Why doesn't the catalyst missile have collateral damage? The Ion Canon does. They should be the same.

Hi @Marine_CorporaI, The Catalyst Missile and Ion Cannon aren't intended to do exactly the same thing. The Ion Cannon is intended to be a multi-tile ability, so when it's triggered it will deal damage to adjacent tiles. The Catalyst Missile, however, relies on its synergy with Tiberium, or the gas clouds from Chemical Warriors or Chem Buggies to deal massive explosions. In your example, because the Catalyst Missile didn't hit Tiberium or a gas cloud, it will only do damage to your Shockwave Troopers. It needs the synergy with Tiberium or gas clouds to maximize it's damage. Hopefully this makes sense.

Catalyst missile versus ion cannon

15 Replies

Shinerplunderer
Seasoned Veteran
7 years ago
maybe its because the catalyst missile often misses. I mean I played against Jade and sometimes when I move my units, the dodging the catalyst missile. Its even possible for a player to act on reflex and dodge a catalyst missile. The Ion cannon is far stronger with a bigger range. You want to use the catalyst missile, use it against the harvester. I'm sure no player would expect that to happen. It will however do collateral damage if units are soaked in tiberium gas.
xMaksuss
7 years ago
@Marine_CorporaI wrote:
Why doesn't the catalyst missile have collateral damage? The Ion Canon does. They should be the same.
The missle has TONS of collateral damage if used on tiberium gas or tiberium tiles. If multiple gasclouds are touching eachother, the collateral damage is even higher for the missle. In addition to that, its cheaper.
So, if used inefficiently: 1 tile explodes.
If used combined with chembuggies/chemwarriors: Well... this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be_xsC5edrA
Shinerplunderer
Seasoned Veteran
7 years ago
@xMaksuss wrote:
@Marine_CorporaI wrote:
Why doesn't the catalyst missile have collateral damage? The Ion Canon does. They should be the same.
The missle has TONS of collateral damage if used on tiberium gas or tiberium tiles. If multiple gas clouds are touching each other, the collateral damage is even higher for the missile. In addition to that, its cheaper.
Does this mean that a catalyst missile can hit 2 harvesters harvesting next to each other and result into a double harvester loss? Would like to try it once I unlock Jade and level her up to the right level (7 or 8).
xMaksuss
7 years ago
What is this question? Of course it can... but it deals reduced damage to harvesters.
Shinerplunderer
Seasoned Veteran
7 years ago
If a harvester is soaked in tiberium gas does the damage stack? I just wanted to find a way to instantly kill a harvester or at least severely damage it.
BattaIia
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
tib catalyst missile deals MUCH more damage with chem unit clouds for the same price (60 for unit, 90 for missile vs 150 for ion). Only downside is you have to make a unit and then position it for the explosion where as ion is point and click and done. Side by side, I'd currently say jade catalyst missile is stronger.
Marine_CorporaI
7 years ago
So this is what I've noticed. It's happened to me more that once. Let's say my opponent has laser troopers on a pad. I bring shockwave troopers to the pad to take them out. Then comes a catalyst missile. It takes out my shockwave troopers but leaves their laser troopers intact on the pad.
In contrast if I do the same thing with an Ion Canon, everything on that pad gets taken out. My troops and his troops.
Maybe it was flukes. I don't know. But it's happened more than once that their missile doesn't damage their units on the same pad. I
EA_dance210
EA Staff (Retired)
7 years ago
Hi @Marine_CorporaI,

The Catalyst Missile and Ion Cannon aren't intended to do exactly the same thing. The Ion Cannon is intended to be a multi-tile ability, so when it's triggered it will deal damage to adjacent tiles. The Catalyst Missile, however, relies on its synergy with Tiberium, or the gas clouds from Chemical Warriors or Chem Buggies to deal massive explosions.

In your example, because the Catalyst Missile didn't hit Tiberium or a gas cloud, it will only do damage to your Shockwave Troopers. It needs the synergy with Tiberium or gas clouds to maximize it's damage.

Hopefully this makes sense.
BattaIia
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
if the missile hits a tile, it only damages the tile. If the missile hits a tiberium field, it does damage to that tile and explodes and damages every tile around it. If it hits chemical gas or a chemical unit it will explode and damage the tile and every tile around it AS WELL AS chain to any other chemical gas clouds or chemical units. This can mean with enough clouds and chem units this explosion can easily encompass multiple pads in a very short time.

On a side note, the outer tiles of the ion cannon might do less damage than the main tile hit, usually infantry and light vehicles cannot survive the outer tile, so feel free to blast an empty hex and kill the enemy units with the outer tiles to preserve your own troops.
bravohunter14
7 years ago
The catalyst missile has the potential to blow up units in multiple pads of you go through and spray enemy with Chem buggy or troops the send her missile it will blow up everything near the gas left behind, so the collateral for her used correctly with Chem units is way better than Solomon for half price most just don't know the gas blows up so before you fire send a Chem unit out then fire and all gone!