Smashing Strike

Smashing Strike

4m Range
Fast
Melee Skill
After using Shield-swipe or Retaliation, smash the enemy with your weapon's blunt pommel or haft.
If after Shield-swipe: damage and stun.
If after Retaliation: damage and bleed.
... (Main-hand) Damage
Cost: [672 at Level 160] Power
• Cooldown: 20s

General Information

Class: Guardian

Level: 34

Effects

The effects of this skill varies depending on the prior usage of  Shield-swipe and  Retaliation (or  Whirling Retaliation). There is no timer for how long these skills must be used before Smashing Strike, but it takes on the bonus effect of the most recently used trigger.

• No Previous Skills: No bonus effect
• Shield-swipe:  Stunned for 5s
• Retaliation:  Smashing Strike Wound

When traited,  War-chant reduces the active cooldown of this skill by up to 5 seconds.

Trait Interactions

• The trait  Break Ranks in the Defender of the Free trait tree makes this skill cash out maximum Fortification stacks to apply Break Ranks to the fellowship. 15s after use, the Guardian gains Broken Ranks, which prevents this skill from cashing out additional fortification stacks.
• The set bonus  Strengthen the Bulwark in the Defender of the Free trait tree makes this skill apply a stack of Fortification upon a critical hit.
• The set bonus  Shield the People in the Defender of the Free trait tree increases the chance for this skill to apply a Fortification stack by 25%. When at 5 stacks, the fellowship gains +2% Mitigations.
• The trait  Demoralizing Anthem in the Fighter of Shadow trait tree makes  War-chant reduce the active cooldown of this skill by up to 5s.
• The trait  Singular Focus in the Fighter of Shadow trait tree makes this skill apply Singular Focus - Debuff to the enemy target upon critical hit.
• The trait  Wall of Thorns in the Defender of the Free trait tree increases the damage of this skill by up to 25%, and increases the critical chance by up to 15%.
• The trait  Sting of Justice in the Keen Blade trait tree increases the bleed damage of this skill by up to 20%.
• The trait  Thrill of Battle in the Keen Blade trait tree makes this skill apply Thrill of Battle to the Guardian, up to 5 times. If this skill lands as a critical hit, all stacks are removed.
• The trait  Invigourating Response in the Keen Blade trait tree makes this skill restore up to 4% maximum Power upon a critical hit.
• The trait  Tenderize in the Fighter of Shadow trait tree makes this skill grant the Guardian a stack of Tenderize, up to 5 stacks.

Tracery Interactions

• Shield Damage increases the damage of this skill by up to 38.5%.

Armour Set Interactions

Lower-level Armour Sets
Level 150
Equipping 2 pieces of the Umbari Armour of the Crocodile armour set acquired from the Depths of Mâkhda Khorbo Raid increases the Bleed damage of this skill by 5%. Equipping both pieces of the Insignia of the Iron Tower jewellery set acquired from the Legacy of Morgoth Instance Cluster increases the damage of this skill by 5%.

Tactical Information

Although Smashing Strike has various effects, this skill is mainly used in Blue-line. The capstone trait in Blue-line makes this skill cash out all Fortification buffs when you are capped at 5, so once you get there, only use this skill when you want to apply Break Ranks to the fellowship.