With Natlan right around the corner, there’s tons of new content and new enemies to expect.
And with all of these new features inching ever closer, are you sure you’re ready to take on the Nation of Fire?
With what we know so far about Natlan, Pyro will be taking centre stage once again to topple Hydro off the top of the metagame. However, instead of focusing on the overpowered Vaporize reaction, it’s likely that the often disregarded Pyro-related reactions like Burning and Overload will have their moment to shine.
Burning and Overload: what do they do?
Burning is a reaction in Genshin Impact that occurs when the Pyro and Dendro elements combine, causing enemies to take continuous Pyro damage over time. Despite its powerful effects, Burning has seen limited use until the introduction of Emilie, a 5-star Dendro character who specialises in this reaction.
However, a notable drawback is that Burning can also inflict damage on your active party members in the overworld, which can complicate its use in certain situations.
On the other hand, Overload is a reaction that occurs when Pyro and Electro are combined, resulting in an explosion that deals a lot of damage while also knocking back enemies. While the knockback can be advantageous for crowd control, it may become a hindrance when facing a single opponent, as it could disrupt your combat strategy.
Burning and Overload may prove to be a challenge for players to master, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t formidable reactions you can utilise for Natlan. A lot of 4-star characters that are probably already in your roster can facilitate these reactions, and even may prove useful in the coming version 5 update.
Whether you’re a free-to-play adventurer, a low-spender, or a whale looking to refresh your strategy, gearing up with the right 4-star characters could make all the difference.
Here’s a look at the 4-star characters you should consider building in preparation for Natlan’s fiery debut!
Chevreuse
- Support/Healer
- Overload
- Pyro
- Polearm
Chevreuse debuted as the only Pyro character whose kit solely focuses on Overload, so it makes sense that she’s the premier support in an Overload team.
Chevreuse focuses on dealing AoE Pyro attacks while also regenerating HP for your team. Her passives also strengthens the effects of Overload by both lowering your opponent’s Pyro and Electro Res, while increasing your party’s ATK.
Chevreuse can only work on a team with Pyro or Electro characters, but that’s not a big issue because she can synergise well with practically any Pyro or Electro DPS you have. Just slot her in with characters like Yae Miko, Raiden Shogun, Lyney, or even Yoimiya and you’re practically ready to send your enemies to the afterlife!
Chevreuse is also one of the easier characters to build as her DMG output depends on her max HP, needing little investment when it comes to her gear or artifacts. Her best-in-slot is the easily attainable 3-star polearm Black Tassel, which gives a substantial HP increase, while you can mix and match artifact sets like Tenacity of the Millelith and Vourukasha’s Glow for even more HP, or go for full sets of either Noblesse Oblige for a purely burst support build, or Songs of Days Past for a full healer build.
Fischl
- Support/Sub DPS/DPS
- Overload
- Electro
- Bow
The Princessin der Verurteilung once graced the top of the meta due to her amazing prowess as an off-field support and sub DPS. But after the release of Kuki Shinobu, who provided both off-field support and healing, Fischl was no longer the top pick for off-field Electro supports.
But Fischl (or should we really say Oz?) has always proven herself to be a worthy companion, thanks largely to the fact that her damage output is stronger, and can help long-range DPS characters maintain a safe distance from their opponents. In this regard, Fischl is the perfect support to something like a Yoimiya or Lyney Overload team.
Fischl can also perform well as a sustained DPS thanks to her charged attacks, although it’s not as ideal in Overload teams being swarmed by mobs.
Fischl is fairly easy to build, only needing minimal investment when it comes to her weapons as a support. Your best bet would be equipping her with The Stringless, which at refinement rank 5 can net you a 45% increase in Skill and Burst DMG. For artifacts, you can choose between equipping her with a full set of either Golden Troupe, which also gives a skill DMG increase for a more sub DPS build, or Gilded Dreams that provides an EM increase and support capability.
Lisa
- Support
- Overload
- Electro
- Catalyst
Lisa, one of the first free 4-stars you can get as you start your Genshin Impact journey, has gotten some unfortunate flack over the years due to her undeniably clunky kit. However, Lisa rose to the occasion in later versions thanks in part to new artifact sets and weapons that remedied her kit issues, specifically her energy problems.
Lisa specialises in off-field Electro application thanks to her burst, making her an ideal candidate for an Overload team with a DPS who’s constantly dealing DMG. She synergises well with Raiden Shogun, who also helps alleviate her energy problems.
Lisa can also lower your enemy’s DEF by 15% with her burst, the only 4-star character known to do so. This is a valuable perk that you definitely shouldn’t ignore.
Lisa is a bit complicated to build, as you will need to balance getting as much Elemental Mastery and Energy Recharge as much as possible. Thankfully, this is easier to achieve thanks to the Emblem of Severed Fate artifact set, which will significantly lighten her energy burden, while also buffing your party. You can also opt to equip her with a mix of Noblesse Oblige and Gilded Dreams if you want to focus on increasing her EM and Burst DMG.
As a Catalyst user, Lisa also has the ability to use the best support weapon of her type: Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. This 3-star weapon shouldn't be ignored, as it gives a whopping 48% ATK buff at max refinement to the next character taking the field after its user. Since Lisa wants to drop her burst then switch out, this weapon is both perfect for her role and very easily attainable.
Thoma
- Support
- Burning
- Pyro
- Polearm
Thoma as a playable character has always been brushed off due to his perceived subpar kit. However, thanks to Dendro and Burgeon, he’s been getting the recognition he deserves. So who's to say he can’t work on a Burning team?
Thoma can become a pretty reliable Pyro support thanks to both his skill and burst, which provides near constant Pyro application. However, players may find it difficult or frustrating to find the right timing to keep his shield up at all times. On the bright side, you may find the challenge quite fulfilling and fun when you get the hang of his timing!
Like the other characters on this list, Thoma is a particularly easy character to build, although you’ll need to find the perfect balance between ATK and HP, as he scales off of both. If you want higher DMG output, you’ll need to gun for ATK, but if you’re looking for a pretty sturdy shield, you’ll have to opt for HP.
Like Chevreuse, Thoma can do well with the 3-star weapon Black Tassel, which gives a substantial HP increase. However, if you consider his energy needs, you’ll be better off equipping him with the 4-star Favonius Lance and find your HP/ATK/additional Energy Recharge in your artifacts. In this regard, you can choose to give him full sets of either Noblesse Oblige, Emblem of Severed Fate, or Tenacity of the Millelith.
Yanfei
- Sub/DPS
- Burning/Overload
- Pyro
- Catalyst
Yanfei is arguably the most underrated 4-star Pyro DPS. Since her release, she has proven to be a powerful fighter who can proc massive DMG numbers. However, problems with stamina management has kept her from being able to prove herself in the meta game– totally a skill issue for players (kidding!).
But if you do find the perfect timing, Yanfei will definitely rise to the occasion to become an unstoppable beast. Yanfei’s kit focuses on her charged ATK DMG, which gets further buffed thanks to the Scarlet Seals produced through her skill and burst.
Considering how powerful Yanfei already is thanks to Vaporize, what more of the power she can possess through Overload or Burning?
Being a catalyst user is already an advantage as Yanfei can keep her distance from self-damage through environmental Burning, as well as being swarmed by mobs when she employs the Overload reaction. These situations are perfect with stamina management as Yanfei will not need to dodge or run away when you think she’s about to be overwhelmed. However, it might be imperative to keep a Crowd Control character in your team to keep enemies from not straying too far from her wrath.
As a Sub/DPS, it’s best to pair Yanfei with five-star weapons like Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds or Skyward Atlas that focus on increasing Crit DMG or ATK, but she can also work well with the 4-star alternative The Widsith, which also increases her Crit DMG.
In regards to artifacts, Yanfei will need a substantial amount of Elemental Mastery, which will prove a challenge as she will also need ATK and a decent Crit Ratio. You can’t really experiment with artifact sets with Yanfei – her best-in-slot will always be a full set of Crimson Witch of Flames.