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The best Shinobu builds in Genshin Impact

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The roster of Genshin Impact grows with every new update, adding characters with different skills, elements, roles, strengths, and weaknesses. Part of the fun of the game is looking forward to finally getting your hands on one of those new exciting characters and seeing how they can be incorporated into your different team compositions to take on the challenges in the world of Teyvat. Unlocking characters can be tedious at times, but some, like Kuki Shinobu, are absolutely worth the grind.

Shinobu is the first time we’ve gotten an Electro healer character in Genshin Impact. She’s a four-star rank and is part of the Oni’s Royale banner, along with Arataki Itto, Gorou, and Chongyun. She wears an iconic mask, is the second in command of the Arataki Gang, and was once a part of a family that works as shrine maidens. If you want to help this strong, capable character reach her full potential, here are the best ways you can build her character in Genshin Impact.

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Further reading

Shinobu overview

Shinobu's backstory.
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As mentioned, Shinobu is an Electro-type character you can obtain via Wishes. She wields a shadowsword, which is more like a dagger, and has the usual suite of skills and passives like all other characters. Here’s her offensive overview:

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Normal Attack: Shinobu does a four-hit combo with her shadowsword, and she can charge it up with some stamina to deal two lightning-fast attacks. If you pull off a plunging attack, you will deal damage to anything below you, plus in a small AoE at your point of impact.

Elemental Skill: For a small amount of HP, Shinobu can create a Grass Ring of Sanctification that deals Electro damage to any enemy within it. The ring will follow Shinobu around as you move her, dealing damage every 1.5 seconds, but also heals any friendly characters in the ring based on your max HP value.

Elemental Burst: By thrusting her evil-excoriating blade into the ground, Shinobu creates a zone that deals Electro damage to any enemies within its AoE based on her max HP. If you use this skill while at 50% HP or lower, the AoE will last longer.

1st Ascension Passive: If you have less than 50% HP, healing effects are increased by 15%.

4th Ascension Passive: The Sanctifying Ring’s abilities are boosted in relation to Shinobu’s Elemental Mastery, with healing increased by 75% of Elemental Mastery and damage output increased by 25%.

Utility Passive: For 20 hours, you will get 25% more rewards when Shinobu is dispatched on Inazuma Expeditions.

Best weapons

Shinobu equipping a weapon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of weapons, since Shinobu doesn’t have a signature weapon, there are a couple of options that best serve her skills.

Freedom-Sworn Sword:

This sword is the most common choice to pair with Shinobu due to it having a strong attack stat and great buff to the wielder’s Elemental Mastery, both of which serve this character very well. The only downside is that, as a support, you may have other characters you want to use this sword on more.

Primordial Jade Cutter:

To help buff her support skills, Primordial Jade Cutter is a great choice. It will give her a nice boost to her HP, which then translates into a stronger attack stat.

Favonius Sword:

Another great weapon, this time to boost energy recharge, even when not on the field, is the Favonius Sword. The extra energy it gives Shinobu when active is obviously great, but it also generates particles that other teammates can take advantage of.

Best artifacts

Shinobu crouching in the grass.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Artifacts are best used in sets, but Shinobu is one of those characters that do well with some mixing and matching in pairs as well depending on which function you want her to focus on. No matter what, though, her primary use should be healing and support-focused.

Buffs:

The best healing and buff artifact set would be a pure Tenacity of the Millelith set. These bonuses are also fantastic since they apply regardless of whether or not Shinobu is active or not.

  • Two-piece sets give 20% more HP.
  • Four-piece sets give the entire party +20% attack and +30% shield strength for three seconds any time an elemental skill hits an enemy, which will be often.

DPS:

For a healer that also gives some bonus DPS, throw on the Ocean-Hued Clam set. Like the other set, these effects are also active regardless of whether or not Shinobu is on the field or not.

  • Two-piece sets are a raw +15% healing bonus.
  • Four-piece sets summon a Sea-Dyed Foam every time a Shinobu heals another character. This foam lasts for three seconds and absorbs all the healing done during that time, capping out at 30,000 HP. Once the three seconds pass, it will deal 90% of the healing it soaked up as damage in an explosion.

Best roles

Shinobu doing a ninja pose.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Without a doubt, as mentioned numerous times, Shinobu will be your support class for your team in Genshin Impact. She also works best if she’s not the solo Electro character. For a team composition, she does great on a team with the following:

  • Kamisato Ayato
  • Xiangling
  • Kaedehara

An alternative team she works great in is:

  • Childe
  • Yanfei
  • Kaedehara

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Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
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