Catalyst - Power DPS
Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great
Focused on: Direct damage
Designed for: Raids and Fractals
Expansions required: 
Overview
Power Catalyst is a complex and fast-paced build that provides strong melee damage as well as some 
Might, 
Fury, 
Resolution and 
Protection for your group.
Catalyst brings its Jade Sphere that drops stationary damage and boon fields that your utility skills interact with for bonus effectiveness. This two unique mechanic means that Catalyst greatly prefers fights against low-movement bosses.
The hammer build also relies heavily on its unique Circular Projectile mechanic that sits on the 3rd skill in each attunement. Successful play involves maintaining these projectiles both for their damage and the buffs they provide and if they are mismanaged it can be difficult to recover.
The combination of and more durable than other elementalist specialisations, but be aware that you can gain up to 200 bonus toughness, so make sure your tank has more.
Note: Although Spear has the highest benchmark of the weapon options it is bugged on a number of encounters, and its visual effects are so aggressive that they obscure a huge area, making it a liability wherever there are mechanics.
Skill Bar
Weapon Variants
- Sword/Warhorn is the best weapon set for players with Secrets of the Obscure, but not Janthir Wilds.
- Spear does the most DPS on paper, but comes with serious caveats (see Overview).
- Hammer is the best weapon for players that don't own Secrets of the Obscure or Janthir Wilds.
Skill Variants
Utility
- will provide slightly more burst damage than - particularly valuable in fractals.
- could replace as a burst option on large hitboxes.
Elite
- is the best option when using Sword/Warhorn.
- is the best option for Spear and Hammer.
- deals comparable damage to when using the Earth Elemental, as its active ability applies
Immobilize and is sufficient to keep you at 10 stacks of via .
Template Code
Specializations
- You should bring if Fury uptime is bad.
Equipment
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
x6
x16
x2
- is a tiny DPS loss.
Consumables
Food
- or ascended versions
Utility
Usage
If using , spam it as much as you can while in , ideally while under the effects of .
Sword/Warhorn rotation
Opener in Air
- - This is a CC and combos with the field from your Jade Sphere, quickly providing stacks of Elemental Empowerment
Fire
- when ready
- (if available), followed by
- Otherwise, autoattack until Flame Uprising is available
Earth
- (if available)
Water
Tidal Surge is only available every three loops, so skip Water Attunement and go straight to Air if it is not ready.
- (if using)
Air
- Autoattack and use as it comes off cooldown
- (if using, only on loops where you don't enter Water)
- when energy starts to recharge (should be after two auto chains)
- when energy is nearly full
- Return to the start of the Fire Section
Spear rotation
Spear's unique mechanic is its Etchings. The five-skill in each attunement places a large symbol on the ground. This can be immediately reactivated to launch an AoE attack, but a more powerful version can be charged up by using three skills while inside the symbol. As such, the general principle in each attunement will be to quickly activate the Etching, followed by at least three skills, then the enhanced attack from the Etching.
It is worth noting that while you need to remain in the Etching symbol to charge it up, the damage can be aimed up to 1200 units away.
The Fire and Air traitlines provide cooldown reductions for those two attunements, so their Etchings will be available each loop, but the Etchings in Water and Earth will only be used every other loop.
Glyph of Storms use
Use off cooldown when in Fire or Air, but weapon skills should take priority. A rule of thumb for elementalist is that your last in each phase should be used in Air, so try to keep an idea of how long you have left when deciding where to use it.
As the more powerful option, if you can line Air up with your target gaining 
Exposed this will be greatly beneficial - particularly useful in fractals.
Autoattacks will not be listed in general.
Opener in Air
- - activates
- - completes the Etching
- and during the cast
Fire
It is very important that is used immediately after as the entire attack will benefit from the damage buff.
- and during the cast
- - On the first loop, you can delay this until after Volcano so that you have higher stacks.
- ⇒
- - On the second loop, pick up the second greatsword. Otherwise autoattack instead.
- and during the cast
Earth
Where the Etching is not available, just use and and swap attunements.
- - a single autoattack will complete the Etching - if you're feeling squishy or need CC, you can use instead
- and during the cast
Water
Skip the Etching skills if they are not available
Air
- Autoattack until Fulgor is nearly off cooldown - if you were slow with activating the Etching you can use to get an extra skill cast in.
- and during the cast
- and during the cast
- Return to start of Fire section
Crowd Control
Most of your CC is already used during the rotation and Fire is the only attunement without any, so you can generally just continue with your rotation when defiance bars appear:
- : 300 defiance break - make sure to hit your target with the centre of the AoE
- : 300 defiance break for the complete version, 150 for the lesser version
- : 150 defiance break, plus some soft CC from
Slow - : 200 defiance break - replace the autoattack in Earth with this
Hammer rotation
The Hammer rotation can be varied quite a lot, so an outline is provided rather than a strict skill usage. The fundamental goal is to cycle through all four elements, activating the Circular Projectile in each element before releasing them all with and starting the loop again.
Jade Sphere use
During the loop, you also want to deploy your Jade Sphere once in each element. You do not regain the energy needed to cast them while one is active, so it's best to cast them in "pairs" as you switch attunements. This creates some gaps in the loop where energy can recharge, and as the most powerful autoattacks are found in Fire and Earth, these attunements are the best choice to stay in. The sphere does the same amount base damage in each element, but thanks to the damage buffs you gain while in Fire and Air, these attunements are higher priority. also generates stacks of , and and will last longer if used while standing in and .
Glyph of Storms use
should be used either in Fire or Air attunement. Optimal use will depend on phase timings as well as hitbox size - Fire favouring small hitboxes and Air favouring large. Given the damage and cooldown, Fire should be the more efficient option, but the rotation lines up somewhat awkwardly compared to using it in Air, so consider the following:
- A rule of thumb for elementalist is that your last in each phase should be used in Air, so try to keep an idea of how long you have left when deciding where to use it.
- As the more powerful option, if you can line Air up with your target gaining Exposed this will be greatly beneficial - particularly useful in fractals.
- If your rotation is not particularly tight, you may be better off just casting at the earliest possible opportunity, whether you are in Fire or Air.
Fiery Greatsword use
With the trick (see the Earth section below), Earth has the fewest cooldowns to use, and so is the best time to . Summon after using and (if available) and use → then drop the weapon and continue your rotation. The next time you reach Earth, pick the second Greatsword up and repeat.
Fire
In Fire you want to use:
Water
In Water you want to use:
- - use if available, but don't delay your attunement swap for it
Air
In Air you want to use:
- .
Earth
In Earth you want to use:
- - as is a powerful autoattack, it is a good idea to delay this until your attunement swap is available, then use and immediately swap (this will not interrupt the cast)
Hammer Rotation example
While you have opportunities to adjust the element order as needed, in most cases you want your first two attunements to be Fire and Air, followed by Water and lastly Earth. Your choice of starting attunement is largely up to you, but it might be best to base it upon which you wish to open with.
Opener in Fire
- (optional)
Air
- once you pass 20 energy (2/3rds of the energy bar) and swap to
Water Attunement
Water
- - if available
- - swap to
Earth Attunement once the cast begins
Earth
- (if available)
- - drop Fiery Greastword immediately after the cast
- until you are at full energy and is nearly off cooldown
- - swap to
Fire Attunement once the cast begins
Fire
- Return to the start of the Air Section
Keep looping between the four elements, following the advice in the Rotation fundamentals section and adjusting as necessary.
Ratings
Comments
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