Genshin Impact Shenhe build and materials guide
The best Genshin Impact Shenhe build relies on boosting Attack and Energy Recharge to maximize the Cryo character’s value as a Support and Sub DPS. This 5-star polearm-wielder from Liyue is an expert at shredding the defense of any adversary, thus increasing the entire team’s damage output, making her a great addition to many Cryo or Physical compositions.
Her Elemental Skill, Spring Spirit Summoning, unleashes a wave of Cryo energy when charged up. This does not only apply Cryo on hit targets, but also increases the damage of any Normal, Charged and Plunging Attacks, Elemental Skills and Bursts that deal Cryo damage based on Shenhe’s Attack.
Shenhe’s Elemental Burst, Divine Maiden’s Deliverance, creates an even larger area-of-effect Cryo attack that lasts for a while and periodically applies Cryo on targets. In addition, this field reduces the resistance of enemies to Cryo and Physical damage, making it the perfect set-up for powerful follow-up attacks from your Main DPS.
We’ll show you how to get the most out of Shenhe in this guide, detailing her best weapons, artifacts, and team compositions. You’ll find everything you need to ascend Shenhe and upgrade her talents as well.
Best Shenhe weapons – Genshin Impact
Like many other 5-star characters, Shenhe’s best weapon has been tailor-made for her – the 5-star polearm Calamity Queller provides a substantial boost to the Attack stat of its wielder as well as other team members after casting an Elemental Skill. That helps with strengthening Shenhe’s own buffing ability and is a strong support effect by itself.
Here are the best weapons for Shenhe in Genshin Impact:
- Calamity Queller (5-star polearm)
- Engulfing Lightning (5-star polearm)
- Favonius Lance (4-star polearm)
- The Catch (4-star polearm)
- Wavebreaker’s Fin (4-star polearm)
Shenhe presenting her signature weapon, Calamity Queller.
HoYoverse
Best Shenhe artifacts – Genshin Impact
We’ve already seen that boosting Shenhe’s Attack stat as much as possible is an important part in making her effective. The other aspect you need to consider is that a lot of her value comes from her Elemental Burst, which has a pretty high energy cost. Getting some Energy Recharge artifacts will greatly help with that, ensuring you can activate Shenhe’s Elemental Burst as soon as the cooldown is done.
The exact set you should equip on Shenhe depends on your situation: Since she’s a Support, you could go for a full set of Noblesse Oblige to provide the entire team with another useful damage boost, if no other character is carrying it. On a Freeze team you may want to opt for a full set of Blizzard Strayer to maximize the Cryo damage output. If you’re looking for the maximum amount of Attack on Shenhe, mixing two pieces each of Gladiator’s Finale and Shimenawa’s Reminiscence is the way to go.
You should get the following stat distribution on Shenhe’s artifact set, regardless of which one you end up choosing:
- Flower: HP (main stat), Attack %, Energy Recharge, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage (secondary stats)
- Plume: Attack (main stat), Attack %, Energy Recharge, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage (secondary stats)
- Sands: Attack % (main stat), Energy Recharge, Attack, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage (secondary stats)
- Goblet: Attack % (main stat), Energy Recharge, Attack, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage Recharge (secondary stats)
- Circlet: Attack % (main stat), Energy Recharge, Attack, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage Recharge (secondary stats)
Best Shenhe teams – Genshin Impact
We’ve already mentioned Freeze teams as a great stage for Shenhe to shine, so let’s look at how such a composition might look like:
Kamisato Ayaka is a fantastic Main DPS for Freeze teams and will create the Cryo Resonance when combined with Shenhe. While she’ll do most of the on-field work, Shenhe is there to cast her abilities to boost Ayaka’s damage output and help her and Kokomi to keep the enemies in a frozen state. Kazuha further assists with crowd control and reducing resistances.
Shenhe is compatible with many Cryo Main DPS characters in this form, helping the likes of Ganyu, Chongyun, and Rosaria achieve their full potential.
- Eula (Main DPS), Raiden Shogun (Sub DPS), Shenhe (Support), Zhongli (Support)
The other possibility we mentioned was a team focusing on physical damage. This should be led by Eula, who is the best physical damage dealer in the game. Shenhe again assists through her damage buff and resistance shredding. This composition will ensure a high uptime for her Burst thanks to Raiden acting as a battery. Zhongli keeps everyone safe with his shields and adds his own shredding of physical resistance into the mix.
Shenhe ascension materials – Genshin Impact
You’ll want to quickly raise Shenhe’s level when you finally get her, which means that you’ll need to farm her ascension materials. You’ll also require some material to upgrade her talents.
Here’s what you need to get Shenhe to level 90:
- Shivada Jade Sliver x1
- Shivada Jade Fragment x9
- Shivada Jade Chunk x9
- Shivada Jade Gemstone x6
- Whopperflower Nectar x18
- Shimmering Nectar x30
- Energy Nectar x36
- Qingxin x168
- Dragonheir’s False Fin x46
- Mora x2,092,530
Shivada Jade is available from any Cryo-affiliated boss on the world map, such as the Cryo Regisvine or the Cryo Hypostasis. Unfortunately, there is no synergy between these bosses and the other materials Shenhe needs. Nectar is pretty annoying to farm, unfortunately, as you won’t often find clusters of Whopperflowers. Liyue offers a few good locations to find them, such as near the entrance to the Pyro Regisvine or at the northern teleport waypoint. You’ll need to climb the highest elevations in Liyue to find the Qingxin growing there.
Dragonheir’s False Fin is a drop from the Bathysmal Vishap Herd boss fight in Enkanomiya. They can help you with getting Shivada Jade as well, though the gems are not a guaranteed drop. The best way to earn more Mora is to farm golden Ley Line Blossoms.
Here’s what you need to upgrade all of Shenhe’s talents to their maximum level:
- Whopperflower Nectar x18
- Shimmering Nectar x66
- Energy Nectar x93
- Teachings of Prosperity x9
- Guide to Prosperity x63
- Philosophies of Prosperity x114
- Hellfire Butterfly x18
- Crown of Insight x3
- Mora x4,957,500
Aside from additional Nectar and Mora you’ll need to farm Scrolls of Prosperity at the Taishan Mansion Domain in Liyue on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. Hellfire Butterflies are a boss material dropped by La Signora at Tenshukaku on Narukami. Crowns of Insight are a rare item gained from time-limited events or regional reward mechanics like the Tree of Dreams in Sumeru or the Grand Narukami Shrine.
