The Unwritten Rules of Playing Genshin Impact's Thoma

Summary

Thoma's introduction in Genshin Impact was initially underwhelming, but his ability to consistently apply Pyro with his burst has made him more appreciated since the launch of Dendro reactions.
When building Thoma's kit, players should prioritize his elemental burst and shield abilities, while his normal attack can be ignored.
Thoma's best team comps should include a Dendro unit, a Hydro unit, and a flexible slot to complement his role as a Pyro applicator.

Thoma's first introduction into Genshin Impact wasn't too warm. Before Dendro, he had minimal uses. But ever since Burgeon comps began to take off, so too did he. Thoma's ability to apply Pyro consistently with his burst was suddenly a lot more appreciated. Genshin Impact adding Dendro reactions with Sumeru's launch saved the four-star from being just a shield or niche Pyro applicator.

His abilities allow him to create a shield based off his max HP, apply Pyro with his burst, and be another solid Pyro polearm after Genshin Impact's Xiangling and Hu Tao. He was the latest addition to the Pyro polearm team, but he's no longer something to be scoffed at with his Dendro glow-up.

Genshin Impact's Thoma's Kit

Thoma's Talents

When it comes to knowing which of Genshin Impact's Thoma's talents should be priority, players should first go for his elemental burst, then his shield, and they should ignore his normal attack. His burst is where he applies a substantial amount of Pyro application in a similar manner to Xingqiu's skill or Yelan's burst. His elemental skill is where he can apply a moderate shield to the active member. It's not his main utility, but it isn't a bad addition to his kit.

Thoma's Builds

With this in mind, Thoma's best builds will either stack Elemental Mastery for a Burgeon comp or HP to be a shield unit. With a Burgeon team, Thoma will be the one activating the blooms that the Hydro applicator created. The Burgeon reaction explodes the blooms and deals AOE Pyro damage and even has a chance to apply burning onto enemies depending on how the reaction applies itself.

One of Thoma's best weapons is the craftable Kitain Cross Spear, since it's also easy to R5. Its ability reads:

Increases Elemental Skill DMG by 6%. After Elemental Skill hits an opponent, the character loses 3 Energy but regenerates 3 Energy every 2s for the next 6s. This effect can occur once every 10s. Can be triggered even when the character is not on the field.

Though the ability may not seem like much, his skill can also be used to pop the Dendro cores on the ground much like his burst's Pyro application. This, coupled with the Elemental Mastery main stat makes it a perfect choice for the jack of all trades, Thoma.

Thoma's Constellations

As a four-star, Genshin Impact's Thoma's constellations are much easier to achieve than a five-stars. And he has some pretty ideal constellations; one of the best stepping points for Thoma's constellations is:

C2: A Subordinate's Skills - Crimson Ooyoroi's duration is increased by 3s.

Like this, Thoma's burst now has 100% uptime, meaning that his burst lasts as long as his cooldown. With the right amount of Energy Recharge, he can always have his burst up and ready to go for his teammates. This can prove to be extra handy for team rotations that need to follow an exact routine.

Thoma's Teams

Thoma's best team comps will consist of a Dendro unit, a Hydro unit, and a flexible spot. In these teams, Thoma will be the Pyro applicator, so the other three slots need to be a DPS, Healer, and that flexible slot. Whatever the team is lacking is what the flex slot will make up for. In teams with Nahida, Thoma, and Xingqiu, a good fourth slot character could be Kokomi or Barbara for more Hydro and healing. Genshin Impact has no shortage of characters, so players should find it to be incredibly easy to fill out the team as they need.

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Released: September 28, 2020
ESRB: Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
Developer(s): HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Publisher(s): HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Engine: Unity
Multiplayer: Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play: All platforms