HomeGuidesGenshin Impact

The best Genshin Impact Shenhe buildLearn how to put together the best possible Shenhe build in Genshin Impact

Learn how to put together the best possible Shenhe build in Genshin Impact

Shenhe from Genshin Impact, as seen on her character card.

Want to learn how to create the best build for Shenhe in Genshin Impact?Cryo Polearm wielder Shenhe made herGenshin Impactdebut in January 2022, the first 5* addition of the new year. While there hasn’t been as much excitement around her introduction as there was for her 5* predecessorArataki Itto, she’s a solid addition to the game, just a little less flashy. Thanks to their rarity and the time andcurrencyit takes to obtain them, it’s easy to expect 5* characters to be all DPS all the time; but Shenhe, like many of the more overlooked members of her cohort, is simply at her best and most valuable in a support role. Follow our best Shenhe build guide below to get the most out of this new character.

Character Demo - “Shenhe: Crane in the Wild” | Genshin ImpactWatch on YouTube

Character Demo - “Shenhe: Crane in the Wild” | Genshin Impact

Cover image for YouTube video

Best Genshin Impact Shenhe build for support

Best weapon: Calamity Queller

Alternative:The Catch

Despite being such an excellent match for Shenhe, the Calamity Queller is a 5* weapon, and therefore it’s a good idea to have a strong alternative choice in mind. There are a few polearms that work well, but my preference here is forThe Catch. While it lacks the Calamity Queller’s potential benefits to the entire party, The Catch still lets you make the most of Shenhe’s Cryo talents, granting her a 16% increase to Elemental Burst DMG and a 6% increase to that talent’s CRIT rate while equipped.

Best artifacts: Noblesse Oblige

Set bonuses:

Alternative:2 pieces each from Noblesse Oblige and Blizzard Strayer sets

One way or another, you’re going to want to equip Shenhe with at least two pieces from theNoblesse Obligeartifact set, giving her access to a 20% Elemental Burst DMG Bonus that very much accentuates her best feature.

From there it’s a tough choice between adding more Noblesse Oblige pieces or switching to the Blizzard Strayer set. Ultimately, though, if you’re looking to make the most of Shenhe as an elemental support character, it’s better to stick with Noblesse Oblige, since it nets you a four-piece set bonus that significantly boosts the entire party’s ATK when Shenhe uses her Elemental Burst.

However, mixing things up with a couple ofBlizzard Strayerpieces instead adds another 15% Cryo DMG Bonus to Shenhe’s elemental attacks. Consider going with this alternative combo if you’re looking to lean a bit further into her secondary potential as a sub-DPS.

When choosing stat priorities on Shenhe’s artifacts, the following stats and substats are the ones to look out for to maximise this build:

Talent priority: Spring Spirit Summoning (Elemental Skill)

Secondary:Divine Maiden’s Deliverance (Elemental Burst)

Unsurprisingly given this build’s focus on Cryo support, Shenhe’s elemental talents are far more valuable than her normal attack skills. Your first priority should be her Elemental SkillSpring Spirit Summoning, since this is the talent that directly supports other party members. However, when it comes to increasing Shenhe’s own damage-dealing potential, her Elemental BurstDivine Maiden’s Deliveranceis also extremely valuable, and shouldn’t be neglected in this build which so frequently walks the line between support and sub-DPS duties.

Here’s a full list of Shenhe’s talents and what they do:

Party composition

5* alternative:Eula replacing Kaeya as main DPS

Pairing Shenhe with a Cryo DPS is pretty crucial if you want to get the best performance out of her, to the point where it almost doesn’t matter who you pick. I’ve gone withKaeya, partially because I’m a bit biased towards him, and partly because he’s genuinely one of the better 4* Cryo DPS characters in the game, which is especially good news considering you unlock him for free during the prologue. However, you could easily sub inChongyunorRosariaif you prefer their DPS possibilities; or if you have a 5* Cryo DPS character like the recently re-runEula, this is the perfect opportunity to put them to work.

Shenhe’s introduction panel in Genshin Impact. Text reads: “Lonesome Transcendence: Ethereal Soul Amidst the Mortal Realm”.

How to level up Shenhe in Genshin Impact

Ascension Materials

To fully ascend Shenhe, you’ll need the following materials:

Talents

To fully level up one of Shenhe’s talents, you’ll need to collect the following materials. Shenhe has three talents, and to level them all up you need to assemble the whole lot for each one individually.

Constellations

Unless you’re blessed with extreme amounts of luck or money, your odds of pulling Shenhe from the gacha enough times to reach her final constellation are pretty low. Fortunately, most 5* characters have Constellations that are nice to have but not exactly essential to their build. Nevertheless, just in case you beat the odds, here’s a full run-down of Shenhe’s Constellations and what they do:

Promotional art for Genshin Impact version 2.4, showing featured 5* characters Shenhe, Xiao, and Ganyu.

How to get Shenhe in Genshin Impact

Shenhe is an event-exclusive 5-star character, meaning that she’s only available to pull from the gacha when herbanneris rerun. After a long wait following her January 2022 introduction, Shenhe returned for a rerun in March/April 2023. She’s now once again unavailable, but hopefully you won’t have to wait as long again for your next chance towishfor her.

That’s everything you need to know about the optimum build for Shenhe in Genshin Impact, but there are nearly fifty playable characters in this game for you to collect. Check out ourGenshin Impact character tier listto help you decide who you might like to pull for next, or see our guide to thepity systemto help you understand how to calculate your odds of getting who you want from the gacha.