Catalyst - Quickness Support Power DPS

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

Focused on: Direct damage and Support

Designed for: Raids

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on October 16, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A quickness-providing catalyst build. In addition to offering strong DPS, it provides 20-24 Might, permanent Fury, 85-100% Resolution, 85-100% Protection and 70-85% Vigor. It will also occasionally provide Swiftness when it blasts its lightning field. The Arcane version of this build provides permament uptimes of all these boons.

The use of Sphere Specialist removes one of the major weaknesses of Catalyst, allowing the build to be very flexible with weapon and rotation choice. It can be played identically to the DPS build, and the frequent application of Quickness makes it fairly reliable.

While it can provide Aegis from Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth), you must plan ahead to ensure that Earth Attunement will be available when you need it.

Skill Bar

Hammer

Utility

Weapon Variants

Hammer, Sword/Warhorn and Scepter/Warhorn all offer very similar damage, so for the most part you can go with whichever you prefer, though use of Warhorn requires Secrets of the Obscure.

Hammer is chosen as the default here as it is the only weapon that still performs well when taking the Arcane traitline, which significantly improves the uptimes of boons provided. It adds an extra level of challenge however, and the build still performs well with the Fire traitline.

Scepter/Warhorn could be used if you need to be at range for a long period. Hammer is unusual in that the Fire and Air sections can be performed at 600 range, but Water and Earth are fully melee.

Both Warhorn builds have the option to sacrifice some DPS by adding Heat Sync, Cyclone and particularly Sand Squall into the rotation, significantly improving boon coverage. However, the Arcane Hammer build can provide a similar improvement in boon generation without sacrificing DPS. Heat Sync will let you provide full Might (though this is likely unnecessary, especially if you're also using Sand Squall), Cyclone adds ~50% Swiftness, and Sand Squall will provide full Protection as well as ~10% uptime of all boons.

Skill Variants

• Any heal skill can be used.
• Arcane Blast will provide more burst damage than Shattering Ice.
• Conjure Lightning Hammer will be more damage than Shattering Ice on large hitboxes.
• Glyph of Elementals is a minor DPS loss if you prefer to avoid conjured weapons, or you think you won't get use out of the second one.
• Use Elemental Celerity if using one of the Warhorn sets.

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Specializations

• Final Shielding could add a small amount of damage if you can block three attacks with the shield.

Specialization Variants

Both Warhorn builds should run the Fire traitline for maximum damage. You can also run this on Hammer if you prefer a simpler rotation.

Equipment

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

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Scholar is a tiny DPS loss.

Consumables

Food:

• or ascended versions

Utility:

Usage

Quickness Catalyst uses the same rotation as Catalyst - Power DPS.

Rotation fundamentals

Catalyst's 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 Grand Finale and starting the loop again. Jade Sphere is also used in each element for boons.

Jade Sphere use During the loop, you also want to deploy your Jade Sphere once in each element. Each one provides Quickness and one other boon upon activation, then pulses additional boons for the duration. 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. Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire) also generates stacks of Persisting Flames, and Relentless Fire and Shattering Ice will last longer if used while standing in Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire) and Deploy Jade Sphere (Water).

Glyph of Storms use Glyph of Storms 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 Glyph of Storms 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 Glyph of Storms at the earliest possible opportunity, whether you are in Fire or Air.

Fiery Greatsword use With the Whirling Stones trick (see the Earth section below), Earth has the fewest cooldowns to use, and so is the best time to Conjure Fiery Greatsword. Summon after using Rocky Loop and Ground Pound (if available) and use Firestorm 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:

• Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
• Surging Flames
• Flame Wheel
• Triple Sear
• Molten End
• Relentless Fire

Water In Water you want to use:

• Deploy Jade Sphere (Water)
• Rain of Blows
• Icy Coil
• Crashing Font
• Cleansing Typhoon - use if available, but don't delay your attunement swap for it
• Shattering Ice

Air In Air you want to use:

• Deploy Jade Sphere (Air)
• Hurricane of Pain
• Crescent Wind
• Shock Blast.

Earth In Earth you want to use:

• Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth)
• Whirling Stones - as Stonestrike is a powerful autoattack, it is a good idea to delay this until your attunement swap is available, then use Whirling Stones and immediately swap (this will not interrupt the cast)
• Rocky Loop
• Ground Pound - use if available, but don't delay your attunement swap for it

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 Glyph of Storms you wish to open with.

Opener in Fire

1. Glyph of Storms (optional)
2. Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
3. Flame Wheel
4. Relentless Fire
5. Molten End
6. Triple Sear
7. Surging Flames
8. Air Attunement

Air

1. Crescent Wind
2. Shock Blast
3. Hurricane of Pain
4. Deploy Jade Sphere (Air) once you pass 20 energy (2/3rds of the energy bar) and swap to Water Attunement

Water

1. Icy Coil
2. Deploy Jade Sphere (Water)
3. Shattering Ice
4. Cleansing Typhoon
5. Crashing Font - if available
6. Rain of Blows - swap to Earth Attunement once the cast begins
7. Earth Attunement

Earth

1. Rocky Loop
2. Ground Pound - if available
3. Conjure Fiery Greatsword (if available)
4. Firestorm - drop Fiery Greastword immediately after the cast
5. Stonestrike until you are at full energy and Relentless Fire is nearly off cooldown
6. Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth)
7. Whirling Stones - swap to Fire Attunement once the cast begins

Fire

1. Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
2. Relentless Fire
3. Grand Finale
4. Molten End
5. Triple Sear
6. Flame Wheel
7. Surging Flames
8. Air Attunement
9. 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.

Video example

Video example (DPS, using earth elemental)

Sword/Warhorn Rotation

The quickness rotation is almost identical to the DPS one, with the exception that you use Water Attunement every loop and add the use of Sand Squall. You can also add Heat Sync into the fire section if you want more Might generation.

Opener in Air

1. Glyph of Storms
2. Lightning Orb
3. Deploy Jade Sphere (Air)
4. Polaric Leap
5. Quantum Strike
6. Fire Attunement

Fire

1. Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
2. Relentless Fire
3. Flame Uprising
4. Cauterizing Strike
5. Wildfire when ready
6. Elemental Celerity (if available), followed by
   1. Wildfire
   2. Cauterizing Strike
   3. Otherwise, autoattack until Flame Uprising is available
7. Flame Uprising
8. Earth Attunement

Earth

1. Dust Storm
2. Sand Squall (if available)
3. Earthen Vortex
4. Rust Frenzy
5. Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth)
6. Water Attunement

Water

1. Deploy Jade Sphere (Water)
2. Tidal Surge if available, otherwise autoattack until Air Attunement is ready
3. Air Attunement

Air

1. Autoattack and use Polaric Leap and Quantum Strike as they come off cooldown
2. Lightning Orb when energy is nearly full
3. Cyclone
4. Deploy Jade Sphere (Air)
5. Return to the start of the Fire Section

Video example