Season 15 of Apex Legends is right around the corner and it’s introducing a ton of new content. Along with the new map Broken Moon, players will also get to try out new features such as Stickers and Gifting. Unsurprisingly, a new legend is also being introduced in Season 15 that’s all about area denial and fortifying structures. Dubbed “Catalyst,” this character is described by developer Respawn as a techno-witch, as she uses a liquid called ferrofluid to conjure large walls, momentum-stopping traps, or reinforce doorways. She is quite strong but can be a bit tricky when a lot of players rely on movement or escape abilities. So if you’re looking to try Catalyst in Apex Legends, here are 5 tips and tricks to get you started!
Catalyst Tips and Tricks
1. Piercing Spikes Placement
When it comes to placing your Spike Traps, placement is everything. About the length of a Thermite Grenade explosive, Piercing Spikes will slow and deal 15 damage every second to any enemy standing in them. They can be destroyed, but only if a foe is close as this will cause the core to become exposed. Piercing Spikes are exceptionally deadly when used correctly, as they allow Catalyst players to deter or deny enemies from pushing in a specific area. This ability excels at close quarters since you can put two down at a time, allowing you to cover a decent amount of space with them.
However, there are ways to maximize their killing potential in fights. For example, when you are using Piercing Spikes near a door try to have the core positioned to either the left or right of the entrance. This will have the core pressed against the wall (shown above), forcing any enemy who comes through to turn and shoot it or just take the damage. Doing this also ensures that the core won’t be exposed the moment the door is blown off the hinges or opened
You’ll also want to think about using Piercing Spikes’ length to your advantage. Say an enemy is sitting on a door while they are healing. By looking down and to either side of the door and trap you throw out will drop lengthwise, passing through the door. Catalyst traps always drop horizontally based on the direction you are facing. You can use this to your advantage to create long trails of Piercing Spikes to catch enemies who might be behind doors or even chasing you. It’s a surprisingly effective escape tool in buildings or closed-off areas.
2. Piercing Spikes is Good For Stopping Revives
Speaking of Piercing Spikes, these are remarkably good for keeping pressure applied to your opponents. Similar to Maggie’s Riot Drill or Fuze’s Knuckle Cluster, Catalyst’s Piercing Spikes can be a remarkably good deterrent for those trying to revive teammates. Say there’s an enemy knocked down behind a rock and an enemy is reviving them. You can lob a Spike Trap behind the rock to either kill the person being revived or stop them from doing it. This is terrific for if you need to push enemies or just want to harass them from afar.
I also really like using the Piercing Spikes against players who like to hide behind Knockdown Shields during fights or use them to block doorways. Since this trap is fairly big, you can force an enemy away from their teammate or quickly finish downed opponents in a hectic fight. Seriously, Piercing Spikes are so good for just
3. Isolate and Eliminate
Dark Veil is Catalyst’s ultimate and it’s surprisingly effective in team fights. Once activated, she will conjure a massive wall of ferrofluid that blinds and slows any foe that passes through it. While many will use Dark Veil as a way to cover themselves during a rotation or if they need to block visibility from an incoming team, it’s also terrific when used aggressively. If you’re in a big fight, you can use this ultimate to isolate enemies who are away from their team or perhaps pushed up a bit too far. Try to place the Dark Veil between enemies, as this will create a bit of chaos since they won’t be able to reach their ally without being blinded or slowed.
Alternatively, Dark Veil is terrific for securing revives or if your team needs to heal. Most enemies won’t push into a Dark Veil to secure a kill, so you can use this as cover even if you’re out in the open. Just remember, bullets can pass through this wall, so there is still a risk of being shot. However, much like Horizon’s ultimate or Caustic’s gas, it’s superb visual cover in a pinch.
4. Doing the Dark Veil/Piercing Spike Dance
This Catalyst tip is a bit tricky and a little more situational but can be quite useful when done correctly. If you’re fighting an enemy next to a friendly Dark Veil, consider dipping in and out of this ultimate as you fight. The Veil will completely hide you on the other side, allowing you to quickly reposition and pop back out. You can use this to great effect, as your opponent won’t be able to follow you in an out of the veil. Not only will this limit their movement options, but they won’t know what part of the veil you’re going to spring out from. Nimble users can even quickly get behind enemies they’re fighting after dipping to the other side of a friendly veil. Just remember, at the time of writing this if Seer scans you before you go into the veil then you’ll still be revealed.
As for Piercing Spikes, these can be useful cover in close-quarters battles. Since the spikes trigger when an enemy is near, having one at your feet when an enemy pushes causes the core to become exposed. You can actually dip behind this core and let it soak up some damage from your foe before popping up to shoot them. This exclusively works in up-close battles, but it can be the difference between life and death sometimes!
5. Know Your Counters
Setting aside the fact that Seer can see you with his scans is almost certainly a bug, you’ll want to know Catalyst’s counters. These are Maggie, Fuse, and Horizon. Maggie and Fuse are terrific at destroying her barricaded doors, which can make pushes into buildings easier for your team. Fuse’s ultimate is also decent against the Dark Veil since the Motherload goes through the wall and will still highlight anyone caught inside of it. His Knuckle Cluster also works wonders against her doors, since it not only destroys them but forces her to take damage if she wants to place another right away.
Horizon is definitely a straight counter to Catalyst’s Dark Veil, as her Tactical ability allows her to just soar right over the top of it. Since both Horizon and her team can take the gravity lift, she can easily just launch to the other side of the wall to escape an attack or pounce on a rotating team. Her ultimate will also rip barricaded doors right off their hinges. Because of this, don’t stand right by the door when fighting Horizon so you don’t get grabbed by her Black Hole through the wall. You’ll also want to listen for the sound of her lift if you’re using Dark Veil as she is almost certainly trying to launch herself over top of it.
