PoE2 Catalyst Types: Which Mods Each One Boosts
There are 13 PoE2 catalyst types, and every one of them is for a ring or amulet only. Each enhances mods with one tag: Neural Catalyst for Mana mods, Sibilant Catalyst for Caster mods, Skittering Catalyst for Speed mods. An item holds only one quality type, so a different catalyst restarts quality from 0.
Zundamon
I have no idea what a "Sibilant Catalyst" is supposed to boost.
Metan
The names don't give much away. Sibilant means Caster, and Carapace covers Armour, Evasion and Energy Shield.
Zundamon
How did you work that out?
Metan
When we researched a mana Gold Ring, I checked the poe2db tags of each target mod one by one. Then I put all 13 types into one table.
How Many Catalyst Types Are There in PoE2? 13, All for Jewellery
On poe2db, all 13 descriptions follow the same pattern. The only difference is the mod tag each one boosts.
Zundamon
What does the description say?
Metan
"Adds quality that enhances ___ modifiers on a ring or amulet. Replaces other quality types."
Metan
Only the blank changes from type to type. Here it is as a table.
| Catalyst | Enhances |
|---|---|
| Flesh Catalyst | Life |
| Neural Catalyst | Mana |
| Carapace Catalyst | Armour, Evasion and Energy Shield |
| Uul-Netol's Catalyst | Physical |
| Xoph's Catalyst | Fire |
| Tul's Catalyst | Cold |
| Esh's Catalyst | Lightning |
| Chayula's Catalyst | Chaos |
| Reaver Catalyst | Attack |
| Sibilant Catalyst | Caster |
| Skittering Catalyst | Speed |
| Adaptive Catalyst | Attribute |
| Necrotic Catalyst | Minion |
Zundamon
So I can tell from a mod's name whether a catalyst works on it?
Metan
No, what counts is the tag on the mod, not its name.
Metan
A mod with two or more tags is boosted by a catalyst matching any of them.
Neural, Sibilant or Skittering for a Mana Ring?
These are our results for mana targets on a Gold Ring (Item Level 82). We checked the tags against poe2db's ring mod table.
| Target mod | Tags | Catalyst that works | How to pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| maximum Mana (Zaffre and others) | Mana | Neural | Neural only |
| (4–6)% increased maximum Mana | Mana | Neural | Neural only |
| Mana Regeneration Rate (of Nirvana) | Mana | Neural | Neural only |
| Spell Mana Cost Efficiency (Calculating) | Mana, Caster | Neural and Sibilant | Either one works |
| Cast Speed | Caster, Speed | Sibilant and Skittering | Either one works |
| all Elemental Resistances | Elemental, Fire, Cold, Lightning, Resistance | Not Neural, Sibilant or Skittering | Tul's, Xoph's or Esh's (engine behaviour) |
Zundamon
So Cast Speed works with either Sibilant or Skittering!
Metan
Right. It has both tags, so either one adds quality to it.
Metan
But if you also have Mana mods you want to boost with Neural, you have to pick one type based on which mods matter most.
Zundamon
What works on all Elemental Resistances?
Metan
It has the Fire, Cold and Lightning tags, so ExileDesk counts Tul's, Xoph's and Esh's Catalysts as boosting it.
Metan
In our mana ring calculations, we boosted all-res with Tul's Catalyst.
Metan
That's how the engine reads the tags, though. We haven't confirmed it in game yet.
Zundamon
Is Spell Mana Cost Efficiency something you add by crafting, too?
Metan
No. It isn't in the ring's regular mod table. It only appears in the Genesis Tree table.
How Much Quality Can You Add? A New Type Starts From 0
A ring or amulet holds only one catalyst quality type. A different type wipes the old quality.
Zundamon
Can't I stack two kinds of catalyst?
Metan
You can't. Just as the description says, it "replaces other quality types," so you build again from 0.
Zundamon
How much quality does one catalyst add?
Metan
In ExileDesk, each catalyst you use by hand adds +1% or +2% quality (50/50).
Metan
That's the owner's call (2026-10-17), in place since v0.1.540. The usual cap is 20%.
Zundamon
Was it different before?
Metan
In v0.1.509, picking a type filled quality to the cap in one step.
| What you do | What happens | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Add the same type | Quality stacks up | You can raise it to the cap (usually 20%) |
| Add a different type | The old quality is wiped | Back to 0, and the quality you built is wasted |
Zundamon
That hurts if my target changes halfway through.
Metan
It does. In our mana ring calculations, two parts made up most of the cost.
Metan
Perfect Exalted Orbs (376–418 div) and re-applying Skittering Catalysts for Cast Speed (228–391 div). The details are in Mana Ring Craft.
Can You Use Catalysts on Gloves or Jewels?
Gloves and jewels are two different stories.
Zundamon
I want to put Carapace or Neural Catalysts on my ES gloves too.
Metan
No catalyst works on gloves. Some have tags that match your targets, but they only go on rings and amulets.
Metan
Glove quality comes from a different currency, the one for armour.
Zundamon
What about jewels?
Metan
Jewels use "Refined" catalysts, such as the Refined Neural Catalyst.
Metan
ExileDesk switched jewel catalysts to the Refined versions in v0.1.508. Regular catalysts are for rings and amulets.
What Do Catalysts Cost?
These are the trade rates shown on each currency's poe2db page, as we read them on 2026-10-21.
| Catalyst | poe2db listing | Trades in 24 h | Price (our reading) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural Catalyst | 1 Divine Orb = 21.5 | 279 | Cheapest of the three, if the direction is right |
| Sibilant Catalyst | 1 Divine Orb = 3.02 | 935 | Pricier than Neural, if the direction is right |
| Skittering Catalyst | 1 Divine Orb = 3.93 | 267 | Pricier than Neural, if the direction is right |
Zundamon
Neural Catalysts are way cheaper!
Metan
If you read it this way. The direction ("1 div = n" or "n div = 1") is our own reading.
Not yet verified (3)
- Tul's, Xoph's and Esh's boosting all Elemental Resistances is how the engine reads the tags. We haven't confirmed it in game.
- +1% or +2% per catalyst is ExileDesk's setting. We haven't confirmed the in-game value.
- The price direction is estimated. Check it on the poe2db page before you rely on it.
The basic rule: look at your target mod's tags first, then pick one catalyst type. Switching types restarts quality from 0, so plan a route where you don't have to switch midway.
Where the Numbers Come From
Show sources (8)
- Names and tags of all 13 catalysts: each catalyst's description on poe2db (the same text as ExileDesk's currency tooltips). English and Japanese names from ExileDesk's catalysts.json. Certainty: poe2db/CoE
- Mana ring mod tags and matching catalysts: research/notes/2026-10-21-mana-ring-mods.md (poe2db ring mod table). Certainty: poe2db/CoE
- Tul's for all-res and the mana ring cost breakdown: math/notes/2026-10-21-gold-ring-suffix-ev.md and 2026-10-21-mana-ring-ev.md. Certainty: engine
- No catalysts on gloves: research/notes/2026-10-21-es-gloves-mods.md (poe2db descriptions). Certainty: poe2db/CoE
- +1% or +2% per catalyst: ExileDesk changelog v0.1.540 (owner's decision). The earlier behaviour is v0.1.509, and other quality changes such as Blacksmith's Whetstone are v0.1.529. Certainty: engine
- Restarting from 0 and the 13 types: the "Learn catalysts and quality" tutorial (v0.1.561) and poe2db's wording. Certainty: poe2db/CoE
- Refined catalysts for jewels: v0.1.508. Certainty: poe2db/CoE
- Prices: trade rates on poe2db's pages (2026-10-21), direction estimated. Certainty: estimate
Try It Yourself
To swap catalysts and compare which mods quality changes, try a Gold Ring on the crafting bench.
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Character art: Shikoku Metan / Zundamon standing art by Sakamoto Ahiru