Build:Catalyst - Support Catalyst (GvG)

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Control, Support and Condition cleanse

Designed for: WvW GvG

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on March 22, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

The main purpose of this build is to maximize the amount of auras shared by the Elementalist.

Compared to D/F Fire Tempest builds, it does not bring significant healing. Therefore it cannot be used as direct replacement but needs to be paired with a powerful healing spec in the party, such as a Vindicator.

The advantage of Catalyst is that it brings more access to auras, more cleanses, access to Quickness from Deploy Jade Sphere (Air) for a faster Glyph of Renewal cast as well as access to ranged Resistance from Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth) among other boons.

Skill Bar

Staff

Utility

Weapon Variants

Dagger/Dagger

Skill Variants

Utilities

• Conjure Earth Shield

Elite

• Conjure Fiery Greatsword to give the dropped sword to a DPS player

Specializations

Template Code

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Equipment

Head
Minstrel

Shoulders
Minstrel

Chest
Minstrel

Hands
Minstrel

Legs
Minstrel

Feet
Minstrel

Backpiece
Minstrel

Accessory
Minstrel

Accessory
Minstrel

Amulet
Minstrel

Ring
Minstrel

Ring
Minstrel

Staff
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Build Variants

• Nomad stats on the helmet. Your boon duration is capped by Elemental Empowerment most of the time

Rune Variants

• Rune of Superior Rune of Durability

Usage

General/Energy Management

• To generate energy for Catalyst's Jade Sphere abilities make sure to hit enemies with skills that have a high number of hits:
  • Lava Font
  • Meteor Shower

Overall Priorities

High

• Glyph of Renewal
• Aurashare/Condition clear

Moderate

• Boon share
• CC

Low

• Burst Healing
• Superspeed

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has high mobility skill access
• This builds has moderate active defenses

Active defense priority Invigorating Air - for Stunbreaking Dodge Burning Retreat

Detailed Explanations

Glyph of Renewal

• Focus on reviving allies who are far away with Glyph of Renewal, don't waste the skill on players that can be hand rezzed.
• If possible, use Deploy Jade Sphere (Air) on yourself while casting for Quickness
  • This still speeds up the cast if you use the sphere after you started casting the glyph
• Use Glyph of Renewal in Air Attunement on single players and Earth Attunement on multiple players
  • If you can't be in a good position, don't cast in Air Attunement
• Under General Options / Combat/Movement turn on Allow Skill Retargeting and set Ground Targeting to Instant Cast, this will make Glyph of Renewal cast at the location your cursor is at the end of the cast, instead of where you initially targeted

Aurashare/Condition clear

• Most of your condition clear is reliant on Smothering Auras and comes passively while rotating through the attunements while blasting
• You can apply Resistance on a long range using Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth) due to Spectacular Sphere
• Prioritize Water Attunement for burst condition clear, see the burst healing rotation below
• Elemental Epitome has a per-attunement cooldown of 10 seconds
  • You can start casting a blast in one attunement then swap to a different attunement before the cast ends to proc Elemental Epitome
  • Prioritize getting auras from Air Attunement for Shocking Aura
• Use Frozen Ground on your group before or during pushes to give Frost Aura

List of combo finishers Ice Spike Eruption Magnetic Aura ⇒ Transmute Earth

Condition clear priority Water Attunement Healing Rain Frozen Ground - Frost Aura + Smothering Auras Fire Attunement - Sunspot + Smothering Auras Earth Attunement Magnetic Aura - Smothering Auras Transmute Earth - Smothering Auras

Boonshare

• Prioritize Deploy Jade Sphere (Air) and Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth)
  • If you have spare energy use Deploy Jade Sphere (Water) and blast it for healing
• Make sure to land the Jade Sphere cast on top of allies for the boons from Spectacular Sphere
  • Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth) can be used to save allies caught with Immobilize with the Resistance and Protection from Spectacular Sphere
• Place your spheres so that one edge is on your allied group and the other edge is where your group is moving to
  • Optimally leave it somewhere your group is regrouping
• Make sure you are close to allies when swapping out of fire to give them Might with Pyromancer's Puissance
  • Go into fire whenever there is time to trigger Pyromancer's Puissance as often as possible
• Try to fill any gaps in your guardian's Stability uptime with Magnetic Aura ⇒ Transmute Earth, especially when your group is pushing

CC

• Use your CC when:
  • Your group calls a spike:
    • Winds - Winds of Disenchantment
    • Wells - Well of Corruption+Well of Suffering
    • Shades - Desert Shroud
    • Traps - Procession of Blades+Test of Faith
  • On top of enemy downs (while alive players are on top of them)
  • Enemy groups moving defensively while your group is pushing
• Save "Aftershock!" for when enemies have Stability
  • The Immobilize from "Aftershock!" hits in 600 radius

CC priority "Aftershock!" Air Attunement Static Field Earth Attunement Earthquake Unsteady Ground

Burst Healing

• Catalyst healing is very limited, but significant enough to save people if comboed
• A significant part of your healing relies on blasting the fields created by Geyser, Deploy Jade Sphere (Water) and Healing Rain

Burst Healing Combo Water Attunement - Healing Ripple Ice Spike Geyser Healing Rain Ice Spike Earth Attunement Eruption - Water Field Blast

Superspeed

• Focus on using Windborne Speed when your group is pushing or disengaging from the enemy

Settings

• Under General Options / User Interface check Always show squad health bars and Always show party health bars. These will make it much easier to keep track of who needs your support.
• Also under General Options / User Interface turn on Thick party health bars
  • Thick squad health bars can be used too as a matter of personal preference, but is not recommended for large numbers
• Under Squad Options check View as a grid. This will allow you to keep track of your allies' health and be quicker in using Glyph of Renewal. While this doesn't allow you to see conditions on allies, most of your cleanses are passively applied anyway.