Genshin Impact Albedo guide: Best build, weapons, artifacts, tips, and more

Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, Albedo follows on from Zhongli as another Geo character and is doing his best to make Geo a viable element. His abilities - particularly his incredible Elemental Skill - make Albedo a high-priority choice for any team looking for a sub-DPS or Burst Carry, though he makes for a powerful main DPS choice if the mood strikes you.

To get the most out of this latest 5* character though, we’ll dive in a little deeper:

Weapon

As always, first up for consideration is which weapon to equip. Frankly, most 4*+ choices are pretty good with Albedo - either you get more damage (great) or you get lower CDs (also great) - and both routes allow for multiple playstyles. That said, here are some of the more interesting and stand out options:

Summit Shaper

(Picture: miHoYo).

The new weapon released on the latest Weapon Banner is unsurprisingly an absolute powerhouse on Albedo. Whether you are running Albedo as your main DPS or for his Elemental Skill and Burst as a Burst Carry/sub-DPS, Summit Shaper’s ATK% stat alongside the Golden Majesty weapon ability are very potent on the alchemist.

Stronger shields - which are very easy to acquire via Albedo’s abilities - alongside a shield-empowered stacking ATK amp make this weapon a worthy consideration however you want to play Albedo, but try to stack up Golden Majesty before you do use his Elemental Skill and Burst.

Festering Desire

(Picture: miHoYo).

The other new sword that arrived with Version 1.2 is Festering Desire, and it too is great on Albedo. Energy Recharge makes this a top-tier option for a Burst-focused build, but it’s still a great option for a mainline DPS build too (if only because Albedo has so much DPS built into his Elemental Burst).

Moreover, Festering Desire’s Undying Admiration ability upping the DMG and Crit Rate for Albedo’s Elemental Skill, “Abiogenesis: Solar Isotoma,” is also fantastic considering how powerful and long-lasting the ability is. This ability alone would make this an excellent weapon for Albedo.

As a final note on Festering Desire, remember you get this weapon via The Chalk Prince and the Dragon event, where you can also empower and upgrade the sword - get to it, Travellers!

Sacrificial Sword

(Picture: miHoYo).

As always, Sacrificial Sword makes for a good supportive choice. Energy Recharge means more Elemental Bursts while Composed can allow for semi-regular double casts of Abiogenesis: Solar Isotoma.

Sacrificial Sword loses some potency if only because Albedo’s Elemental Skill is only on a 4s CD, so you don’t remove a massive cooldown as you might on another character. That aside, it’s still a great choice for a Burst Carry/Supportive Albedo.

Other good options include Favonius Sword, Black Sword and Aquila Favonia.

Artifacts

(Picture: miHoYo).

There are three main artifact sets being run in various configurations for Albedo as it stands: Archaic Petra, Gladiator’s Finale and Noblesse Oblige.

The most balanced options are either 2-piece Gladiator’s Finale or Noblesse Oblige with 2-piece Archaic Petra. So much of Albedo’s damage is Geo based the 15% Geo DMG buff from Archaic Petra is a no-brainer, while Gladiator’s Finale offers more consistent damage via the 18% ATK amp versus Noblesse Oblige empowering Albedo’s Elemental Burst Damage. Both will work however you want to play him, but Gladiator’s leans more towards a main DPS playstyle, compared to Noblesse edging towards a sub-DPS/Burst Carry style.

• Read More: Genshin Impact v1.2 patch notes: Dragonspine, Sheer Cold, Chalk Prince and the Dragon event 

More extreme variants include 4-piece Gladiator’s Finale if you want to push for a high-uptime main DPS build for Albedo, or 4-piece Noblesse Oblige for more team-utility for a more supportive build.Similarly, if you’re feeling bold, Retracing Bolide with Summit Shaper can make Albedo a one-man army with some investment.

If you’re struggling for sets, The Exile is passable as is Martial Artist, but you should focus on the aforementioned combinations above.

By the Seven - NO! Albedo clearly has a twisted sense of humour (Picture: miHoYo).

Artifact Stats

However you plan on playing Albedo, his stat needs are pretty uniform. Here’s a brief rundown:

Main Stats

• Geo DMG Goblet (Key)

• DEF% Hourglass (can run ATK%)

• Crit Rate Circlet

Sub Stat Priorities

1. Crit Rate

2. Crit Damage

3. ATK (or DEF if C2)

4. Energy Recharge

5. DEF

If you have the fortune of reaching Constellation Level 2, Albedo’s Elemental Burst will scale  off DEF like his Elemental Skill, really increasing the priority you should place on the stat.

(Picture: miHoYo).

Play Patterns

Albedo is fairly straightforward - if satisfying - to play. You’ll want to open up with his Elemental Skill, Abiogenesis: Solar Isotoma, before using his Elemental Burst, Right of Progeniture: Tectonic Tide, and then either switch characters or get to basic attacking depending on playstyle and build.

Make sure to keep enemies within the Solar Isotoma Field for maximum damage from his abilities - and don’t cast his Burst without having the field active! This will ensure as many Transient and Fatal Blossoms spawn as possible with their corresponding damage. Nor does Albedo have to be on the field for Solar ISotoma to function - get switching if you’ve set your team up for it!

Remember as well that “Homuncular Nature” increases party Elemental Mastery for 10s after Albedo uses his Elemental Burst, so you can look to set up potent reactions with other team-members with that in mind.

(Picture: miHoYo).

Another point to keep in mind is that the Solar Isotoma itself (i.e. the geo flower in the middle of the ability) both counts as a geo construct for the likes of Zhongli and acts as an elevator if a character steps on it. It takes a little creativity, but the platform makes for a good escape tool, sniping spot and easy way to set up for plunging attacks.

As for teammates, Albedo works fantastically with the likes of Zhongli and Ningguang, especially with the announced Geo buff for Version 1.3. Albedo sets them up to work as great DPS choices, adding more damage and shields to their kits or setting him up to do the carrying for them. Both the Geo Traveller and Noelle are also good choices for similar reasons but can need a little more set-up or need Albedo to be your primary carry.

• Read More: Genshin's controversial 5-Star Zhongli will receive major buffs 

Albedo will also work well with most non-Geo options - he adds an AoE, persistent damage field that provides shields via crystallise and gives teamwide Elemental Mastery via Homuncular Nature. That’s… really good. Consider double Pyro to really get the most out of Albedo’s damage via the Elemental Resonance effects. When 1.3 hits, definitely consider 2x Geo and 2x Pyro for even more of that!

With that, our dive into the Knights of Favonius Head Alchemist is over! Enjoy exploring Dragonspine, and consider taking Albedo along for the ride.