While many Genshin Impact Elements react with each other as one might expect (e.g. Hydro + Cryo leads to “Frozen,”) there are several reactions, like “Swirl” and “Elemental Absorption,” that are a bit less straightforward. Players who’ve taken advantage of Anemo skills, like those employed by the game’s main Traveler, will have probably experienced Swirl at some point, though its effects aren’t always entirely clear.
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Swirl is an Elemental Reaction rooted in the Anemo Element. Characters with an Anemo Vision, like Venti or Jean, can all use wind-based Anemo abilities, which allow the player to trigger powerful Swirl reactions with several other Elements. Elemental Absorption, on the other hand, is the passive effect that gives Swirl its true power. As its name implies, Elemental Absorption comes into effect when an Elemental attribute is absorbed by the person in question. This reaction will imbue their next attack with the absorbed Element.
So, if a skill with Elemental Absorption comes into contact with the Pyro Element, for example, that player’s next attack/skill will deal additional Pyro Damage as well. For players acquainted with the Swirl reaction, this may seem familiar. The Swirl reaction essentially creates a whirlwind (or “swirl”) out of Anemo and one of four potential Genshin Impact Elemental counterparts.
Basically, Swirl occurs after an Anemo skill applies Elemental Absorption to either the Cryo, Electro, Hydro, or Pyro, Element. An Anemo skill will absorb only the first of these four elements it contacts, and spread it across a larger area, dealing Elemental Damage. So a player who creates a Swirl with the Pyro Element will generate a fiery whirlwind that deals additional Pyro Damage to surrounding enemies.
While every Swirl reaction inherently involves Elemental Absorption, it is possible for Elemental Absorption to occur regardless of Swirl. That being said, it seems to be reserved for characters aligned with Anemo. The Traveler’s Elemental Skill can apply Elemental Absorption when held, though their Elemental Burst will always do so. And Venti and Sucrose both have the capacity to use Elemental Absorption when executing their Elemental Bursts, but neither of their Elemental Skills feature the power-up. Unfortunately, the five-star Dandelion Knight, Jean, doesn’t feature Elemental Absorption as part of her skillset at all.
Genshin Impact is available now on the App Store and Google Play.
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