Quick Answer: Gorou needs 220% Energy Recharge with Favonius Warbow, 30-50% CRIT Rate for particle generation, and 4-piece The Exile artifacts. His flat DEF buffs and 15% Geo DMG bonus with 3 Geo characters make him essential for Itto/Noelle teams.
Why Gorou Still Dominates Geo Support in 2025
Let's be honest—Gorou hasn't changed much since his release, but that's actually a good thing. He's still the undisputed king of DEF-scaling Geo support, and frankly, no one else comes close.
His General's War Banner is where the magic happens. One Geo character? You get flat DEF bonuses. Two? Interruption resistance joins the party. But here's where it gets interesting—three Geo characters unlock that crucial 15% Geo DMG bonus. And if you're lucky enough to have C6? That 40% Geo CRIT DMG bonus is absolutely game-changing for Mono-Geo teams.
The numbers tell the story: his flat DEF bonus scales from 206 at Talent Level 1 all the way to 371 at Level 10. That's direct fuel for Itto and C6 Noelle's damage engines. Unlike most supports who can flex into various team comps, Gorou's a specialist—he peaks only in 3-Geo setups, but when he does, he's irreplaceable. For those looking to expand their character roster, Genshin top up with PayPal through BitTopup offers secure transactions with competitive rates and instant delivery.
Building Gorou: It's All About the Team, Not Him
Here's something that trips up a lot of players—don't build Gorou for personal damage. Seriously.
Your main stats should be Energy Recharge Sands, DEF% Goblet, and here's the kicker—CRIT Rate Circlet. Yeah, you read that right. CRIT Rate often beats DEF% because Favonius particle generation provides way more team value than the minimal damage boost you'd get otherwise.
Substat priority goes like this: Energy Recharge to 220% first (non-negotiable), then CRIT Rate 30-50%, followed by DEF% and Flat DEF. His C4 healing scales with DEF, but let's be real—it can't carry your team as primary sustain, so energy utility wins every time.
Favonius Warbow: Your Best Friend
This weapon is Gorou's bread and butter. That 61.3% Energy Recharge at Level 90 is nice, but the particle generation? That's where the real value lies.
You need 30-50% CRIT Rate to make the passive reliable—60% activation chance at R1, scaling up to 100% at R5. I've tested this extensively, and Favonius consistently outperforms even 5-star alternatives like Elegy for the End. Why? Because EM and ATK buffs are basically useless for DEF-scaling teams.
Sure, Sacrificial Bow has that skill reset potential, and End of the Line works as an F2P option. But Favonius remains Best-in-Slot because that team-wide energy generation lets your teammates drop their Energy Recharge requirements by 20-30 percentage points. More room for damage stats? Yes, please.
The Artifact Debate: Why 4-Star Sets Sometimes Win
This might sound counterintuitive, but 4-piece The Exile often beats 5-star alternatives.
Here's why: that 20% Energy Recharge plus the 2 Energy regeneration for all party members every 2 seconds for 6 seconds after Burst provides insane team utility. Since Gorou's buffs scale with talent levels (not his personal stats), those lower 4-star base stats barely matter.
4-piece Noblesse Oblige? That 20% ATK buff is practically worthless for DEF-scaling teammates. 2-piece combinations using Husk (+30% DEF) and Emblem (+20% Energy Recharge) work when you've got godroll substats, but The Exile is your consistent performer. For enhanced character options, Genshin top up with credit card via BitTopup provides reliable payment processing with 24/7 customer support.
Talents and Constellations: Where to Invest
Talent priority is straightforward: Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack (just leave this at Level 1). Your skill determines that flat DEF bonus scaling—that's your bread and butter.
Now, constellations. C6 is the big one—that 40% Geo CRIT DMG bonus is comparable to Faruzan's C6 impact. Absolutely transformative.
C4 adds healing equal to 50% DEF every 1.5 seconds. It's valuable for Furina synergy but won't solo-sustain your team. C2 extends Burst duration by 3 seconds for better uptime. C1? Honestly, the cooldown reduction is unnecessary given natural 100% uptime.
Team Building: The 3-Geo Rule
Here's the golden template: DEF-scaling Geo DPS + Gorou + Geo sub-DPS + Geo shielder.
My go-to recommendation? Itto/Gorou/Albedo/Zhongli. The rotation flows beautifully: Zhongli Hold Skill for shield and resistance shred, Gorou Skill/Burst for buffs, Albedo Skill to snapshot those buffs, then Itto's Skill/Burst combo for the fireworks.
Don't have Albedo? Chiori works great as a replacement. Want to experiment? Furina with C4+ Gorou for healing support opens up interesting possibilities. F2P players can absolutely make this work with Noelle and Geo Traveler—just maintain that 3-Geo core.
Mastering the Rotation
The sequence matters more than you'd think. Elemental Burst when available, then Elemental Skill—this ensures your A1 passive (25% DEF buff) activates during your main damage window.
That 9-second General's Glory field is smart—it follows your active character and auto-collects Crystallize shards every 1.5 seconds. Free Geo Resonance benefits? Don't mind if I do.
With 220% Energy Recharge and Favonius, you should have Burst available every rotation. Pro tip: throw in quick Normal Attacks after character swaps for optimal buff timing, especially when snapshotting abilities like Albedo's Skill.
Common Mistakes (I See These All the Time)
Stop building for personal damage with CRIT DMG and Geo DMG Bonus over support stats. His A4 passive scaling is too low for meaningful impact—you're just handicapping your team.
Don't rely on C4 healing as primary sustain. It can't handle heavy damage or Corrosion mechanics. I've seen too many teams wipe because players overestimated this.
And please, never force Gorou into non-Geo teams. Without that 3-Geo requirement, his effectiveness drops off a cliff. He's not a flexible support—he's a specialist, and that's perfectly fine.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Gorou typically increases main DPS damage by 15-25% through flat DEF bonuses alone, plus that consistent 15% from Geo DMG bonus. At C6? We're talking 30-40% overall damage increases with that additional 40% Geo CRIT DMG.
The energy generation impact is equally impressive. Teammates can reduce Energy Recharge investment by 20-30 percentage points, freeing up substats for offensive stats. Spiral Abyss data consistently shows Gorou-enabled Geo teams achieving faster clear times, particularly in sustained damage scenarios.
FAQ
What CRIT Rate does Gorou need for Favonius Warbow? 30-50% CRIT Rate for reliable particle generation. R1 has 60% activation chance on CRIT hits, reaching 100% at R5.
Which artifact set provides best team utility? 4-piece The Exile for energy regeneration (2 Energy to all party members every 2 seconds for 6 seconds after Burst). Outperforms Noblesse in DEF-scaling teams.
How much Energy Recharge should Gorou maintain? 220% with Favonius Warbow, 250% without. This ensures consistent Burst availability every rotation.
Is Gorou effective without three Geo characters? No. His 15% Geo DMG bonus requires 3 Geo characters. Effectiveness drops significantly with fewer Geo teammates.
Which constellations provide the most improvement? C6 offers 40% Geo CRIT DMG bonus (most impactful). C4 adds healing for Furina synergy. C2 extends Burst duration.
What talent levels should players prioritize? Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack (Level 1). Skill determines flat DEF bonus scaling.