Unlocking Your Genshin Impact Character’s True Potential: A No-Nonsense Guide to Ascension
You’ve been adventuring in Teyvat. Battling hilichurls. Hoarding Primogems. Your characters feel capped. They hit level ceilings fast. The solution? Ascension. It graduates characters from mere mortals to stronger versions. Not quite demi-god, but definitely more powerful.
Ascension in Genshin Impact is key to breaking through level limits. It unlocks your characters’ full potential. This is not just about bragging rights. It’s about building a formidable team. This guide breaks down requirements, how-tos, and why you should care. Let’s dive in.
The Ascension Checklist: What You Absolutely Need
Ascending a character is not casual. Genshin Impact requires effort. Think of it as an exam for a power-up diploma. Here’s what you need:
Level Cap? Broken.
Your character needs to max out their current level. That means reaching level 20, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 for each ascension stage. You can’t ascend if your character is not at the level cap. It’s like trying to graduate early. It simply doesn’t work.
Adventure Rank: Gatekeeper of Progress
Adventure Rank is crucial for ascension. You must reach specific Adventure Ranks to attempt character ascension. These ranks ensure you adventure before trying to power-level. Watch your Adventure Rank and hit those benchmarks.
Material Mania: The Ascension Shopping List
Materials are critical in Genshin Impact grinding. For ascension, you need a specific mix of items:
- Ascension Gems: These stones are element-specific with different qualities (sliver, fragment, chunk, gemstone). Collect the ones matching your character’s element.
- Boss Materials: Defeating World Bosses drops essential materials unique to each boss. Ascending a Pyro character? Fight the Pyro Regisvine.
- Local Specialties: Each region has unique items: flowers, plants, bugs. Your characters need those from their home region. For Mondstadt characters, hunt Valberries or Cecilia flowers. You’ll need 168 for a full ascension.
- Mora: Ascension costs Mora. At higher levels, it drains faster than a Dendro slime melts in Pyro. Ascending above level 80 costs 120,000 Mora; from 80 to 90 costs 684,800 Mora. Start selling off excess inventory.
Gathering these materials is your main task. It feels like a scavenger hunt with the prize being powerful characters. Who doesn’t love a good hunt for world domination?
Material Acquisition 101: Where to Find the Goods
You know what you need. Now, how do you get these precious materials? Do not fret; Teyvat offers many opportunities. Here are your prime hunting grounds:
Questing for Glory (and Materials)
Quests advance the storyline and give generous material rewards. Look for ascension gems and goodies as quest completion bonuses. It’s like being paid to play – a win-win.
World Boss Bonanza: Your Weekly Material Haul
World Bosses are essential for farming boss materials and ascension gems. They respawn regularly, providing a reliable loot source. Here’s your target list:
- Cryo and Pyro Regisvine: These elemental plant bosses drop gems and specific materials. Use the right elemental characters for quick victories.
- Hypostasis Squad: Each of the five Hypostases drops elemental gems and unique materials. Know their elemental weaknesses for easier battles.
- Oceanid: This Hydro boss unleashes water creatures. Defeat them for Hydro gems and unique materials. Bring Electro or Cryo characters.
- Maguu Kenki: This mechanical enemy drops Anemo and Cryo gems, plus another unique material. Prepare for a tough fight.
Regularly tackling these bosses is vital for stocking up on ascension materials. They’re like grocery stores in Teyvat – always stocked when you need them.
Weekly Boss Battles: For the Truly Dedicated (and Material-Hungry)
Weekly Bosses offer unique material rewards needed for talent upgrades and sometimes ascend materials too. Not strictly necessary for ascension, but incredibly useful long-term. To fully ascend Venti, you’ll need six Tail of Boreas from the level 70+ Lupus Boreas weekly challenge. Think of these runs as advanced material farming.
The Perks of Ascension: Why Bother?
Grinding for materials can be tedious. So, why should you ascend characters? Is it worth it? Absolutely. Here’s why:
Talent Unleashed: Level 9 and 10 Access
Ascending to 80/90 unlocks a boost to your character’s sub-stat and grants access to talent levels 9 and 10. These higher talents amplify abilities significantly, making characters hit harder or heal better. It’s unlocking the ultimate form.
Material Ease: Ascension Becomes Less of a Headache
Ascending characters isn’t just about power gains; it creates a snowball effect. Higher levels mean tackling high-level content becomes easier, making farming for materials less tedious. Ascend to make ascending easier; that’s Genshin Impact logic.
Leveling Up: The XP Grind
Ascension is part of strengthening characters; leveling up is another part. You can’t ascend if you’re not leveling. Let’s talk XP:
Character EXP: Ranks and Rewards
You increase Character Ranks by accumulating Character EXP. Earn Character EXP mainly from completing missions and events. Think of it as growth points for your character.
Adventure EXP: Your Account-Wide Level Up
Adventure EXP increases your overall Adventure Rank — crucial for progression. Here’s where you get Adventure EXP:
- Quests (Story, World, Daily): Quests are key sources of Adventure EXP. Complete them to level up quickly. Story quests provide significant Adventure EXP and Primogems.
- Those side quests you find grant valuable EXP. Daily Commissions provide regular Adventure EXP.
- Exploration (Landmarks, Chests): Teyvat rewards curiosity. Explore and discover landmarks. Open chests, especially the luxurious ones, to gain Adventure EXP. Get out there and explore!
- Adventure EXP Materials: Books like Wanderer’s Advice give 1,000 EXP. Adventurer’s Experience gives 5,000 EXP. Hero’s Wit gives 20,000 EXP. Use these items to level up your characters quickly.
Speed Leveling Tactics: Gotta Go Fast
Want to level up your Adventure Rank and characters efficiently? Use this speed run guide:
Quest Prioritization: Your EXP Express Lane
Quests are essential for rapid leveling. Complete Story Quests first. Then, finish World Quests and Daily Commissions regularly. This is a reliable way to gain Adventure EXP.
Exploration Efficiency: The Tourist’s Guide to Leveling
Explore with a purpose. Unlock Waypoints and Statues of the Seven as you go. This makes travel faster and opens more of the map. Discovering landmarks offers Adventure EXP, and chests may contain EXP materials.
EXP Material Management: Book Smart, Level Fast
Use your Adventure EXP books smartly. Don’t hoard them. Level your key characters, especially for ascension. This saves valuable grinding time.
Domain Domination: Reward Rich Runs
Complete domains for artifact farming and character rewards. They contribute to character leveling and Adventure Rank progress. Check domain rewards and run them for needed materials.
Waypoint and Statue Strategy: Fast Travel Mastery
Unlock Waypoints and Statues of the Seven for efficiency. Faster travel allows more time for questing and farming. Unlock them as soon as possible.
Achievement and Adventure Book Action: Taskmaster Tactics
Don’t overlook Achievements and Adventure Book tasks. These often reward Adventure EXP for in-game milestones. Such tasks provide structured rewards that increase your Adventure Rank.
Ley Line Leverage: Quick Resource Runs
Ley Lines offer quick combat challenges that reward resources. They are not heavy on Adventure EXP but help in farming materials. Use them to gather needed resources quickly.
Leveling and Ascension: Why It Matters (Especially Early On)
Is leveling and ascending important? Yes. Definitely yes. Here’s why:
Level your characters to at least 60 and ascend them to rank 4 for a strong boost. This requires less resource investment. Leveling to 90 demands more commitment but boosts damage output. Ascend to level 1 for a low-cost benefit.
Adventure Rank and World Level: Scaling Up the Challenge (and Rewards)
As you gain Adventure EXP, your Adventure Rank increases. Certain ranks, like 25 and 35, unlock World Level Ascension Quests. Completing these makes the game tougher but enhances rewards from enemies and bosses. The max Adventure Rank is 60, and the max World Level is 9.
Beginner’s Brain Trust: Quick Tips to Live By
Starting your journey in Genshin Impact? Here are crucial tips:
- Pick up everything. Collect flowers, plants, ores, and enemy drops. You never know when you might need these items.
- Think about team building. Build teams considering elemental reactions and roles. Strong individuals do not guarantee a well-functioning team.
- Build your characters. Level them up, ascend them, and enhance their talents. Skipping character building complicates your progress.
- Prioritize limited-time events. These provide valuable rewards. Don’t miss out; they help boost your resources.
Wishes and Warriors: Obtaining New Characters
Want more characters? Use the Wish system. 5-star characters come from “wishing” on banners. Use Primogems or Fates for pulls. There’s a “pity” system that ensures a 5-star character after 90 wishes.
Venturing into Inazuma: Adventure Rank Required
Exploring Inazuma requires fulfilling prerequisites. First, reach Adventure Rank 30. Second, complete the initial part of the Archon Quest “Setting Sail.” To start this quest, finish Liyue’s main story quests. Inazuma isn’t for beginners; you must earn your entrance.
Now you have your no-nonsense guide on character ascension in Genshin Impact. Gather materials, level your characters, and conquer Teyvat. A well-ascended character performs better in battle. Enjoy your adventure!
For detailed information, check the Genshin Impact ascension guide. You can find information on materials, quests, and level requirements. Explore the Character Ascension page on the Genshin Impact Wiki. If unsure about ascending everyone, consider this: Genshin Impact players should ascend all their characters. Food for thought!