Sethos build guide · GenGuru: Your guru for Genshin Impact

Overview

On-field Electro damage
Charged Attack damage

Sethos is an Electro archer whose damage leans on Elemental Mastery. His fully charged Shadowpiercing Shot pierces through enemies, and his passive adds a large bonus to it based on his Elemental Mastery for a short window, then recharges. His Elemental Burst turns his Normal Attacks into piercing Dusk Bolts that count as Charged Attack damage and also scale with his Elemental Mastery.

He works best in Aggravate teams with a Dendro teammate, where his Electro hits gain extra damage from Quicken. Build him with Elemental Mastery and crits, plus enough Energy Recharge to burst every rotation.

Weapons

Best first. Every bow on this list links to its page.

Hunter's Path ★★★★★
The best match. Elemental DMG Bonus, CRIT Rate and a Charged Attack bonus based on Elemental Mastery, which covers his whole kit.
The First Great Magic ★★★★★
A strong 5-star for Charged Attack users. High CRIT DMG and a direct Charged Attack damage bonus.
Ibis Piercer ★★★★
A 4-star from an event. ATK plus Elemental Mastery after Charged Attacks hit, which his Dusk Bolts trigger easily.
Windblume Ode ★★★★
A free event bow with Elemental Mastery and ATK after using his skill.
Slingshot ★★★
A 3-star with a CRIT Rate stat and a strong bonus for close-range shots. Fire from close range so his shots land fast enough to get the bonus.

Artifact sets

Wanderer's Troupe 4-piece
Elemental Mastery and a flat Charged Attack bonus for bow users. His Dusk Bolts and Shadowpiercing Shots both count.
Gilded Dreams 4-piece
In Aggravate teams it gives a lot of Elemental Mastery from teammates of other elements.
Wanderer's Troupe + Gilded Dreams 2-piece each
Two Elemental Mastery halves. A simple stopgap while you farm either full set.

Main stats and substats

Sands: Elemental Mastery
Goblet: Electro DMG Bonus or Elemental Mastery
Circlet: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG or Elemental Mastery
Substats: CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG > Elemental Mastery > Energy Recharge

Talent priority

Normal Attack Royal Reed Archery
Elemental Burst Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer
Elemental Skill Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands

Teams

Nahida Aggravate
- Sethos
- Nahida
- Fischl
- Baizhu
Nahida keeps enemies Quickened, Fischl adds more Electro, and Baizhu heals and protects while adding Dendro.
Budget Aggravate
- Sethos
- Collei
- Fischl
- Kuki Shinobu
All 4-stars. Collei supplies Dendro for Quicken and Kuki heals while adding Electro.

Tips

His passive Elemental Mastery bonus applies to Shadowpiercing Shots for a short time and then needs to recharge. Line up your strongest shots inside that window.
Aimed Shots charge faster when he has Energy, but they spend that Energy. Avoid spamming them right before you want to burst.
His skill gives back Energy when it triggers a reaction such as Aggravate, so use it on enemies that already have a reaction going.
His burst ends when he leaves the field, so spend the whole duration firing Dusk Bolts.

Base stats at level 90

Base HP: 9787
Base ATK: 227
Base DEF: 560
Elemental Mastery: 96

Talents

Normal Attack Royal Reed Archery

Normal Attack Performs up to 3 consecutive shots with a bow. Charged Attack Performs a more precise Aimed Shot with increased DMG. While aiming, the power of Electro will accumulate on the arrowhead before the arrow is fired. Has different effects based on how long the energy has been charged: ·Charge Level 1: Fires off an arrow carrying the power of lightning that deals Electro DMG. ·Charge Level 2: Fires off a Shadowpiercing Shot which can pierce enemies, dealing Electro DMG to enemies along its path. After the Shadowpiercing Shot is fully charged, Sethos cannot move around. Plunging Attack Fires off a shower of arrows in mid-air before falling and striking the ground, dealing AoE DMG upon impact.

Elemental Skill Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands

Gathers the might of thunder, dealing AoE Electro DMG and quickly retreating. If this attack triggers Electro-Charged, Lunar-Charged, Superconduct, Stellar-Conduct, Overloaded, Quicken, Aggravate, Hyperbloom, or Electro Swirl reactions, Sethos recovers a certain amount of Elemental Energy.

Elemental Burst Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer

Perform a secret rite, entering the "Twilight Meditation" state, during which Sethos's Normal Attacks will be converted into enemy-piercing Dusk Bolts: Deal Electro DMG to opponents in its path, with DMG increased based on Sethos's Elemental Mastery. Sethos cannot perform Aimed Shots while in this state. DMG dealt by Dusk Bolts is considered Charged Attack DMG. This effect will be canceled when Sethos leaves the field.

Passive talent Black Kite's Enigma

When Aiming, the charging time is decreased by 0.285s based on each point of Sethos's current Elemental Energy. Charging time can be reduced to a minimum of 0.3s through this method and a maximum of 20 Energy can be tallied. If a Shadowpiercing Shot is fired, consume the tallied amount of Elemental Energy; if it is a Charge Level 1 shot, then consume 50% of the tallied amount of Elemental Energy.

Passive talent The Sand King's Boon

Sethos gains the "Scorching Sandshade" effect, increasing the DMG dealt by Shadowpiercing Shots by 700% of Sethos's Elemental Mastery. The Scorching Sandshade effect will be canceled when any of the following conditions are met: · 5s after a Shadowpiercing Shot first hits an opponent. · After 4 Shadowpiercing Shots strike opponents. When a Shadowpiercing Shot affected by Scorching Sandshade first hits an opponent, Sethos will regain Scorching Sandshade after 15s.

Passive talent Thoth's Revelation

Displays the location of nearby resources unique to Sumeru on the mini-map.

Constellations

C1 Sealed Shrine's Spiritsong

The CRIT Rate of Shadowpiercing Shot is increased by 15%.

C2 Papyrus Scripture of Silent Secrets

When any of the following conditions are met, Sethos gains a 15% Electro DMG Bonus for 10s that may stack twice, with each stack duration counted independently: · Consuming Elemental Energy through Aimed Shots. You must first unlock the Ascension Talent "Black Kite's Enigma" to trigger this condition. · Regaining Elemental Energy by triggering Elemental Reactions using Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands. · Using Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer.

C3 Ode to the Moonrise Sage

Increases the Level of Normal Attack: Royal Reed Archery by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

C4 Beneficent Plumage

When a Shadowpiercing Shot or Dusk Bolt strikes 2 or more opponents, all nearby party members gain 80 Elemental Mastery for 10s.

C5 Record of the Desolate God's Burning Sands

Increases the Level of Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

C6 Pylon of the Sojourning Sun Temple

After Shadowpiercing Shot strikes an opponent, the Elemental Energy consumed by the Ascension Talent "Black Kite's Enigma" will be returned. This effect can be triggered up to once every 15s. You must first unlock the Ascension Talent "Black Kite's Enigma."