View source for Aftercast delay

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[[Aftercast delay]] is the period after ''successfully'' activating certain [[skill]]s, during which players cannot move or activate other skills. Aftercast delay, which is almost always {{3/4}} second ("s"), is common for skills that have an [[activation time]], but otherwise uncommon. If a skill causes an aftercast delay, then A) your character cannot move or auto-[[attack]] until the end of the aftercast period, and, B) the skill must be [[Skill queue|queued]], so it cannot be used while [[Knock down|knocked down]].

== Guidelines ==
===Aftercast delay===
These [[skill type]]s always have an aftercast delay of {{3/4}} (unless noted further below):

* All [[chant]]s, [[Echo (skill type)|echoes]], [[glyph]]s, and [[ritual]]s
* All [[spell]]s (unless listed below).
* Five skills without activation times: [[Air of Superiority]], [[Burning Shield]], [[Feral Aggression]], [[Inspirational Speech]] and [[Ursan Force]];
* All [[form]]s, ''except'' for the [[elite]] [[Norn]] ones ([[Raven Blessing|Raven]], [[Ursan Blessing|Ursan]], and [[Volfen Blessing]]);
* All [[signet]]s except [[Dolyak Signet]];
* All other skills, unless listed below.

==== Exceptions ====
The following skills do not have an aftercast delay, even though they fit one or more of the categories above:

* [[Dwarven Stability]]
* [[Scorpion Wire]] (a hex spell with a situational Shadow Step)
* [[Spiritual Healing]]
* [[Grapple]] (though the knockdown on the user must be prevented to observe it)
* [[Verata's Gaze]]
* [[Brawling Headbutt]]
* [[Shove]]

=== No delay ===
These skill types ''do not'' have an aftercast delay (unless noted above):

* All skills without an activation time, including [[flash enchantment spell]]s, [[shout]]s, [[stance]]s, and some others;
* [[Attack skill]]s with specified activation time (noticeably [[interrupt]]s and some [[dagger]]s skills);
* [[Ranger]] [[preparation]]s from [[Prophecies]] or [[Core]];
* [[Shadow step]]s that do not exclusively target a foe, except for [[Ride the Lightning]].

=== Animation delay ===
[[Attack skill]]s without an activation time have an effective delay, similar to aftercast, caused by weapon animation timing:

* [[Bow attack|Bow]], [[Dagger attack|dagger]] and [[hammer attack]] skills have a {{3/4}}&thinsp;s animation.
* Other weapon-based [[attack skill]]s are on a {{1/2}}&thinsp;s timing.
* [[Melee attack|Melee generic skill]]s use the current weapon equipped in term of timing.

These delays are accounted for in [[Attack speed]]: chained attack skills have the same attack interval as auto-attacks. 

==== Visual glitches ====
* As attack skills override the default auto-attack process and timing (based on the [[attack speed]] of the weapon), additional delay can occur when they resume the overlapsing.

* [[Bow]] attack skills with {{1/2}}&thinsp;s activation times display in a particular way: as the [[projectile]] is fired {{1/4}}&thinsp;s after the initiation of the skill (still following the default length of the animation, yet allowing shorter skill chains).

* The same mechanics apply to [[Daggers]] and [[Hammer]]s, but is not as noticeable, as their next swing may cut the last part of the skill animation.

== Notes ==
* In certain cases the aftercast delay can be canceled by situational triggers, e.g. by a change of form.
* [[Assassin]] dagger attack skills with activation times that are shorter than the typical dagger animation delay can be used to hasten combo attacks.

* There are no other known mechanisms to reduce or cancel aftercast delay. In particular, the [[Mesmer]]'s [[Fast Casting]] attribute has no effect on the aftercast delay of spells or signets.

== Trivia ==
* Prior to the [[game updates/20080306|March 6th, 2008 update]], [[point blank area of effect]] [[spell]]s had an aftercast delay of 1.75 seconds.
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