What does it mean – Attack Interval?

Attack Interval refers to the amount of time between consecutive auto-attacks or triggered abilities in World of Warcraft. It is primarily influenced by a character’s weapon speed, haste rating, and class mechanics. A shorter attack interval means more frequent hits, which can directly impact damage-per-second (DPS) and the proc rate of various abilities, enchants, and item effects. Understanding and optimizing attack interval is crucial for Warriors, Rogues, Hunters, and any class that relies on swing timers or auto-attacks to generate resources or deal sustained damage.

Attack Interval is especially important for dual-wielding classes, where main-hand and off-hand timers operate independently. Weapons with faster speeds typically result in shorter intervals, but may produce smaller individual hits. Conversely, slower weapons hit harder but with longer delays. Haste reduces attack interval by increasing swing speed, and is often stacked for this reason.

Players often use swing timer addons to visualize attack intervals and time ability usage between swings for maximum efficiency. In raid and dungeon environments, correctly managing attack intervals can help avoid resetting swing timers due to unnecessary movement or target switching, thus preserving overall output.

References

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