There are seven elements in Genshin Impact, their interactivity with each other and their combinations lead to a number of different elemental reactions. This handy guide will answer all your questions about Genshin Impact’s elements and their reactions.
Genshin Impact remains one of the most popular online games of the past couple of years. What’s more, it seems to be growing in popularity with each passing month thanks to the game’s frequent updates as well as a slew of fresh content.
The popularity no doubt also comes from the game’s unique combat mechanics and systems. These however must be learned from the ground up by new players to thrive in the Spiral Abyss or other combat-oriented in-game activities.
Examples of such systems are the Genshin Impact elements, their reactions, and the elemental resonance mechanic.
Contents
- Genshin Impact elements: what are they?
- Genshin Impact elements: what does each one of them do?
- What is Elemental Resonance in Genshin Impact?
- Genshin Impact Elemental Reactions
Genshin Impact elements: what are they?
Each of the playable characters in Genshin Impact is in tune with one of the seven in-game elements, the element of the character can be applied to enemies with their elemental skills. This is not only useful in combat, as some puzzles in the open world require the application of specific elements.
Applying 2 different elements to the same enemy may result in an elemental reaction based on which elements were applied.
Having a party outfitted with characters of the same element results in an elemental resonance that empowers them in different ways.
Genshin Impact elements: what does each one of them do?
Cryo
Cryo, the ice element of Genshin Impact, slows the movement and attack speeds of enemies affected by it. Cryo characters can also freeze water allowing for traversal across large bodies of water without the usage of stamina and potentially drowning.
Pyro
Pyro, the fire element of Genshin Impact, deals damage over time to enemies. It can set fires, burn vines or wooden barricades blocking your way in the game world. Pyro characters also set wooden shields on fire, leaving enemies holding them defenseless.
Hydro
Hydro, the water element of water, applies the wet status effect to enemies. Hydro characters cannot do much alone, but the wet status they apply leads to devastating elemental reactions.
Dendro
Dendro, the element associated with plant life, is the newest addition to the game. Characters of the Dendro element also do not do anything on their own, but their attacks lead to quite a complex web of other elemental reactions.
Electro
Despite popular belief Electro, the element of electricity doesn’t do anything when applied to enemies. Much like hydro, Electro characters allow powerful elemental reactions to take place. Many puzzles of Inazuma require the application of Electro.
Anemo
Anemo, the air element, is another one of the Genshin Impact elements that do not do anything on their own. Anemo characters are required to solve many of the puzzles in Mondstadt, their elemental skills also allow for the collection of Dandelion Seeds.
Geo
Geo, the element of earth, has no particular status effect associated with it. Geo characters can break stone shields and rocks with their elemental skills though.
What is Elemental Resonance in Genshin Impact?
Elemental Resonances provide your entire team with additional passive buffs. They activate based on a pair of elemental characters populating your party.
For example, if two Pyro characters and two Hydro characters are in your party, the hydro and pyro resonances will benefit the whole team. However, if your team consists of, for example, two Pyro, one Anemo, and one Electro characters, only one passive will turn on.
Therefore it’s advised to build your teams with pairs in mind or slot 4 characters of different elements since that activates its own special resonance.
Here’s the full list of resonances currently in Genshin Impact:
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- Fervent Flames – Activated when at least two Pyro characters populate your party. This passive raises ATK by 25% and reduces the time your characters are affected by Cryo by 40%.
- Soothing Water – Activated when at least two Hydro characters populate your party. This passive raises max HP by 25% and reduces the time your characters are affected by Pyro by 40%.
- High Voltage – Activated when at least two Electro characters populate your party. This passive generates an electro energy article when an elemental reaction using Electro occurs and reduces the time your characters are affected by Hydro by 40%.
- Shattering Ice – Activated when at least two Cryo characters populate your party. This passive increases the Crit Rate of your characters against enemies affected by Cryo and reduces the time your characters are affected by Electro by 40%.
- Impetuous Winds – Activated when at least two Anemo characters populate your party. This passive decreases stamina consumption by 15%, increases movement speed by 10% and shortens the cooldowns of your skills by 5%.
- Enduring Rock – Activated when at least two Geo characters populate your party. This passive increases shield strength by 15%. All characters gain 15% increased damage and all their attacks decrease enemy resistance to Geo by 20% if they are currently protected by a shield.
- Sprawling Greenery – Activated when at least two Dendro characters populate your party. This passive increases your elemental mastery by 50. Gain additional 30 elemental mastery for 6 seconds when triggering Burning, Quicken, or Bloom reactions. Gain additional 20 elemental mastery for 6 seconds when triggering Aggravate, Spread, Hyperbloom, or Burgeon reactions.
- Protective Canopy – Activated when all four characters in your party are of different elements. This passive increases all your elemental resistances by 15%, as well as increasing your physical resistance by 15%.
Genshin Impact Elemental Reactions
Melt
Melt occurs when Pyro and Cryo are applied to the same target. If Pyro is the activator (the second applied element) then that attack will deal 2x more Pyro damage than usual. If Cryo is the activator, then the attack will deal 1.5x more Cryo damage than usual.
Vaporize
Vaporize occurs when Pyro and Hydro are applied to the same target. If Pyro is the activator then that attack will deal 1.5x more Pyro damage than usual. If Hydro is the activator, then the attack will deal 1.5x more Hydro damage than usual.
Overloaded
Overloaded occurs when Pyro and Electro are applied to the same target. This elemental reaction causes an explosion that deals damage in an AoE and knocks away enemies.
Electro-Charged
Electro-Charged occurs when Hydro and Electro are applied to the same target. This elemental reaction shocks the enemy, dealing damage over time. It also spreads to nearby targets.
Superconduct
Superconduct occurs when Electro and Cryo are applied to the same target. This elemental reaction lowers the physical defenses of the affected enemies.
Frozen
Frozen occurs when Hydro and Cryo are applied to the same target. This elemental reaction is quite simple, it freezes the affected enemies in their tracks, rendering them unable to move and attack for a couple of seconds.
Crystalize
A unique property of Geo attacks. Can occur between Geo and any other element (other than Anemo and Geo), Geo absorbs that element and drops a shard on the ground which can be picked up, it then provides a shield increasing resistance to the absorbed element.
Swirl
A unique property of Anemo attacks. Can occur between Anemo and any other element (other than Anemo and Geo), swirld spreads the element it interacts with around the target and then deals the element and Anemo damage.
Burning
Burning occurs when Pyro and Dendro are applied to the same target. This elemental reaction sets the target on fire, dealing damage over time.
Bloom
Bloom occurs when Hydro and Dendro are applied to the same target. This elemental reaction generates a Dendro core which doesn’t do anything on its own and instead leads to other reactions listed below.
Burgeon
Burgeon occurs when Dendro core and Pyro are applied to the same target. Dendro core explodes upon being exposed to Pyro, dealing AoE Dendro damage to enemies.
Hyperbloom
Hyperbloom occurs when Dendro core and Electro are applied to the same target. Dendro core, upon being exposed to Electro, turns into homing missiles that attack nearby enemies.
Quicken
Quicken occurs when Dendro and Electro are applied to the same target. It creates a Quicken aura on an opponent, which doesn’t do anything but it leads to further elemental reactions listed below.
Aggravate
Aggravate occurs when Quicken aura and Electro are applied to the same target. It increases the Electro damage of the attack which hit the target.
Spread
Spread occurs when Quicken aura and Dendro are applied to the same target. It increases the Dendro damage of the attack which hit the target.
That’s everything you need to know about Genshin Impact elements and how they react with each other. We’ll be updating this piece whenever anything changes between them. In the meantime, be sure to head over to our Genshin Impact page to see the latest news and guides.
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