HoYoverse has made an official announcement, and the information given is about Jahoda, the new character “Windthreading Shadow” from Genshin Impact‘s Natlan chapter which has already gotten the gamers all excited. The new 4-star Anemo character is going to be present from the 3rd of December with higher chances in the “Rubedo, of White Stone Born” and “Ballad in Goblets” Event Wishes, and she will be featured in the standard banner in the next update. If we talk seriously, obviously this is among the most appealing support characters seen in a long time.
Jahoda’s abilities are absolutely crazy—she’s not only like doing off-field healing but also doing counter-attack depending on the elements that the enemies have on them. To put it briefly, she is almost like playing 4D chess while keeping your team alive. This is certainly a very high level of utility that can easily alter the team formations. Those players who had the privilege of getting her during Archon Quests are aware of her reliability, but now we are discovering through gameplay how she can be used.
The community’s response was nothing short of explosive. A player, for instance, dubbed her “QUEEN SUPPORT LOADING” without the slightest doubt while another one classified her as a “national treasure that should be safeguarded at all times.” The point is absolutely clear, people—the hype is simply too much. On the flip side, some tactical arguments are already being voicing—for instance, will she really be the one to step into the shoes of Sucrose from TTDS in some parties or what kind of compositions would suit her the best? One user even came up with a lineup that includes Jahoda, Aino, and Fischl, and Mona, which is honestly quite hot.
To make it even more interesting, some players are already cooking up theorycrafts about her limitations. One user, for example, remarked that her cooldown was “too long,” which told us that they were seriously into the mechanics aspect of it. In fact, someone even tried to decode the storyline behind her blue/red pole look because Genshin fans are always inquiring into and exploring the narrative of everything.
What is more, the timing of it is fantastic because the present-day meta is shifting towards more multipurpose supports, and the combination of healing and elemental counters could easily position her as a hot choice. She is an Anemo character, and that means she can benefit from the Viridescent Venerer artifact set to lower elemental resistance while she is also keeping your team alive. It sounds like… one slot for two characters’ functions, which is always nice when you are trying to work out the best along the whole team.
There are players that are determined to have multiple copies of her, and one has already mentioned the desire to get her to C3. Quite frankly? That is probably a good plan if her constellations will significantly improve her abilities. The fact that she will be available in two different banners at once gives the impression of being lucky, which is certainly a positive thing.
There are too some uncertainties about why she is together with specific 5-stars and not with others—one gamer expressed that they would have preferred her with Nefer instead of Durin. However, the placement of banners is always somewhat of a mystery, so we just have to take what we get.
Moreover, the character’s visual design has received great appreciation, as many comments describe her as cute and even compare her to a kitten. One player even managed to come up with a very adorable combination of cat emojis, which lowkey looks like Jahoda. The community really connects with characters that are both good in gameplay and have nice aesthetics, and it seems that Jahoda is the one getting two points.
What will be really thrilling is to see how she will fit into the shifting Natlan meta. Almost simultaneously, HoYoverse has introduced new characters and mechanics, and a flexible support who can adapt to various situations is going to be a major asset. The element-countering mechanic of hers in particular could help a great deal in scenarios when you face several types of enemies with different elemental affinities.
To be honest, every time there is a new 4-star who seems suitable for the endgame content, it definitely attracts attention. Very often new 4-stars are just niche or situational or need very specific conditions to be there, while Jahoda’s skill set seems to be working with a variety of teams.
That she will eventually be in the standard banner is also a plus from a long-term planning perspective. Even if you miss her on the first banners, you will have the chance to get her through standard pulls or when she reruns on event banners later. Yet, to be honest, she looks so useful that waiting might not be the best option. So, December 3rd is the day when all the Travelers should block their calendars, especially those playing on PlayStation and Xbox.
