Genshin 5.8 Loadouts: A Guide to What Actually Works Now
Struggling with Genshin 5.8's new meta? Our guide breaks down what actually works, from Ikal's hypercarry teams to the Shatter renaissance and Dehya's revival.
Leo Martinez
A day-one Traveler and theorycrafter dedicated to conquering the Spiral Abyss.
Welcome back, Travelers! Version 5.8 has landed, and if you're feeling like the Teyvat meta got thrown into a blender, you're not alone. Between Natlan's fiery new champion, a surprisingly potent artifact set, and some much-needed character adjustments, the Spiral Abyss has a whole new feel. The old spreadsheets and guides might not cut it anymore.
So, let's get straight to it. This is your no-nonsense guide to the loadouts that are actually clearing content and making waves in Version 5.8.
The New Pyro Hypercarry: Ikal's Solar Flare Teams
Let's address the massive, fire-breathing elephant in the room: Ikal. Natlan's first 5-star Claymore user has completely redefined what a Pyro DPS can do. He's not just strong; he's a force of nature that makes multi-wave content feel trivial.
Ikal's core mechanic is "Solar Scorch." His Skill and certain Normal Attacks mark enemies. When any subsequent Pyro damage hits a scorched target, it triggers a coordinated explosion, dealing significant AoE Pyro DMG. His Elemental Burst puts him into an enhanced state where nearly all his attacks apply Solar Scorch, turning the battlefield into a chain reaction of fiery detonations.
Core Ikal Loadout
- Team Comp: Ikal / Furina / Xianyun / Bennett
- Why it Works: This is the new pinnacle of hypercarry teams. Furina provides a massive DMG bonus and off-field Hydro application. Xianyun enables Ikal to perform plunging attacks (which get converted to Pyro in his Burst), while also healing the team to manage Furina's HP drain. And Bennett? He's still Bennett—the ATK buff and Pyro resonance are just too good to pass up. Ikal's AoE explosions from this setup are simply devastating.
- Artifacts: 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter is his undisputed best-in-slot when paired with Furina. The constant HP fluctuation gives you a free 36% CRIT Rate. If you're not using Furina (which is rare), 4-piece Crimson Witch of Flames remains a powerful alternative.
- Stats: ATK% Sands / Pyro DMG Goblet / CRIT DMG Circlet. Focus on CRIT, ATK%, and a little bit of Energy Recharge (around 120-130% usually feels comfortable).
- Weapon: His signature weapon, Obsidian Sunstone, is tailor-made for him. However, Beacon of the Reed Sea and Wolf's Gravestone are excellent 5-star substitutes. For F2P options, Tidal Shadow from the Fontaine craftables is surprisingly effective, especially with a healer on the team.
Breaking the Ice: The Shatter Renaissance
You read that right. Shatter, the long-forgotten and often-mocked reaction, is finally a real strategy thanks to the new artifact set, "Volcanic Heart."
- 2-Piece Bonus: ATK +18%.
- 4-Piece Bonus: When the wielder triggers a Shatter reaction, all party members gain one "Molten Core" stack, increasing Shatter DMG by 40% for 8s, max 4 stacks. This effect can be triggered even when the character is off-field.
This set turns Shatter from a minor annoyance into a legitimate damage source, and a few characters are using it to great effect.
Who's Shattering the Meta?
The New King: Chongyun
Chongyun is the poster child for this new playstyle. His ability to infuse weapons with Cryo and shatter with his Claymore makes him the perfect driver. A team of Chongyun / Xingqiu / Kazuha / Diona is incredibly effective. Xingqiu provides constant Hydro to keep enemies frozen, Kazuha groups them up, and Diona offers shielding, healing, and Cryo resonance. Chongyun, on 4pc Volcanic Heart, shatters everything in sight for massive damage.
Surprise Contender: Navia
A Shatter-Geo hybrid? It sounds bizarre, but it works. With a team like Navia / Chongyun / Furina / Jean, you create a symphony of reactions. Chongyun (on 4pc Volcanic Heart) provides the Cryo infusion and off-field Shatter support. Navia, as a Claymore user, triggers both Shatter and Crystallize. The Shatter damage is a huge bonus, and she still generates plenty of shards to fuel her powerful Geo-infused Skill shots. It's an advanced, high-action playstyle that's surprisingly potent.
Dehya is... Good Now? The Redmane's Revival
For everyone who pulled Dehya and lovingly benched her, it's time to celebrate. A small but crucial buff in 5.8 has completely transformed her role. The interruption resistance from her Elemental Skill, Fiery Sanctum, now applies to the active character even when Dehya is off-field.
This single change makes her a top-tier defensive utility support, especially for characters who need to stand their ground but can't use a shield (or don't want to). Think of her as a poise-granting machine.
The New Dehya Loadout
- Team Comp: Neuvillette / Dehya / Nahida / Kuki Shinobu
- Why it Works: Dehya provides the super-armor Neuvillette needs to complete his powerful Charged Attacks without being knocked around. Her slow, off-field Pyro application also enables consistent Burgeon reactions from the cores generated by Neuvillette and Nahida, which Kuki can also Hyperbloom. She protects, enables reactions, and contributes damage—all from off-field.
- Build: Forget her damage. Build her as a pure support. Stack as much HP as you can with a 4-piece Tenacity of the Millelith set. The goal is to maximize her damage mitigation and the team-wide ATK buff from Tenacity.
- Weapon: The Bell is unironically one of her best options now for the huge HP stat. Any ER-focused Claymore also works to ensure her Burst is available for repositioning her skill.
Petra: The Geo Support We've Been Waiting For
The new 4-star Geo Catalyst user, Petra, has carved out a unique niche as a flexible, reaction-focused support. Her kit revolves around Crystallize shards in a way Archaic Petra always wanted to but never quite managed.
Her Skill creates a small shield and pulses Geo. Her Burst creates a field where picking up any Crystallize shard grants the active character a temporary Elemental DMG Bonus corresponding to the shard's element.
Petra's Place in the Roster
While she works well in traditional Geo teams with Navia or Itto, her true strength is in rainbow teams. Consider a comp like Alhaitham / Yelan / Fischl / Petra. When Alhaitham is on-field, he can pick up Hydro shards to boost his own and Yelan's damage, or Electro shards to boost Fischl's. She's a universal buffer who rewards you for playing with multiple elements, making her incredibly versatile.
- Build: 4-piece Noblesse Oblige is generally her best set to provide a universal ATK buff on top of her Elemental DMG buffs. Focus on ER Sands, HP% Goblet, and HP% Circlet to make her shields a bit more durable.
Quick-Hit Loadouts for 5.8
Feeling overwhelmed? Here are four of the strongest and most popular team archetypes right now:
- Ikal Hypervape: Ikal / Furina / Xianyun / Bennett
- Chongyun Shatterbomb: Chongyun / Xingqiu / Kazuha / Diona
- Dehya Burgeon Guard: Neuvillette / Dehya / Nahida / Kuki Shinobu
- Petra Prismatic Driver: Navia / Petra / Fischl / Bennett
The meta in 5.8 is more diverse and exciting than it has been in a long time. Old characters feel new again, forgotten reactions are finally viable, and the new additions from Natlan are making a huge impact. It's a great time to experiment.
What 5.8 loadouts are you having the most fun with? Drop your favorite new builds and discoveries in the comments below!