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.
As a power DPS, you rely heavily on your hammer and 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. Catalyst also brings its Jade Sphere that drops stationary damage and boon fields that your utility skills interact with for bonus effectiveness. These two unique mechanics mean that Catalyst greatly prefers fights against large, low-movement bosses.
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.
Skill Bar
Skill Variants
Utility
- will provide more burst damage than .
- will be more damage than on large hitboxes.
Elite
- 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.
Specialization Variants
Replacing Fire with Arcane provides you with extra boon duration and a cooldown reduction of attunements and the jade sphere. This means you could technically provide 
Quickness without adjusting your gear, though it would require a different rotation.
- When providing Quickness, you will also need to use and .
Fire can be replaced by Water for a burstier opening, suited to shorter-phased fights such as fractals. With , you also share auras fairly frequently, which can be particularly helpful for Condi Berserkers.
Equipment
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Dragon
Berserker
Dragon
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
Berserker
x6
x18
Dragon stats gear is an inconsequential amount of extra damage, but gives you some free vitality.
Consumables
Food
- or ascended versions
Utility
Usage
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 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)
- - 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 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
- (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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