Hammer Catalyst is... good actally?

[Kuma.1503]

Spent a whole day with it just messing around, figuring out how all of the pieces work together. 

My build is very much a WIP but so far this is what I'm working with. 

Power Catalyst

Sustain heavy dueling build. What I run if they have a vindicator or other cleanse/transfer heavy build. 

Condi Catalyst

More dps-focused build with burning and bleeding. 

 

Tips I've realized to increase pressure:

Make sure you're getting value out of your orbs. Fire and Earth orbs do a lot of damage. If you have both orbiting while casting Whirling stones, it actually outputs a lot of pressure. Catalyst also covers their condis better than weaver does. Remember the fire orb gives + 5% damage.

Jade Sphere is instant cast. You can drop them right as a finisher is going to go off to get the combo.

(Example: You use Earth 5, swap into fire attunement mid cast and put down the fire jade sphere. You fire 5 into the sphere for a huge chunk of might ( 6 might instantly from jade sphere + 6 from the 2 blasts + the pulsing might + 7 might from fire 5, and additional might if they hit you with fire aura). 

You can set up your sweetspot of fire 4, with Earth 5, Air 4 or Air 5. If you use Air 4, drop the quickness sphere on top of yourself and press the spinny air orb before you swap out. You can squeeze out a lot of pressure from range while they're in lockdown with quickness fire autos and fire 2.  The air orb will help if you decide to move into melee range afterward to finish the kill. 

Try to set up combos with either your fire sphere (tons of might) or air sphere (quickness). If you can manage both while also upkeeping your spinny-orbs you should have a lot of pressure, even as a bunker build. 

Tips for sustain:

Water 4 into the water jade sphere is a very chunky heal. Especially on the power catalyst build I linked. You can bait people with this by using Water 4 at them when low on health, then dropping the water sphere mid cast for the blast. 

Earth dodge OP with Jade sphere and evasive arcana. You'll also get an aura from the combo which procs staunch auras if you have it. 

Fire traitline synergizes very well with staunch auras. Swapping to fire gives, fire aura, cleanse, and stability instantly. Useful for stomps. 

Drop the earth sphere on yourself if you're CC'd. It's instant cast and will pulse prot on you. Drop the water sphere if you're getting condi bombed while CC'd. If you're in air, you can use your air orb to give weakness to melee attackers.

The Earth, and water orb give condi and strike damage redution. The air orb pulses weakness. If you have all three up, you shouldn't be that afraid to move into melee range. Especially if you drop the earth field on top of yourself for prot. 

 

I think this has legitimate potential as both a side noder and teamfighter. It has good sustain, pressure, and utility with group might/quickness. Unfortunately it's also slow, so rotating and chasing down kills isn't going to be your strong suit. 

 

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

Hammer is only good in theory. If its you and an opponent facetanking eachother on a node then it is very good. The 3 ability on hammers can do a lot of damage and the auras + water combos give you good sustain. In any real fight where opponents can kite, attack you from range, or +1 you, its bad.

[Kuma.1503]

3 hours ago, Paradoxoglanis.1904 said:

Hammer is only good in theory. If its you and an opponent facetanking eachother on a node then it is very good. The 3 ability on hammers can do a lot of damage and the auras + water combos give you good sustain. In any real fight where opponents can kite, attack you from range, or +1 you, its bad.

Didn't stop people from dying to fire weaver ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Arheundel.6451]

1 hour ago, Kuma.1503 said:

Didn't stop people from dying to fire weaver ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The idea that this class was only good as melee healing tank has been cemented for years now.....as others have pointed out...once the enemy got space to kite...you end up being a bizarre version of warrior

[FarmBotXD.1430]

I always found it ironic that the class with the lowest base HP and armor was always the most tanky in pvp 😄
Also, whatever you test right now, keep in mind that you are playing against people that are also kittening around.
When I was testing untamed it felt good when I was fighting other people that were also goofing around, but the moment tryhard on meta build showed up suddenly there is nothing you can do and realize how kitten the spec is.
Take your tests with a grain of salt.

[Arheundel.6451]

3 hours ago, FarmBotXD.1430 said:

I always found it ironic that the class with the lowest base HP and armor was always the most tanky in pvp 😄
Also, whatever you test right now, keep in mind that you are playing against people that are also kittening around.
When I was testing untamed it felt good when I was fighting other people that were also goofing around, but the moment tryhard on meta build showed up suddenly there is nothing you can do and realize how kitten the spec is.
Take your tests with a grain of salt.

Have you tried to play other professions with a healing amulet? If you do so, you realize that everything can be tanky with the right stats...the main difference though is that other professions are perfectly viable without tanky stats

[FarmBotXD.1430]

5 minutes ago, Arheundel.6451 said:

Have you tried to play other professions with a healing amulet? If you do so, you realize that everything can be tanky with the right stats...the main difference though is that other professions are perfectly viable without tanky stats

the main difference is that other classes dont deal damage with kitten like sage amulet

[Arheundel.6451]

13 hours ago, FarmBotXD.1430 said:

the main difference is that other classes dont deal damage with kitten like sage amulet

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Soulbeast_-_Poisonbeast

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Mesmer_-_Blurring_Inspiration

Without even going further....your statement was already wrong, ever considered the possibility that you lose because you're not as good as you think to be?

[FarmBotXD.1430]

31 minutes ago, Arheundel.6451 said:

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Soulbeast_-_Poisonbeast

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Mesmer_-_Blurring_Inspiration

Without even going further....your statement was already wrong, ever considered the possibility that you lose because you're not as good as you think to be?

you think chaos/insp sage mesmer has anywhere close the damage to fire weaver? lol

[Sahne.6950]

On 3/2/2022 at 10:03 AM, Kuma.1503 said:

Spent a whole day with it just messing around, figuring out how all of the pieces work together. 

My build is very much a WIP but so far this is what I'm working with. 

Power Catalyst

Sustain heavy dueling build. What I run if they have a vindicator or other cleanse/transfer heavy build. 

Condi Catalyst

More dps-focused build with burning and bleeding. 

 

Tips I've realized to increase pressure:

Make sure you're getting value out of your orbs. Fire and Earth orbs do a lot of damage. If you have both orbiting while casting Whirling stones, it actually outputs a lot of pressure. Catalyst also covers their condis better than weaver does. Remember the fire orb gives + 5% damage.

Jade Sphere is instant cast. You can drop them right as a finisher is going to go off to get the combo.

(Example: You use Earth 5, swap into fire attunement mid cast and put down the fire jade sphere. You fire 5 into the sphere for a huge chunk of might ( 6 might instantly from jade sphere + 6 from the 2 blasts + the pulsing might + 7 might from fire 5, and additional might if they hit you with fire aura). 

You can set up your sweetspot of fire 4, with Earth 5, Air 4 or Air 5. If you use Air 4, drop the quickness sphere on top of yourself and press the spinny air orb before you swap out. You can squeeze out a lot of pressure from range while they're in lockdown with quickness fire autos and fire 2.  The air orb will help if you decide to move into melee range afterward to finish the kill. 

Try to set up combos with either your fire sphere (tons of might) or air sphere (quickness). If you can manage both while also upkeeping your spinny-orbs you should have a lot of pressure, even as a bunker build. 

Tips for sustain:

Water 4 into the water jade sphere is a very chunky heal. Especially on the power catalyst build I linked. You can bait people with this by using Water 4 at them when low on health, then dropping the water sphere mid cast for the blast. 

Earth dodge OP with Jade sphere and evasive arcana. You'll also get an aura from the combo which procs staunch auras if you have it. 

Fire traitline synergizes very well with staunch auras. Swapping to fire gives, fire aura, cleanse, and stability instantly. Useful for stomps. 

Drop the earth sphere on yourself if you're CC'd. It's instant cast and will pulse prot on you. Drop the water sphere if you're getting condi bombed while CC'd. If you're in air, you can use your air orb to give weakness to melee attackers.

The Earth, and water orb give condi and strike damage redution. The air orb pulses weakness. If you have all three up, you shouldn't be that afraid to move into melee range. Especially if you drop the earth field on top of yourself for prot. 

 

I think this has legitimate potential as both a side noder and teamfighter. It has good sustain, pressure, and utility with group might/quickness. Unfortunately it's also slow, so rotating and chasing down kills isn't going to be your strong suit. 

 

I have yet to die to a hammer catalyst.  NOT A SINGLE DEATH ON RECORD. Tell me more how its good pls ❤️ i have died to a D/D Catalyst tho. there seems to be a good build with earthshield.

[Arheundel.6451]

18 minutes ago, FarmBotXD.1430 said:

you think chaos/insp sage mesmer has anywhere close the damage to fire weaver? lol

You stated that no other class deal dmg with sage amulet...I proved you wrong, now you state that they don't deal as much as fire weaver....but those specs are ranged based for good part and they're played differently and more effective considering the skill level of the opponent ...which is always the main take away. I look at AT tournaments, class representation in the whole game...and then read the pvp forum. That's all that needs to be said

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

26 minutes ago, Sahne.6950 said:

I have yet to die to a hammer catalyst.  NOT A SINGLE DEATH ON RECORD. Tell me more how its good pls ❤️ i have died to a D/D Catalyst tho. there seems to be a good build with earthshield.

its pretty much the same as lightning rod core ele

[FarmBotXD.1430]

15 minutes ago, Arheundel.6451 said:

You stated that no other class deal dmg with sage amulet...I proved you wrong, now you state that they don't deal as much as fire weaver....but those specs are ranged based for good part and they're played differently and more effective considering the skill level of the opponent ...which is always the main take away. I look at AT tournaments, class representation in the whole game...and then read the pvp forum. That's all that needs to be said

you see loads of core mesmers and condi rangers in ATs then? lol

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

Just now, FarmBotXD.1430 said:

you see loads of core mesmers and condi rangers in ATs then? lol

condi mes was one of the most popular side noders last time i played ATs

[FarmBotXD.1430]

2 minutes ago, Paradoxoglanis.1904 said:

condi mes was one of the most popular side noders last time i played ATs

last time I played at ( like 3-5 days ago ) it was all core rangers and weavers
actually I have never seen a single side node mesmer or condi ranger ( other then me ) since february patch