 Shenhe |  Cryo |  Polearm |  Liyue |
Guides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Player Mistakes | |||
Shenhe has a rather unique mechanic in her Genshin Impact gameplay. She can buff the team’s Cryo damage, but some limitations need to be remembered. Without the knowledge of what Shenhe is capable of, Genshin Impact players can easily get lost when composing a team with her.
Other than a peculiar buff system, Shenhe also has subtle features that should not be ignored. Many of her abilities may seem like it grants small bonuses, but they quickly stack up, opening the room for players to deal some big numbers. Therefore, for Travelers who wish to use Shenhe in their team, then they should avoid the following mistakes.
8 Not Understanding Her Buffs
Shenhe supports the team by granting a flat damage bonus that scales with her attack. This buff is applied before other multipliers, so the more damage bonus a character has, the more buff Shenhe will grant. For example, a character with a Cryo damage bonus Goblet will benefit more from Shenhe compared to those using ATK Goblet.
When Shenhe uses her Elemental Skill, she will grant up to seven Icy Quills to each party member. When a character deals Cryo damage (it won't trigger for other types of damage), they will consume the Quill and the flat damage bonus will activate, allowing the unit to deal far higher damage than usual. However, while Shenhe can indeed boost her team’s damage tremendously, it’s important to note that the buff is limited by the number of Icy Quills.
7 Misusing Her Press And Hold Skill
Not only the aforementioned buff, but Shenhe also grants different bonuses when players press and hold her Elemental Skill. The press version grants five Icy Quills and increases her team's Elemental Skill and Burst damage. Meanwhile, the hold Skill gives seven Icy Quills and boosts Normal, Charged, and Plunge attacks.
It's essential for players to learn when to press Shenhe's Skill, and when to hold it. For example, if Ganyu is on the team, Shenhe's hold Skill can further boost Ganyu's already-impressive Charged attacks. Pressing her Skill in this situation affects the overall damage negatively.
6 Underestimating Her Elemental Burst
At talent level 10, Shenhe’s Elemental Burst will reduce the enemy’s Cryo and Physical Resistance by 15%. This effect easily seems lackluster, especially when compared to Zhongli’s Elemental Skill, where it lowers the enemy’s Resistance to all kinds of damage by 20% with barely any requirement.
However, players who skipped on utilizing Shenhe’s Elemental Burst are in for a mistake. It’s true that 15% RES debuff is low, but don’t forget that her Burst also grants a 15% Cryo damage bonus for as long as the ability is active (so there are no restrictions like her Icy Quills). These small additions eventually stack up to be a decent buff for the team.
5 Not Using Her In A Mono Cryo Team
Since Shenhe is a niche Cryo support, putting more Cryo units with her will raise the team's overall damage. Luckily for Genshin Impact players, some reliable Cryo characters can deal tons of damage, and with the help of Shenhe, they can inflict even more.
Ganyu and Ayaka are the perfect options for a mono Cryo team alongside Shenhe. They both can inflict massive Cryo damage using their Bursts and Charged attacks. Of course, other characters like Chongyun, Rosaria, and Aloy are also good in Shenhe's Mono combo.
Other than that, players can also opt for Anemo units like Kazuha. If a Cryo Absorption occurs, some Anemo characters will deal Cryo damage, which will be affected by Shenhe’s Icy Quills.
4 Using Damage Build
Shenhe’s buff can be massive for Cryo characters, including herself. So some players might think that building her to deal damage can hold better outcomes than maximizing her supportive abilities. Unfortunately, building Shenhe to inflict more damage means investing more in her Critical and Cryo stats. In the process, the Exorcist will lose ATK% slots, which will lower her buff.
That, and considering Shenhe’s abilities have a low multiplier, will result in a lower overall team DPS. Therefore, players should keep Shenhe as a support instead of a damage dealer.
3 Teaming Her Up With Electro Physical DPS
Players might use Shenhe to support Electro Physical DPS characters since her Elemental Burst can continuously inflict Cryo damage. Combining that with their Electro attacks will trigger Superconduct, a Reaction that reduces enemies’ Physical Resistance by 40%.
It’s easy to tell that Shenhe is a niche support since her abilities mostly buff Cryo and Physical DPS. Even so, Physical units don’t fully enjoy her buffs because Shenhe’s Icy Quill only triggers on Cryo damage. Simply put, an Electro DPS will lose most of her buffs because they lack the Cryo hits that trigger her buffs.
2 Using The Wrong Polearm
It can be a bit confusing for players to find which Polearm suits Shenhe’s skills better. Since she’s a support character, Travelers might think she should carry an Energy Recharge% weapon. While it’s not entirely wrong, the primary focus for Shenhe should not be on her Sub-stat. Instead, it should be on her Polearm’s Base ATK.
Due to Shenhe's main buff being reliant on her attack stat, it is necessary to equip her with the highest Base ATK stat weapons. 4-star Polearms like Lithic Spear can provide Shenhe with more attack, as long as she is matched with characters from Liyue. But, without a doubt, her best weapon is Calamity Queller. The 5-star weapon grants a massive Base ATK with more ATK% from its Sub-stat and passive.
If players are using weapons with ATK% Sub-stat, then they’re advised to use Energy Recharge artifact. Meanwhile, if the weapon offers Energy Recharge, then ATK% artifact is the better option.
1 Using The Wrong Artifacts
While Shenhe can be a complicated character in Genshin Impact, building her is actually simple. Shenhe is a supportive character that relies on her attack to increase the team’s Cryo damage. Therefore, players should focus on maximizing her ATK% when building her.
Taking all that into consideration, 2-Shimenawa's Reminiscence and 2-Gladiator Finale are the best options for Shenhe since they increase her attack by 36%. Players can also use typical supportive artifacts on Shenhe, like the 4-Noblesse Oblige. As for the main stat, opt for either ATK/ATK/ATK or ER/ATK/ATK.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.
