2.1 Support Catherine - Comprehensive Captain Guide by Jem Amethyst

2.1 Support Catherine - Comprehensive Captain Guide

By: Jem Amethyst
Last Updated: Feb 20, 2017
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Build 1 of 1

Catherine

Build: Disruption and Initiation

Ability Path

Captain of the Guard
Heroic Perk
Merciless Pursuit
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Stormguard
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Blast Tremor
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Threat Meter

Threat
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Threat Hero Notes
1
  No Threat
2
Flicker Flicker's Heroic Perk (Willow Whisper) and his C ability/Ultimate (Mooncloak) allow him to be in stealth fairly frequently. Since this is one of his main strengths, vision is essential. He will attempt to get rid of your scout traps whenever possible, so get creative with your placement. Keep an eye on when he uses his A ability (Binding Light), to avoid getting rooted.
2
Fortress Keep in mind that Fortress' A ability (Truth of the Tooth) is activated before his leap. Therefore it isn't usually worth it to stun him mid-leap, especially if he is in the Captain's role. If Fortress has a bit of CP damage available to him and one of your teammates is low on health, it is worth it to focus on the wolves he summons using his C ability/Ultimate (Attack of the Pack). This threat level is based on Fortress' more frequent role as Captain.
3
Ardan Since Ardan is almost always in the Captain role, your attention should only be peripherally on him. It is possible to stun him out of his C ability/Ultimate (Gauntlet) if he is mid-jump. If the edges of his Gauntlet are coming down on your teammate, or you are separated from the rest of your team, it is worth it to use Crucible. However, most teammates should have a Reflex Block or Aegis, so don't focus on trying to time your Crucible as a teammate is entering/leaving.
3
Catherine If her C ability/ultimate (Blast Tremor) generally hits your entire team, it is worth it to use your Crucible against it. Though you are able to stun her out of her attempts to stun, she has that same capability, so keep that in mind. If one of your nearby teammates has low health, avoid attacking Catherine while her shield is up.
3
Lance This threat level is based on the assumption of Lance as a Captain, as it is generally more common to see him in this role. Since both his A ability (Impale) and B ability (Gythian Wall) have the chance to root or stun your teammates, you will have to use your judgment on if you should use Crucible and when. It is possible to stun Lance out of his Impale, but you may want to save your stun. When playing against a Captain Lance, it is important to focus on your team's position in regards to nearby walls and structures. Avoid his Impale as much as possible as well.
3
Phinn Phinn's Heroic Perk (Unstoppable) makes him immune to your stun. Therefore, unless he is the only remaining enemy hero, or if you are simply adding stacks to your own Heroic Perk (Captain of the Guard), you should avoid using your A ability (Merciless Pursuit) on him. Most Phinn players overdrive their A ability (Quibble), allowing him to stun enemies. Though you can use Crucible to block the stun quite effectively, you may want to save it for his C ability/Ultimate (Forced Accord). Use your judgment. Phinn is one of the slower heroes; use that to your advantage when possible.
4
  No Threat
5
Adagio Adagio has the longest attack range in the game, so keep an eye on the distance between your teammates and him. Adagio's C ability/Ultimate (Verse of Judgment) takes 2 seconds to channel so use your A ability (Merciless Pursuit) to interrupt or use Crucible to block the stun effect. If you are up against a Captain Adagio, keep an eye on which of his teammates he uses his B ability (Agent of Wrath) to boost.
5
Celeste When Celeste is using her B ability (Core Collapse), it is occasionally worth it to use your Crucible to block the stun if one of your weaker teammates is going to be caught. When she uses her C ability/Ultimate (Solar Storm), attempt to block as many of the stars as you can and activate your B ability (Stormguard) to reflect some of the damage back. Though she is quite squishy, don't underestimate her damage output against your slower teammates.
5
Joule When Joule uses her A ability (Rocket Leap), it is possible to stun her out of stunning your teammates. If you are not able to stop her in time, it is also occasionally worth it to use Crucible to block the stunning effect on your teammate. You should also attempt to dodge her B ability (Thunder Strike) since she gains bonus armor and shield pierce until she misses. Lastly, you should activate your B ability (Stormguard) and stand in her beam to reflect damage when she uses her C ability (Big Red Button), especially if she is CP.
5
Koshka Koshka's Heroic Perk (Bloodrush) enables her to gain 2 movement speed for 4 seconds after she deals damage with her abilities. This means that she is often one of the fastest heroes in a fight. Many Koshka players utilize a hit and run style, running away until her abilities are available again. Using your A ability (Merciless Pursuit) and your Ultimate ability (Blast Tremor) can effectively neutralize her threat level. To deal with Koshka's C ability/Ultimate (Yummy Catnip Frenzy), you should either stun her out of it or Crucible to block for your teammates. If you are the target of the Ultimate, it is sometimes worth it to not block, as Koshka is unable to do anything while using it.
5
Ringo Ringo's C ability/Ultimate (Hellfire Brew) has a relatively long activation period. If possible, you should stun him out of this action, effectively canceling the Ultimate. If you are stunning him at any other time, it is best to stun him after he activates his B ability (Twirling Silver), especially in early game. Additionally, it can be worthwhile to use your Crucible to block Ringo's Ultimate to prevent your teammate from burning to death. If you are the target, you should activate your B ability (Stormguard) instead. While it is possible to Crucible his Achilles shot, it is usually not worth it. There may be exceptions such as when Ringo is pursuing one of your fleeing teammates as your team disengages.
5
Samuel If you are standing between Samuel and your teammate, you should attempt to position yourself to intercept the damage done by his A ability (Malice & Verdict). If you can activate your B ability (Stormguard) for this, even better. His C ability/Ultimate (Oblivion) puts every affected target to sleep, which can be very dangerous for your team. It is best to use Crucible against this when possible.
5
Skaarf Avoid Scarf's B ability (Goop) as it will slow you. If you and your teammate are fleeing from an enemy Scarf, you should position yourself between the two of them to bodyblock his A ability (Spitfire). His C ability/Ultimate (Dragon's Breath) takes 1.5 seconds to channel and is easily interrupted by your stun even after activation.
5
Skye Skye has fairly good mobility in fights especially thanks to her B ability (Suri Strike). If you are using your stun against Skye, it is often times a good idea to stun after she has used her B ability, especially if she is in a vulnerable position away from the rest of her team. It can definitely be worth it to use your Crucible against her C ability/Ultimate (Death from Above) to avoid the stun and slow. Lastly, if you are between her and a teammate, you should attempt to bodyblock her A ability (Forward Barrage), especially if your B ability (Stormguard) is available.
5
Taka Taka's B ability (Kaku) allows him to stealth away in the middle of fights. Vision is your best friend in this situation, so always keep some sort of flare on you. If you are unsure where he has disappeared to, it is always worthwhile to throw a flare above your weaker teammates, in case he tries to sneak up on them. His A ability (Kaiten) allows him to dodge your stun and silence, so if you are targeting Taka, wait until after he has used this ability.
5
Vox Vox's Heroic Perk (Julia's Song) spreads resonance in a pulse. If you are accompanying your carry in the lane and are hiding in the lane brush, be sure to keep an eye on the resonance bounces if you do not want your presence to be discovered. Though Vox's C ability/Ultimate (Wait for It) can be avoided fairly easily, it can still be worthwhile to use your Crucible for your slower teammates caught in the line of fire. If you are facing a CP Vox, be aware of your distance relative to your teammates, especially when disengaging and fleeing.
6
Baron Baron also has a fairly long attack range, which, coupled with his A ability (Porcupine Mortar), can be quite annoying. Though you can stun him while he uses his B ability (Jump Jets) to flee, based on your timing, he may still be launched forward though stunned. Be aware of his positioning. Additionally, his Heroic Perk (Rocket Launcher) causes his basic attacks to deal 130% WP damage to surrounding targets. If you are the closest to Baron and he is targeting you, attempt to keep distance between yourself and your teammates.
6
Blackfeather Blackfeather's A ability (Feint of Heart) and C ability/Ultimate (Rose Offensive) allow him to reach your team's back line easily. Try your best to avoid his B ability (On Point), since he gains a health barrier if he hits at least one enemy. Additionally, while Blackfeather uses his C ability/Ultimate, he is immune to negative effects. If you are using your stun or silence, watch out for this.
6
Glaive Glaive is a sturdier hero, usually with more health available to him than other junglers. It is often worth it to use Crucible as Glaive approaches one of your teammates following his A ability (Afterburn), to block the stunning and pushing effect. When fighting against Glaive with your team, keep in mind that his Heroic Perk (Hunt of the Weak) causes his critical strikes to hit multiple targets in a cone shape in front of him. If you aren't careful, it is easy for Glaive to deal a lot of damage to a bunched together team.
6
Gwen If you are in the lane brush accompanying your carry, it is sometimes worthwhile to position yourself closer to the turret, as Gwen's A ability (Buckshot Bonanza) is often used to check the brush. Her B ability (Skedaddle) allows her to shake off negative effects and blocks further effects for a short time. If possible, use your stun and/or silence after her Skedaddle wears off. Lastly, Gwen's C ability/Ultimate (Aces High) is worth using a Crucible for, as it is a fairly slow stun.
6
Idris Avoid Idris' B ability (Chakram) as it comes back, since it does additional damage. Keep an eye on his build to see if he builds enough CP and/or WP for his perks. Lastly, if Idris uses his C ability/Ultimate (Shimmer Strike) on you and you are near one of your weaker teammates, it can be worth it to keep your distance from your teammate, so that Idris cannot reach them.
6
Krul When Krul uses his C ability/Ultimate (From Hell's Heart), you should use Crucible to block the stun. Keep in mind that the sword also boomerangs back to Krul. Though it is occasionally possible to stun Krul out of using his B ability (Spectral Smite), it is difficult to time this exactly right. It is more worthwhile to save your stun for other heroes or for when Krul is fleeing/pursuing. If Krul is focusing on you, then you should attempt to activate your B ability (Stormguard) before or as Krul smites to reflect and decrease the damage.
6
Lyra Though Lyra's attack range is just behind Adagio's, her Heroic Perk (Principle Arcanum) allows her to automatically channel a stronger second attack if she holds her ground. This second attack has an extremely long range and slows the target as well. Her B ability (Bright Bulwark) slows and snares opponents who cross the borders, which can prevent your A ability (Merciless Pursuit) from connecting with your intended target. If there is distance between you and Lyra, it is often better to wait till you are sure she does not have her B ability available before activating your stun.
6
Reim You should always avoid Reim's A ability (Winter Spire), as 35% of his damage dealt with it is gained as fortified health. His B ability (Chill Winds) is capable of rooting your teammates while his C ability/Ultimate (Valkyrie) has the potential to stun. If these disruptions are heavily impacting your team's performance, then it might be worth using Crucible to block one of those effects. Overall, there might be better uses for your Crucible.
6
Rona Rona's C ability/Ultimate (Red Mist) can be extremely dangerous for a slow team. You should stun her out of it as early as possible. Additionally, most WP Rona players have Breaking Point and Serpent's Mask, so you should also stay out of her reach when she activates Red Mist, especially if your stun is not available. This way you do not contribute to her Breaking Point stacks or help her heal. It may be worthwhile to use your War Treads to speed your teammates out of her reach.
6
SAW Saw's Heroic Perk (Spin Up) can drastically increase his attack speed. It may be worth buying an Atlas Pauldron as your first item (instead of a Fountain of Renewal). Be sure not to walk through his B ability (Suppressing Fire), especially when using your A ability (Merciless Pursuit), as it slows you down a great deal. Additionally, it can be very worthwhile to stun Saw out of his B ability to prevent him from receiving full stacks on his Heroic Perk. If you are against a CP Saw and he targets you with his A ability (Roadie Run), activate your B ability (Stormguard) for massive amounts of reflect damage. It may also be worthwhile to stun him before he can roll backwards, leaving him exposed and more vulnerable. If you are able and Saw is targeting you with his A ability, you should try and angle yourself so that he will roll backwards the wrong way.
7
Alpha Alpha's A ability (Prime Directive) allows her to jump to your team's back line, often making it more difficult to protect your teammates with low defense. Coupled with her Heroic Perk (Infinite Reboot) and her C ability/Ultimate (Termination Protocol), Alpha is also able to sustain herself quite well in fights. Keep an eye on her Infinite Reboot cooldown bar.
7
Kestrel Since Kestrel is able to use her B ability (Active Camo) quite frequently, it is necessary to keep flares on you (Flare Gun/Contraption). Be sure to ping on the mist if your teammates are nearby, so they know to avoid that spot. When Kestrel uses her C ability/Ultimate (One Shot One Kill), you should attempt to stand in its path to block it from hitting your teammates. Additionally, if possible, you should activate your B ability (Stormguard) to reflect/decrease the damage done. If you are close to Kestrel while she is firing her Ultimate, you can also stun her out of the action.
7
Ozo Ozo's Heroic Perk (Carnie Luck) and A ability (Three-Ring Circus) make him a sustainable hero. Paired with a Serpent's Mask for WP or Eve of Harvest for CP, Ozo can heal himself quite rapidly. Additionally, his B ability (Acrobounce) gives him very high mobility, and he is easily able to get to your team's back line. If possible, and especially if he is CP, you should stun him as he uses Acrobounce near you. Since Ozo's C ability/Ultimate (Bangarang) often takes awhile to connect with its target, it is definitely worth using Crucible to block the stun. Blocking the Ultimate sometimes puts Ozo in a bad position as well, away from the rest of his team.
7
Petal Not only does Petal have a long attack range, her Heroic Perk (Munions) can follow enemies for quite a distance before returning to her. Be careful not to step on her seeds, as they can deal a good amount of damage. Since her seeds also have a small range of vision, you should destroy the seeds if you are not currently engaged in combat. If Petal is giving your team a lot of trouble, you should stun her as she using her B ability (Trampoline!) or right after she has activated it, so as to minimize the time that she has with amplified damage.
8
  No Threat
9
  No Threat
10
  No Threat

Top

General Strategy and Mindset Top


The most important thing to keep in mind while playing as Catherine is that you are, above all, a supporting hero. This means that you should play selflessly: be willing to take damage so that your teammate doesn't have to, lay down scout traps to minimize surprises, adapt your build to your teammates' strengths and weaknesses, check the brush for dangers with a flare or by walking in, and so on. If you are being focused on by enemy heroes in a team fight--this is a good thing and gives your team the advantage.

This doesn't mean that you should only play defensively. When possible you want to bully the opposing team a little, whether in lane or jungle. For example, if the enemy Carry is playing aggressively, you can use your Merciless Pursuit ability (A) to initiate an effective gank with a stun. Even if you are alone you can still harass both Carries and Junglers.

With just a Stormguard Banner, Catherine can still do a bit of damage even in the early game. If you cannot outrun an enemy as you are disengaging, it might be better to turn around and fight instead. Though Catherine shouldn't be afraid to tank (sometimes turrets for a few hits or in securing your teammate's escape), you should also remember that she isn't invincible.

The threat levels indicated above are not about how dangerous a hero is to you personally but rather their threat level to your teammates. If you find yourself dying often, this does not mean you should be focused on an enemy's threat to you personally, it means that you should use their misplaced focus to your team's advantage. Any hero is a viable threat to your team in the hands of a skilled player, so don't underestimate them.

Abilities Top


All three of Catherine's abilities are vital to her success as a Captain. The above build is merely a recommendation; you may find that you would rather overdrive Merciless Pursuit instead of Blast Tremor. Find which is more useful for you in a given game and be flexible between those two choices.


Merciless Pursuit is an ability you should be using quite often over the course of the entire game. Each stun landed grants her a stack to her Heroic Perk: Captain of the Guard. Each stack grants 1 armor and shield, significantly boosting her defense by late game. Though you should use this ability often, you should also keep in mind the exact moment when you want to use it in team fights. If you use your stun right off the bat then you might not be able to interrupt Adagio's Verse of Judgement if he activates soon after.


Stormguard is a very useful defensive ability, especially against huge burst attacks. For heroes like Joule (when using her Big Red Button) or Saw (when using his Roadie Run), your shield can reflect huge amounts of damage. Some other large attacks worth attempting to reflect include: Krul's Spectral Smite, Celeste's Solar Storm, Ringo's Hellfire Brew, and Kestrel's One Shot One Kill.


Blast Tremor can be blocked by the enemy team fairly easily, so don't rely on this. However, when the silence does land, it can be an effective engagement starter or finisher. If you have a fleeing enemy with low health (and use your judgment here), you can also use Blast Tremor as a way to kill them, provided they are not too far away. This is made more effective if you have Aftershock or a Crystal Infusion. And lastly, Blast Tremor can also be an effective way to ensure your teammate's escape if they are being pursued.

Items Top


The items that are included in your build should be a reaction to your teammates' needs as well as your enemy's strengths. Both Metal Jacket and Aegis are marked as Unhelpful Items because they are 'selfish' items--they only benefit one person. As a Captain, none of your items should be for your own personal usage. One last note on items: you should not view the builds shown above to be strict and limiting. They are only rough recommendations. Develop a build that is best for yourself, test out different items, and make sure your purchases are for the benefit of your team.


Defense
Fountain of Renewal is generally the first tier 3 item that a Captain purchases. I would say that, barring one or two exceptions (a WP Saw might call for a very early Atlas Pauldron if your Carry finds themselves in trouble), this should be your first focus. If you see that the enemy team's Captain has built a Fountain before you, it is usually wise to avoid team fights until you have built one as well. This should very rarely be used on yourself (that is, you are the only one on your team with low health/you are the only one being healed). If you are trying to avoid being aced, it might be life-saving to use it then. Otherwise, you should generally keep it in reserve for your teammates.

Crucible can be, at best, essential in team fights or, at worst, just momentarily helpful. Either way, this will likely be one of your mid game tier 3 purchases. A Crucible is a must buy if you are facing one of the following heroes: Ardan (with his Gauntlet), Phinn (with his Forced Accord), CP Ringo (with his Hellfire Brew), Samuel (with his Oblivion), Ozo (with his Bangarang), Glaive (with his Afterburn), Gwen (with her Aces High, Krul (with his From Hell's Heart), or Reim (with his Valkyrie). It is also possible to block the effects of Atlas Pauldron, for example, as well. Lastly, your Crucible can be used to just momentarily boost a teammate's health as their opponent attempts to finish them off, if the fight has mostly dispersed or ended.

Atlas Pauldron is effective against most WP based heroes. Catherine is able to get close to range enemies with her Merciless Pursuit or simply by virtue of being a melee hero and use Atlas Pauldron. Oftentimes WP heroes and their Captains will anticipate this (or learn from your behaviors) and use Crucible to block the effects of your Atlas Pauldron. If you find this happening, try to delay your use of the Atlas Pauldron and find a more unexpected moment. Since the cooldown on Atlas Pauldron is only 15 seconds, you should use it quite liberally throughout the game, in ganks or when your teammate is trying to flee.


Utility

Stormcrown might seem like a selfish item, but it boosts your damage against the Gold Miner, Crystal Miners, Kraken, and turrets so that you can help your teammates start and finish these objectives. The additional energy recharge and cooldown speed ensure that you have your abilities ready faster and more frequently. This is an important item for your mid to late game build.

War Treads can be an important item or a simply helpful one. If you find that your team often has trouble keeping up with the enemy team while pursuing or when escaping, the short speed boost from War Treads can mean all the difference. This should be a discretionary purchase; if your team is not having trouble in keeping up, then this should either be one of your last items or switched for Journey Boots or Halcyon Chargers. Given the frequent availability of her Merciless Pursuit, Catherine can also keep up with her team and the enemy quite well with just Travel Boots.

Contraption is a great purchase for a Captain, allowing you to almost always have a source of vision. Many Captains build a Flare Gun in preparation for Contraption early in the game since there is a noticeable health boost. However, you should be aware that Flare Gun only has 2 charges with a cooldown of 20 seconds. If you find yourself often needing more than two flares in quick succession, then it may be better to stick with the consumable flares until you are closer to being able to afford Contraption. This is a discretionary purchase as well; if you find that you need more than 3 charges, then it may be worthwhile to forgo Contraption for a stack of 5 flares. Keep in mind that Contraption does give a health bonus and cooldown speed bonus, which can make it passively useful still.

Shiversteel is often a purchase of melee Carries and Junglers who are natural pursuers such as Krul or Blackfeather. If the enemy team is often fleeing from yours, it can be very worthwhile to use Shiversteel to slow them down and ensure your teammates secure the kill. The +500 to your maximum health is nice but not essential to team fights. This should be a very situational purchase, and you should keep an eye on if your teammate has built one already.

Nullwave Gauntlet can be quite effective in both team fights and ganks. If you are using this in team fights, you can target the other team's Captain so that they are unable to use any items, especially their Fountain of Renewal for 4 seconds (which can determine the outcome of the fight). This item also boosts your health and cooldown speed, making it passively worthwhile as well.


Consumables

Ironguard Contract is a solid starting item that can still be useful around mid game. Unlike other Captains such as Adagio or Phinn, Catherine cannot fortify or heal her teammates. Thus, Ironguard Contract is a good way to ensure that both you and your Jungler can survive an enemy invade early on. Additionally, if you are accompanying your Carry in lane, this can heal them up to full health quite quickly. As you get further into the game, the usefulness of this item wears off and should be traded in for stronger purchases.

Halcyon Potions should generally only be purchased at the very beginning of games. Catherine is already quite durable and Lifespring (on your way to building a Fountain of Renewal) will continuously heal you over the course of the game anyway. Very early on in the game, however, potions can be used to just escape the enemy or restore just enough energy for you to use your stun.

Scout Traps are important and you should be buying these regardless of if you plan on building a Contraption (since that is a later purchase and you need vision as early as possible). Vision in your own jungle is imperative and vision in the enemy jungle is very useful. Your Jungler will appreciate having vision on the spawn of jungle camps as well as in the brush. A more detailed look on scout trap placement can be found here. This can also be useful when getting rid of enemy vision too, as most Captains also place scout traps in similar locations.

Flares will likely be one of your early purchases, especially if you are building Contraption later on in the game. If you decide to forgo Contraption entirely, then you will be frequently purchasing flares. This depends on your play style and can be situational as well. Try to always have a few flares handy. Remember that if you don't have flares, you should be the one face checking the brush, not your teammates.

Crystal Infusions should not be purchased frequently, as your gold can almost always be better invested. If you have built all of your items and have a surplus of gold, then it is worthwhile to purchase an infusion (depending on your play style, you may prefer buying a Weapon Infusion instead). This is an optional discretionary and situational purchase--sometimes it may be worth buying one if your team is making a huge push (after having just released Kraken for example).


Weapon and Ability

Bonesaw is only a helpful purchase during teamfights. You should only buy this if your WP teammate is facing multiple Metal Jackets or Atlas Pauldrons. If your team is composed of two WP damage dealers, Bonesaw becomes even more worthwhile. Often times if a WP teammate is having trouble dealing damage against armor, they will buy this themselves as well.

Aftershock is possibly the only acceptable 'selfish' item that you should purchase. Though you are not meant to be dealing huge amounts of damage on opponents, Catherine can still be quite deadly with just a Stormcrown and Aftershock. Most team fights leave the Captain (of your team or the others) standing last, and with an offensive item like this, you can occasionally secure at least one kill in bad situations.

Gameplay Top


Often enough, the Captain is the leader of the team, the one who chooses and initiates team fights. To do this effectively, you should use the pings available to you for communication. Spamming multiple pings at once can be annoying, so you should use them just once unless you are continuously ignored.

This section is also only a recommendation and guide on one way to play Catherine. Find what you're most comfortable with and what you have the most success with. I like playing Catherine like she's the biggest kid on the playground, bullying and taunting the other team. This might not be for you, but there might be a few tactics that you find worthwhile.


Early Game: Start- ~5 Minute Mark
As a general tip in VainGlory, it's best to get as fast a start as you can. If you're a beginner you should practice ensuring that your starting purchases only take up the 10 second starting grace period. If you're anticipating headbutting with the enemy team in jungle, upgrade your A ability first. Unless otherwise indicated by your teammates, you should head down towards the central treant camp where the jungle shop will later spawn. If you don't have any vision items on your person, you should stand in your own jungle brush (acting as a live scout trap) as your Jungler takes the nearest minion camp.

When contesting the central treant, it can be advantageous to wait for the other team to start it, so that they have to tank the treant's hits. If you do have flares, I would advise waiting until after your Jungler has cleared the nearest minion camp before flaring. If the opposing team is nowhere in sight, you should flare or face check (walk into) their adjacent brush. At this point you should be somewhat confident of their location on the map (for example, in lane or having moved on to their front treant camp). If your Carry is with you during this time, it may be advantageous to initiate a team fight, especially if you see that the enemy Carry is in lane (creating a 3v2 in your favor).

After clearing your jungle for the first time, most Junglers will want to continue farming. You should accompany them for the riskiest parts of the jungle (the camps closest to the center of the map) before considering recalling back to your home base. A trip home before the 4 minute mark can be either helpful--early superior vision--or harmful--since you are still quite slow and separated from the rest of your team. It is likely that your Carry will want to recall home before the four minute mark to make some more purchases, so keep an eye on the lane if you see that they are away.

You have three main jobs in Early Game:
1. Accompany your Jungler and Carry depending which is at most risk. If your Carry is getting jumped a lot, it is worthwhile to sit in the brush for a bit, passively gaining gold, ready to stun and protect them. If you and your Jungler/Carry are having trouble against the opposing team in one area, it is worthwhile for all three of you to focus on the other. For example, if the enemy is successfully invading your jungle every single time, you and your Jungler can apply pressure on the turret. If the enemy Captain/Jungler is harassing your Carry a lot, you should encourage your Jungler to invade while you accompany them or head back to the lane to protect your turret.

2. Place and replace scout traps where they will be most useful for you and your team. Superior vision can determine the outcome in early, mid, and late game. If there's a specific area that your enemies seem drawn to again and again, it is worth placing a scout trap nearby.

3. Build a Fountain of Renewal. As mentioned previously, this should be your first big purchase. Some Captains ignore all other items in favor of this (forgoing vision). Though I prefer to buy scout traps and a Stormguard Banner early on instead of racing towards a Fountain, you should find what works best for you.

Your secondary job in Early Game is to:
Harass and disrupt the enemy team's attempts to farm. If you are accompanying your Carry in lane and they are not in danger, you should use your Merciless Pursuit on the enemy Carry right before they are about to last hit a lane minion (ideally one of the large ones to deny them more gold). At best, this causes them to fall behind in gold and sometimes even to temporarily flee. At worst, this builds up your Heroic Perk Captain of the Guard. If you are accompanying your Jungler in the jungle, you should make attempts to invade the enemy's jungle (unless they have a very strong early game Jungler and you have a late game Jungler on your team). Your Stormguard shield is capable of stealing last hits on minions, denying the other team that gold. When contesting the minions in the enemy jungle, it is more important that you try to get the last hit than hoping that your teammate gets it.


Mid Game: 5- ~14 Minute Mark
By Mid Game you should have an idea of who the biggest threat on the other team is. If the enemy WP Blackfeather is doing the most damage to your teammates, then you should have your team focus on him in team fights. If you are not able to identify the biggest threat, then you should anticipate the opposing team's Ultimates, as they should be reaching level 6 soon after Early Game. For example, if there is a Phinn on the opposing team, you should be ready for his Ultimate, Forced Accord.

You have four main jobs in Mid Game:
1. Protect your teammates. You should very rarely be alone--an exception might be when your Carry recalls home to shop, then you might be alone to defend lane while they are away. Good teams will try and gank your Carry consistently. If your Carry is getting a little reckless, you should ping a warning and head to lane to protect them. In a gank, if one person in your team has to die, it is better that it is you.

2. Maintain vision on the map, on your side of the jungle and your enemy's. You should also try to deny your enemy vision by popping their scout traps. This can be done either by walking over common scout trap locations or by flaring on a contested location to identify them. This is especially important near the Gold Mine (which will eventually become Kraken's spawn point).

3. Objectives such as turrets (especially the first one) and the Gold Miner should be pursued in Mid Game. If you have a Stormguard Banner or Stormcrown you can deal quite a bit of damage to objectives even on your own. Try to ensure that you are the one tanking the damage from the Gold Miner or the turret, as you are almost certainly more durable than your teammates. Be sure to ping an arrow or some other equivalent on the objective so that your teammates know your intentions. The flip side of this is to make sure the other team is not getting these objectives.

4. Counter-build. Identify the main threats of the opposing team. Check their builds and your teammates' builds. Your build should be reactionary to that. For example, if the enemy WP Vox is giving your teammates trouble, then it would be worth it to use your Atlas Pauldron on him. If your teammates are not able to keep up with enemies, consider buying a Shiversteel or War Treads. And so on.

Your secondary job during Mid Game is to have:
Map awareness. You should always know where your teammates are and your distance from them. If they are being ganked, you should generally head towards them to support and protect them. Your scout traps on the enemy team's side should give you hints as to where they might be, but if you don't know, you should use flares to bridge the gap in vision.


Late Game: 15 Minute Mark+
Keep an eye on the timer so that you know when the Gold Miner will turn into Kraken, especially if you are attempting to kill the Gold Miner near the 15 minute mark. By late game you should have a sizable number of stacks for your Heroic Perk Captain of the Guard. This is when your role as a fight initiator is most relevant.

You have three main jobs in Late Game:
1. Protect your teammates. This one is important throughout the game but as you get later in the game, respawn timers are longer and longer. In Late Game, you and your team should stick together whenever possible. Avoid 2v3 fights if your other teammate is not nearby.

2. Pick your battles wisely. If you know that your enemies are split (if one is in lane and the two others are in jungle), you can turn this situation to your advantage. If a team fight is about to start, be sure that you are leading the charge and that you know the locations of all three enemies. If you see that multiple enemies are infused while your teammates are not, you should try to avoid engaging. Other finer points will come with experience, from what worked in certain situations and what didn't.

3. Control objectives. This includes getting rid of enemy vision on Kraken while maintaining your own. You should use your Contraption (or flares, whichever form of vision you have) to keep an eye on Kraken. When you push enemy turrets be sure you know where your enemies are. If one of your teammates has AoE damage that will hit nearby enemies as you're taking turrets, consider attacking the enemy first so that the turret targets you instead of your teammate.

Your secondary job during Late Game is to:
Keep an eye on the lane. This is when opposing teams will start to really push turrets and are occasionally able to overpower turrets without minions. If you suspect that the enemy is going to push your turret, indicate to your team using a ping that you are heading up to defend so that they will follow.

Tips and Conclusion Top



Some tips that I have for Catherine players didn't fit in earlier parts, so this section covers some miscellaneous tips and suggestions.

1. Stealthed enemies such as Flicker, Taka, and Kestrel often use their stealth to check brush or sneak up on you and your team. While hiding in brush, if you notice that you and your teammates health bars and usernames are no longer dimmed, then it means that the enemy has vision on you. If you are facing one of the heroes mentioned above, that means they are in the brush with you. You can counteract this by flaring above your position to find the stealthed enemy.

2. Scout traps do a small but not negligible amount of damage to heroes who are caught in its radius when it goes off. For Catherine, this can be used offensively, especially in Early Game. As an enemy walks over your scout trap, use Merciless Pursuit to stun them so that they are damaged by you and the trap.

3. If you are alone and fleeing the enemy, you should try and use nearby brush to your advantage. Pursuing enemies often lose vision on you for a brief second or two as you duck into brush. No vision means that they cannot continue their attack. This does not always work, but it is worth trying anyway if you are avoiding an ace.

4. Catherine can be deceptively tanky which means that sometimes you are able to bait an enemy hero into pulling a reckless move. For example, sometimes when I am low health I will stand near my team's turret. This occasionally baits an enemy into taking turret hits because they think I will be an easy and fast kill. Especially with Catherine's added armor and shield and her Stormguard, it usually takes more than one hit to down her even with low health. As enemies are targeted by the turret, I use my stun to trap them in a vulnerable location, forcing them to take more turret hits than expected. This isn't something for beginners, as it comes with great risk to yourself, but it can be effective against more aggressive enemies.

5. Crystal Miners are often stronger than you expect. If your team is low health, it can be dangerous to pursue a fleeing enemy team further into their jungle. On the flip side, your Crystal Miner is just as strong, so luring opponents to fight in your side of the jungle can give you an advantage.

6. Many Catherine and Captain players forget that turrets are objectives too--that is, Stormcrown allows you to do substantial damage to non-heroes. Don't be afraid to poke and push turret a little if you have this item.

7. If you are paired with a Taka or Rona or another hero who tends to jump forward into a fight, try and accompany them if they dive for an enemy Carry. If possible, get the enemy turret to focus on you instead of them.

8. Heroes like Skye and Petal have abilities that allow them to 'jump' away while fleeing. Skye especially can pull of creative moves that take her through walls of the jungle. If you flare towards the opposite side of the wall, you can occasionally grant your team vision, allowing for one of your ranged teammates to possibly secure the kill.

9. Many WP heroes like Rona, Vox, and Krul often build Breaking Point to increase their damage monumentally over time. If you are not prepared for a full on team fight, try and stay out of their reach so that they cannot build Breaking Point stacks. And specifically in team fights, you should stay out of Rona's reach when she uses her Red Mist ability, as she almost always has a Serpent's Mask as well (allowing her to heal). If you cannot outrun her, you should use your stun to interrupt.

10. Familiarize yourself with all the heroes, even if you do not like playing them. This way you have an idea of what strategies and builds they might use as well as identifying their weaknesses.

11. Check teammate and enemy builds throughout the game! This is important in so many of the jobs that you have as a Captain, such as picking your battles and counter-building.

12. Flexibility and adaptability are key to being a Captain. Even if you are able to maintain vision across the map, there is still a likely possibility that you or your teammate will be put in a bad situation. It's more important to be flexible and to make the best of it. Angrily pinging and questioning your teammates will be counter productive in these moments.

Thank you for taking the time to read this guide, and I hope that you found it useful, even if it's only one or two tips. If you have any suggestions, this is my first guide and I am open to constructive criticism.

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