To go along with the theme of Version 2.4, Genshin Impact has released another 5-Star character from Liyue, Shenhe. This elegant woman, referred to in-game as an Ethereal Soul Amidst the Mortal Realm, is an exorcist and disciple of the Adeptus Cloud Retainer. Her abilities in Genshin Impact have Shenhe use her exorcism abilities with a captivating, godlike charm.
Shenhe is a Cryo polearm user who is making her first in-game appearance in Genshin Impact Version 2.4. Shenhe’s mysterious design and bold animations are likely to inspire many players to pull for her. For players who are lucky enough to get her and want to build her, here are the weapons, artifacts, talents, and team compositions that will work best.
Shenhe’s kit allows her to function best as a Genshin Impact support unit who focuses on buffing the attack of other Cryo characters. She can provide a large amount of Cryo and Physical resistance. Her abilities make her a perfect support unit in a Cryo DPS team.
How to Build Shenhe in Genshin Impact
Here are all of Shenhe’s abilities in Genshin Impact and how they work:
Normal Attack: Dawnstar Piercer - Shenhe performs up to five consecutive spear strikes.
Elemental Skill: Spring Spirit Summoning - Grants all nearby party members the Icy Quill effect. Icy Quills increases the current character’s DMG based on Shenhe’s current ATK, as long as the character is dealing Cryo DMG. Pressing the ability button causes a rush forward with a Talisman Spirit, dealing Cryo DMG to opponents. Holding the ability button makes the Talisman Spirit deal AoE Cryo DMG.
Elemental Burst: Divine Maiden’s Deliverance - Unleashes the power of the Talisman Spirit, dealing AoE Cryo DMG. The Spirit also creates a field that decreases Cryo and Physical RES of enemies.
As a support unit in Genshin Impact, Shenhe’s most useful ability is likely going to be her Elemental Skill thanks to the Cryo DMG buff it can provide for any Cryo units. Because of this, players should level up her Skill first, followed by her Elemental Burst.
There are a few different artifact set combinations players can use to improve Shenhe's power. Since Shenhe’s damage boosting scales based on her ATK, most players will want to use a 2-Piece Gladiator’s Finale for the 18% ATK boost. For the rest of the set, players can either use a 2-Piece Shimenawa’s Reminiscence for another 18% ATK boost, or a 2-Piece Blizzard Strayer for a 15% Cryo DMG bonus.
For almost all artifacts' main stats, players should prioritize ATK% to maximize the boost Shenhe is providing for her team. Players can also use an Energy Recharge Hourglass since Shenhe has a relatively high Elemental Burst cost, or a Cryo DMG Cup if they have a good one. For artifact sub-stats, players should focus solely on ATK% and Energy Recharge.
Shenhe’s best-in-slot weapon is the new 5-Star Polearm on the banner, the Calamity Queller. This polearm gives a bonus ATK boost, as well as an Elemental DMG bonus that increases ATK periodically. For players without this weapon, any polearm with an ATK bonus stat, such as the Vortex Vanquisher or Wavebreaker’s Fin, are great substitutes.
Shenhe’s abilities allow her to increase the DMG dealt by Cryo characters in the party, so she works well on a team with a Cryo DPS. This makes her a great support for a team with a Main DPS like Ganyu, Eula, or Chongyun. Rosaria also works as a good Sub-DPS thanks to Shenhe’s Cryo and Physical shred. Finally, a Hydro Sub-DPS or Support in this Cryo team comp is perfect for freezing enemies, making Genshin Impact's battles a breeze.
Genshin Impact is available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, iOS, Android, and PC.