Elemental reactions are the core of Genshin combat. Understanding the fundamental difference between Amplified and Transformative reactions will help you make better team building and combat decisions.
Reaction Categories
Genshin elemental reactions are divided into two main categories:
| Category | Reactions | Characteristics |
| **Amplified** | Vaporize, Melt | Multiplier-based, scale with ATK and EM |
|---|
| **Transformative** | Electro-Charged, Overloaded, Swirl, Burgeon, Hyperbloom, Aggravate/Spread | Fixed base damage, primarily scale with EM |
|---|
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Amplified Reactions
Vaporize
Trigger: Hydro + Pyro
Damage Formula:
Vaporize\ DMG\ =\ Base\ DMG\ ×\ \(1\ \+\ DMG\ Bonus\)\ ×\ Vaporize\ Multiplier\ \(1\.5\ or\ 2\.0\)
Key Mechanics:
- Hydro → Pyro = 1.5x
- Pyro → Hydro = 2.0x (Reverse Vaporize)
- Scales with ATK bonus
Recommended Characters:
- Pyro: Hu Tao, Diluc, Bennett
- Hydro: Xingqiu, Yelan, Kokomi
Melt
Trigger: Cryo + Pyro
Damage Formula:
Melt\ DMG\ =\ Base\ DMG\ ×\ \(1\ \+\ DMG\ Bonus\)\ ×\ Melt\ Multiplier\ \(1\.5\ or\ 2\.0\)
Key Mechanics:
- Cryo → Pyro = 1.5x
- Pyro → Cryo = 2.0x (Reverse Melt)
- Scales with ATK bonus
Recommended Characters:
- Pyro: Hu Tao, Diluc, Bennett
- Cryo: Ayaka, Ganyu, Shenhe
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Transformative Reactions
Electro-Charged
Trigger: Hydro + Electro
Characteristics:
- Continuous Electro DMG over time
- DMG scales with Elemental Mastery
- Can spread to nearby enemies
Recommended Characters:
- Electro: Fischl, Razor
- Hydro: Xingqiu, Kokomi
Overloaded
Trigger: Pyro + Electro
Characteristics:
- Pyro AoE DMG
- Creates knockback effect
- DMG scales with Elemental Mastery
Recommended Characters:
- Pyro: Bennett, Diluc
- Electro: Fischl, Razor
Swirl
Trigger: Anemo + Any Element
Characteristics:
- Spreads element to nearby enemies
- Can shred resistance (with Kazuha/Sucrose)
- DMG scales with Elemental Mastery
Recommended Characters:
- Anemo: Kazuha, Sucrose, Venti
Aggravate/Spread
Trigger: Electro + Dendro
Characteristics:
- Aggravate: Electro + Dendro, boosts subsequent Electro DMG
- Superaggravate: Electro + Dendro + Electro, higher DMG
- Spread: Dendro + Electro, boosts subsequent Dendro DMG
- Burbling: Dendro + Electro + Dendro, higher Dendro DMG
Recommended Characters:
- Electro: Fischl, Yae Miko, Raiden Shogun
- Dendro: Nahida, Tighnari
Hyperbloom
Trigger: Dendro + Electro (with a Dendro Core)
Characteristics:
- The Dendro Core becomes a Hyperbloom core (homing projectile) on Electro trigger
- DMG scales with Elemental Mastery
- Auto-tracks enemies; can also be aimed manually
Recommended Characters:
- Dendro: Nahida, Collei
- Electro: Fischl, Razor
Burgeon
Trigger: Dendro + Hydro (with a Dendro Core)
Characteristics:
- The Dendro Core becomes a Burgeon core (radial burst) on Hydro trigger
- DMG scales with Elemental Mastery
- Strong for crowd clearing
Recommended Characters:
- Dendro: Nahida, Collei
- Hydro: Xingqiu, Nilou
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Amplified vs Transformative: Core Differences
| Property | Amplified | Transformative |
| DMG Source | ATK + EM | Primarily EM |
| DMG Ceiling | High (can stack CRIT) | Medium (EM has soft cap) |
| Team Complexity | Medium-High (needs precise application) | Low (auto-triggers) |
| Representative Teams | Melt teams, Vaporize teams | Aggravate, Bloom teams |
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Team Building Strategies
Amplified Reaction Teams
Core Strategy:
1. Ensure main DPS can reliably trigger amplified reactions
2. Supports provide frequent elemental application
3. Stack ATK, CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG
Example Teams:
- Hu Tao + Xingqiu + Bennett + Zhongli (Melt)
- Diluc + Xingqiu + Bennett + Zhongli (Vaporize)
Transformative Reaction Teams
Core Strategy:
1. Stack Elemental Mastery
2. Ensure consistent seed/swirl triggers
3. Leverage auto-tracking for mob clearing
Example Teams:
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One-Sentence Summary
> Amplified scales with ATK and CRIT, Transformative scales with EM; amplified has higher ceiling but needs precision, transformative is stable but lower ceiling.
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Internal Links
| Guide | Link |
| [Elemental Reactions](elemental-reactions.html) | Basic reaction overview |
| [Elemental Mastery Guide](elemental-mastery-guide.html) | EM values and returns analysis |
| [Team Building Guide](team-building-guide.html) | Core team composition principles |
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FAQ
Q: Are Amplified or Transformative reactions better?
A: Neither is absolutely better. Amplified has higher ceiling, Transformative is more stable. Choose based on your roster and artifact situation.
Q: Does Elemental Mastery help Amplified reactions?
A: Yes, as a secondary bonus, but not the primary source. Amplified reactions primarily scale with ATK, CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG.
Q: Do Transformative reactions benefit from CRIT?
A: No. Transformative reaction DMG only scales with Elemental Mastery, independent of CRIT.
Q: Is Aggravate an Amplified or Transformative reaction?
A: Aggravate is a special Transformative reaction, but it provides DMG bonus to subsequent same-type reactions.