What is the best Genshin Impact Ningguang build?

After losing her Jade Palace during the Liyue storyline, Ningguang and the Liyue Qixing has now taken the burden of leading the world-famous harbour now that humanity can now stand on its two feet.

The Adepti guarding over the place can now rest easy knowing that the people they’ve looked over for centuries are now able to fend for themselves in their everyday lives.

It was the perfect symbolism in the subsequent power spike that Ningguang got with the arrival of the Geo Resonance buffs at the start of Patch 1.3, increasing her damage potential to Solo-capable levels with the right set up.

The only caveat is that Ningguang doesn’t have a combo string in her normal attacks, and there is a noticeable lag whenever she launches another Geo-infused projectile.

In trade of regular normal attacks, her charged attack can home in on enemies, and it can increase its potency through earning up to three Star Jades.

Not only that, but players have worked around her delay inputs by constantly moving--either by continuously stepping forward after her animation is almost done, or by dash-cancelling.

She also has her support niche with her skill, Jade Screen. A wide-area barrier that blocks all projectiles, and can be closed upon usage of her Elemental Burst, Starshatter. Whatever the chosen build and designation, Ningguang will prove her worth is comparable, if not more than, with her accumulated wealth.

Ningguang Best Artifacts

All of Ningguang’s attacks, be it normal or charged, will deal Geo damage instead of normal physical damage--as is the case with most Catalyst users. It comes to no surprise that the optimal set for her would be a two-piece set of Archaic Petra to further boost her overall damage.

As for the other two-piece set, it depends on where your offensive priorities lie. If you focus more on her constantly moving around firing away from a distance, then a flat attack percentage stat from a two-piece Gladiator’s Finale set should be enough. However, investing everything into Starshatter will require you to use the Noblesse Oblige artifacts instead, making the meteorites hurt as much as possible.

More attack percentages, critical damage or critical hit rate increases would definitely bolster her numbers. However, because she purely causes Geo damage, if you can luck out on getting an artifact that has a Geo Bonus instead, it will cause a great increase due to her level up bonus stat being a Geo Damage increase.

Ningguang Best Weapons

Because of how her normal attacks work, she’s sort of immobile if you don’t move around as you launch her attacks. Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds should help out with that, especially for dashing around thanks in part to the movement speed bonus passive. Ningguang also benefits heavily with the critical rate increase and elemental damage bonus, which make for very sharp rocks when they connect.

Solar Flare is a solid recommendation as well as it rewards attacking and hitting your enemies with a mix-up between regular attacks and abilities. Normal attacking until her three Star Jades appear, then activating Jade Screen, then a charged attack, and then finally Starshatter is an optimal combo pattern.

Budget options are pretty flexible as well. Prototype Amber lets her be an off-healer whenever she fires her Burst, and Amber Catalyst can keep a boost on her elemental damage as she keeps firing normal attacks. If you want to take a chance at keeping the Jade Screen up as much as possible, then be as close as possible when you activate it and hope that the percentages in Sacrificial Fragments will immediately refresh its cooldown.

Ningguang Best Teammates

As is with the theme of this guide, it is very much suggested to build a team around her revolving around the new Geo Resonance buffs. Keeping shields intact will not only boost her damage, but will also inflict a Geo RES shred on the target. Noelle and Zhongli are her perfect partners due to their skills creating a strong shield that will keep her safe from harm.

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Xinyan is also a good choice due to her access with the Pyro Resonance’s attack buff, and the different levels of shielding she can provide with her skill. And speaking of Pyro, Bennett will be very key for Ningguang, as his own Elemental Burst will increase her damage dealt overall while inside of the area of effect.

That isn’t to say Geo and Pyro are the only good elements that Ningguang can revolve around. Xinqiu can provide an alternate damage source with his Raincutter Burst, Sucrose and Venti provide immense crowd control that allows the Tianquan to focus in on one area in the battlefield, and Qiqi will provide heals if you can hit the Talismans that she inscribes after her own Burst.

Constellations

Among all the Constellation chains from the 4-star character roster, Ningguang looks to be one of the best and most efficient sets, if not the best overall. The first upgrade alone gives her normal attacks AoE splash damage, and the second one resets the Jade Screen’s cooldown whenever it shatters with a pretty fast timer.

Reaching number four would increase the elemental resistance of your entire team when passing through the Jade Screen. Getting to the final Constellation however, gives her such a crazy damage output, as after firing her Burst Ningguang immediately gains seven Star Jades. It effectively supercharges her charged attack to a ridiculous level. Once you get the final Constellation, she's effectively turned into a top-pick DPS unit.

It’s an eventuality that Ningguang will reach all six Constellations if you keep rolling the gacha, and she will reward you with the wealth that was newly added to her savings.