A Guide by Toilets Top
Note: This guide was originally created by player Toilets in the official Vainglory forums. The author displays as VG COMMUNITY as part of a bulk migration of guides to VaingloryFire. Enjoy!
ABOUT MYSELF: Top
Hello guys, I am Toilets and this is an updated guide to jungle Catherine! I also like to play League of Legends in the SG server and my main champions are Lux and Vi! Vi is a a bit similar to Catherine and this is what convinced me to main Catherine in this game. My very first hero in Vainglory was [[Ringo but I never really got along with ranged physical damage carries for both games lelz. I do not think I am the best Catherine player in the game as I believe there are many other players who play Catherine better than me (especially the Game Developers lelz) but I am quite confident in my own Catherine skills. In fact, it was game dev SurpriseBirthday who encouraged me to write a guide as well! I welcome any feedbacks and comments on my guide and if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to answer! So let's begin!
CONTENTS: Top
1. Why jungle Catherine?
2. Abilities
3. Build (includes soloing Kraken)
4. Playing against other heroes
5. Other tips & conclusion
1. WHY JUNGLE CATHERINE?: Top
First, let's examine the pros and cons of jungle Catherine and lane Cathy.
PROS AND CONS OF JUNGLE CATHERINE:
Pros:
-Super high damage (both burst and sustained)
-Powerful ganks
-STILL can solo objectives with the right build! Hooray~ (more on this later)
-Tanky thanks to stormguard
-Can 1v1 all heroes in the game with the right build (except SAW)
Cons:
-Much more selfish than lane Cathy. Teammates will be less fed since you are making them sacrifice XP for your role. They either compete with each other in lane or compete with you in jungle.
-You won't be able to farm up your heroic perk early (more details on this later)
-High cooldowns. Therefore, she has a slower jungle clear time compared to other junglers
PROS AND CONS OF LANE CATHERINE:
Pros:
-Able to let your teammates get fed
-Can farm up your heroic perk
Cons:
-Usually underlevelled because you are sacrificing your XP for other carries.
-Less money means you finish your core items later than a jungle Cathy
-Very reliant on your teammates
-Much lesser damage, no burst
-Because of that, you won't be able to solo objectives at all
-You are forced to build tanky items. If you build damage, it won't be significant and you'll be very squishy so you might as well go for tank items.
Overview:
Overall, jungle Cathy is preferred by solo queue players. If you want to be independent and not rely on your teammates to carry the game, then go ahead and jungle! Personally, I think the pros of jungle Cathy outweigh its cons. On the other hand, lane Cathy is basically asking to be demoted to be a support. If your teammates don't get fed even though you are doing okay, you won't have enough gold to carry the game anyway. Though, you can still be selfish and take your carry's farm in lane but really, farming in lane as Cathy is a nightmare because she's melee and she'll be poked to death. You may stormguard their poke but that means you'll be out of mana (OOM) easily. In the end, it all depends on our preferences!
2. ABILITIES: Top
Blast Tremor (C) >
Merciless Pursuit (A) >
Stormguard (B)
Building her ability is easy and straightforward: level up your stormguard once at level 1 (to assist in your first jungle camps), then pump the rest into merciless persuit and blast tremor whenever it is up.
Heroic perk: panzer faust
We can all agree that her heroic perk (or passive) is not really the best perk in the game. This extra armor gained is insignificant early game and even in late game, it won't be much help because your
Stormguard does all the tanking for you. It is at least better than her old perk though (when building crystal, she loses health but gains a reasonable amount of armor). Furthermore, you'll be focusing on building damage as jungle Cathy so you won't really need armor. Usually ignored by most Catherine players, but it is good to be aware of it.
Merciless Pursuit
One of the best skills in the game. This skill provides almost everything Catherine needs: gap closer, stun, burst, escape and pissing your enemies off! It is a MUST for every jungle Cath players to max this first, next to the ultimate of course. Once you get the proper items mid game, one punch Cath deals to the carry can lead to at least half of their health gone. The only downside to this skill is the long cooldown it has so use it wisely and adapt to the situation of the fight!
Stormguard
Guess what? This is the only true tank skill in the game! "But wait, Adagio's heal?" Did I mention "TRUE" tank? The status states that it has an 8 seconds cooldown and 6s duration but don't be fooled - the cooldown only starts WHEN the effect is over. Therefore, it has a 14 secs "hidden" cooldown. Never forget to turn on this skill at the start of every fight! It isn't wise to save your stormguard because you'll be very squishy and the amount of damage you deflect will be lesser as compared to when you activated it earlier. Once stormguard's duration is down, use your merciless pursuit to escape ASAP! Rinse and repeat. Bait and kill.
Blast Tremor
This is the best initiation ultimate in the game. With a 3 sec silence, this skill has the longest CC duration in the game. To make this skill even better, it is AoE, meaning that multiple targets can be hit at once! Cath is the only hero who posseses a skill with silence for now. Furthmore, her this ult is the 2nd most damaging AoE skill in the game, next to Ada's. You can even use this ult to snipe off low health fleeing enemies. Though, it is usually suggested you use this skill to initiate, not snipe. Some downsides to this skill is that it is directional and you might miss if you are not careful. Also, the cooldown is also rather long to compensate for its rewarding effects.
BUILD: Top
Core:
warhorn
Tension Bow
Aftershock
Sprint Boots
Starting items:
Ironguard Contract + 4 HP pots/2 HP pots 1 flare
Midgame: Ironguard contract >
Stormguard Banner (LEAVE IT HERE), proceed with the build above.
Lategame: All the items above +
Journey Boots. The rest is up to you.
Thanks to the changes in items, Cathy can now possess big amounts of damage. Generally, the the most OP item for Cath now are tension bow and aftershock. When bought together, she instantly transforms into a monster. My advice is that you usually rush tension bow first because firstly, it is cheaper by 300 gold (TB is 2300g, AS is 2600g). Secondly, it gives you physical attack coupled with armor pen which gives Catherine a decent DPS mid game. Thirdly, that 250 base damage is fixed and will only be useful in early parts of the game so make sure you benefit from it as soon as you can. Aftershock is more of a late game item. I've asked Mr PlayOffBeard what the 15% to 20% slice dmg meant. Additionally, that means you will be stealing 10% of your enemies's health per aftershock proc as well since it is coupled with a 50% lifesteal!
Why buy Warhorn?
Remember, this is jungle Catherine. If you want a faster clear time, you have to rush stormguard banner. The CDA and mana regen is decent for helping in spamming your skills often as well. It isn't necessary to rush warhorn straight away, you only need the monster damage from stormguard banner. I usually buy warhorn after getting tension bow + lvl 2 boots. Furthermore, warhorn's active + merciless pursuit is a very deadly combo and is usually a guaranteed stun provided you don't mess up. You can even add boots active too if you wanna become sonic!
The last two items depend on the situation. I usually do not get that far in the game but my suggestions are alternating current and shiversteel. If your team is losing, reserve the last two for tank items, depending on who their carry is (crystal or physical dmg). However, if you yourself are falling behind, I'd suggest you build a tank item such as shiversteel right after you get tension bow.
Soloing Kraken:
Catherine is actually the only hero in the game who is capable of soloing Kraken thanks to her stormguard! As long as you have warhorn, some CDA and some lifesteal (either one is fine), you are good to go! Here's a proof:
Before you start ninja-ing a kraken in a real match, you have to plan first! The result will surely be rewarding, but the risk is very high as well. Be sure that you are armed with vision flares in your pocket and use it when all the enemies are missing. Also, be sure that the enemy is pushed and that your teammates are distracting them. Mines are highly recommended as well. Once the enemy detects you and they are very close, do not hesitate to run and wait for your teammates! As you can see from the picture, it takes approximately 40 seconds for cathy to kill the kraken. Consider if you have enough time or not before you deal your first hit.
4. PLAYING AGAINST OTHER HEROES AND OTHER TIPS: Top
CATHERINE:
Difficulty rating: 2.5/5 (average)
So a mirror match huh? It depends on who is better or who is luckier. But most importantly, the wiser one is the deserving winner. Never engage on another Catherine unless you are ahead of her. Usually, the cathy who used her stormguard first is the loser. Catherine B engages on catherine A with merciless pursuit stun and immediately activates stormguard, thinking she's ahead of the fight. The wiser catherine A will then run away for a bit and kite the other catherine B with her own merciless pursuit (without stunning catherine B yet) and wait until catherine B's stormguard is down. Cathy A turns around uses her high damage ult ASAP, Cathy B is silenced and can't run, Cathy B is dead. The end.
Of course, the two catherines might not have the same exact build. If it is a tank catherine, never even bother aiming her; she has no damage and the only thing she has is a stun and silence. Ignore and aim others instwad. Also, my general tip for running away from another Cath is to wait for her to use merciless pursuit on you first, THEN you use your own and run away. If you use your own merciless pursuit before she uses hers, she will just catch up again with her own and repeat the routine again. Additionally, keep in mind that you can interrupt other Cath ults with your own MP but of course, this requires precise timing.
GLAIVE:
Difficulty rating: 3.5/5 (hard)
Remember, you don't outdamage Glaive at any parts of the game but you obviously outtank him. Glaives usually engage on catherine just to end up being baited by her stormguard and end up dealing more damage to himself instead. But do not be so happy, it isn't as easy as "bait and kill"! Remember to be wary of Glaive's afterburn and its stun once you are knocked to a wall. Usually, the first to stun wins, and Cathy thankfully excels in that. When chasing a glaive, always save your warhorn + MP combo for his afterburn. If he uses it over the wall, i suggest you drop it and run away before others come. Against another jungle glaive, be wary of invades from him. Only engage on him if you are ahead of him in terms of lvl, health or build. Otherwise, ping that someone is in your jungle and hope that your laners have good map awareness.
A fed glaive is your worst nightmare. Never 1v1 these glaives, especially late game. Build lots of armor ASAP right after tension bow and proceed to force him to throw the game.
PETAL:
Difficulty rating: 2/5 (easy)
My first statement when facing Petals: be careful of what you tap! When against petal, it is very easy for one to mess up and stun her pets instead! This gives petal a huge advantage since majority of your damage comes from MP. Petal actually lacks lots of things Catherine has: mobility, CC (stuns, slows, etc.) and tankiness. What she has that you don't: range, pets (obviously). Okay, now, it is very easy to take advantage of her weaknesses. She's ranged? Rush into her with MP + warhorn! No stuns to stop you from it? Even better! You stunned her pet instead? Oh ****, run! Now, it seems our biggest problem here is her pets. Oh no, petal counters catherine, help, she's killing m- Nope, no problemo! Before you engage on petal, ALWAYS slam your fist to the ground and show them your blast tremor first! It's like spraying insect repellent, really. They will be wiped out instanly and if they don't, your stormguard burn damage will take care of the rest.
KOSHKA:
Difficulty rating: 2/5 (easy)
Sorry koshka players, but talk to the stormguard. At least it's not so OP now; stormguard used to block the stun from koshka's ult. Koshka loves to burst down people. Sadly, she can't do that on mama Catherine. A koshka engaging on a catherine is basically saying "free cat food delivery!" The only problem is when she stuns you first while your stormguard is down but now that the delay on koshka's ult is nerfed, you can interrupt it with your own MP stun much more easily now. This can even save your other teammates!
RINGO:
Difficulty rating: 1/5 (very easy)
Mama Catherine eats Ringos for breakfast. Once you obtain tension bow, one MP on this guy reduces his health down by more than half. His crits can't go through your stormguard - he'll just damage himself even more. Same tactics for him as petal. But, unlike petal, he has CC (a slow) and mobility. My suggestion for countering his second skill is to build shiversteel and counter-kite him to death. Countering his slow is common sense by now: MP + warhorn combo. Also, watch out for his ults as it is true damage and won't go through catherine's stormguard.
SAW:
Difficulty rating: 4/5 (very hard)
SAW is well known for having the highest DPS in the game and you have to respect that. Knowing that, you HAVE to build against his damage before you engage a SAW in fights. My suggestion is atlas pauldron as it reduces his attack speed and gives you both shield and armor. Nowadays, most SAWs build a hybrid mix if the two damage types so that item is perfect for him. Once he gets crystal, do NOT underestimate his long range slow. Sidestep the poke ASAP once he shoots you with it. Also, DO NOT use your MP too hastily on him, unless you just want to harrass a bit and run. A wise decision is to save your MP and wait for him to use his first skill first. As soon as he activates it, use MP and stun him before he runs too far! Generally, I do not suggest you 1v1 a SAW even with your stormguard unless you are ahead of him.
ADAGIO:
Difficulty rating: 4/5 (very hard)
Adagio should have been mama Catherine's side-dish next to Ringo... if it wasn't for his pesky heals and slow. Those two are the reasons why his rating is so high. His heals makes him an "invisible" tank and it is not wise to fight him for a prolonged period of time as he'll end up having more health than you do. To make it worse, his slow is basically an anti-melee hero machine. He's basically gonna kite you to death. Therefore, you are forced to build against him. When fighting a good adagio, it is alway best to get a shiversteel. You may use save your merciless pursuit to catch up to him... but that gives him an advantage since you can't interrupt his high damage coupled with its long stun. Always prioritise your MP for his ult. ALWAYS finish him off as soon as possible! If the fight lasted for more than 10 seconds, run away, unless he has like 1 bar of health left and you are very VERY certain you can finish him off in 1 attack. For now, there really isn't a good counter to heals, so Adagio is really blessed to be the only hero with a true heal.
5. OTHER TIPS: Top
Usually, in teamfights, you should quickly rush to the enemy carry and finish them off as soon as possible. As a jungle Catherine, you should focus on dealing damage, not peeling for your own carry. Of course, peeling for your carry is still important but not your priority for your role. Never be afraid to dive into the middle of the fight if you have stormguard up! In fact, the more they hit you, the more damage you are dealing to them. Also, do not forget your actives! If you have warhorn and shiversteel, do not hesitate to use them!
When ganking, your main objective is to deal as much damage as possible to the enemy. With that in mind, you have to make sure you land as much auto attacks as possible. You HAVE to learn how to kite. Here is a tutorial on kiting (for another PC game though):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgMMxTofZ5A
At ganks, I don't suggest you use MP immediately. Save your MP for when they escape, especially if they have boots.
Throughout the whole game, it is also very important to keep buying mines and flares. Vision is key to victory. Whenever all enemies are missing, never hesitate to use a flare. They could be doing objectives like kraken or gold mine, or just jungling. If you spot one pesky jungle invader alone and separated from his teammates, well good, free food for you!
I believe stealing objectives is the easiest with Catherine. One MP coupled with your warhorn, aftershock and tension bow can guarantee a game-changing gold mine or even a kraken steal. Of course, you have to be sure you are safe first! Be ready to use your warhorn and boots to run away right after stealing them!
CONCLUSION: Top
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my guide! I do hope it helped you and I certainly hope to see more Catherine players in the future! See you again!
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