Interrupts, stagger and enemy types
Yellow casts stop on damage, grey casts need suitable control, and normal, silver and gold enemies respond differently to stagger and stun.
- Yellow cast
- Interrupted by damage
- Grey cast
- Needs eligible stagger or stun
- Silver enemy
- Stagger immune; stun susceptible
- Gold enemy
- Stagger and stun immune
On this page
The cast bar tells you how an attack can be stopped
The PTR help separates unprotected yellow casts from protected grey casts. Damage can interrupt a yellow cast. A grey cast ignores damage as an interruption method, but may still be stopped by staggering or stunning an enemy that is susceptible to those effects.
Control Immune is a separate temporary status. While it is active, stagger, stun and interruption are blocked. Read that status alongside the cast color rather than treating a yellow bar as an unconditional guarantee.
Cast color and response
| Indicator | Rule | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Ordinary unprotected cast | Inflict damage to interrupt, unless the enemy has a Control Immune effect |
| Grey | Protected cast | Damage alone does not stop it; stagger or stun can stop it if that enemy is susceptible |
| Control Immune status | Temporary protection from control | Stagger, stun and interruption do not work during this effect |
Enemy type and control
| Enemy marker | Stagger behavior | Stun behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Usually staggered by damaging attacks | Can be stunned; use short interruptions to prevent attacks |
| Silver dragon | Immune to stagger | Still susceptible to stronger stun effects |
| Gold dragon | Immune to stagger and stun | Use movement and defensive tools instead of relying on control |
Stagger and stun are different tools
A normal enemy usually staggers when damaged, briefly losing the ability to move or attack. A stronger control effect can stun normal or silver enemies for longer. The help text notes that some periodic or summoned damage does not produce the same stagger or stun behavior as a direct attack.
A silver enemy that ignores repeated light hits is not necessarily immune to your entire kit. Conversely, trying to stun a gold enemy is not a substitute for leaving the attack area. The enemy marker changes which response is realistic.
A short decision process
- Look for a Control Immune effect before committing to an interruption.
- For a yellow cast, use an available damaging action.
- For a grey cast on a control-vulnerable enemy, use a stagger or stun source.
- For a protected cast on an immune enemy, reposition, Evade or Guard instead.
Higher difficulties change the test
PTR help describes extra enemy abilities and more aggressive reinforcement counterattacks on higher settings. A successful Normal-mode response is useful practice, but it does not establish a complete Heroic or Mythic encounter script.