Genshin Impact Cyno: Electro enforcer
Genshin Impact Collei: Trainee ranger
Genshin Impact Tighnari: Forest watcher
Genshin Impact Heizou build: Brawling detective
The best Genshin Impact Candace build is about making the most of the Hydro character's amazing Wagtail's Tide burst. This ability is a little similar to Yun Jin's banner, except that it provides a Hydro infusion for certain weapon-users, while also buffing the damage of all element-infused normal attacks.
Considering how many of Genshin's strongest characters use element-infused normal attacks—such as Xiao, Itto, Ayaka, and now Cyno, too—Candace is a character that can offer a lot of utility in terms of support, especially if you were to use her alongside someone like Bennett, or even combo her with Yun Jin.
In this Genshin Impact Candace build guide, I'll run through some of the options for her best support setup, as well as explaining her abilities, and which of the new version 3.1 materials you'll need to get her levelled.
Builds
The best Genshin Impact Candace build
Candace's elemental skill grants her a stationary shield that charges a Hydro attack, but unlike Yun Jin and Beidou's parry, once Candace unlocks her Aegis of Crossed Arrows, she'll instantly perform the attack if she's hit while charging.
Her Wagtail's Tide burst provides a Hydro infusion for sword, claymore, and polearm-users, but also strengthens the damage of element-infused normal attacks in general. Once Candace unlocks her Celestial Dome of Sand passive, Wagtail's Tide will grant an additional 0.5% damage for characters per 1,000 HP that she has. As such, building HP and energy recharge is super important.
- Weapon: Skyward Spine or The Catch
The five-star Skyward Spine is a great polearm for support characters who still want to deal a little damage. It boosts energy recharge, which lets Candace use her burst more often, but it also increases crit rate by 8% and normal attack speed by 12%. When normal and charged attacks hit enemies, there is a 50% chance to create a vaccuum blade the hits for 40% of attack as damage.
A decent alternative is the four-star Favonius Lance, especially if you want to prioritise energy recharge, since crits have a 60% chance to spawn elemental particles that recover energy. The four-star The Catch polearm is another good support weapon, buffing energy recharge while also increasing elemental burst damage by 16% and burst crit rate by 6%. You can also get this polearm for free from the Inazuma Fishing Association.
If you want to build Candace towards damage instead, the Staff of Homa is probably your best bet. It buffs HP and damage based on how much HP you have, which ties really well into her Wagtail's Tide HP-based damage increase.
- Artifacts: (4) Noblesse Oblige
Noblesse Oblige is a strong pick for a support-based Candace, since two-pieces increase burst damage by 20%, while four-pieces increase all party members' attack by 20% for twelve seconds when a burst is used. This second effect synergises especially well with the normal attack elemental damage increase that Candace gives to party members with her burst.
If you want to boost Candace's burst damage while also buffing energy recharge, then Emblem of Severed Fate is always a good pick. Two-pieces buff energy recharge by 20%, while four-pieces increase elemental burst damage by 25% of whatever energy recharge is.
For stats, you'll want an artifact with a Hydro damage bonus substat, and also to build HP to make the most of Candace's passive. A decent level of energy recharge will also let you use her burst lots. You'll need some crit rate and crit damage, too, if you are using the Favonius Lance, or want to take advantage of Skyward Spine's crit rate increase. All in all, this should let Candace use her burst lots, while also providing a decent damage bonus to the party when she does.
How to unlock
How to get Candace in Genshin Impact
Candace is currently one of the featured characters on Cyno and Venti's banners, meaning you can get her as a potential guaranteed four-star every ten wishes. If you don't manage to grab her, then you will still be able to wish for her on the Wanderlust Invocation banner next version.
Since there are so many four-stars on that banner, the chances of landing her are quite slim, but it'll still be possible. Candace should be available until around October 17, unless miHoYo decides to feature her on Nilou's banner, though that's unconfirmed at the moment.
Abilities
Candace's abilities
Here are Candace's abilities, passives, and constellations:
| Normal | Performs up to four consecutive spear strikes. |
| Charged | Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to lunge forward, dealing damage to opponents along the way. |
| Plunging | Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE damage upon impact. |
| Sacred Rite: Heron's Sanctum | Candace's fighting style is capable of warding off an entire tide of foes. |
| Tap | Rushes forward with her shield, dealing Hydro damage. |
| Hold | Raises her shield to block incoming attacks from nearby opponents, forming a barrier that absorbs damage based on her max HP and absorbs Hydro damage 250% more effectively. This barrier lasts until the Elemental Skill is unleashed. After holding for a certain period of time, Candace will finish charging and when the skill button is released, the skill duration expires, or when the barrier is broken, she will perform a leaping strike that deals Hydro damage to opponents in front of her. |
| Sacred Rite: Wagtail's Tide | Raising her weapon high, Candace calls upon a divine blessing that deals AoE Hydro damage, based on her max HP and confers the Prayer of the Crimson Crown on all your party members. |
| Prayer of the Crimson Crown | Characters deal increased Elemental damage with their normal attacks. Whenever a character takes the field, they will unleash a rippling wave of water that deals Hydro damage to nearby opponents. There is a limited number of waves that can be triggered in the duration of this skill. Active sword, claymore, and polearm-wielding characters under this effect will obtain a Hydro Infusion. |
| To Dawn's First Light | Decreases climbing stamina consumption for your own party members by 20%. Not stackable with passive talents that provide the same effect. |
| Featherflow Guard | If Candace is hit by an attack in the Hold duration of Sacred Rite: Heron's Sanctum, that skill will finish charging instantly. |
| Sand Arch | Characters affected by the Prayer of the Crimson Crown caused by Sacred Rite: Wagtail's Tide will deal 0.5% increased damage to opponents for every 1,000 points of Candace's max HP when they deal Elemental damage with their Normal Attacks. |
| Returning Heir of the Scarlet Sands | The duration of Prayer of the Crimson Crown effect is increased by three seconds. |
| Moon-Piercing Brilliance | When Sacred Rite: Heron's Guard hits opponents, Candace's max HP will be increased by 20% for 15 seconds. |
| Hunter's Supplication | Increases the level of Sacred Rite: Wagtail's Tide by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15. |
| Sentinel Oath | Shortens the Hold cooldown of Sacred Rite: Heron's Guard to be the same as the Tapping cooldown. |
| Golden Eye | Increases the level of Sacred Rite: Heron's Guard by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15. |
| The Overflow | When characters (excluding Candace) affected by the Prayer of the Crimson Crown deal Elemental damage to opponents using Normal Attacks, it will unleash the wave attack from Sacred Rite: Wagtail's Tide. This effect can trigger once very 2.3 seconds and triggering this effect will not consume the base Wave instances granted by Prayer of the Crimson Crown. |
Ascension materials
Candace's Ascension materials
Character
You'll need Varunada Lazurite, which is dropped by the Oceanid and Hydro Hypostasis bosses, but sadly, the Light Guiding Tetrahedron material you need is only rewarded from defeating the new Semi-Intransient Matrices boss in Sumeru. The other items you need are:
- Redcrest
- Faded Red Satin/Trimmed Red Silk/Rich Red Brocade
Redcrest is a flowering fruit found growing in the desert regions of Sumeru. You can see the location of every one of them on the official Genshin Impact map. Red cloth items, on the other hand, are drops from the Eremite enemies that can be found all over Sumeru.
Talents
- Admonition scrolls
- Faded Red Satin/Trimmed Red Silk/Rich Red Brocade
- Tears of the Calamitous God
- Crown of Insight
Admonition scrolls are rewarded for completing the Steeple of Ignorance Domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays while, as mentioned above, the red cloths are drops from the Eremite enemies
Meanwhile, Tears of the Calamitous God is a possible reward from the Guardian of Eternity weekly boss and the Crown of Insight is a seasonal event reward. The latter also comes from upgrading the Frostbearing Tree in Dragonspine, the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma, or the Lumenstone Adjuvant gadget in The Chasm.
