Learn how to put together the best possible Shenhe build in Genshin Impact
Best Genshin Impact Shenhe build for support
Alternative:The Catch
While I’ve chosen to focus on Shenhe’s support abilities in this build, rather than her possibilities as a sub-DPS, you shouldn’t entirely neglect her potential to deal some damage while on the field. As such, her ideal weapon is a little rarer than I’d usually recommend for a support character: theCalamity Queller. This polearm adds a 12% DMG Bonus to Shenhe’s Elemental attacks, which as the cornerstone of her build are well worth boosting whenever possible. What’s more, using Shenhe’s Elemental Skill with this weapon equipped also adds the Consummation effect for 20 seconds, which increases ATK by 3.2% per second for up to six stacks, doubled if Shenhe leaves the field while it remains active. This makes it an almost comically powerful weapon in the hands of an elemental support character.
Despite being such an excellent match for Shenhe, the Calamity Queller is a 5* weapon, and therefore it’s a good idea to have a strong alternative choice in mind. There are a few polearms that work well, but my preference here is forThe Catch. While it lacks the Calamity Queller’s potential benefits to the entire party, The Catch still lets you make the most of Shenhe’s Cryo talents, granting her a 16% increase to Elemental Burst DMG and a 6% increase to that talent’s CRIT rate while equipped.
Set bonuses:
Alternative:2 pieces each from Noblesse Oblige and Blizzard Strayer sets
One way or another, you’re going to want to equip Shenhe with at least two pieces from theNoblesse Obligeartifact set, giving her access to a 20% Elemental Burst DMG Bonus that very much accentuates her best feature.
From there it’s a tough choice between adding more Noblesse Oblige pieces or switching to the Blizzard Strayer set. Ultimately, though, if you’re looking to make the most of Shenhe as an elemental support character, it’s better to stick with Noblesse Oblige, since it nets you a four-piece set bonus that significantly boosts the entire party’s ATK when Shenhe uses her Elemental Burst.
However, mixing things up with a couple ofBlizzard Strayerpieces instead adds another 15% Cryo DMG Bonus to Shenhe’s elemental attacks. Consider going with this alternative combo if you’re looking to lean a bit further into her secondary potential as a sub-DPS.
When choosing stat priorities on Shenhe’s artifacts, the following stats and substats are the ones to look out for to maximise this build:
Secondary:Divine Maiden’s Deliverance (Elemental Burst)
Unsurprisingly given this build’s focus on Cryo support, Shenhe’s elemental talents are far more valuable than her normal attack skills. Your first priority should be her Elemental SkillSpring Spirit Summoning, since this is the talent that directly supports other party members. However, when it comes to increasing Shenhe’s own damage-dealing potential, her Elemental BurstDivine Maiden’s Deliveranceis also extremely valuable, and shouldn’t be neglected in this build which so frequently walks the line between support and sub-DPS duties.
Here’s a full list of Shenhe’s talents and what they do:
5* alternative:Eula replacing Kaeya as main DPS
Pairing Shenhe with a Cryo DPS is pretty crucial if you want to get the best performance out of her, to the point where it almost doesn’t matter who you pick. I’ve gone withKaeya, partially because I’m a bit biased towards him, and partly because he’s genuinely one of the better 4* Cryo DPS characters in the game, which is especially good news considering you unlock him for free during the prologue. However, you could easily sub inChongyunorRosariaif you prefer their DPS possibilities; or if you have a 5* Cryo DPS character like the recently re-runEula, this is the perfect opportunity to put them to work.
There are a couple of options to consider when picking your sub-DPS for this team: namely, whether you want a Pyro character for maximum damage, or an Anemo character who can double up on crowd-control duties. While Shenhe’s utility as a potential supporting sub-DPS might make the Anemo option appealing, I’ve gone for the more aggressive Pyro choice because of theMelt elemental reactionyou get when Pyro and Cryo both hit an enemy. This effect increases damage by 1.5x if the Cryo character triggers it, and doubles damage if the Pyro character triggers it.Thomais my pick for a great 4* Pyro sub-DPS, simply because that’s quite a niche specialisation at the moment, but he’s a worthy candidate.
Barbarais a great choice to round out any party thanks to her powerful healing abilities, but there’s an extra good reason to include her in this team. Using her Hydro elemental talents applies the Wet status to enemies, allowing Shenhe and the main DPS to apply Cryo and trigger the Frozen reaction. This is one of my favourite reactions in the game, as it renders affected enemies completely powerless to hurt you or defend themselves for a period of time; and, with two Cryo characters in the party, you’ll also benefit from the Shattering Ice elemental resonance that increases damage against Frozen enemies by a further 15%.
To fully ascend Shenhe, you’ll need the following materials:
To collect all of Shenhe’s ascension materials, you’re going to need to do a bit of travelling. Shivada Jade pieces are probably the simplest to locate, simply because they’re dropped by defeated Cryo enemies throughout the world (and they can also be obtained by alchemy, from weekly bosses, and from merchants at lower levels). Nectars are dropped by defeated Whopperflowers throughout the world too, and can also be bought or obtained through alchemy. For Qingxin flowers you’ll need to forage around the highest elevated areas in Liyue, especially around Minlin and Wuwang Hill, or hit up the local herbalist. Finally, Dragonheir’s False Fin can only be obtained from Bathysmal Vishap Herd challenge bosses found in the Dainichi Mikoshi sub-area of Enkanomiya in Inazuma.
To fully level up one of Shenhe’s talents, you’ll need to collect the following materials. Shenhe has three talents, and to level them all up you need to assemble the whole lot for each one individually.
Nectars are obtained from Whopperflower enemies, as detailed above. Shenhe’s books can be picked up at the Taishan Mansion domain (Tuesday/Friday/Sunday only). Hellflower Butterflies are awarded for completing the Narukami Island: Tenshukaku trounce domain at Lvl 70+; and finally, Crowns of Insight can be obtained through limited-time events or by making offerings to the Frostbearing Tree and the Sacred Sakura.
Unless you’re blessed with extreme amounts of luck or money, your odds of pulling Shenhe from the gacha enough times to reach her final constellation are pretty low. Fortunately, most 5* characters have Constellations that are nice to have but not exactly essential to their build. Nevertheless, just in case you beat the odds, here’s a full run-down of Shenhe’s Constellations and what they do:
That’s everything you need to know about the optimum build for Shenhe in Genshin Impact, but there are nearly fifty playable characters in this game for you to collect. Check out ourGenshin Impact character tier listto help you decide who you might like to pull for next, or see our guide to thepity systemto help you understand how to calculate your odds of getting who you want from the gacha.
