Shenhe Guide: Maximizing Her Potential in Genshin Impact

Shenhe, a top-tier Cryo support in Genshin Impact, shines in teams with Cryo DPS characters.

Her abilities not only boost Cryo damage but can also synergize with physical or non-Cryo units.

This guide dives into her abilities, optimal builds, and team compositions.

Let's jump right in!

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Complete Shenhe Guide: Best Builds and Team Compositions

Shenhe's Abilities and Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Spring Spirit Summoning

Shenhe's Elemental Skill generates the Icy Quill effect, a unique mechanic that enhances party members' Cryo damage.

It adds a base damage bonus to Cryo attacks of any party member, based on a percentage of Shenhe's attack stat.

Beneficial to any character dealing Cryo damage, including those not inherently Cryo, like Anemo characters with Cryo-infused abilities.

Icy Quills' damage benefits from the buffed character's damage bonuses and crit stats, effectively leveraging their stat investments.

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Press vs. Hold Variations

‍Press Skill

‍Grants 5 Icy Quill triggers for 10 seconds.

It has a shorter cooldown (10 seconds), enabling quicker refreshes and more particle generation.‍

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Hold Skill

‍Offers 7 triggers for 15 seconds with a longer cooldown (15 seconds).

It's more suitable for rotations that align with its cooldown pattern.

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Choosing between Press and Hold depends on team dynamics and the cooldown management required for efficient rotations.

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Elemental Burst: Divine Maiden's Deliverance

Her Burst creates a Cryo damage field, providing consistent AoE Cryo damage.

It lowers Cryo and physical resistances of enemies within the field, enhancing team damage output.

Teammates within the Burst receive a 15% Cryo damage bonus, further boosting Cryo DPS potential.

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Talent Priority

Elemental Skill

Shenhe’s Elemental Skill, Spring Spirit Summoning, is her most crucial talent.

It generates the Icy Quill effect, significantly boosting the Cryo damage of your team.

This skill directly affects how much additional damage your party can deal, making it the first talent to prioritize for upgrades.

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Elemental Burst

Her Elemental Burst, Divine Maiden's Deliverance, creates an AoE field that reduces Cryo and physical resistance of enemies and boosts Cryo damage for teammates.

While also important for team support, it's secondary to her skill as it primarily serves as a supplementary source of damage and utility.

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Normal Attack

Shenhe's Normal Attack, Dawnstar Piercer, is the least important to upgrade.

Given Shenhe’s role as a support, her normal attacks are seldom used in combat, as she is usually swapped out for main DPS characters after using her skill and burst.

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Artifact Builds

Four-Piece Noblesse Oblige

This set boosts the team's overall damage output.

It's her best in slot set for a supportive role.

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Blizzard Strayer Set

Focused on enhancing Shenhe's personal Cryo damage.

Best used in Freeze team compositions where Shenhe might contribute more actively to damage.

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Emblem of Severed Fate

Boosts Shenhe's burst damage and energy recharge.

Maximizing her Elemental Burst's utility is key, especially in teams where her burst is frequently used.

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Two-Piece Set Combinations

‍Combining two different two-piece sets can provide balanced bonuses. Popular choices include:

• Shimenawa's Reminiscence + Gladiator's Finale: Both ATK% sets to maximize her attack stat.
• ‍Noblesse Oblige + Blizzard Strayer: For a mix of burst damage and Cryo damage enhancement.
• ‍Noblesse Oblige + Emblem of Severed Fate: For burst damage and energy sustain.
• Emblem of Severed Fate + The Exile: To maximize Energy Recharge.

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Main Stats Priority

Sands

Prioritize ER to ensure Shenhe can consistently use her Elemental Burst, which is central to her support role.

ATK% can be considered if ER needs are already met through sub stats or weapon.

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Goblet

ATK% is your best choice to maximize the impact of her Icy Quill effect, which scales with her attack.

Cryo Damage Bonus for a more damage-oriented build, especially in Freeze comps.

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Circlet

Choose based on your team's needs and Shenhe's role. If she's contributing to damage, align with her crit ratio.

ATK% if crit stats are adequately covered by sub stats.

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Sub Stats Priority

• Energy Recharge: Essential for frequent use of her Elemental Burst.
• ATK%: Directly boosts her Icy Quill effect.
• Crit Rate and Crit Damage: Improves her own damage output, especially if she participates actively in combat.
• Elemental Mastery (Secondary): Useful in teams where Shenhe is involved in triggering reactions, like Reverse Melt.

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Weapon Choices

5-Star Weapon Options

Engulfing Lightning (Best for Energy Recharge)

Ideal for ensuring Shenhe's Elemental Burst is consistently available.

Provides a balance of high base ATK and Energy Recharge, along with an ATK bonus based on ER.

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Calamity Queller (Signature Weapon)

Increases Shenhe's ATK significantly.

Offers Elemental Damage bonus when Shenhe is off-field, enhancing her support capabilities.

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Skyward Spine

Offers CRIT Rate and Energy Recharge.

Useful for teams where Shenhe contributes more actively to damage output.

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4-Star Weapon Options

Favonius Lance (Top Choice for F2P)

Excellent for energy generation, ensuring more frequent use of Shenhe's Burst.

CRIT hits generate energy particles, helping with team energy needs.

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Prototype Starglitter (Balanced Option)

Provides ER and an energy-refunding mechanic.

Good for rotations where Shenhe's Burst is crucial.

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The Catch (For Burst DPS Shenhe)

Offers Energy Recharge and increases Burst damage and CRIT Rate.

Suitable for a more offensive Shenhe build focusing on her Elemental Burst.

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3-Star Weapon Options

Black Tassel

High HP bonus, which is less optimal for Shenhe but can be a placeholder.

Useful if other weapons are not available.

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Team Compositions

Cryo-Centric Teams (Mono-Cryo)

Core Members: Shenhe, Cryo Main DPS (e.g., Ganyu, Ayaka, Wriothesley), Cryo Sub-DPS/Utility (e.g., Diona, Rosaria).

Focus on maximizing Cryo damage output and reactions like Freeze or Superconduct.

Enhance Cryo damage and provide debuffs to enemies.

Ensure enough Energy Recharge for consistent Burst uptime from all members.

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Freeze Composition

Core Members: Shenhe, Hydro Enabler (e.g., Mona, Xingqiu), Anemo Support (e.g., Venti, Sucrose).

Use Hydro and Cryo characters to freeze enemies, enabling safe and consistent damage.

Buff Cryo damage and reduce enemy resistance.

Balancing Energy Recharge and ATK for Shenhe; Hydro character's Burst uptime is crucial.

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Reverse Melt Composition

Core Members: Shenhe, Pyro Enabler (e.g., Bennett, Xiangling), Cryo Main DPS.

Use Pyro for applying the element and then triggering Melt with Cryo attacks.

Enhance the Cryo DPS’s damage; her skill can trigger additional Melt reactions.

Proper timing for elemental application is key to maximize Melt reactions.

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Superconduct Physical Team

Core Members: Shenhe, Physical DPS (e.g., Razor, Eula), Electro Support (e.g., Fischl, Beidou).

Trigger Superconduct to reduce physical resistance, enhancing physical DPS.

Provide physical resistance debuff and buff physical attacks.

Ensure Electro support can consistently apply Electro for Superconduct.

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Hybrid Elemental Teams

Core Members: Shenhe, Main DPS of any element, Flex slot for utility or additional support.

Use Shenhe's buffs for a diverse elemental team, focusing on reaction-based damage.

While primarily buffing Cryo, her debuffs and utility benefit other elements too.

Flex slot should address team's defensive needs or elemental reaction requirements.

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Constellations Overview

C1: Clarity of Heart

Adds one additional charge to her Elemental Skill.

Provides flexibility in rotations, allowing for more frequent application of Icy Quill stacks and damage buffs.

This is particularly beneficial in teams with multiple Cryo characters or in prolonged battles.

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C2: Centered Spirit

Extends the duration of the effects caused by her Elemental Burst (both the Cryo DMG bonus and resistance debuff) by 6 seconds.

Significantly increases the uptime of her Burst's benefits, enhancing the overall DPS of the team, especially in longer encounters or against tougher enemies.

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C4: Insight

Shenhe's own Elemental Skill damage increases based on the number of Icy Quill stacks consumed by teammates.

Enhances Shenhe's personal damage output, but the benefit is more marginal compared to her supportive capabilities.

It's more relevant in scenarios where Shenhe's damage contribution is significant.

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C6: Mystical Abandon

Icy Quill effects triggered by Normal and Charged Attacks will not consume stacks.

Greatly enhances the synergy with Cryo DPS characters who rely on Normal and Charged Attacks.

This constellation maximizes the potential of the Icy Quill mechanic, making Shenhe an exceptional support for characters like Ganyu or Ayaka.

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Advanced Strategies

Skill Press vs. Hold Optimization

Press Skill

‍Grants 5 Icy Quill stacks with a shorter cooldown.

Ideal for rotations under 20 seconds, allowing two skill uses within one rotation.

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Hold Skill

‍Offers 7 Icy Quill stacks and enhances normal, charged, and plunging attacks.

Suitable for longer fights or when these attack types are predominant.

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Evaluate the primary damage sources of your DPS characters.

If they rely heavily on elemental skills and bursts, prioritize the Press version.

For normal and charged attack-focused characters, the Hold version can be more beneficial.

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Effective Icy Quill Usage

Each instance of damage consumes a quill. Multi-target attacks consume multiple quills.

Optimize DPS character's skill rotations to make the most out of each Icy Quill.

Avoid wasting quills on low-damage or AoE attacks against multiple minor enemies.

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Elemental Burst Usage

Use Shenhe's burst to coincide with your main DPS's high-damage phases, particularly when they are unleashing their bursts or high-damage combos.

Ensure enemies are within the burst's AoE for the duration to benefit from the Cryo and physical resistance reduction.

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Energy Recharge Management

Achieve sufficient energy recharge to use Shenhe's burst consistently, considering team composition and particle generation.

If using Favonius Lance, balance crit rate to ensure reliable energy generation through its passive.

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Team Composition Synergy

Pair Shenhe with characters like Ayaka, Ganyu, or Kaeya for freeze comps.

Use her burst to enhance Cryo damage and reduce enemy resistance.

In melt compositions, Shenhe can work with a Pyro character like Xiangling. Time her skills to buff melt reactions effectively.

For physical DPS like Eula, use Shenhe's burst for physical resistance shredding, enhancing overall physical damage.

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Final Thoughts on Shenhe

Shenhe is an excellent Cryo support character whose strength lies in increasing team damage, particularly in Cryo-centric teams.

Her versatility and utility make her a valuable addition, especially for players focusing on Cryo DPS characters.

Whether at C0 or with higher constellations, Shenhe can significantly boost your team's performance in Genshin Impact.