How to Break Shields in Genshin Impact: A Comprehensive Guide

To get rid of shields in Genshin Impact, you need to exploit their elemental weaknesses. Different enemy types and Abyss Mage shields react differently to various elements. Understanding these interactions is key to effectively breaking through their defenses and defeating them. Employing the right elemental reactions and characters specifically designed to counter shields will dramatically improve your combat effectiveness.

Understanding Enemy Shields

Before diving into specific tactics, let’s clarify what we mean by “shields.” In Genshin Impact, shields primarily appear in two forms:

• Elemental Shields: Primarily used by Abyss Mages, Hilichurl Grenadiers, and some Fatui agents. These shields are specifically vulnerable to certain elements.

• Physical Shields/Armor: Used by enemies like Mitachurls, Lawachurls, and Stonehide Lawachurls. While elemental reactions can contribute, raw damage output and specific character abilities are usually more effective.

Elemental Counters: Breaking Down Enemy Defenses

Abyss Mage Shields

Abyss Mages are notorious for their elemental shields, which require specific counters to break. Here’s a breakdown:

• Hydro Abyss Mage: Weak to Cryo and Electro. Cryo is generally preferred because Frozen reactions lock the mage in place, leaving them vulnerable.
• Cryo Abyss Mage: Weak to Pyro. Pyro reactions melt the shield quickly.
• Pyro Abyss Mage: Weak to Hydro. Hydro reactions vaporize the shield efficiently.

Hilichurl Grenadiers

These enemies carry wooden shields imbued with a specific element:

• Wooden Shield: Highly vulnerable to Pyro. A single Pyro attack, even from a low-level character, can set the shield ablaze, destroying it instantly.

Fatui Agent Shields

These shields vary depending on the Fatui agent’s element:

• Fatui Skirmisher – Electro Cicin Mage: Her shield is electro based so it is weak to Cryo
• Fatui Skirmisher – Geochanter Bracer: His shield is geo based so it is best to use Geo or Physical attacks to break his shield.
• Fatui Skirmisher – Hydrogunner Legionnaire: His shield is Hydro based so it is best to use Cryo
• Fatui Skirmisher – Pyroslinger Bracer: His shield is Pyro based so it is best to use Hydro.
• Fatui Skirmisher – Cryogunner Legionnaire: His shield is Cryo based so it is best to use Pyro.

Mitachurls and Lawachurls

These larger Hilichurl variants possess physical armor that reduces incoming damage. While elemental reactions can help, raw damage output is crucial:

• Mitachurls: Focusing on weak points (like their head when they are charging) and using high-damage characters are effective.
• Lawachurls: These enemies have a Geo armor phase. Geo attacks, Claymore users, and powerful plunging attacks are effective against Geo armor.

Specific Character Skills for Shield Breaking

Certain characters excel at shield breaking due to their unique abilities:

• Pyro: Xiangling’s Guoba and Bennett’s burst are excellent against Cryo Abyss Mages.
• Hydro: Xingqiu’s Rain Swords and Barbara’s Hydro application are effective against Pyro Abyss Mages.
• Cryo: Kaeya’s Elemental Skill and Rosaria’s Elemental Burst can easily break Hydro Abyss Mage shields.
• Geo: Zhongli’s Jade Shield has the ability to reduce enemies’ elemental and physical resistance which will make them take extra damage which will eventually help break the shield.

General Shield-Breaking Strategies

• Team Composition: Building a team with appropriate elemental coverage is crucial.
• Elemental Resonance: Consider the benefits of elemental resonance, like the Pyro resonance, which increases ATK by 25%.
• Character Level and Talent: Higher character levels and talent levels significantly increase damage output.
• Weapon Choice: Equip your characters with weapons that complement their role and provide stat boosts relevant to shield breaking (e.g., Elemental Mastery).
• Elemental Mastery: High Elemental Mastery increases the effectiveness of elemental reactions, speeding up shield breaking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What happens when a shield breaks?

When a shield breaks, the enemy becomes vulnerable to attacks, and their resistance to interruption decreases. This is the perfect opportunity to unleash your strongest skills and deal significant damage.

2. Does Physical damage affect elemental shields?

While Physical damage does contribute to shield breaking, it’s far less effective than the appropriate elemental counter. It’s generally not recommended to rely on Physical damage alone.

3. Is Elemental Mastery important for breaking shields?

Yes, Elemental Mastery (EM) greatly increases the effectiveness of elemental reactions, which speeds up the shield-breaking process. Building EM on characters designed to trigger reactions is highly beneficial.

4. Are there any food buffs that help with shield breaking?

Yes, certain food buffs can increase your ATK, CRIT Rate, or Elemental Mastery, which indirectly contributes to faster shield breaking.

5. Which Claymore characters are best for breaking Geo shields?

Noelle, Arataki Itto, and Diluc are excellent choices due to their high Claymore damage and Geo/Pyro application.

6. Does the environment affect shields?

Yes. If you are fighting near water, Hydro application becomes very easy, and if you are fighting in Dragonspine, Cryo application becomes very easy. Use these to your advantage!

7. How does the Spiral Abyss affect shield breaking?

The Spiral Abyss often features specific enemy compositions that require targeted shield-breaking strategies. Pay attention to the enemy lineup and adjust your team accordingly. Abyss buffs also change periodically, so check these buffs to optimize your team.

8. Are some shields easier to break than others?

Yes. Wooden shields on Hilichurl Grenadiers are the easiest to break, while Geo shields on Lawachurls and Geo Hypostases can be the most challenging.

9. How does character level impact shield breaking?

A higher character level increases your overall damage output, making shield breaking faster and more efficient. Level matters!

10. Can I use Anemo characters to break shields?

While Anemo characters cannot directly break shields, they can use Swirl reactions to spread the elemental application, which helps in certain situations. Furthermore, characters like Venti and Kazuha can group enemies together making them susceptible to AoE attacks.

11. What happens if I use the wrong element on a shield?

Using the wrong element will have little to no effect, or may even strengthen the shield. Focus on using the correct elemental counter.

12. Are there any artifacts that help with shield breaking?

The Instructor set (2-piece bonus: Increases Elemental Mastery by 80) can be useful on support characters designed to trigger reactions, boosting the effectiveness of shield breaking. Also, the Viridescent Venerer set (4-piece bonus) can debuff enemies elemental resistance, which makes shield breaking easier.

13. How important is team synergy for shield breaking?

Team synergy is crucial. A well-coordinated team with complementary elemental skills will be far more effective at breaking shields than a team with randomly selected characters.

14. How does interruption resistance factor into shield breaking?

Enemies with shields often have higher interruption resistance. Breaking the shield significantly reduces this resistance, making them easier to stagger and control.

15. What is the best way to practice shield breaking?

Experiment with different characters, team compositions, and elemental reactions against Abyss Mages and other shielded enemies in the open world or Domains. The more you practice, the better you’ll understand the nuances of shield breaking.