Alhaitham Build and Lore
Name: Alhaitham
Vision: Dendro
Birthday: 11 February
Constellation: Vultur Volans
Titles: Admonishing Instruction, Sumeru Akademiya Scribe, Acting Grand Sage of the Akademiya
Alhaitham may present himself as an ordinary citizen wanting a peaceful life. However, he’s a learned man of many talents. Throughout the Sumeru Archon Quests, he has exhibited a tactical genius of outwitting his foes, whether the Sages or the Fatui. Though he did not know all the pieces moving in the plot, he managed to get them all working together for a common cause. Plus, besides his vast knowledge, he made excellent use of psychological warfare and Oscar-worthy acting.
Still, even through all that, he would prefer to fade into the background and pursue his interests.
In battle, Alhaitham would spend most of his time on the field. His abilities are reminiscent of another Electro sword user but with a few more extra things.
With a specific ascension passive, his Charged Attacks (or a Plunging Attack) will generate a mirror, which is useful for keeping up the timers on them.
His Elemental Skill, Universality: An Elaboration on Form, teleports him ahead when tapped. If the button is held, you can aim where he’ll land. This generates one to two Chisel Light Mirrors, depending on whether you already have one or none (respectively) upon cast.
The mirrors allow Alhaitham to deal Dendro DMG using his Normal Attacks, and they also create additional attacks while active. It also changes the duration of his Burst, depending on how many there are upon using it. They disappear when their time runs out or when Alhaitham leaves the field.
Particular Field: Fetters of Phenomena, his Elemental Burst, creates a Particular Binding Field and deals AoE Dendro DMG. If Alhaitham has Chisel Light Mirrors on cast, the ability consumes them to lengthen the skill’s duration. Otherwise, it generates 3 mirrors for him after the skill ends.
Generally, you want to keep his mirrors up as much as possible, requiring a strict order of casting and using his abilities. That can be solved with some practice, but you can still use him however you want and still deal lots of damage, inefficiently. It’s nice to mess around with the patterns, though you’ll need the most efficient use in challenges such as the Spiral Abyss.
Table of Contents
Artifacts
Two sets are recommended for him: Gilded Dreams and Deepwood. The former is preferred for him because EM is a significant stat for his damage output. Deepwood is less crucial since it’s better to run him with another Dendro character to act as a battery. That one would preferably use the set, while Alhaitham uses Gilded Dreams.
Budget recommendations are Gambler’s, Martial Artist, and Instructor.
Main Stats: EM(preferred)/ATK%, Dendro DMG Bonus, Crit Rate/DMG or ATK%
Substats: Energy Recharge, Elemental Mastery, Crit, ATK
Weapons
Alhaitham’s signature weapon is the Light of Foliar Incision. It’s tailor-made for him, though there are alternatives:
- Primordial Jade Cutter
- Mistsplitter Reforged
- Haran Geppaku Futsu
- Freedom Sworn
- Toukabou Shigure
- Iron Sting
- The Black Sword
- Favonius Sword
- Festering Desire
- Sapwood Blade
- Harbinger of Dawn
As usual, your choice of weapon depends on what you have on hand and your build and team. You won’t need as much Energy Recharge if you have a Dendro battery with him, but you’ll need the stat if you’re using him alone. Harbinger of Dawn gets a mention as long as you can keep Alhaitham at 90% life; otherwise, don’t use it.
Ascension Materials and Things to Farm
Alhaitham needs the boss drops of the Setekh Wenut, found in the Desert of Hadramaveth. His regional specialty, Sand Grease Pupas, can also be found there. Generally, you’ll find the latter where Wenut are, for the most part. If you have Tighnari, he can help pinpoint the locations.
He uses Eremite drops, Faded Red Silk and related loot, in his ascension and talent level up. The talent book he needs is Ingenuity, which is available on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. For the last four levels of his talents, he requires Mirrors of Mushin from the Shouki no Kami boss in the Joururi Workshop.
Genshin Impact Alhaitham’s Story
Alhaitham was born to a union of a Haravatat mentor and a respected scholar of Vahumana. As such, he inherited their intelligence, giving him a sharp mind. Although his parents died early in his life, he cultivated his smarts through reading and thinking for himself. He hadn’t used the Akasha for convenience, contributing to his reasoning skills.
He grew up to become a rational person. Alhaitham’s decisions are the height of logical reasoning which rubs some people wrong, especially his housemate, Kaveh. Their arguments spilled over to several message boards in Sumeru City and Port Ormos.
As the Scribe, Alhaitham led a very comfortable life. He didn’t need to be present at every meeting, so he took the time to pursue whatever interested him. While this leads to him usually deserting his office, he does his job when required. He dutifully jots down the crucial details, with minutiae depending on his moods and level of interest.
If the topic doesn’t interest him, he can’t be bothered to give a comment. However, when he encounters foolish ideas, be prepared for a blunt lecture. As a logical person, he’ll not mince words and spare the offender’s feelings.
At any rate, he has everything he needs for his comfortable life. For him, that requires a non-hypocritical life, enough combat skills to survive in the field, a peaceful job, and a house near his workplace where he can relax. Alhaitham has already achieved all that, and he’ll always try to keep that way of life.
Even when he was named the Acting Grand Sage, Alhaitham only accepted the position temporarily and stuck to his word. After the allotted time, he gracefully stepped down, which baffled the citizens. The Akademiya and, by extension Sumeru City had always prided themselves on titles and appellations. You can also see that in Cyno’s case as General Mahamatra and how they treat Eremites and desert dwellers.
That’s why the position of Grand Sage was such a coveted one, and someone refusing or stepping down from it caused so much confusion for them.
For Alhaitham, it was only natural. Though he was part of the group that saved the Dendro Archon and brought the Sages’ deceptions to light, he wasn’t interested in the title of ‘hero.’ He was glad his salary stayed the same and was even allowed to return to his former job.
The whole thing also gave him a wider circle of friends, though he wouldn’t admit it out loud. At most, he’d greet the others with a nod. Then again, he did accept an invitation for game night in his Character Demo video, so maybe he’s not so above it all. Even Nahida would invite him to the Sanctuary of Surasthana for some discussions.
Although he seems to have no ambitions, the Vision hanging from his shoulder says otherwise.
How Alhaitham Got His Vision in Genshin Impact
While Alhaitham was out on an expedition, he found a few passages about the value of language, its unity, and how it affects thoughts. He flipped through the book and reached the back cover. As he closed it, he found the Vision there, as if the book was resting on it all this time.
Of course, he knew what it was. Some people would be thrilled to receive one, but he merely thought it was nothing more than a helpful tool. He collected it like knowledge that intrigues him and decides to keep it.
Dendro is related to knowledge, wisdom, and dreams. Which of them Celestia is using to judge the ambitions of those who receive that elemental Vision is harder to pin down. Alhaitham was searching for more knowledge when he came across his. Tighnari corrected a mistaken researcher in a seminar when he got his. Yaoyao got hers and questioned it for days afterward (the actual bestowment was not detailed). Collei received hers when she saved a lost child in the rain, when she was the only one able.
Since those four are the only Dendro Vision users (Nahida is excluded due to being the Archon), it’s too small a sample to decide the criteria. It may be related to seeking the truth, knowledge, or wisdom, but that raises the question of why some other characters received a different element. Another suggestion is that they act upon what they believe in. However, it isn’t too apparent in Alhaitham’s case.
In any case, that’s all for Alhaitham, his builds, and his backstory. While there isn’t a definite conclusion for the Vision, we hope you still enjoyed reading about the temporary Acting Grand Sage who wants to live comfortably.
