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How to use banners in Catalyst Black
Catalyst Black’s banner system allows you to gain bonuses based on how many items are of the same set you have equipped. If you’ve played a game like Genshin Impact, you’ll know that “Artifacts” belong to a specific set, and the more of that set you have equipped, the stronger the effects are. If none of that makes any sense, don’t worry. Let’s review exactly what banners are in Catalyst Black and how to get those bonuses.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
In Catalyst Black, banners are traits assigned to the game's Heavy, Ability, Trinket, and Primary items. There are nine banners in Catalyst Black: Vanguard, Assassin, Protector, Ranger, Primal Hunter, Primalist, Seeker, Support, and Sniper. They grant your player character passive "set bonuses," which increase depending on how much of that banner's gear you have equipped.
KEY SECTIONS
What are banners in Catalyst Black?
In Catalyst Black, banners are traits assigned to the game’s Heavy, Ability, Trinket, and Primary items. For example, the “Northern Warmth” Primary weapon belongs to the Seeker banner.
If you’ve ever played Genshin Impact, you’ll know that the more of a particular Artifact set you have equipped, the greater their effects will be. Every Artifact dropped in Genshin Impact belongs to a different set.
The same thing goes for Heavy, Ability, Trinket, and Primary items in Catalyst Black. These are attained from chests, and every piece belongs to a particular banner set. If you go to your loadout, your current items’ banners appear underneath their pictures.
There are nine banners in Catalyst Black: Vanguard, Assassin, Protector, Ranger, Primal Hunter, Primalist, Seeker, Support, and Sniper. Let’s go over the effects of each banner.
Vanguard
Vanguard items allow you to gain health when you damage enemies. Like “life steal” in other games, many prioritize this set for survivability.
- 1x Vanguard item equipped = gain 14 health per hit
- 2x Vanguard items equipped = gain 42 health per hit
- 3x Vanguard items equipped = gain 56 health per hit
- 4x Vanguard items equipped = gain 70 health per hit
Assassin
The Assassin set allows you to deal more damage to enemies at close range. No matter how large the enemy’s health pool is, if you have two or more Assassin banner items equipped, you can melt opposing players in seconds. The only catch is you must be within 6.0m of an enemy.
- 1x Assassin item equipped = hero damage increases by 8% when you're within 6.0m of an enemy
- 2x Assassin items equipped = hero damage increases by 24% when you're within 6.0m of an enemy
- 3x Assassin items equipped = hero damage increases by 32% when you're within 6.0m of an enemy
- 4x Assassin items equipped = hero damage increases by 40% when you're within 6.0m of an enemy
Protector
The Protector set is an outstanding option for most casual and regular players. This set increases your maximum health based on how many Protector banner items you have equipped. When paired with the Vanguard set (meaning you have two Vanguard items and two Protector items), your health pool can grow exponentially throughout the match.
- 1x Protector item equipped = maximum health increases by 10%
- 2x Protector items equipped = maximum health increases by 30%
- 3x Protector items equipped = maximum health increases by 40%
- 4x Protector items equipped = maximum health increases by 50%
Ranger
The Ranger set is a strange set that allows you to dip in and out of battle quickly and easily. This set increases your movement speed when you enter and exit a bush based on how many Ranger banner items you have equipped.
- 1x Ranger item equipped = gain 5% movement speed in bushes and 1.4 seconds after exiting the bush
- 2x Ranger items equipped = gain 15% movement speed in bushes and 1.4 seconds after exiting the bush
- 3x Ranger items equipped = gain 25% movement speed in bushes and 1.4 seconds after exiting the bush
- 4x Ranger items equipped = gain 30% movement speed in bushes and 1.4 seconds after exiting the bush
Primal Hunter
The banner known as Primal Hunter is another one of these more niche sets that you won’t be using all that often. In Catalyst Black, players get “primal” modes where they can evolve into some giant beast. This set allows you to deal more damage to enemies when they’re in their primal form.
- 1x Primal Hunter item equipped = deal 25% more damage to primal enemies
- 2x Primal Hunter items equipped = deal 75% more damage to primal enemies
- 3x Primal Hunter items equipped = deal 100% more damage to primal enemies
- 4x Primal Hunter items equipped = deal 125% more damage to primal enemies
Primalist
The Primalist set allows you to reach your primal state quicker, as its overall cooldown is reduced based on how many items from the set you have equipped. Additionally, the set reduces the cooldowns on your primal abilities.
- 1x Primalist item equipped = 8 primal haste, 5 primal attack and power haste
- 2x Primalist items equipped = 24 primal haste, 15 primal attack and power haste
- 3x Primalist items equipped = 32 primal haste, 20 primal attack and power haste
- 4x Primalist items equipped = 40 primal haste, 25 primal attack and power haste
Final Cooldown = [Base Cooldown] x (100 / (100 + [Cooldown Haste]))
Seeker
When you’re walking around the maps in Catalyst Black, you will see glowing turquoise-colored masks and red bullet icons all around the map. The Seeker set allows you to gain the effects of both when you walk over either of them. In effect, walking over turquoise primal energy will net you heavy ammo, and walking over red heavy ammo will grant you primal energy as well.
- 1x Seeker item equipped = gain 20% primal charge when walking over heavy ammo (and vice versa)
- 2x Seeker items equipped = gain 60% primal charge when walking over heavy ammo (and vice versa)
- 3x Seeker items equipped = gain 80% primal charge when walking over heavy ammo (and vice versa)
- 4x Seeker items equipped = gain 100% primal charge when walking over heavy ammo (and vice versa)
Support
The Support set decreases the cooldown on your ability.
- 1x Support item equipped = 10 ability haste
- 2x Support items equipped = 30 ability haste
- 3x Support items equipped = 40 ability haste
- 4x Support items equipped = 50 ability haste
Final Cooldown = [Base Cooldown] x (100 / (100 + [Cooldown Haste]))
Sniper
The Sniper set is the polar opposite of Assassin. When you have no enemies within 9.0m of yourself, you deal increased damage based on how many Sniper items you have equipped.
Assassin has a higher damage boost. As such, Assassin is the set more people prioritize.
- 1x Sniper item equipped = hero damage increases by 6% when you have no enemies within 9.0m of yourself
- 2x Sniper items equipped = hero damage increases by 18% when you have no enemies within 9.0m of yourself
- 3x Sniper items equipped = hero damage increases by 24% when you have no enemies within 9.0m of yourself
- 4x Sniper items equipped = hero damage increases by 30% when you have no enemies within 9.0m of yourself
What are the best banners in Catalyst Black?
Tier 1
Protector, Assassin, and Vanguard are all top-tier choices when it comes to building your loadout. Protector increases your overall health pool, Assassin grants you a significant damage boost within 6.0m of enemies, and Vanguard allows you to regain health whenever you land a damaging hit.
Tier 2
The only banner in this tier would be Sniper. There's an argument to be made for Sniper to belong in the top tier, as it allows you to deal massive damage from afar. That said, Assassin gives you a bigger damage boost, and you're more likely to land hits in close range.
Tier 3
Primal Hunter, Primalist, and Seeker belong in this tier. Primal Hunter allows you to erase primal threats, Primalist allows you to reach your primal state quicker and use your primal abilities more often, and Seeker allows you to pick up heavy ammo and primal energy at the same time.
Because these effects are all centered around the primal form, they aren't the most practical in all situations. When compared to hero damage boosts and extra health—both of which will be relevant in battle more often—they can't compare. However, if you're partied with other people, you can coordinate around someone with a primal-focused banner set.
Tier 4
Ranger and Seeker belong in this tier. Their effects cannot compete with extra damage, health, or even the primal state banners.
Seeker reduces the cooldown on your ability, allowing you to use it more often. Ranger gives you a mobility boost in bushes, which is great for initiating and exiting battles.
How to check what banner your item belongs to
To check your gear’s banner, open the game and tap the Loadout button on the home screen.
Underneath your Heavy, Ability, Trinket, or Primary, you will see an icon representing the banner it belongs to. Tap that icon.
- If you want to check the banner of an item you don’t have equipped, find it in the list and equip it.
After tapping the icon underneath your item, the details of that banner will appear.
How to increase set bonuses in Catalyst Black
Match the banner icons for your Heavy, Ability, Trinket, and Primary gear to increase a set bonus. For example, here, we have three Protector items equipped; as a result, we have a higher set bonus for Protector.
