The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good
Focused on: Directdamage and Support
Designed for: Raids
Difficulty:
Hard
This build was last updated on June 28, 2024 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.
Contents
- 1 Overview
- 2 Skill Bar
- 2.1 Weapon Variants
- 2.2 Skill Variants
- 3 Template Code
- 4 Specializations
- 5 Equipment
- 6 Consumables
- 7 Usage
- 7.1 Rotation fundamentals
- 7.2 Rotation example
- 7.3 Sword/Warhorn Rotation
Overview
A quickness-providing catalyst build. In addition to offering strong DPS, it provides ~15 Might, permanent
Fury, ~80%
Resolution, ~80%
Protection and ~65%
Vigor. It will also occasionally provide
Swiftness when it blasts its lightning field.
The rotation is identical to the DPS build, and the frequent application of Quickness makes it fairly reliable. Like any catalyst build, its will struggle if it is unable to reliably generate energy, which can mean that encounters with phases or disruptive mechanics cause the build to underperform.
While it can technically provide Aegis from
Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth), the rigidity of its rotation makes it difficult in practise.
Skill Bar
Hammer
Utility
Weapon Variants
Players who own Secrets of the Obscure can use Sword/Warhorn instead. This provides slightly better boons, but is also slightly lower damage and requires ~20% boon duration. As energy regeneration is also lower, it can be harder to recover from mistakes if Lightning Orb is not available.
- A simple (if suboptimal) swap would be to run
Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact and
Rune of Superior Rune of Fireworks instead of
Sigil of Superior Sigil of Concentration and
Rune of Superior Rune of the Dragonhunter.
- You should also run
Elemental Celerity as your elite.
Skill Variants
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 Sword/Warhorn.
Template Code
[&DQYfHSkfQz4XARcB+Br4Gu4a7hq+AVABlwD3GgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]
Copy Template Code
Specializations
Equipment
Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
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 useDuring 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 useGlyph 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 useWith 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.
FireIn Fire you want to use:
Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
Surging Flames
Flame Wheel
Triple Sear
Molten End
Relentless Fire
WaterIn 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
AirIn Air you want to use:
Deploy Jade Sphere (Air)
Hurricane of Pain
Crescent Wind
Shock Blast.
EarthIn 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
Glyph of Storms (optional)
Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
Flame Wheel
Relentless Fire
Molten End
Triple Sear
Surging Flames
Air Attunement
Air
Crescent Wind
Shock Blast
Hurricane of Pain
Deploy Jade Sphere (Air) once you pass 20 energy (2/3rds of the energy bar) and swap to
Water Attunement
Water
Icy Coil
Deploy Jade Sphere (Water)
Shattering Ice
Cleansing Typhoon
Crashing Font - if available
Rain of Blows - swap to
Earth Attunement once the cast begins
Earth Attunement
Earth
Rocky Loop
Ground Pound - if available
Conjure Fiery Greatsword (if available)
Firestorm - drop Fiery Greastword immediately after the cast
Stonestrike until you are at full energy and
Relentless Fire is nearly off cooldown
Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth)
Whirling Stones - swap to
Fire Attunement once the cast begins
Fire
Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
Relentless Fire
Grand Finale
Molten End
Triple Sear
Flame Wheel
Surging Flames
Air Attunement
- 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 (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
Glyph of Storms
Lightning Orb
Deploy Jade Sphere (Air)
Polaric Leap
Quantum Strike
Fire Attunement
Fire
Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)
Relentless Fire
Flame Uprising
Cauterizing Strike
Wildfire when ready
Elemental Celerity (if available), followed by
Wildfire
Cauterizing Strike
- Otherwise, autoattack until Flame Uprising is available
Flame Uprising
Earth Attunement
Earth
Dust Storm
Sand Squall (if available)
Earthen Vortex
Rust Frenzy
Deploy Jade Sphere (Earth)
Water Attunement
Water
Deploy Jade Sphere (Water)
Tidal Surge if available, otherwise autoattack until Air Attunement is ready
Air Attunement
Air
- Autoattack and use
Polaric Leap and
Quantum Strike as they come off cooldown
Lightning Orb when energy is nearly full
Cyclone
Deploy Jade Sphere (Air)
- Return to the start of the Fire Section