Best Sethos Build: Weapons, Artifacts, and Teams

Genshin Impact has introduced Sethos, a new 4-star Electro character wielding a bow. He arrives from the Sumeru region and is associated with the Temple of Silence. As a character focused on dealing damage through charged attacks and elemental reactions, Sethos presents a distinct playstyle.

Who is Sethos

Sethos is a prominent figure from Sumeru and the leader of the Temple of Silence. His story is intertwined with Cyno, the General Mahamatra, who appoints Sethos to his position after the events of Cyno’s second story quest. During this quest, Sethos proves his capability and wisdom despite losing his connection to the power of Hermanubis. He is a charismatic individual aiming to bridge the gap between the desert dwellers and the Akademiya.

His upbringing in the Temple of Silence gave him access to education rare among his people. Unlike predecessors who sought to harness divine power for the temple’s benefit, Sethos envisions using this knowledge to uplift all of Sumeru’s society. His approachable personality allows him to act as a cultural diplomat between the desert and forest regions.

Sethos’s narrative also connects with the Wanderer (Scaramouche), showing a keen interest in his past. This dynamic is built on shared parallels in their histories, as both were once considered vessels for gods. This reflects his broader goal of fostering inclusion and bridging divides.

Sethos’s Abilities and Talents

Sethos’s combat style revolves around his unique charged attacks and the management of his Elemental Energy. His abilities are designed to work in concert, allowing him to function as a potent on-field damage dealer.

Normal Attack: Royal Reed Archery

Sethos’s Normal Attack allows him to perform up to three consecutive shots with his bow. The main feature is his Aimed Shot, which has two charge levels. A Level 1 charge fires a standard Electro-infused arrow, while a Level 2 charge unleashes a Shadowpiercing Shot that pierces enemies. Sethos becomes immobile once the Shadowpiercing Shot is fully charged.

Elemental Skill: Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands

When Sethos uses his Elemental Skill, he deals area-of-effect Electro damage to enemies in front of him and then quickly retreats. If the attack triggers an Electro-based elemental reaction, such as Electro-Charged or Aggravate, Sethos recovers a set amount of Elemental Energy. The energy restoration is a flat amount.

Elemental Burst: Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer

Activating Sethos’s Elemental Burst puts him into a state where his Normal Attacks are converted into piercing, Electro-infused arrows called Dusk Bolts. These attacks are considered Charged Attack damage, and their damage scales with Sethos’s Elemental Mastery. This ability provides a different playstyle from his standard aimed shots, allowing for more rapid attacks.

Passive Talents

His first Ascension Passive, Black Kite’s Enigma, consumes Elemental Energy to reduce the charging time of his Shadowpiercing Shot. His fourth Ascension Passive, The Sand King’s Boon, provides a damage increase to his Shadowpiercing Shots, scaling with 700% of his Elemental Mastery for a limited number of attacks. His utility passive, Thoth’s Revelation, displays the location of Sumeru-specific resources on the mini-map.

Sethos’s Ascension and Talent Materials

To level up Sethos and his abilities, you will need to gather materials from Teyvat, primarily from the regions of Sumeru and Liyue.

For his character ascension, Sethos requires:

• Vajrada Amethyst gemstones, dropped by Electro-aligned bosses like the Electro Regisvine.
• Cloudseam Scales, a boss material from the Solitary Suanni in Chenyu Vale.
• Trishiraite, a mineral found in the desert regions of Sumeru.
• Faded Red Satin, Trimmed Red Silk, and Rich Red Brocade from Eremite enemies.

Upgrading his combat talents requires the Praxis series of talent books, farmed from the Steeple of Ignorance Domain in Sumeru on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The same Eremite drops are also needed in larger quantities. For higher talent levels, you must obtain Daka’s Bell, a material dropped by the weekly boss, the Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom (Scaramouche).

Best Build for Sethos

Equipping Sethos with the right weapons and artifacts is tied to his damage output, which primarily comes from his charged attacks and elemental reactions. His build should focus on enhancing his Elemental Mastery and Electro damage.

Best Weapons

For a 5-star option, Hunter’s Path provides a Crit Rate sub-stat and a passive that increases Charged Attack damage based on Elemental Mastery. Another 5-star weapon is Aqua Simulacra. The 4-star bow, Cloudforged, is an accessible option that boosts his Elemental Mastery when his energy is consumed. For a widely available free-to-play weapon, the 3-star Slingshot performs well due to its Crit Rate sub-stat and a passive that can boost his damage.

Best Artifacts

The 4-piece Wanderer’s Troupe set provides a boost to his Elemental Mastery and increases his Charged Attack damage by 35%. Another set is the 4-piece Gilded Dreams, which also increases Elemental Mastery and can provide an ATK bonus. A 4-piece Thundering Fury set can work in reaction-focused teams.

For artifact main stats, an Elemental Mastery Sands is recommended. An Electro DMG Bonus Goblet will increase his Electro output, and a Crit Rate or Crit DMG Circlet should be chosen to balance stats. In teams where Sethos triggers Hyperbloom, stacking Elemental Mastery on all three pieces is a viable strategy. Key sub-stats to look for are Crit Rate, Crit DMG, Elemental Mastery, and Energy Recharge.

Best Team Compositions for Sethos

Sethos performs best in teams that capitalize on Electro-based elemental reactions, particularly Aggravate and Hyperbloom. His role is a main DPS, requiring support from characters who can apply other elements off-field and provide utility.

An Aggravate team features Sethos as the main on-field damage dealer. He can be paired with another Electro character like Fischl or Raiden Shogun for off-field Electro application and energy generation. A Dendro character such as Nahida is needed to apply Dendro for the Quicken reaction, which Sethos then triggers into Aggravate. The final slot can be an Anemo support like Kaedehara Kazuha for grouping and resistance shred, or a shielder like Zhongli or Kirara for protection.

For a Hyperbloom team, Sethos acts as the Electro trigger for the Dendro Cores. This team requires consistent off-field Hydro and Dendro application. Characters like Nahida for Dendro and Furina or Yelan for Hydro are excellent choices to generate Dendro Cores. Sethos can then use his abilities to trigger the Hyperbloom reaction from a distance. The fourth member could be a healer like Baizhu, who also provides shielding, or another Hydro character to ensure consistent core production.