What are the best strategies to complete the Shadow of the Ancients event in Genshin Impact?

The Shadow of the Ancients event in Genshin Impact is a limited-time event that challenges players to investigate mysterious anomalies and defeat powerful enemies. To complete this event efficiently and maximize your rewards, it is important to understand the mechanics, prepare the right team, and follow a clear strategy. Here is a detailed guide to help you succeed in the Shadow of the Ancients event.

The event revolves around investigating anomalies caused by ancient mechanisms. These anomalies spawn powerful enemies, and your goal is to defeat them within a time limit. The event is divided into multiple stages, each with increasing difficulty. You will need to use a special gadget called the Ayesha's Chaos Prospector to locate and analyze the anomalies. Once the anomaly is located, you must defeat the enemies that spawn to complete the stage.

To begin, equip the Ayesha's Chaos Prospector gadget and use it to scan the designated area. The gadget will highlight the anomaly's location, and you will need to interact with it to start the challenge. Once the challenge begins, a group of enemies will spawn, and you must defeat them within the time limit. The enemies are often strong and may include elite enemies or bosses, so it is important to prepare your team accordingly.

For team composition, focus on characters with strong elemental synergy and high damage output. A balanced team with a main DPS, sub-DPS, and support characters is ideal. For example, a team with Hu Tao as the main DPS, Xingqiu for Hydro application, Zhongli for shielding, and Bennett for healing and attack buffs can be very effective. This team allows for consistent Vaporize reactions, which deal significant damage to enemies. Alternatively, a team with Ayaka as the main DPS, Mona for Hydro application, Kazuha for crowd control and elemental damage buffs, and Diona for healing and shielding can also perform well, especially in Freeze compositions.

Artifact and weapon choices are crucial for maximizing your team's effectiveness. For DPS characters like Hu Tao or Ayaka, prioritize artifacts that boost their critical rate, critical damage, and elemental damage. For example, Hu Tao benefits greatly from the Crimson Witch of Flames set, while Ayaka performs well with the Blizzard Strayer set. For support characters like Xingqiu or Bennett, focus on artifacts that enhance their energy recharge and support capabilities. The Noblesse Oblige set is a great choice for Bennett, as it boosts his healing and provides an attack buff to the team.

When engaging in combat, pay attention to elemental reactions and enemy weaknesses. For example, if the enemies are weak to Pyro, prioritize using Pyro characters and triggering reactions like Vaporize or Melt. Use crowd control abilities to group enemies together and maximize your damage output. Characters like Kazuha or Venti are excellent for this purpose, as their abilities can pull enemies into a single area, making it easier to hit multiple targets with AoE attacks.

One common mistake to avoid is neglecting your team's survivability. While dealing high damage is important, it is equally crucial to keep your team alive. Make sure to bring a healer or shielder like Bennett, Diona, or Zhongli to ensure your team can withstand the enemy's attacks. Additionally, avoid using characters with long cooldowns or energy-intensive abilities unless you have a reliable way to generate energy, such as using Bennett's Elemental Burst or equipping energy recharge artifacts.

Advanced techniques include optimizing your rotations to maximize damage and energy generation. For example, with a Hu Tao and Xingqiu team, start by using Xingqiu's Elemental Burst to apply Hydro, then switch to Hu Tao to trigger Vaporize reactions. Use Zhongli's shield to protect Hu Tao while she deals damage, and use Bennett's Elemental Burst to heal and buff the team when needed. Timing your abilities correctly and managing your energy effectively can significantly improve your performance in the event.

In summary, the Shadow of the Ancients event requires careful preparation and execution. Equip the Ayesha's Chaos Prospector gadget, build a balanced team with strong elemental synergy, and focus on maximizing damage while maintaining survivability. Pay attention to enemy weaknesses and use elemental reactions to your advantage. Avoid common mistakes like neglecting healing or energy management, and optimize your rotations for maximum efficiency. By following these strategies, you can complete the event challenges and earn valuable rewards.