Guild Wars 2

It’s is kind of confusing since there are cast time and also channeling time.
I have being searching around to see if any topic related to this but so far no luck

I start to noticing this since some of the spell have no cast time indicated on tool tip but have animation when I use it(dagger:updraft, aura,ride the lighting..etc) while other skill have cast time=channeling time+time the skill actually start to damage(drake breath, cone of cold.churning earth….etc) And even the skill that have cast time indicate on tool tip sometimes the number doesn’t reflect to actual time when I cast the spell?

Does anyone have better idea how the actual cast time is calculated(actual time= start to finish of the spell so the next spell can be cast)? and for those skill that doesn’t have cast time on tool tip but do have animation how do I figure out the actual cast time? Are there any table that have more detailed information of all cast time/channeling time so I don’t need to pull out my stop watch and test every single one of them?

Some skills are bugged and the cast time is longer then listed (see glyph of resing people).

“Generally” skills with no cast times are instant and can be cast during other animations. Some of these skills can be used and not interrupt the previous animation.
E.G. Scepter Air 2 and 3, any of the auras (afaik frost and lightning defiantly), all arcane utilities, all cantrips (mist form breaks some animations, but allows you to use utilities), scepter earth 2 part 2 (not the casting of the armour skill, but the launching of it).

Some skills do not follow this, e.g. updraft, ride the lightning. Instead they are instant cast with no start up animation but I think they can’t be cast during other spells (I generally save these 2 skills and have never really tried to use them during another skill, if the do fire off during another skill the skill will be interrupted).

Signet of air is a weird one, sometimes I can use whenever and not interrupt (e.g. using it to cover churning earth) but sometimes is does interrupt my skills.

Channel skills usually last as long as the cast time lists, not sure if animation start up is included in cast time.

Some skills have a primary effect animation, then a secondary that is not counted as cast time for e.g. magnetic grasp throws a hand and then (when it hits) it pulls you to your foe + pull time which isn’t listed.

MG has weird timing issues, it is a projectile first, that goes a set range then pulls you to your foe. The weird this is, unlike leaps, if you are chilled or crippled it will pull you full duration very slowly, making you vulnerable to attack. The pull effect will eventually wear out (has a channel bar that slowly fills, can be seen how long it will pull for on larger mobs with bad hit boxes as you will be “locked in” for that duration).