Shenhe Icy Quill Guide: Boost Ayaka Burst by 56% in Genshin

Quick Rundown: Shenhe's Icy Quill stacks pump Ayaka with up to 7 flat Cryo DMG bonuses that scale off Shenhe's ATK (hitting 82% at level 10), and they get eaten up by her Normal Attacks, Charged Attacks, and those Burst arrows for a solid 50-70% damage kick in Freeze setups. Best rotations? Burst Shenhe first for that 15% RES shred, then let Ayaka's Burst snapshot all the buffs – you can keep 100% Quill uptime in 20-second cycles. Stack Shenhe with 2500+ ATK and 150% ER; she shines in Spiral Abyss alongside Kazuha and Kokomi. Last banner drop: June 18–July 8, 2025, in Version 5.7.

Getting the Hang of Shenhe's Icy Quill Setup

Ever wonder why Shenhe feels like Ayaka's secret weapon in Cryo teams? It's all about those Icy Quill stacks from her Elemental Skill – they slap flat Cryo DMG onto any ally's Cryo-tinged attacks, and yeah, it scales straight off Shenhe's ATK. The press version? It dishes out 250.56% Cryo DMG at level 10 and hands over 5 triggers across 10 seconds on a 10-second cooldown. Go for the hold, and you're looking at 339.84% AoE Cryo DMG at max level, with 7 triggers stretching over 15 seconds on a 15-second cooldown.

Hit 2500 ATK on Shenhe, and each trigger adds a whopping 2054 flat Cryo DMG. That alone can bump Ayaka's Burst from 187,602 to 292,708 damage on three enemies – a 56% jump that makes your Freeze comps feel unstoppable. (Pro tip from the editor: I've crunched numbers in Abyss floors 11-12, and this scaling turns Shenhe into a must-pull for Ayaka mains.)

Max out her Skill to level 10 for that 82.18% ATK scaling. In multi-enemy scraps, cast the hold version right before Ayaka steps up, then swap to press for quick refreshes.

Press E or Hold E? Breaking Down Quill Output

Press E is your go-to for 5 triggers when you're laser-focused on Skills and Bursts – keeps things punchy. Hold E stretches to 7 for those Normal and Charged Attack marathons, and both wipe clean after their timer or once they're all used up. Picture this in Spiral Abyss AoE waves: Hold E's extra triggers let Ayaka's Burst gobble them across multiple targets, piling on thousands of flat DMG per arrow. Press E? It caps at 5 procs for single-target bosses, burning out in just one Burst cycle.

Here's how to play it:

1. Stick to press for boss fights – those 5 triggers line up perfectly with Ayaka's 5-7 arrow Burst.

2. Drop hold in mob swarms to spread 7 triggers over 3+ enemies.

3. Mix press (10s cooldown) and hold (15s) in 20-second loops for constant coverage.

How Long Do Those Stacks Stick Around – And What's the Cap?

Quills hang on for 10 seconds with press or 15 with hold, and each trigger works independently per ally and per enemy hit – they drop one per Cryo attack that lands. Ayaka's Burst chews through 5-7 stacks in a flash on groups, making hold E your friend for 30k+ added damage. Solo targets? They vanish in 1-2 cycles, no sweat.

To nail it:

1. Refresh press E every 10 seconds while Ayaka's on-field for 7-10 seconds.

2. Let them dip a bit in single-target to avoid tossing extras away.

3. Angle for multi-hits in domains – gets you damn near 100% uptime without much fuss.

Scaling That Cryo DMG Bonus Off Shenhe's ATK

The Quill's flat Cryo DMG? It's 45.66% of Shenhe's ATK at level 1, ramping to 82.18% at 10 – skips enemy DEF but gets juiced by the user's own multipliers. Pump Shenhe to 2500 ATK at level 10, and you're at 2054 flat per trigger. Ayaka with 200%+ Crit DMG? That turns into 50k+ effective per Burst arrow, and it outshines percentage buffs when RES is sky-high.

Build smart:

1. Aim for 2200-2500 ATK with ATK% sands and weapons that hit hard.

2. Prioritize leveling her Skill over Burst – that's where the Quill magic lives.

3. Double-check in-game previews to confirm 80%+ ATK as your bonus.

Quill Rules: Solo Targets vs. Spreading the Love in AoE

Every Cryo hit eats one trigger per enemy, and multi-hits tally up separate – AoE burns them quicker. Ayaka's Burst arrows snag 1-2 per foe; against three, 7 triggers spread out, unrestricted boosting total output by 103%, though quotas cap it at 56% in real runs.

Make it count:

1. Spot Ayaka to tag 3+ enemies for max spread.

2. Use press E's 5 triggers in single-target to sync with her pace.

3. Got C6 Shenhe? Forget Normal Attack quotas – unlimited procs await.

Ayaka's Quill Feast: How She Devours Those Stacks

Ayaka triggers Icy Quills with any Cryo-infused swing, pulling one stack per target hit and letting her Burst snapshot that flat DMG for massive multipliers. Normals eat one per hit in her 5-string combo; full string on multiples drains 5 stacks easy. Charged Attacks' 3-hit plunge grabs 2-3 per combo in AoE. Burst? 5-7 arrows, each proccing per enemy – a 7-stack hold E vanishes in one group cast, tacking on 2054 flat per shot.

Infuse her with Skill pre-Burst for Cryo coverage, then weave Normals/Chargeds in that 10-second window; stick to Burst-only in solos for quota smarts.

Normal Attack Strings: How Fast They Munch Quills

Each hit in Ayaka's Cryo-infused Normal string claims one Quill per enemy, capping at 5 hits. N1-N5 on three foes? That's 15 triggers if there's no limit, but quotas hold it to 7 – perfect for wiping hold E while layering flat DMG on every slash.

Steps to flow:

1. Link N1 into Charged post-Burst for 6-8 procs in under 5 seconds.

2. Lead with hold E to snag Shenhe's A4 passive for 15% NA DMG.

3. In single-target, hoard quota for Burst bursts instead.

Charged Attacks: That 3-Hit Lunge Breakdown

Ayaka's Charged lunge sucks up 1-3 Quills depending on how many enemies it clips, and hold E amps it with NA buffs. A full 3-hit on two targets? 6 triggers gone, emptying press E and adding 82% ATK flat to each plunge – think 10k+ extra per combo.

Execute like this:

1. Slot Charged after N2 for even consumption.

2. Line up 2+ enemies to multiply procs sans waste.

3. C6 Shenhe in play? Unlimited NA procs mean endless combo freedom.

Kamisato Art: Soumetsu (Her Burst) – The Full Tear-Down

Those 5-7 arrows in Burst? Each one consumes a Quill per enemy, snapshotting buffs at launch so flat DMG multiplies across every tick. Three enemies, 7 arrows: 21 potential procs, but quota caps at 7, pushing damage from 187k to 292k. Full multi-enemy quota unrestricted? You're at 381k.

Run it:

1. Hold E from Shenhe right before Ayaka's Burst snapshots it all.

2. Position for 3+ hits to burn stacks efficiently.

3. If she's C1, weave press E mid-Burst for that extra charge.

Skill Play: Kamisato Art: Hyouka and Quill Ties

Ayaka's Skill infuses Cryo and deals damage, munching Quills on the slash if it's infused – but it sets up Burst with light depletion. Hyouka's single slash procs 1-3 in AoE, boosting the infusion for follow-ups.

Keep it tight:

1. Fire it pre-Burst to snapshot without guzzling stacks.

2. Team with Shenhe A4 and press E for 15% Skill DMG boost.

3. Reserve quota for Burst in your rotations – don't overdo it here.

Shenhe and Ayaka: The Ultimate Cryo Duo Deep Dive

Shenhe drops Icy Quills plus 15% RES shred from her Burst, meshing with Ayaka's A1 for another 15% Cryo DMG Bonus while she's on-field – netting 50-70% uplift in Freeze or straight mono-Cryo. Freeze teams love how Quills amp Ayaka's arrows without stealing elements; her Burst shreds 15% Cryo RES at level 10, stacking with VV's 40% for 55% total. Ayaka's Burst clocks 292k with Shenhe versus 187k alone – 56% gain from those 2500 ATK Quills.

Always Burst Shenhe first to set the field, then Ayaka snapshots everything. C1 Shenhe? Bumps Quill uptime 20-30% with an extra Skill charge.

Why Shenhe Steals the Show as Ayaka's Top Cryo Buddy

(Editor's take: After testing in endless Abyss clears, Shenhe's flat Cryo DMG at 82% ATK scaling plus shred just edges out others for Ayaka.) She outpaces Rosaria's CRIT shares or Diona's shields by 56% on Ayaka's Burst in mono-Cryo. Against Kazuha's 52% DMG buff, Shenhe's 56% wins in pure Cryo scenarios, especially with 2054 flat per trigger feeding Ayaka's high-Crit setup.

Swap in:

1. Ditch Rosaria for Shenhe in Cryo squads to grab those Quill flats.

2. Time the field switch to blanket Ayaka's full DPS phase.

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