Team building
How to make your characters do damage
If your characters hit for a fraction of what showcase videos show, the problem is usually the team, not your artifacts. Genshin damage is a team sport: one carry, plus units that apply the element it reacts with and buff its stats. Fix the team first — then farm.
The four roles every team needs
A working team fills these four jobs. Most weak teams are missing two of them — usually the buffer and the off-field applier.
On-field main DPS
The character who stays on field and deals the damage. Pick exactly one — two carries competing for field time is the single most common beginner mistake.
Off-field sub-DPS / applier
Deals damage or applies an element while you are on another character (Xingqiu, Xiangling, Fischl). This is what lets your carry trigger reactions at all.
Buffer
Raises the carry stats or shreds enemy resistance (Bennett, Kazuha, Sucrose, Furina). A single buffer is often worth more than a better artifact set.
Sustain
Healer or shielder that keeps the team alive (Zhongli, Kokomi, Baizhu). Optional on fast teams, required once you are taking hits.
Reactions are where the damage comes from
Raw stats only get you so far. Reactions multiply the hit — and the type of reaction decides which stat you should build.
Amplifying (Vaporize / Melt)
Multiply the whole hit by 1.5× or 2.0× depending on which element triggers. They scale off your normal build plus a little EM — build ATK / CRIT / DMG bonus first, then 100–200 EM.
Transformative (Overload, Bloom family)
Separate damage instances that ignore ATK and CRIT entirely — they scale only with character level and EM. A Hyperbloom trigger wants pure EM, not a Crit circlet.
Additive (Aggravate / Spread)
Adds flat damage to the hit before DMG bonus and CRIT, so it benefits from both. Electro + Dendro teams live on this — build EM alongside CRIT.
The reaction reference covers each one in detail. Pick the reaction your carry wants, then choose teammates that enable it.
Elemental resonance — free stats for duplicates
Two characters of the same element grant a party-wide resonance. Some are pure damage — worth a whole artifact set — so a two-of-a-kind team is not always a mistake.
| Party | Resonance | Effect |
|---|---|---|
 ×2 | Fervent Flames | +25% ATK |
 ×2 | Soothing Water | +25% Max HP |
 ×2 | Sprawling Greenery | +50 EM (+30 after a reaction) |
 ×2 | Shattering Ice | +15% CRIT Rate vs Frozen / Cryo-affected |
 ×2 | Enduring Rock | +15% Shield Strength; +15% DMG while shielded |
 ×2 | High Voltage | Electro-Charged generates Energy |
 ×2 | Impetuous Winds | −15% Stamina cost, +10% movement SPD |
Order matters: rotation & snapshotting
The same four characters can deal wildly different damage depending on the order you press them. Two rules cover most of it.
Buff and shred before the carry, not after
Set up the field first: apply the aura, cast the buffer (Bennett burst, Kazuha skill), shred resistance, and only then swap to your carry. A Bennett burst dropped after your carry has already used its damage skill does nothing for that rotation.
Snapshot: the carry keeps the buff on long skills
Some abilities "snapshot" your stats the moment they are cast — Xiangling's Pyronado is the classic example. Cast it inside Bennett's burst and it keeps the buffed ATK for its whole duration, even after Bennett's field is gone. Learning which skills snapshot is free damage.
Check your own numbers
This page tells you who to bring and in what order. The calculator turns that into a number: load a character, set the level, weapon, artifacts and talent level, then pick the hit you care about and watch each multiplier move it.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my characters do so little damage?
The most common cause is team composition, not artifacts. A carry with no off-field element application and no buffer is missing two of the biggest damage multipliers in the game. Fix the team first, then the artifacts.
Do showcase videos represent normal damage?
No. Showcase clips usually use high constellations, signature weapons, and fully built supports. They show a ceiling, not a baseline you should compare your own account against.
What is team synergy in Genshin?
Synergy means every member earns their slot: one character deals the damage, the others apply the element that character reacts with, buff its stats, or keep it alive. If two members compete for field time, the team has no synergy.
How do I know which reactions my team can trigger?
It is decided purely by the elements on the team. Pyro + Hydro enables Vaporize, Dendro + Electro enables Aggravate/Spread, and so on. The reaction section above covers every pairing and what each one multiplies.