Genshin Impact Snapshot Guide – Free DPS

Snapshot Tech 101: Lock In Buffs for Free DPS in Genshin Impact

So here’s the thing: Genshin Impact never explains snapshotting. You’ll play for months thinking your Xiangling is inconsistent, or that Fischl’s Oz sometimes does damage and sometimes feels like a joke. I was the same. Thought my gear was bad, thought I needed to farm more, maybe even buy crystal just to refresh Resin and push faster. Nope. Turns out it was just timing.

Snapshotting means some abilities “remember” the buffs you had when you cast them. They don’t update. They just take a picture of that moment and keep it running. It sounds small, but when you get it? Free DPS. Literally.

Xiangling snapshot is cracked

Let’s start with the obvious one. Bennett Burst → Pyronado. Drop the Burst, then Pyronado, and guess what? Pyronado keeps that attack buff the entire spin. Even after Bennett’s circle is gone, the damage stays boosted. It feels like cheating.

I remember testing this with trash substats. Xiangling still melted enemies just because I timed it right. That’s when it hit me: I didn’t need to spam domains with Genshin Impact crystal refreshes for weeks. Just snapshotting Bennett’s buff was stronger than half the artifacts I farmed.

Fischl and Oz: sneaky snapshot value

Fischl’s bird is underrated here. If you summon Oz under a buff (say Bennett or Thrilling Tales), Oz keeps it for his whole duration. That means background Electro DPS with boosted stats, and you don’t have to babysit him.

I ignored this for months. Thought Fischl was “just okay.” Then I tried snapshotting with her, and suddenly I had a constant Electro machine gun in the background. No whale gear needed. Even if you never buy crystal, this makes her efficient to build because timing does half the work.

Kazuha, Sucrose, and EM snapshot nonsense

Now the Anemo units. Kazuha and Sucrose snapshot Elemental Mastery buffs. If you give them TTDS or food buffs before casting their Burst, the Burst keeps those stats. Permanently. Well, until the Burst ends.

I tested Kazuha with snapshot EM buffs in Abyss. He swirled Hydro, and the entire room just melted. I had mid gear, nothing crazy. Later I farmed more (okay, I admit, I did a couple buy crystal refreshes because my luck was garbage), but the first big spike didn’t come from artifacts. It came from learning to snapshot.

Mistakes I made (don’t be me)

• Casting buffs after dropping the skill. Too late, snapshot already happened.
• Ignoring Energy Recharge. If you can’t Burst, you can’t snapshot. Simple.
• Wasting weeks farming “perfect pieces.” Even with Genshin Impact crystal Resin refreshes, RNG doesn’t care. Timing gave me more damage than perfect substats ever did.

Why snapshotting feels illegal

The first time I did it right, I just laughed. My Xiangling’s Pyronado was shredding bosses even when Bennett’s Burst expired. Fischl’s Oz sat there zapping away with stats he shouldn’t still have. Kazuha’s Burst was nuking mobs off one buff. It felt wrong… but it’s how the game works.

That’s why people call it free DPS. You’re squeezing extra value out of buffs you already had. No gear grind. No pity pulls. Just button timing.

Quick way to practice

Honestly? Just grab Bennett and Xiangling. Drop Burst, cast Pyronado, and watch the difference. Once you see it, you’ll never forget. That’s snapshotting. The game won’t explain it, but every veteran abuses it.

Final thoughts

Snapshotting is one of those hidden rules in Genshin Impact that changes everything once you know it. You don’t need cracked artifacts. You don’t need to buy crystal unless you want to speed up farming. What you really need is timing. Cast during buffs, and you lock them in for free DPS.

I wasted so much Resin before figuring this out, even tossed some Genshin Impact crystal refreshes into bad farming runs. None of that mattered as much as learning snapshot timing. It’s the difference between struggling and steamrolling.

And if you hate grinding as much as I do, I’ll be real — I usually lean on mas4games when I need to keep my Genshin Impact account moving without burning out. It just makes life easier.