The Sumeru update is going to be the biggest patch for Genshin Impact to date, adding a brand new element called Dendro. It has been worked on since Genshin Impact came out nearly 2 years ago.

This new element is going to shake up the meta once it is introduced. In this article, Gurugamer is going to showcase an in-depth analysis of how Dendro would be game-changing.

Sumeru Preview Teaser
The new Sumeru region

1. Big buff to Hydro and Electro

Elements in Genshin Impact are not created equal. Amongst them, Electro and Hydro are considered the weakest, with an underwhelming elemental resonance and effect.

In a recent Sumeru preview video, the devs revealed two previously unseen Dendro elemental reactions coming to the game: Bloom and Catalyze. They are caused by Hydro and Electro, respectively. However, unlike the current reactions in the game, they have a second stage that deals even more damage.

Bloom

Combining Hydro with Dendro gives you the Bloom effect. It creates a seed that explodes and deals AoE Dendro damage after a short time.

  • Players can speed up this reaction by using Pyro on the seed to create a larger explosion (Burgeon).
  • Alternatively, attacking the seed with Electro creates a number of Dendro homing missiles launching at the nearest enemy.

Catalyze

Combining Electro and Dendro gives you the Catalyze effect. When hit with Catalyze, enemies will enter an "Intensified" stage where they would take bonus damage based on the element last hit them, either Dendro or Electro.

This means a Dendro character can directly support Electro and vice versa.

2. Dendro resonance bonus

The latest datamined information from Ubatcha has revealed the resonance bonus Dendro characters receive when paired together:

With two Dendro characters (such as Dendro Traveler and Collei), all party members would get an extra elemental mastery boost after triggering Burning, Catalyze, or Bloom. This would break the current reliance on Kazuha, which is the go-to character for all lineups to get extra EM.

Dendro In Taser Team
The Dendro Traveler's skill set is going to be a nerfed version of the Archon's kit.

This should allow Dendro teams to compete in damage against other popular DPS elements like Pyro or Cryo.

Should you pull for the 3.0 banner?

With Tighnari confirmed to be part of the Standard banner in 3.1 and Collei available for free as a quest reward, it is recommended to skip the 3.0 banner for the next one.

The Dendro Traveler and the free Collei should be sufficient for all your Dendro needs. However, if you want multiple constellations for Tighnari, pulling in 3.0 is not a bad idea.

3. Some characters will become more viable

With Dendro's introduction, there will be new team comps and some characters will be more viable. All characters who benefit from the new Elemental Reactions should see a noticeable uptick in usage.

Baal And Yae Miko
Electro finally gets a reaction that directly boosts its damage.

For example, all Electro, Pyro, and Hydro Catalysts can trigger their effects easily - this means Yae/Lisa/Kokomi and the like should be able to use their Dendro reaction to reach higher damage potential.

Similarly, units with great off-field abilities, such as Fischl and Xingqiu, will become even better in the new update.

>>> Read more: Genshin Impact Fontaine Leak - Location, Expected Release Date, Characters, And More!