How do I build a strong burgeon team with Thoma in Genshin Impact?

Building a strong burgeon team with Thoma in Genshin Impact involves understanding the mechanics of the burgeon reaction, optimizing Thoma's role as a support, and creating a team that synergizes well with his abilities. Burgeon is an elemental reaction that occurs when a Dendro core, created by the Bloom reaction (Dendro + Hydro), is triggered by Pyro. This causes an explosion that deals AoE Dendro damage, scaling with the Elemental Mastery of the character triggering the reaction. Thoma, as a Pyro character with a consistent shield and Pyro application, can be an excellent enabler for burgeon teams.

To start, Thoma's primary role in a burgeon team is to apply Pyro to Dendro cores consistently. His Elemental Skill, Blazing Blessing, and Elemental Burst, Crimson Ooyoroi, both provide Pyro application. His burst, in particular, is crucial because it applies Pyro in an AoE around your active character, making it easier to trigger burgeon reactions. However, Thoma's Pyro application is not as fast as some other Pyro characters, so you need to build a team that compensates for this.

For a burgeon team, you will need a Hydro and Dendro character to create Dendro cores. A strong Hydro applicator like Xingqiu or Yelan is ideal because they can apply Hydro consistently, ensuring that Dendro cores are generated frequently. For Dendro, characters like Nahida, Dendro Traveler, or Collei work well. Nahida is particularly strong because her Elemental Skill can mark multiple enemies, ensuring Dendro application across the battlefield.

The fourth slot in the team can be flexible. You might want a healer or shielder to ensure survivability, especially since burgeon deals self-damage. Characters like Kokomi or Barbara can provide healing while also applying Hydro, or you could use Zhongli for his strong shield. Alternatively, you could add another Dendro or Hydro character to increase the frequency of Dendro core generation.

When building Thoma for a burgeon team, focus on Elemental Mastery as the primary stat. This is because burgeon damage scales with the Elemental Mastery of the character triggering the reaction. Artifact sets like Gilded Dreams or Flower of Paradise Lost are ideal for Thoma in this role. Gilded Dreams provides a significant boost to Elemental Mastery, while Flower of Paradise Lost increases burgeon damage directly. For main stats, prioritize Elemental Mastery on the sands, goblet, and circlet. Sub-stats should also focus on Elemental Mastery, Energy Recharge, and HP to ensure Thoma can use his burst consistently and maintain his shield.

For weapons, Thoma benefits from those that provide Elemental Mastery or Energy Recharge. The Kitain Cross Spear is a great option because it provides both Elemental Mastery and Energy Recharge, and its passive reduces Thoma's energy needs. Other options include the Dragon's Bane for its high Elemental Mastery or Favonius Lance for its Energy Recharge and particle generation.

In combat, the strategy is to apply Hydro and Dendro to create Dendro cores, then use Thoma's burst to trigger burgeon. Start by applying Dendro to enemies using your Dendro character's abilities. Follow up with Hydro to create Dendro cores. Once the cores are on the field, switch to Thoma and use his burst to apply Pyro and trigger burgeon. Be mindful of the self-damage from burgeon, and ensure you have a healer or shielder to mitigate this.

Common mistakes to avoid include neglecting Thoma's Energy Recharge. Without sufficient Energy Recharge, Thoma will struggle to use his burst consistently, which is crucial for triggering burgeon. Another mistake is not balancing the team's elemental application. If Hydro or Dendro application is too slow, you won't generate enough Dendro cores to make the burgeon reaction effective.

Advanced techniques include timing Thoma's burst to coincide with the creation of Dendro cores. This ensures that Pyro is applied immediately, maximizing the number of burgeon reactions. You can also use Anemo characters like Sucrose or Kazuha to group enemies and spread elements, making it easier to trigger multiple burgeon reactions at once.

In summary, a strong burgeon team with Thoma requires careful team composition, focusing on consistent Hydro and Dendro application, and building Thoma with high Elemental Mastery and Energy Recharge. By following these strategies and avoiding common mistakes, you can create a powerful burgeon team that excels in both single-target and AoE scenarios.