Elite skill

"Elite" redirects here. For "high-end missions", see Elite Mission. For "high-end armor", see Elite armor.

Elite skills are skills 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, although under special circumstances, a skill bar might have several. Builds are often named after their elite skill, because that skill often prescribes many of the remaining skills, e.g. Crippling Shot Ranger or Panic Mesmer.

Elite skill icons 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 or by capture location

• PvP players can unlock elite skills through a Priest of Balthazar.
• PvE players can learn a locked elite by using a Signet of Capture while standing near a dead boss who has the skill.
  • There are four elite PvE-only skills that can only be learned via quests.
• All players can learn unlocked elites by use of an appropriate elite tome.

Number of elite skills

Type											Common	Total
Core	5	5	5	5	5	5	-	-	-	-	-	30
Prophecies	112	10	10	10	93	10	-	-	-	-	-	60
Factions	10	10	10	10	10	10	15	15	-	-	-	90
Nightfall	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	15	15	11	111
Eye of the North4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	31	3
Total	36	35	35	35	34	35	25	25	15	15	4	294

1. There are four PvE-only elites:
   • Nightfall: Junundu Siege — can only be used while riding a Junundu.
   • Eye of the North: the Norn animal blessings: Ursan Blessing, Raven Blessing, and Volfen Blessing.
2. Warriors have one extra elite because Hundred Blades was originally a non-elite skill.
3. Mesmers have one less elite because Mantra of Celerity was removed before Guild Wars was originally released.
4. There are no profession-specific elite skills unique to Eye of the North. In order to capture elites in EotN regions, you must have access to the campaign the skill originates from.

Skills that interact with elite skills

• Signet of Capture: Can be used to capture elite skills in PvE. Gives experience when an elite skill is captured.
• Arcane Mimicry: Copies target Ally's elite skill.
• Price of Pride: Causes target foe to lose energy the next time they activate an elite skill.
• Signet of Humility: Disables target foe's elite skill.
• Symbols of Inspiration: Copies target foe's elite skill.

Notes

• Elite skills cannot be learned or unlocked at skill trainers or through skill quests, except for the four elite PvE-only skills, which can only be learned via quests:
  • Junundu Siege is obtained through the primary quest, Horde of Darkness, acquired at the Bone Palace.
  • The three Norn Animal Blessing skills are rewards from quests given by Hogni Truthseeker.
• 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 you to duplicate skills, including elites.
  • Arcane Mimicry allows you to use an elite that an ally has equipped.
  • Arcane Larceny, Arcane Thievery, Simple Thievery, and Smooth Criminal allow you 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.
  • Using a Signet of Capture, you can learn up to three additional elites.
    • After zoning, only the right-most elite skill will remain on the skill bar.
• Many players consider some elites to be less powerful than comparable non-elite skills.
• There are some elite monster skills; 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).

Trivia

• Prior to the 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 areas in Prophecies, making it possible to have 7 elite skills at once.
• Lightbringer Signet was considered an elite until the August 7, 2008 update. Until it was fixed in the 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.

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