Skill nomenclature


 * This article is still under construction. If you'd like to help, see the discussion.

In Guild Wars, the nomenclature of many skills follows a predictable pattern; by looking for keywords in a skill's name, you can tell what its main mechanic will be. The following is an attempt to list these keywords, the effects associated with them, and examples of some skills each one applies to.

Direct relation
There are some keywords that have extremely predictable effects. Some are synonymous with skill types.



!Keyword !Effect !rowspan=6| !Keyword !Effect !rowspan=6| !Keyword !Effect !rowspan=6| !Keyword !Effect
 * Axe Chop Reaver
 * Axes and Axe Mastery
 * Spear Throw Toss
 * Spears and Spear Mastery
 * Blade Slash Thrust
 * Swords and Swordsmanship
 * Scythe Slicer Sweep
 * Scythes and Scythe Mastery
 * Arrow Fire Shot
 * Bows and Marksmanship
 * Hammer Blow Smash
 * Hammers and Hammer Mastery
 * Dagger Stab Strike
 * Daggers and Dagger Mastery
 * Bite Lunge Pounce
 * Pets and Beast Mastery
 * Air/Wind Glimmer/Lightning Flash/Shock/Thunder
 * Lightning damage and Air Magic
 * Ash/Crystal Magnet/Obsidian Dust/Earth/Sand
 * Earth damage and Earth Magic
 * Burn/Flame Ember/Immolate Heat/Lava/Star
 * Fire damage and Fire Magic
 * Chill/Frost Freeze/Frigid Ice/Water/Winter
 * Cold damage and Water Magic
 * Disenchantment
 * Removes enchantments
 * Extend
 * Lengthens duration
 * Protect
 * Protection Prayers
 * Speed Haste Celerity
 * Increases movement and casting/recharge
 * Summon
 * Asura summons (and others)
 * Armor
 * Grants +armor/damage reduction
 * Blood
 * Life steal/Sacrifice and Blood Magic
 * ...Was...
 * Bundles and Item spells
 * }
 * Blood
 * Life steal/Sacrifice and Blood Magic
 * ...Was...
 * Bundles and Item spells
 * }

Indirect relation
Most keywords are more artfully than literally connected to their effects.
 * The list works in terms of keywords and the effects that they're bound to, not the reverse, because no effect is bound to any one keyword.
 * Some keywords are homonyms: there is more than one regular application for the same term. Sometimes the skill's profession is a clue as to which one is being used. (For example, the keyword "Renew" does not refer to the technical term Renewal used in concise descriptions.)

Orphaned relation
Some keywords have been officially confirmed or are commonly suggested, but the pattern is not consistent or not widespread. The connections are considered weak or coincidental.