Ultimate Guide to Kuki Shinobu: Builds and Playstyles

Kuki Shinobu, an Electro healer, has become increasingly valuable with the introduction of Dendro in Genshin Impact.

She excels in Dendro-based teams as a versatile character, adept at triggering powerful reactions like Hyperbloom while also providing healing.

This guide goes deep into optimizing Kuki Shinobu, covering her abilities, playstyles, best builds, and team compositions.

Let's dive in!

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Ultimate Guide to Kuki Shinobu in Genshin Impact: Best Builds and Team Comps

Understanding Kuki Shinobu's Abilities and Talents

Elemental Skill - Sanctifying Ring

When activated, Kuki Shinobu sacrifices a portion of her HP to create an Electro ring that follows the active character.

This ring deals Electro damage to nearby enemies and heals the active character.

The damage scales with her ATK, while healing scales with her Max HP.

Ideal for teams needing consistent Electro application for reactions like Electro-Charged or Superconduct.

It's also useful for healing without needing Kuki on the field, allowing for flexible team rotations.

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Elemental Burst - Gyoei Narukami Kariyama Rite

Unleashes an AoE Electro attack, dealing multiple hits of Electro damage over its duration.

The damage scales with Kuki Shinobu's Max HP.

The burst creates more hits if she is below 50% HP.

Powerful for burst Electro damage and great for triggering Electro-related reactions.

Use it after deploying other character abilities to maximize damage and healing.‍

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Passive Talents

Breaking Free: Affects the character's healing. The lower the character's HP, the more healing they receive.

Heart's Repose: Increases the healing from her Elemental Skill based on her Elemental Mastery.

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Talent Priority

Dendro Reaction Enabler (Hyperbloom and Aggravate)

Elemental Skill: Still remains the top priority for its role in setting up and sustaining Dendro-based reactions.

Elemental Burst: Also important for applying multiple instances of Electro, aiding in triggering Hyperbloom or Aggravate reactions efficiently.

Normal Attack: Lowest priority, as her main contribution is elemental reaction facilitation, not direct damage.

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Electro Support and Healer

Elemental Skill: This should be your top priority as it is central to her role. It provides consistent Electro application and healing, making it essential for reaction-based teams and for sustaining your party's health.

Elemental Burst: Next in line, her burst offers AoE Electro damage and burst healing. It's particularly useful in emergency situations or when significant healing is required quickly.

Normal Attack: This is the least important for this role as Kuki will not be used often for her physical attacks.

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Sub-DPS/Utility Role

Elemental Burst: If using her as a sub-DPS, prioritize her burst for its damage potential.

Elemental Skill: Still crucial for its utility in healing and Electro application.

Normal Attack: As with other roles, this remains the least important.

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Best Artifacts for Kuki Shinobu

Dendro Reaction Enabler (Hyperbloom and Aggravate)

Flower of Paradise Lost (4-Piece): Ideal for Dendro reaction teams. It provides a substantial Elemental Mastery boost, which is crucial for enhancing reaction damage.

Gilded Dreams (4-Piece): Also provides Elemental Mastery. Ideal for further increasing EM when pairing her with characters of a different Elemental Type.

Main Stats: Elemental Mastery on Sands, Goblet, and Circlet.

Sub Stats: Prioritize Elemental Mastery, HP%, and Energy Recharge.

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Electro Support and Healer

Tenacity of the Millelith (4-Piece): Enhances her healing capabilities and boosts the team's attack. The HP% bonus from the 2-piece set increases her healing output, while the 4-piece effect provides an ATK% buff to the team.

Noblesse Oblige (4-Piece): A great alternative for enhancing her burst’s impact, offering an increase in burst damage and a team-wide ATK% buff.

Main Stats: HP% on Sands and Goblet, Healing Bonus or HP% on Circlet.

Sub Stats: Focus on Energy Recharge, HP%, and Elemental Mastery for improved healing and Electro application.

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Sub-DPS/Utility Role

Thundering Fury (4-Piece): Enhances Electro-related reactions and boosts Electro DMG, making it suitable for a more damage-focused role.

Main Stats: Electro DMG Bonus on Goblet, ATK% or Elemental Mastery on Sands, and CRIT Rate/Damage on Circlet depending on her CRIT stats.

Sub Stats: Focus on CRIT Rate, CRIT Damage, ATK%, and Energy Recharge.

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Mixed or Flexible Builds

Mix of Two-Piece Sets: Combining two sets like Tenacity of the Millelith, Noblesse Oblige, and Thundering Fury can offer a balance of healing, team support, and Electro damage.

Main Stats and Sub Stats: Adjust them based on the specific combination of sets and the role Kuki is playing in your team.

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Weapon Options for Kuki Shinobu

‍Dendro Reaction Enabler (Hyperbloom and Aggravate)

Xiphos' Moonlight: The Elemental Mastery boost aligns well with Kuki Shinobu’s role in triggering reactions, especially in teams focused on reactions like Electro-Charged or Hyperbloom.

Iron Sting: A craftable weapon that increases Elemental Mastery, significantly boosting her effectiveness in reaction-focused roles.

Freedom-Sworn: A 5-star option that greatly increases Elemental Mastery. Its passive ability further enhances reaction damage and provides a team-wide damage buff.

Amenoma Kageuchi: Provides ATK and has a passive that generates additional Elemental Particles, aiding her Energy Recharge indirectly.

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Electro Support and Healer Role

Favonius Sword: Offers Energy Recharge to ensure frequent use of her Elemental Burst, aiding both healing and Electro application.

Sacrificial Sword: Similar to Favonius Sword, it also provides Energy Recharge. Its passive ability has a chance to reset the cooldown of her Elemental Skill, allowing for more frequent healing and Electro application.

The Alley Flash: Though it doesn't provide Energy Recharge, its high Elemental Mastery stat can enhance her ability to trigger Electro reactions.

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Sub-DPS/Utility Role

The Black Sword: Increases CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG, useful for a more offensive playstyle where her personal damage output is prioritized.

Lion's Roar: Boosts ATK and increases damage against enemies affected by Pyro or Electro, complementing her Electro application role.

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Mixed or Flexible Builds

Festering Desire: Offers a balanced increase in Energy Recharge and Elemental Skill DMG, suitable for various playstyles.

Traveler's Handy Sword: Enhances Energy Recharge and provides HP regeneration, supporting both her healing and energy needs.

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Kuki Shinobu's Constellations

C1: To Cloister Compassion

Increases the AoE of Shinobu's Elemental Burst.

This constellation improves her ability to hit more enemies with her burst, enhancing her role in providing consistent Electro application and damage in a larger area.

It's particularly beneficial in team compositions that focus on reactions like Hyperbloom or Aggravate.

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C2: To Forsake Fortune

Extends the duration of her Elemental Skill, ensuring it matches its cooldown period.

This constellation is significant for Shinobu's utility.

It allows her Electro ring to have 100% uptime, providing continuous healing and Electro application.

This is essential for reaction-based teams and ensures constant support presence.

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C4: To Sever Sealing

When Shinobu's HP is less than 50%, her Elemental Skill additionally deals AoE Electro DMG.

This constellation adds a new dimension to her skill, turning it into a more offensive tool.

It synergizes well with her kit, which often operates at lower HP levels, thereby increasing her DPS output in combat.

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C6: To Ward Weakness

Provides a significant boost in Elemental Mastery when Shinobu's HP falls below 25% and prevents her from being downed once every minute.

This constellation is a game-changer for Shinobu, especially in reaction-based teams.

The boost in Elemental Mastery dramatically increases the damage of Electro reactions, and the survival mechanism allows for more aggressive play without the risk of her being defeated.

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Team Compositions with Kuki Shinobu

Hyperbloom Teams

Use Dendro and Hydro to create Dendro Cores, which Kuki Shinobu can then trigger with Electro for Hyperbloom reactions.

• ‍Dendro Character: Nahida, Dendro Traveler or Collei for consistent Dendro application.‍
• Hydro Character: Ayato, Yelan or Xingqiu for rapid Hydro application.‍
• Flex Slot: Typically an Anemo character like Kazuha for crowd control and elemental buffs, or another Electro character like Fischl or Beidou for increased Electro application and energy generation.

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Aggravate Teams

Focus on triggering Aggravate reactions using Dendro and Electro.

• ‍Dendro Character: Dendro Traveler or Nahida for consistent application.‍
• Electro DPS: Characters like Raiden Shogun, Keqing, or Fischl for Electro damage.‍
• Anemo Support: Kazuha or Sucrose for grouping enemies and spreading elemental effects.

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Electro-Charged Teams

Combines Electro with Hydro for Electro-Charged reactions.

• ‍Hydro Sub-DPS: Characters like Xingqiu or Mona for Hydro application.‍
• Electro DPS or Support: Characters like Beidou or Lisa for additional Electro damage and energy generation.‍
• Anemo Support: Venti or Sucrose for crowd control and elemental resonance.

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General Support Role

Kuki Shinobu as a flexible support and healer in various compositions.

• ‍Main DPS: Any character, depending on the team's focus. Shinobu can fit well with Cryo characters like Eula for Superconduct, or Pyro characters for Overload reactions.‍
• Sub-DPS/Support: Another character that complements the main DPS, like Xiangling for Pyro teams or Rosaria for Cryo teams.‍
• Utility Character: Often an Anemo character for swirl and debuffs, or a Geo character for shields and resistance shredding.

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Mono Electro Teams

Maximize Electro damage and reactions.

• ‍Electro DPS: Raiden Shogun or Keqing for consistent Electro damage.‍
• Electro Sub-DPS/Support: Fischl or Beidou for additional Electro application and burst damage.‍
• Utility/Anemo Support: Anemo character for crowd control or another Electro character for resonance and energy regeneration.

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Kuki Shinobu's Playstyles

Dendro Reaction Enabler (Hyperbloom and Aggravate)

With the introduction of Dendro, Kuki becomes crucial in teams focusing on Hyperbloom and Aggravate reactions.

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Hyperbloom: In Hyperbloom teams, Kuki's consistent Electro application helps detonate Dendro cores created by Hydro and Dendro characters.

Aggravate: Kuki can frequently apply Electro to enemies affected by Dendro to trigger Aggravate, enhancing Electro damage.

Build Focus: Prioritize Elemental Mastery to maximize reaction damage, and use her Elemental Skill and Burst to keep applying Electro.

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Electro Support and Healer

In this role, Kuki Shinobu provides consistent Electro application for elemental reactions while simultaneously healing teammates.

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Elemental Skill Usage: Frequently use her Elemental Skill to maintain Electro application for reactions like Electro-Charged, Overloaded, or Superconduct.

Elemental Burst: Deploy it strategically for AoE Electro damage, ideally after other characters have applied their elements.

Team Synergy: Works well in teams that benefit from constant Electro reactions or require sustained healing. She pairs well with Hydro characters for Electro-Charged reactions or Pyro characters for Overloaded.

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Sub-DPS/Utility Role

When not the main focus of the team, Kuki can serve as a sub-DPS and utility character.

‍Depending on the team composition, you can equip her with artifact sets like Thundering Fury for increased Electro damage or Tenacity of the Millelith for more supportive roles.

Use her abilities to supplement the team's damage output while providing healing and Electro application on the side.

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Final Thoughts

Kuki Shinobu, with her unique blend of healing and Electro application, provides a distinct and valuable role in Genshin Impact's ever-evolving team dynamics.

Her particular synergy with Dendro reactions makes her an attractive option in the current meta, especially in teams focused on Hyperbloom and Aggravate.

Whether used as a primary healer, an Electro support, or a combination of both, Kuki Shinobu is a character that can adapt to various playstyles and team needs.