Preface
QNZY on Pixiv
Since Shenhe has become quite popular among both the casual and hardcore crowd, this guide will contain summaries that focus on getting to the point quickly for those wishing for a simpler guide as well as more traditional and technical points.
Additionally, there will be an FAQ at the end answering some common questions regarding Shenhe. With this in mind, let us begin!
Introduction
弐色 on Pixiv
Shenhe is a 5-star Cryo polearm unit with a very unique kit. She is a Cryo support and sub-DPS. The key aspect to her kit is her Icy Quills, Shenhe's Elemental Skill damage, which piggybacks off of any Cryo damage dealt by the team and benefits from teammates' offensive stats.
Her utility in general also scales with more team Cryo damage, more buffs, and increased investment. Due to her high synergy with Cryo characters, Shenhe can shine in many different team comps, including Freeze, Melt, Mono Cryo, and even Physical, often increasing the flexibility of those as well.
This guide will go over everything you need to know about the Damsel of Devastation and her unique mechanics, while being approachable to anyone reading it. The main focus will be on her role as a dedicated Cryo support, as that is her most popular; however, many sections will focus on helping players ease into a variety of builds, regardless of skill level.
Pros & Cons
nanaKaria on Pixiv
Pros
- An overall positive investment to increase the capabilities of your Cryo roster.
- Large variaty of team buffs and debuffs available in her base kit, common gear, and even further constellations. Many of these are unique multipliers and will stack efficiently.
- Shenhe can be stronger in practice than in theory.
- High front-loaded damage potential in her Icy Quills, allowing Shenhe teams to consistently take advantage of as many buffs as possible for short damage windows.
- Strengthens flexibility and boss performance of Cryo DPS characters and their teams. Icy Quills can help finish off enemies without needing full setup.
- Her power budget is focused on amplifying teammates' damage. The most investment you have in her teammates, the more value you will get out of her, and building Cryo teammates benefits both.
- Very smooth animations and low field time requirement.
- Simple to build. Her builds essentially involve getting enough ER and then stacking ATK. That's it. No CRIT or EM and no split-scaling with HP or DEF.
- Plenty of solid weapon options. In general, any weapon with ER or ATK% substats will work just fine if you build accordingly.
- Perfect core teammate for Mono Cryo teams.
- Good Physical support as well, owing to consistent Cryo application (for Superconduct), her A4 Talent, and built-in Phys RES shred from her Elemental Burst.
Cons
- Relatively niche. Outside of Cryo and Physical teams, her options are quite limited and mostly for casual play. There are lots of fun options if you know where to look.
- A lot of supportive power comes from her Elemental Burst, so you need fairly high ER. It's not too bad given her artifact sets are relatively easy to assemble, so it's not hard to get enough ER, but it's worth pointing out.
- Icy Quills are less effective in AoE fights because the quota is expended per-hit. Note that this is only a portion of her total supportive kit.
Check out this video from our TC team for a freeze meta analysis and an explanation on why Shenhe is more powerful than she may appear!
Summary
- Great with Cryo units, and most Cryo-centric teams will benefit a lot from Shenhe.
- Easy to build, requiring only ATK and ER.
- Any ATK or ER weapon will work.
- Good Physical support as well.
- No synergy outside of Cryo and Physical teams.
- If your team is inflexible, Shenhe will likely not be able to contribute much without significant drawbacks.
Should you pull?
とっておき on Pixiv
At the end of the day, it's your choice whether or not you will spend your primogems on her. If you're in it for the fun, then go for it!
That said, from a meta standpoint, the pros and cons should make it clear that if you lack Cryo and Physical units to work with her, she will contribute very little to your teams. However, if you do pull for her, Shenhe is an amazing character and very worthwhile. Also, can't beat that smile.
七茂やど@お仕事募集中 on Pixiv
Spend responsibly! We can only provide you with analysis on her strengths and weaknesses, but whether or not it is a good investment both in-game and in terms of your financials is your responsibility to determine.
Character Analysis
Talents
[Normal Attack] Dawnstar Piercer
Normal Attack: Performs up to 5 consecutive spear strikes.
Charged Attack: Consumes a certain amount of stamina to lunge forward, damaging opponents along the path.
Plunging Attack: Plunges while airborne to strike the ground below, dealing damage along the path and in an area upon impact.
Honey Hunter
As you can see, her scalings are unfortunately quite low. Outside of very specific comps usually involving Chongyun and/or Yun Jin, building Shenhe's Normal Attack talent is not advised.
[Elemental Skill] Spring Spirit Summoning
The frosted dew, silvery and dense, shall exorcise all demons.
Grants all nearby party members the Icy Quill effect and deals Cryo DMG in different ways based on whether it is pressed or held.
Press: Shenhe dashes forward with her Talisman Spirit, dealing Cryo DMG to opponents along the path.
Hold: Shenhe commands the Talisman Spirit to deal AoE Cryo DMG.
Icy Quill: When Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks, Elemental Skills, and Elemental Bursts deal Cryo DMG to opponents, the DMG will be increased based on Shenhe's current ATK.
Honey Hunter
The way the Icy Quill effect works takes a bit of explaining. Rather than adding a separate instance of damage, the damage is not even directly dealt by Shenhe; rather, it additively increases the amount of outgoing damage from whoever dealt the original instance of damage.
This means that the bonus will also be increased by the teammate's Cryo DMG bonus and CRIT modifiers. This is why Shenhe's power scales with her teammates' investment, and why you only need to increase Shenhe's ATK - the additive bonus does not get modified by Shenhe's Cryo DMG or CRIT (except when Shenhe is the one triggering the Icy Quills).
Graphic by Haru Atsushi
Let's use an example to help with understanding. Suppose that Ayaka uses her Elemental Burst and has 2000 ATK. Each tick of her burst has ~200% ATK scaling at Talent Level 10.
Now, let's say that Shenhe has 4000 ATK. At Talent Level 10, her Icy Quills have ~80% ATK scaling.
Before modifiers, this is 7200 damage per tick. Even without the extra modifiers, we can already see that Shenhe almost doubles the damage, and this is before Cryo DMG%, CRIT, or any DMG% buffs (which Shenhe provides as well). It's fairly easy for Ayaka's Burst to hit upwards of 50k per tick, and with extreme levels of investment, the sky is the limit.
Note that Shenhe only provides 5 quills (press) / 7 quills (hold) so not all of Ayaka's Elemental Burst ticks will be buffed, but this is still a lot of damage. Also, if Ayaka is hitting multiple enemies, the quills will be consumed more quickly. However, instead of seeing this as a weakness, consider this a way to make Shenhe more flexible.
If the quills were unlimited, Shenhe would only be good with characters who can hit very quickly (such as Ayaka). Because she has limited quill applications, this actually means that any unit that applies Cryo can be used with her - Shenhe essentially hijacks teammates' Cryo DMG% and CRIT to deal her own damage, meaning the amount of damage you add is constant and you don't need fast Cryo application and can use a character like Eula without sacrificing as much as you would if her quills were unlimited.
Other notes:
- Anemo deployments that have infused with Cryo (e.g. Sucrose's Elemental Burst) will apply quills, but Swirl will not. Likewise, Superconduct will not.
- Each party member has their own Icy Quill quota, meaning you can apply a total of 20 quills (press) / 28 quills (hold). This includes Shenhe herself.
- The Icy Quill damage depends on Shenhe's ATK at the time of the damage (i.e. it does not snapshot). Therefore, when Shenhe's ATK changes, the quill damage also changes. (Calamity Queller increases ATK over time after using an Elemental Skill and while the wielder is off-field, so this is synergistic with Shenhe has her quill damage will increase as CQ's ATK dynamically increases).
- Shenhe will consume an Icy Quill (or more if she hits multiple enemies) when she first casts her Elemental Skill, and it will benefit from her 4th Ascension Passive.
- Icy Quills are consumed on-hit including on shields and do 15-20% more damage to shields.
- Since Icy Quills apply the teammate's Cryo DMG% and CRIT, if that character snapshots those stats, Icy Quills will apply to those. Additionally, you can also cast this skill while an off-field character's ability is dealing damage to apply Icy Quills, so if you cast Ayaka's Elemental Burst, you can then use Shenhe's Elemental Skill while the burst is already on the field and it will begin buffing the damage.
[Elemental Burst] Divine Maiden's Deliverance
Unleashes the power of the Talisman Spirit, allowing it to roam free in this plane, dealing AoE Cryo DMG.
The Talisman Spirit then creates a field that decreases the Cryo RES and Physical RES of opponents within it. It also deals periodic Cryo DMG to opponents within the field.
Honey Hunter
You might think her burst's damage is quite low, but keep in mind that it also applies her Icy Quills. With that in mind, the damage is fairly standard. Furthermore, the 15% Cryo and Physical RES shred and further buffs from her 1st Ascension Passive make this talent quite good.
Note: You may notice she seems quite vulnerable after casting her Elemental Burst. The invincibility frames seem to run out more quickly than you'd expect, so just keep that in mind.
[Ascension 1] Deific Embrace
Active characters within the field created by [Elemental Burst] Divine Maiden's Deliverance gain 15% Cryo DMG bonus.
This is a simple and very good buff. Note that this won't buff off-field teammates, so for maximum effectiveness, you want the main Cryo unit to be inside the Elemental Burst's field for as long as possible. Due to Shenhe's Elemental Burst snapshotting before this applies, she is unfortunately unable to gain this buff on her own Elemental Burst's DoT.
[Ascension 4] Spirit Communion Seal
After Shenhe uses [Elemental Skill] Spring Spirit Summoning, she will grant all nearby party members the following effects:
- Press: Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst DMG is increased by 15% for 10 seconds
- Hold: Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attack DMG is increased by 15% for 15 seconds
Shenhe's 4th Ascension Passive allows her to buff either her teammates' skill and burst damage or attack damage. At C0, you can have 100% uptime on one, but not both, of these buffs. Note that these bonuses cannot be snapshotted, but you can dynamically add them; for example, if Ayaka's Elemental Burst is already on the field, you can press Shenhe's Elemental Skill and the 15% DMG will begin applying to Ayaka's burst, even though it was cast before the buff.
With some exceptions (Melt Ganyu and teams centered around Chongyun's Cryo infusion), you will mostly be using the press version. Use the hold version when needed to squeeze out extra damage from more Icy Quills.
Also, note that this buff applies regardless of element. Therefore, you can technically use this to buff any character regardless of element, though better supports usually exist for characters who aren't Cryo or Physical focused.
[Utility] Precise Comings and Goings
Shenhe gains 25% more rewards when dispatched on a Liyue Expedition for 20 hours.
This is a pretty useful passive. Note that if you play often, the time buff ("Expeditions take 25% less time") will outperform this one, but you must claim the rewards within 16 hours (for 20 hour expeditions) otherwise this buff becomes better.
Talent Priority
For most builds, level her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst as high as you can. Both of these increase her utility and are key to maximizing her efficiency. The first crown should go to her Elemental Skill, but crowning her Elemental Burst is also justifiable.
Unless you are playing her as an on-field DPS, Normal Attack investment is not needed whatsoever.
Constellations
SWKL:D on Pixiv
Before discussing her constellations, it's important to note that unless you can afford it, it's generally not advised to pull for constellations and instead to get other characters. That said, the analysis below tells you roughly what you can expect if you do choose to pul lfor them.
Important: Shenhe's constellations are capable of improving flexibility and practicality in fights rather than just providing simple damage boosts. For example, extra utility via C1 and C6 cannot be evaluated using the same stock rotation as C0. Performance increases will wildly depend on your team, the context, and your execution. Therefore, we will not give estimates for the damage increase each constellation provides.
[C1] Clarity of Heart
Spring Spirit Summoning can be used 1 more time.
This is a powerful and often underrated constellation, offering additional damage and the ability for Shenhe to provide the press and hold versions of her 4th Ascension Passive simultaneously. This also helps improve her energy generation and gives amazing front-loaded damage due to the extra Icy Quills. It also helps when using her signature weapon, Calamity Queller. There are a few important notes.
- The Icy Quill quota does not stack, so if you press her Elemental Skill while you have 1 Icy Quill left, you will end up with 5, not 6.
- By tapping the Elemental Skill and then holding it after the Icy Quills are consumed, the team will have both A4 buffs, which can be very useful for certain Cryo units, such as on-field Ganyu, since she uses both her Charged Attack and Elemental Burst.
- The A4 buffs have independent cooldowns.
- If you use both Elemental Skill casts right away, C1 only impacts your first rotation as the cooldowns are refreshed one at a time like all talents with charges.
- In longer combat scenarios, C1 begins to lose effectiveness due to the above (it is similar to how Xiao's C1 works), but popular Shenhe teams pack high damage in a single rotation, so usually this does not matter.
[C2] Centered Spirit
[Elemental Burst] Divine Maiden Deliverance lasts for 6 seconds longer. Active characters within the field gain 15% more Cryo CRIT DMG.
This is a very impactful constellation for DPS Shenhe, and the 15% Cryo CRIT DMG proves to be very useful, especially in Freeze teams that generally have a very high CRIT Rate. It's worth pointing out that this buff only applies to the active character, making this buff less useful for off-field Ganyu or Kaeya.
The practical benefits of this constellation can vary, as many teams like Ayaka have fast setups that often have a shorter damage window than the burst's base duration, making the duration extension useless.
[C3] Seclusion
Increases the level of [Elemental Skill] Sprint Spirit Summoning by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
This constellation adds an extra ~15% to Shenhe's Icy Quill scaling, which becomes more impactful depending on the number of characters using Icy Quills. The more you have, the more useful it is, but it will not be very impactful if you only have one Cryo character besides Shenhe using the Icy Quills.
[C4] Insight
When characters trigger an Icy Quill, Shenhe gains a stack of Skyfront Mantra:
- When Shenhe uses [Elemental Skill] Spring Spirit Summoning, she consumes all stacks of Skyfrost Mantra, increasing the damage of that cast by 5% per stack consumed.
- Maximum 50 stacks. Stacks last for 60 seconds.
This is potentially good, but the difficulty of accumulating stacks makes it not very impactful. On average, you only gain about 75%-80% of an increase at most, though this can be better in Mono Cryo teams.
Note that this only applies to the Elemental Skill's on-cast damage and does not buff Icy Quill damage.
Ultimately, this is not very impactful without C6.
[C5] Divine Attainment
Increases the level of [Elemental Burst] Divine Maiden's Deliverance by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Another fairly modest constellation. The resistance shred is capped at 15% at level 10, and her Elemental Burst's damage is already fairly negligible if stacking ATK. However, the extra ~30% scaling can be decently solid on DPS Shenhe.
[C6] Mystical Abandon
When characters trigger Icy Quill's effects using Normal and Charged Attack DMG, it does not count towards the quota.
A crazy constellation with major caveats. Elemental Skill, Elemental Burst, and Plunging Attack DMG will still consume Icy Quills, so the effect is lost once those are gone (that is, once you run out of quills, you lose the Normal and Charged Attack DMG bonus even though they don't consume stacks themselves).
This can greatly open up combat flexibility without needing the on-field Cryo unit's Elemental Skill or Burst. For example, this shines in Spiral Abyss chambers that have multiple waves of enemies - one rotation of Ayaka's Elemental Burst can destroy one wave, and another can be defeated with heavy-hitting attacks with infinite Icy Quills.
This constellation also works very well with some Ganyu teams with extreme investment, such as Melt Ganyu, or specific teams relying on Chongyun's Cryo infusion to give other characters Cryo attacks.
Summary
Shenhe contributes a lot at just C0, but C1 and C2 are the most impactful if you want them. C6 is useful for whales and niche builds but this is not something most people can afford, and if you are a casual spender, other characters, other constellations, or even other characters' C6s will be much more useful.
Building Shenhe
Artifacts
torino on Pixiv
Cryo Support
There are generally three options you can run on Shenhe in this case. Note that the differences are not big, and hence are subject to differences in substats and ease of farming. Also, remember that Shenhe benefits from the main DPS's investment as well.
4-Piece Noblesse Oblige
This is usually the best for team performance, unless another more suitable teammate is already using 4-piece Noblesse Oblige. The 20% team-wide ATK boost is very powerful. Despite giving less initial ATK for Shenhe's Icy Quills than running two 18% ATK sets, the direct ATK given to teammates can be more effective overall.
Additionally, you can get this artifact from the Artifact Strongbox, so it's one of the easier sets to farm. Overall, strongly recommended, and it is also useful for other supports if you need to move artifacts between characters.
4-Piece Blizzard Strayer
This is the best option for Shenhe's personal damage, especially in Freeze teams. Additionally, while running Favonius Lance on her, it makes it easier to activate the weapon's passive, helping with Energy requirements. This is a good option if your team already has a unit carrying Noblesse Oblige such as Mona.
2/2 Emblem / Blizzard Strayer / Gladiator / Shimenawa
This is extremely easy to farm, given how many artifact sets this covers and how easy her desired stats are to obtain. Shenhe can easily use the bad pieces you get from farming for other charactesr that you may otherwise throw into the Strongbox or consume for leveling other artifacts.
Cryo Off-Field DPS
In this context, Shenhe functions more or less like Rosaria that packs her own Cryo shred at the expense of her damage ratios. Her Elemental Burst will provide the vast majority of her damage, and burst-centric builds will benefit the most. With this in mind, here are our recommendations.
4-Piece Blizzard Strayer
Assuming a Freeze team, Shenhe can take advantage of this set very well, comparable to Rosaria herself.
4-Piece Emblem of Severed Fate
Shenhe's 80 energy cost Elemental Burst is annoying to manage, so much like with many other characters, Shenhe also benefits significantly from this set if building with Elemental Burst damage in mind.
4-Piece Noblesse Oblige
This is a solid fallback option that helps the entire team.
Cryo On-Field DPS
By relying on Chongyun's Cryo infusion, Shenhe turns into a Cryo On-Field DPS, and her damage contribution is more evenly split among all of her talents. Remember to level up her Normal Attack talent if you are running her in this role. It's highly recommended to run her in a Freeze or Mono Cryo team composition.
4-Piece Blizzard Strayer
This is the premium set for Cryo teams, and Shenhe is no exception.
4-Piece Gladiator's Finale
If focusing on her Normal Attacks, the 35% buff is very solid. This can be a good fallback option depending on the team.
2/2 Emblem / Blizzard Strayer / Gladiator / Shimenawa
This is a decent intermediary choice as you farm for a full 4-piece Blizzard Strayer set, but will be easily outperformed.
Stats
In terms of main stats, the differences between these options can theoretically be very slim. In general:
- Sands: ATK% or ER% - if running Calamity QUeller or a similar ATK-stacking weapon and substats are not in your favor, you can use ER sands to meet your energy needs; otherwise, just take ATK.
- Goblet: ATK% or Cryo DMG% - due to the difficulty of obtaining good Elemental DMG% goblets, ATK% is recommended if focusing on Icy Quills. The actual difference is quite low, because it's a tradeoff between higher quill damage that scales with teammates' Cryo DMG% and CRIT and higher personal damage.
- Circlet: ATK% or CRIT Rate/DMG% - ATK% circlets are easier to obtain and most likely have better substats, and are therefore recommended. However, if using Favonius Lance with bad ER%, CRIT Rate can be used to help activate its passive, but in general, ATK% will still be desirable for the Icy Quill damage. DPS Shenhe can opt for CRIT instead.
Overall, ATK% is always preferred. It is also a common main stat and therefore easier to farm. However, ER% can be useful if you cannot get enough ER through substats and Cryo DMG% or CRIT artifacts are viable, albeit usually not as performant.
In terms of substats, the priority is generally ER% (enough to meet requirements) > ATK% > CRIT Rate (if using Favonius Lance) > CRIT DMG > everything else.
For DPS Shenhe, it is instead ER% (enough to meet requirements) > CRIT > ATK% > everything else.
As for energy needs, it depends on your team:
- If running only 1 Cryo unit with Shenhe and an ATK weapon, you will need about 195%-210% ER. Shenhe's 80 cost burst is quite expensive, unfortunately.
- With Favonius Lance, the requirement drops to about 175%-190%.
- With 2 Cryo units or a Cryo unit and Raiden Shogun/Venti, the requirement drops to about 145%-160%, give or take. Note that this requires Raiden's full rotation or for Venti to absorb Cryo.
- For on-field DPS Shenhe, the requirements become much more manageable, dropping to about 30% less than the off-field equivalent, but this can still vary.
Weapons
Vardan on Pixiv
Weapon Comparisons
For those interested in the full comparison of each of these weapons, you can see the calculations here.
These calculations are made with an Ayaka + Kokomi + Shenhe + Kazuha team, which includes team buffs, including both a sustained rotation and a front-loaded cycle to account for some amount of flexibility.
However, there are many caveats with this information, so do not take these calculations as gospel:
- Calculations never tell the full story. These ultimately look at specific rotations with specific levels of investments and low energy particle generation from enemies.
- These assume a perfect rotation with no interruptions or unusual mechanics such as draining Energy. These do not account well for flexibility such as fights being able to finish midway during burst damage windows.
- Calculations are skewed in favor of Favonius weapons. These weapons make up for energy hungry environments in calculations, as well as keeping rotation lengths as short as possible.
- Shenhe is primarily used as a support, and this calculation is only done with one team. For other teams like Rosaria Reverse Melt or Ganyu as the DPS, the results can vary widely, namely with Lithic Spear and Favonius Lance.
As always, we can only give estimations for what you can expect from different weapons based on a specific set of assumptions, and whether or not investing in obtaining or building a weapon is worth it is your responsibility to determine.
In summary: Calamity Queller (if you can meet the ER% requirements) > Favonius Lance > Engulfing Lightning > others
Overall, Favonius Lance is probably the best option, simply because it is free, but if you want to spend for a higher investment level on Shenhe, Calamity Queller has a higher performance ceiling but comes with increased difficulty building her properly.
Due to Shenhe's nature as a Cryo support that is incentivized to stack ATK, mileage can vary greatly depending on the team. As a general rule of thumb, these are our recommendations.
 |
Calamity Queller |
Great for support, good for off-field DPS, mediocre for on-field DPS This is her signature weapon and offers a massive ATK boost that increases over time. While it does offer the highest Icy Quill damage ceiling, owing to the highest base ATK among all weapons, it can take a lot of effort to build around due to lacking ER and energy-related utility. It will most likely require getting ER sands or god-tier artifact substats to ensure consistent Elemental Burst usage. For off-field DPS Shenhe, this is still decent especially if you have other characters that can use Icy Quills, but is outperformed by other options. For on-field DPS Shenhe, this still works, but you get stacks more much slowly and won't have the doubled bonus from being off-field, so this isn't a recommended choice over other options. |
|
 |
Favonius Lance |
Great for support This is the default option, offering good ER% and an excellent passive for batterying your core unit. This is an amazing weapon for Shenhe and scales well with all levels of investment while offering good QoL for team energy generation. Note that it does require you to have some CRIT Rate investment to use the passive well, but you can ideally gain enough CRIT Rate from artifact substats and still run ATK% main stat artifacts. |
|
 |
Missive Windspear |
Good for support, decent for on/off-field DPS This is surprisingly competitive for a F2P weapon, but is reliant on Shenhe triggering an Elemental Reaction to get the ATK% buff; otherwise, it falls behind. The EM buff is not useful beyond some niche teams. For DPS Shenhe, this is more of less just a stat-stick and requires Shenhe to trigger an Elemental Reaction to keep up its passive. Again, the EM buff is probably not that useful for her. This is a fine option if better options are not available. |
|
 |
Engulfing Lightning |
Great for off-field DPS, good for support This is a good compromise between Shenhe's ER needs and prioritizing Icy Quill damage, turning Shenhe's ER needs into a benefit. It is highly recommended to start rotations with her Elemental Burst. With off-field DPS Shenhe, she is reliant on her Elemental Burst's damage, so EL will help facilitate her high ER needs while providing good damage. |
|
 |
Skyward Spine |
Good for support A standard banner weapon with good ER and high ATK, second only to Calamity Queller itself. This is commonly used as a way to push for higher ATK than Favonius Lance can offer and works well if your core unit's ER needs can be met. |
|
 |
Wavebreaker's Fin |
Great for on/off-field DPS at high refinement, good for support An ATK stat-stick that can allow Shenhe's Elemental Burst to hit hard at high refinements. Make sure you have enough ER before investing in it. At R5, this weapon actually outperforms R1 Engulfing Lightning for DPS Shenhe, but it can make your ER requirements hard to meet. For on-field DPS Shenhe, the ER requirements are less of an issue. |
|
 |
Lithic Spear |
Good for on/off-field DPS, situational for support This weapon is decent when the team has at least 1 other Liyue character alongside Shenhe. This can be a viable option for Ganyu teams, but the typical Ayaka + Kokomi + Shenhe + Kazuha team contains no other Liyue characters, so consider your options carefully. The extra CRIT Rate is more useful for DPS Shenhe. |
|
 |
The Catch |
Great for off-field DPS, situational for support While Shenhe doesn't rely much on her Elemental Burst damage as a support, the ER substat is much appreciated. The downside is how popular The Catch is with other characters (since you can only have one of it) and the annoyance of refining it. For off-field DPS Shenhe, this is a nice weapon as it helps with her ER needs and increases her Elemental Burst damage nicely. The downsides still apply, unfortunately. |
|
 |
Prototype Starglitter |
Good for on-field DPS, situational for off-field DPS, mediocre for support This is a decent fallback option that has good ER and doesn't require much effort to get. For off-field DPS Shenhe, CRIT options are more useful, but at least it still provides ER if you have nothing else to work with. For on-field DPS, the passive will actually be useful, and the ER will be helpful to have. |
|
 |
Staff of Homa |
Great for on-field DPS, good for off-field DPS, mediocre for support This has been a go-to weapon for all DPS units and Shenhe is no exception. This weapon is simply good for Shenhe, though it is also desirable for all DPS polearm characters. For support Shenhe, the secondary CRIT DMG is unfortunately not that useful, so this weapon would not be recommended. |
|
 |
Blackcliff Pole |
Decent for off-field DPS, mediocre for support The CRIT DMG substat makes this viable for off-field DPS and this weapon is available through Paimon's Bargains. The ATK% passive can be usable for support Shenhe but combined with the complete lack of ER and energy related utility, it is not a recommended choice. |
|
 |
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear |
Decent for on-field DPS, mediocre/bad for off-field DPS and support For on-field DPS Shenhe, you will be using attacks and can stack the passive, and has a very useful CRIT Rate substat. In a Freeze comp, especially with Blizzard Strayer, you can hit almost 100% CRIT Rate, making it easy to reach an ideal CRIT ratio. For off-field and support Shenhe, you will not be able to use the passive at all, and the CRIT substat will not be helpful for support Shenhe, making almost all other options better. |
|
 |
Deathmatch |
Decent for on-field DPS, mediocre for off-field DPS, bad for support This weapon offers a high CRIT Rate and it's easy to hit almost 100% CRIT Rate in a Freeze team especially with Blizzard Strayer. The only drawback is the comparatively low ATK, which you will notice when adding Icy Quills into the equation. It can work for DPS Shenhe since Icy Quills being applied by other characters will occupy a smaller proportion of your damage. |
|
 |
White Tassel |
Mediocre for on-field DPS, terrible for off-field DPS and support If all else fails, you could make this work for on-field DPS Shenhe since the 24% Normal Attack DMG will actually apply, and the CRIT Rate doesn't hurt to have. However, the very low base ATK and lack of useful stats or ER make this a very bad option for any other Shenhe build. |
|
Build Examples
An example Support Shenhe build from jamie#9248
An example Cryo DPS Shenhe build via ευδαιμονία#4870
Character Synergy
Ringeko | 凛子 on Pixiv
This section will be divided into three parts:
- Cryo Units: units whose damage is Cryo-focused without relying on external means.
- Physical Units: units who rely on Physical damage to do their work or are typically played in Physical-focused teams. These can be of any element including Cryo.
- Other Relevant Units: units who have relevant synergy beyond Shenhe's A4, otherwise this section would take up half of the guide.
The focus will be on direct synergy rather than how they support the core unit together. For those, it is recommended to look at the core unit's guide instead. This is why some explanations may seem out of place.
Cryo (Freeze, Melt, Mono Cryo)
 |
Kamisato Ayaka | Cryo Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Ganyu | Cryo Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Aloy | Cryo Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Diona | Cryo Support / Shielder |
|
||
 |
Chongyun | Cryo Support |
|
||
 |
Kaeya | Cryo Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Rosaria | Cryo Sub-DPS |
|
||
 |
Layla | Cryo Support / Shielder |
|
||
Physical
Note that Shenhe should be built as a Cryo DPS and not an Icy Quill support as most of these units do not use Icy Quills enough or cannot apply it at all. These teams will usually have energy problems and require one or two batteries. Finally, non-Cryo Physical units have little to no use for Shenhe's constellations beyond C1.
 |
Eula | Physical Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Razor | Physical Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Fischl | Physical Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Xinyan | Physical Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Mika | Physical Support |
|
||
 |
Qiqi | Physical Main DPS |
|
||
Hydro Applicants
These are lumped together as they generally are meant to synergize more with the core unit and their synergy with Shenhe herself warrants less discussion. Generally, both will help the core unit and not each other. Ultimately, you want consistent Freeze, so the core unit needs to provide enough Cryo application.
 |
Kokomi | Hydro Applicant (Joint Support) |
|
||
 |
Yelan | Hydro Applicant (Support, DPS Shenhe) |
|
||
 |
Mona | Hydro Applicant + Buffer (Support, DPS Shenhe) |
|
||
 |
Xingqiu | Hydro Applicant (Support, DPS Shenhe) |
|
||
Ayato/Tartaglia
Both are Normal Attack-centric Hydro DPS units. Unsurprisingly, both are decent with Shenhe in Freeze teams, and an additional Cryo unit is expected for consistent freezing and Cryo resonance.
 |
Kamisato Ayato | Hydro Main DPS |
|
||
 |
Tartaglia | Hydro Main DPS |
|
||
Anemo Groupers
Assuming they are there to support Shenhe directly, their grouping is good for keeping units within Shenhe's Elemental Burst's field and the buff from Viridescent Venerer is good. Also, because they can infuse Cryo with their Anemo talents, they are able to consume Icy Quills despite not being Cryo characters.
 |
Kaedehara Kazuha | Anemo Grouper |
|
||
 |
Venti | Anemo Grouper |
|
||
 |
Sucrose | Anemo Grouper |
|
||
 |
Anemo Traveler | Anemo Grouper |
|
||
Pyro (Melt, General)
 |
Xiangling | Pyro Sub-DPS, Melt Enabler |
|
||
 |
Bennett | Pyro Buffer, Situational Melt Enabler |
|
||
PengRani on Pixiv
Sample Teams
✦
✦
✦
Shenhe is excellent for a Freeze team with a well-invested Cryo character. Unlike other units that provide additional damage, defense, or other benefits, Shenhe directly offers massive buffs for the core unit, especially through Icy Quills and Ascension Talents. This is unique to her and allows more investment in the core unit to give better returns, making her not only powerful but also efficient for farming. Moreover, Shenhe can work well with Cryo units with whom she would otherwise compete with for a spot on a team.
In these teams, Shenhe should be built with Icy Quills in mind, stacking ATK.
There are many ways to approach this team archetype, and we have shown a few examples below.
✦
✦
✦
This is a highly synergistic Freeze team with flexible setup and rotations. Shenhe and Ayaka's synergy has been explained previously, Kazuha offers Viridescent Venerer's buff and additional Cryo DMG buffing, and Kokomi ensures consistent Freeze while being able to carry Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers to buff Ayaka even further.
Here are a few videos demonstrating the power of this team:
You can replace Ayaka with Ganyu, Aloy, or DPS Diona, Kazuha with Venti or Sucrose, and Kokomi with Mona with Prototype Amber, Xingqiu, or Yelan.
✦
✦
✦
The utility of an Anemo unit is replaced with an additional Cryo unit that Shenhe can buff to deal lots of damage. The main benefit lies in the additional Cryo particles generated, making it easier for the core unit and Shenhe to maintain their Elemental Bursts. Additionally, the extra damage is quite significant. This team is a worthwhile option if you lack Anemo units.
You can replace Ayaka with Ganyu, Aloy, or DPS Diona, Rosara with off-field Ganyu or off-field Kaeya, and Kokomi with Mona with Prototype Amber, Xingqiu, or Yelan.
✦
✦
✦
Shenhe enables a new team archetype that ignores reactions in favor of simply doing lots of Cryo damage. Shenhe's talents, particularly her Icy Quills, enable it through the sheer damage she provides. For players interested in running mostly Cryo units, Shenhe is an excellent investment. These teams tend to be used against enemies who cannot be Frozen anyway, such as bosses.
In these teams, Shenhe should be built with Icy Quills in mind, stacking ATK.
There are many ways to approach this team archetype, and we have shown a few examples below.
✦
✦
✦
Ganyu gets 75% Cryo RES shred as well as Shenhe's Icy Quills and additional Cryo DMG, allowing her to forgo any usual Melt or Freeze reactions and just deal massive amounts of damage. Zhongli provides the necessary protection for her. Not worrying about Melt means less annoyance keeping up energy generation.
Ultimate Ganyu Guide (timestamp points to the example rotation)
You can replace Ganyu with Ayaka (versus heavy enemies), Rosaria, or Aloy, Kazuha with Venti, Sucrose, Heizou, or Wanderer (carrying Viridescent Venerer), and Zhongli with Diona, Bennett (avoid C6 as that would turn this team into Melt), or Layla.
✦
✦
✦
Ayaka Mono Cryo w/ C6 Diona + Kazuha
✦
✦
✦
C0 Ayaka 74s Spiral Abyss top half
✦
✦
✦
Explosive damage is not limited to just Freeze teams, as Shenhe can also work in some more unusual teams such as Reverse Melt teams. The goal here is to get as many Cryo-on-Pyro Melt hits as possible for potentially insane damage. Depending on the units used, this playstyle can also be accessible for F2P players.
✦
✦
✦
One of the most powerful Reverse Melt variants. Bennett, Kazuha, and Shenhe buff Rosaria's already powerful Elemental Burst that can Melt on every tick, enabling very powerful hits. To ensure that each tick will Melt, Kazuha can infuse Pyro with his Elemental Burst, applying a Pyro aura and providing Viridescent Venerer's buff.
12-2-1 Hyper Rosaria (thanks to Dominica#9874 for the showcase)
You can replace Rosaria with Kaeya or Ganyu, Kazuha with Jean (Sunfire interaction with bennett) or a Dendro unit (to maintain Burning for Pyro application), and Bennett with Xiangling for extra Pyro damage and application.
✦
✦
✦
✦
✦
✦
Shenhe can also be the reverse Melt user, which offers more flexibility for the rest of your team. In this example, Nahida and Bennett maintain the Burning aura, which ensures that Shenhe's Elemental Burst will Melt, while Sucrose provides Viridescent Venerer and additional EM to feed both the Burning and Melt damage.
With a lack of a second Cryo unit, Shenhe's energy issues will become quite serious. Additionally, the damage ceiling is lower as Shenhe's Elemental Burst ticks in bursts of two, unlike Rosaria's, meaning the second one will not Melt.
Replacements can be made as long as you ensure consistent Dendro and Pyro application to maintain Burning. You can replace Nahida with Yaoyao or Collei, Bennett with Xiangling, Thoma, or Dehya, and Sucrose with Kazuha or Venti.
✦
✦
✦
The goal here is to make the Physical DPS as powerful as possible through stacking as many buffs as possible. Superconduct is good but not always necessary. Shenhe will generally be built as a Cryo DPS, as Icy Quills become less useful in these teams.
✦
✦
✦
Eula can be replaced with any other Physical unit mentioned in the synergy section, but Eula is the most common choice as she is also able to apply some (though not all) Icy Quills.
You can replace Zhongli with another Cryo or Electro unit to facilitate energy needs or allow Shenhe's Icy Quills to be used, with a special mention for Mika, Eula's dedicated support. You can also replace Raiden with Fischl, Kuki Shinobu, or Dori.
✦
✦
✦
It might seem strange to not use Superconduct in a Physical team, but this team works because all of the units here have Physical RES shred, up to 80% if Rosaria has C6. Also, since this is a triple-cryo team, this makes Shenhe and Eula's energy needs easier to meet.
In this case, it's actually beneficial to build Shenhe for Icy Quills as Rosaria will be able to deal considerable damage with it, and Eula's Cryo talents can as well. Although Eula won't build Cryo DMG%, she will still have CRIT, and Eula, Shenhe, and Zhongli have a combined 60% Cryo RES shred.
✦
✦
✦
By taking advantage of Chongyun's Cryo infusion, any melee character can become a full-fledged Cryo DPS that spams Normal and Charged attacks. Shenhe can facilitate such a team or become the centerpiece for it. These teams are generally not exceptional without high investment but offer a lot of room for creativity.
✦
✦
✦
In this team, Shenhe buffs the infused Zhongli with her Icy Quills and stacks ATK. Kazuha provides Viridescent Venerer and additional Cryo DMG%. This allows Zhongli to use his very fast Normal Attacks for solid Cryo damage. This team becomes absurd at C6 Shenhe as the Icy Quills will not run out this way.
Shenhe and Chongyun cannot be replaced, but you can replace the other two with Cryo characters or other fast-hitting characters. Zhongli can be replaced with Kaeya, Rosaria, Eula, or Xiangling, and Kazuha can be replaced with Yun Jin, a Hydro unit, or Bennett.
✦
✦
✦
In this team, Shenhe is the on-field Cryo DPS and builds as such.
Shenhe and Chongyun cannot be replaced, but you can replace the other two with many characters depending on your approach. Sucrose is cheap to invest in and can carry Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. Xingqiu is almost identical to Yelan for all intents and purposes here, and is F2P friendly. Yun Jin buffs Normal Attacks even further. Bennett's massive ATK boost helps Shenhe a lot as well.
✦
✦
✦
This segment is dedicated to the many people who have expressed interest in Physical DPS Shenhe since her release. Some important notes:
- Since she packs AoE Cryo Damage, all she needs is an Electro character for Superconduct.
- Physical teams have access to many powerful weapon options and 2 good artifact options.
- Shenhe's animations and design are very well made and this team lets them shine.
- Physical Shenhe is not recommended from a meta perspective.
- Shenhe's Normal Attack scaling is quite poor and she struggles to take advantage of Crescent Pike due to her slow attacks.
When building Physical Shenhe, the recommendation is 2/2 Bloodstained Chivalry / Pale Flame and Crescent Pyke. Dragonspine Spear is not recommended.
✦
✦
✦
This is an example team that has Shenhe as the Physical DPS centered around Normal Attacks. Fischl ensures Superconduct, Yun Jin buffs Normal Attacks further, and Mika is a good Physical support and makes Shenhe attack faster.
As for replacements, we will not provide specific characters this time, so let your imagination run wild! Here are some things to keep in mind:
- You need an Electro unit for Superconduct.
- Normal Attack buffers are desirable, but avoid Candace due to her Hydro infusion.
- Generic stat buffers like Bennett can be strong.
- Physical buffers are always good to have.
- Protection and/or healing is always useful.
Closing Points
FAQ
xUDe on Pixiv
How much ATK should I have on Shenhe if focusing on Icy Quills?
The general rule of thumb is that so long as you meet her ER requirement, you should try to get as much ATK as possible. Good targets are:
- 4-star weapon: 2800-3000
- 5-star weapon: 3000-3200
- Calamity Queller: 3600-4000+
How much ER% should I have on Shenhe?
This varies depending on your team. Refer to the artifacts section for more information.
How much ER% do I need with C1 Shenhe?
While C1 is powerful for many reasons, in general, the extra energy generation should be considered a luxury QoL rather than something to build around. After the first rotation, Shenhe is back to using her Elemental Skill once per 10 seconds, so it's advised to follow the same ER requirements.
Why is ER so important for Shenhe?
Shenhe's Elemental Burst is an important part of her kit and provides powerful buffs and debuffs. Damage is lost long-term if you take time to funnel in energy to get her Elemental Burst back or miss it in a rotation. Neglecting ER is only acceptable if your team can always clear the Abyss floor within 20 seconds, preventing you from even using her Elemental Burst twice in the first place.
What are C0 R1 Shenhe's stats usually like?
Everyone's stats will vary due to artifact RNG. However, an average estimate would be around 3700 ATK + 190% ER with 4-piece Noblesse Oblige.
Is Shenhe bad against many enemies?
While it is true that Shenhe's Icy Quills run out more quickly in AoE content, this is only part of her kit. Half of her kit is providing buffs and debuffs through other aspects of her kit. Shenhe has proven to still contribute sizeably in AoE situations despite losing out on Icy Quill efficiency.
If I run Favonius Lance on Shenhe, who gets the particles?
Preferably the core Cryo unit, so they don't need to invest into ER as much and can focus more on other stats, increasing both their own and Shenhe's Icy Quill damage.
What is the priority between constellations and Calamity Queller?
Since Favonius Lance is so reliable, C1 Shenhe is recommended over R1 Calamity Queller. CQ is generally recommended over C2 as the best teams with Shenhe tend to be nuke teams that wipe out waves in a single rotation, making CQ a lot more useful than C2.
The Best Updated Ayaka Guide/FAQ (timestamped) covers the 3.5 banner upgrade order, showing priorities for Ayaka, Shenhe, Mistsplitter Reforged, and Calamity Queller.
What does a typical Shenhe rotation look like?
Refer to the videos used in the teams section for examples (it differs from team to team).
C0 Shenhe or C6 Rosaria in a Physical team?
Both work fine, but you can also run them together for Eula (an example team is listed above).
Should I pull for Shenhe if I don't have Kazuha/Kokomi/Mistsplitter Reforged/etc.?
Shenhe is often the "last piece of the puzzle" when making a Cryo team. That said, she has multiple team options, and most of the characters in the stock teams have good replacement options. You can also get any of the "puzzle pieces" in whichever order depending on when the banners actually rerun.
Refer to the teams section to see your options.
Can I build Shenhe as a DPS?
Yes. Shenhe is most optimal as a Cryo support that focuses on stacking ATK for her Icy Quills, but if you want to build her as a DPS anyway, this guide has dedicated sections for both off-field DPS and on-field Cryo or Physical DPS.
Who can I replace Kazuha or Kokomi with in a Cryo team with Shenhe?
Kazuha can be replaced with Venti or Sucrose, whereas Kokomi can be replaced with Mona with Prototype Amber, Xingqiu, or Yelan. More is exampled in the team section, and you can find a full list of character synergies further up.
Does C2 Ayaka ruin Shenhe?
Not at all. Shenhe's Icy Quills scale off Ayaka's other stats (Cryo DMG% and CRIT), not ATK or Talent ratios, so it doesn't matter if the smaller bursts or the central one consumes the Icy Quills (and if the side ones miss, no damage is lost, as Icy Quills are only consumed when damage is actually dealt).
Is DPS Shenhe bad?
It is functional, but Shenhe was designed around her Icy Quills, and her DPS potential falls behind characters like Rosaria and Kaeya, and cannot compare to Ayaka and Ganyu. Some example DPS Shenhe teams can be found in the teams section.
What snapshots in Shenhe's kit?
Shenhe's Icy Quills take Shenhe's ATK at the time of application, and her A4 buff is a direct buff and cannot be snapshotted at all. However, her Elemental Burst does snapshot.
If using 4-piece Noblesse Oblige, are Icy Quills buffed when she uses her Elemental Burst?
Yes, because her Icy Quills do not snapshot.
Does Shenhe's Elemental Burst cooldown begin immediately or after the animation finishes?
Immediately. There is a split second while using her Elemental Burst before the animation starts that shows the cooldown starting.
I am below AR45. How should I build Shenhe?
Farming domains is not resin-efficient below AR45, so you should not worry about optimizing her. That said, ATK stacking to buff Cryo DPS will work just fine, even if it's just 2/2 Gladiator's Finale / Berserker with a cheap or craftable weapon like Prototype Starglitter.
Is it better to give Shenhe or the Cryo DPS the buff from Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers?
Definitely the Cryo DPS. Shenhe will only transfer 80% of the buff through her Icy Quills and only for 5/7 damage instances, so the buff is much more meaningful on the main DPS.
Since Shenhe's kit provides lots of Cryo buffs, is it better to give an ATK or CRIT circlet to the Cryo DPS?
A CRIT circlet will generally have a higher damage ceiling, as both the Cryo DPS and Shenhe's Icy Quills scale off of it. However, this can vary on substats.
Are Shenhe's C4 stack durations independent from each other?
No. When a new stack is gained, the duration is refreshed to 60s for all of them.
Conclusion
@whgkdud_d on Twitter
Shenhe is a powerful Cryo support / off-field DPS that can work in basically any Cryo-centric team, as well as a few teams that aren't focused on dealing Cryo damage but appreciate her buffs or off-field Cryo application.
Shenhe also makes Mono Cryo teams not only viable but in certain circumstances actually competitive. For those that have well-invested Cryo DPS units, Shenhe is a very strong investment that is essentially future-proof as she will pair well with nearly any posisble Cryo unit in the future that can use her buffs and Icy Quills.
Credits
eudaimonia0420 for authoring the guide from which this webpage was written: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T6uUXPCmJufwbkadpTfgwIkEB_CSA9owr3igyzG8XTM
hyperneutrino for creating this website, administrative help, and proofreading.
xaitll#7877 for administrative help and proofreading.
.mr_noodle for sourcing the fanart for the guide and compiling the FAQ.
nociii and the KNET team for their invaluable proofreading, experience, and over 150 review comments.
jamie9248 (jamie (kb9v) on YouTube) for the many guides and showcases linked and referenced in this guide and proofreading.
Energy Recharge Calculator - determining Shenhe's ER requirements
GC Sim - Genshin team simulator
Shenhe database on Honey Hunter
And finally, you, the reader. Thank you for reading!