Released in 2020 by Chinese developer HoYoverse , Genshin Impact quickly became one of the most popular games in the world. The RPG combines exploration, dynamic combat, and an engaging narrative. With a gacha system for obtaining characters and equipment, the game challenges players to assemble strategic teams while exploring the vast continent of Teyvat .
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If you're just starting out, this guide will help you understand the story, the main characters, and the essential mechanics to begin your journey.
The story of Genshin Impact
The plot of Genshin Impact revolves around the Traveler , the protagonist whose gender can be chosen by the player. At the beginning of the game, he and his twin brother are separated by a mysterious entity called the Keeper of the Celestial Principles . Thus, sealed and cast into an unknown world, the Traveler awakens in Teyvat , a continent divided into seven nations, each ruled by an Archon , a deity associated with one of the seven elements.
Alongside the charismatic and enigmatic Paimon , who becomes his guide and traveling companion, the Traveler sets out in search of his missing brother. However, during this journey, he becomes involved in the conflicts and mysteries of each nation, discovering secrets about the Archons and the true nature of the world of Teyvat.
The seven nations of Teyvat
Each region in the game has a unique aesthetic, a culture inspired by real-world civilizations, and a core mechanic based on its corresponding element:
- Mondstadt (Wind/Anemo) – Inspired by medieval Europe, it is the city of freedom and ruled by the Anemo Archon, Barbatos .
- Liyue (Earth/Geo) – Based on Chinese culture, it is a thriving commercial center led by the Archon Geo, Morax .
- Inazuma (Lightning/Electro) – With a strong Japanese influence, it is an isolated archipelago under the rule of the Archon Electro, Raiden Ei .
- Sumeru (Dendro/Nature) – Inspired by the Middle East and India, it houses the world's largest library and is ruled by the Archon Dendro, Nahida .
- Fontaine (Water/Hydro) – A technologically advanced nation, influenced by 19th-century France and ruled by the Archon Hydro, Focalors .
- Natlan (Fire/Pyro) – Not yet released, it is expected to have a strong influence on Mesoamerican and African cultures.
- Snezhnaya (Ice/Cryo) – Land of the enigmatic Fatui , is ruled by the Cryo Archon, Tsaritsa .
As new updates are released, players can explore more about each nation and unravel the mysteries of Teyvat.
How to level up quickly in Adventure Rank
Initially, your Adventure Rank (AR) is one of the most important aspects of the game. It determines access to quests, events, rewards, and new challenges. Additionally, upon reaching certain levels, your World Level increases, making enemies stronger but also guaranteeing better rewards.
If you want to level up quickly, check out the main ways to earn Adventure Experience (Adventure XP) and increase your Rank efficiently.
1. Complete the game missions
Missions are the main source of EXP at the start of the journey. There are different types of missions:
- Archon Missions – Related to the main story, they grant large amounts of EXP.
- Story Missions – Focused on specific characters, they also offer good rewards.
- World Quests – These are secondary quests that appear while exploring Teyvat. Some yield significant amounts of EXP.
Always prioritize the missions available in your Adventurer's Guide , as they help you level up quickly.
2. Make the Daily Commissions
After reaching Adventure Rank 12 , you unlock Daily Commissions , one of the quickest and easiest ways to earn XP. These consist of four small tasks scattered across the map, which may involve defeating enemies, collecting items, or interacting with NPCs. Each completed commission grants a fixed amount of Adventure XP , and completing all of them allows you to collect an additional bonus at the Adventurers' Guild .
3. Explore the world and unlock Waypoints in Genshin Impact.
Exploration is one of the most rewarding aspects of Genshin Impact . By unlocking Waypoints , Statues of the Seven , and Domains , you gain Adventure EXP. Additionally, opening Chests scattered throughout Teyvat grants small amounts of EXP, which can add up significantly over time.
4. Complete Domains and Defeat Weekly Bosses
Domains challenges that grant valuable materials and Adventure XP . Some of them are only available on certain days of the week, but they are essential for strengthening your characters and leveling up.
On the other hand, Weekly Bosses , such as Stormterror (Dvalin) and Andrius (Wolf of the North) , yield a large amount of EXP and valuable materials. They can be faced once a week and are unlocked by progressing through the story.
5. Use Original Resin strategically
Original Resin is a limited resource that regenerates over time. It is used to collect rewards from bosses, domains, and ley line blooms. Spending resin efficiently grants not only important upgrade materials but also Adventure XP .
6. Complete the Ley Lines challenges
Ley Lines are map events that appear as gold or blue circles. They offer Adventure EXP and useful resources for upgrading characters. While they require Original Resin to collect the rewards, they are a great way to gain experience while strengthening your team.
Make the most of your Original Resin
Original Resin is one of the most important resources in Genshin Impact . It's used to collect rewards from domains, bosses, and special events. However, resin has a daily limit and regenerates slowly over time. Therefore, spending it efficiently is essential for progressing quickly in the game.
Discover the best ways to use your Original Resin every day and ensure maximum benefits.
1. Prioritize World Leaders
World Bosses, such as Hypostasis, Regisvines, and Serpent of Ruins , offer character ascension materials and artifacts. Each battle consumes 40 Original Resin , but the reward is worth it, especially for those assembling a strong team.
2. Face the Weekly Bosses
Every week, players can face Dvalin (Stormterror), Andrius (Wolf of the North), and Signora , among others. These bosses require 30 or 60 Original Resin , depending on the Adventure Rank level, but they guarantee exclusive materials for talent advancement.
3. Farm Artifacts in Domains
Specific domains offer powerful artifacts, essential for improving character performance. However, it's ideal to farm 5-star when your World Level is high enough to guarantee the best rewards.
4. Invest in Ley Lines when you need EXP or Mora
If you need to strengthen your characters, Blue Ley Lines are a great source of Character EXP . Gold Ley Lines, provide Mora (the game's currency) , essential for leveling up characters, talents, and weapons.
5. Spend Condensed Resin to maximize rewards
After unlocking the recipe in Liyue Reputation (Level 3) , you can create Condensed Resin , which consumes 40 Original Resin but doubles the rewards from certain domains. This reduces the in-game time required to farm important materials.
Genshin Impact's Temporary Events
Events often offer challenges that require Original Resin. If the event provides good rewards, prioritize spending resin on it instead of on regular activities.
Choose your starting characters wisely in Genshin Impact
It's unlikely you'll get all the characters you want right away. The game uses a gacha , where new characters and weapons are obtained through wishes (summons) . However, the resources to summon are limited, so it's important to learn how to use the free characters well and plan your future investments.
Check out these tips for building a strong team even without access to all the heroes in the game.
1. Enjoy the free characters
Right from the start, Genshin Impact offers some characters without requiring luck in the gacha system:
- Traveler (Anemo/Geo/Dendro) – Versatile protagonist with interchangeable elements in specific statues.
- Amber (Pyro) – Archer with skills useful for shield breaking and puzzle solving.
- Kaeya (Cryo) – An agile character, good at dealing elemental damage.
- Lisa (Electro) – Sorceress with area-of-effect attacks and continuous electrical damage.
- Barbara (Hydro) – Free healer obtained upon reaching Adventure Rank 18 .
- Collei (Dendro) – Earned for free in events or by progressing through certain missions.
These characters are enough to form a balanced team at the start.
2. Manage your Destiny and Essential Gems well
The wishes on the standard banner offer a varied selection of characters and weapons. Promotional banners, on the other hand, feature exclusive characters for a limited time. So, if you want a specific character, save up Primogems and wait for the ideal banner. Avoid impulsive spending, as resources are limited.
3. Make good use of elementary reactions
Even without rare characters, you can deal high damage by combining elements:
- Vaporize (Pyro + Hydro) – Greatly amplifies the damage of the attacking force.
- Superconductor (Electro + Cryo) – Reduces the physical resistance of enemies.
- Electrically Charged (Electro + Hydro) – Causes continuous damage over time.
Knowing how to combine elements is more important than having 5-star characters.
4. Evolve the right characters in Genshin Impact.
Your resources are limited at the start, so avoid investing in all characters at once. Choose at least one main DPS , one elemental support , and, if possible, a healer to make combat easier.
Understand the elements and their reactions in combat
Genshin Impact 's elemental system is one of the most strategic aspects of the game. Each character possesses an element, and by combining them, you can activate elemental reactions , which increase damage or apply special effects to enemies.
While mastering all the interactions takes time, understanding the basics already helps in assembling an efficient team. See below for the main elemental reactions and how to use them in combat.
1. Fusion and Vaporization – Great damage amplifiers
These are the reactions that increase damage the most, making them essential for DPS (damage per second) characters.
- Fusion (Cryo + Pyro) – Increases the damage of the inflicting attack. If Cryo is applied first, Pyro's damage is doubled. If Pyro comes first, Cryo's damage receives a 50% increase.
- Vaporization (Hydro + Pyro) – Works similarly to Fusion. If Pyro is applied first, Hydro's damage doubles. If Hydro comes first, Pyro receives a 50% increase.
These reactions are ideal for teams focused on high damage output.
2. Dendro – Catalyst for new strategies
Dendro was introduced with Sumeru and has unique interactions :
- Flowering (Hydro + Dendro) – Generates explosive seeds called Dendro Nuclei , which cause damage when they explode.
- Enhancement (Electro + Dendro) – Increases the damage of Electro and Dendro against the affected enemy.
- Propagation (Dendro + Electro) – Amplifies the damage of the next Dendro attack on the enemy.
- Burgeon (Pyro + Dendro Cores) – Causes Dendro Cores to explode, dealing area damage.
Dendro is one of the most strategic elements in the game, working very well with Hydro and Electro.
3. Electro – Continuous damage and reduced resistance
The Electro doesn't generate as much instant damage as Pyro or Cryo, but it's useful for dealing damage over time and reducing enemy resistances.
- Electrically Charged (Electro + Hydro) – Deals continuous damage and shocks nearby enemies.
- Superconductor (Electro + Cryo) – Reduces the physical resistance of enemies, great for characters that deal physical damage.
- Intensification and Propagation (Electro + Dendro) – Strengthens elemental attacks of these elements.
Electro shines in teams that focus on sustained damage and enemy control.
4. Freezing and Breaking Ice – Physical Control and Damage
- Freeze (Hydro + Cryo) – Immobilizes enemies for a short time, excellent for crowd control.
- Break Ice (Heavy Attacks + Freeze) – If an enemy is frozen, heavy attacks or Geo can break the ice and deal extra physical damage.
Freezing is very useful for keeping enemies still and reducing the difficulty of combat.
5. Whirlpool and Crystallization – Support and Defense
Anemo element stands out for spreading other elements across the battlefield and amplifying elemental damage.
- Whirlwind (Anemo + Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo) – Spreads the affected element to hit multiple enemies. If the character has elemental damage bonuses, the Whirlwind becomes even more powerful.
- Crystallization (Geo + Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo) – Creates a shield based on the absorbed element, useful for increasing the team's defense.
While Whirlwind is great for amplifying damage, Crystallization provides extra protection in combat.
Build your first team strategically in Genshin Impact
Knowing how to assemble a balanced team makes all the difference, even with 4-star or free characters. To do this, it's important to consider three factors: roles within the team, elemental synergy, and ease of upgrading .
1. Basic team structure
An efficient team typically has four main functions:
- Main DPS – The character that deals the most damage and stays on the field the longest.
- Sub-DPS – Applies secondary damage, whether from off-field abilities or elemental combos.
- Support – Provides buffs (improvements) to the team or applies beneficial effects.
- Healer/Shield – Essential for ensuring survival in long battles.
Even without 5-star characters, you can assemble an efficient team with free and 4-star heroes available in the banners.
2. Suggestions for initial teams
If you don't have many characters yet, here are some recommended formations:
Free team (for beginners)
- Main DPS: Kaeya (Cryo)
- Sub-DPS: Lisa (Electro)
- Support: Xiangling (Pyro) (obtained in the Spiral Abyss – Floor 3)
- Healer: Barbara (Hydro) (obtained at Adventure Rank 18)
This team allows you to activate elemental reactions such as Superconductor (Cryo + Electro) and Vaporization (Pyro + Hydro) , guaranteeing extra damage to enemies.
Balanced team (with common 4-star characters)
- Main DPS: Xiangling (Pyro) or Razor (Electro)
- Sub-DPS: Xingqiu (Hydro) (excellent for vaporization)
- Support: Sucrose (Anemo) (spreads elements and increases elemental damage)
- Healer: Noelle (Geo) (has healing and shielding capabilities)
This formation offers good reaction times and resistance in combat.
3. Adapting your team to your playing style
If you prefer a more offensive playstyle, you can replace the healer with another Sub-DPS or damage support, such as Fischl (Electro) or Beidou (Electro). If you prioritize defense, you can invest in characters like Noelle or Diona, who provide shields and healing simultaneously.
Evolve your weapons and artifacts strategically
Investing too much in weak equipment can hinder your progress. This is because, as you advance in the game, you will have access to much better options. Therefore, it's important to know when and how to upgrade your weapons and artifacts without wasting precious resources.
1. Do not maximize low-rarity weapons
1, 2, or 3-star weapons should only be used temporarily. They may be useful in the early levels, but will soon be replaced by 4 or 5-star , which have far superior attributes and abilities.
What to do?
- Upgrade your weapons to level 20 or 40 at most.
- When you get a better 4-star weapon, switch without hesitation.
- Do not use rare ores to upgrade weapons that you know will be discarded.
2. Choose your artifacts carefully before investing
Artifacts are needed to improve the performance of Genshin Impact characters, but at the beginning of the game it's best not to spend too many Refinement Art Books or Mora on them.
Five-star artifact sets only start appearing at higher Domain levels, so starting equipment will soon become obsolete.
What to do?
- 2- and 3-star artifacts only as intermediaries.
- 4-star sets starting at Adventure Rank 25.
- Only invest heavily in 5-star , obtained at World Level 5 or higher.
3. Save on upgrade materials
Many items needed to upgrade weapons and characters are difficult to obtain. If you spend everything immediately, you may have difficulties later when trying to strengthen a character.
What to do?
- Prioritize only one main DPS to receive the best upgrades.
- Wait until Adventure Rank 30 to decide which weapons and artifacts are truly good.
- Do not spend Original Resin on Artifact Domains before reaching Adventure Rank 45, as the chances of obtaining 5-star artifacts are very low.
Don't miss the limited-time events
Limited-time events are one of the best ways to obtain valuable rewards in Genshin Impact . They often bring Primogems, Fates, Mora, ascension materials, and even free characters and weapons . Since events only last a few weeks, it's important to take full advantage of them before they disappear.
1. Why are events so important?
Unlike the game's permanent activities, events often offer exclusive rewards and large amounts of Primogems , used to make wishes on character and weapon banners.
Furthermore, many events offer free characters , such as Fischl, Xingqiu, Collei, and Faruzan in past editions. For those who don't want to rely on the gacha system, this is a great opportunity to expand their team.
2. How do I keep track of active events?
Events are announced within the game itself, in the events tab, and also on HoYoverse . Typically, each update (every six weeks) brings at least one main event and several smaller ones.
Pay attention to notifications so you don't miss out on valuable prizes.
3. Most common types of events
- Combat challenges – Test your skills against enemies in exchange for rewards.
- Minigames and puzzles – Include platforming challenges, brain teasers, and exploration.
- Story events – Introduce new characters and expand the game's lore.
- Cooperative events – Allow you to play with friends to complete objectives.
Each type of event offers different prizes, so it's worth participating in all of them.
4. Plan your time so you don't miss out on rewards
Many events require players to complete specific missions or reach a certain Adventure Rank . If you leave it until the last minute, you may not be able to complete them in time.
Therefore, organize yourself to complete the challenges throughout the days and secure all the rewards without rushing.
Start your Genshin Impact journey off on the right foot
Exploring the vast world of Teyvat may seem challenging at first, but with the right strategies, your progress will be much more efficient. Understanding the story, increasing your Adventure Rank, managing your Original Resin, and assembling a balanced team are fundamental steps to getting the most out of the game.
Furthermore, avoiding hasty investments in weapons and artifacts, mastering elemental reactions, and participating in limited-time events will help you strengthen your characters without wasting resources.
With planning and dedication, you'll have a much smoother and more rewarding experience in Genshin Impact. Now that you know the basics, it's time to embark on this journey and explore everything the game has to offer!
Have a great adventure, Traveler!