Can’t tell a Vaporize from a Melt, or an Overload from a Swirl? Find out what each of Genshin Impact’s Elemental Reactions do here.
Elemental Reactions are the interactions between different elements within Genshin Impact’s combat. Different combinations of elemental attacks produce different effects that can form the basis of many different team compositions within the game. These effects can range from extra damage to a huge knockback to damage over time, and learning them is key to understanding Genshin Impact’s combat system!
Vaporize
Pyro + Hydro
When Pyro and Hydro interact, they’ll deal a huge amount of damage! When Pyro is applied to Hydro, its damage will be increased by 1.5x, and if Hydro is applied to Pyro then its damage will double! This makes characters who can constantly apply Pyro, especially while off-field, exceptionally strong with Hydro characters. Xiangling is amazing for this reason: she is able to consistently apply Pyro with her Elemental Burst, while another Hydro character can trigger this reaction for huge damage.
Overloaded
Pyro + Electro
When Pyro and Electro meet, regardless of which order they interact in, they’ll create a huge explosion! This blast will deal AoE (Area of Effect) Pyro damage and send opponents flying, knocking them back and briefly incapacitating them, giving you a great window to defeat them. Much like Vaporize, Xiangling can be a great trigger for this effect alongside a strong Electro character like Raiden Shogun or Yae Miko.
Melt
Pyro + Cryo
Much like Vaporize, Pyro and Cryo create huge amounts of damage when they collide. Applying Cryo to a target afflicted with Pyro will deal 1.5x damage, while applying Pyro to a Cryo-afflicted target will deal a whopping 2x damage! Strong Cryo main DPS like Ayaka and Ganyu heavily benefit from an off-field character who can apply Pyro quickly, making Xiangling once again an excellent pair with these characters.
Electro-Charged
Electro + Hydro
When Electro meets Hydro, regardless of the order of application, the target will become Electro-Charged and take Electro damage over time. This will also spread to any targets nearby that were already afflicted by Hydro. Pairing a Hydro main DPS such as Neuvillette or Tartaglia with a strong off-field Electro character such as Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko or Kuki Shinobu can set up for some very powerful Electro-Charged interactions.
Frozen
Cryo + Hydro
If Cryo and Hydro are combined on a target in any order, they’ll be Frozen! This fully immobilizes them, but doesn’t deal any extra damage on its own. However, hitting a Frozen target with a Claymore, Plunging attack or a Geo attack will cause them to Shatter, dealing large Physical damage. Cryo main DPS like Ayaka and Ganyu can pair very nicely with Hydro supports like Barbara and Kokomi, as well as Geo or Claymore characters to activate Shatter.
Super-conduct
Cryo + Electro
The combination of Cryo and Electro results in an explosion of AoE Cryo damage and also reduces affected enemies’ resistance to Physical attacks by 40% for 12 seconds. This can work very well with a main DPS of either element who can deal strong Physical damage, such as Eula. We recommend comboing her with a character like Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko or Kuki Shinobu. Alternatively, a character like Beidou paired with Cryo supports like Diona or Shenhe could work equally as well.
Swirl
Anemo + Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo
Anemo’s only reaction, Swirl, comes into effect when Anemo meets Pyro, Hydro, Electro or Cryo. Swirl will spread the non-Anemo element to all other enemies in the AoE, and remove that element from the target. As well as this, Swirl deals AoE Pyro, Electro or Cryo damage based on the other element involved. Hydro only spreads Hydro application to the other enemies in the AoE. For a Swirl team, we recommend pairing Kazuha, Jean or Venti with characters like Xiangling for huge damage and consistent procs.
Crystallize
Geo + Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo
Crystallize is Geo’s only reaction, and is also the only real ‘defensive’ Elemental Reaction in the game. Applying Geo damage to a target afflicted by Pyro, Hydro, Electro or Cryo will produce an Elemental Shard of that element, which can be picked up to gain a shield of that elemental type. This can be really beneficial in certain boss battles, such as against Azhdaha. Crystallize isn’t a reaction you build teams around, but will often come into play when a Geo character is featured on a team.
Burning
Dendro + Pyro
Applying Pyro to a target already afflicted with Dendro will create a Burning reaction. This will continuously deal Pyro damage to the target until it wears off, and can also affect Dendro-based environmental objects like wood. While this Dendro reaction isn’t particularly impressive or useful, all of Dendro’s other reactions can be incredibly powerful.
Bloom / Burgeon / Hyperbloom
Dendro + Hydro (+ Pyro / Electro)
Dendro and Hydro together create a Bloom reaction, which produces a Dendro Core. These Cores will explode after 6 seconds, dealing Dendro AoE damage to players as well as enemies. If created by a team featuring Nilou, these will be more powerful Bountiful Cores instead.
Applying Pyro to a Dendro Core before it explodes will create a Burgeon reaction, exploding the Dendro Core and dealing huge AoE Dendro damage to both players and enemies. A team of Nahida, Xingqiu, Xiangling and a healer may work for a strong Burgeon-based team, allowing for consistent Burgeon reactions with huge damage.
On the other hand, applying Electro to a Dendro core creates a Hyperbloom reaction, becoming a heat-seeking Sprawling Shot that targets enemies and deals Dendro damage in a small AoE. Kuki Shinobu with a high Elemental Mastery stat is the backbone of Hyperbloom teams, due to her Elemental Burst having consistent Electro application as well as keeping the team alive. Her high Elemental Mastery stat will be the backbone of your damage output, and along with the Deepwood Memories set is very important to maximizing value from this reaction.
Quicken / Spread / Aggravate
Dendro + Electro
Combining Dendro and Electro on a target will render them Quickened by causing a Quicken reaction. Each time a creature that is Quickened has Dendro applied to them again, this will create a Spread reaction, dealing 1.25x Dendro damage. Similarly, each time a Quickened target receives Electro damage, they will trigger an Aggravate reaction, receiving 1.15x Electro damage. Neither of these effects consume the Quickened effect. Quicken teams featuring Nahida, Alhaitham, Yae Miko and Kuki Shinobu have been incredible powerful since the characters’ release, and are stand-outs amongst Genshin Impact’s most powerful team compositions.
That’s all of Genshin Impact’s Elemental Reactions - which one is your favorite, and what have you built your team(s) around? Let us know on our forum!
