Catalyst
“"My power shapes and bends the world."
Master cutting-edge Canthan technology to wield nature's forces with scientific precision. Imbue the elements into your jade-tech Sphere, creating wells of immense power.
— In-game description
Catalyst is an elite specialization for the elementalist unlocked with the End of Dragons expansion. Catalysts were historically the protectors of the Canthan Empire of the Dragon. Relieved of their duties, they now upgrade their traditions with Dragonjade to create their Jade Spheres: reservoirs of magic charged up through spellcasting that catalysts can tap into to summon wells of power to both damage enemies and provide boons to allies.
They learn augment skills to temporarily empower themselves with elemental forces, reducing the recharge of these skills if cast inside a Jade Sphere channelling that same element. Catalysts can wield hammers, a heavy weapon that allows them to literally whirl the elements around them for passive bonuses, and then fire these elemental forces at their enemies while striking with this blunt weapon. Thanks to their Jade Sphere, catalysts are capable of empowering their allies with powerful boons, or go all in on the offensive.
List of catalyst skills[edit]
- See also: List of elementalist skills
Profession mechanic[edit]
“A brilliant ember! A swift stream! A thousand storms! An ancient mountain!
— Catalyst
The Jade Sphere can be summoned in an area, creating a combo field and granting boons to allies in its radius based on the catalyst's attunement at deployment. Deploying a sphere requires 10 energy, which builds up through damage. Each time you do damage you gain one energy, skills hitting multiple times or multiple foes will provide energy for each hit. You can hold a maximum of 30 energy, which you do not lose between combats.
You will not gain energy from hits while any sphere field has been placed and is still active. The only way to gain energy while a sphere field is active is through Energized Elements.
# | Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fire Attunement | |||||
F5 | Deploy Jade Sphere | 15 | Summon your Jade Sphere, creating a combo field and granting boons to allies in its radius based on your current attunement. | ||
Water Attunement | |||||
F5 | Deploy Jade Sphere | 15 | Summon your Jade Sphere, creating a combo field and granting boons to allies in its radius based on your current attunement. | ||
Air Attunement | |||||
F5 | Deploy Jade Sphere | 15 | Summon your Jade Sphere, creating a combo field and granting boons to allies in its radius based on your current attunement. | ||
Earth Attunement | |||||
F5 | Deploy Jade Sphere | 15 | Summon your Jade Sphere, creating a combo field and granting boons to allies in its radius based on your current attunement. |
Weapon skills[edit]
# | Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hammer[edit] | |||||
Fire Attunement | |||||
1 | Singeing Strike | ½ | Singe your foes by unleashing a burst of flame from your hammer. | ||
2 | Surging Flames | ¾ | 8 | Sweep your hammer forward to send flames rushing at your enemies. | |
3 | Flame Wheel | 18 | Summon a projectile of fire that circles around you, damaging foes. While this projectile is active, it grants you increased outgoing damage. Summoning a circular projectile refreshes the duration of all other circular projectiles. | ||
3 | Grand Finale | ¾ | 15 | Redirect any active circular projectiles towards your target. | |
4 | Triple Sear | ¾ | 20 | Sear a path to burn your enemies. | |
5 | Molten End | 1 | 25 | Slam your hammer into the ground, damaging nearby enemies. If this strikes a burning enemy, gain offensive boons. | |
Water Attunement | |||||
1 | Stream Strike | ½ | Chain. Strike your foe with a watery blow. | ||
1 | Water Rush | ½ | Chain. Slam your foe with a rush of water. | ||
1 | Chilling Crack | ½ | Crack the ground to chill your foes. | ||
2 | Rain of Blows | 1 | ½6 | Strike your foes repeatedly. Enemies hit by all strikes become chilled. | |
3 | Icy Coil | 18 | Summon a projectile of ice that circles around you, damaging foes. While this projectile is active, you take reduced damage from conditions. Summoning a circular projectile refreshes the duration of all other circular projectiles. | ||
3 | Grand Finale | ¾ | 15 | Redirect any active circular projectiles towards your target. | |
4 | Crashing Font | ¾ | 20 | Leap at your target and strike nearby foes. Heal for each target struck. Heal for a lesser amount for each target struck beyond the first. | |
5 | Cleansing Typhoon | ½ | 25 | Strike nearby foes, cleansing a condition for each target struck. | |
Air Attunement | |||||
1 | Wind Slam | ¾ | Slam your foe with a gust of wind. | ||
2 | Hurricane of Pain | 3 | 10 | Manifest a powerful cyclone at the target location, periodically damaging enemies. | |
3 | Crescent Wind | 18 | Summon a projectile of air that circles around you, damaging foes. While this projectile is active, your chance to critically strike is increased. Summoning a circular projectile refreshes the duration of all other circular projectiles. | ||
3 | Grand Finale | ¾ | 15 | Redirect any active circular projectiles towards your target. | |
4 | Wind Storm | ½ | 20 | Release a burst of air to knock down your enemies and gain superspeed. | |
5 | Shock Blast | ¼ | 25 | Fire a blast of lightning that explodes when it reaches its destination, stunning nearby foes. | |
Earth Attunement | |||||
1 | Stonestrike | ¾ | Arc your hammer, creating a ring of jagged rock to damage your enemies. | ||
2 | Whirling Stones | 2 | 8 | Encase your hammer with earthen spikes to deliver a powerful blow. | |
3 | Rocky Loop | 18 | Summon a projectile of earth that circles around you, damaging foes. While this projectile is active, you take reduced damage from strikes. Summoning a circular projectile refreshes the duration of all other circular projectiles. | ||
3 | Grand Finale | ¾ | 15 | Redirect any active circular projectiles towards your target. | |
4 | Immutable Stone | 1 | ½20 | Block the next attack. If you blocked an attack, gain barrier and an aura based on your current attunement. | |
5 | Ground Pound | 1 | 20 | Smash your hammer into the ground to bleed and immobilize your enemies. |
Slot skills[edit]
Healing[edit]
Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Soothing Water | ¾ | 25 | Augment. Regenerate health and cleanse conditions over time. If this is cast in range of your Water Sphere, the recharge time is reduced. |
Utility[edit]
Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Relentless Fire | ¼ | 20 | Augment. Your attacks and conditions deal increased damage, and your attacks are unblockable. If this is cast within range of your Fire Sphere, the duration is increased. | |
Shattering Ice | ¾ | 20 | Augment. Your successful attacks will trigger an additional strike on nearby enemies that applies chill. If this is cast within range of your Water Sphere, the duration is increased. This effect can occur once per interval. | |
Invigorating Air | 20 | Augment. Gain increased endurance regeneration and superspeed. If this is cast within range of your Air Sphere, the recharge time is reduced. | ||
Fortified Earth | 3 | 20 | Augment. Block attacks. Gain barrier if the channel completes successfully. If this is cast within range of your Earth Sphere, the recharge time is reduced. |
Elite[edit]
Skill | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Elemental Celerity | ¼ | 90 | Augment. Reduce the recharge of weapon skills of your current attunement. If this is activated in range of your sphere, gain a boon based on its element. |
List of catalyst traits[edit]
- See also: List of elementalist traits
Tier | Trait | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
Minor Proficiency | Hammer Proficiency | You can wield hammers. | |
Minor Adept | Depth of Elements | 15 | Build up elemental energy when you strike foes. Energy is consumed to imbue the Jade Sphere with different elements, creating combo fields and granting boons to allies in the area. Gain access to Augments. |
Major Adept | Hardened Auras | Damage reduction is increased when you grant yourself an aura. When this triggers, the duration of all stacks are refreshed. | |
Major Adept | Vicious Empowerment | ¼ | Gain Elemental Empowerment and might when you disable or immobilize a foe. |
Major Adept | Energized Elements | Gain energy and fury when you switch attunements. Energy can only be gained while in combat. | |
Minor Master | Elemental Empowerment | 15 | Gain Elemental Empowerment while in combat. |
Major Master | Empowering Auras | Gain increased outgoing damage when you grant yourself an aura. When this triggers, the duration of all stacks are refreshed. | |
Major Master | Evasive Empowerment | 1 | Gain Elemental Empowerment and vigor while evading an attack. |
Major Master | Spectacular Sphere | Your jade sphere is larger and grants quickness and an additional boon based on your current attunement to nearby allies when activated. | |
Minor Grandmaster | Elemental Epitome | 10 | Gain an aura based on your current attunement when you combo. Gain Elemental Empowerment when you grant yourself an aura. Auras can be gained this way once per attunement per interval. |
Major Grandmaster | Staunch Auras | Gain stability when you grant yourself an aura. | |
Major Grandmaster | Empowered Empowerment | Elemental Empowerment is more effective. While at maximum stacks of Elemental Empowerment, its effectiveness is increased further. | |
Major Grandmaster | Sphere Specialist | Boons applied by your Jade Sphere have increased duration. You can now gain energy while jade spheres are active. |
Lore[edit]
“Catalysts have revitalized ancient techniques for channeling elemental forces—with a few modern improvements, like their jade tech spheres.
— Official site
“Catalysts were casters from a bygone era, working to protect Cantha and the throne from enemy threats. They wielded intricate apparatuses called spheres that were used as conduits to channel their immense power. This technology has been revitalized once again—with a couple improvements! Catalysts imbue ancient magics into their jade tech spheres, calling upon imagery from all over Tyria to concentrate into a powerful burst of elemental energy. Whether they're calling upon the swell of an ocean storm or a fiery beast flying through the canopies of Echovald Forest, the catalyst's strength is as strong as their will.
— Elite specialization lore[1]
Catalysts were once the protectors of the Canthan Empire of the Dragon, the front lines of their armies, until they were decommissioned by the Ministry of Security. Originally using conduits called spheres, made out of Obsidian and other potent metals, catalysts now use Dragonjade to create their renamed Jade Spheres. These spheres charge up through spellcasting to create massive wells of power which take the visual form of the Canthan Celestials[2]: Hai Jii, the Phoenix, Kaijun Don, the Kirin, Kuongsang the Turtle Dragon, and Tahmu, the Dragon.
Associated items[edit]
Related achievements[edit]
- Specializations: Adept Catalyst — Begin training the elementalist's catalyst elite specialization. (5)
- Specializations: Master Catalyst — Completely train the elementalist's catalyst elite specialization. (10)
- Specialization Collections: Gravity — Collect these 14 items and skins to receive the catalyst's hammer, Gravity. (3)
- Specializations: Ministry-Approved Catalyst — Purchase these 3 trinkets from the strike rewards vendor. (2 )
Gallery[edit]
- Icons
Notes[edit]
- The Catalyst NPC Yoso can be found near the New Kaineng City Limits hero challenge in New Kaineng City.