Attack speed

Attack speed is a measurement of how long it takes to attack with a weapon. Skills can either increases your own or an ally's attack speed (IAS), or decrease an enemy's attack speed.

The activation time of an attack skill is equal to the attack speed, except when the attack skill has an activation time listed. Attack speeds are measured in seconds between attacks.

Changes in attack speeds are capped at 133% total for IAS (100% being your normal attack speed) and 50% total for DAS from normal.

Weapon attack speeds
All values are listed as seconds between attacks. These are the exact values used by the game.


 * 1 Daggers end up with a faster effective attack speed due to double strikes. See below.

Overview of attack speed influences

 * Many stances improve attack speed; many of them are balanced by some sort of downside.
 * Beast Mastery skills can boost the attack speed of the character, its pet, or both.
 * Certain attack skills (such as Mystic Sweep and Jagged Strike) activate more quickly than the normal attack speed; these skills can be used to speed up a single attack. Some of them, notably ranged attacks (such as Ranger interrupts) have a long aftercast, limiting their ability to increase overall attack rates.
 * Reckless Haste is the only skill that increases attack speed on foes.
 * Various miscellaneous skills also influence attack speed.


 * A few attack skills (e.g. Mighty Throw) have slower-than-normal activation times.
 * Some hex spells can reduce attack speed.
 * Some environmental effects can influence attack speed. For example, the Battle Cry shrine of the Alliance Battles increases attack speed.
 * Some consumables.