gww>JaedaJuris: /* Skill Hunter */

2026-01-01T05:06:39Z

Skill Hunter

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{{redirect 2|"Elite"|elite missions and "elite" armor|[[Elite Mission]] or [[Prestige armor]] respectively}}
[[Elite skill]]s are [[skill type]]s that have been specially designated by the designers as being more significant than non-elites. Players may only include one elite skill in their [[build]]. However, under special circumstances, a skill bar might have several Elites and this is explained below in copying Elite Skills.

Elite skills are meant to have powerful effects. Many builds are often constructed around (and named after) their elite skill. The choice of this type build leads to many of the remaining skill choices. A few examples of such elite skill-based builds include ''[[Barrage]] Ranger'', ''[[Spiteful Spirit]] Necromancer'', ''[[Healer's Boon]] Monk'', ''[[Vow of Strength]] Dervish'', ''[[Signet of Spirits]] Ritualist'', ''[[Crippling Shot]] Ranger'' or ''[[Panic]] Mesmer''.

Elite [[skill icon]]s are indicated by a '''golden border''', and within the [[Skills and Attributes Panel]] with yellow text.

==Acquisition==
:''See also: [[List of elite skills by campaign]], [[List of elite skills by capture location|capture location]], or [[List of elite skills by profession|profession]]''
*[[Unlock]] through a [[Priest of Balthazar]].
*Learn and unlock by using a [[Signet of Capture]] while standing near a dead [[boss]] who has the skill.
**There are three permanent elite [[PvE-only skill]]s that can only be learned via quests.
*Learn previously unlocked elite skills (via other characters, a Priest of Balthazar, or purchasing [[Guild_Wars_In-Game_Store#Upgrades|account upgrades]] via the [http://store.guildwars.com/store/gw/cat/categoryID.67871700 Guild Wars Online Store]) by using an appropriate elite [[skill tome]].

===Total number of elite skills===
:{| {{STDT|silver|+=text-align:center;}}
|- style="background:lightgray;"
! || {{w}} || {{r}} || {{mo}} || {{n}} || {{me}} || {{e}} || {{a}} || {{rt}} || {{p}} || {{d}} || Common5 || Total
|-
| '''Core'''6 || 5 (1) || 5 (1) || 5 (1) || 5 (1) || 5 (1) || 5 (1) || (1) || (1) || (1) || (1) || 1 || 31 (10)
|-
| '''''[[Guild_Wars_Prophecies|Prophecies]]''''' || 111 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 92 || 10 || - || - || - || - || 1 || 61
|-
| '''''[[Factions]]''''' || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 15 || 15 || - || - || - || 90
|-
| '''''[[Nightfall]]''''' || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 15 || 15 || 2 || 112
|-
| '''''[[Eye of the North]]''3''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 3
|-
| '''''[[Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack|Bonus Mission Pack]]''4''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 4
|- style="background:lightgray;"
| '''Total''' || 36 (1) || 35 (1) || 35 (1) || 35 (1) || 34 (1) || 35 (1) || 25 (1) || 25 (1) || 15 (1) || 15 (1) || 11 || 301 (10)
|}
#Warriors have one extra elite because [[Hundred Blades]] was originally a non-elite skill.
#Mesmers have one less elite because [[Mantra of Celerity]] was removed before ''Guild Wars'' was originally released.
#There are no [[profession]]-specific elite skills unique to Eye of the North. In order to capture elites in Eye of the North [[region]]s, access to the [[campaign]] the skill originates from is required.
#All available elite skills in the Bonus Mission Pack quests are temporary and limited to the quest they are found in.
#This includes event-related skills and such found in the Bonus Mission Pack quests - see Notes for more information.
#This includes the elite skills added for the [[List of Anniversary Celebration elite skills|15 year anniversary celebration]] in brackets.

==Game mechanics==
*Elite skills cannot be learned or unlocked at [[skill trainer]]s or through [[Quest#Skill quest|skill quests]], except for certain elite [[PvE-only skill]]s, which can only be learned via quests:
**[[Junundu Siege]] (initially [[Unknown Junundu Ability]]) is obtained through the primary quest, [[Horde of Darkness]], acquired at the [[Bone Palace]].
**Three Norn Animal Blessing skills ([[Ursan Blessing]], [[Raven Blessing]], and [[Volfen Blessing]]) are rewards from quests given by [[Hogni Truthseeker]].
*Some elites are considered to be less powerful than comparable non-elite skills.
*There are elite [[monster skill]]s; however, from the point of [[game mechanics]], there is no difference with non-elite monster skills (unlike players, NPCs do not have the elite-specific limits).

===Temporary elite skills===
{{see|List of temporary skills}}
*Some elite skills are temporarily available, such as event-related elite skills and elite skills found in the Bonus Mission Pack quests.
**During the [[April Fools' Day]] quest [[Annihilator]], [["Tango Down!"]] is temporarily available.
**During the [[Halloween]] quest [[Scarred Psyche]], [[Cry of Madness]] is temporarily available.
**During [[The Battle of Jahai]], a special version of [[Dragon Slash (Turai Ossa)|Dragon Slash]] is temporarily available.
**During [[The Flight North]], a special version of [[Shared Burden (Gwen)|Shared Burden]] is temporarily available.
**During [[The Rise of the White Mantle]], [[Signet of the Unseen]] is temporarily available.
**During [[The Tengu Accords]], a special version of [[Offering of Spirit (Togo)|Offering of Spirit]] is temporarily available.

===Copying elite skills===
*Although characters can only equip a single elite, there are skills that temporarily allow additional elite skills to be on a single [[skill bar]].
**[[Arcane Echo]] allows the user to duplicate skills, including elites.
**[[Arcane Mimicry]] allows the caster to use an elite that an ally has equipped.
**[[Arcane Larceny]], [[Arcane Thievery]], [[Simple Thievery]], and [[Smooth Criminal]] allow casters to take a skill from foes, including elites.
**[[Inspired Enchantment]] and [[Revealed Enchantment]] remove a foe's enchantment and allows the caster to use the removed enchantment.
**[[Inspired Hex]] and [[Revealed Hex]] remove an ally's hex and allows the caster to use the removed hex.
**[[Signet of Capture]], using multiple copies of Signet of Capture, players can learn up to three additional elites.
***After [[Zone|zoning]], only the '''right-most elite skill''' will remain on the skill bar.

==List of skills that interact with elite skills==
{{Skill table
| titlematch = Signet of Capture¦Arcane Mimicry¦Price of Pride¦Signet of Humility¦Symbols of Inspiration¦
| show campaign = y
| show profession = y
| show attribute = y
}}

==Trivia==
*Prior to the [[Game updates/20070823|August 23, 2007 update]] that limited a skill bar to having only 3 PvE-only skills, a player could capture up to 6 elites in their skill bar in certain [[explorable area]]s in Prophecies, making it possible to have 7 elite skills at once.
*[[Lightbringer Signet]] was considered an elite until the [[Game updates/20080807|August 7, 2008 update]]. Until it was fixed in the [[Feedback:Game updates/20110714|July 14, 2011 update]], players who achieved the [[Elonian Skill Hunter]] used to show 141/140 elites captured on the Elonian Skill Hunter title track.

== See also ==
* [[Skill Hunter]] achievement

{{Elite skill lists}}

[[Category:Elite skills|*]]
[[Category:Game mechanics|Elite skills]]
[[Category:Lists of skills]]

Elite skill - Revision history

gww>JaedaJuris: /* Skill Hunter */