Elemental Reactions
Elemental Reactions represent the centerpiece of the combat system of Genshin Impact. Understanding and mastering these interactions can drastically improve one’s proficiency in battle. There are multiple factors to consider when triggering Elemental Reactions, such as aura, trigger, decay, etc. Elemental Gauge Theory and Internal Cooldowns will play a major role to help players understand the complexity behind Elemental Reactions.
About Terms and Mechanics
An Elemental Reaction occurs when different elements are applied to a target that is already affected by an element. In Genshin Impact, there are seven elements, each with at least 1 reaction that can be triggered using it. However, there are restrictions to these reactions as certain elements do not interact with another element, which is as follows: Geo, Dendro and Anemo, and Dendro and Cryo do not react with each other. Elemental Reactions can be divided into separate categories, such as: Non Damage Reactions, Amplifying Reactions, Transformative Reactions and Additive Reactions. To better understand certain mechanisms and interactions, it is helpful to outline and define a couple of terms and mechanisms. These have found an established use in the community and have been identified through rigorous testing and research from dedicated players. Some of these paradigms and mechanisms are rather complex in nature, so their listing here is but a condensed summary. |
| Triggers & Auras |
When talking about reactions, some of them do care about the order of use, while others are indifferent when considering the effect of the reaction. No matter if an enemy is affected by Electro or Cryo, the instant the respective other element is applied, the Superconduct reaction occurs and the effect is the same. However, there is a difference whether it is Pyro or Hydro which triggers the Vaporize reaction, since here, the sequence of application has an impact on the effect of the reaction (i.e. x1.5 multiplier compared to x2 multiplier). To facilitate communication on this matter, the community adopted the terms of "Aura" and "Trigger". "Aura" being used to describe which element(s) is present on an entity during a neutral state (before or after a reaction), while "Trigger" is used to describe which element triggers the reaction(s). |
| Elemental Gauge (Unit) Theory |
"Elemental Gauge (Unit) Theory" refers to the understanding that elemental auras are "consumed" to different degrees depending on their own strength and the strength of the respective trigger. In this case, the strength of an elemental aura or trigger is not defined by the damage an attacking move did when applying said element, but a predefined value for that attack. These values can be modulated by factors, such as order of application (strong or weak elements), or the time between applications (decay). In essence, certain attacks apply "more" or "less" of an element, which can be reflected in the strength of the aura or the trigger. This strength is counted in so-called units, e.g. 1U Cryo or 2U Pyro. Here are some examples, that can help to demonstrate this idea: Charlotte's Normal Attack applies 1U Cryo and Lisa's Normal Attack applies 1U Electro. Both cancel each other out and the Superconduct reaction occurs. Xingqiu's Burst applies 1U Hydro, while Hu Tao's Charged Attack applies 1U Pyro. However, since in this case, Pyro is the "weak" Element due the nature of Vaporize, its strength is halved, which means it only consumes 0.5U of Xingqiu's Hydro aura. This means, after the attack, a 0.5U Hydro aura remains on the enemy, and Hu Tao can trigger a second reaction. Likewise, Bennett's Burst applies 2U Pyro to an enemy, after which, Mona's Normal Attack applies 1U Hydro. However, since Hydro is the "strong" Element, it consumes twice as much, resulting in a full removal of the initial Pyro aura. It should be noted that a trigger, even if applying more of an element than what can be consumed from an enemies aura, will never apply the rest of its element. An attack can either apply a new element, if none is present, and establish an aura OR consume (part of) an aura and trigger a reaction. A single attack can never do both. |
Charlotte
Lisa
Xingqiu
Hu Tao
Bennett
Mona| Internal Cooldown (ICD) |
The same way that Elemental Skills and Bursts have cooldowns, after which they can be used again, most attacks that apply an element also follow specific rules. These cooldowns are for the most part separate from another and not visible by any indicator, hence the name Internal Cooldown (ICD). Apart from some exceptions that do not have any internal cooldown and apply their element with each use/hit, most attacks follow similar patterns. In fact, there are two rules working in tandem, the time-rule and the hit-rule, with the time-rule taking priority. Simply put, every X hits, the same attack can apply its element again, while also every X seconds, regardless of hits. A practical example for this is Kaeya's Burst. While this ability rotates rapidly and deals quick hits of Cryo Damage, not every hit can trigger a reaction or apply its element. In fact, every third hit will apply Cryo, meaning hits number 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, .. and so forth. Also, every 2.5 seconds, the next hit will also be guaranteed to apply the element, overwriting the previously mentioned hit-rule and resetting that one back to 1. Same example as before with Kaeya's Burst, this could be a sequence: 1, 4, 7 // 8, 11, 14 // 15, 18, … In this example, the timer starts after hit 1. Hit 7 occurs after 2.4s, meaning the next hit would happen after 2.5 seconds. Since the time-rule takes priority, hit 8 applies Cryo instead, restarts the timer and also resets the time rule. This 3-hit-rule and 2.5s-time-rule are commonly referred to as "Standard ICD", since these values are the most common ones. Some exceptions do not have a rule at all, are missing a time- or hit-rule, or have modified time- and/or hit-rules. Examples for such exceptions are Xiangling's Burst (no ICD) or Fischl's Oz Attacks (4 hits hit-rule & 5 seconds time-rule). |
Kaeya
Xiangling
FischlNon Damage Reactions
| Overview |
Can be divided into 3 sections: Elemental Reaction classified by Frozen, Crystallize and Quicken. Instead of adding DMG, these reactions provide other attributes with associated elements. |
| Frozen |
Frozen elemental reactions are inflicted by Cryo and Hydro elements that can occur on Opponents or Characters, immobilizing targets affected by corresponding elements, and consuming weaker aura applied on its target. The duration is calculated based on the amount of gauge units applied and target RES. (Kaeya Elemental Skill 2U, Barbara Normal Attack 1U Frozen target for 2s. With underlying Cryo Aura allowed Barbara to trigger another Frozen) In Frozen state, target can receive a follow-up reaction by applying another element (Melt, Superconduct, Shatter, Swirls, Bloom) that will remove or reduce Frozen aura duration or completely clear the aura on the target. (Examples: Triggering Superconduct or Swirls on Frozen target would immediately clear or reduce Frozen duration. The second example has constant Hydro application, so Hydro was Swirled off of the enemy rather than Cryo) Applying Dendro aura on affected targets would not trigger any reaction. Instead, if the target has a stronger Hydro aura or more gauge unit underlying on Frozen target, 1 Dendro Core will be created (maximum 3 Dendro Cores can be made this way). (Applying 1U Hydro and 2U Hydro will allow the creation of 3 Dendro cores during the Frozen state since Dendro has a stronger aura.) |
Barbara| Crystallize |
The Crystallize reaction occurs when a target that is affected by Pyro, Electro, Cryo, or Hydro takes Geo DMG, creating a Crystallize Shard nearby. This shard can be picked up and grants a shield of a certain base value. Crystallize Shield Strength is calculated based on Character Level (Base Shield HP) and EM (Bonus Shield HP). Crystallize Shard with 1000 EM at level 90. Crystallize Shard with 0 EM at level 90. At most 3 Crystallize Shards can be present on the field, creating a new crystal shard will replace the oldest one. Once created, each Shard will last for 17 seconds on the ground. After being picked up, the Crystallize Shield will last for 15 seconds, providing 250% Damage Absorption against its corresponding element and resistance to interruption. Only one Crystallize Shield can be active at a time and picking up a Shard will replace it, refreshing its duration and shield absorption. Like other shields in the game, Crystallize Shields do not stack with shields from abilities, weapons, or constellations as all shields take damage simultaneously. (Stacking Crystallize shard with other Zhongli Elemental Skill) |
Zhongli| Quicken |
The Quicken Reaction and resulting Quickened State is part of the Spread and Aggravate Reactions. When Dendro and Electro interact on a target, the Quickened State is inflicted on it and lasts as long as these two elements are lingering on the enemy (approximately 11s). On a target in the Quickened state, applying Dendro element would trigger Spread reaction and inflicting Electro would trigger Aggravate reaction, adding additional DMG. Since you need to use Dendro/Electro attacks on a Quickened enemy to cause the Spread/Aggravate Reactions, this State is constantly refreshed. While the Quicken state is not technically a Dendro aura, it has the Dendro symbol and behaves similarly when it comes to its interactions with Pyro and Hydro. Aggravate and Spread does not consume or reduce Quicken aura on target and can be added respectively, but inflicting Pyro or Hydro will trigger Burning or Bloom, reducing the Quicken duration. (Applying Hydro on Quickened target consume the Dendro and clear the Quicken status on target) |
Damage Reactions
| Overview |
Under the in-game Elemental Mastery value of the character’s attributes, Elemental Reactions are divided into 4 categories, 3 of these are of a damaging nature. These archetypes can be classified as Amplifying Reactions, Transformative Reactions, and Additive Reactions. Amplifying Reactions are Vaporize and Melt. These reactions amplify the damage of the attack that triggers it by a multiplicative factor. Additive Reactions are Spread and Aggravate. These ones add a certain value to the attack that triggers one of these reactions. Transformative Reactions cause damage independent from the attack that triggers them and can have additional properties, such as causing multiple instances of damage or applying an element. These reactions include Burning, Superconduct, Swirl, Electro-charged, Shattered, Overloaded, Bloom, Hyperbloom, and Burgeon. All these reactions take into consideration the Elemental Mastery of the character that triggers the reaction and a specific multiplier for each reaction, as well as an enemy's RES to the reaction's elemental type. For Additive and Transformative Reactions, a character's level is also taken into account. |
| Amplifying Reactions |
Vaporize and Melt are Amplifying Reactions, which multiply the normal damage with the EM Bonus and a special Multiplier. This one is 200% for Vaporize triggered by Hydro and for Melt triggered by Pyro, and 150% for Vaporize triggered by Pyro and for Melt triggered by Cryo. The reactions that apply the 200% Bonus are often called "strong", whereas the 150% reaction is labeled "weak". This has less to do with the damage they cause, but with the interaction of the elements involved. As such, a "weak" reaction consumes less of the aura-element, assuming both aura and trigger are of the same caliber. As such, "weak" reactions only consume half the aura that "strong" reactions do, which allows to trigger more reactions. (At the top, the Elemental Attack's damage is shown simply; at the bottom, triggering a reaction with EM 0, Pyro Vaporize (x1.5), Hydro Vaporize (x2.0), Pyro Melt (x2.0), Cryo Melt (x1.5) respectively) |
| Transformative Reactions |
Transformative Reactions are quite a lot, but all of them share these characteristics: they generate damage independent of the triggering attack (and its base DMG), cannot critically strike, does not benefit from any generic damage bonus, and do not consider the enemy DEF, but the level of the triggering character. The level multiplier is specific for each level, but the most important ones are 1077 and 1446 for the levels 80 and 90 respectively. The damage of these reactions is calculated this way: ( 100% + EM Bonus ) × RES Multiplier × Level Multiplier × Reaction Multiplier The Reaction Multiplier is 25% for Burning, 60% for Swirl, 150% for Superconduct, 200% for Electro-Charged and Bloom, 275% for Overloaded, and 300% for Shattered, Burgeon and Hyperbloom. Burning is triggered when Pyro and Dendro react. It deals AoE Pyro DMG and applies a Burning aura dealing continuous Pyro DMG until it wears off. Swirl is triggered when Anemo and Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo react. This deals AoE DMG of the swirled (non-Anemo) element, dealing its damage both to the affected enemy and enemies nearby. Simultaneously triggering a Swirl Reaction off of 2+ enemies causes 2 instances of Swirl DMG to all opponents hit (their own and up to one adjacent one). The only exception here is Hydro: swirling Hydro only applies the Wet state, while dealing damage only to the enemy that it was triggered on. Triggering a Swirl reaction is considered a "weak" elemental interaction; as such, the aura is not fully cleared from the enemy, which allows for further reactions. Superconduct is triggered when Electro and Cryo react. It deals AoE Cryo DMG and reduces the Physical RES of all the enemies hit by 40% for 12s. The Cryo DMG of the reaction does not apply the element. Electro-Charged is triggered when Hydro and Electro react. It deals Electro DMG once per second to the involved enemy and nearby enemies affected by Wet until the Hydro or the Electro aura wears off. Bloom is triggered when Dendro and Hydro react. It doesn’t deal any additional DMG but creates a Dendro Core that deals AoE Dendro DMG after exploding (within 6s or when 5 newer Dendro cores are created). Each enemy cannot take Dendro Core DMG more than twice every 0.5s. When the character takes damage from a Dendro Core, it will be just the 5% of it. If Dendro triggers Bloom, the Hydro aura will be completely cleared; but if Hydro does, then just half of the Dendro aura. Overloaded is triggered when Pyro and Electro react. It deals AoE Pyro DMG and causes a strong explosion clearing the Pyro and Electro aura. Shattered is triggered when a Frozen enemy is hit with a heavy attack (claymore and plunging attacks, explosions, Geo DMG, etc.). It ends the Frozen state and then deals Physical DMG (so it doesn’t take advantage of the bonuses of the Blizzard Strayer 4-pieces set and Cryo Resonance). Burgeon is triggered when a Dendro Core comes into contact with Pyro. It deals AoE Dendro DMG. Hyperbloom is triggered when a Dendro Core comes into contact with Electro. It doesn’t deal any additional DMG but transforms the cores into a homing Sprawling Shot that deals Dendro DMG on hitting. It has a very small AoE, but if multiple enemies are close enough it can hit them too. (Triggering the mentioned reactions with characters at the same level and EM 0) |
Blizzard Strayer| Additive Reactions |
Spread and Aggravate are Additive Reactions, which add a certain value to the damage of the ability that triggers it. The Additive Reactions can only be triggered on enemies affected by the Quicken state (as seen in section 2). Dealing Dendro DMG causes Spread, while Electro DMG causes Aggravate. This Bonus Damage is applied to the Base Damage of the triggering attack and profits from all further amplifying bonuses and factors applied to that attack (DMG%, CRIT, RES, DEF). The added damage of these reactions is calculated this way: ( 100% + EM Bonus ) × Level Multiplier × Reaction Multiplier The Reaction Multiplier is 115% for Aggravate and 125% for Spread. (Fischl and Collei triggering an Additive reaction at the same level, ATK, ability percentage and EM 0) |
ColleiRelated Mechanisms
Sources: HoYoWiki (HoYoverse)
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