Burning is generally considered less practical and effective compared to many other elemental reactions in Genshin Impact, though it can deal good damage in specific, specialized team compositions.
Understanding the Burning Reaction
The Burning reaction occurs when the Pyro and Dendro elements interact. It applies a continuous Pyro damage-over-time (DoT) effect to affected enemies. While dealing damage is its primary function, its overall utility and impact in combat often fall short compared to other available reactions.
Why Burning Is Often Underutilized
- Practicality Concerns: Burning reactions are not commonly used in Genshin Impact's meta because they are generally not very practical for most combat scenarios.
- Lower Effectiveness Compared to Alternatives: While Burning can contribute damage, other elemental reactions tend to be significantly more effective in terms of burst damage, crowd control, or utility, making them preferred choices for optimizing combat performance.
- Niche Application: Its viability is often limited to very specific teams designed to maximize its damage output, rather than being a broadly useful reaction.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Burning
To provide a clearer picture, here's a summary of the Burning reaction's characteristics:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Advantages | Consistent Damage Over Time: Burning applies a continuous Pyro damage effect, which can chip away at enemy HP steadily. Niche Team Potential: In specific team compositions that are built around maximizing Pyro and Dendro application and EM, Burning can contribute a noticeable amount of damage. |
| Disadvantages | Low Practicality: It's generally not a go-to reaction for most players due to its limited utility and setup requirements. Suboptimal Damage Scaling: Compared to reactions like Vaporize, Melt, Hyperbloom, or Aggravate, Burning's damage scaling often lags behind, especially in scenarios requiring high burst damage. * Competition with Stronger Reactions: The existence of highly impactful Dendro reactions (e.g., Spread, Aggravate, Hyperbloom, Burgeon) and classic Pyro reactions (e.g., Vaporize, Melt) means Burning faces stiff competition for team slots and elemental application. |
When Might Burning Be Considered?
Despite its general limitations, Burning can find a place in very specific team compositions that emphasize continuous Pyro application alongside Dendro. These teams often involve characters who can reliably apply these elements over time and have strong Elemental Mastery (EM) scaling. However, even in these setups, the team's overall effectiveness is often bolstered by other elemental reactions that the characters naturally trigger in conjunction with or instead of Burning.
For a deeper understanding of how elemental reactions function in Genshin Impact, you can refer to comprehensive guides on Elemental Reactions.
