Looking for a guide to the Genshin Impact elements? Notoriously addictive gacha game Genshin Impact has taken the gaming world by storm – and whether you’re just getting started in the beautiful world of Teyvat, or you’re completely smitten with the charming anime game, there are a few crucial combat mechanics that you might need reminding of as you set off on your adventure.
According to the lore, there are seven Genshin Impact gods, and each presides over a different elemental domain. The elements in Genshin Impact are: Pyro (fire), Geo (earth), Dendro (nature), Cryo (ice), Electro (lightning), Anemo (wind), and Hydro (water). Every character makes use of one of these elements – the Traveler, however, is able to use Anemo, Geo, or Electro. In battle, Genshin Impact elements combine to create powerful elemental reactions which you can use to devastate your foes.
When building your Genshin Impact team, it’s important to consider how these elements will synergise. The elemental affinities of your team members also passively combine into Elemental Resonance bonuses, giving you various different buffs if you have multiple characters of the same elemental type. Here’s everything you need to know about Genshin Impact elements, and the elemental combos you can conjure up.
Genshin Impact elemental reactions
Elemental reactions are created when two or more elemental statuses combine – either through swapping between characters and attacking with complementary elemental damage or by using the environment to your advantage. One example is using Electro attacks to electrocute enemies in water.
The damage from elemental reactions scales with your character’s Elemental Mastery attribute, which can be increased by equipping Genshin Impact artifacts or certain Genshin Impact weapons. The Character Level of the character that triggers the reaction also factors into its damage and duration – so, you’ll want to create these reactions using high level characters.
The Genshin Impact elemental reactions are:
- Swirl – Anemo + Cryo, Hydro, Electro, or Pyro
When an Anemo attack hits one of these elements, it will create a Swirl, spreading the element over a larger area and dealing area-of-effect damage. - Crystallise – Geo + Cryo, Electro, Hydro, or Pyro
Using a Geo attack on one of these elements will drop a Crystal, which can be picked up to provide a shield that protects against elemental damage of that type. - Overload – Electro + Pyro
Combining Electro and Pyro damage in any order creates a large AoE explosion of Pyro damage. - Superconduct – Electro + Cryo
Combining Electro and Cryo attacks in any order deals area-of-effect Cryo damage to enemies in the area, and also reduces their physical defense by 50%. - Electro-Charge – Electro + Hydro
When these two elements combine, Electro damage is dealt twice to the target, before bouncing between all wet characters in an AoE. - Melt – Pyro + Cryo
If a Cryo attack is cast on Pyro, the Melt effect deals an additional 1.5x Cryo damage – conversely, if a Pyro attack is cast on Cryo, Melt does 2x Pyro damage. - Vaporise – Pyro + Hydro
If a Pyro attack is cast on Hydro, Vaporise deals 1.5x Pyro damage. If Hydro is cast on Pyro, Vaporise does 2x Hydro damage. - Freeze – Cryo + Hydro
When Cryo is cast on Hydro, targets are Frozen, rendering them unable to move or attack. The duration of Freeze depends on the level of the character who activated the effect – and frozen targets can be shattered with a Claymore, dealing 20% extra physical damage. - Burning – Dendro + Pyro
When Pyro is cast on Dendro, it ignites with the Burning effect, and enemies take 2.5x the Pyro attack’s damage as damage over time.
Genshin Impact elemental resonance
The Genshin Impact elemental resonance bonuses are:
- Fervent Flames – Pyro + Pyro
Affected by Cryo for 40% less time and increases attack by 25%. - Soothing Water – Hydro + Hydro
Affected by Pyro for 40% less time. Increases incoming healing by 30%. - Impetuous Winds – Anemo + Anemo
Decreases Stamina consumption by 15%. Increases movement speed by 10% and shortens skill cooldown by 5%. - High Voltage – Electro + Electro
Affected by Hydro for 40% less time. Superconduct, Overloaded, and Electro-Charged have a 100% chance to generate an Electro Elemental Particle (with a five-second cooldown). - Enduring Rock – Geo + Geo
Increases resistance to interruption. When protected by a shield, increases attack damage by 15%. - Protective Canopy – Any four unique elements
All elemental resistances and physical resistance increased by 15%.
Now you’re a master of the Genshin Impact elements, you may be looking to switch up your party composition. Check out our Genshin Impact tier list for the best possible characters to put on your team, while our best Genshin Impact builds for starting characters guide will help you get the best out of your starting roster.
If you’re looking for free Primogems to try to unlock at least some of the new characters introduced in the most recent Genshin Impact banner, then make sure to redeem the latest Genshin Impact codes. Finally, for a sneak peak of everything coming in the next update, we’ve gathered everything we know about the Genshin Impact 2.5 release date and stuff that’s coming to the game very soon.