The Iniquitous Baptist is a world boss in Genshin Impact with a unique elemental shield mechanic. Here’s how to tell which version of the Iniquitous Baptist you have and how to defeat it.
Iniquitous Baptist elemental types
There are four versions of the Iniquitous Baptist that can spawn in the open world boss arena. They are:
- Pyro, Cryo, Electro
- Hydro, Cryo, Electro
- Electro, Pyro, Hydro
- Cryo, Hydro, Pyro
You can tell which type you’ll be fighting by observing the flying particles in the boss arena before starting the challenge. The colors will reflect the elemental shields that the Baptist can create. Just be sure not to get too close while taking a look, lest you enter combat before you’re ready.
Once you’ve determined which version of the Baptist you’re fighting, you’ll be fighting the same type for the rest of the day. The type changes once a day at 4:00 AM Asia server time, regardless of which server you are playing in. Every player will have the same type of Baptist on any given day, so going to your friends’ worlds will not change your combat strategy.
If your Baptist encounter is in the Spiral Abyss instead of the open world, the Abyss lineup will tell you which version you’ll be fighting. For example, the 4.6 Spiral Abyss lineup features a Pyro, Cryo, and Electro Baptist.
Best elements to use against the Iniquitous Baptist’s shields
In the open world boss challenge, the Baptist will start every fight by creating three elemental nodes on the ground. These nodes correspond with the three elements the Baptist is imbued with. Destroy each node with elemental reactions to stun the Baptist and make him briefly vulnerable to damage.
After taking down the nodes, if you don’t defeat him within his short vulnerability window, he will start generating elemental shields based on his three elements. You’ll need to dodge his attacks and deplete the shields with reactions. His shields have the same weaknesses as his three elemental nodes at the beginning of the fight. If encountered in the Spiral Abyss, the Baptist will skip the node stage and go straight to the shield stage.
Here are the best elements to use against each node or shield:
Node/shield element | Weakness |
Pyro | Hydro |
Hydro | Dendro |
Electro | Pyro, Cryo, Dendro |
Cryo | Pyro |
Best teams to use against the Iniquitous Baptist
Given the elemental requirements for each version of the Baptist, you’ll want to tailor your team for each fight. Here are the best team archetypes and elements to counter the four elemental versions of the Iniquitous Baptist.
Iniquitous Baptist elements | Teams (elements needed) |
Pyro, Cryo, Electro | Vaporize (Hydro + Pyro) |
Hydro, Cryo, Electro | Burgeon or Burning (Dendro + Pyro) |
Electro, Pyro, Hydro | Nilou Bloom or Hyperbloom (Dendro + Hydro) |
Cryo, Hydro, Pyro | Burgeon (Dendro + Hydro + Pyro) |
Note that as long as you’re able to apply the correct elements to counter each shield, you don’t necessarily have to build your team around the associated reactions. For example, if you don’t like Burgeon or Burning teams, you can bring a Hyperbloom team instead and just have a bonus Pyro character.