How do I counter the Rifthound Metacarpals in Genshin Impact?

Rifthound Metacarpals 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 are known for their ability to inflict the Corrosion status, draining your characters' HP over time regardless of shields. To effectively counter Rifthound Metacarpals, you need to understand their mechanics, build a suitable team, and employ specific strategies.

First, let's break down the mechanics of Rifthound Metacarpals. 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 reduces your entire party's HP over time, even if you have a shield active. This makes healing an essential part of your strategy. Additionally, Rifthound Metacarpals have a high resistance to physical damage, so relying on elemental damage is more effective.

To counter Rifthound Metacarpals, you should start by building a team that can handle their mobility and Corrosion effect. A balanced team with a strong healer, a shield provider, and characters that can deal consistent elemental damage is ideal. For example, a team with Bennett as a healer and buffer, Zhongli for shielding, and characters like Hu Tao or Ganyu for high elemental damage can be very effective. Bennett's healing and attack buffs are invaluable, while Zhongli's shield can mitigate some of the damage you take. Hu Tao and Ganyu can deal massive elemental damage, which is crucial for taking down Rifthound Metacarpals quickly.

When engaging Rifthound Metacarpals, positioning is key. Try to lure them into a confined space where their teleportation is less effective. Use crowd control abilities to keep them in place. For example, characters like Venti or Sucrose can use their Anemo abilities to group the Rifthounds together, making it easier to hit them with AoE attacks. Once they are grouped, unleash your strongest elemental attacks. Timing your bursts and skills to coincide with their teleportation cooldowns can maximize your damage output.

Healing is crucial when fighting Rifthound Metacarpals due to the Corrosion effect. Make sure your healer is always ready to provide support. Characters like Qiqi, Jean, or Barbara can be excellent choices for their consistent healing abilities. Keep an eye on your party's HP and use healing abilities as soon as Corrosion starts to take effect. Avoid letting your characters' HP drop too low, as the Corrosion effect can quickly become fatal.

Artifact and weapon choices are also important. For your DPS characters, focus on artifacts that boost elemental damage and critical rate. The Crimson Witch of Flames set is excellent for Pyro characters like Hu Tao, while the Blizzard Strayer set works well for Cryo characters like Ganyu. For weapons, prioritize those that enhance elemental damage or critical hits. The Staff of Homa is a great choice for Hu Tao, and the Amos' Bow is ideal for Ganyu.

For your healer, artifacts that increase healing effectiveness and energy recharge are best. The Maiden Beloved set is a good choice for healers like Qiqi or Barbara. Weapons that boost healing or energy recharge, such as the Prototype Amber or the Favonius Codex, can be very useful.

Common mistakes to avoid include neglecting healing and not paying attention to the Corrosion effect. Always keep your healer ready and monitor your party's HP. Another mistake is relying too much on physical damage. Rifthound Metacarpals have high resistance to physical attacks, so focus on elemental damage instead.

Advanced techniques include using elemental reactions to your advantage. For example, combining Pyro and Cryo attacks can trigger the Melt reaction, which deals massive damage. Similarly, using Electro and Hydro attacks can trigger the Electro-Charged reaction, which can be very effective against groups of Rifthounds.

In summary, countering Rifthound Metacarpals requires a well-balanced team with strong healing, shielding, and elemental damage capabilities. Positioning, timing, and effective use of elemental reactions are key to success. By following these strategies and avoiding common mistakes, you can effectively take down Rifthound Metacarpals and minimize the impact of their Corrosion effect.