Are Catalysts disallowed in Galactic War?

I'm playing Galactic War mode. I've landed on a metal planet, and I keep trying to build Catalysts to activate the Annihilaser, but I can't find a spot where the wireframe turns white. Yes, I'm at the north pole, not the south. What's stopping me from building Catalysts?

I guess you're on a "broken" metal planet system, named Synchronous or something like that, right?

Can't build Catalyst on that, as those planets are kind of "Death Star in construction".

Edit: If not, look on the North Pole for small blue lights.

There may be wreckage or buildings too close to the Catalyst build point.

Apa-Synchronous, yes. That's intensely frustrating.

You'll get the chance to use it, don't despair.

This is a special system without anni-lasers and a chasm on each of the three. Also one is haleyable.
You need a client side mod to even enable that biome for the system editor, so this is the only map in the entire stock game that has this.

All the other systems with metal planets in GW, Skirmish and Multiplayer have the normal Anni-laser enabeled one.

This is a good point. I found this out the other day. If there is wreckage in a catalyst build area, fabbers apparently don't clear the wreckage and just won't build. You have to manually clear the area first. Bug maybe?

Do an area-reclaim with air fabbers to get rid of loose debris or stray buildings.

try every spot, and then once you get one that works, don't click it. Do an area command and tell the units to do them all.

Generalyl use air fabbers on metal planets. Especialy for the catalyst.