Sethos, the Wisdom of the Temple

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Electro
Weapon	Bow
Best Role	Aggravate Main DPS
Stat Priority	EM > CRIT > ATK%
Tier	A (High F2P Value)

Sethos is the heir to the Temple of Silence in Sumeru. He is a unique Electro DPS who scales heavily with Elemental Mastery. His kit offers two distinct playstyles: consuming Energy to fire instant, piercing Charged Shots (similar to Tighnari), or using his Burst to enter a stance of rapid-fire Normal Attacks (similar to Cyno/Yoimiya).

Pros

F2P King: The 3-star weapon "Slingshot" is extremely competitive (often BiS).
Dual Playstyle: Can play as a Burst DPS or a Charged Shot DPS depending on energy.
High Scaling: Passive boosts damage based on Elemental Mastery (700%).
Piercing Shots: His enhanced Charged Attacks pierce through enemies (AoE potential).
Strong Aggravate synergy with Fischl and Nahida.

Cons

Energy Paradox: Charged Attacks consume energy, while Burst needs energy. Managing this is tricky.
Interruption: Very susceptible to knockback during Charged Shot aiming (needs a shield).
Single Target: Burst mode is mostly single-target focused.
Requires high character level (90) for reaction damage.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

Sethos wants lots of Elemental Mastery and Critical stats. Do not neglect leveling him to 90.

Best Artifact: 4pc Wanderer's Troupe (Charged Shot) or 4pc Gilded Dreams (General/Burst).
Best Weapon: Hunter's Path (5-Star BiS).
Best F2P Weapon: Slingshot (R5). This 3-star weapon is better than almost every 4-star option.
Alt Weapon: Cloudforged (Event) or Scion of the Blazing Sun (BP).
Main Stats: SANDS: EM | GOBLET: Electro DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT Rate/DMG.
Talent Priority: Normal Attack > Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill.
Top Team: Sethos + Fischl + Nahida + Zhongli/Kazuha (Aggravate).

Pro Tip: The Energy Trade-off: Sethos has a unique mechanic. If you have energy, holding Aim Shot consumes 20 Energy to charge instantly. If you use Burst, you get "free" attacks but can't use the instant charge shot. Generally, the Charged Shot playstyle offers higher front-loaded damage and is more flexible.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Trishiraite	Sumeru (Gavireh Lajavard)
Boss Drop	Cloudseam Scale	Solitary Suanni (Chenyu Vale)
Talent Books	Teachings of Praxis	Steeple of Ignorance (Wed/Sat/Sun)
Common Mob	Faded Red Satin	Eremites (Sumeru)
Weekly Boss	Daka's Bell	Scaramouche (Joururi Workshop)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Normal Attack: Royal Reed Archery

Shadowpiercing Shot (Level 2 Charge): Unlike standard bows, Sethos cannot move while aiming this. It pierces enemies.
Energy Consumption (A1 Passive): If Sethos has energy, aiming only takes 0.3s but consumes 20 Energy. This is his primary damage source in his "Charged Shot" playstyle.

Elemental Skill: Ancient Rite: The Thundering Sands

Mechanic: Deals AoE Electro DMG and retreats backward.
Energy Regen: If this triggers a reaction (Aggravate/Electro-Charged, etc.), Sethos restores 12 Energy. This is crucial for "reloading" his ammo for Charged Shots.
Cooldown: 8s.

Elemental Burst: Secret Rite: Twilight Shadowpiercer

Mechanic: Enters the "Twilight Meditation" state for 8s.
Effect: Normal Attacks are converted to Dusk-Stalking Arrows. These pierce enemies and deal damage based on EM. They are considered Charged Attack DMG.
No Energy Consumption: While in Burst, Sethos does not consume energy for attacks, but he cannot use the instant-aim mechanic.

A4 Passive: Sand King's Boon

The Scaling: Sethos gains a damage increase to his Shadowpiercing Shots (Aim) based on 700% of his Elemental Mastery. His Dusk-Stalking Arrows (Burst) gain an increase of 700% EM as well. This makes EM his most important stat.

Talent Priority Order:

Normal Attack (Level 9+) - Scales both Aimed Shot and Burst DMG.
Elemental Burst (Level 8+) - Additional multiplier.
Elemental Skill (Level 6) - Utility only.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Sethos's ER needs depend on his playstyle. In Burst mode, he needs ER to cast. In Aimed Shot mode, he needs Energy generation (Fischl) but not necessarily ER% stat.

Playstyle	Teammates	ER Requirement
Charged Shot (Recommended)	With Fischl	110% - 120% (Focus on Skill use)
Burst DPS	With Fischl	130% - 140%
Solo Electro	No Battery	160%+ (Not Recommended)

Substat Priority:

Elemental Mastery (Target 300-500+)
CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG
Energy Recharge (To comfort)
ATK% (Lower value than EM due to A4 passive)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Wanderer's Troupe	BiS Charged Shot	Provides 80 EM and 35% Charged Attack DMG. Since both his Aimed Shots AND Burst attacks count as CA DMG, this set is universally good for him.
4pc Gilded Dreams	Generalist	Provides massive EM (up to 230). Excellent for reaction damage, though Wanderer's usually edges it out due to the CA multiplier.
4pc Marechaussee Hunter	With Furina	Only viable if playing with Furina. The 36% Crit Rate is massive, but Sethos has no innate HP drain mechanism.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Hunter's Path	CRIT Rate	S+	Tighnari's signature. Boosts Charged Attack DMG based on EM. Perfect synergy with Sethos's kit.
Slingshot (R5)	CRIT Rate	S	The F2P God weapon. 31% Crit Rate and 60% DMG Bonus (passive). Sethos benefits immensely from the passive since he fights at mid-range. Beats most 4-stars.
Cloudforged	EM	A+ (Event)	High EM stat stick. Passive gives even more EM. Very solid if you lack Crit rate options.
Scion of the Blazing Sun	CRIT Rate	A (BP)	Battle Pass bow. Good Crit Rate and CA damage boost.

Constellation Value

Sethos is fully functional at C0, especially with Slingshot. C6 is a massive quality of life and damage upgrade.

C1: Sealed Shrine's Spiritsong - (Crit Rate) Increases CRIT Rate of Shadowpiercing Shot by 15%. Makes building him much easier.
C2: Papyrus Scripture of Silent Secrets - (Electro DMG) Gains up to 30% Electro DMG Bonus by consuming energy or healing. Very easy to maintain uptime.
C6: Pneuma-Ousous Accord - (Refund) Shadowpiercing Shot returns the energy consumed. This allows for rapid-fire Charge Shots without needing to use Skill to reload. Also spawns a phantom strike.

Top Team Compositions

1. Aggravate (Standard)

Main DPS: Sethos
Sub-DPS: Fischl (Essential Battery/Damage)
Dendro: Nahida / Kirara / Baizhu
Anemo: Kazuha / Sucrose

Why it works: Fischl generates the particles Sethos needs to spam Charged Shots. Nahida provides EM share. Sethos triggers Aggravate on every pierce shot. A shielder like Kirara/Zhongli is recommended over Kazuha if you struggle with interruption.

2. Quickbloom

Driver: Sethos
Hydro: Furina / Xingqiu
Dendro: Nahida / Baizhu
Healer: Baizhu / Yaoyao

Why it works: Sethos builds high EM, making his Hyperblooms hit hard. His piercing shots can hit seeds. Furina provides DMG bonus which Sethos lacks.

Rotations & Combos

Charged Shot Style (C0):
Supports Setup > Sethos Aimed Shot x2 (Consumes 40 Energy) > Sethos E (Restores Energy) > Sethos Aimed Shot x1

Burst Style:
Supports Setup > Sethos E > Sethos Q > Normal Attack Spam (8s)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Slingshot really that good?
Yes. The 60% DMG Bonus passive applies to his Charged Shots (if you are close enough) and his Normal Attacks. Since he scales on EM, the low Base ATK of the 3-star weapon doesn't hurt him much.

Should I play Burst or Charged Attack?
Charged Attack style generally deals higher damage per second (frontloaded) and allows for flexible field time. Burst style is easier to play but locks you into an 8s rotation. Use Charged Shots if you have C6 or good energy management.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Sethos Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis