Guild Wars 2

Hey All,

To get right down to the point, I was curious if there was a cap or limit on the amount of speed buff you can have?

I’m leveling an elementalist and use the signet that increases movement speed. I noticed there are a few traits that increase movement speed as well. What prompts me to ask is when I get swiftness boon it doesn’t seem like I’m moving any faster. I’m not sure if its just my perception of my speed or if maybe there is a limit to how much speed increase you can have.

Thanks for any help!

Indeed, the highest speed will apply when using swiftness/sigils. Also through various traits you can get to 50% speed increase also; then that is the one that applies.

If you got alot of swiftness on you you’re better off losing the signet and adding something else, such as a cantrip.

Regards, oRx

Speed buffs don’t stack, so only the highest apply.

Swiftness does stack duration, though.

The highest you can get is 33%, which is the amount the Swiftness boon gives. Unless you have Super Speed, which can be used through an Elementalist Air trait or Engineer Slick Shoes Toolbelt skill.

The server speed cap is +33% of your base speed. Your base speed is reduced when you are in combat by about 20% I think, but the limit of +33% of whatever base you’re on is an absolute limit.

The only use of beyond-33% buffs available on the Thief, Elementalist and Engineer classes is that they counter the Cripple condition, allowing them to move faster than crippled characters with mere Swiftness. But super speed on uncrippled characters is still +33% over base.

Also, only your highest speed buff applies. Super speed + Swiftness = Super speed.

There is a speed increase going from the 25% of windborne dagger/signet of air/traveler runes to the 33% of swiftness, but it is small enough to be difficult to notice.

Tom Gore.4035:

Swiftness does stack duration, though.

not 100% of the time. temporal curtain, for example, doesn’t stack. In fact, if you have 0.000001 seconds of swiftness left and you walk over a curtain, you will leave it with 0.000001 seconds of swiftness. but…. if you have 0 swiftness, walk over curtain, you will then have ~12 seconds of swiftness, and you can then get other applications of swiftness to get more than 12. it’s a very finicky spell.

Mystic.5934:

Tom Gore.4035:

Swiftness does stack duration, though.

not 100% of the time. temporal curtain, for example, doesn’t stack. In fact, if you have 0.000001 seconds of swiftness left and you walk over a curtain, you will leave it with 0.000001 seconds of swiftness. but…. if you have 0 swiftness, walk over curtain, you will then have ~12 seconds of swiftness, and you can then get other applications of swiftness to get more than 12. it’s a very finicky spell.

Indeed, and i never got it why it works like that. Being Mesmer my first character, i was really surprised at first when i noticed that some skills (like guard’s Staff one) can actually stack speed on you..

@Pokecenter
The way all curtains work is like that (I think). The reason is that if it could stack, you could stack full just by pressing left-right on them several times.

As for swiftness, there’s something I’ve noticed:
The maximum speed bonus you can have is 33%, as some people have said. There are some traits that say “50% speed”, but the cap is still 33%. The purpose of this 50% is, say, when you are crippled. When you are crippled and get a 50% boost, you run at at the combined speed, which is much higher! (but still the cap is 33%!)
So that superspeed is very useful when you get chilled and crippled, and you need to get out of a pickle fast! It restores your regular running speed, and sometimes even up to 33%, and you just zip away!