In Genshin Impact, understanding team roles is crucial for gameplay success, which brings us to the concept of Sub DPS characters. These are the party members who supplement the Main DPS with additional damage and often trigger elemental reactions. While the Main DPS typically remains on the field dishing out sustained damage, the Sub DPS is tagged in strategically to unleash their abilities and maximize the team’s overall damage output. It’s a role that supports the Main DPS but is capable of delivering significant damage during their brief moments in the spotlight.

Each character in Genshin Impact is designed with specific strengths, and knowing how to employ a Sub DPS effectively can turn the tide of battle. Sub DPS characters often possess strong elemental skills or bursts that can lay the groundwork for devastating combos when paired with the Main DPS. It’s about synergy—finding the right match between Main DPS and Sub DPS can elevate your team from good to great.
Unlike Support characters, whose primary role is to enhance other characters’ abilities and survivability, Sub DPS characters stand out by contributing to the team’s offensive capabilities. We equip them with artifacts and weapons that maximize their damage potential—even during their short time on the field, they’re expected to leave a significant impact. Building a Sub DPS goes beyond just equipping strong gear; it’s about understanding their abilities and fine-tuning their build to complement the Main DPS and the rest of the team.
| Role | Main Duties | Example Characters |
| Main DPS | Stay on the field and deal sustained damage | Childe, Hu Tao |
| Sub DPS | Provide burst damage and elemental reactions | Fischl, Xiangling |
| Support | Enhance abilities and survivability of the team | Jean, Bennett |
Contents
Understanding Sub-DPS Roles in Genshin Impact
In Genshin Impact, team dynamics are pivotal. We’re focusing on the Sub-DPS role, its functionality, and how it contrasts with other roles in a team’s composition during combat.

Definition and Importance of Sub-DPS
Sub-DPS characters in Genshin Impact excel in providing sustained damage over time or during brief intervals when they are not the active character on the field. Their role is to complement the Main-DPS, adding layers of damage through elemental reactions or persistent abilities. We rely on Sub-DPS to optimize damage output and enhance our team’s overall performance.
- Strategic skill deployment
- Elemental synergy with Main-DPS
- Flexible combat presence
Comparison Between Main DPS, Sub-DPS, and Support
Main DPS characters specialize in delivering the highest consistent damage, dictating the rhythm of combat. They are the focal point of combat strategies. Sub-DPS offers strategic depth and maintains damage over time, especially when the Main-DPS is recharging or swapping out. Supports, meanwhile, provide heals, shields, or buffs rather than focusing on damage.
| Main DPS | Sub-DPS | Support |
| Primary damage dealer | Secondary damage dealer | Buff/Heal/Shield provider |
| Consistent damage focus | Burst or persistent off-field damage | Non-damage utility focus |
| Central to team composition | Enhances Main-DPS capabilities | Enables longevity and sustainability |
We should build our teams with a calculated balance of these roles to harness their unique strengths and maintain combat effectiveness. Choosing the right Sub-DPS is about understanding their abilities and how well they sync with the Main-DPS, ensuring they can provide secondary damage without overshadowing the primary damage dealer.
Key Sub-DPS Characters and Abilities
Within Genshin Impact’s team compositions, Sub-DPS characters crucially support the main damage-dealer with impressive abilities and Elemental Bursts.
Diverse Sub-DPS Characters
Fischl is a stellar example of an Electro Sub-DPS. Beidou brings forth not just counter-attack mechanics but also Electro Damage that synergizes well with other elements. Xingqiu‘s Hydro abilities provide damage reduction and consistent Hydro application. On the Pyro front, Xiangling delivers persistent Pyro Damage with her skill and burst, enabling powerful elemental reactions.
Character Abilities and Elemental Bursts
| Character | Elemental Ability | Elemental Burst |
| Fischl | Oz (Electro companion) | Midnight Phantasmagoria |
| Beidou | Tidecaller (Counter) | Stormbreaker (Electro DMG) |
| Xingqiu | Guhua Sword (Rain Swords) | Guhua Sword: Raincutter |
| Xiangling | Guoba Attack (Fire-breathing bear) | Pyronado |
Strategies for Maximizing Sub-DPS Potential
Our role as a Sub-DPS in Genshin Impact involves more than simply contributing to damage output. We must fine-tune our character builds and understand the synergy within our team to unleash the full potential and maintain a flow of elemental reactions.
Effective Sub-DPS Builds
| Weapons | Artifacts | Stats to Focus |
| Sacrificial Sword (Energy Recharge) | Noblesse Oblige (Burst DMG) | Critical Rate |
| Widsth (Crit DMG/Rate) | Wanderer’s Troupe (Elemental Mastery) | Critical Damage |
| Favonius Warbow (Energy Recharge) | Gladiator’s Finale (ATK%) | Elemental Bonus DMG |
Synergy with Team and Elemental Reactions
Understanding the dynamic of our support character’s role in amplifying the main DPS’s performance is central. Our Sub-DPS must have a balanced energy recharge to provide sustained assistance without overshadowing the team’s primary source of damage.
Advanced Considerations for Sub-DPS
When delving into the nitty-gritty of Sub-DPS roles in Genshin Impact, understanding the tier lists and how to adapt to ongoing meta updates are crucial. We need to look closely at character capabilities and gear choices to ensure our Sub-DPS not only provides strong support but also deals considerable damage when it’s their turn to shine.
Tier Lists and Character Rankings
| Character | Tier Ranking | Notable Traits |
| Kirara | A-Tier | High base DMG for Elemental Burst |
| Beidou | S-Tier | Electro Sub-DPS with energy cost considerations |
| Xiangling | S-Tier | Can deal more damage than some main DPS |
Tier lists shape our approach to selecting Sub-DPS characters as they reflect the current gaming meta and the efficiency of characters in dealing damage off-field. A roster of S-Tier Sub-DPS characters includes Beidou, whose electro abilities complement many team compositions. A-Tier characters like Kirara also perform well, especially for teams focusing on elemental combos.
Adapting to Game Meta and Updates
Adaptability is key. The meta in Genshin Impact evolves as new updates and characters are introduced. Best weapons and character abilities can shift with each version, redefining who fits the “Sub-DPS” role optimally. It’s not enough to only know the current tier lists; we must keep abreast of updates to pivot our strategy. For example, a once S-Tier Sub-DPS might drop in efficacy due to game balance changes.
To maintain a strong roster, monitoring patch notes and community discussions is imperative. This helps us understand how to best use our Sub-DPS characters and whether their preferred weapons still hold up in the new patches. As we adjust our team dynamics to the evolving game meta, we preserve our capability to tackle the toughest in-game challenges effectively.