Defiance bars (also called break bars) are important encounter mechanics that you’ll need to understand as you progress to face more difficult foes in the game. They are commonly found on stronger enemies such as champions and bosses. When present, they are located underneath the enemy’s health bar. The defiance bar indicates when the target is immune or susceptible to control effects (stuns, knockdowns, slows. etc.). During windows of susceptibility control effects will deplete a portion of the defiance bar, the amount of which varies by ability. Once the defiance bar is depleted the target will receive some kind of strong special effect, most commonly 5 seconds of stun and 50% increased damage, but it may vary. You can see what effect the target will receive by hovering your mouse over the defiance bar.
Defiance Bar Phases
There are three different phases in which a defiance bar can be:
Gray Metal Bar -
A solid metal bar indicates that control effects will have absolutely no impact on your target. Do not bother using any control effects when there is a solid, metal bar.
Teal Bar -
A teal defiance bar means that while the target is not immediately affected by control effects directly, such abilities will deplete a portion of the defiance bar in accordance with their defiance bar damage. This is a good time to use control effects, but since the defiance bar also regenerates, it is best to use them in a coordinated effort with the rest of your group.
Brown Bar -
Once a defiance bar has been completely depleted, it will begin to recharge as indicated by a brown bar. During this time, control effects will not deplete any of the defiance bar or affect the target in any other way. Do not bother using any control effects when there is a brown bar.
Defiance Bar Damage
The amount of damage done to a defiance bar varies by control effect type. They can be broken down into ‘hard’ control effects and ‘soft’ control effects. Hard control effects typically have the biggest impact on a defiance bar.
Hard control effects:
- Ward - 150 damage per pass.
- Stone - 150 damage * duration.
- Daze, Knockback, Knockdown, Launch, Pull, Stun, Transform - 100 * duration.
- Freeze - 60 * duration.
- Fear - 100 per second
- Taunt - 75 per second
- Immobile - 50 per second
- Slow - 50 per second
- Chilled - 33 per second
- Blind, Weakness - 20 per second
- Crippled - 15 per second
Useful Links
GW2 Wiki - Defiance Bar
Breakbars in 60 seconds:
