Knock down

A knock down or KD causes a target to temporarily fall down. Knocked down characters cannot move, activate skills with an activation time, or switch weapons. Knock downs mostly function the same as standard interrupts; however, since they are technically different game mechanics, KDs can interrupt through skills such as Mantra of Concentration.

Unless otherwise stated, a knock down lasts 2 seconds; it can be extended to 3 seconds using Stonefist Insignias or certain skills. Junundu Tunnel and Reaper's Sweep can knock down for 3 seconds; three other skills can knock down for 4 seconds (Choking Breath, Backbreaker, and Psychic Instability). A knocked-down target cannot be knocked down again until they get up; however, they can be knocked down again the instant they begin to rise (see quarterknocking).

Some foes carry Stun on Critical Hit, causing knock down to foes against whom they score a critical hit. Others carry Stun Immunity which prevents them from being knocked down. Characters inside a Siege Devourer or Desert Wurm are immune to knock downs.

A small number foes, including Shiro Tagachi, can be difficult or impossible to knock down for other reasons.

Enhancements

• The warrior armor upgrade component Stonefist Insignia increases the duration of all knock downs inflicted by the Warrior by 1 second. This upgrade cannot extend durations beyond 3 seconds.
• The skill Earthbind sets a minimum duration of knock downs to 3 seconds.

Related skills

Skills that cause knock down

Unconditional knock downs These skills always cause knock downs on foes: Backbreaker (elite) — for 4 seconds with Strength 8 or higher. Devastating Hammer (elite) Earth Shaker (elite) — on target and adjacent foes. Grapple — on target and the user. Hammer Bash Magehunter's Smash (elite) Shove (elite) Spike Trap (elite) — on nearby foes once triggered. Signet of Judgment (elite) Earthquake/Dragon's Stomp — on target and nearby foes. Gale Lightning Surge (elite) Meteor — on target and adjacent foes. Meteor Shower — up to three times, on target and adjacent foes. Shock — on target touched foe. Entangling Asp Grasping Was Kuurong (elite) — on nearby foes. "You Move Like a Dwarf!" Brawling Headbutt — on target touched foe. Devourer Siege — on target and nearby foes. Hidden Rock — with the user's next snowball. Junundu Siege Junundu Tunnel — for 3 seconds, on adjacent foes. Mega Snowball Siege Devourer Swipe — on nearby foes. Ursan Rage — on adjacent foes. Conditional knock downs These skills inflict knock downs on foes under certain conditions: "Coward!" (elite) — if target is moving. "None Shall Pass!" — on nearby, moving foes. Bull's Charge (elite) — if the user hits a moving foe with a melee attack. Bull's Strike — if target is moving. Counter Blow — if target is attacking. Enraged Smash (elite) — if target is moving. Griffon's Sweep/Leviathan's Sweep — if target blocks the skill. Heavy Blow — if target is suffering from weakness. Irresistible Blow — if target blocks the skill. Shield Bash — on the next foe using an attack skill on the user, if that skill is a melee attack. Yeti Smash — on adjacent foes suffering from a condition. Bestial Pounce/Savage Pounce — if hit foe is casting a spell. Tripwire — on crippled foes. Balthazar's Pendulum (elite) — if a foe attempts to knock down target ally, prevents the knock down on the target. Bane Signet — if target is attacking. Shield of Judgment (elite) — on foes that attack the target ally. Psychic Instability (elite) — for 2-4 seconds, if it interrupts a skill. Signet of Clumsiness — on foes activating an attack skill. Churning Earth — on foes moving faster than normal. Gust — if nearby foes are attacking or moving. Mind Shock (elite) — if the target has less energy than the caster. Slippery Ground — if target is moving or blind. Stoning — if target is suffering from weakness. Whirlwind — on adjacent, attacking foes (nearby foes if overcast). Unsteady Ground — on attacking foes. Water Trident (elite) — if target is moving. Horns of the Ox — if no foes are adjacent to target. Iron Palm — if target is suffering from a hex or condition. Mark of Instability — if hit by a dual attack from the user. Scorpion Wire — if the target is a certain distance from the caster. Trampling Ox — if target is crippled. Wastrel's Collapse (elite) — if target foe is not using a skill. Wanderlust (elite) — if spirit's target is not moving Reaper's Sweep (elite) — for 2-3 seconds, if a dervish enchantment is removed. Shield of Force — on adjacent, attacking foes if you are attacked. Choking Breath — for 4 seconds, on foes casting a spell. Club of a Thousand Bears — if target is non-human. Great Dwarf Weapon — gives all attacks a chance to knock down. Ice Breaker — on anyone striking you. Skills that knock down their user Desperation Blow/Drunken Blow Grapple — on target foe and the user.

Knock down prevention

These skills can be used to prevent knock downs: Balanced Stance — on the user. Dolyak Signet — on the user. Steady Stance (elite) — on the user. Aura of Stability — on other ally. Balthazar's Pendulum (elite) — on an ally, knocks down the foe whose knock down was prevented. Ward of Stability — on allies inside the ward. "Brace Yourself!" — on other ally. Fleeting Stability — on the user. "Don't Trip!" — party members within earshot. "I Am Unstoppable!" — on the user. Dwarven Stability — on the user if drunk when activated. Ice Fort — on the user. Raven Flight (PvE-only; elite; while using Raven Blessing) - on the user.

Skills that benefit from knocked down targets

These have additional effects if targeting knocked down opponents: Crushing Blow — causes a deep wound. Lacerating Chop — causes bleeding. Overbearing Smash — causes dazed. Renewing Smash — recharges itself and gives energy. Steelfang Slash — gives extra adrenaline. Bestial Mauling — causes daze. Melandru's Shot — causes bleeding and crippled. Holy Strike/Stonesoul Strike — deals extra damage against knocked down foes. Fetid Ground — causes poison. Aftershock — deals more damage. Bed of Coals — causes burning. Rending Aura — causes attack skills to remove enchantments. A Touch of Guile — prevents the foe from attacking. Junundu Bite — the user gains health. Low Blow — causes additional damage and cracked armor.

Skills that require knocked down targets

These have no effect unless targeting knocked down opponents: "I Meant to Do That!" — (on self) gives adrenaline. "On Your Knees!" — recharges stances. Belly Smash — causes AoE blind. Pulverizing Smash — cause weakness and a deep wound. Brambles — cause bleeding and damage. Supportive Spirit — heals an ally if damaged while knocked down. Falling Lotus Strike — gives energy. Falling Spider — causes poison. Lift Enchantment — removes an enchantment. Earthbind — causes the knock down to last at least 3 seconds, the spirit loses health. Awe — causes daze.

Skills that bypass knock down counters

Earthbind — overrides Stun Immunity and increases the duration of the knock down to at least 3 seconds. (Has no effect on other knock down prevention skills.)

Notes

• Some creatures do not have an animation for being knocked down. Instead, they perform the animation for being interrupted and stand motionless until the knock down is over.
• Knock downs are most often used as interrupts and snares.
• Characters are knocked down when consuming Battle Isle Iced Tea.
• Warriors and Elementalists have more knock down skills than the other professions.
• Necromancers and Paragons are the only professions without any skills that can cause knock downs.

Anomaly.When used on a foe during casting, they often keep casting for 1-2 seconds more, or until the cast finishes; then it spontaneously fails. This doesn't affect gameplay.

PvP tactics

As stated above, knocked down characters cannot use skills with an activation time or aftercast delay. Even a single knock down can make a difference in combat, and knock downs can be used for various purposes.

• A common tactic is to knock down monks while spiking another character, to prevent monks from healing them.
• Knocking down (and otherwise snaring) flag and relic runners and kiting players is a good tactic.
• Knock-lock is the technique of repeatedly inflicting knock downs on targets to shut them down.

Trivia

The Guild Wars 2 Wiki also has an article on Knock down.

• The game sometimes refers to knock down as stun in some internal (and normally inaccessible) skill descriptions.