Characters like Shenhe add unique flavor to Genshin Impact. As a support unit, she can coordinate her team's damage output, making her an ideal companion for Cryo users like Ayaka. In addition to buffing her team, Shenhe's Elemental Burst can also debuff enemies.
Given Genshin Impact's tendency to rerun banners, it's possible that Shenhe may get a rerun banner at any time. As such, players should take the time to fully understand her strengths and weaknesses before deciding whether or not to pull for her, especially since she is currently available to play and has already been thoroughly tested in the meta.
Is It Worth Pulling For Shenhe In Genshin Impact?
The short answer is, yes it is worth pulling for Shenhe In Genshin Impact. As a niche buffer, Shenhe can take any Cryo unit’s DMG to the next level. So, characters like Ayaka and Ganyu can greatly benefit from Shenhe’s ability to increase their Cryo DMG.
Shenhe Is Easy To Build
As a Cryo buffer in Genshin Impact, all Shenhe needs are ATK% to increase her buff and Energy Recharge to cast her Burst more frequently. Her supportive kit makes 4pc Noblesse Oblige a great set to use as it further adds a 20% ATK buff for the team. Players can also use two artifacts with +18% ATK like 2-Gladiator’s Finale and 2-Shimenawa's Reminiscence to further increase her ATK.
When it comes to Shenhe’s best weapon in Genshin Impact, she still needs the same two stats. Therefore, F2P weapons like Favonius Lance or Kitain Cross Spear can still work and allow her to share her high DMG.
Shenhe Suffers From Energy
Shenhe’s Elemental Skill generates a decent amount of Energy particles, which is a good utility she has. Not to mention, when Shenhe wields supportive weapons like Favonius Lance, she can further increase her ability to become a good battery in Genshin Impact. However, Shenhe’s Elemental Burst requires 80 Energy to cast, and she can’t generate it herself due to the cooldown on her Skill.
This isn't a major issue since Shenhe is often paired with other Cryo units that can help her regenerate Energy faster. Nonetheless, it's recommended to build her with some Energy Recharge stats to ensure she can consistently use her Burst while on the field.
Shenhe’s Icy Quill Is Unique
When Shenhe uses her Elemental Skill, Icy Quill, she can buff her team's Cryo DMG based on her ATK%. At first glance, the buff may seem weak since it only triggers five times on press and seven times on hold, but that’s not precisely how Shenhe’s Elemental Skill works. The idea behind her Icy Quill is that the more Cryo units are on Shenhe's team, the more Cryo buffs she can trigger, making her Icy Quill more effective.
However, due to the limited number of Icy Quill triggers, Shenhe doesn't perform as well as other buffers in AoE situations. For example, a Cryo unit like Ayaka could consume all of Shenhe's triggers immediately, leaving players waiting another 10 seconds to be able to buff Ayaka again.
Shenhe Strengths And Weaknesses
For Shenhe’s strengths and weaknesses, here’s what players need to know:
Shenhe’s Strengths
- Can enhance Cryo units' performance by buffing their DMG
- Building Shenhe is easy since she has solid F2P options
- Her best artifacts are Noblesse, which is a universal set
- Her Elemental Burst provides decent Cryo application over a large area
Shenhe’s Weaknesses
- Low trigger count on her Elemental Skill
- High Energy requirement for her Burst
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.