Build:Catalyst - Power Catalyst

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Strike damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on April 20, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

Power catalyst is a very fast paced build that rotates through all four Attunements constantly to provide some Quickness to itself and nearby allies while doing decent damage. It's also slightly more durable thanks to Elemental Empowerment improving all your attributes.

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Skill Bar

Hammer

Staff

Utility

Weapon Variants

Hammer provides excellent Energy generation for your Jade Spheres thanks to its skill 3. It is recommended to not use other weapons.

Skill Variants

Heal skill

Glyph of Elemental Harmony provides strong burst heal and a boon based on attunement. Other alternatives are:

• Arcane Brilliance - potentially the strongest heal if there are 5 enemies in range, plus a blast finisher, but very weak healing if there are no nearby enemies.
• Ether Renewal - very situational heal that removes up to 8 conditions throughout its long channelling time.

Utility skills

• Glyph of Storms provides AoE damage in fire and air, while on earth it will blind trash mobs.
• Glyph of Lesser Elementals - spawn a small elemental army that dies when you mount up, good for fighting strong bosses.
• Cleansing Fire - condition cleanse
• Lightning Flash - more mobility

Elite skill

Glyph of Elementals summon a powerful friend; use in Earth Attunement for a tanky pet.

Specializations

Variants

• Empowering Auras + Empowered Empowerment: when playing in groups and someone else is already providing Quickness.

Equipment

Ascended gear is not required.

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Hammer
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Staff
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Dragonhunter and Rune of Superior Rune of the Scholar are interchangeable.
• For defense, equip the highest tier Jade Core you can afford. Use defensive food, traits, or skills if required. If necessary, use Knight trinkets.

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• /

Farming

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• (and variants)

Usage

Jade Sphere

The Jade Sphere is the profession mechanic of the catalyst. Hitting enemies generates energy, and you spend this energy to summon a sphere that provides boons to yourself and allies, most notably Quickness thanks to Spectacular Sphere, and deals minor damage. Each attunement has its own sphere, and their cooldowns are not shared. Energy can only be generated while there are no spheres active.

You also gain improved attributes from Elemental Empowerment effect from traits like Elemental Empowerment.

Damage

You must rotate through all your attunements to use their respective Jade Sphere, while also casting their weapon damage skills. Never stay in Earth or Water, cast their damage skills and swap to the next attunement. You will generate some Quickness but not enough for permanent uptime.

Priority

Start on Fire Attunement and rotate through all attunements

Fire

1. Stomp (Glyph of Elementals) and Signet of Earth
2. Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire) and Flame Wheel
3. Surging Flames
4. Triple Sear
5. Molten End and Air Attunement

Air

1. Deploy Jade Sphere (Air) and Crescent Wind
2. Shock Blast
3. Wind Storm
4. Hurricane of Pain and Earth Attunement

Earth

1. Ground Pound and Rocky Loop
2. Whirling Stones and Water Attunement

Water

1. Crashing Font and Icy Coil
2. Cleansing Typhoon
3. Rain of Blows and Fire Attunement

• You want to swap attunements while casting the aforementioned skills because of their long cast times, but wait before they finish before casting the first skill of your new attunement.
• If you have spare energy you can also use the Earth and Water spheres.
• Only use Grand Finale on Fire Attunement after rotating through all the attunements. Followed by casting Flame Wheel again.
• Crowd Control skills Shock Blast and Wind Storm are not used for damage, but to maintain Elemental Empowerment thanks to Vicious Empowerment. Skip them if you just need burst damage for a quick fight.
• Essentially, you use all your weapon skills except Immutable Stone.
• Use Glyph of Elementals on Earth Attunement and use Stomp (Glyph of Elementals) and Signet of Earth off cooldown. This helps maintain Elemental Empowerment thanks to Vicious Empowerment.
• Use Relentless Fire inside your Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire).

Defense

• You generate lots of Protection via Glyph of Elemental Harmony (Earth), Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth), Earth Attunement due to Elemental Attunement.
• Rocky Loop grants you damage reduction.
• Immutable Stone grants Barrier and an Aura (usually Magnetic Aura, which Reflects Projectiles).
• Cleansing Typhoon cleanses conditions.
• Icy Coil grants condition damage reduction.
• Elemental Epitome grants Magnetic or Frost Aura
• Elemental Empowerment passively increases toughness and vitality
• Crashing Font heals you, as does comboing water fields like Jade Sphere (Water)

CC

• Shock Blast
• Wind Storm