Cooldown

or cool down is the time it takes, after an Ability or a type of item has been used, for it to be possible to use it again. durations range from a few seconds (Lightning has a 1.2 second cooldown) to several minutes (Adrenaline Boosters can only be used once every 5 minutes).
Some Ability cooldowns start when the Ability is used while some start when the effect caused by that Ability ends. For example, the Ranger's Fire Support Ability has a cooldown of 15 seconds from the time it is activated, while the Engineer's Shield Extender Ability has a cooldown of 10 seconds from the time the effect from the previous use has faded.
Category:Terminology
Category:Game mechanics