Surprise Shot

This article is about the thief skill. For the engineer skill, see Surprise Shot (engineer skill).

Stealth Attack. Shoot an arrow that bleeds and immobilizes your foe. — In-game description

Surprise Shot

Profession

Thief (skill list)

Weapon

Short bow

Type

Stealth Attack

Game link

API

13129

“

0.25¼  1  

Surprise Shot

Stealth Attack. Shoot an arrow that bleeds and immobilizes your foe.

 Damage: 220 (0.6)^?

₃ Bleeding (5s): 330 Damage

 Bleeding (5s): 110 Damage

 Immobilize (2s): Unable to move.

 Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile

 Range: 900

— In-game description

Related traits

Deadly Arts

• Even the Odds — Apply vulnerability when you steal. Gain might when you hit with a stealth attack.
• Panic Strike — Immobilizing a foe poisons them. Striking a foe below the health threshold immobilizes them.
• Exposed Weakness — Deal increased strike damage to your target for each unique condition on them.

Critical Strikes

• Sundering Shade — Stealth Attack skills inflict vulnerability and grant fury upon successfully hitting foes.

Shadow Arts

• Hidden Thief — Stealing inflicts blindness. Stealth Attacks inflict weakness. Cannot affect the same target more than once per interval.
• Shadow Siphoning — Stealth attacks siphon health if they hit. Cannot siphon the same target more than once per interval.
• Rending Shade — Steal boons from enemies you strike with stealth attacks. Striking a boonless foe with a stealth attack inflicts fear on nearby foes.

Trickery

• Deadly Ambush — Stealing also applies bleeding. Bleeding you inflict deals more damage.

Specter

• Panaku's Ambition — Gain barrier when you strike foes with a stealth attack. When you apply stealth to allies you also grant them barrier. This effect can only be received once and will reset when stealth is removed.

Version history

For a detailed skill history, see here.

Patch	Changes
May 11, 2021	Surprise Shot and Malicious Surprise Shot: These skills now additionally apply 3 stacks of bleeding for 5 seconds in PvE and 1 stack in PvP and WvW.
July 26, 2016	All stealth attack skills will now have a 1-second recharge between uses.
April 30, 2013	Skills that must be performed from stealth are now labeled as "Stealth Attack."
October 24, 2012	Stealth skills now always apply the Revealed' buff when they hit their target (this update was not originally documented )
August 28, 2012	Game release: Surprise Shot has been added to the game.