Learn how to put together the best possible Candace build in Genshin Impact
Want to learn how to create the best build for Candace in Genshin Impact?It’s fair to say that two years after its initial release,Genshin Impacthas loads and loads of playable characters. However, there are still some weapon/element combinations that haven’t been represented yet, and so it’s exciting whenever we get a new character like Candace: Genshin’s first ever Hydro polearm wielder!
Since she’s available at a 4-star rarity, the odds are good that you’ll soon have a copy of Candace in your archive. So read on for details of the best build we’ve seen for her so far, including her best weapons, artifacts, party members, and more.
How to build Candace as a sub-DPS in Genshin Impact
4-star alternative:The Catch
The best 5-star weapon for Candace’s build is theStaff of Homa, since it plays well with Candace’s preference for her HP stat. This polearm increases base health by 20%, then provides an ATK bonus equal to 0.8% of Candace’s Max HP. If Candace’s health drops below 50%, the ATK bonus increases by a further 1% of her Max HP until she heals up.
However, it’s not always realistic to equip a 4-star support character with a 5-star weapon. Fortunately, there are plenty of 4-star polearms that suit Candace’s build.The Catchis one such option: easily obtained through Genshin’s fishing mini-game, it provides generous bonuses to Candace’s elemental DMG (+16% to Burst DMG and +6% to Burst CRIT Rate).
Candace’s best 4-to-5-star artifact set is undoubtedly theHeart of Depth, since the two-piece set bonus grants her a nifty +15% Hydro DMG bonus. Moreover, at four pieces, this set provides a useful bonus to Candace’s elemental skill: after triggering the skill, her Normal and Charged ATK DMG is increased by 30% for 15 seconds.
Aim for the following stats and substats to best support this Candace build:
Secondary:Sacred Rite: Heron’sSanctum(Elemental Skill)
As with most elemental DPS and sub-DPS builds, Candace’s elemental talents should take high priority over her normal attacks. Her elemental burst is her most powerful feature, but her elemental skill doesn’t lag far behind and certainly shouldn’t be neglected. Note that her elemental talents both scale purely off of her HP, so it’s important to pay attention to other factors in this build which work to increase that stat.
Here’s a full list of Candace’s talents and what they do:
5-star alternative:Kamisato Ayaka replacing Kaeya as DPS
This team composition focuses primarily on theFreeze reaction, which can be spread across a wide area using a combination of Hydro, Cryo, and Anemo elemental talents. Pair Candace with a swift Cryo DPS —Kaeyais a great F2P option, whileKamisato Ayakais one of the best options in the game if you have access to some 5-stars.Shikanoin Heizoubrings the Anemo support to increase the area of the Freeze effect, and can also perform a secondary sub-DPS role thanks to his unique melee Catalyst kit.
I’ve chosen to round out this team with a healer who can also provide some more elemental reactions on the side.Kuki Shinobuis at her best as an off-field healer, and her Electro skill can deal continuous DMG while active and can trigger Electro-Charged and Superconduct recations for even more damage.
To fully ascend Candace, you’ll need the following materials:
Note that Candace is a rareGenshin Impactcharacter whose boss levelling materials come from a completely different source than her gemstone levelling materials. So you’ll need to tackle Hydro enemies for her gemstonesandthe Algorithm of Semi-Intransient Matrix of Overseer Network boss for her Light Guiding Tetrahedrons. Luckily, her other materials are abundant in Sumeru: tackle Eremine enemies for her red fabrics, gather Redcrest flowers in the wild, and you’ll be there in no time.
To fully level up one of Candace’s talents, you’ll need the following materials:
You’ll need to collect all of this three times over if you want to triple-crown Candace; but fortunately, you probably don’t need to put a lot of time into developing her Normal Attack, so you can afford to let that one fall by the wayside if you start struggling for materials. Candace’s talent books are farmed from Sumeru’s Steeple of Ignorance domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Tears of the Calamitous God come from replayingThe Shogun’s boss fight “End of the Oneiric Euthymia” at Lvl 70+. Finally, Crowns of Insight can be obtained through limited-time events or by making offerings to the Frostbearing Tree and the Sacred Sakura.
Candace is a 4-star character, so odds are good you’ll end up pulling a few duplicates of her over time. Below are a list of all of Candace’s constellations, so you can decide whether they’re something you want to actively spend your wishes aiming for:
Now that you know all about Candace, be sure to take a look at ourGenshin Impact character tier listto see how she ranks alongside the rest of the roster! Or if you need to save up a bit more before pulling for Candace in the gacha, have a look at our comprehensive guide toGenshin Impact’s various currencies, as well as our regularly-updatedGenshin Impact codespage to help you score some free Primogems!
