Genshin Impact: Optimal Artifacts For Your Characters
Ever wondered how to make your favorite Genshin Impact characters truly shine? The secret often lies in their artifacts! Choosing the right set and stats can transform a good character into an unstoppable force, capable of clearing challenging content with ease. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about selecting the optimal artifacts for your entire roster, ensuring every hero on your team is performing at their peak potential. We'll delve into the nitty-gritty of artifact sets, main stats, substats, and provide practical examples to help you build a truly formidable team. Get ready to unlock the full power of your characters and conquer Teyvat like never before!
Understanding Artifacts: The Basics of Character Power
When it comes to boosting your Genshin Impact characters, artifacts are undoubtedly one of the most crucial elements. Think of them as specialized gear pieces that provide significant stat bonuses and unique set effects, directly impacting a character's performance in combat. Every character can equip five distinct artifact pieces: the Flower of Life, Plume of Death, Sands of Eon, Goblet of Eonothem, and Circlet of Logos. Each of these pieces serves a specific purpose, and understanding their individual roles is the first step towards optimal artifact choices. The Flower of Life will always provide a flat HP main stat, making your characters more durable, while the Plume of Death consistently offers a flat ATK main stat, boosting their raw damage output. These two pieces are straightforward, providing foundational stats that are universally beneficial. However, the true customization and strategic depth come into play with the Sands, Goblet, and Circlet, as their main stats can vary wildly, allowing for tailored builds based on your character's kit and role. For instance, a Sands of Eon might roll with ATK%, Energy Recharge, Elemental Mastery, HP%, or DEF%, depending on what your character needs most. Similarly, Goblets can offer a wide array of Elemental Damage Bonuses (Pyro DMG, Cryo DMG, etc.) or Physical DMG Bonus, making them vital for amplifying specific damage types. Lastly, the Circlet of Logos can be a game-changer with Critical Rate, Critical Damage, Healing Bonus, or even specific stat percentages like ATK% or Elemental Mastery. The beauty of this system lies in its flexibility, allowing you to fine-tune your character's strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. Furthermore, equipping two or four pieces of the same artifact set unlocks powerful set bonuses that can provide anything from increased damage to enhanced healing or utility. These set bonuses are often the cornerstone of any Genshin Impact character build, dictating which domains you'll spend countless hours farming. Deciphering which sets synergize best with a character's abilities and team composition is a puzzle that, once solved, dramatically elevates your combat prowess. Mastering the art of Genshin Impact artifacts isn't just about getting lucky drops; it's about making informed decisions to ensure every piece contributes effectively to your character's overall power.
Key Stats & Substats: What to Look For
Delving deeper into Genshin Impact artifacts, understanding the main stats and substats is absolutely essential for making optimal artifact choices. While the main stat on a Sands, Goblet, or Circlet provides a large, fixed bonus, the substats are where the real magic (and frustration!) happens. Substats are smaller, randomized bonuses that roll on each artifact piece, and they can significantly enhance your character's performance. For most damage-dealing characters (often referred to as DPS), your primary focus will be on maximizing Critical Rate and Critical Damage. These two stats are the bread and butter of high damage output, determining how often your attacks deal extra damage and by how much. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a 1:2 ratio of Crit Rate to Crit Damage, for example, 70% Crit Rate and 140% Crit Damage, although this can vary based on character abilities and weapon choices. Beyond these critical stats, ATK% is another incredibly important substat for most characters, directly boosting their overall attack power. For characters who rely heavily on Elemental Reactions (like Vaporize or Melt), Elemental Mastery becomes a paramount stat. It increases the damage of these reactions, turning a simple elemental application into an explosive burst of damage. Meanwhile, Energy Recharge is a crucial substat for almost every character, ensuring they can use their powerful Elemental Burst abilities more frequently. Characters who serve as Sub-DPS or Supports often prioritize Energy Recharge even more, as their value often comes from consistent Burst uptime. Other important substats include HP% and DEF% for characters who need to be tankier or whose abilities scale with these stats (like Zhongli's shield scaling with HP or Itto's damage scaling with DEF). Healing Bonus is, as you might guess, exclusively beneficial for healers, increasing the efficacy of their healing abilities. Flat stats like HP and ATK are generally less desirable than their percentage counterparts (HP% and ATK%) because percentages scale much better as your character levels up. The goal is to accumulate as many useful substat rolls as possible on each artifact, which is why artifact farming can feel like a never-ending quest! It's not just about getting the right main stat; it's about getting multiple rolls into those precious Crit Rate, Crit Damage, ATK%, Elemental Mastery, and Energy Recharge substats to truly optimize your Genshin Impact character builds. Each decision, from which artifact to level up to which one to discard, contributes to the overall strength of your team, making stat awareness a powerful tool in your arsenal.
Artifact Sets Explained: Synergies and Strategies
Understanding the various artifact sets and their unique bonuses is where the strategic depth of Genshin Impact artifact optimization truly shines. Each set, whether it's a 2-piece or 4-piece bonus, offers distinct advantages that can dramatically alter a character's effectiveness, making the choice of optimal artifacts a critical decision for any team composition. Let's explore some of the most prominent and frequently used sets, outlining their benefits and ideal users.
One of the most universally acclaimed and essential artifact sets for Anemo support characters is Viridescent Venerer. Its 2-piece bonus grants a 15% Anemo DMG Bonus, which is nice, but the 4-piece bonus is the real star: increasing Swirl DMG by 60% and, more importantly, decreasing opponent's Elemental RES to the element infused in the Swirl by 40% for 10s. This elemental shred is invaluable for boosting your main DPS's damage against enemies affected by elements like Pyro, Cryo, Hydro, or Electro. Characters like Kazuha, Sucrose, and Venti are almost always equipped with a full Viridescent Venerer set to maximize their support capabilities.
For characters who focus on Elemental Burst damage, the Noblesse Oblige set is a fantastic choice. Its 2-piece effect provides a 20% Elemental Burst DMG Bonus, and the 4-piece bonus increases all party members' ATK by 20% for 12s after using an Elemental Burst. This makes it an optimal artifact set for many burst-focused supports and sub-DPS characters like Bennett, Mona, or even Xingqiu if no one else is using it. You generally only need one character in a team equipped with a 4-piece Noblesse set, as the ATK buff doesn't stack.
Another incredibly powerful and versatile set, especially for Energy Recharge-hungry characters, is Emblem of Severed Fate. The 2-piece bonus gives a 20% Energy Recharge, which is already great, but its 4-piece bonus is truly game-changing: it increases Elemental Burst DMG by 25% of Energy Recharge, up to a maximum of 75% bonus DMG. This set effectively turns Energy Recharge into a damage-dealing stat, making it best-in-slot for characters like Raiden Shogun, Xiangling, Yelan, and Xingqiu who often need high ER and whose main damage comes from their bursts.
For characters who generate shields or whose abilities scale with HP, Tenacity of the Millelith is a prime contender. Its 2-piece bonus gives a 20% HP increase, and the 4-piece bonus states that when an Elemental Skill hits an opponent, all nearby party members' ATK is increased by 20% and Shield Strength is increased by 30% for 3s. This effect can be triggered every 0.5s and still works when the character is off-field. It's a perfect fit for Zhongli due to his consistent shield generation and HP scaling, and also works well on characters like Layla or Kirara.
When it comes to dedicated elemental damage dealers, specific sets often reign supreme. Crimson Witch of Flames (2-piece Pyro DMG Bonus, 4-piece buffs Vaporize/Melt/Overload DMG further and stacks Pyro DMG Bonus) is the optimal artifact set for most Pyro DPS characters relying on reactions, like Hu Tao and Diluc. For Cryo DPS in Freeze teams, Blizzard Strayer (2-piece Cryo DMG Bonus, 4-piece grants massive Crit Rate against Cryo-affected and Frozen enemies) makes characters like Ayaka and Ganyu devastatingly powerful. Xiao and Wanderer often benefit from Vermillion Hereafter or Desert Pavilion Chronicle respectively, both offering unique ATK and Anemo DMG bonuses. Newer sets like Marechaussee Hunter (increases Crit Rate after HP changes) are optimal artifacts for characters like Lyney, Neuvillette, and Arlecchino who have mechanics involving HP fluctuation. Golden Troupe (increases Elemental Skill DMG, further increased when off-field) is fantastic for off-field skill damage dealers such as Fischl, Yae Miko, and Albedo. Lastly, Deepwood Memories (Dendro DMG Bonus, reduces Dendro RES) is crucial for Dendro support characters like Nahida or Baizhu to enhance Dendro reactions, while Gilded Dreams (Elemental Mastery, ATK bonus based on team's elemental types) is often preferred for Dendro reaction DPS like Alhaitham or Kuki Shinobu (in Hyperbloom teams) when they are the primary trigger.
Choosing the right artifact set isn't just about maximizing one stat; it's about understanding the character's kit, their role in the team, and how the set bonus synergizes with their abilities and your team's overall strategy. Sometimes a 2-piece combination (e.g., 2-piece Noblesse + 2-piece Emblem) might be better if you can't get good substats on a full 4-piece set, making flexibility a key aspect of Genshin Impact character optimization.
Role-Based Artifact Recommendations: Tailoring Your Builds
Now that we've covered the basics of Genshin Impact artifacts and the common sets, let's dive into role-based artifact recommendations. Matching the right optimal artifacts to your characters' specific roles is paramount for creating a truly powerful and cohesive team. Every character plays a part, whether it's dealing massive damage, providing crucial support, or keeping the team healthy, and their artifact builds should reflect that.
Damage Dealers (Main DPS)
Main DPS characters are the stars of your team, responsible for dishing out the majority of your damage. For these heroes, the goal is simple: maximize their damage output. This means prioritizing Crit Rate and Crit Damage on your Circlet and through substats, along with an Elemental DMG Bonus Goblet (or Physical DMG Bonus for physical carries). The Sands of Eon will typically be ATK%, unless their damage scales heavily with another stat, like HP% for Hu Tao or DEF% for Itto.
For example, a Pyro Main DPS like Hu Tao thrives on Crimson Witch of Flames for its reaction damage amplification, with a HP% Sands (due to her skill scaling) and a Pyro DMG Bonus Goblet, and a Crit Rate/DMG Circlet. You'll want high Crit Rate/DMG and some Elemental Mastery substats. For a Cryo Main DPS like Ayaka in a Freeze team, Blizzard Strayer is almost always best-in-slot. You'd aim for a ATK% Sands, Cryo DMG Bonus Goblet, and a Crit Damage Circlet, as the 4-piece Blizzard Strayer set provides so much Crit Rate against frozen enemies, allowing you to focus heavily on Crit Damage through substats. Another example is Raiden Shogun, who can be built as a potent Electro Main DPS/Sub-DPS hybrid. For her, Emblem of Severed Fate is incredibly strong, transforming Energy Recharge into Burst damage. You'd want an Energy Recharge Sands, Electro DMG Bonus Goblet, and a Crit Rate/DMG Circlet, with substats focusing on Crit Rate/DMG, ATK%, and more Energy Recharge. Newer characters like Neuvillette, who has a unique HP-draining mechanic, greatly benefit from Marechaussee Hunter, allowing him to stack immense Crit Damage while gaining Crit Rate from the set bonus. He typically wants an HP% Sands, Hydro DMG Bonus Goblet, and Crit Damage Circlet. Meanwhile, Geo Main DPS characters like Arataki Itto, whose damage scales primarily with DEF, will seek Husk of Opulent Dreams, aiming for a DEF% Sands, Geo DMG Bonus Goblet, and a Crit Rate/DMG Circlet, with substats prioritizing DEF% and Crit stats. The key takeaway for DPS characters is to identify their primary scaling stat (ATK, HP, DEF, EM) and their ideal damage type (Elemental/Physical), then choose an optimal artifact set that synergizes perfectly with their kit to maximize those critical damage numbers.
Sub-DPS and Burst Supports
These characters provide significant damage from off-field or contribute powerful Elemental Bursts that are crucial for team rotations. Their artifact priority often shifts towards ensuring consistent Elemental Burst uptime while still contributing respectable damage. Energy Recharge is frequently a top priority on their Sands of Eon, or heavily sought after in substats.
For Hydro/Pyro Sub-DPS characters like Xingqiu and Xiangling, Emblem of Severed Fate is almost always the optimal artifact set. They need substantial Energy Recharge to fuel their powerful off-field bursts (Guoba and Pyronado for Xiangling, Rainswords for Xingqiu), and Emblem cleverly converts that ER into Burst damage. You'd typically aim for an Energy Recharge Sands, Hydro/Pyro DMG Bonus Goblet, and a Crit Rate/DMG Circlet, with substats focusing on Crit Rate/DMG, ATK%, and more ER. Similarly, Yelan benefits greatly from Emblem of Severed Fate, utilizing an Energy Recharge Sands and Hydro DMG Bonus Goblet, but her damage also scales with HP, so HP% substats are highly desirable. For Electro Sub-DPS characters like Fischl (especially C6), Golden Troupe is a fantastic choice if her damage predominantly comes from Oz's Electro application while she's off-field. She would still want ATK% Sands, Electro DMG Bonus Goblet, and Crit Rate/DMG Circlet, but the Golden Troupe set's skill damage bonus is incredibly potent. For Dendro Sub-DPS like Nahida, who can also function as a main DPS, Elemental Mastery is incredibly important. While Deepwood Memories is often her best-in-slot if no one else is holding it, if another Dendro character is, Gilded Dreams with Elemental Mastery Sands, Goblet, and Circlet is an optimal artifact build to maximize her reaction damage and tri-karma purification damage. The focus for these characters is about finding the balance between maintaining their Burst uptime through Energy Recharge and amplifying their specific damage contribution, making their artifact choices critical for consistent team damage.
Healers, Shielders, and Utility Supports
These characters are the backbone of your team, providing invaluable utility, protection, and healing. Their optimal artifacts often focus on maximizing their support capabilities rather than raw damage, though some can do both!
For Anemo Utility Supports like Kazuha, Sucrose, and Venti, the 4-piece Viridescent Venerer set is non-negotiable due to its powerful Elemental RES shred. Their artifact main stats should typically be Elemental Mastery on Sands, Goblet, and Circlet. This maximizes their Swirl damage and the effectiveness of the VV shred. Substats should also heavily prioritize Elemental Mastery, along with Energy Recharge to ensure their bursts are always available. For Universal Buff Supports like Bennett, 4-piece Noblesse Oblige is usually the optimal artifact set. His Elemental Burst scales with his base ATK (character's base ATK + weapon's base ATK), but the Noblesse buff scales with his final ATK. You want an Energy Recharge Sands to ensure his burst is up, an HP% Goblet or Pyro DMG Bonus (depending on if you want more healing or a bit more damage), and a Healing Bonus Circlet or Crit Rate/DMG if you want him to deal some damage. Substats on Genshin Impact artifacts for Bennett should prioritize Energy Recharge to hit his energy requirements (often 200%+), then HP% for survivability or Crit for damage. For Shielders like Zhongli, 4-piece Tenacity of the Millelith is generally best-in-slot because his shield strength scales with HP, and Tenacity provides both HP% and an ATK buff when his skill hits. You'd want HP% on Sands, Goblet, and Circlet, with substats focusing on more HP% and some Energy Recharge. For Dedicated Healers like Kokomi, the 4-piece Ocean-Hued Clam set is highly effective, as it converts her healing into physical damage, giving her a unique damage contribution. You'd want an HP% Sands, HP% or Hydro DMG Bonus Goblet, and a Healing Bonus Circlet, with substats heavily prioritizing HP% and some Energy Recharge. Meanwhile, for Dendro healers or shielders like Baizhu, 4-piece Deepwood Memories is often the optimal artifact choice if no other Dendro character is holding it, as his healing scales with HP. He'd typically use HP% Sands, HP% Goblet, and Healing Bonus Circlet, with a focus on HP% and Energy Recharge substats. The key for these support roles is often to meet their Energy Recharge needs first, then maximize the stat their abilities scale with (EM, HP, Healing Bonus) to provide the most value to the team. These Genshin Impact character builds are just as important as the DPS builds, as they enable the main damage dealers to perform their best.
Farming Strategies: How to Get the Best Artifacts
Acquiring optimal artifacts in Genshin Impact is often considered one of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of character progression. It's a grind that heavily relies on RNG, but with smart farming strategies, you can make the process more efficient and less frustrating. The primary way to get high-rarity artifacts is by challenging Domain of Blessing (artifact domains) at World Level 8, which guarantees 5-star artifact drops. However, simply running domains repeatedly isn't always the most resin-efficient method. It's crucial to prioritize your resin usage. Early in the game (before AR45), don't spend too much resin on artifact domains; focus on leveling characters, talents, and weapons first. Once you hit AR45, 5-star artifacts become guaranteed, making the domains worth your resin.
When you start artifact farming, target domains that offer two artifact sets that are beneficial to your team. For example, the Momiji-Dyed Court domain drops both Emblem of Severed Fate and Shimenawa's Reminiscence. If you need Emblem for Xiangling and Shimenawa for Yoimiya, this domain offers double the potential value, making it highly resin-efficient. Even if you only need one set from a domain, if the other set is universally useful (like Noblesse Oblige or Viridescent Venerer from their respective domains), it's still a good investment. Another incredibly valuable tool is the Artifact Strongbox located at the crafting bench. This feature allows you to sacrifice three 5-star artifacts to create one new random artifact from a chosen set (e.g., Bloodstained Chivalry, Noblesse Oblige, Viridescent Venerer, etc.). This is an excellent farming strategy for converting your mountain of undesirable 5-star artifacts into pieces that might actually be useful for certain characters, especially for sets not found in dual-drop domains. It helps mitigate some of the RNG by giving you a second chance at specific sets. Don't be afraid to use the strongbox to target those elusive Viridescent Venerer or Noblesse pieces. Lastly, know when to stop farming. While it's tempting to pursue a perfect 50 Crit Rate / 100 Crit Damage ratio with 200+ Energy Recharge and high Elemental Mastery, sometimes
