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Unveiling the Power of Aggravate: A Comprehensive Guide to its Damage Bonus in Genshin Impact

The Aggravate reaction in Genshin Impact is a transformative elemental reaction that can dramatically amplify your Electro damage output. Understanding how it works and how to maximize its bonus is crucial for anyone looking to optimize their Electro teams.

The damage bonus for Aggravate in Genshin Impact is a flat damage bonus added to the triggering attack. This bonus scales with the character’s Elemental Mastery (EM), character level, and the enemy’s Electro Resistance. It’s important to note that Aggravate does not crit, and its bonus is added after all other damage calculations, making it a highly valuable and predictable source of damage.

Understanding the Mechanics of Aggravate

Aggravate occurs when you apply Electro to a target already affected by Dendro, or vice versa. This reaction is one of the “Catalyze” reactions, alongside Spread (Dendro + Electro, triggering with Dendro application). Unlike Transformative reactions like Overload or Electro-Charged, Aggravate directly buffs the damage of the attack that triggers the reaction. This makes it particularly effective with characters who can consistently apply Electro or Dendro with their attacks.

Calculating the Aggravate Damage Bonus

The formula for calculating the Aggravate damage bonus is as follows:

Aggravate Bonus = Base Damage * (1 + EM Bonus) * (1 – Enemy Electro RES) * (1 + Dendro Core bonus)

Base Damage: This is a fixed value determined by the character’s level. Higher character levels result in a larger base damage value for Aggravate.
EM Bonus: This bonus is derived from the character’s Elemental Mastery. The higher the EM, the greater the bonus. The scaling is subject to diminishing returns at very high EM values, but even with diminishing returns, EM is still extremely valuable.
Enemy Electro RES: This represents the enemy’s resistance to Electro damage. Lower Electro Resistance increases the Aggravate damage. Shredding Electro RES through character skills or artifact sets is a common strategy to amplify Aggravate damage.
Dendro Core Bonus: This refers to the bonus coming from Dendro cores such as Bloom, Hyperbloom, or Burgeon. The maximum bonus is about 100% damage, depending on the situation.

It’s crucial to remember that this bonus is added directly to the final damage of the triggering attack. This means it benefits from all other damage buffs, such as those from artifact sets, weapon passives, and character talents.

Key Factors Influencing Aggravate Damage

Several factors play a significant role in maximizing your Aggravate damage:

Elemental Mastery (EM): EM is the primary stat that scales the Aggravate damage bonus. Prioritize building EM on characters triggering the reaction.
Character Level: Leveling up your characters increases the base damage value of Aggravate. Aim for level 90 for optimal results.
Enemy Electro Resistance: Reducing the enemy’s Electro Resistance significantly boosts Aggravate damage. Consider using characters like Lisa (whose Burst reduces enemy defense) or equipping characters with the Viridescent Venerer artifact set (which shreds elemental resistance).
Crit Rate and Crit Damage: While Aggravate itself doesn’t crit, the attack that triggers Aggravate can crit. Therefore, optimizing your Crit Rate and Crit Damage is still essential for overall damage output.
Damage Bonus: Characters with high Electro Damage Bonus or overall Damage Bonus also see their Aggravate damage increase further, as the bonus is applied after the Aggravate bonus.

Optimizing Your Team for Aggravate

To maximize your Aggravate potential, consider the following team composition strategies:

Consistent Electro and Dendro Application: Choose characters who can consistently apply Electro and Dendro to maintain the Catalyze aura and trigger Aggravate frequently. Examples include Yae Miko, Fischl, Nahida, and Alhaitham.
Elemental Mastery Buffs: Characters like Sucrose and Kazuha can provide substantial EM buffs to the team, further increasing Aggravate damage.
Electro Resistance Shred: Characters like Lisa or the Viridescent Venerer artifact set can significantly reduce the enemy’s Electro Resistance, amplifying Aggravate damage.
Dedicated Damage Dealers: Include a character with high Electro damage potential to act as the primary Aggravate damage dealer. Characters like Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, and Cyno are excellent choices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Aggravate Crit?

No, the Aggravate reaction itself does not crit. However, the attack that triggers the Aggravate reaction can crit, so you should still optimize your Crit Rate and Crit Damage.

2. Does Aggravate scale with ATK?

No, Aggravate does not directly scale with ATK. It scales with Elemental Mastery (EM) and character level. However, ATK is important for the base damage of the Electro attack that triggers Aggravate.

3. Is EM or Crit better for Aggravate?

Both EM and Crit are important, but EM is the primary stat that scales the Aggravate damage bonus itself. Crit Rate and Crit Damage enhance the damage of the initial Electro attack. Prioritize EM on the character triggering Aggravate, but don’t neglect Crit.

4. How much EM is needed for Aggravate?

There’s no definitive “magic number” for EM. The more, the better, but diminishing returns start to kick in at very high values. Aim for at least 300-500 EM, but experiment to see what works best for your specific team and playstyle.

5. What artifact sets are best for Aggravate?

Gilded Dreams: This set provides a significant boost to Elemental Mastery and ATK, making it excellent for Aggravate teams.
Thundering Fury: This set increases Electro DMG Bonus and reduces Elemental Skill cooldown, allowing for more frequent Electro application and Aggravate triggers.
Viridescent Venerer: While not directly boosting Aggravate damage, the 4-piece effect reduces the enemy’s elemental resistance, which indirectly increases Aggravate damage when used on a Dendro character in the team.

6. Which characters are best for Aggravate?

Characters who can consistently apply Electro and/or Dendro and benefit from EM scaling are ideal for Aggravate:

Electro: Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, Fischl, Cyno, Lisa
Dendro: Nahida, Alhaitham, Dendro Traveler, Tighnari

7. Does Aggravate work with Electro-Charged?

Yes, Aggravate can occur even if the enemy is already affected by Electro-Charged (Electro + Hydro). The Dendro application will trigger the Aggravate reaction and consume the Electro aura.

8. How does Aggravate compare to other reactions?

Aggravate is a unique reaction that directly buffs the triggering attack’s damage. Compared to transformative reactions like Overload or Electro-Charged, Aggravate is more consistent and easier to control, as it doesn’t rely on random procs.

9. Does Enemy Defense affect Aggravate damage?

Yes, Enemy Defense reduces the damage of the attack that triggers Aggravate, thus indirectly affecting the overall damage output. Reducing enemy defense through character skills or constellations (like Lisa’s Burst) can increase your total damage.

10. What weapons are good for Aggravate characters?

Weapons with Elemental Mastery substats or passives that increase EM are excellent for Aggravate characters. Examples include:

Wandering Evenstar (Catalyst): Provides EM and buffs ATK for the team.
Mailed Flower (Claymore): Great for characters who consistently trigger reactions, boosting EM and ATK.
Dragon’s Bane (Polearm): Substat is EM, passive increases DMG against opponents affected by Hydro or Electro.

11. Does Resistance to interruption affect Aggravate?

Resistance to interruption doesn’t directly affect Aggravate damage. It’s crucial for ensuring your characters can consistently apply Electro and Dendro without being knocked back or interrupted, thus maintaining consistent Aggravate triggers.

12. Does Aggravate benefit from Damage Bonus%?

Yes, the damage bonus from Aggravate is applied before any Damage Bonus% calculations. Therefore, a character with a high Electro Damage Bonus will see an even greater increase in their total damage when triggering Aggravate.

13. What is the order of application of electro and dendro to trigger Aggravate?

Aggravate is triggered by applying Electro to a target already affected by Dendro, OR applying Dendro to a target already affected by Electro. The order does not matter, but the appropriate element must be applied after the other.

14. Can Multiple Aggravate reactions trigger simultaneously?

Yes, if an attack hits multiple enemies affected by Dendro, each enemy can trigger an Aggravate reaction separately. This allows for significant AoE damage amplification.

15. How do I see Aggravate damage numbers?

When you trigger an Aggravate reaction, a damage number will appear with a small, distinctive icon indicating the Aggravate bonus. This makes it easy to track your Aggravate damage output and fine-tune your team.

What is the damage bonus for aggravate Genshin?