6 BEST Catalysts In Dark Souls 3 After 400 Hours Experience

Catalysts are a highly specialized class of weapons in Dark Souls used to cast spells equipped in one’s Attunement Slots (which can be increased by leveling up the Attunement stat or providing specific rings obtained in the game). While their viability only extends as far as spell casting is concerned, there are a few exceptional ‘Melee Combat Catalysts’ that bilaterally behave as both Catalysts and viable Melee weapons.

Now this begs the question: What are the Best Catalysts? The question, as you may have guessed, does not have a straightforward answer, and depends on what kind of build you’re going for Sorcery, Pyromancy, Miracle, or Melee-hybrid (mainly relevant to PvP).

Best Catalysts Compared

Here is a comparison table for the Best Catalysts. The table can be sorted for the highest and lowest values:

No.	Catylysts	Best for	Physical Attack	PhysicalGuard	Magic Guard	Stability	Durability	Weight	FP Cost	Purchasing Value	Soul Value
1	Heysel Pick	Best Catalyst for Physical Damage.	93	50	30	35	70	4.5	9(-/-)	-	1500
2	Demon’s Scar	Best Catalyst for Pyromancy Builds.	0	25	35	30	70	0.5	7(-/20)	10000	1500
3	Rose of Ariandel	Best Catalyst for Miracle Builds.	79	25	15	10	50	4.5	25(-/-)	3000	1000
4	Court Sorcerer Staff	Best Catalyst for Sorceries.	60	25	25	10	45	2	15(-/-)	-	800
5	Pyromancer’s Parting Flame	Best Catalyst for Flame Attacks.	0	0	0	-	65	4.5	25(-/-)	-	500
6	Yorshka’s Chime	Best Catalyst for Faith Builds.	54	25	15	10	60	0.5	13(-/-)	-	100

Catalysts Comparison Table.

1. Heysel Pick (Melee + Sorcery)

Best Catalyst for Physical Damage.

	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Dark	Critical
Attack	93	70	-	-	-	100
Guard	50	30	25	25	30
	Strength	Dexterity	ntelligence	Faith
Scaling	D	E	B	-
Requires	12	10	19	-
Skill	Steady Chat
Stability	35
Range	0
Durability	70
Weapon Category	Hammer
Wgt.	4.5
Attack type	Thrust
FP Cost	9(-/-)
Purchasing Value	-
Soul Value	1500

Heysel Pick Stats Table.

The Heysel Pick reigns amongst the meta weapons and is considered one of the Best Catalysts in Dark Souls 3. It requires 12 strength, 10 dexterity, and 19 intelligence to use – once usable; it performs feats that no other catalyst can come close to doing.

On the magic side of things, it can be combo’d with potent sorceries such as Farron Flashsword, Great Farron Dart, and Great Soul Arrow (even Soul Greatsword or Old Moonlight if the player has a fast enough cast speed).

On the other hand, as a melee weapon, it deals chip damage (damage through shields), has the flexibility to perform jump attacks, and possesses counter-damage capability, as it is technically a Thrust-type weapon.

While it can not be infused, Heysel Pick, as is the case with most catalysts, has Steady Chant as the weapon art – this increases both the damage of the spells cast by it and the melee damage of the weapon itself.

Putting these two aspects of the weapon together, we get its True Combo in PvP: First, attack from the weapon in your main hand, then perform a light attack from Heysel Pick in your off-hand, and then cap it off with a Soul Greatsword (which will roll-catch even if the enemy tries to roll away).

Location: Drops from Yellowfinger Heysel, an invading dark spirit encountered in the Road of Sacrifices.

2. Demon’s Scar (Melee + Pyromancy)

Best Catalyst for Pyromancy Builds.

	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Dark	Critical
Attack	0	0	99	0	0	110
Guard	25	35	65	30	35
	Strength	Dexterity	ntelligence	Faith
Scaling	-	E	D	D
Requires	-	16	17	17
Skill	Spin Slash
Stability	30
Range	0
Durability	70
Weapon Category	Hammer
Wgt.	0.5
Attack type	Slash
FP Cost	7(-/20)
Ppurchasing Value	10000
	1500

Demon’s Scar Stats Table.

The Demon’s Scar is one of the most common weapons used in Pyromancy Builds (see our guide on Pyromancy Builds to learn more), making it to the list of Best Catalysts. It requires 16 dexterity, 17 intelligence, and 17 faith to use – it is the lightest Curved Sword.

As a pyromancy catalyst, it can cast powerful pyromancies such as Chaos Bed Vestiges, Great Combustion, Black Flame, etc. It can also combo with Black Flame and Great Combustion, provided that one has a high enough casting speed (commonly achieved by equipping Sage Ring +2).

As a melee weapon, it is fast, capable of performing jump attacks, and arguably outperforms every other Curved Sword in terms of critical damage.

Unlike the Heysel Pick, it has the ‘Spin Slash’ skill as its weapon art, whose description goes as follows: “Spin to stoke a fierce chaos flame and use momentum to transition into a strong spinning attack, creating a short-lived lava pool.” 

The proper combo for Demon’s Scar is unanimously agreed to be a light attack (R1) into Black Flame – my bonus tip with this combo is that it usually compels opponents to panic roll, which, if you’re good at roll-catching, can send them down into a hellish sequence of relentless being roll-caught.

Location: Acquired by Soul Transposition of the Soul of the Demon Prince at Ludleth of Courtland in Firelink Shrine.

3. Rose of Ariandel (Melee + Miracle)

Best Catalyst for Miracle Builds.

	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Dark	Critical
Attack	79	0	0	0	0	100
Guard	25	15	10	10	15
	Strength	Dexterity	ntelligence	Faith
Scaling	C
Requires	10
Skill	Awakening
Stability	10
Range	0
Durability	50
Weapon Category	Whip
Wgt.	4.5
Attack type	Standard
FP Cost	25(-/-)
Purchasing Value	3000
Soul Value	1000

Rose of Ariandel Stats Table.

The Rose of Ariandel is an underrated weapon, often recognized as one of the best catalysts. It requires 10 strength, 12 dexterity, and 17 faith to use effectively. Understanding its unique characteristics is crucial for optimal use:

1. Miracle Catalyst: As a miracle catalyst, it pairs exceptionally well with the Lightning Arrow miracle. Lightning Arrow is versatile with fast casting and homing arrows, making it effective for punishing opponents attempting to heal with Estus Flasks. Its weapon art, ‘Awakening,’ boosts miracle damage by an impressive 25% for the next 2 minutes.
2. Weapon Characteristics: The Rose of Ariandel is both a whip and a club, combining a club-like moveset with whip mechanics. It cannot be parried but also cannot be used for backstabs or ripostes.
3. True Combo: The weapon’s true combo involves pairing it with the Force miracle. Force doesn’t deal damage but knocks enemies down, creating opportunities for follow-up attacks. Be creative with how you use this combination in various situations.

Overall, the Rose of Ariandel’s versatility and unique characteristics make it a formidable choice for players who understand its capabilities.

Location: Acquired by Soul Transposition of the Soul of Sister Friede at Ludleth of Courtland in Firelink Shrine.

4. Court Sorcerer’s Staff (Sorcery)

Best Catalyst for Sorceries.

	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Dark	Critical
Attack	60
Guard	25
	Strength	Dexterity	ntelligence	Faith
Scaling	E	-	A
Requires	8	-	14
Skill	Steady Chant
Stability	10
Range	0
Durability	45
Weapon Category	Staff
Wgt.	2.0
Attack type	Strike
FP Cost	15(-/-)
Purchasing Value	-
Soul Value	800

Court Sorcerer’s Stats Table.

The Court Sorcerer’s Staff is community-ranked as the most powerful catalyst for sorcerers who do not use dark spells. It falls under the category of a Stave, catalysts that are used to cast sorceries (see our Top 4 Staves guide to learn more about Staves).

Remember when I talked about builds that eviscerate even endgame bosses? Well, the Court Sorcerer Staff is often centered around those builds. Hence, it easily counts as one of the Best Catalysts.

The Court Sorcerer’s Staff requires 6 strength and 14 intelligence to use. It has an A scaling with intelligence, meaning it gets stronger the more you invest into your intelligence stat – at 60 intelligence with +10 reinforcement, it has a frightening spellbuff of 238, which is where the real ‘magic’ begins (pun intended).

That is, however, the spellbuff calculated without taking Steady Chant into account! Although, bear in mind that the cost of Steady Chant is double in the case of this catalyst, so use it with the mentality of “high risk, high reward”.

Location: Drops from a mimic encountered in the toxic swamp area in the Profaned Capital.

5. Pyromancer’s Parting Flame (Pyromancy)

Best Catalyst for Flame Attacks.

	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Dark	Critical
Attack	0	0	110	0	0	100
Guard	-	-	-	-	-
	Strength	Dexterity	ntelligence	Faith
Scaling	-	-	D	D
Requires	15	-	13	13
Skill	Parting Flame
Stability	-
Range	0
Durability	65
Weapon Category	Pyromancy Flame
Wgt.	4.5
Attack type	Strike
FP Cost	25(-/-)
Ppurchasing Value	-
Soul Value	500

Parting Flame Stats

The Pyromancer’s Parting Flame has a slightly lower scaling as compared to the Pyromancy Flame, and it deals a fire damage of 110. Moreover, it requires 15 strength, 13 intelligence, and 13 faith, and has a D scaling in both faith and intelligence.

This catalyst, when cast, leaves a small trail of fire that takes care of the nearest enemies. Moreover, it consumes a higher amount of stamina as compared to the Pyromancy Flame. 

To activate the weapon art, you need to strike and kill your enemies while the flame is active. Once you kill 12 enemies, the fire starts glowing brighter and the WA is activated, causing the player to regain an Estus flask. This can ensure long-term survival for the player within the game.

Location: Found on a corpse in the area where the Livid Pyromancer Dunnel, a dark invading spirit is encountered in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC.

6. Yorshka’s Chime (Miracle)

Best Catalyst for Faith Builds.

	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Dark	Critical
Attack	54	-	-	-	-	100
Guard	25	10	15	20	15
	Strength	Dexterity	ntelligence	Faith
Scaling	D
Requires	12
Skill	Gentle Prayer
Stability	10
Range	0
Durability	060
Weapon Category	Sacred Chime
Wgt.	0.5
Attack type	Strike
FP Cost	13(-/-)
Ppurchasing Value	-
Soul Value	100

Yorshka’s Chime Stats Table.

Yorshka’s Chime marks the last entry in our list of Best Catalysts. A bonus that this catalyst comes with is the skill ‘Gentle Prayer’ that is found with most Sacred Chimes. This casts a shade of healing over the player, slowly recovering HP for a duration of time – it must be noted that the ‘Gentle Prayer’ only stays in effect for as long as Yorshka’s Chime is equipped; unequipping it will nullify the effect.

It requires 3 strength and 30 faith to use and has an A scaling with faith. One of the main reasons Yorshka’s Chime is considered to be one of the best catalysts in the game, and arguably the best in its category of Sacred Chimes is its spellbuff, which caps at 60 Faith at 247.

Achieving the highest Spell Buff possible for any miracle catalyst, it is objectively the most effective in its league and any player should consider centering their pure faith build around it.

Location: Drops from Company Captain Yorshka, Covenant Leader of the Blades of the Darkmoon when killed. She is located in Anor Londo across the invisible bridge (can be found using prism stones).

Why Others Were Not Chosen?

For this guide, I handpicked the best catalysts you can find in Dark Souls 3, but here are some that I chose to leave out:

• Tin Banishment Catalyst: Performs poorly and has high Dexterity requirements.
• Demon’s Catalyst: Has the lowest potential magic adjust in the game.
• Sorcerer’s Catalyst: Has quite high Intelligence and Faith requirements.
• Manus Catalyst: Has high Strength requirements.
• Beatrice’s Catalyst: Has pretty difficult requirements.

What Would I Recommend?

In conclusion, if you are more of a PvP-oriented Dark Souls 3 player, then you should consider going for ‘Melee-combat catalysts’ as using pure pyromancy/miracle/sorcery builds can backfire and be heavily punished in situations where you can not use your spells (such as FP running out or low stamina) – opponents will be quick to close the gap if you slip up.

Amongst the ‘Melee-combat catalysts’, I rank Heysel Pick, Demon’s Scar, and Rose of Ariandel as one of the best – each caters to a category of magic so you can surely find one that fits your build! On the other hand, as far as PvE is concerned, pure magic catalysts stand out due to the variety of situational spells available whose damage output can be maximized with the right catalysts.

Amongst these, I rank Court Sorcerer’s Staff, Pyromancer’s Parting Flame, and Yorshka’s Chime to be one of the best catalysts available.

Now that you are here, why not read on:

• Dark Souls 3 Soul Farming.
• Dark Souls 3 All Covenants.
• Best Spears In Dark Souls 3.