Although it has a new name, this event is similar to version 2.6’s Clash of Lone Blades. You’ll fight one on one with a sword user without your elemental powers. All you have are your Normal Attacks, Charged Attacks, a special parry, and counterattack abilities. It’s a different way of fighting that challenges your sense of timing in Genshin Impact.
In 2.6 (in-universe), the event was somewhat unofficial as it was held on an abandoned island and barely had its paperwork passed. This time, it’s a tournament held by the Yashiro Commission, with Ayaka participating in a unique role.
Overview of the Event
To participate in Warrior’s Spirit, you must have done the Archon Quests to reach Inazuma (up to ‘Ritou Escape Plan’). An additional requirement of Raiden’s Story Quests is recommended for more context. However, you can still start the event with the ‘Quick Start’ feature without finishing the latter.
Begin the event by doing the Unexpected Battle quest. Two samurai are fighting over a ticket when you get dragged in with an accusation that you’re trying to steal it. Beat them up and head to the Kamisato Estate to get more information about the event. After talking to Ayaka in Ritou and waiting two (in-game) days, you can now participate and earn rewards.
As mentioned above, you’ll fight one on one without your elemental powers. Parry the enemy’s attack for a significant damage bonus, and keep up the DPS with Normal and Charged attacks. Six rounds will unlock over 5 days, with one will open each day.
It’s implied that the last one is Ayaka, though this will be confirmed once the last enemy is revealed. In the previous event, everybody used swords, but this time warriors who use other weapons can participate. Also, according to Madarame Hyakubei, even foreigners can participate.
You can choose between three difficulties: Easy, Hard, and Pro. The only difference between them is the timing of the attacks and the enemy’s health. Their move sets remain the same, but in Pro, they do it faster and with less leeway for the parry.
Since the event just started, there are only two enemies available as of writing. Here are some general tips and tricks to help you complete the event quickly.
Warrior’s Spirit Tips
Parry, Parry, Parry
Well, don’t spam the skill. You might get caught needing to use it when it’s still in cooldown. This tip means that you can parry all the enemy’s attacks, not just the glowy ones. It’s an additional boost in DPS, which you can lose out on if you dodged those attacks instead.
The damage boost will be smaller than if you parried a glowy attack. Still, it’s significant enough to warrant a tip. Also, it could be a more demanding challenge because you don’t have a glowing weapon to signal the attack, making it harder to hit the timing.
Mix in Charged Attacks
Alhaitham users hold back a little on Charged Attacks because it can be used to refresh the timer on his Chisel-Light Mirrors. They can easily forget that they’re using the Traveler, who can use theirs anytime. This reminds you that you can use charged attacks for more damage and better time.
Burst Stances
Since your elemental abilities are sealed for the event, they’re replaced by parry and stance skills. There’s a notification before starting a battle about your stance skill. It implies that it can change later, though it hasn’t yet.
This charges up as you attack and use the parry skill. It can also hold two charges, so always keep it in reserve if you prefer. Still, as it’s a stance that guarantees a perfect parry, you want to use it when you can.
If it’s going to change later, read the notification to figure out how and when to use it.
It’s Okay to Reset and Repeat
Take one practice round and get a feel for your enemy’s attacks. This will let you get a feel for the timing and rhythm of the fight. With the knowledge from the prior round, you can get a faster result on your next repeat.
When you’re unfamiliar with the enemy, you’re bound to make mistakes, so your first try will be slower than you’d like. Take your first try as a practice round and do better the next time. It shifts a little in Pro difficulty, but if you’ve been hitting perfect parries in Hard, it’s only a minute adjustment to do so in Pro. From there, it’s just a matter of practicing and getting shorter and shorter times.
Warrior’s Spirit is a Unique Combat Gameplay Experience
While elemental combat is one of Genshin’s most notable and enjoyable features, this kind of gameplay is fresh. Although some playable characters have this mechanic (Yun Jin and Beidou), with their longer cooldowns, you can’t use the feature as much as you can in this event.
Still, the lack of elemental reactions makes a more straightforward but surprisingly challenging combat system. You can rely only on your swordplay and parries without reactivity. It’s a shift in strategies and tactics, which makes it an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the game.