How do I counter the Rifthound Clavicles in Genshin Impact?

Rifthound Clavicles are a type of enemy in Genshin Impact that can be quite challenging due to their unique mechanics and high mobility. These enemies are part of the Rifthound family, which includes both the Rifthound Whelps and the larger Rifthounds. The Clavicles are particularly troublesome because they can inflict the Corrosion status, which drains the health of your entire team over time, regardless of shields. To effectively counter Rifthound Clavicles, you need to understand their mechanics, employ the right strategies, and build a team that can handle their specific challenges.

First, let's break down the mechanics of Rifthound Clavicles. These enemies are highly mobile and can teleport around the battlefield, making them difficult to hit. They also have a unique ability to inflict Corrosion, which causes your entire team to lose health over time. This effect bypasses shields, so even characters with strong shields like Zhongli or Diona are not immune. Additionally, Rifthound Clavicles have a high resistance to physical damage, so relying solely on physical DPS characters like Eula or Razor may not be the most effective strategy. Instead, you should focus on elemental damage and reactions to take them down more efficiently.

To counter Rifthound Clavicles, you need to employ a strategy that maximizes elemental damage and minimizes the impact of Corrosion. One effective approach is to use characters with strong elemental abilities and reactions. For example, Pyro characters like Hu Tao or Diluc can deal significant damage through reactions like Vaporize or Melt. Electro characters like Raiden Shogun or Keqing can also be effective, especially when paired with Hydro or Cryo characters to trigger reactions like Electro-Charged or Superconduct. Anemo characters like Kazuha or Sucrose can help by grouping the enemies together and increasing elemental damage through Swirl reactions.

When fighting Rifthound Clavicles, it's important to keep moving and avoid their attacks. Their teleportation ability can make them hard to target, so using characters with area-of-effect (AoE) abilities can help ensure you hit them even when they move around. Characters like Ganyu, with her charged shots and AoE burst, or Xiangling, with her Pyronado, can be very effective in this regard. Additionally, using characters with crowd control abilities, like Venti or Jean, can help keep the Rifthounds in place and make them easier to hit.

One common mistake players make is relying too heavily on shields to protect against Corrosion. Since Corrosion bypasses shields, it's important to have a healer on your team to counteract the health drain. Characters like Bennett, Jean, or Barbara can provide consistent healing and keep your team alive during the fight. Another mistake is not paying attention to the Rifthounds' teleportation patterns. They tend to teleport behind you, so always be ready to adjust your position and keep them in your line of sight.

Advanced techniques for dealing with Rifthound Clavicles include timing your bursts and abilities to maximize damage during their vulnerable moments. For example, when a Rifthound is about to teleport, it often pauses briefly, giving you a window to unleash a powerful attack. Additionally, using characters with high energy recharge rates can help you keep your bursts ready for these critical moments. Characters like Raiden Shogun, who can generate energy for the team, or Fischl, who can provide consistent Electro damage with her Oz, are excellent choices for this strategy.

Team composition is crucial when facing Rifthound Clavicles. A balanced team with a mix of DPS, support, and healing is ideal. For example, a team consisting of Hu Tao (Pyro DPS), Xingqiu (Hydro support for Vaporize reactions), Bennett (healer and Pyro resonance), and Kazuha (Anemo support for Swirl and crowd control) can be very effective. Another strong team could include Ganyu (Cryo DPS), Mona (Hydro support for Freeze reactions), Diona (healer and Cryo resonance), and Venti (Anemo support for grouping enemies).

When it comes to artifacts and weapons, focus on maximizing elemental damage and energy recharge. For DPS characters, sets like Crimson Witch of Flames (for Pyro), Blizzard Strayer (for Cryo), or Thundering Fury (for Electro) can significantly boost their damage output. Support characters can benefit from sets like Noblesse Oblige or Viridescent Venerer, which enhance their supportive abilities. Weapons that increase elemental damage or energy recharge, like the Staff of Homa for Hu Tao or the Skyward Harp for Ganyu, are excellent choices.

In specific scenarios, such as the Spiral Abyss, where you may face multiple Rifthound Clavicles at once, it's important to prioritize crowd control and AoE damage. Using characters like Venti or Kazuha to group the enemies together, followed by a powerful burst from a DPS character, can quickly clear the field. Additionally, always be mindful of your positioning and try to keep the Rifthounds in front of you to avoid being caught off guard by their teleportation.

In conclusion, countering Rifthound Clavicles in Genshin Impact requires a combination of understanding their mechanics, employing effective strategies, and building a well-rounded team. Focus on elemental damage and reactions, use characters with AoE abilities and crowd control, and always have a healer to counteract Corrosion. Avoid common mistakes like relying too heavily on shields and not paying attention to the Rifthounds' teleportation patterns. With the right team composition, artifacts, and weapons, you can effectively take down these challenging enemies and succeed in your battles.