The Genshin Impact 5.5 update introduced a quiet but game-changing improvement to artifact crafting: Sanctifying Elixir now guarantees two substat upgrades of your choice. For long-time players like Voltyea—who has been playing since Day 1 and still hasn’t rolled a 50 Crit Value (CV) artifact—this was the perfect opportunity to try and change that luck.

With his stockpile of Sanctifying Elixirs ready, Voltyea dove into crafting to upgrade characters like Varesa, Mananni, Furina, and even Wanderer, in hopes of optimizing some of his most important builds. Here’s how it all went down.

🎯 Targeting the Elusive Crit Value Artifact

Voltyea started with a classic goal: craft a Marechaussee Hunter Sands with ATK% main stat and both Crit Rate and Crit Damage substats. His aim? A perfect piece for Varesa, his Electro plunge DPS.

Unfortunately, RNG struck hard. Despite the two guaranteed upgrades, his crafted piece ended up rolling into HP% and DEF%, making it worse than what he already had. “I thought I would get an upgrade,” he admitted, “but it’s actually worse than the other ones I had.”

🛠️ Crafting for Long Night’s Oath and Obsidian Set

Next, he moved on to Long Night’s Oath—the signature set for plunge-based characters like Varesa and Xianyun. After crafting an ATK% Sands with double Crit substats, he enhanced it and got decent rolls: 7% Crit Rate and acceptable Crit Damage. It didn’t hit 50 CV, but the result was solid, ending around 42 CV—a step closer to his dream.

He also crafted a Crit Damage Circlet with Crit Rate, hoping it would land more Crit Rate rolls. Although it started slow, by the end it had respectable Crit stats and found a new home on Mananni, whose build was upgraded as a result.

💧 Optimizing Furina’s Set

Voltyea shifted focus to Furina, aiming to hit top 1% Furina stats. He worked through Marechaussee Hunter pieces, swapping in a better Hydro Goblet and building toward an optimized 4-piece set.

Eventually, he settled on 64% Crit Rate and 270% Crit Damage, keeping a balanced ratio for her HP-scaling kit. With improved stats and the right set bonuses, Furina officially reached Top 1% ranking in the artifact score system.

🌀 Improving Wanderer’s Build

Wanderer (aka Scaramouche) was next. Though already well-built, Voltyea crafted an ATK% Sands and tested it against his current best set. After multiple strongboxes and enhancement trials, he ended up with a Crit-focused feather that finally pushed his Wanderer into the Top 1% tier.

Although he didn’t hit 50 CV, it was a massive improvement from his previous builds. This reinforced his belief that artifact crafting—especially with the Sanctifying Elixir changes—can bring meaningful progression over time, even without the mythical perfect piece.

📉 Not All Rolls Go Well

Despite these wins, not everything was sunshine and rainbow Crit rolls. Several enhancements on his alternate accounts (like Asia server) resulted in disappointing HP or DEF rolls. One HP Sands had potential but rolled flat stats and ended up as a side-grade at best.

Even with targeted substats, Voltyea’s frustration with bad luck echoed what many players experience: “Everything just avoids Crit Damage… I’m cursed.”

🧪 Experimenting with Lesser-Built Characters

In between his core builds, Voltyea took time to test out underused characters like Mananni and Mika, slowly working toward full builds. While Mika stayed at level 1, Mananni saw a few upgrades thanks to salvaged pieces.

In one fun moment, he noted that even Lisa got some unexpected synergy with Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers, offering buffs to characters like Varesa in specific F2P-friendly overload setups.

🐢 Testing the New Builds on Bosses

To test his new artifact sets, Voltyea ran Furina, Wanderer, and other characters through world bosses and elite mobs. Damage ranged from 80k to 100k+ per skill, especially when Furina’s buff kicked in during combo rotations.

Even with some scuffed runs and misfires (like getting KO’d by a turtle mid-attack), the improvements were obvious. His new Crit Rate/Crit Damage balance helped clear bosses faster and smoother than before.

🧠 Final Thoughts: Not 50 CV Yet, But Getting There

Voltyea didn’t hit his 50 CV dream artifact, but he did walk away with several valuable upgrades across key characters. Thanks to the 5.5 Sanctifying Elixir buffs, even small progress now feels worth the effort.

He ended the video with an optimistic tone: “Artifact building just depends on luck, but hopefully one day, with the Sanctifying Elixir change, my dream will become a reality.”

Should You Use Sanctifying Elixirs Now?

If you’re sitting on Sanctifying Elixirs and unsure whether to use them, this video is a perfect showcase of their value. With guaranteed double substat upgrades, you now have a much better shot at pushing your builds closer to perfection.

Whether you’re building Varesa, Furina, Wanderer, or prepping for upcoming characters like Escoffier or Skirk, using Elixirs on targeted pieces with double Crit rolls can be a game-changer.

For more artifact guides, team theorycrafts, and community showcases, check out ExploreGenshin.gg for all the latest updates and tips.