Catalysts play a crucial role in the endgame of Path of Exile 2, yet their functions can be bewildering for newcomers. Understanding how to effectively utilize these items is essential for maximizing the potential of your equipment.
Not every Catalyst is equally valuable, and players often struggle to discern which ones to keep and which merely clutter their stash. This guide will clarify the purpose of Catalysts and their optimal usage within the game.
Understanding Catalysts in PoE 2
Catalysts act as a distinct type of Quality currency for Rings and Amulets, differing from traditional Quality currencies like the Blacksmith’s Whetstone. While a Whetstone enhances all weapon modifiers by a small margin, Catalysts specifically boost the effectiveness of certain modifiers associated with Rings and Amulets.
For instance, a Tul’s Catalyst exclusively increases the Quality of Cold modifiers on Rings and Amulets. If a Ring contains the modifiers #% Increased Cold Damage and +# to Intelligence, using Tul’s Catalyst will only enhance the Cold Damage modifier, leaving the Intelligence modifier unaffected.
To maximize the benefit, it’s advisable for players to seek Rings or Amulets endowed with two or more modifiers of the same type (e.g., increased cold damage, cold resistance).Applying the appropriate Catalyst, such as Tul’s, will yield the best results for these items.
To identify which modifiers a Catalyst will enhance prior to application, players can utilize poe2db. For Rings, visit this link, and for Amulets, check this link.
By pressing Ctrl + F, players can look up their Ring’s modifiers and see the applicable tags. Each modifier typically has a single tag, although some may possess multiple tags. For instance, #% Increased Cold Damage is associated with Elemental, Damage, and Cold tags. This illustrates that only the Cold tag is relevant for enhancement by Catalysts.
In contrast, the Leech #% of Physical Attack Damage as Life modifier features Life, Physical, and Attack tags. Consequently, this stat can be boosted by three different Catalysts: Flesh Catalyst (Life), Reaver Catalyst (Attack), and Uul-Netol’s Catalyst (Attack).Therefore, if the Ring includes multiple Life modifiers, using the Flesh Catalyst will yield the best value.
Substituting Catalysts
Catalysts can be interchanged; if you’ve applied a Tul’s Catalyst for Cold Modifier enhancement on a Ring, but later decide to focus on stacking attributes, you can overlay it with an Adaptive Catalyst without any issue.
Breach Rings and Catalysts
Similar to weapons and armor, Rings can possess a maximum Quality of +20%.However, Breach Rings are an exception as they can reach a stunning maximum Quality of +50%, the highest in the game. This enhancement significantly amplifies the effectiveness of specific modifiers on Breach Rings, making them exceptionally powerful when optimally combined with the right Catalyst.
Acquiring Catalysts in PoE 2
Catalysts can frequently be obtained by clearing Breach nodes on the Atlas, as they drop from dispatching Breach monsters and from the occasional Clasped Hands that appear during Breach events. Enhancing your drop rates is attainable by stacking bonuses like ‘Increased Quantity of items dropped’ using Precursor tablets and Atlas skill tree points.
Additionally, for those who prefer convenience, Catalysts can be purchased in bulk at the Currency Exchange from Alva in your Hideout.
For users of loot filters such as FilterBlade, ensure that Catalysts are visible in your filter settings, as filters set to Semi-Strict often hide most of them.
Leave a Reply ▼