Overview
Wood is the most unconventional of the five elements in the Elemancer system. It is the only passive element. The other four (Fire, Water, Earth, Metal) are active attack elements mapped to face buttons. Wood does not deal direct damage. Instead, it creates blocking objects for defense, provides stat boosts to Cheng's health, speed, and strength, and amplifies the effects of other elements.
Abilities
Blocking Objects creates wooden barriers and constructs that block enemy attacks and projectiles, providing defensive cover
HP Boost temporarily increases maximum health, providing a survivability cushion for difficult encounters
Speed Boost enhances movement and attack speed, making Cheng faster in both combat and traversal
Strength Boost amplifies the damage output of all other elemental attacks
Elemental Amplification when Wood is active, other element effects are enhanced. Burns last longer, freezes are more resilient, earth constructs are sturdier
Entanglement wood vines and growth can entangle and slow enemies without dealing damage
Elemental Interactions
Wood + Fire Wood amplifies burn duration and damage, making Fire attacks more lethal
Wood + Water enhances freezing duration and slow effects
Wood + Earth strengthens earth constructs, making walls and projectiles more durable
Wood is consumed by Fire, enemies using fire can burn through Wood-based barriers and entanglements
Combat Role
Wood rewards strategic players who think about layering effects rather than raw damage output. Activating Wood buffs before switching to an offensive element creates multiplicative power spikes. In boss encounters, Wood's HP boost can mean the difference between surviving a devastating Celestial attack and being defeated. Its blocking objects provide an additional defensive option alongside Earth's stone walls, though Wood barriers are vulnerable to fire.
Environmental Influence
Wood draws from natural environments. Areas with abundant vegetation, gardens, and parks within Zhou enhance Wood's effectiveness. Industrial districts with minimal plant life reduce Wood's ambient strength.
Buff Stacking and Layered Effects
Wood is the only Elemancer system element that does not map to a face button for direct attacks. Instead, it is layered on top of the four active elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Metal), turning Wood into a multiplier rather than a primary damage source.
Activating Wood buffs before swapping to an offensive element creates the most rewarding gameplay loop. Burn duration extends, freezes hold longer, earth walls become sturdier, and metal weapons hit harder. The HP and speed boosts also let Cheng survive aggressive openings that would otherwise force a defensive reset.
Wood Versus Other Elements
Active Element | Wood Interaction | Tactical Use |
|---|---|---|
Fire | Wood is consumed by Fire; activating Wood while attacking with Fire extends burn duration | Drop Wood barriers near flammable terrain; chain into Fire for long-duration burn |
Water | Wood lengthens freeze and slow durations | Strong against fast melee enemies; the slow stacks become a soft crowd control |
Earth | Wood reinforces Earth constructs, raising wall HP and projectile resilience | Defensive setups in caves and chokepoints become harder to break |
Metal | Wood amplifies Metal weapon damage and durability of conjured blades | Best for boss DPS windows when Cheng is committed to a metal stance |
When to Activate Wood
Just before a Boss Encounters telegraphs a heavy attack: the HP boost can survive a hit that would otherwise be fatal.
Before a long traversal sequence: the speed boost shortens rooftop chases and reduces exposure to ranged enemies.
Before an extended elemental combo: the damage and duration multipliers compound across each hit in the chain.
In areas with abundant vegetation: Wood's environmental influence makes its buffs last longer and recover faster.