Genshin Impact Shenhe build guide: Best artifacts, weapons, and talents priorities

Shenhe is a 5-star Cryo character who uses a Polearm weapon and is about to get her first rerun banner after nearly a year in Genshin Impact 3.5 second phase. Thanks to her kit, she can significantly buff other Cryo DPS units like Ayaka and Ganyu, making her the best Cryo support unit in the game.

There's only a little over a week left before Shenhe returns, and in the meantime, players planning on pulling her can also pre-farm her artifacts and build her weapon. She is a very F2P-friendly character and does not require players to invest too much in her.

This article will guide Genshin Impact players on making Shenhe the best Cryo support for their Ayakas and Ganyus.

Best artifacts for Shenhe in Genshin Impact

1) 2-piece Gladiator + 2-piece Shimenawa

2-piece Gladiator and Shimenawa combo (Image via HoYoverse)

Shenhe will receive a good amount of ATK% from the 2-piece combos of Gladiator and Shimenawa, which will be her best artifact option if you're only focusing on buffing the Cryo DMG.

For each piece's main stats and sub-stats, you can focus on getting as much ATK%, ATK, and Energy Recharge as possible.

2) Blizzard Strayer

Full Blizzard Strayer set (Image via HoYoverse)

Blizzard Strayer will be Shenhe's go-to option in Genshin Impact if you use her in Freeze teams to get more damage.

Similar to the previous set, getting as much ATK on Shenhe from the artifacts is recommended to increase the Cryo DMG buffs from her Icy Quills.

3) Noblesse Oblige

Use Noblesse Oblige to buff the entire party (Image via HoYoverse)

Noblesse Oblige is also a good option for Shenhe if no other party member equips this artifact. The 4-piece set bonus will increase her Elemental Burst DMG and buff the entire team's ATK.

Once again, you can focus on getting ATK% and Energy Recharge stats and sub-stats on each artifact piece or go for the standard build with the Cryo DMG bonus, CRIT Rate, and CRIT DMG stats.

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Shenhe's talent priorities

Shenhe's talent (Image via HoYoverse)

You can level up her talents in the following manner: Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack

Since Shenhe's main role is to support Cryo DPS characters and buff their DMG, starting with her Elemental Skill is recommended since that's where all the major buffs come from.

You can then move on to her Elemental Burst, which will also help increase the Cryo DMG since it reduces the Cryo and Physical RES of the enemies. Her Normal Attack talent isn't usually needed, so there is no issue, even if it's left at level one.

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Best polearms for Shenhe in Genshin Impact

1) Calamity Queller

Calamity Queller is Shenhe's best option (Image via HoYoverse)

Calamity Queller is Shenhe's signature weapon and her best in the slot. This polearm has a Base ATK of 741, the highest among all weapons in Genshin Impact, alongside Songs of Broken Pines.

Additionally, the weapon's passive increases the wielder Elemental DMG bonus by 12% at R1 and grants even more ATK when they are off-field.

2) Engulfing Lightning

Engulfing Lightning provides both ER and ATK (Image via HoYoverse)

Engulfing Lightning is another limited 5-star weapon and is Shenhe's second-best option overall. She usually struggles with energy and has high Energy Recharge requirements, which can be solved with this weapon.

Engulfing Lightning has a Base ATK of 608 and provides 55.1% ER and the weapon's passive also increases the user's ATK stats depending on their ER. So, the 5-star item increases Shenhe's ATK and solves her ER issues.

3) Favonius Lance

Favonius Lance is the best 4-star option (Image via HoYoverse)

Favonius Lance is arguably the best F2P option for Shenhe in Genshin Impact. It is easy to get from the gacha and only improves with higher refinements.

It has a decent Base ATK of 565 and also provides a good amount of Energy Recharge, which can be extremely useful since Shenhe is usually paired with Ayaka, who also requires a lot of energy.