Are DEF Artifacts Good in Genshin Impact? A Deep Dive

The short answer? It depends. While DEF (Defense) is often considered one of the least desirable stats on artifacts in Genshin Impact, it’s not universally useless. Its value is heavily dependent on the character you’re building and their role in your team. For specific characters who scale off of DEF, such as Arataki Itto, Noelle, and Xinyan, DEF artifacts can be incredibly valuable. For most other characters, however, you’re usually better off prioritizing stats like Crit Rate, Crit DMG, ATK%, and Elemental DMG Bonus. This article will explore the nuances of DEF artifacts, helping you understand when and how to utilize them effectively.

Understanding DEF in Genshin Impact

Before diving into specific characters and artifact sets, it’s crucial to understand how DEF works in Genshin Impact. DEF reduces the damage a character takes from incoming attacks. The higher your DEF, the less damage you’ll receive. However, the damage reduction isn’t linear. There’s a formula that calculates damage reduction based on the attacker’s level and ATK as well as the defender’s level and DEF.

The formula essentially means that the more DEF you have, the less effective each additional point of DEF becomes. This diminishing returns effect contributes to why DEF is often considered inferior to other offensive stats.

When is DEF Valuable?

Despite its general unpopularity, DEF can be incredibly valuable in specific situations:

• Characters Scaling off DEF: As mentioned earlier, certain characters have abilities that scale directly with their DEF stat. This means their damage output or defensive capabilities increase based on their total DEF.
• Tanking and Survivability: For characters designed to be tanks, like Noelle or Thoma (who uses HP but plays a similar role), DEF can significantly improve their survivability. A higher DEF stat allows them to withstand more damage, enabling them to protect the rest of the team.
• Early Game: In the early stages of the game, when you have limited access to high-quality artifacts, DEF can provide a decent boost to your characters’ survivability. This can be helpful when tackling challenging content.

Which Artifact Sets Boost DEF?

While there aren’t many artifact sets solely focused on DEF, some provide a DEF bonus alongside other useful effects. Keep an eye out for these:

• Husk of Opulent Dreams: This set is specifically designed for characters that scale with DEF, like Arataki Itto and Albedo. It provides a significant DEF bonus and an additional Geo DMG Bonus, making it ideal for Geo-based DEF scaling characters.
• Retracing Bolide: This set increases Shield Strength, which indirectly benefits DEF-scaling characters that rely on shields, like Noelle. While it doesn’t directly increase DEF, it strengthens her ability to absorb damage.
• Archaic Petra: While this set does not provide a DEF bonus, it’s worth mentioning because it enhances Geo DMG, which is crucial for Arataki Itto and Noelle if they are built as DPS.
• Defender’s Will: This set is geared towards early-game players and provides a good DEF bonus. It increases DEF by 30% with the 2-piece bonus, which can be helpful until better artifact sets are obtained.
• Lucky Dog: Another early-game set, Lucky Dog grants additional DEF.
• Resolution of Sojourner: A very early artifact that increases ATK and DEF.

Best Practices for Managing DEF Artifacts

Given the situationally valuable nature of DEF artifacts, here’s how to manage them effectively:

• Identify DEF-Scaling Characters: Before discarding DEF artifacts, check if any of your characters scale off of DEF.
• Evaluate Substats: Even if the main stat is DEF, the artifact might have valuable substats like Crit Rate, Crit DMG, or Energy Recharge. These substats can make the artifact useful even on characters that don’t primarily scale off DEF.
• Use as Enhancement Material: If an artifact isn’t useful for your main teams, use it as enhancement material to level up your better artifacts. This is the most common use for unwanted artifacts.
• Mystic Offering: Once you reach a certain Adventure Rank, you can use the Mystic Offering system to exchange unwanted 5-star artifacts for artifact strongboxes.

Understanding Games Learning Society

The strategic thinking and resource management required in Genshin Impact, especially when deciding which artifacts to keep and which to discard, reflect the kind of problem-solving skills valued by the Games Learning Society. Understanding the game’s mechanics and optimizing your character builds can be viewed as a form of learning and cognitive development. To learn more about the intersection of gaming and education, visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions regarding DEF artifacts in Genshin Impact:

1. Are flat DEF stats good?

   Generally, flat DEF stats are less desirable than DEF% stats. DEF% scales with your character’s base DEF, providing a larger overall increase. Flat DEF provides a fixed amount, which becomes less impactful as your character’s base DEF increases.

2. Should I always avoid DEF main stats on artifacts?

   Not necessarily. If you’re building a character like Arataki Itto, Noelle, or Albedo, a DEF main stat on artifacts can be highly beneficial. However, for most other characters, you’ll want to prioritize other main stats.

3. What substats should I look for on DEF artifacts?

   Even on DEF artifacts, you should look for substats like Crit Rate, Crit DMG, Energy Recharge, and ATK%. These substats can make the artifact useful even if the main stat isn’t ideal.

4. Which characters benefit the most from DEF artifacts?

   Arataki Itto, Noelle, and Albedo are the primary characters who benefit from DEF artifacts. Their abilities scale directly with DEF, making it a crucial stat for their builds.

5. How does DEF affect shield strength?

   For characters like Noelle and Xinyan, their shield strength scales with their DEF stat. The higher their DEF, the stronger their shields will be.

6. Is it better to have more ATK or more DEF on a character?

   It depends on the character’s role. For DPS characters, ATK is generally more important. For tank characters, DEF is crucial for survivability.

7. What is the difference between DEF% and flat DEF?

   DEF% is a percentage increase based on your character’s base DEF, while flat DEF is a fixed amount of DEF added to your total. DEF% is generally more effective as your character’s base DEF increases.

8. How can I increase my character’s DEF?

   You can increase your character’s DEF by equipping artifacts with DEF main stats or substats, leveling up your character, and equipping weapons that provide a DEF bonus.

9. Are DEF artifacts useful in the early game?

   Yes, DEF artifacts can be useful in the early game, as they provide a decent boost to your characters’ survivability. This can be helpful when tackling challenging content.

10. Can DEF artifacts be used on support characters?

    In some cases, DEF artifacts can be useful on support characters, especially if they provide shields that scale with DEF. However, for most support characters, you’ll want to prioritize other stats like Energy Recharge or Healing Bonus.

11. How do I know if a character scales off of DEF?

    Check the character’s talents and constellations. If their abilities mention DEF scaling, then DEF is an important stat for that character.

12. Are there any weapons that increase DEF?

    Yes, some weapons provide a DEF bonus. These weapons can be useful for characters that scale with DEF.

13. What should I do with unwanted DEF artifacts?

    Use them as enhancement material to level up your better artifacts. Once you reach a certain Adventure Rank, you can also use the Mystic Offering system to exchange unwanted 5-star artifacts for artifact strongboxes.

14. Is DEF important for world exploration?

    While DEF can be helpful for surviving encounters with enemies, it’s generally not as important as other stats like ATK or Elemental DMG Bonus.

15. How does DEF interact with elemental reactions?

    DEF does not directly affect elemental reactions. However, a higher DEF can help your character survive longer, allowing them to trigger more elemental reactions.

In conclusion, while DEF artifacts aren’t universally good, they can be incredibly valuable for specific characters and situations. Understanding the nuances of DEF and how it interacts with different characters and abilities is crucial for optimizing your team’s performance in Genshin Impact. Remember to always consider your characters’ individual needs and roles when deciding which artifacts to equip.