In the ever-evolving world of Teyvat, where combat often hinges on the timely unleashing of Elemental Bursts, one weapon has stood the test of time as a cornerstone for energy-hungry teams: Engulfing Lightning. This 5-Star Polearm, forever tied to the Electro Archon's legacy, is more than just Raiden Shogun's signature weapon; it's a game-changer for any character whose power spikes with their ultimate ability. As of 2026, with numerous new characters and team compositions entering the meta, understanding this weapon's enduring value is key for any serious player looking to optimize their roster's energy economy and burst damage potential. 🎯

What Is Engulfing Lightning?

Engulfing Lightning is a limited 5-Star Polearm that has been a recurring star in weapon event wishes. Its primary stat is Energy Recharge, providing a solid base increase. But the real magic lies in its passive skill, "Timeless Dream: Eternal Stove." This effect does two incredible things:

1. ATK Conversion: It boosts the wielder's ATK by a percentage of their Energy Recharge over the base 100%. This means if your character has 200% ER, you get ATK equal to 28% of that extra 100% (so a 28% ATK boost). The max bonus caps at 80% ATK, which is massive! 💥

2. Post-Burst Recharge: For 12 seconds after using an Elemental Burst, the character gains an additional 30% Energy Recharge. This helps fuel the next burst even faster.

The design philosophy is clear: supercharge your team's energy cycles. It turns Energy Recharge from a mere utility stat into a potent source of offensive power. This makes it the ultimate weapon for Sub-DPS and Burst Support characters who live and die by their Elemental Burst uptime. While it shines on Raiden, its utility extends far beyond her.

How To Get & Ascend Engulfing Lightning in 2026

Acquiring Engulfing Lightning requires strategy and, let's be honest, a bit of luck (or saved Primogems!). Here's the 2026 breakdown:

• Source: It is exclusively available on limited-time Weapon Event Wishes. It typically runs alongside Raiden Shogun's character banner reruns, but can occasionally appear with other characters.

• The Epitomized Path System is Your Best Friend: This is the most critical step! When the banner is active, you MUST set your Epitomized Path to Engulfing Lightning.

  

  This system builds Fate Points. If you lose the 75/25 chance twice (getting a different featured 5-star weapon), your third 5-star pull is guaranteed to be Engulfing Lightning.

• Pity System:

  • Soft Pity: Begins around 65-70 wishes, increasing the chance for a 5-star.

  • Hard Pity: 80 wishes guarantees a 5-star weapon.

  • Character Banner Comparison: This is 10 wishes fewer than the 90-wish guarantee on character banners, but the dual-weapon system makes targeting a specific one more expensive on average. Plan your Primogems accordingly! 💎

Once you have this glorious spear in hand, you'll need to ascend it to level 90 to unlock its full potential. Here are the ascension materials required:

Ascension Phase	Mora Cost	Handguards	Chaos Items	Mask Materials
20 → 40	10,000	3x Old Handguard	5x Chaos Gear	5x Mask of the Wicked Lieutenant
40 → 50	20,000	12x Old Handguard	18x Chaos Gear	5x Mask of the Tiger's Bite
50 → 60	30,000	9x Kageuchi Handguard	9x Chaos Axis	9x Mask of the Tiger's Bite
60 → 70	45,000	14x Kageuchi Handguard	18x Chaos Axis	5x Mask of the One-Horned
70 → 80	55,000	9x Famed Handguard	14x Chaos Oculus	9x Mask of the One-Horned
80 → 90	65,000	18x Famed Handguard	27x Chaos Oculus	6x Mask of the Kijin
TOTAL	225,000	Old x15, Kageuchi x23, Famed x27	Gear x23, Axis x27, Oculus x41	Wicked Lt. x5, Tiger's Bite x14, One-Horned x14, Kijin x6

Pro Tip: Farm those Kairagi and Nobushi on Narukami Island for Handguards, and hunt Ruin machines across Teyvat for the Chaos items. The masks come from the "Mysterious Onmyou Chamber" domain on Yashiori Island. Grinding these is a rite of passage! ⚔️

Top Character Recommendations for Engulfing Lightning

This weapon is a stat-stick dream for characters who need ER to function smoothly. It's perfect when your artifact substats just won't roll enough Energy Recharge. Here are the top-tier users, updated for the 2026 meta:

🔥 S-Tier (Best-in-Slot / Near Best-in-Slot):

• Raiden Shogun (5★ Electro): The original wielder. Engulfing Lightning is her undisputed BiS, transforming her into an unparalleled battery and massive Burst DPS. It synergizes perfectly with her kit that converts ER into Electro DMG.

• Xiangling (4★ Pyro): The Pyronado Queen. She is infamous for her 80-energy Burst cost. Engulfing Lightning solves all her energy problems, allows her to build more offensive stats like Crit, and directly boosts her Pyronado's damage through its ATK conversion. A game-changer for National team variants.

• Shenhe (5★ Cryo): The premier Cryo support. Her value comes from her "Icy Quills" buffs from her Burst and Skill. Engulfing Lightning ensures 100% Burst uptime to maintain the RES shred and Quill application, making her support capabilities incredibly consistent.

💎 A-Tier (Highly Effective):

• Yun Jin (4★ Geo): Her Burst is a powerful Normal Attack buff for characters like Yoimiya or Ayato. High ER requirements make Engulfing Lightning a premium option to keep her buff active every rotation.

• Thoma (4★ Pyro): For Burst-focused Thoma builds that provide shielding and off-field Pyro application, this weapon ensures his 80-cost Burst is always ready. It's especially good in teams where he's the sole Pyro unit.

• Newer Burst-Support Polearm Users (Post-2024): Characters designed around high-impact, high-cost Bursts (e.g., a hypothetical future 5★ support) would also find immense value in this weapon's unique stat package.

Build Synergy Note: Engulfing Lightning often allows characters to use an ATK% Sands instead of an ER% Sands, because the weapon provides so much ER and converts the excess into ATK. This can lead to higher overall damage output! Always use the Genshin Optimizer to fine-tune your builds. 📈

In conclusion, Engulfing Lightning remains one of the most versatile and powerful 5-star weapons in Genshin Impact's arsenal as of 2026. It's not just a weapon; it's an engine that drives entire team compositions. Whether you're powering up the Electro Archon herself or fueling Xiangling's endless Pyronado, this spear is a worthy investment for any account seeking smoother rotations and bigger burst numbers. Just remember to save those Primogems, set your Epitomized Path, and may your pulls be blessed! 🙏