 Alhaitham |  Dendro |  Sword |  Sumeru |
Guides | |||
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Player Mistakes | |||
Alhaitham is an exceptionally powerful DPS character in Genshin Impact, utilizing Dendro infusion to generate potent Chisel-Light Mirrors that deal immense elemental damage in both his auto-attacks and Elemental Burst. His playstyle has a striking similarity to Keqing, both due to the animation and overall kit description, as well as to many other characters due to the infusion mechanic. However, the Chisel-Light Mirrors mechanic truly sets him apart and makes him a unique character.
To truly unlock Alhaitham's full potential and maximize his damage output, it is essential to master the order and timing of his abilities. While this may seem daunting at first, by studying his abilities and learning the nuances of his kit, Genshin Impact players will be able to play him effectively and demonstrate his true power.
6 Using His Elemental Burst Wrong
Alhaitham's elemental burst, Particular Field: Fetters of Phenomena, creates a Dendro field that deals constant damage based on the number of Chisel-Light Mirrors present. This means that players need to decide whether they want to use Alhaitham's burst for dealing significant damage or as a source for creating Chisel-Light Mirrors. If there are zero mirrors, three Chisel-Light Mirrors will spawn, and if there are three mirrors active, the burst will do maximum damage but will consume all the mirrors (or replace them all with three new ones if players have his sixth constellation).
Players should be strategic when using Alhaitham's burst, taking into account the long cooldown and the mechanics of the Chisel-Light Mirrors. Careful planning and consideration can make a big difference in the effectiveness of the burst, and Alhaitham's general playstyle.
5 Not Knowing His Play Style And Combo Rotation
Alhaitham's combo rotation may not be as straightforward as some other characters in Genshin Impact, due to the fact that players can utilize Chisel-Mirror Lights in a variety of ways based on their preferences and team composition. Players need to be strategic when using Alhaitham's skills, as his long cooldowns require careful planning to maximize their effectiveness.
Players looking to use a longer Dendro infusion combo for a normal attack can begin with Alhaitham's Burst, sacrificing the big damage for three free mirrors immediately. Then, they can deal normal attacks to trigger the mirrors' damage instances and Dendro reactions. Once the first three mirrors have run out, players can re-activate them with Alhaitham's Skill and/or Burst. It is recommended to save the charged attack to use whenever the mirrors have expired in order to extend the duration of Dendro infusion. Another example is starting with a Charged attack, then Skill, followed by Burst with normal attacks in between until the Chisel-Light Mirrors expire, allowing the charged attack cooldown to be reset for another mirror. In general, there are various possibilities for players to personalize within this combo mindset.
Another playstyle for Alhaitham is focusing on his Burst damage, meaning that players should aim to generate the Chisel-Mirror Lights in quick succession in order to have all three ready for use. For example, players can start with his Elemental Skill to get Dendro infusion and two mirrors, then use his Charged attacks to get the third one. Hit a few times with his Dendro infusion attacks to trigger the Mirrors' big damage instance before they run out, then fire off his Burst for another 10 instances of damage. This allows Alhaitham to be played as a sub-DPS or Burst DPS for players who would like to switch him out and use other DPS characters. After his Burst consumes all the Mirrors, Alhaitham needs 10s to get infusion back again, allowing players to continue this burst-oriented playstyle.
4 Not Knowing The Skill Priority Order
Although this depends on players' preference for either a Dendro infusion playstyle or Burst-DPS style, they should focus on upgrading their characters in the right way. For players who are going with the normal attack Dendro Infusion style, the talent upgrade order should be Normal Attack > Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst. This order is generally not very different from many other Main DPS Elemental Infusion-based characters in Genshin Impact.
For players who prefer the Burst-DPS play style, the optimal talent upgrade order should be Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack. While it may appear that prioritizing the Burst is the best course of action at first, Elemental Skill should still be the priority as the damage instances from the Skill, such as 10 instances when three Chisel-Mirror light is present, is based on the Skill and not the Burst.
3 Not Combining Gilded Dreams And Deepwood Memories In His Team Composition
When it comes to Alhaitham's artifacts, both 4pc Gilded Dreams and 4pc Deepwood Memories are viable options for players to choose from based on their team composition. In an ideal team composition for Alhaitham, which focuses on having at least two Dendro characters (such as Nahida or Yaoyao), Gilded Dreams on Alhaitham will bring more benefits than Deepwood Memories. This is because Alhaitham is mainly an on-field reliant character, which can make use of both Gilded Dreams and Deepwood Memories to great effect.
Gilded Dreams provides a high amount of Elemental Mastery and ATK from its 4-piece bonus, while Deepwood Memories provides a party-wide buff without needing to be equipped on the character. This allows players to focus on DPS stats such as Crit Rate and Crit DMG, as well as Energy Recharge for Alhaitham's Burst, rather than optimizing his Elemental Mastery stat.
2 Underestimating Dendro Elemental Reactions
Alhaitham is an invaluable character for many Dendro Elemental reactions, as he is capable of infusing his sword with the power of Dendro. Players should not only think of him as a selfish on-field DPS with solo elemental damage, but they should also consider incorporating Elemental Reactions into his build for optimal results.
As a character who scales with Elemental Mastery, Alhaitham is very similar to Nahida; however, they differ in that Alhaitham is more focused on being on-field while Nahida can easily enable reactions off-field. Therefore, using Alhaitham for Dendro reactions should be done in a way that provides more benefit to him than using any other Dendro character. For example, the Spread reaction can do massive damage during Alhaitham's on-field time, as he is overall a fast-paced character with high base stats.
1 Not Knowing How Chisel-Mirror Lights Work
Chisel-Light Mirrors are the core mechanic of Alhaitham's gameplay. By having any number of these mirrors, Alhaitham will gain a Dendro infusion. However, the more interesting aspect of these mirrors lies in how they contribute to multi-attacks. Every 1.6 seconds, these mirrors coordinate with Alhaitham's Normal, Charging, and Plunging attacks to generate Projection Attacks. The multipliers of these attacks vary depending on the number of stacks collected. The main issue with this mechanic is the limited availability of stacks and the long cooldowns associated with them (unless players choose to invest in his constellation). This mechanic may cause confusion or be unappealing to some players.
Essentially, more stacks mean more damage is done at each instance, however, this could also mean a shorter time on Dendro infusion if players want to have all three at the same time. Having all three at the same time can also allow players to do greater Burst damage. When it comes to Alhaitham's Chisel-Light Mirror mechanic, it is all about balance and decisiveness as it ultimately provides players with the ability to choose the best team composition for the playstyle they prefer.Genshin Impact is available on mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5 with a Switch version also in development.
