Guild Wars 2

The whirling axe skill states that movement speed is increased by 50% but in fact it is only 25%. I tested this with a stop watch traveling the same distance over 10 times. I observed the following:

• Without speed buffs, the whirling axe granted a 25% increase in movement speed.
• With a speed buff of 25% (using the trait warrior’s spring) the whirling axe had no effect in movement speed.

so, based on this, I conclude that the speed granted by whirling axe is only 25% and not 50% as stated. Thus, a bug.

Are you certain that you don’t have a 25% move speed boost by default?

Move speed increases (generally) don’t stack, you simply get the largest one, so you would see 125% default and 150% with the effect, if both were present?

SlippyCheeze.5483:

Are you certain that you don’t have a 25% move speed boost by default?

Move speed increases (generally) don’t stack, you simply get the largest one, so you would see 125% default and 150% with the effect, if both were present?

That also depends on whether or not testing was dong while in combat. If not it is actually comparing 125% vs 133% because of the movement speed cap.

SlippyCheeze.5483:

Are you certain that you don’t have a 25% move speed boost by default?

Move speed increases (generally) don’t stack, you simply get the largest one, so you would see 125% default and 150% with the effect, if both were present?

Like I said:

• I tested it without the 25% speed buff given by the trait and I observed an increase of 25% speed when using the whirling axe.

Then,

• I tested it with the 25% speed buff given by the trait and I observed that upon using whirling axe, the speed remained at 25%.

All this was done out of combat.

Also, I have observed that in WvW if you are pursuing an enemy and use whirling axe, the speed in not increased and you and your enemy remain at about the same distance from each other. (You and enemy having swiftness)

Out of combat you are limited to 133% of base speed. Any boost more powerful than swiftness only has an added benefit in combat.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Movement_Speed

I just tested this using a program that pulls character position using the mumble link and calculated the actual movement speed of my character

out of combat
base 294
warrior’s sprint 367 -> 25%
swiftness 391 -> 33%
whirling axe 400 -> 36%
superspeed – > 400 -> 36% on a rev

in combat
base 209
warrior’s sprint 262 -> 25%
swiftness 280 -> 33%
whirling axe 315 -> 50%
superspeed -> 400 -> 91% on a rev

Looks like it is working fine to me. In fact slightly better than fine since it moves faster than the 33% cap while out of combat though nobody is going to use it as a movement skill so it probably doesn’t matter.

something to keep in mind is that there is a universal cap of 400 so you can only take full advantage of something like superspeed if you were in combat and crippled or chilled

Additional tidbits:
Rev seemingly has a +10% movement speed as a class bonus. It remains even if I take off all my gear and disable all my traits and it doesn’t matter which legend I am using. This “bonus” is lost in combat unless you use action camera.

Action camera allows you to move at forward speed while strafing both in and out of combat.

All testing was done in Aerodome and Special Forces Training Area so it might not apply to PvP or WvW.