Block

From Guild Wars Wiki

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Blocking is one of the game mechanics that prevents an attack from hitting. A blocked hit deals no damage, and is visually represented by the text "block" floating above the target's head seen by the attacker along with a distinct sound of a muffled hit. There are a variety of skills that provide blocking, usually either cast on an ally or yourself. These are generally used to defend a character under heavy fire from physical sources (such as Warriors and Rangers) since they do not prevent the damage from non-attack skills.

However, it should be noted that many skills can punish a target for blocking, providing extra damage, knockdowns, or other penalties if the attack is blocked.

Other skills bypass blocking or disallow the target to block.