Does the Revival Catalyst Eat Your Gems? A Deep Dive into Tier Set Conversions and Gem Socket Woes
Yes, unfortunately, the Revival Catalyst does destroy any socketed gems when you convert an item. While the socket itself remains intact, the gem nestled inside is vaporized during the transformation into a tier set piece. This is a crucial detail that many players discover the hard way, leading to frustration and lost resources. So, before you toss that gemmed piece of gear into the Catalyst, be warned!
Understanding the Revival Catalyst: A Gear Transformation Station
The Revival Catalyst is a fascinating and powerful tool in World of Warcraft, introduced to help players acquire tier set bonuses without relying solely on raid drops. Think of it as a magical forge that transmutes non-tier gear into its tier set counterpart, maintaining the item level but altering the item’s properties.
What exactly is the Revival Catalyst?
The Revival Catalyst allows you to convert non-tier gear into an equivalent item level and gear slot Tier piece. Tier slots cannot be made from crafted gear. The Catalyst requires Renascent Shadowflame charges to use. These charges are gained passively each week, account-wide, up to a maximum of six. This means you can work on earning charges on one character and spend them on another.
How do Revival Catalyst Charges Work?
Earning Renascent Shadowflame charges is a weekly affair. Completing specific activities, such as defeating raid bosses or completing Mythic+ dungeons in Dragonflight, will contribute to your progress. This can be achieved through a single character or spread across multiple characters within your account.
Quickest Way to Finish the Revival Catalyst Quest
For a quick boost in progress on the weekly quest, completing the World Boss World Quest on two different characters is the quickest way to earn credit.
The Gem Conundrum: A Socket’s Tale
The interaction between the Revival Catalyst and socketed gems is where things get tricky. While the socket itself is preserved during the conversion, the gem housed within is destroyed. This is because the Catalyst essentially re-creates the item as a tier piece, and that process doesn’t include transferring the gem.
Why is this important?
Gems, especially high-tier ones, can be quite valuable, requiring significant resources to acquire. Losing a gem during a Catalyst conversion is like throwing gold in the trash.
Can you remove socketed gems in World of Warcraft?
No. Once you place a gem into a socket, this cannot be undone. There is a pop-up window in the game that warns you before completing the socket that this action is irreversible.
The Takeaway: Remove Gems Before Converting!
The moral of the story is clear: always remove any socketed gems from a piece of gear before using the Revival Catalyst. It’s better to be safe than sorry and avoid the heartache of losing a valuable gem.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Revival Catalyst
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the Revival Catalyst and its interaction with gems:
1. What gear can I use with the Revival Catalyst?
The Revival Catalyst can be used to convert various types of gear into Tier Set pieces, including: Mythic+ gear, PvP gear, Veteran Rank PvE gear, Aberrus Raid Loot and Loot from Dragonflight World Bosses/PvE Outdoor Gear.
2. Where do I find the Revival Catalyst?
Once players have completed the weekly quest and obtained a Renascent Lifeblood they can interact with the Revival Catalyst.
3. Can crafted items be converted with the Revival Catalyst?
No, crafted gear cannot be converted using the Revival Catalyst. Faction reputation items and quest rewards also fall under this category.
4. What activities count towards the Revival Catalyst quest progress?
Activities that contribute to the weekly quest include: Killing a Vault of the Incarnates raid boss (25% credit) and Completing a Dragon Isles Mythic Dungeon, including Mythic+ (25% credit).
5. What is the maximum number of Revival Catalyst charges I can store?
You can store a maximum of 6 charges at any given time. While you can complete the weekly quest more than 6 times, the excess charges will not be saved.
6. Do normal dungeons count toward Revival Catalyst quest progress?
No, Timewalking, Normal, and Heroic difficulty dungeons do not give any credit towards the weekly Revival Catalyst quest. Only Mythic dungeons and raid bosses contribute to progress.
7. Can I earn more than one Revival Catalyst charge per week?
While there are an unlimited amount of Revival Catalyst charges available, you can only earn one charge per week. This charge is account-wide, benefiting all characters on your account.
8. Can I use the Revival Catalyst on multiple characters?
Yes. The account-wide quest can be progressed on a single character or spread across multiple characters. The resulting charge can then be used on any character within your account.
9. Are Revival Catalyst charges account-wide?
Yes. The quest is account-wide, meaning progress is shared across all characters. Earning a charge grants it to all characters on the account, though each character consumes charges individually.
10. How do I check how many Revival Catalyst charges I have?
Currently, there isn’t a clear and easy way to see how many charges you have available. The counter that used to display charge count now shows the cost of an upgrade.
11. Are tier sets useful in PvP in Dragonflight?
Yes. In most cases, the item level of the tier set is less important than the bonuses it gives you. Tier sets are generally considered essential for high-end content in Dragonflight, whether it’s PvP or PvE.
12. Can I upgrade the Revival Catalyst itself?
No. The Revival Catalyst itself cannot be upgraded.
13. Is the “When Time Needs Mending” quest repeatable?
The “When Time Needs Mending” quest, which awards a Revival Catalyst charge, can only be completed once per account per week, resetting after the weekly reset.
14. If I get another Gem Box, should I remove it?
Always open a Gem Box to claim the 25 gems. You will get another Gem Box in a week or so, so there is no point in leaving an unopened gem box.
15. Can you have 2 gem boxes in Clash of Clans?
You can only have one gem box in your base at a time. This is by design, to encourage active players to collect the rewards. SuperCell places Gem Boxes in a regular interval to cheer up the players and if a player doesn’t pull the gems from it that simply means that the player isn’t active anymore.
Conclusion: Protect Your Gems!
The Revival Catalyst is a valuable tool for acquiring tier set bonuses in World of Warcraft. However, it’s crucial to remember that socketed gems are lost during the conversion process. Always remove your gems beforehand to avoid unnecessary frustration and resource loss. Understanding the nuances of the Revival Catalyst, including how charges are earned and which activities contribute to progress, will help you maximize its effectiveness and gear up your characters efficiently.
Remember, gaming isn’t just about winning; it’s about learning, collaborating, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Explore more about the intersection of games and learning at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. Understanding the systems in games and the skills required to play them well can even help with soft skills used in education.