One of the easiest ways to waste stats on Raiden Shogun is to see Energy Recharge everywhere in her kit and assume more is always better. It is not. Raiden needs enough ER to get her Burst back on time, but once the rotation is stable, CRIT and ATK usually give more value unless you are using Engulfing Lightning. A 270% ER Raiden can make perfect sense on one account and be unnecessary on another.
That is the main idea behind this build. Raiden is still built around her Elemental Burst, but she now has more team options than the old Raiden National and Sara hypercarry shells. The three teams covered here use very different supports, yet the core build barely changes: keep the Burst ready, use 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate, and do not sacrifice a healthy CRIT ratio just to make the ER number look bigger.
What Should a Raiden Shogun Build Look Like?
Raiden's Elemental Skill gives the team the Eye of Stormy Judgment. It follows attacks with coordinated Electro damage and also increases teammates' Elemental Burst DMG based on their Burst Energy Cost. Her Burst then puts Raiden on the field for a short damage window while restoring Energy to the rest of the party.
The important mechanic is that Raiden's sword attacks during Musou Isshin count as Elemental Burst DMG. They use the multipliers from her Burst Talent rather than her Normal Attack Talent. That is why you can leave Normal Attack at Level 1 without weakening the part of her kit that actually matters.
How Much Energy Recharge Does Raiden Shogun Need?
ER is a rotation requirement, not a score to chase
Do not start a Raiden build by deciding that she must have exactly 270% ER. Start by asking a much simpler question: when her turn comes back, is her Burst ready? Solo-Electro teams can often work around the low-200% range, while teams with another Electro unit or stronger particle generation may need less. Teams with awkward Energy flow can need more, so your actual rotation matters more than a universal spreadsheet number.
Raiden's Ascension 4 Passive still rewards ER. Every 1% above 100% ER gives her 0.4% Electro DMG Bonus and increases the Energy restored by Musou Isshin by 0.6%. At 270% ER, that passive gives 68% Electro DMG Bonus, but that alone does not make 270% a mandatory target.
Engulfing Lightning changes the ER calculation
Engulfing Lightning is the big exception. At R1, it converts ER above the base 100% into ATK and gives another 30% ER for 12 seconds after Raiden uses her Burst. Because ER now helps her Energy, Electro DMG Bonus, Emblem bonus, and ATK at the same time, pushing toward roughly 250%–270% ER before Burst becomes much easier to justify.
That is also why an ER Sands feels so natural with Engulfing Lightning. Once Raiden casts her Burst, the weapon's extra 30% ER can push a 270% build to around 300%, which is enough to reach the 75% Burst DMG Bonus cap of 4-piece Emblem. You still need CRIT, though; an Engulfing Lightning build with huge ER and weak CRIT is not finished.
Non-signature weapons do not need the same ER target
With "The Catch," Skyward Spine, or Tamayuratei no Ohanashi, ER should mainly solve the rotation. If your Burst comes back comfortably, I would rather take a strong CRIT or ATK roll than keep forcing ER toward 270% for no reason. If your Burst is regularly short when Raiden returns to the field, raise ER before worrying about a prettier CRIT ratio.
Which Artifacts Are Best for Raiden Shogun?
4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate remains the standard set for an on-field Burst Raiden. The 2-piece bonus gives 20% Energy Recharge, while the 4-piece effect increases Elemental Burst DMG by 25% of ER, up to a maximum 75% bonus. Raiden already wants ER and deals most of her important damage through her Burst, so the set fits without asking her to change how she plays.
What I would not do is farm Emblem with the goal of hitting its 300% ER cap at any cost. Without Engulfing Lightning, getting enough Energy to Burst on time comes first and offensive stats come next. With Engulfing Lightning, ER remains competitive for longer because the weapon converts part of it into ATK.
Choose Sands based on the weapon and rotation
An Energy Recharge Sands is the safer choice if your current setup cannot Burst every rotation, and it is usually the natural option with Engulfing Lightning. An ATK% Sands becomes more attractive when your weapon and artifact substats already cover the Energy requirement. Do not replace a strong ATK Sands with a weak ER Sands just because a guide shows ER in the recommended column.
Electro and ATK Goblets can both work
Electro DMG Bonus is the default Goblet choice when the pieces have similar substats. Raiden already gains a large amount of DMG Bonus from ER and Emblem, however, so a strong ATK% Goblet can stay competitive when it has clearly better rolls. Teams giving Raiden a lot of external ATK usually make Electro DMG Bonus easier to favor.
CRIT still decides whether the build feels finished
Use a CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG Circlet based on whichever balances the final build. I would rather have a stable CRIT ratio with slightly less ER than a 300% ER build that rarely crits, unless the lower ER actually breaks the rotation. Once the Burst is ready consistently, CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG are where a large part of Raiden's personal damage comes from.
What Are Raiden Shogun's Best Weapons?
| Weapon | Lv. 90 Stats | Best Use | What to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engulfing Lightning | 608 Base ATK 55.1% Energy Recharge |
Best all-around option for standard Burst Raiden | Converts ER above 100% into ATK and grants 30% ER after Burst. It is the weapon that gives you the strongest reason to keep investing into ER. |
| "The Catch" R5 | 510 Base ATK 45.9% Energy Recharge |
Best F2P option | At R5, gives 32% Elemental Burst DMG and 12% Elemental Burst CRIT Rate. Almost everything Raiden cares about is being buffed. |
| Skyward Spine | 674 Base ATK 36.8% Energy Recharge |
Strong standard-banner alternative | High Base ATK, ER, CRIT Rate, and Attack SPD. The Attack SPD also makes faster Burst strings easier to perform. |
| Tamayuratei no Ohanashi | 565 Base ATK 30.6% Energy Recharge |
Useful event weapon if you already own it | Using Elemental Skill gives ATK and Movement SPD for 10s. Its buff does not line up perfectly with Raiden's usual E-first, Q-last rotation. |
Engulfing Lightning rewards the stat Raiden already wants
At R1, Engulfing Lightning increases ATK by 28% of the ER above the base 100%, up to an 80% ATK bonus. It also grants 30% Energy Recharge for 12 seconds after using an Elemental Burst. This lets Raiden invest much more heavily into ER without losing as much personal damage as she would with another weapon.
The Catch is good enough to finish the build
R5 "The Catch" is the weapon I would recommend to most F2P players before thinking about a limited weapon banner. It solves a large part of Raiden's ER requirement while directly buffing her Burst DMG and Burst CRIT Rate. The only real account-level problem is that Xiangling also wants it, especially when both characters are in the same Raiden National team.
Skyward Spine is more useful than it sometimes looks
Skyward Spine does not give the flashy Burst-specific passive of The Catch, but 674 Base ATK, 36.8% ER, and extra CRIT Rate are all useful. Its Attack SPD also works well with Raiden's Burst input speed, which makes the faster 3[N3C] N1C combo more realistic. If your Catch is already on Xiangling, Skyward Spine is an easy weapon to keep on Raiden.
Tamayuratei needs a little rotation awareness
Tamayuratei no Ohanashi gives 20% ATK and 10% Movement SPD for 10 seconds at R1 after using an Elemental Skill. The awkward part is that Raiden normally casts E at the start of a rotation and uses Q after the other three characters finish their setup, so part or all of that ATK buff may be gone. You can cast E again shortly before Burst to refresh it, but that adds another action to the setup.
If you already own the weapon and The Catch is busy on Xiangling, Tamayuratei is perfectly usable. I would not move an R5 Catch off Raiden just to force Tamayuratei into the build unless the team needs The Catch somewhere else.
Which Talents Should You Level First?
For the standard on-field build, go Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill >>> Normal Attack. The Burst controls Raiden's main damage window and team Energy restoration, so it deserves the first Level 9 or Crown. The Skill gives off-field Electro application and increases party members' Burst DMG, making it the clear second priority.
A practical finished line is 1/9/10. Taking the Skill to 9 gets the important team Burst DMG scaling where you want it, while the Normal Attack Talent can stay at Level 1 because it does not scale Raiden's Musou Isshin attacks. Triple-crowning her is a favorite-character choice, not something the build requires.
Raiden should Burst after her teammates
Her teammates' Elemental Bursts build Resolve for Chakra Desiderata based on their Energy Cost, so Raiden normally takes the final major field window in the rotation. More Resolve increases the damage of Musou no Hitotachi and the attacks that follow it. This also lines up naturally with her job as the character who restores Energy after the rest of the team has spent theirs.
A simple Burst combo is enough
If you do not want to practice tight cancels, 2[N4C] N2C is a forgiving Raiden combo: four Normal Attacks into a Charged Attack twice, followed by two Normals into a Charged Attack. If you use an Attack SPD weapon such as Skyward Spine and are comfortable with faster inputs, 3[N3C] N1C has a strong damage ceiling. Missing half a combo because the inputs are too tight is worse than using the easier string cleanly.
Which Raiden Shogun Teams Should You Use?
| Team | What It Does | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Raiden Shogun + Nicole + Durin + Xilonen | Modern buff-heavy Raiden team with ATK support, off-field Pyro, RES reduction, Xilonen support, and healing | Players building around Raiden's current on-field damage without relying on Bennett's circle |
| Raiden Shogun + Kujou Sara + Kaedehara Kazuha + Bennett | Classic Raiden hypercarry that puts most of the team's buffs into her Burst window | High-investment Raiden, especially with C6 Sara |
| Raiden Shogun + Xingqiu + Xiangling + Bennett | Reliable team damage with strong off-field Bursts and Raiden handling the final field window and Energy refund | F2P and older accounts with well-built 4-star supports |
Nicole, Durin, and Xilonen give Raiden a newer support shell
Raiden Shogun + Nicole + Durin + Xilonen keeps Raiden as the on-field finisher while the other three characters set up buffs, RES reduction, off-field damage, and healing. Nicole's Skill gives strong ATK support, while her Ascension passive gives a non-Hexerei on-field character an additional 300 ATK after that character stays on the field for 3 seconds. Raiden is not a Hexerei character, so that 3-second condition matters if you are trying to maximize the first Burst slash.
Durin should use his support-oriented Purity / White state here rather than the Melt/Vaporize-focused damage state. His White form supplies off-field Pyro damage and can reduce resistance for the Elements involved in supported Pyro reactions, which fits Raiden's Electro damage. Nicole and Durin also form the Hexerei core that improves Durin's support effect once the relevant Hexerei requirements are active.
Xilonen brings another layer of RES reduction and healing. If she is using 4-piece Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City, pay attention to the Element involved in her Crystallize reaction: you want the Scroll setup to actually buff the element Raiden is dealing. That is why I would treat this team's rotation as a set of priorities rather than memorize one fixed sequence for every enemy.
A safe setup idea is to begin with Raiden E, establish Xilonen's support while Electro is available for the desired Crystallize, then complete Nicole and Durin's setup before returning to Raiden. If you want Nicole's extra 300 ATK on Raiden, give Raiden enough on-field time for Guidance of Theosis to activate before pressing Q. Exact ordering can move slightly with Energy, artifact sets, and whether you need Xilonen's Burst for healing.
Sara, Kazuha, and Bennett still support a true hypercarry Raiden
Raiden Shogun + Kujou Sara + Kaedehara Kazuha + Bennett is the team for players who care more about Raiden's own Burst damage than spreading the damage across four characters. Bennett supplies ATK and healing, Kazuha provides Electro RES Shred through Viridescent Venerer plus Elemental DMG Bonus, and Sara gives another short ATK buff. At C6, Sara also gives Electro characters 60% CRIT DMG, which is why the team feels much better once she reaches that constellation.
The important part is buff timing. Start with Raiden's Skill, make sure Kazuha has access to Electro for his setup, and leave Sara's final buff as close to Raiden's Burst as possible. A practical order is Raiden E → Kazuha setup → Sara setup → Bennett Q → Kazuha Q → Sara Q → Raiden Q, with Sara's exact Skill and Charged Shot inputs adjusted for her constellation and Energy situation.
This team still has one very old weakness: Bennett's field does not move. Against enemies that constantly dash or spawn on opposite sides of the arena, the damage sheet can look better than the fight feels. When enemies stay in place, the team still does exactly what a Raiden hypercarry team is supposed to do.
Raiden National remains easy to build around
Raiden Shogun + Xingqiu + Xiangling + Bennett is still one of the cleanest ways to use C0 Raiden. Xingqiu and Xiangling bring strong off-field Burst damage, Bennett buffs and heals, and Raiden takes the final on-field window while helping refill everyone's Energy. You do not need Sara constellations, Kazuha, or a second limited 5-star support to make the basic idea work.
A simple flow is Raiden E → Xingqiu E/Q → Bennett Q/E → Xiangling Q/E → Raiden Q. Cast Xiangling's Burst while Bennett's ATK buff is active, then switch to Raiden after the other important Bursts have been spent. Raiden can trigger Xingqiu's Rain Swords because her Burst attacks still use Normal Attack inputs even though the damage itself is classified as Elemental Burst DMG.
The biggest gear conflict is "The Catch." Both Raiden and Xiangling use it extremely well, but you only get one copy. If Raiden has Skyward Spine or Engulfing Lightning, letting Xiangling keep The Catch is often the cleaner account setup.
Do Raiden Shogun's Constellations Change the Build?
C0 already has the parts that define Raiden: team Energy restoration, off-field Electro application, Burst DMG support, Resolve, and her own on-field Burst. You do not need C2 to make the character function. A C0 Raiden with a finished weapon, stable ER, good Emblem pieces, and properly built teammates is a complete character.
C2 is where her personal damage jumps because Musou no Hitotachi and Musou Isshin attacks ignore 60% of enemy DEF. It does not change the artifact set, main stats, or basic rotation rules. What it changes is how rewarding it becomes to pour buffs into Raiden herself, which makes hypercarry-style teams more attractive.
C3 adds three levels to her Burst and is another direct damage upgrade. C1 helps Resolve build faster, while C4 and C6 lean more toward team utility after or during Raiden's Burst. If you are deciding where to stop, C0 works, C2 is the major personal-damage breakpoint, and further investment is mostly for players who specifically want to push Raiden harder.
What Materials Does Raiden Shogun Need?
Character Leveling and Ascension from Lv. 1 to 90
The Mora number below is the full character leveling and Ascension total from Level 1 to 90, not just the Mora fee paid on the six Ascension screens.
- Mora ×2,092,600
- Amakumo Fruit ×168
- Wanderer's Advice ×3
- Hero's Wit ×418
- Vajrada Amethyst Sliver ×1
- Vajrada Amethyst Fragment ×9
- Vajrada Amethyst Chunk ×9
- Vajrada Amethyst Gemstone ×6
- Old Handguard ×18
- Kageuchi Handguard ×30
- Famed Handguard ×36
- Storm Beads ×46
Amakumo Fruit and Storm Beads both send you toward Seirai Island, so those are easy to work on during the same farming period. Handguards are the material I would start collecting early because Raiden's Talents also use them, and Engulfing Lightning needs another Handguard set if you are leveling the signature weapon at the same time.
Talent Materials for 10 / 10 / 10
- Mora ×4,957,500
- Crown of Insight ×3
- Teachings of Light ×9
- Guide to Light ×63
- Philosophies of Light ×114
- Old Handguard ×18
- Kageuchi Handguard ×66
- Famed Handguard ×93
- Molten Moment ×18
Those numbers are the cost of maxing all three Talents. You do not need to spend that much for a normal Raiden build. Since 1/9/10 already covers the Talents that matter in combat, leave the Normal Attack materials and extra Crown for later unless Raiden is a character you simply want to max.
Engulfing Lightning Ascension Materials
- Mora ×225,000
- Old Handguard ×15
- Kageuchi Handguard ×23
- Famed Handguard ×27
- Chaos Gear ×23
- Chaos Axis ×27
- Chaos Oculus ×41
- Mask of the Wicked Lieutenant ×5
- Mask of the Tiger's Bite ×14
- Mask of the One-Horned ×14
- Mask of the Kijin ×6
The 225,000 Mora listed here is the weapon Ascension Mora requirement from the provided material set, not the full cost of feeding Weapon EXP from Level 1 to 90. If you are preparing both Raiden and Engulfing Lightning before building them, count the Handguards together so you do not finish the character and then immediately run out again on the weapon.
What Should You Farm First?
- Get Raiden to 80/90 first. This unlocks her final Ascension and lets you finish the important Talent levels.
- Raise the Elemental Burst before anything else. Take it to 9 or 10, then bring the Elemental Skill to 9.
- Take the weapon to Level 90. For F2P players, finishing R5 "The Catch" is worth more than chasing a small artifact upgrade.
- Build a usable 4-piece Emblem set. Hit the ER your actual rotation needs, then work on CRIT and ATK.
- Finish the three teammates in the team you actually play. A half-built Nicole, Durin, Xilonen, Sara, Kazuha, Bennett, Xingqiu, or Xiangling can hold the whole rotation back more than one imperfect Raiden artifact.
If Raiden already Bursts every rotation, do not keep farming ER just because the stat appears in three parts of her kit. With a non-signature weapon, that is usually the point where stronger CRIT and ATK pieces become the better upgrade. With Engulfing Lightning, ER can stay valuable up to roughly the 270% area, but a balanced build still matters more than chasing one stat.
What Raiden Shogun Questions Still Cause Build Mistakes?
Raiden starts a fight with low Energy
Raiden is excellent at refunding Energy after she enters Musou Isshin, but that does not magically fill an empty Burst before the first rotation begins. If you enter content with low Energy, the first setup can feel much worse than later rotations. Use teammate particles, Favonius procs where appropriate, and a little extra ER if your normal combat environment regularly starts from low Energy.
Her coordinated attack does not trigger on every shield
Raiden's Eye of Stormy Judgment triggers its coordinated attack when an attack actually deals damage. If you are hitting an Elemental Shield without dealing damage to the enemy underneath, the coordinated attack may not activate the way it does against a normal HP bar. This can make some shield-heavy encounters feel worse for her Energy generation and off-field Electro application.
Xingqiu works with Raiden, but Beidou is different
Raiden's Burst sword attacks are treated as Elemental Burst DMG, but you still perform them with Normal Attack inputs. That is enough to trigger Xingqiu's Rain Swords, which care about the Normal Attack action. Beidou's Burst checks for Normal Attack damage hits instead, so it does not trigger from Raiden's Musou Isshin attacks.
The Catch can create a Xiangling problem
If you play Raiden National, the weapon question is sometimes not “What is best for Raiden?” but “Who needs The Catch more on this account?” Xiangling also uses R5 The Catch extremely well. If Raiden already has Skyward Spine, Engulfing Lightning, or another strong option, giving The Catch to Xiangling can improve the team without changing Raiden's artifact plan.
C0 and C2 use the same core build
Do not rebuild Raiden from scratch after pulling C2. The constellation increases her Burst damage by letting her attacks ignore 60% of enemy DEF, but she still wants 4-piece Emblem, enough ER for the rotation, a balanced CRIT ratio, and the same Burst-first Talent priority. C2 changes how much damage you get from the build, not the rules used to make it.
When Is Your Raiden Shogun Build Finished?
Stop chasing a theoretical stat line once Raiden can Burst every rotation, her CRIT ratio is stable, and her Emblem pieces no longer have obvious dead slots. For "The Catch," Skyward Spine, or Tamayuratei builds, there is little reason to force ER toward 270% if the team already cycles cleanly. With Engulfing Lightning, a higher ER build around the 250%–270% range is easier to justify because the weapon turns part of that ER back into damage.
After that point, look at the team instead of another month of Emblem farming. Build Nicole, Durin, and Xilonen if you use the newer support shell; finish Sara, Kazuha, and Bennett if you want Raiden hypercarry; or invest in Xingqiu and Xiangling if Raiden National is your main team. A clean four-character rotation is the upgrade that actually shows up every fight.
