The most recent Apex Legends addition in terms of new characters was the ferrofluid-throwing Catalyst. The new Legend added in Season 15 of Apex Legends brought much-needed changes to the meta and added interesting play mechanics to the game. It scrambled the top Legends selections and quickly became the favored choice in terms of Defensive Legends. With the new abilities, Catalyst isn't as simple as other Apex Legends' defensive characters might be.
Apex Legends is a first-person shooter which combines both the ever-shrinking playable area of battle royales and ability-based gameplay. Each Legend in the game has a unique set of abilities, health pools, strengths, and weaknesses. The Legends are divided into categories based on their intended roles, including Offensive, Defensive, Recon, and Support. Catalyst as the newest Legend strengthens the lineup of Defensive Legends, but also can be used effectively in other roles.
Catalyst's Abilities Offer Offensive and Defensive Uses
Catalyst comes with unique new abilities that are not only strong defensively and protecting areas but can be used when on the move. This is probably why the Legend has become a staple in recent games and could be staying among the top Legends even long after its introduction. While the character is defined simply as a Defensive Legend, it has good abilities for not only defending but for gaining ground and even offensive actions.
The Passive Ability of Catalyst is called Barricade, and as the name suggests it is mainly used for defense and securing compounds. It barricades a door or doorway with Catalyst's ferrofluid and makes it harder for enemies to enter the building. While the Catalyst and her teammates can use the doors normally, enemies need to destroy the ferrofluid with melee attacks to advance through. This is not too dissimilar to existing defensive abilities, like Rampart's amped cover, but focuses specifically on doorways and thus offers similar protection to Wattson's Perimeter Security.
The differentiating factor to most Apex Legends' Defensive Legends comes with the Tactical and Ultimate abilities. Especially the Tactical Ability, Piercing Spikes, can be used very effectively on the offense. This is again similar in core principle to Wattson's security Pylons but is much easier to use while attacking. The deployment of the Piercing Spikes can be done quickly, to a distance, and without interrupting other actions, like shooting, healing, or reloading.
The ability allows Catalyst to place up to three patches of ferrofluid on the ground, which not only hinders enemy movement and damages them. As enemies come close the patches turn into spikes and, if an enemy steps on it, the fluid slows them down and deals damage. Destroying the patches is possible as it is with Legend Wattson's Pylons. There's a small glowing orb in the middle of the patch that needs to be destroyed for the patch to disappear. It takes 300 damage with a gun or one melee hit. It is also noteworthy that Catalysts are immune to all Piercing Spikes, no matter which Catalyst created them, which also allows them to easily remove enemies' Piercing Spikes.
The Ultimate Ability of Catalyst Can Be a Game Changer
While Piercing Spikes is an interesting and very useful skill, the real power and versatility of Catalyst comes with the Ultimate Ability. Dark Veil is a multipurpose tool that allows the Catalyst and her team to create defensive barriers, direct engagements in their favor, create tunnels for advancement, and much more. The ability creates a 55-meter-long and 8-meter-tall wall of ferrofluid in front of the Catalyst. While it doesn't stop bullets or affect abilities, players can't see through it. Additionally moving through the wall will slow down the enemy by 15% and blind them for seven seconds, which in a fast-paced game often means death.
There are downsides to it though. It isn't always as effective as a shield as the ones created by Gibraltar's Dome of Protection or Newcastle's walls, especially if the team's location is known. Also, if the terrain or abilities of enemy Legends permit, it can sometimes be easily avoided and circumvented. In multi-front combat, it's not as effective as it only protects the squad from only one side. However, in late circles, it can provide essential support in changing positioning. As the playable area shrinks, switching positions becomes more dangerous. That is perhaps when it is the most useful, similarly to Newcastle's Mobile Shield.
Apex Legends is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
