Raiden Shogun: Sub-DPS Dynamo or Main DPS Mayhem? Let’s Unpack This Electro Empress
Wondering where Raiden Shogun fits in your Genshin Impact team? Is she support or the damage dealer? We will dissect the Electro Archon and determine her role as a sidekick or a main damage dealer with an electric spark.
Raiden’s Dual Nature: Sub-DPS Superhero and Main DPS Maverick
Raiden isn’t just one role. This Electro Archon is flexible, juggling both sub-DPS and main DPS roles. Think of her as a multi-talented friend who plays backup guitar and can lead vocals, stealing the spotlight.
- Sub DPS Supreme: Raiden shines as a sub DPS, offering great battery capabilities. She keeps your team charged and ready. She can also deal impressive burst damage, rivaling your main DPS when charged with Resolve stacks. Plus, her off-field Electro application adds chaos.
- Main DPS Potential: Don’t ignore her leading ability. With the right setup, Raiden can dominate as a main DPS, unleashing burst damage that evaporates enemies quickly. That burst damage from her sub-DPS role grows when she takes center stage.
Supportive Shogun: Who Plays Nice with Raiden?
Raiden can be a team player. But who benefits from her electrifying presence? Let’s explore dream team scenarios and some not-so-great pairings.
- The Dream Team Lineup: The classic “Raiden National” team (Raiden Shogun, Xiangling, Xingqiu, Bennett) showcases her support skills. This team delivers elemental reactions and steady damage, with Raiden as the battery and damage enabler. For max personal damage, Kujou Sara complements her well. Together, they unleash massive buffs.
- Not Always the Perfect Fit: Raiden isn’t always the best sub-DPS for every character. She works with Xiao, but other sub-DPS options may be better. Still, her solid rotations and reliable energy make the pairing comfortable. For more on Xiao’s teams, check out the best supports and sub-DPS for Xiao.
- Synergy Symphony: Raiden and Kujou Sara are peanut butter and jelly. Their rotations flow seamlessly, with insane energy generation. Raiden can use bursts often! Pairing her with Fischl creates a strong Electro duo. Raiden offers burst damage, while Fischl delivers consistent off-field damage. In Dendro reactions, Nahida fits well with Raiden in Hyperbloom and Aggravate teams, amplifying her damage.
Unlocking Raiden’s Potential: Talents, Scaling, and Stats
Want to unleash Raiden’s power? Understand her talents and scaling first. Here’s the breakdown:
- Energy Recharge is King (or Queen!): Raiden’s damage, especially her burst, scales with Energy Recharge (ER) and Resolve stacks. Think of ER as the fuel for her damage engine. More ER means harder bursts and quicker team energy recharges. Her passive talents amplify this, converting ER into Electro damage and energy regeneration. ER defines Raiden.
- Resolve Stacks: Fueling the Fury: Resolve stacks boost Raiden’s burst damage. Your other team members gain these stacks when they unleash their bursts. Raiden consumes them to supercharge her burst, rewarding burst-heavy compositions.
Building the Bolt Bringer: Stats and Artifacts
How do you prepare the Electro Archon for success? Here’s a guide on stats to prioritize:
- Energy Recharge Sweet Spot: For a classic Raiden build, aim for around 200% ER. This threshold ensures consistent bursts and decent damage. For in-depth recommendations, check out IGN’s Raiden Shogun Build Guide.
- Attack Balance: ER is key, but don’t neglect Attack. Aim for around 1.5k to 1.8k Attack for solid base damage scaling.
Constellation Considerations: Are They Worth It?
Constellations are tempting power-ups you earn from duplicates. Are they game-changers for Raiden, or can she shine at C0?
- C0 – Amazing Right Out of the Gate: Good news for free-to-play players! Raiden excels even at C0. She’s powerful and functional without constellation investment; her base kit is top-tier.
- C2 – The Nuke Unleashed: If considering constellations, C2 is where Raiden transforms. C2 increases her burst damage significantly, allowing her to shred defenses easily. If you aim for maximum DPS potential, C2 is highly recommended.
Team Tactics: Where Does Raiden Shine?
We’ve covered some teams, but here are the team archetypes where Raiden excels:
- Raiden National (Again!): Raiden National is classic for a reason. It’s powerful, consistent, and easy to build.
- Hyperbloom Havoc: Raiden is an excellent Electro trigger for Hyperbloom teams, turning Dendro Cores into big projectiles for massive Dendro damage.
- Hypercarry Hype: Teams focused on enhancing Raiden’s personal damage, known as “Hypercarry” teams, are designed to maximize her DPS. They often include Kujou Sara, Bennett, and a buffer like Kazuha or Venti.
- Overload Overdrive: With Chevreuse, Overload teams receive a boost. Chevreuse and Sara enable Raiden to thrive in Overload compositions, enhancing her damage.
Raiden Rumble: How Does She Stack Up?
In Genshin Impact’s evolving world, how does Raiden compare to other heavy hitters? Here’s how she measures up:
- Furina: The Versatile Archon: Furina excels as both DPS and support. She fits many team compositions and is a versatile option. Learn more about support characters like Furina from Gamerant’s guide to support characters.
- Neuvillette: The Hydro DPS King: Neuvillette often out-damages Furina in raw damage potential. He’s designed to obliterate enemies with Hydro power.
- Keqing: Quick and Nimble, But…: Keqing offers fun, fast play and high single-target damage. Although powerful, she lacks flexibility compared to Raiden and struggles in AoE situations.
- Electro Traveler: Energy Regeneration on a Budget?: The Electro Traveler has the highest energy regeneration, even surpassing Raiden. However, this comes with a clunky playstyle and limited team utility. Raiden offers a smoother experience.
- Eula: Physical Powerhouse: Eula is among the strongest C0 characters with immense Physical damage. She focuses on Physical damage, while Raiden thrives on Electro and energy assistance.
Should You Pull the Trigger for Raiden?
The ultimate question: Is Raiden Shogun worth your Primogems? Here’s a quick checklist to assist your decision:
- Burst Damage Dealer: Do you need a powerful burst DPS who can also provide consistent
- Damage and energy affect your team? Raiden excels here. Her elemental abilities can deal great damage, especially her burst skill.
- Team Role Flexibility: Do you seek a character who fits various team styles? Raiden’s ability as both sub-DPS and main DPS is important.
- Team Synergy Needs: Think about your team’s requirements. Raiden thrives in Hyperbloom, Hypercarry, and Raiden National teams. If you aim to develop these strategies, she is a strong option.
- Artifact Investment: Do you have a good set of Emblem of Severed Fate artifacts? If not, gathering her ideal artifact set can take time. A tip: If you lack any Emblem artifacts, it might be best to wait until you can gear her effectively before pulling.
Essentially, Raiden Shogun is an outstanding unit. She is a burst DPS powerhouse and a great battery, enhancing rotations and boosting your team’s bursts. Decide first if you need a strong Electro character and what role she will fill.
Raiden Shogun: Understanding the Names
Lastly, let’s clarify the many titles of the Electro Archon:
- Raiden Shogun: This denotes the ruler of Inazuma, currently held by Electro Archon, Ei. It’s similar to “The President” – it describes a role, not a name.
- Ei: This is the name the current Electro Archon uses for herself. It is also the name Yae Miko calls her. Consider it her personal name.
- Makoto: This was the name of the *original* Electro Archon, Ei’s twin sister, who was also known as Baal. Baal is another title linked with Makoto, the prior Archon.
Thus, when you pull for Raiden Shogun, you pull for Ei, the current Electro Archon with the title of Raiden Shogun. Do not confuse her with her sister Makoto, called Baal. Understand? Great. Now go on and electrify Teyvat!
