4 150 Spectral Grasp Utility 150 Grasping Darkness Greatsword #5 150 Knockback Chilling Wind Elite (Lich #3) 150 Knockdown Charge Elite (Flesh Golem) 100 Launch Charge Elite (Flesh Golem) 332 Stun “Chilled to the Bone!” Elite 200 Executioner’s Scythe Reaper Shroud 150

Mesmer

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Chaos Storm Staff #5 100 Counter Blade Sword #4 100 Magic Bullet Pistol #5 200 Power Lock Utility 100 Diversion Shatter 100-400 Pull Into the Void Focus #4 150 Vortex Spear #5 150 Gravity Well Elite 150 Knockback Illusionary Wave Greatsword #5 150 Slipstream Spear #4 150 Knockdown Gravity Well Elite 100 Stun Magic Bullet Pistol #5 200 Tides of Time Shield #5 100 Signet of Domination Utility 300 Transform Signet of Humility Elite 1000

Tips

The “Confounding Suggestions” trait provides a chance to stun an enemy whenever you daze them. It also increases stun and daze duration.

Guardian

Effect Skill Slot Damage Pull Pull (Binding Blades) Greatsword #5 150 Wrathful Grasp Spear #5 150 Dragon’s Maw Elite 150 Hunter’s Verdict Spear of Justice (DH) 150 Knockback Shield of Absorption Shield #5 150 Hammer of Wisdom Utility 150 Wave of Light Downed #2 150 Knockdown Line of Warding Staff #5 150 Ring of Warding Hammer #5 150 Bane Signet Utility 300 Hammer of Wisdom Utility 300 Launch Banish Hammer #4 232

Tips

The “Piercing Light” trait dazes nearby foes when you use an elite skill.

Ranger

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Concussion Shot Short Bow #5 100 Hilt Bash Greatsword #5 150 Glyph of Equality Utility 150 Call of Lightning Utility 300 Dazing Screech Moa Pet 200 Lunar Impact Celestial Avatar #3 200 Thunderclap Downed/Drowning #2 100 Lightning Field Electric Wyvern 300 Pull Path of Scars Axe #4 150 Glyph of Tides (Celestial) Utility 150 Knockback Counterattack Greatsword #4 150 Point Blank Shot Longbow #4 150 Counterstrike Spear #4 150 Glyph of Tides Utility 150 Wing Buffet Wyvern Pet 150 Tail Lash Devourer Pet 150 Knockdown Brutal Charge Canine Pet 200 Brutal Charge Porcine Pet 300 Launch Spike Trap Utility 232 Stun Concussion Shot Short Bow #5 100 Hilt Bash Greatsword #5 150 Stunning Rush Armor Fish Pet 200

Tips

The “Moment of Clarity” trait increases stun and daze duration.

The “Primal Echoes” trait causes dazing to nearby foes when you swap to staff.

Engineer

Effect Skill Slot Damage Daze Throw Shield Shield #5 100 Launch Personal Battering Ram Utility 100 Self Destruct Various Utility Gyros 100 Pull Retreating Grapple Harpoon Gun #3 150 Magnet Tool Kit #5 150 Grappling Line Downed/Drowning #2 150 Knockback Magnetic Inversion Shield #4 150 Throw Mine Utility 150 Air Blast Flamethrower #3 150 Knockdown Explosive Rockets Utility (Turret) 200 Slick Shoes Utility <400 Launch Personal Battering Ram Utility 232 Overcharged Rifle Shot Rifle #4 332 Thump Utility (Turret) 232 Blast Gyro Tag Utility 232 Big Ol’ Bomb Bomb Kit Tool Belt 232 Booby Trap Downed #3 232 Stun Static Shield Shield #5 100 Thunderclap Hammer #5 100 Supply Crate Elite (Med Drop) 200 Electrified Net Utility (Turret) 200 Static Shock Heal (A.E.D. Tool Belt) 100 Transform Toss Elixir X Elite (Elixir X Tool Belt) 300

Tips

The “Impact Savant” trait increases the duration of outgoing stuns and dazes.