The best builds for the Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact Raiden Shogun build guide: make the most of the Electro archon.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Genshin Impact Shenhe build:Icy exorcistGenshin Impact Yun Jin build:Prestigious performerGenshin Impact Zhongli build:Geo archonGenshin Impact Ganyu build:Cryo archerGenshin Impact Xiao build:Demon hunterGenshin Impact Itto build:The one and Oni
Searching for the bestGenshin Impact Raiden Shogun build? Inazuma’s archon of eternity and Electro is already back for a rerun, despite having first appeared only a few versions ago. In Genshin 2.5, she’ll be appearing alongsideKokomi, and her best bud,Yae Miko, as well as in boss form for the new weekly Trounce Domain challenge.
Just like her fellow archons, Zhongli andVenti, the Raiden Shogun is extremely powerful in her own way. Her Eye of Stormy Judgement elemental skill is great for reactions, since it activates when you land a hit, no matter the range, and buffs burst damage for the active character. Her Musou Isshin super state also gains damage from other characters' bursts, and can recharge them in turn when she hits enemies.
In this Genshin Impact Raiden Shogun build guide, I’ll take a look at the best setup to take advantage of her energy recharge-scaling damage, as well as her constellations, passives, and the ascension materials you need to level her.
Builds
The best Genshin Impact Raiden Shogun build
Since the Raiden Shogun’s Electro damage scales with her energy recharge, any good build for her will try to stack it as high as possible.
Electro DPS
The new five-star polearm that arrived in version 2.1 is perfect for Raiden—unsurprising when you consider it’s actually her weapon. Engulfing Lightning provides a secondary stat boost to energy recharge, and increases attack 28% of however much energy recharge you have over the base 100%. This offers a maximum bonus of 80%. You also get 30% bonus energy recharge for 12 seconds after casting an elemental burst.
As Raiden’s Electro damage scales for every 1% of energy recharge she has over the base 100%, Engulfing Lightning simply adds another layer to that effect. Some other possible four-star picks are Prototype Starglitter, the Favonius Warlance, or even the new fishing reward spear for version 2.1, The Catch. Though you’ll need to farm someGolden Koiif you want it.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Just as withSara, the Emblem of Severed Fate artifact set is great for the Raiden Shogun. With a two-piece, she gains 20% energy recharge, further strengthening her, and for four-pieces she gets yet another bonus based on energy recharge, increasing burst damage by 25% of the stat. You can get a max bonus of 75% this way. Though Engulfing Lightning and Severed Fate both have caps on the damage bonus they can offer Raiden based on energy recharge, her passive ability, Enlightened One, does not.
This means she should be able to reach some fairly great numbers. If you don’t have full Severed Fate, you could also add a couple of pieces of Thundering Fury for the Electro damage bonus, or Exile and Scholar, for their 20% energy recharge boost.
How to unlock
How to get Raiden Shogun in Genshin Impact
The Raiden Shogun returns for a rerun in Genshin Impact 2.5 alongside Kokomi. Since Yae Miko is the first character banner featured in this version on February 16, it won’t be until three weeks later that Raiden actually arrives, around March 9. This will probably be your last chance to grab her for quite a long time, so it’s worth saving those primogems if you want her in your party.
Abilities
Raiden Shogun’s abilities
Here are the Raiden Shogun’s abilities, passives, and Constellations:
Ascension materials
Raiden Shogun Ascension materials
Character
In order to level the Raiden Shogun, you’re going to need the usual Vajrada Amethyst for Electro characters, but you’ll also require Storm Beads, which you can get from the Thunder Manifestation on Seirai Island after you complete theSeirai Stormchasers quest. You’re also going to need some world materials:
The Amakumo Fruit can be found all over Seirai Island—thisAmakumo Fruit locations guideshould help you find them. Since Old Handguards and their upgraded versions were Ayaka’s ascension material, most people should be familiar with them by now. They are dropped by Nobushi—the wandering swordsmen you can find all over Inazuma.
Talent
Here’s what you’ll need to ascend the Raiden Shogun’s talents:
You can get Teachings of Light-series items from the Violet Court domain on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. As mentioned, Old Handguards and their upgraded variants are dropped by Nobushi of different world levels, and you can the Crown of Insight from seasonal activities, or upgrading the Frostbearing Tree in Dragonspine, or the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma.
The final material, Molten Moment, is gained by defeating the new La Signora weekly boss on level 70 and above.
Genshin Impact guide:Beginner tipsGenshin Impact characters:Full tier listGenshin Impact code:Redeem for free rewardsGenshin Impact banner:Every character
Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she’s quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.
Diablo 4 players take the ‘action’ out of action RPG and create the ultimate AFK build that plays itself
How to get the best ending to Dragon Age: The Veilguard—or the worst, if you’re curious
I chatted to an MIT-built AI version of my future, 60-year-old self and we did NOT get along
