Elemental Mastery (EM) is a crucial stat in Genshin Impact, particularly when it comes to maximizing the damage output of elemental reactions. Let’s break down how EM works and its impact on your character’s performance.
Understanding Elemental Reactions
Elemental reactions are the core of Genshin Impact’s combat system. When two different elements come into contact, they trigger a reaction with unique effects. For example, Pyro (Fire) reacting with Electro (Lightning) creates an Overloaded explosion, while Cryo (Ice) reacting with Hydro (Water) creates Freeze, immobilizing enemies.
The Role of Elemental Mastery
Elemental Mastery plays a direct role in enhancing the damage output of most elemental reactions. Here’s how it works:
- Reaction Damage Boost: The higher your EM stat, the more damage your elemental reactions will inflict. This damage increase is applied to both the initial burst of the reaction and any subsequent damage over time (DoT) effects.
- Reaction Scaling: The impact of EM on reaction damage varies depending on the specific reaction. Some reactions, like Overloaded, benefit more from EM than others, like Vaporize or Melt.
Elemental Mastery vs. Elemental Damage
It’s important to understand that EM is distinct from Elemental Damage (ED). While ED increases the damage of your character’s elemental attacks, EM focuses solely on boosting the damage of elemental reactions. Choosing the right balance between these stats is crucial for optimizing your character’s build.
Building Elemental Mastery
You can increase your character’s EM through various methods:
- Sub-Stats: Look for EM as a sub-stat on your artifacts.
- Weapons: Certain weapons provide EM as a secondary stat or have passive abilities that boost it.
- Characters: Some characters have passive abilities that increase their EM or the EM of their team.
- Food Buffs: Certain foods can temporarily boost EM.
Optimal EM for Different Characters and Teams
The optimal amount of EM for a character depends on their role in the team, the reactions they’ll be triggering, and the other stats they need. Here are some general guidelines:
- Reaction-Focused Characters: Characters who are built to trigger specific reactions, such as a Cryo DPS using Freeze, often benefit significantly from high EM.
- Support Characters: Support characters who focus on applying elements and triggering reactions often need a balance of EM and other stats, such as Energy Recharge for their abilities.
- Elemental Damage Dealers: Characters who primarily deal damage through their elemental attacks may not need as much EM, but a moderate amount can still be beneficial.
EM in Different Game Modes
EM’s importance varies across different game modes:
- Spiral Abyss: The challenging Spiral Abyss rewards high EM builds, especially for teams that rely heavily on elemental reactions.
- Open World and Events: EM can still be beneficial in open-world exploration and events, but the need for it may be less crucial than in Spiral Abyss.
Conclusion
Elemental Mastery is an essential stat for enhancing the damage output of elemental reactions in Genshin Impact. By understanding its mechanics and how it interacts with other stats, you can optimize your character builds and unleash the full potential of your elemental reactions. Whether you’re building a dedicated reaction team or simply looking to boost your damage, EM is a valuable stat to consider.
