The Dendro element is finally here. As one of the mainstays among the Genshin Impact elemental roster, players have not seen many applications and combinations when it comes to using the Dendro element before 3.0. That now has all changed.
With the release of Sumeru on August 22, Hoyoverse’s Genshin Impact has released the Dendro element to the player along with two new Dendro-Visioned characters in the player lineup.
So what differences are players expecting to see? How do we use Dendro? What new combinations are players allowed to use? Stepping right into Dendro unlocks many tutorials and guides, but what do they mean? Let’s begin the breakdown of the new element’s combinations and applications.
Hoyoverse has made it relatively simple by only having Dendro combine with Hydro, Electro and Pyro. Thus far, Dendro is not seen or rumored to have any interactions with Cryo, it cannot be crystalized with Geo and cannot be swirled with Anemo. Therefore, players don’t have to worry about those interactions.
The first, and easiest, interaction with Dendro will be with Pyro which will cause Burning whenever the two elements interact, no matter which is first to be applied to an enemy.
The second most straightforward element is when Dendro comes into contact with Electro, no matter which is first to be applied, the combination will always produce the affliction called Quicken. While Quicken will not apply damage, it does indicate to the player that the status of the enemy can now be Aggravated. Aggravated is a status affliction similar to being Electro-charged, with Hydro and Electro, where the enemy will occasionally receive damage due to Aggravate shortly after being Quickened.
Once Hydro is introduced, the formula above becomes a little more advanced. When Hydro comes into contact with Dendro, it will actually produce Dendro cores, bud-like objects that pop up from any interaction with the two elements. Multiple can be produced as well as singular ones depending on how many times one element can be applied with the other. This status is known as Bloom.
After Dendro cores are produced, the only two elements that can interact with these cores are Pyro and Electro, which will produce stronger damage output each unique to its own application.
When Pyro interacts with the Dendro cores, it will release the core with an explosion called Burgeon, destroying the core and attacking nearby enemies in its AOE range.
When Electro interacts with the Dendro cores, it will cause Hyperbloom in which the Dendro cores are now activated and will spread out in a bullet-like pattern to attack any nearby enemies.
With element combinations out the way, it’s time for puzzles!
Hoyoverse has always had fun creating puzzles that push the player to think outside of the box when playing with new elemental reactions. As long as players remember the basic rules of the Dendro element, it becomes easier to experiment with what a puzzle requires from the player.
Burning may be required to get rid of the Dendro element to unlock certain enemies and boundaries that are not readily available to the player.
Applying Electro to Bouncing Mushrooms will cause it to enter an Activated state which will allow the player to bounce higher for better exploration. Activating even ordinary items such as mushrooms or enemies within the game will allow for a more diverse range of drops known as Activated drops. Collecting these may result in ascension materials to be used for later or recipes to be unlocked within Sumeru.
Other puzzles are presented within Sumeru such as the Dendro Pillars and Musical Notes, but the solutions to these can only be found after completing the Aranyaka World Quest.
Stay tuned for further puzzle tricks and tips!
Jordan is a student studying Digital and Print Journalism at the University of North Texas. After discovering how much fun gaming journalism can be, she hopes to make a career in it once she graduates. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys playing games such as Genshin Impact, Ace Attorney, and Fire Emblem or watching Murder, She Wrote late at night on weekdays.
