Shouki no Kami Boss Guide
Warning: minor spoilers from the Archon Quest Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises
Despite the Traveler’s best efforts, the sages’ manufactured god came to fruition in Genshin Impact. However, with the Dendro Archon’s help, they could keep the damages to a minimum. The Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom (also called ‘Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal’) is the seventh weekly boss in the game. Its battle can be challenging even if you read through the game’s tips and tutorials, so we’ll explain the fight mechanics in more detail.
Table of Contents
Phases and Attacks
Shouki no Kami has two phases: one where his torso is vulnerable and the second with his legs connected. Nahida gives you the Neo Akasha Terminal (NAT) to help with both phases. It’s a handy companion that can paralyze the boss after specific actions.
Shouki no Kami Phase 1 Details
You can directly attack Shouki no Kami’s torso in this phase to move on to the next. Of course, he won’t just sit there and take your attacks. He’ll use different moves to protect himself, which you’ll need to avoid so you can continue attacking him. The boss will take these actions (attack names are taken from the game’s wiki):
- Arm Slam/Combo – Shouki no Kami slams his arm, creating a shockwave and leaving behind hazardous elemental traces. He’ll sweep one arm across the field while spraying Pyro or Cryo and slap his other hand onto the field for the combo. The elements depend on which side he’s using. His left (our right) uses Pyro, while his right (our left) uses Cryo.
Voice line: Insignificant Pest!
- Waterspout – Summons 3 Anemo vortexes that get infused with Hydro after a few seconds. Be careful not to get caught in them! They will suck you in, and it will be hard to get out.
Voice line: Churn!
- Electrostreak – The boss will shoot a beam of Electro into the ground, turning the entire battlefield into a hazard. It clears up after the attack.
Voice line: At my command, you shall fall!
- Shard Rain – He’ll shoot small Electro projectiles from the arms behind his shoulders, ending with two giant Electro prisms.
Voice line: Perish!
- Laser Array – Creates a rotating array of lasers that stop after a few seconds.
Voice line: My endless cycle begins!
Every time one of his attack ends, it’ll leave behind Energy Crystals that can charge up the Neo Akasha Terminal. You might’ve noticed some symbols on the battlefield in front of the boss. Those are elemental matrices where you can discharge the NAT, creating beneficial effects for you and your allies. Stand on their areas and activate the device (default LCtrl) to use them.
There are six of them, three on either side. On the left are Pyro, Anemo, and Electro. The other side has Cyro, Hydro, and Electro. Here are their effects:
- Pyro – Clears Raw Frost fields left by his Arm Slam.
- Cryo – Clears Remnant Flame fields left by his Arm Slam.
- Anemo – Creates an air current you can use to avoid some of his attacks. You can use it to dodge the Arm Sweep part of the Arm Combo, the Laser Array, and Electrostreak.
- Hydro – Surrounds you with a healing Hydro Aura.
- Electro – Activating both symbols will paralyze Shouki no Kami, leaving him vulnerable to a beatdown.
Shouki no Kami Phase 2 Details
In Phase 2, Shouki No Kami will connect to his legs, making him more mobile and opening up the battlefield. He’ll have different attacks in this battle portion:
- Triple Earthshock – As inferred by the name, this is a 3-hit combo where the boss will (1) stomp his foot, (2) slam an arm down, and (3) then another arm. You’ll see a crackling circle where the attack will land, making it easy to dodge. However, the final slam creates an expanding shockwave, so watch out for that.
Voice line: (none)
- Thunder Lance – Stabs four spears two by two into the ground. You’ll also see a circle crackling with Electro Energy on the to-be-affected area, so you know how to avoid it.
Voice line: Kneel!
- Bomb Scatter – Scatters elemental bombs throughout the field. They’ll explode after some time, dealing either Cryo, Hydro, or Pyro DMG. You can destroy them quickly by attacking them with their opposing element (Pyro for Cryo, Dendro for Hydro, and Hydro for Pyro). Otherwise, you can be limited in the space you can move to avoid explosions and attacks. They can also release Energy Crystals if destroyed.
Voice line: Burn to oblivion!
- Cosmic Bombardment – Creates an array of orbs to his sides, bombarding a large AoE (you’ll be able to see the target area). Afterward, lasers will fall straight down onto the entire field.
Voice line: Reality is pain!
- Double Charge – Shouki no Kami will charge you twice. The first time will leave a trail of Pyro, and the second one has Cryo.
Voice line: (none)
- Thunder Sphere – If you end up behind the boss, he’ll turn and create Electro Orbs to shoot you.
Voice line: You filth!
- Eruption Trails – Marks two trails in a cross-shape, denoting where explosions of Anemo and Hydro will happen.
Voice line: Tremble!
- Setsuna Shoumetsu – When Shouki no Kami’s shield is depleted, he’ll start charging up for one big attack. While he does so, the Nirvana Engines he deploys will continue attacking you. Destroy them to charge up the NAT, then shoot him to make him vulnerable. When successful, you can use Four-Leaf Sigils to quickly get up to the opened platform and attack him directly.
Voice line: Good riddance, cruel world! (initiating)
Otherwise, if you fail to stun him within 40 seconds, you’ll get hit with the Setsuna Shoumetsu, a definite one-hit KO for all active characters. The attack will ignore shields and defensive stats.
Voice line: Your new god awakens! (firing)
In this phase, the Energy Crystals for the NAT will have Four-Leaf Sigils, making collecting them easy. The device will also start continuously shooting at Shouki no Kami, chipping away at his shield or health. It can fire a ‘charged’ projectile when charged, dealing increased damage. You can aim it by pressing E after activating it with LCtrl.
Tips and Tricks
Shouki no Kami Boss Party Composition
The game gives no recommendations for elements to bring. However, you should have at least one Dendro, Pyro, or Cryo character. They can quickly destroy the Nirvana Engines when Shouki no Kami charges up Setsuna Shoumetsu. Electro and Hydro do not affect the objects, though you can still bring them if they’re a strong DPS or support character.
For Nahida havers, only her charged attacks hit the flying engines. Either of the current Dendro archers is a better choice.
I’d also recommend DPS archers, so you don’t have to go close to damage him. Ganyu and Yoimiya are excellent options if you can take advantage of his vulnerable states. The mentioned Dendro archers are passable, too, Tighnari more so than Collei.
Mobility is another consideration. Though you’ll manage with any character if you know what you’re doing, some could have extra utility. Venti can save your NAT charge by using his held E to create an air current in phase 1. Kazuha can technically do the same, but Venti’s ability can keep characters aloft for longer. Yelan’s E can also get you to reposition faster. Sayu’s not as recommended unless you can maneuver her well.
Healers with an aura (Barbara, Qiqi, Kuki) can also save NAT charges. They can substitute for the Hydro matrix. You’ll want to be mobile, so you can’t stay in a healing circle for long, making them the superior option. As for shields, remember that those don’t help with the Setsuna Shoumetsu. Otherwise, they can replace healing if they’re strong enough.
Shouki no Kami Boss Tips
Listen to What He’s Saying
He’ll announce his attacks by shouting phrases beforehand. Use them as a warning to take the appropriate actions. The voice lines are listed in the respective moves.
Paralyzing Shouki no Kami in Phase 1
When you’ve activated both Electro matrices, they’ll be inert until you use 2 other ones first. You can’t stun him immediately after he gets up from being vulnerable. Besides, your NAT would be discharged at that point, so it is impossible to do anyway.
Co-Op vs. Solo
Co-op mode could be a blessing or a curse. In phase 1, it could be helpful since you could activate multiple matrices as needed. Stunning him is also more straightforward because you don’t have to activate the matrix, run to charge up, and activate the other. You can have a friend stand on the other emblem and start both simultaneously.
On the other side, if the party doesn’t know what they’re doing, it could spell disaster. In a 4-player party, no alternate characters act as an ‘extra life.’ If you get knocked out, you can’t get back up again. With an increase to the boss’s HP and ATK due to being in co-op, you need friends that know what they’re doing.
Two players are more manageable. Still, both require the above knowledge to make everything go smoothly.
As for solo fights, it’s easier. You have 3 other ‘extra lives,’ and you can resurrect them with the NRE device. Once you figure out what to do, the fight becomes simple, and you can finish it quickly. It’s up to your preference to fight this boss solo or co-op.
It’s Okay to Miss NAT Shots in Phase 2
Missing your fully-charged shot with the NAT in phase 2 returns the charge to the device, so you can try again. Don’t feel too pressured to hit Shouki no Kami. The boss stands still at the most critical moment you need to do it. Relax, and don’t worry about missing.
Make Use of the Energy Crystals’ Four-Leaf Sigils
In the second phase, Energy Crystals have these handy sigils so you can get to them faster. With some strategy, you can use them to get around and avoid some of the attacks coming your way.
You Can Help the NAT in Phase 2 (If You Want To)
Directly attacking Shouki no Kami in the second phase is possible and will slightly help the NAT deplete his shield faster. Still, it’s better to use the charged NAT shots.
The Summary, If You Thought It Was TL;DR
Phase 1
- Attack the boss, avoid his attacks
- Elemental symbols on the floor have different effects. Use the Neo Akasha Terminal (NAT) to activate them.
- Pyro/Cryo: remove hazards on the field
- Anemo: create an air current to dodge some attacks
- Hydro: gives a healing aura
- Electro: stuns Shouki no Kami. Activating both will paralyze and make him vulnerable
Phase 2
- The NAT continuously shoots at Shouki no Kami.
- Charge it to fire an aimed ‘charged’ shot at the boss, depleting about 20% of the shield bar.
- When his shield is destroyed, the boss will start charging Setsuna Shoumetsu, releasing Nirvana Engines to continue attacking you.
- Destroy the engines with Dendro, Pyro, or Cryo attacks and charge up the NAT
- Shoot the ‘charged’ shot at Shouki no Kami
- Use Four-Leaf Sigils to get up to the opened platform and attack him directly.
- If still undefeated, continue charging up the NAT and shooting until you beat him.
Achievements
You can get two achievements during this fight:
- It All Comes Tumbling Down: Paralyze Shouki no Kami in phase 1
- Causality of Birth and Extinction: Get hit by the Setsuna Shoumetsu
Good Luck!
Now that you know how his boss battle works, it’s time to implement it. Hopefully, it helps you beat the boss faster and with fewer casualties. You’ll be farming this boss for the more recent characters, so you’ll need this guide. One of them is even a playable version of this boss, so if you want the Wanderer, you can pre-farm material with this information.
Enjoy Genshin Impact!
