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New Genshin Impact characters launch in a new banner during the 5.0 Phase 2 update on September 17, 2024.
Throughout the wish event, drop rates will be increased for either Raiden or Kinich, the five-star characters available in the banner.
Although both have their pros and cons, it can be difficult to decide which one to pursue. Here is our guide on which Genshin Impact character to pull in the latest banner.
Key Takeaways
- The latest Genshin Impact 5.0 Phase 2 banner includes Raiden Shogun and Kinich.
- Raiden Shogun is an incredible support character. She can be a battery to her team and deal high amounts of area-of-effect damage.
- Kinich is a new Genshin Impact character, a five-star Dendro type to pull/wish for.
- Raiden Shogun was previously a boss character; now she is playable.
- Phase 2 is the final update before Genshin Impact 5.1 drops on October 9, 2024.
The Genshin Impact 5.0 update features two banners that will take place from September 17 to October 8 2024. After this time, Update 5.1 takes effect, but those details are yet to be fully announced.
Seeker of Flame-Wrought Secrets
- Exclusive five-star character “Turnfire hunt” Kinich (Dendro) will receive an increase to drop rate.
- Four star characters “Protector From Afar” Thoma (Pyro), “Crowfeather Kaburaya” Kujou Sara (Electro), and “Executor of Justice” Chevreuse (Pyro) will receive increased drop rates.
- Players that have not yet unlocked the characters will be able to test them out in the Test Run trial event.
Reign of Serenity
- The five star character “Plane of Euthymia” Raiden Shogun (Electro) will receive an increase in drop rate.
- Four star characters “Protector From Afar” Thoma (Pyro), “Crowfeather Kaburaya” Kujou Sara (Electro), and “Executor of Justice” Chevreuse (Pyro) will receive increased drop rates.
- Players can also test these characters out in the Test Run trial event if they have not picked them out from the wish event.
Banners are limited time wish events that players can participate in, spending in-game currency for a chance to pick out their desired characters and weapons.
Kinich and Raiden are amongst some of the best Genshin Impact characters that can be played in 2024 that can help build the best team catered towards your playstyle.
Kinich
| Rarity | 5 stars |
|---|---|
| Element | Dendro |
| Weapon | Claymore |
| Voice Actors | John Patneaude (EN)
Sugiyama Noriaki (JP) |
Kinich is an explosive personality hailing from the Scions in the Canopy Tribe within Genshin Impact’s story, and is often accompanied by a Saurian companion named Ajaw.
Kinich is the latest addition in the Genshin Impact 5.0 update rounding out the current roster nicely. Armed with a Claymore, this character has some serious firepower under the hood.
Strengths
Kinich is a reliable pick for most compositions because of how self dependant and universally flexible his kit is. He is capable of continuously dealing Dendro damage at a consistent level, enhanced by both his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst.
His Elemental Skill allows Kinich to evade attacks without impeding his damage output. His Scalepiker Cannon’s outgoing damage lives to its namesake by possessing great scale potential, allowing him to deal large amounts of damage.
Kinich is a navigator which reflects in his gameplay, as he can travel at higher speeds than most whilst airborne. He is an excellent pick for players who enjoy exploring Genshin’s world or need to reach certain objectives in a timely manner.
Weaknesses
While Scalepiker Cannon is a great damage tool, it also demands great timing and execution to maximize its potential due to how slow and infrequent it is. Especially if you are running a team without a particular focus on Burning or Burgeon effects.
His Elemental Skill also has a high skill ceiling in that it demands players to know where exactly to dodge to without leaving the character vulnerable.
His overall damage is best suited against single targets, whilst his AoE potential is fairly limited and needs to demand on other characters more suitable to the task.
Raiden Shogun
| Rarity | 5 stars |
|---|---|
| Element | Electro |
| Weapon | Polearm |
| Voice Actors | Anne Yatco (EN)
Sawashiro Miyuki (JP) |
Raiden is one of the most popular Genshin Impact characters in the game due to her pivotal role in the games narrative.
She was first released in July 2021, and is making an appearance in the Genshin Impact update 5.0 phase 2 wish event for players to potentially pick up.
Strengths
Raiden is widely regarded as one of the best support characters in the game because of how versatile her kit is in both dealing damage and supporting other characters.
Her kit boasts a series of area of effect (AoE) damage abilities, including an elemental skill that applies Electro damage.
We recommend using Raiden in hyper bloom compositions, where Dendro Cores created by Blooms are triggered by Electro damage to create sprawling shots and deal high amounts of AoE damage.
She can serve as a battery for the group, a vital support role in any team composition. She is capable of producing enough Elemental Particles for her team to perform Elemental Bursts more frequently, resulting in an overall increase in the team’s damage output.
Weaknesses
Raiden’s kit has many applications but is not universally compatible, so players who are particularly fond of certain characters may not gain the most value out of her skills. .
Her Elemental Burst does not work with certain characters, for example it will not affect Beidou’s Elemental Burst or other skills with similar effects such as Electro Traveller’s Burst.
Her damage off field or when the player is not controlling her is also considerably low. Her real value only comes from her passive and when she is swapped in to activate a skill.
Whilst her constellation holds incredible at higher tiers, her damage output is disappointingly low when at level 0. It will be a struggle and a grind to level her up before the strengths start to take effect, especially in comparison to other 5 star characters.
Which New Genshin Impact Character Should You Pull?
The Genshin Impact banners offer two very powerful and equally enjoyable characters to play. What determines which character to hunt for ultimately comes down to playstyle and preferences.
Here is a list of pros and cons for each character:
Kinich
- Strong damage output with great scaling potential
- Great airborne movement for faster travel
- Solid Elemental Skill for continuous damage
- Scalepiker is slow and demands a focus on teams with burning or Burgeon
- Elemental Skill is dependent on timing and positioning
- Lacks AoE damage
Raiden Shogun
- Great support character as a battery for the team
- High AoE damage potential
- Great for hyperbloom compositions
- Some skills are not affected by her Elemental Burst
- Off field damage is low
- Dependant on leveling up Constellation
Should you Pull Kinich or Raiden Shogun?
Raiden Shogun is far more versatile for players looking for a strong character to complement their team in battle. With her ability to replenish Elemental Particles, she can maximize her team’s burst damage potential, which can prove useful in a variety of encounters.
Kinich is a solid choice for players looking for characters that will deal high damage with minimal set up, and his boosted movement speed whilst in the air can help speed up travel time.
We recommend going through the Test Run trial event in order to get a better glimpse of what they are capable of before deciding which Genshin Impact character to pull.
The Bottom Line
The wish event runs throughout the rest of the Genshin Impact 5.0 update, featuring two brand-new banners that will run from September 17 to October 8, 2024.
The two five star characters, Kinich and Raiden Shogun will have increased drops throughout the event in their own separate banners “Seeker of Flame-Wrought Secrets” and “Reign of Serenity”. The two have their strengths and weaknesses, but playing them through the Test run trial event will give you a much better idea of who to wish for.
