The best builds for Candace in Genshin Impact

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: 

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. 

Genshin Impact guide: Beginner tips
Genshin Impact characters: Full tier list
Genshin Impact code: Redeem for free rewards
Genshin Impact banner: Every character