Quick Answer: ATK% Sands work best for traditional DPS characters like Navia, EM Sands excel for reaction-focused builds like Nahida, and HP% Sands optimize characters with HP scaling like Hu Tao. The choice depends on character scaling mechanics, team composition, and elemental reaction priorities.
Look, I've been testing artifact builds for three years now, and the Sands main stat question still trips up even veteran players. Let me break this down with actual numbers and real scenarios that'll save you months of farming headaches.
Understanding Sands Main Stats: The Foundation You Need
Damage Formula Breakdown (Yes, Math Matters)
Here's the thing about ATK% that confuses everyone: it only multiplies your character's base attack. That's character base ATK plus weapon base ATK plus flat ATK from your feather. The formula looks like this:(CharacterBaseATK+WeaponBaseATK)×(1+ATK%bonuses)+FlatATK bonuses.
Your maxed 5-star feather gives +311 flat ATK, which then gets multiplied by all those ATK% bonuses. This is why characters with terrible base ATK (looking at you, Hu Tao) don't love ATK% as much as you'd think.
For players looking to optimize their builds efficiently, Genshin Impact top up no region lock services through BitTopup provide seamless Genesis Crystal purchases with competitive pricing and instant delivery, ensuring you can focus on artifact farming without regional restrictions.
Scaling Mechanics Explained (The Real Game-Changer)
Amplifying reactions—Vaporize and Melt—multiply your existing talent damage. They care about ATK, CRIT, DMG%, and Elemental Mastery. Pretty straightforward.
Transformative reactions? Completely different beast. Overload, Swirl, Bloom, Hyperbloom, Burgeon—these ignore your ATK and CRIT entirely. They only scale with character level and EM. I can't tell you how many players I've seen building CRIT on Hyperbloom Kuki. Don't be that person.
Additive reactions (Aggravate, Spread) add flat damage that scales with level and EM, then gets multiplied by CRIT and DMG%. Think of them as the middle ground.
Stat Distribution Theory (Where the Magic Happens)
After running countless optimization scenarios, the sweet spot for ATK-scaling DPS characters with 38 available substat rolls is: 7 rolls into ATK% (+40.6%), 14 rolls into CRIT Rate (+54.6%), and 17 rolls into CRIT DMG (+132.6%). This gives you that beautiful 90.7%/182.6% CRIT ratio.
Even with ATK% Sands, you still want those ATK% substats. I see too many players thinking they're done with ATK once they have the Sands.
Decision Framework: How I Actually Choose Sands
Character Role Assessment
This is where experience beats theory every time. If your character's main damage scales with ATK, start with ATK% Sands. HP or DEF scalers need their respective stats. Simple enough.
But here's where it gets interesting: characters triggering Transformative reactions need EM Sands, period. Characters using Amplifying reactions? That's where you need to balance EM against their primary scaling stat. And if your character needs over 160% ER, you're probably looking at ER% Sands or an ER weapon.
Team Composition Factors (The Real Decision Maker)
Bennett changes everything. His ATK boost is so massive that it can make EM or ER% Sands more valuable than ATK% for your main DPS. I've seen Diluc builds where EM Sands outperform ATK% purely because of Bennett's buff saturation.
Sucrose, Kazuha, or Elegy for the End provide huge EM buffs—sometimes enough to skip EM Sands entirely on reaction characters. The 4-piece Emblem set converts ER into Burst DMG (25% of ER, capped at 75% bonus), which opens up interesting optimization paths.
Weapon and Artifact Set Synergy
Staff of Homa converts HP to ATK, making HP% Sands better for Hu Tao than ATK%. The 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter set gives up to 36% CRIT Rate for characters with HP fluctuation—that's like having perfect CRIT Rate substats on every piece.
These interactions matter more than most guides admit.
ATK% Sands Characters: Case Studies 1-4
Navia Geo Crystallize Analysis
Navia has 352 base ATK at Level 90. That's among the highest in the game, and her Elemental Skill scales directly with ATK. Her passive Mutual Assistance Network adds up to 40% ATK based on team diversity.
ATK% Sands is the obvious choice here. The only exception? When you can't hit her 170% ER requirement for consistent Burst usage. Then ER% Sands becomes necessary.
For sustained farming sessions, BitTopup's global Genesis Crystals recharge service offers competitive rates and 24/7 customer support, ensuring uninterrupted artifact domain runs with reliable top-up solutions across all regions.
Wriothesley Melt Optimization
Here's where things get spicy. In reliable Melt teams, EM Sands can actually outperform ATK% for personal DPS. My calculations for C1 R1 Wriothesley show EM Sands hitting ~40,547 personal DPS compared to ~38,231 with ATK% Sands.
That's a 6% damage increase because EM amplifies his Melt reaction damage more effectively than additional ATK once you hit certain thresholds through external buffs.
Gaming Vaporize Setup
Gaming showcases perfect flexibility. In Vaporize or Melt teams where he's triggering reactions? EM Sands maximizes reaction damage. Teams without consistent reactions or with significant external ATK buffs? ATK% Sands for better base damage.
His kit includes innate HP fluctuation, making 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter incredibly effective with that 36% CRIT Rate bonus.
Standard ATK Scalers Framework
Most traditional DPS follow the same pattern: high base ATK, direct ATK scaling on primary abilities, minimal alternative scaling. These characters want ATK% Sands unless specific team comps or weapon passives create better paths.
Elemental Mastery Sands Characters: Case Studies 5-8
Nahida Dendro Reaction Focus
Nahida's Elemental Skill scales with 185.76% ATK + 371.52% EM at Talent Level 10. The EM scaling is literally double the ATK scaling. Her A4 Passive grants Skill bonus DMG% and CRIT Rate based on EM over 200.
Stat priority: ER (until requirement) > EM ≥ Dendro DMG% ≥ CRIT. Target 900-1000 EM to maximize her A1 Passive buff for on-field characters.
Her C2 is bonkers—allows Burning, Bloom, Hyperbloom, and Burgeon reactions to CRIT with fixed 20% CRIT Rate and 100% CRIT DMG. Plus 30% DEF reduction on Quicken/Aggravate/Spread enemies for 8 seconds.
Kazuha Swirl Damage
Swirl scales exclusively with character level and EM. ATK does nothing for Swirl damage. His A4 Passive provides elemental DMG% buffs based on his EM, creating double value from EM investment.
4-piece VV's 40% elemental RES shred plus his EM scaling equals massive team damage amplification. EM Sands is mandatory.
Hyperbloom Trigger Builds
Characters like Kuki triggering Hyperbloom need full EM builds. Hyperbloom damage ignores ATK, CRIT, and talent levels entirely—only cares about trigger character's level and EM.
This makes EM trigger characters extremely resin-efficient while providing competitive damage. Win-win.
Transformative Reaction Framework
All Transformative triggers follow the same rule: maximize EM and character level, ignore everything else. 4-piece Gilded Dreams provides up to 230 EM and 46% ATK based on party composition.
HP% Sands Characters: Case Studies 9-12
Hu Tao Vaporize Build
Hu Tao has the lowest base ATK among 5-stars at 106, but 15,552 base HP. Her Elemental Skill provides ATK bonus equal to 5.96% of Max HP at Talent Level 9, capped at 400% of base ATK.
My damage calculations with Staff of Homa and 4-piece Crimson Witch show EM Sands achieving highest Vaporize damage: Charged Attack 34,353 and Burst 69,955. HP% Sands hits 31,477 and 64,068 respectively, while offering superior non-reaction damage and healing.
Community targets: minimum 23,000 HP (30,000+ with Homa), 100+ EM baseline with 200-300 optimal for Vaporize, 65-90% CRIT Rate with 150-250%+ CRIT DMG.
The choice between HP% and EM depends on external EM sources, weapon, and team comp.
Zhongli Shield Support
Pure shielder builds need HP% Sands for maximum Jade Shield durability. Burst support builds use ATK% for direct damage, though his A4 adds bonus damage based on Max HP (Burst DMG increased by 33% of Max HP).
Hybrid HP%/Geo DMG/CRIT provides effective compromise between shield strength and damage.
Yelan Off-field DPS
Yelan's Skill and Burst scale with Max HP. Her A4 increases party damage over time, while A1 provides increasing DMG% during Burst duration. 4-piece Emblem synergizes perfectly with her energy needs and Burst focus.
HP Scaling Framework
HP-scaling characters typically feature low base ATK, high base HP, and abilities converting HP into offensive power. They want HP% Sands, HP% substats, and weapons with HP stats or HP-scaling passives.
Comparative Analysis: Real Damage Numbers
Single Target Scenarios
For Hu Tao in single-target Vaporize, EM Sands provides 9.2% higher Charged Attack and Burst damage compared to HP% Sands. However, HP% offers 15.8% higher non-reaction damage and improved survivability.
Mathematical optimization shows balanced stat distribution outperforms hyper-focusing due to the multiplicative damage formula.
AoE Situation Comparisons
Area damage often favors different priorities. Transformative reactions like Swirl and Hyperbloom scale per target, making EM more valuable in multi-target situations. ATK-scaling abilities may need higher individual damage per target to stay competitive.
Elemental Reaction Environments
Reaction consistency significantly impacts optimal Sands selection. Reliable Vaporize/Melt setups favor EM for amplifying reactions, while inconsistent environments prefer ATK% for guaranteed base damage.
Team rotation timing and elemental application rates determine reaction reliability.
Advanced Optimization Strategies
Substat Priority Adjustments
Effective optimization balances multiple stats rather than maximizing single metrics. CRIT Value (CV = CRIT DMG + CRIT Rate × 2) provides quick artifact assessment but ignores crucial stats like ATK%, EM, and ER.
That optimal distribution I mentioned earlier—7 ATK% rolls, 14 CRIT Rate rolls, 17 CRIT DMG rolls—remains ideal even with ATK% Sands.
Constellation Impact Analysis
Constellations can shift optimal Sands selection. Nahida's C2 allows Dendro reactions to CRIT, potentially altering EM vs. CRIT priority. Navia's C1 reduces energy needs, making ATK% more favorable over ER%.
Weapon Passive Interactions
Weapon passives create complex interactions. Staff of Homa's HP-to-ATK conversion makes HP% more valuable than ATK% for compatible characters. Engulfing Lightning's ER-to-ATK conversion can make ER% Sands viable for Raiden while meeting energy requirements.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
Over-prioritizing ATK%
Too many players default to ATK% without considering character-specific scaling or team composition. Characters like Hu Tao, Nahida, and reaction triggers often benefit more from alternatives.
Understanding scaling mechanisms prevents suboptimal builds and wasted resources.
Ignoring Elemental Reactions
Focusing solely on talent damage while ignoring reactions leads to significant damage loss. Transformative triggers need full EM builds, while Amplifying users need balanced EM investment alongside traditional damage stats.
Misunderstanding HP Scaling
HP-scaling characters require different optimization approaches. HP% becomes a damage stat rather than purely defensive, requiring adjusted substat priorities and weapon selection.
Tools and Resources for Build Optimization
Damage Calculators Guide
Genshin Optimizer (GO) is the gold standard for build optimization. This community-developed web app allows artifact scanning, character importing, and optimization target specification. GO accounts for team buffs, resonance, and complex character mechanics for precise calculations.
The tool generates optimal builds from existing inventory based on specified targets like maximizing Burst damage, average damage, or healing.
Artifact Scanning Apps
Modern optimization requires efficient artifact management through scanning applications. These tools import artifact data directly from game screenshots, eliminating manual entry errors and saving significant time.
Community Build Databases
KeqingMains provides theorycrafting resources, character guides, and build databases based on mathematical analysis and extensive testing. These resources offer reliable foundations for build decisions and optimization strategies.
Meta Trends and Future Considerations
Current Spiral Abyss Meta
The current Abyss environment favors specific character archetypes and team compositions, influencing optimal Sands selection. High HP enemies favor sustained damage over burst damage, potentially shifting priorities toward consistent damage sources over reaction-dependent builds.
Upcoming Character Synergies
New character releases often introduce novel scaling mechanisms or team synergies that can alter existing optimization strategies. Staying informed about character kits and passive abilities helps anticipate meta shifts.
Artifact Set Evolution
New artifact sets regularly introduce alternative optimization paths. 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter enabled new builds for characters with HP fluctuation mechanics, while future sets may create similar paradigm shifts.
FAQ
Q: Should Hu Tao use HP% or EM Sands for maximum damage? EM Sands provides 9.2% higher Vaporize damage but HP% offers better consistency, survivability, and non-reaction damage. Choose EM if you have reliable Vaporize setups and low base EM (under 100-150), otherwise HP% provides better overall performance.
Q: When should I use Energy Recharge Sands instead of damage stats? Use ER% Sands when characters need over 160% Energy Recharge and can't meet requirements through substats and weapons. Consistent Burst uptime typically provides more team DPS than higher individual damage with poor energy management.
Q: Does Nahida ever want ATK% Sands over Elemental Mastery? No. Nahida's kit heavily favors EM through her Skill scaling (371.52% EM vs 185.76% ATK at Level 10) and A4 Passive bonuses. EM Sands is optimal for both on-field and off-field roles across all team compositions.
Q: How do external buffs affect optimal Sands selection? External buffs shift stat priorities by providing abundant amounts of specific stats. Bennett's ATK buff reduces ATK% Sands value, while Sucrose/Kazuha EM sharing reduces EM Sands necessity. Always consider team buffs when optimizing individual builds.
Q: Which characters benefit from DEF% Sands? DEF% Sands optimize characters whose damage or utility scales with Defense—Itto, Albedo, and Noelle. These characters feature DEF-to-ATK conversion mechanics or DEF-scaling abilities that make DEF% more valuable than traditional ATK%.
Q: Should I prioritize set bonuses or better substats when choosing Sands? For support characters, powerful 4-piece utilities (like VV RES shred or Noblesse ATK buff) often outweigh substat quality. For DPS characters, secure correct main stats first, then optimize set bonuses and substats.