Stun effects are a form of crowd control that will cause a victim to be unable to move or perform most actions for a period of time. Stuns are significantly more effective than snare or root effects, since they prevent the victim from taking any action. Consequently, stuns are almost always very short duration effects.

Stun effects are similar to Sleep Effects in that they also prevent a victim from taking action. However, the Undead racial ability Will of the Forsaken (which removes Sleep, Charm, and Fear effects) will not remove a stun. Additionally, stuns are not broken by damage.

Examples of abilities that stun opponents:

• Death knight: Gnaw (Ghoul, requires Master of Ghouls; Also available via Raise Ally)
• Druid: Bash (Bear Form), Pounce (Cat Form), Maim (Cat Form)
• Hunter: Intimidation (Talent);
• Mage: Impact (Talent proc which allows Fire Blast to stun); Deep Freeze (Talent)
• Paladin: Hammer of Justice, Seal of Justice;
• Rogue: Kidney Shot, Cheap Shot;
• Shaman: Bash (Feral Spirit)
• Tauren: War Stomp
• Warlock: Shadowfury (Talent);Intercept (Felguard)
• Warrior: Intercept, Charge, Concussion Blow (Talent), Shockwave (Talent);

Note that due to diminishing returns, after three stuns (not to be confused with disorients) within a short period of time, the target will become temporarily immune. For example, if the mage ability Impact is triggered more than three times in a short period of time, the target will show immunity towards a fourth Impact. There are however several diminishing returns categories, one for activated stuns, which include most stun effects, and one for proc stuns, which include the stuns from procs, as well as one specifically for Cheap Shot. Using stuns in one category will not affect the duration of stuns in the another category. Also, unlike many crowd control effects, most stuns suffer diminishing returns even in PvE encounters.

Counters

• Items that can dispel snare effects:
  • [Free Action Potion]
  • [Living Action Potion]
• Hunters with the Tier 9 The Beast Within talent are immune to stun as are their pets when using Bestial Wrath for 18 sec.
• Mages can use Blink or Ice Block to free themselves from stuns.
• PvP trinkets
• The Orc racial trait Hardiness reduces stun duration by 15%
• Death knight talent On a Pale Horse 2/2 reduces stun duration by 20%
• Death knight ability Icebound Fortitude renders the death knight immune to stuns for the duration.
• Druid talent Primal Tenacity 3/3 reduces damage taken while stunned by 30% while in Cat form.
• Druid ability Moonkin Form which reduces damage taken while stunned by 15%.
• Paladin talent Stoicism 3/3 reduces stun duration by 30%
• Paladin talent Divine Purpose 2/2 allows Hand of Freedom to remove stun effects on the target.
• Warrior talent Second Wind (warrior talent) 2/2 regenerates 20 rage and 10% of total health over 10 seconds after being stunned.
• Warrior talent Iron Will 3/3 Reduces the duration of all Stun and Charm effects used against you by 20%.

See also

• Stunlock

Stun immunity

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• Stuns casted by players are under diminishing returns.
• Some mobs, including all raid bosses, most or all dungeon bosses and many elites, are permanently immune to stuns.

Patch changes

• Patch 1.7.0 (13-Sep-2005): Several stun spells and abilities that were previously unresistable can now be resisted as was always intended. 
  
• Patch 1.6.0 (12-Jul-2005): It will no longer be possible to swap any equipment while stunned.