Genshin Impact Ningguang: best build, weapons, artifacts, and materials

Ningguang, the Geo Empress of Liyue, stands out in Genshin Impact as a formidable catalyst user specializing in single-target damage. With her unique ability to hurl powerful Geo shards from a distance, she excels in high-stakes battles where precision is key. This guide delves into the best builds for Ningguang, focusing on maximizing her critical damage potential and strategic team compositions that enhance her already impressive capabilities. Whether you’re looking to dominate boss fights or refine your playstyle, discover how to unlock Ningguang’s full potential with optimal weapons, artifacts, and team synergies.

General information

Ningguang is a four-star Geo character in Genshin Impact, wielding a catalyst to deliver high single-target damage. Renowned for her ability to excel as a Main DPS, she specializes in dealing significant damage while maintaining a safe distance from enemies. Her unique abilities, such as the Jade Screen, provide defensive benefits and enhance her offensive capabilities, making her a versatile addition to any team. While she can also serve as a support character, her effectiveness increases significantly with ascensions, particularly at higher constellation levels. Players looking to maximize her potential should focus on building her with artifacts that enhance DEF%, Geo DMG, and CRIT stats to optimize her damage output and survivability in battle.

Ningguang is a four-star character with Geo element who fights with Catalyst. She is a very good Main DPS, specializing in dealing high damage to a single target. She can also fit in a role as a Support, but only when she has reached the C2 level, and the higher the level, the better.

Developing this character correctly means focusing on improving DEF%, Geo DMG, CRIT DMG and CRIT Rate.

Best team compositions

Ningguang excels as a Geo Main DPS in Genshin Impact, making her team composition crucial for maximizing her damage output. Optimal team setups include characters that enhance her strengths while compensating for her weaknesses. A recommended composition features Ningguang alongside Zhongli, who provides shields and boosts Geo damage, Albedo, who offers additional Geo damage and can generate elemental energy, and Bennett, who can heal and provide an ATK boost. This synergy not only enhances Ningguang’s single-target damage but also ensures she remains on the field longer, benefiting from Geo resonance and protective shields. For players looking to diversify their strategies, including characters like Noelle or Itto can further bolster the team’s resilience and damage potential, making Ningguang a formidable force in both boss fights and challenging encounters.

1. Geo Main DPS – Ningguang/Noelle/Albedo/Zhongli
2. Geo Support – Itto/Bennet/Ningguang/Zhongli

Geo Main DPS Build

Ningguang excels as a Geo Main DPS, specializing in high single-target damage, making her an excellent choice for boss encounters. To maximize her potential, players should focus on equipping her with the right artifacts and weapons. A recommended setup includes using 2x Archaic Petra and 2x Gladiator’s Finale, which boosts her Geo damage and overall attack power significantly. Weapons like the Lost Prayer of the Sacred Winds or Solar Pearl are ideal, enhancing her critical hit rate and damage output. This build allows Ningguang to maintain a strong presence on the battlefield, dealing substantial damage while benefiting from Geo Resonance and team support, particularly when paired with characters like Zhongli or Albedo for optimal synergy.

In this build Ninnguang will inflict very large damage from Geo to a single target, making the character ideal for boss fights or more powerful opponents.

1. Artifacts – 2x Archaic Petra, 2x Gladiator’s Finale
2. Weapons – Lost Prayer of the Sacred Winds/Solar Pearl

For Main DPS Ningguang, it is worth combining two sets of artifacts: 2x Archaic Petra, 2x Gladiator’s Finale. This will increase her potential to inflict even more damage. Archaic will boost your Geo DMG by 15% and Gladiator ATK by 18%. However, if you do not have good side stats, you can also use other artifacts that offer 18% ATK.

Lost Prayer of the Sacred Winds is a five-star weapon that will increase your chance of critical hits. Once you equip it, your movement speed will be increased by 10%. But most importantly, if you use it on the battlefield, it will get 1 stack every 4 seconds (maximum of 4). For each of them you will receive increased elemental damage by 6% (up to 24%).

The second weapon is the four-star Catalyst, Solar Pearl. It can be obtained by purchasing the Battle Pass and reaching level 30. This weapon will increase the chance of a critical hit, and normal attacks increase Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst damage by 20% for 6 seconds. Using Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst increases normal attack damage by 20% for 6 seconds. Since Ninnguang’s main strength is damage from normal attacks and Elemental Burst, this weapon is a great choice for her.

F2P Geo Support Build

The F2P Geo Support Build for Ningguang is designed to maximize her utility in a team setting, particularly for free-to-play players. This build focuses on enhancing her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst, allowing her to provide substantial support to allies. Utilizing the 4-piece Noblesse Oblige artifact set, this build increases the damage output of teammates’ Elemental Bursts by 20%, while also granting a 20% ATK boost for 12 seconds after using her own Burst. For weapons, options like Prototype Amber and Thrilling Tales of the Dragon Slayers are recommended, as they are accessible and enhance her supportive capabilities. Overall, this build makes Ningguang a viable option for players looking to bolster their team’s performance without spending money.

The main task of this build is to support other characters with Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst. Note that there are characters in the game that will work better in this role, but Ningguang still will be a fine choice, especially for F2P players.

1. Artifacts – 4x Noblesse Oblige
2. Weapons – Thrilling Tales of the Dragon Slayers/Prototype Amber

The most recommended artifact set for Support Ningguang will be 4x Noblesse Oblige. Equipped, it increases the damage of Shenhe’s Elemental Burst by 20%. With 4x Noblesse Oblige equipped, after using Elemental Burst, all party members receive an additional 20% ATK DMG for 12 seconds.

What makes Ningguang a good alternative to higher-level supports is the ability to equip her with the most player-friendly F2P weapon. The first is a three-star Thrilling Tales of the Dragon Slayers. In addition to the extra HP, which in this case is not too important, gives a powerful boost. When you switch Ningguang for another hero or heroine, a character entering the battlefield gains a 24% ATK boost for 10 seconds. This effect can only occur once every 20 seconds. However, at the maximum level of Refinement, which is very easy to get, this buff will increase the value to 48%.

The second weapon is the four-star Catalyst, Prototype Amber. It is also a great option for players who start their adventure with Genshin Impact or do not want to spend money on this game. These weapon can be created from materials that you will get during the game. Except for the extra HP, you will regenerate 4 energy points every 2 seconds after using Elemental Burst. This effect lasts for 6 seconds. Additionally, all team members will recover 4% HP every 2 seconds until the effect ends. At the maximum Refinement level, this boost will regenerate 6 energy points and 6% HP.

Talents

Ningguang, known as the Geo Empress, possesses unique talents that make her a formidable DPS character in Genshin Impact. Her abilities focus on high single-target damage, leveraging her Geo constructs and charged attacks to maximize output. The Jade Screen not only provides a defensive barrier but also enhances her damage by granting a Geo DMG bonus to characters passing through it. Her Elemental Burst, Starshatter, unleashes a barrage of homing projectiles that can deal significant damage, especially when combined with her Jade Screen. Prioritizing her talents effectively—focusing on Sparkling Scatter, Starshatter, and Jade Screen—is essential for unlocking her full potential in both DPS and support roles, making her versatile in various team compositions.

Talents are special abilities divided into Combat and Passive categories. In Ningguang’s case, you should focus on developing talents in this order:

1. Geo Main DPS – Sparkling Scatter, Starshatter, Jade Screen
2. Geo Support – Starshatter, Jade Screen, Sparkling Scatter

Constellations

Ningguang, the Geo Empress of Genshin Impact, shines brightly among the constellations of characters available in the game. As a 4-star catalyst user, she excels in delivering high single-target damage while providing unique support through her Geo constructs. Her elemental abilities, particularly the Jade Screen and Starshatter, allow her to not only deal significant damage but also enhance her team’s performance by boosting Geo damage for allies passing through her constructs. Unlocking her constellations can further amplify her potential, making her a formidable choice for players seeking to maximize their damage output in challenging encounters.

Both DPSa and Support Ningguang are worth building when you have her at the C2 level. This is a great reinforcement for each role because after you shatter the wall created with Elemental Skill, the skill’s cooldown will reset. Geo DMG bonus will appear more often, you will be able to regenerate energy faster, and it will be much harder to hit you with ranged attacks.

What are the key differences between Ningguang’s DPS and support builds

Ningguang’s builds in Genshin Impact can be categorized primarily into DPS and support roles, each tailored to maximize her unique abilities and team synergy.

Key Differences Between Ningguang’s DPS and Support Builds

DPS Build

• Focus on Damage Output: The DPS build prioritizes maximizing Ningguang’s damage potential, particularly through her Normal Attacks and Elemental Burst, Starshatter. This build typically requires high CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and ATK% stats to enhance her single-target damage capabilities.
• Artifact Sets: Recommended artifact sets include a combination of 2-piece Archaic Petra (for Geo DMG bonus) and either 2-piece ATK set or 2-piece Noblesse Oblige (to boost burst damage) depending on the player’s strategy4.
• Team Composition: Ningguang is often paired with characters that can provide buffs or energy recharge, such as Bennett for healing and attack boosts or Zhongli for shields, which allows her to stay on the field longer and deal consistent damage.

Support Build

• Utility Focus: In a support role, Ningguang’s abilities are leveraged to provide defensive benefits and elemental reactions. Her Elemental Skill, Jade Screen, not only protects allies but also boosts Geo DMG for characters passing through it, making her a strategic asset in team compositions4.
• Artifact Sets: Support builds may still utilize the Archaic Petra set but can also incorporate artifacts that enhance overall team performance rather than focusing solely on Ningguang’s damage. This might include sets that improve energy recharge or provide buffs to allies.
• Team Synergy: As a support, she works well with characters like Albedo or Navia, who can capitalize on the Geo resonance and elemental reactions triggered by her abilities. This allows her to contribute to the team’s overall damage while maintaining a defensive stance.

In summary, while Ningguang’s DPS build is centered around maximizing her personal damage output, her support build enhances team dynamics through utility and protective measures. The choice between these builds depends largely on the player’s preferred playstyle and team composition strategy.

Which build is more versatile for different team compositions

Ningguang’s versatility in team compositions largely depends on her build—DPS or support.

DPS Build Versatility

• High Damage Output: The DPS build focuses on maximizing Ningguang’s damage, making her a formidable presence in teams that require strong single-target damage. This is particularly effective against bosses or in situations where burst damage is crucial.
• Synergy with Damage Dealers: She pairs well with other DPS characters who can capitalize on her damage output, such as characters that can trigger elemental reactions or provide buffs, enhancing overall team damage.

Support Build Versatility

• Utility and Defense: The support build emphasizes Ningguang’s defensive capabilities and utility, allowing her to shield teammates and create opportunities for Geo resonance. This makes her an asset in various team compositions, especially those that require survivability and strategic positioning.
• Broader Team Synergy: In this role, she can effectively support a wider range of characters, including both DPS and utility-focused allies. Her ability to enhance Geo damage and provide shields allows for flexible team compositions that can adapt to different challenges.

Conclusion

While the DPS build excels in pure damage scenarios, the support build offers greater versatility across different team compositions. The support build allows Ningguang to adapt to various playstyles and team needs, making it more suitable for diverse encounters in Genshin Impact. Therefore, if you’re looking for a more adaptable option that can fit into multiple strategies, the support build is the way to go.