Disclaimer: While Genshin Impact was already released earlier this week, it’s still not available for Android emulators. We’re working around the clock to make this game playable on BlueStacks ASAP, so stay tuned. The screenshots in this article are from the PC version.

Genshin Impact is one of the most expected releases in the past month, offering boatloads of content and many different and intricate combat and exploration mechanics for the player to learn and master as they make their way around Teyvat throughout their adventures. Speaking of which, we’ve already covered most of the basic exploration aspects in another guide, so feel free to check it out if you’re just getting started in the game.

This time around, we’re going to take a look at the combat system in Genshin Impact, explain some of its basic mechanics, and share a few tips on how to stay alive.

Combat Basics

Just like with the exploration, the combat in Genshin Impact is more intricate than what it initially appears. While you can defeat the weakest enemies simply by mashing the attack button and hitting them a few times, you won’t be able to do the same for the tougher enemies. Even a few moments into the game you’ll run into enemies that require you to diversify your strategies and employ different methods to defeat them.

Let’s examine some of  the basic aspects of the combat in this game.

Weapon Properties (Range, Weight, Speed)

There are several different types of weapon in the game, with characters being able to equip just one of these. Some of these weapon types include swords, bows, catalysts, and claymores, among others. While the power and strength will depend on the Base ATK of the specific weapon (which can be upgraded), every weapon has its own attack style and common elements, regardless of the character that’s using it. Since these elements have no formal name in-game, we decided to call them Range, Weight, and Speed, and they involve the following:

1. Range: The expected attack range of the weapon, with catalysts and bows being among the ones with the longest reach, and claymores, spears, and swords, etc, being the melee variants.
2. Weight: Some weapons, like claymores, are heavier than others and are great for specific purposes like breaking ores or ripping through enemy’s Geo shields in a few swings.
3. Speed: Some weapons are inherently faster than others when attacking, though this also is highly dependent on the character that’s wielding them

Download Genshin Impact V4.0: Fontaine on PC

Download Genshin Impact V4.0: Fontaine on PC

Once, again, these are not any formal terms or attributes so you won’t find them anywhere in-game. Regardless these properties are still things you should consider when it comes to choosing the characters in your formation. You should always have a mix of fast weapons, a bow character for aimed shots, and at least one claymore user that can easily harvest ore from veins and pop Geo shields.

Character-Specific Traits (Type of Attacks, Abilities)

Every weapon type is unique and shares different properties. However, in the hands of different heroes, even the same type of weapon can act very differently from the rest. For instance, while both Lisa (4*) and Barbara (4*) both use catalysts, they have different speeds in both their basic attacks as well as special skills. It’s important to learn how each character functions, especially when it comes to their special skills since these can give you the edge in combat by applying different debuffs and elemental effects to the enemy.

Elemental Combos

Speaking of which, this is hands down one of the best features of the combat in Genshin Impact. The way in which the elemental effects work and how they interact with each other is genius and lends itself perfectly to the party system since you can freely swap between 4 characters at all times to apply different elemental effects that results in powerful combos, which can whittle down even the toughest of enemies.

There are 7 different element types in Genshin Impact:

1. Anemo
2. Geo
3. Electro
4. Dendro
5. Hydro
6. Pyro
7. Cryo

These elemental types are present in many parts of the world. For instance, stepping in a body of water will apply the hydro effect, while walking through fire will apply the pyro effect, and so on. Moreover, while some elemental effects are benign, others can cause detrimental status effects for their duration. The elements that can trigger status effects are the following:

1. Pyro: The target will burn for a few seconds, causing minor damage every second for a short duration.
2. Cryo: The target’s movement speed is reduced for a short duration.
3. Geo: The target gains the “Crystallization” status, reducing the elemental damage they inflict for all except the Geo element. A crystallized character can also pick up elemental energy shards to gain a shield that blocks all damage until it breaks. This shield is stronger against the element of the corresponding elemental shard.
4. Hydro: The target becomes wet and primed for further elemental reactions.
5. Electro: The target becomes electrified and primed for further elemental reactions.

Similarly, all elemental effects can be combined with others to create different elemental reactions. Even elements that don’t inflict status effects can be used for detonating certain reactions. The existing elemental reactions include the following:

1. Overloaded: Pyro + Electro. Does pyro damage in an AoE around the target.
2. Electro-Charged: Hydro + Electro. Electrifies the enemy, causing damage over time that arcs to other enemies that are afflicted with the wet status.
3. Superconductor: Cryo + Electro. Does cryo damage in an AoE around the target.
4. Swirl: Anemo + Pyro/Cryo/Electro/Hydro. The wind attack spreads the target’s status effect to all nearby enemies.
5. Burning: Dendro + Pyro. Sets the target on fire, dealing major damage over time.
6. Frozen: Hydro + Cryo. Freezes the target, restricting their movement and making them vulnerable to shattering.
7. Shattered: Frozen Target + Heavy Attack. When a frozen target is attacked with a shattering blow via a heavy attack, it shatters and suffers additional physical damage.
8. Melt: Cryo + Pyro. The target melts and loses both elemental effects, suffering additional damage from the attack that triggered the reaction.
9. Vaporized: Pyro + Hydro. The target vaporizes and loses both elemental effects, suffering additional damage from the attack that triggered the reaction.

Dealing With Special Enemies

It’s important to note that some of these elemental interactions are basically mandatory in some cases, especially since some enemies can take absurdly long to beat unless you exploit their elemental vulnerabilities.

Some of the enemies that require special elemental effects include the Hilichurls with shields, which become much easier if you burn their Dendro shields with Pyro attacks, or the Geo slimes, which lose their strong defenses if you shatter them with a heavy attack, among others. In this sense, it’s always worth it to keep at least one character of every element leveled up in case you need to swap them into combat.

By learning about the different elemental combos and their effects, as well as the properties of every weapon type, you can defeat the strongest enemies in Genshin Impact, even those that are a few levels above your own. What are your best strategies for completing the toughest challenges in the game? Leave us your best tips and tricks in the section below!