Sethos FAQ

Credits:

• June - Lead, Author | Overview, Talents, Constellations, Teambuilding
• Quincy - Lead, Author | ER Requirements, Artifacts, Calcs | Constellations, Artifacts
• NatC - Lead, Author | Weapons, Calcs | Weapons
• Athena - Calc Verification
• NatC - Calc & Writing Verification
• June - Writing Verification

All calculations can be accessed through the Sethos Mastersheet.

Pre-TC is volatile and, as always, perpetually subject to change until release (and sometimes later!). Please note that these are theoretical suggestions. Everything described in this FAQ is a good faith analysis based on the little information about the character’s kit that we know. Team calcs, additionally, are not established yet, and as with everything in TC, the content in this FAQ should be taken with a grain of salt.

Character Overview

Authored by June

Sethos is a 4-star Quickswap Electro Bow damage dealer that utilizes both Normal Attack and Aimed Shot playstyles along with a unique mechanic involving Energy manipulation. Sethos’ Skill provides Flat Energy to aid in both playstyles. His Aimed Shot playstyle involves Electro-infused Charged Attacks that pierces through enemies at the cost of his Energy and mobility. His Normal Attack playstyle, on the other hand, involves using his Burst to enter a special state that buffs and infuses his Normal Attacks with Electro, as well as being counted as Charged Attacks, at the cost of his ability to enter Aim Mode.

Talents

Authored by June

Leveling Priority:

Aimed Shot DPS: NA > Burst > Skill

Normal Attack DPS: Burst > NA > Skill

Analysis

• Since Sethos is mainly played in Quicken teams, leveling him to 90 should be prioritized. His Normal Attack Talent multipliers are involved in both playstyles, therefore it is recommended to prioritize leveling this Talent.

• Sethos’ Burst is only used in tandem with his Normal Attack playstyle. His Burst provides a significant DMG increase to his Normal Attacks, therefore it should be leveled up along with his Normal Attack Talent. If the Aimed Shot playstyle is preferred, this Talent is optional.

• Sethos’ Skill does not contribute to his damage much and the Flat Energy his Skill provides is a fixed value regardless of Talent Level, therefore leveling it is optional.

Normal Attack: Royal Reed Archery

• Sethos’ infused Normal Attacks and Level 2 Charged Attack are what enables him to have 2 different playstyles. As mentioned, Sethos has 2 Charge Levels for his CA. The first level is the usual infused Aimed Shot Bow characters have, while the second level is an ATK and EM scaling Electro-infused shot that can pierce through enemies. While fully charged, however, the Level 2 CA disables Sethos’ mobility. His infused Normal Attacks will be further discussed in the Elemental Burst section.

Elemental Skill: Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands

• Sethos’ Skill is an AoE attack that also gives himself 12 Flat Energy when the Skill triggers an Electro-related reaction. This is quite important to both of Sethos’ playstyles as it lowers the ER requirement for his infused Normal Attacks that are locked behind his Burst, while his A1 Passive requires Energy to lessen his Aimed Shot charge time.

Elemental Burst: Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer

• Sethos enters the Twilight Meditation state, lasting up to 8s. During this state, Sethos’ Normal Attacks are infused with Electro and gain Additive DMG Bonus based on his EM, along with the ability to pierce enemies. These infused Normal Attacks are considered Charged Attack DMG. Sethos, however, loses the ability to enter Aim Mode during his Burst, effectively removing the possibility to do Aim Mode animation cancels (RR cancel) with him.

A1 Passive: Black Kite’s Enigma

• Sethos’ Level 2 Charged Attack normally takes a whopping 6s to be fully charged. This is where his A1 Passive comes in, reducing the charge time at the cost of his Energy. For each Energy point Sethos has, it reduces his charge time by 0.285s. The charge time can be reduced until it’s only 0.3s long and the maximum amount of Energy that can be consumed is 20, which effectively removes his ability to use his Burst when using his Aimed Shot playstyle.

A4 Passive: The Sand King’s Boon

• Within 5s, 4 of Sethos’ Level 2 Charged Attacks gains an Additive DMG Bonus based on 700% of his EM, significantly increasing the damage output for his Aimed Shot playstyle. This DMG increase has a CD of 15s.

Utility Passive: Thoth’s Revelation

• Sethos’ Utility Passive displays the location of local specialties from Sumeru on the mini-map, aiding in material farming for Sumeru characters.

Constellation

Authored by June

Constellation 1 - Sealed Shrine’s Spiritsong

The CRIT Rate of Shadowpiercing Shot is increased by 15%.

• This Constellation provides a simple CRIT Rate buff for Sethos’ Level 2 Charge Attack in his Aimed Shot playstyle but nothing for his Normal Attack playstyle.

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C0: 9.9%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C0: 0.0%

Rating: 3/5

Constellation 2 - Papyrus Scripture of Silent Secrets

When any of the following conditions are met, Sethos gains a 15% Electro DMG Bonus for 10s that may stack twice, with each stack duration counted independently:

• Consuming Elemental Energy through Aimed Shots; you must first unlock the Passive Talent "Black Kite's Enigma" to trigger this condition.

• Regaining Elemental Energy by triggering Elemental Reactions using Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands.

• Using Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer.

• Sethos gains a significant buff with a maximum of 30% Electro DMG Bonus through his Energy manipulation mechanics found in his Aimed Shots and Elemental Skill.

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C1: 12.2%

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C0: 23.4%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C1: 11.8%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C0: 11.8%

Rating: 3/5

Constellation 3 - Ode to the Moonrise Sage

Increases the Level of Normal Attack: Royal Reed Archery by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

An increase in Sethos’ Normal Attack Talent, providing a damage increase to both of his playstyles. Most of his damage output, however, is reliant on his A4 Passive buff, Additive DMG Bonus on his Burst, and Aggravate, lowering the value of this Constellation.

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C2: 4.7%

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C0: 29.1%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C2: 1.3%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C0: 13.2%

Rating: 2/5

Constellation 4 - Beneficent Plumage

When a Shadowpiercing Shot or Dusk Bolt strikes 2 or more opponents, all nearby party members gain 80 Elemental Mastery for 10s.

Sethos provides a teamwide EM buff upon hitting multiple enemies with his Level 2 Charged Attacks or his infused Normal Attacks, rendering this Constellation useless in single-target scenarios.

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C3: 6.3%

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C0: 37.2%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C3: 6.7%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C0: 20.8%

Rating: 2/5

Constellation 5 - Record of the Desolate God's Burning Sands

Increases the Level of Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

An increase in Sethos’ Burst Level, boosting the Additive DMG Bonus his infused Normal Attacks gain. This Constellation, however, provides nothing for his Aimed Shot playstyle.

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C4: 0.0%

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C0: 37.2%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C4: 8.8%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C0: 31.5%

Rating: 3/5

Constellation 6 - Pylon of the Sojourning Sun Temple

After Shadowpiercing Shot strikes an opponent, the Elemental Energy consumed by the Passive Talent "Black Kite's Enigma" will be returned. This effect can be triggered up to once every 15s. You must first unlock the Passive Talent "Black Kite's Enigma."

Regains the Energy consumed by Sethos’ A1 Passive once every rotation, which can open up the possibility of doing an additional Level 2 Charged Attack, however, his A4 Passive only gives Additive DMG Bonus to 4 Level 2 CAs. Players can choose to keep doing only 4 CAs so the regained Energy aids in his ER requirements instead.

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C5: 13.2%

Aimed Shot DPS% Increase vs. C0: 55.3%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C5: 15.8%

Normal Attack DPS% Increase vs. C0: 52.5%

Rating: 3.5/5

Energy Recharge Requirements

Authored by quinslay

Generally, Sethos’ ER requirements are too high to be usable in teams where he is the only Electro unit. Favonius weapons decrease Sethos’ ER requirements by ~10–20% per proc.

If you choose to not modify rotations and use Sethos’ C6 as a means to decrease ER requirements rather than fire additional Level 2 Charged Shots, his ER requirements are lowered by ~40–80% for his Aimed Shot playstyle only. This also applies to rotations pre-C6 where Sethos fires only 3 Aimed Shots.

Scenario	Solo Electro	Double Electro	Fischl Double Electro
Aimed Shot DPS 1 Skill	370–450%	220–270%	140–150%
Aimed Shot DPS 2 Skills	230–270%	150–180%	100–110%
Normal Attack DPS 1 Skill	260–320%	130–160%	100%
Normal Attack DPS 2 Skills	150–170%	100–120%	100%

Sethos's ER requirements will vary based on your team and rotation. For a more accurate estimate, please use the Energy Recharge Calculator.

For more details on how Favonius weapons will affect your team, please use Ac1d’s Favonius Mastersheet.

Artifacts

Authored by quinslay

Artifact Stats

Sands of Eon: ER% or EM

Goblet of Eonothem: Electro DMG%

Circlet of Logos: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG

Sethos will only use an ER Sands in teams where his ER needs are notably high. Otherwise an EM Sands is preferred.

Substats : ER until requirement > CRIT Rate/DMG > EM > ATK%

Artifact Sets

4pc Wanderer’s Troupe

Wanderer’s Troupe is Sethos’ best set, providing both EM and an unconditional CA DMG Bonus. This is especially useful as Charged Attacks make up the vast majority of Sethos’ damage.

4pc Gilded Dreams

Sethos cares mostly for the high EM it provides, as he scales on EM in multiple areas. The ATK% is still helpful but less noteworthy.

2pc EM/ATK%/ER%/Electro DMG% combos

Unconditional mixed set options. They are not much worse than 4pc Gilded Dreams. Players with a good mixed set do not necessarily need to farm for the aforementioned 4pc sets.

4pc Desert Pavilion Chronicle

Only used for Sethos’ Burst-NA playstyle, this set has more CA DMG Bonus than Wanderer’s Troupe, but lacks the EM. This being said, the ATK SPD increase can lead to Sethos being able to hit more times during his Burst, which can make it roughly equal to Wanderer’s Troupe.

Weapons

Authored by natc

Hunter’s Path Sethos’ premium weapon of choice and best weapon, though not by much at R1. Hunter’s Path synergizes perfectly with Sethos, providing him plenty of desirable stats - CRIT Value, Elemental DMG Bonus, and a passive that works similarly to his Ascension 4 Passive / Elemental Burst, depending on which playstyle you decide to go with.

Slingshot Do not be fooled by this weapon’s rarity; Slingshot is most definitely Sethos’ 2nd best weapon. Since this weapon is easily obtainable from gacha, one should have no issue getting it to R5, where they get a whopping 60% DMG Bonus to their Charged Shots, complimenting Sethos’ kit amazingly. If you do not wish to get Hunter’s Path for Sethos / you don’t have it at the moment, this is what you should aim for.

The First Great Magic / Aqua Simulacra At R1, these weapons’ performances are similar, if not straight up worse, than R5 Slingshot. Not worth pulling these weapons specifically for Sethos.

Teambuilding

Authored by June

Quicken

Sethos | Electro | Dendro | Flex

The most effective team for Sethos regardless of playstyle as other options are either not recommended or are niche. Sethos needs an Electro battery to aid his not insignificant ER requirements, along with a Dendro character required to trigger Quicken reactions. Buffers, healers, and shielders can take up the last slot in this team. Sethos generally does not take up a lot of field time with him being a Quickswap DPS, therefore making the rotations quite short.

Teammates :

Electro Options:

• Fischl: Generates massive amounts of Energy for Sethos along with significant off-field damage.
• Yae: Fulfills a similar role as Fischl, albeit generating less Energy than her.
• Kuki: Provides healing along with a decent amount of Energy. The range on her Skill, however, requires Sethos to be closer to the enemy when fighting.
• C6 Sara: A buffer who, at C6, gives Sethos a 60% CRIT DMG increase. Sethos’ short field time does not make the 6s duration of the buff much of an issue. However, Sara does not have good Energy generation and her Flat ATK buff is not as effective due to Sethos’ EM scalings.

Dendro Options:

• Baizhu: Provides healing and shielding along with a DMG Bonus buff for Aggravate from his A4 Passive. However, his Burst can only be used once every other rotation due to its CD being quite long compared to the shorter rotation length of this team.
• Nahida: Provides a massive EM buff for Sethos along with significant off-field damage, although keep in mind that since she applies so much Dendro, it makes Swirling Electro quite difficult.
• Kirara: Provides a shield with stronger interruption resistance than Baizhu’s, along with just enough Dendro application to comfortably Swirl Electro.
• Yaoyao: Provides healing for the on-field character and Dendro application, although party-wide healing requires her to take fieldtime.

Flex Options:

• Sucrose: Holds 4pc VV and provides a massive amount of EM for Sethos. Can also equip Hakushin Ring to provide Elemental DMG Bonus.
• Kazuha: Plays a similar role as Sucrose, although his buff is for Elemental DMG% instead of EM and he cannot equip Hakushin Ring.
• Zhongli: Provides a very strong shield along with 20% Elemental RES Shred.

Overloaded (Not Recommended)

Overloaded teams, even with Chevreuse, are generally not recommended due to various reasons. Sethos’ damage depends mostly on his EM scalings, rendering Bennett’s ATK buff mostly ineffective. The inconsistent triggering of reactions means that Sethos’ EM scaling cannot contribute as much, and he cannot reliably gain the 12 Flat Energy from his Skill every rotation, which is very much needed for both of his playstyles.