Catalysts, which often take the form of tomes or mystic artifacts, are the weapons of choice for mages inGenshin Impact.These powerful weapons are one of several kinds at players' disposal, and they help their users channel magical energy into every attack.
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Characters who use catalysts inGenshin Impactare all magic-wielders, though they may be associated with different Elements/Visions each. These magic weapons are generally considered ranged, as their users don’t really attack with the physical catalyst itself.
Updated on June 09, 2025 by Nahda Nabiilah:Genshin Impact has gone through over a year of journey. In this time, Travelers are greeted with new features in the game. Other thannew gameplay like fishing, players are also treated with new characters and weapons. The number of available catalysts in Genshin Impact has grown significantly since its release. Not only new characters but there are also new weapons available. To know how much the meta has changed, players can refer to this full tier list, where they will find which catalyst is worth keeping, and which isn’t.
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Catalysts function very much like any wand, staff, or rod would in most role-playing games, so players should think of these objects as the vessels their characters use tochannel their Elemental energy in battle. As such,Normal and Charged Attacks with a catalyst tend to involve some sort of ranged magical burst or blast. Normal Attacks with a catalyst can also be an Area of Effect (AoE) attack, depending on the character, and all Charged Attacks performed with a catalyst are AoE attacks.
Because of the magical nature of these items,every attack performed with a catalyst also inflicts Elemental Damage. This is incredibly valuable, as mostcharacters rely on their Elemental Skills or Bursts to apply Elemental attributesto other in-game objects or enemies. Whereas claymores offer the benefit of additional damage to Geo objects, catalysts allow a player to deal Elemental Damage quickly, safely, and without wasting precious energy resources.
Genshin Impact: The Catalyst
The list ofcharacters inGenshin Impactwho can wield a catalyst recently grew with the release of Sangonomiya Kokomi. Relative to other weapons, catalyst users cover a fair amount of the available in-game Elements/Visions, though there’s still a lack of Cryo mage. Insofar as strategy, the five available characters are commonly split into two groups:support and offense.
When the game was first released, 5-star weapons were a rare commodity. However, after one year in Teyvat, players would have amassed enough Primogems to get at least one 5-star weapon in their journey. Therefore, 5-star weapons will be included in this tier list, albeit their accessibilities will still be considered.
Note: All F2P catalysts have been noted with an asterisk.
S-Tier
Of course, the 5-starSkyward AtlasandLost Prayerto the Sacred Windstake the top spot for the catalyst tier list. These weapons have the highest base attack with a great substat and passive. Furthermore, they’re also obtainable via the standard banner. This means they’re not impossible to get even for F2P players.
The Widsithis a 4-star weapon that’s only obtainable via gacha. This weapon is easily one of the best choices for catalyst users. It has Critical Damage as its substat and a passive that offers massive damage boosts.Solar Pearl, on the other hand, grants Critical Rate from the substat. These two weapons will immensely help players building their Critical ratio.
A-Tier
Memory of Dustis actually a great 5-star weapon, however, it didn’t make the S-Tier for several reasons: First, this weapon has a niche passive that requires a full-time shielder (aka Zhongli). Second, unlike Skyward Atlas and Lost Prayer, Memory of Dust is only obtainable via the weapon banner. Memory of Dust is also a great choice if players are playing with the Crystallized reaction, where they can gain a full-time shield without Zhongli.
Sacrificial Fragmentsis one of the best choices forsupport-oriented mages like Sucrose. This weapon allows cooldown reset on their Elemental Skill.
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Dodoco Tales and Hakushin Ring are both F2P 4-star weapons.Dodoco Taleswas obtainable via an event inGenshin Impact1.6. It offers a great boost for DPS characters like Klee.
Hakushin Ringis a forgeable weapon that has a niche passive but offers high utility if used right. Players can use Hakushin Ring if they have an Electro character in the team.
Yes,Thrilling Talesis a 3-star weapon. Yes, Thrilling Tales is an A-Tier catalyst. The relatively common tome allows for an incoming party member (not the user) to enter battle with a whopping 48% ATK boost. Any mage equipped with this catalyst will be able to unlock potentially devastating combos with their newly buffed teammates.
B-Tier
Four F2P weapons made it to the B-Tier, withthe exception of Everlasting Moonglow. This 5-star weapon is sadly only good forone character, Sangonomiya Kokomi. It’s also usable on Barbara, although not as much. Considering how niche the weapon is and how hard it is to get one, Everlasting Moonglow fails to place above B-Tier.
ThePrototype Amber, on the other hand, is an essential choice for healers like Barbara. This craftable 4-star catalyst helps keep Energy supplies up and grants HP regen to the party, which only helps double down on Barbara’s existing Hydro healing powers.
Mappa Mareis another forgeable weapon, whileBlackcliff AgateandRoyale Grimoireare obtainable via the monthly shop.
C-Tier
Frostbeareris a weapon that requires Cryo characters to maximize its potential. Becausethere’s still no Cryo catalyst user in the game, this weapon can’t rank higher than C-Tier.
On the other hand,Wine and Song,Favonius Codex, andEye of Perceptionaren’t bad at all. However, they aren’t anyone’s best-in-slot weapon, where other catalysts outshine their performance. Because they’re both mediocre and hard-to-get, these weapons are placed on the C-Tier. However, they have their uses:
Genshin Impactis now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.
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