Genshin Impact’s new game mode, Genius Invokation TCG, has been a tremendous success among Travellers. With plenty of cards to collect, people to duel and Primogems to earn, players are jumping headfirst into all of the challenges and triumphs that this virtual TCG experience has to offer.
Some of the toughest challenges Genius Invokation has to offer are the Tavern Challenges. These are hard-as-nails battles against beefier, trickier opponents with special modifiers and higher health. If you manage to win, the rewards are very worthwhile.
The Oceanid’s Concern is the first of these Tavern Challenges. This fight sets you against the spirit of water, Rhoadeia the Oceanid, who is set on washing you and your deck away.
Here’s how to beat the Oceanid’s Concern Tavern Challenge in Genshin Impact.
Want more Genshin Impact guides and content? You can find more here on KeenGamer:
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- Genshin Impact Wanderer (Scaramouche) Best Build Guide
- Genshin Impact Nahida Best Build Guide
- Genshin Impact Faruzan Best Build Guide
- Genshin Impact: All Sumeru City Riddle Answers and Locations
What are Tavern Challenges?
Tavern Challenges are special, unique challenges that players can tackle to earn unique Character Cards and bonus rewards. You first unlock these after reaching Player Level 3, once you have completed the Player Ascension Duel. Afterwards, speak to Prince and you may attempt the Tavern Challenges. New Tavern Challenges are unlocked at every level until level 10.
These duels are special for a few reasons. First, you’re fighting against the cats of the Cat’s Tail bar instead of normal, human opponents.
Secondly, and most importantly, these fights are against a main Monster Character Card. Unlike regular Genius Invokation TCG duels, your team of 3 Character Cards (all with 10 health points each) has to fight against one, super-powered Monster with 30 health points. This is alongside several special conditions that limit the number of options that you can bring to the table.
These fights can be hard and gruelling, especially if you come in unprepared. However, best them and you will net the Monster Character Card for yourself, allowing you to add it to your own deck (albeit, with 10 health points instead of 30). Some of these cards are the best in the game, so you’ll want to try the Tavern Challenges just for that alone.
Now, what about the Oceanid’s Concern Challenge?
Tavern Challenge
The Oceanid’s Concern Challenge – Rhodeia of Loch
The Oceanid’s Concern Tavern Challenge has you fight the titular Oceanid, Rhodeia of Loch. In regular Genshin Impact, this is the Oceanid you fight in the North of Liyue. Here, in Genius Invokatioin TCG, Rhodeia has transformed into a unique Monster Character Card which can send you running to the hills if you come unprepared.
The main gist of the Oceanid fight revolves around summons. Several characters such as Fischl and Xiangling can also create summons to aid in battle, but Rhodeia is on another level. It is the quintessential summoner in Genius Invokation TCG and, if you don’t know how to deal with a summoning opponent, it can very quickly overwhelm you.
A lot is going on in each Tavern Challenge, and Oceanid’s Concern is no different. With four main abilities, Hydro Mimics and a special fight condition, you need to be ready to face Rhodeia of Loch at your full strength.
Dynamic Skin Oceanid
Abilities
The Oceanid Character Card has four main abilities. Like ordinary characters, these are mapped to the Normal Attack, Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst framework. However, like many Monster Character Cards, it also has another fourth ability that functions like a super-powered Elemental Skill.
Knowing how to deal with each of these abilities is paramount to success. The Oceanid Character Card has the following abilities:
- Surge (Normal Attack): Deals 1 Hydro DMG
- Oceanid Mimic Summoning (Elemental Skill): Randomly summons 1 Oceanid Mimic (Prioritizes summoning a different type from preexisting ones)
- The Myriad Wails (Elemental Skill): Randomly summons 2 Oceanid Mimic (Prioritizes summoning different types)
- Tide and Torrent (Elemental Burst): Deals 2 Hydro DMG. For each friendly Summon on the field, deals +2 additional DMG.
Rhodeia of Loch
In addition to that, Rhodeia of Loch will also have access to the special Talent Card Streaming Surge, as well. This is a unique Equipment Card which can only be equipped onto Rhodeia of the Loch for the following effect:
“Combat Action: When your active character is Rhodeia of Loch, equip this card.
After Rhodeia of Loch equips this card, immediately use Tide and Torrent once.
When your Rhodeia of Loch, who has this card equipped, uses Tide and Torrent, all of your Summon(s) gain +1 Usages.”
Streaming Surge Card Effect
This is an especially potent card, capable of taking out a character from full health to nothing in a single shot. This boss version of Rhodeia will always have this card ready from the start of the match, so be ready and careful.
Streaming Surge
Hydro Mimics
The most unique part of Rhodeia’s kit is its ability to summon Hydro Mimics. These work similarly to the way they do in the World Boss fight with the Oceanid in Genshin Impact by adding extra damage or defences to Rhodeia when summoned.
She has 2 main ways of creating these Summons: the Oceanid Mimic Summoning ability and the Myriad Wails ability. The second of these two costs more Elemental Dice to activate, but it will summon 2 Hydro Mimics onto the board instead of just 1.
The Mimics themselves have the following abilities:
- Raptor: Deal 1 Hydro DMG at the End Phase. 3 Uses.
- Ferret: Deal 2 Hydro DMG at the End Phase. 3 Uses.
- Frog: Can block 2 DMG. Once this effect is depleted, deal 2 Hydro DMG.
Like most Summons, the potential of these creatures lies in the End Phase. When both players have ended their turns, the Mimics will spring to life and attack the active character. If all 3 Mimics are available (and the Frog has had all of its blocks depleted) this can mean up to 8 DMG at the end of a turn. This has the potential to snowball very fast, especially if you do not bring Cards capable of wiping the Summons off the field.
While not immediately frightening, the Mimics are an imposing part of Rhodeia’s arsenal. Especially when, if there are 4 Mimics on the field, it will allow the Oceanid to deal 10 health points with a single use of its Burst.
Water Mimics
Conditions
As with all Tavern Challenges, the Oceanid’s Concern has a unique ‘Special Rule’ or condition that is played for the entire fight. This changes between every Tavern Challenge and can throw off your deck if you aren’t prepared.
The Special Rule for this Challenge is:
“Rhodeia of Loch is immune to Frozen, Stun and Petrification, gains Elemental Lifeform: Hydro when the battle begins, and starts with the Talent Card Streaming Surge equipped.”
The Oceanid’s Concern Special Rule, Genshin Impact
The biggest part of this Special Rule is the fact that Rhodeia cannot be Frozen. While not a killing blow to most Cryo Character Cards, it does disincentive their use over other Elements like Pyro or Electro that will constantly be able to trigger other Reactions.
Additionally, the Elemental Lifeform: Hydro bonus is active for the entire battle. This means that Rhodeia always has the Hydro status applied to it (which is good for Reactions) but in return, it is completely immune to Hydro DMG. Like with being immune to Freeze, this shuts down decks focused around Hydro characters like Mona or Xingqiu as they won’t be able to deal any damage to the opponent.
With all the Special Rules in mind, let’s start planning what cards we can bring to crush Rhodeia.
Fight Conditions
Recommended Cards
Elemental Reactions
To start with, let’s discuss what we don’t recommend. As stated above, Rhodeia of Loch is immune to all Hydro DMG as well as immune to the Frozen Elemental Reaction. For this reason, avoid picking characters like Mona, Xingqiu or Barbara. Cryo characters can work, but so much of their identity relies on Elemental Reactions and, because of the Hydro infusion, the only Reaction they will pull off is Freeze. It’s better just to avoid either of these two elements.
So what can we work with? Well, Rhodeia will constantly be inflicted with Hydro. This opens them up for a variety of potent Reactions that you can use (and the Character Cards which facilitate those Reactions). The main Reactions you’ll be going for are:
- Vaporize: Deals an additional +2 for the instance.
- Hydro Crystalize: DMG +1 for this instance, your Active Character gains +1 Shield Points (Can stack, Maximum of 2 Points)
- Bloom: DMG +1 for this instance, creates a Dendro Core that grants +2 DMG to the next instance of Electro/Pyro
These are the main Reactions which you’ll see some use out of. Swirl is another option. However, the main bonus of Swirl is that it hits all targets on the field for an additional +1: with no other targets other than Rhodeia, there is very little point in bringing an Anemo character.
Hydro Reactions
Character Cards
For the options that remain, Pyro currently has Xiangling, Diluc, Yoimiya and Bennett as potential choices. Diluc is an easy bet (considering that you get him right off the bat, he deals high damage and you can easily pick up his Talent Card without an invitation) and he will make a strong main attacker. Yoimiya fills a similar role, specialising in attacking twice with her Elemental Skill. Xiangling, on the other hand, allows you to chip away at Rhodeia each End Phase with Gouba. Lastly, Bennett can be a good choice if you’re struggling with staying alive, but he is certainly the weakest when it comes to mainline damage, something not lacking with the other Pyro Character Cards.
For Geo, you can choose from Noelle or Ningguang. Out of the two, Noelle will likely be a better pick. Both of these Geo Characters focus heavily on buffing up your shields and defences (a bonus considering every Elemental Skill use will trigger Crystalize) but Noelle requires less set-up than Ningguang. She also slots into teams far easier, whereas Ningguang’s Jade Shield mechanic requires playing around it a bit more.
Finally, there’s Bloom. So far, only Collei can perform any kind of Dendro Reactions so, if you want to use Bloom, you’re stuck with her. That isn’t to say she is a bad character, though. Just like in the main game, Dendro is a very potent Element, especially if you pair it with something like Pyro. Using Collei alongside Yoimiya or Xiangling would mean that the Dendro Cores she creates could constantly pop and deal an additional +2 DMG every time a Reaction is triggered.
If you want a quick and easy example set of 3 Character Cards built for the Rhodeia of Loch fight, try Diluc, Xiangling and Collei.
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- Xiangling Character Card
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- Collei Character Card
Equipment Cards
What you choose for your equipment cards entirely depends on what Character Cards you plan on running. Higher investment, higher cost characters like Diluc would certainly benefit from a Witch of Crimson Flame to lower their Dice Usage or Wolf’s Gravestone to buff his DMG.
Depending on who you’re running, though, Talent Cards are of the utmost importance. You get these by completing 2 of the Player Challenges when fighting Friendly Faces that you invite to the Cat’s Tail. The bonuses of these Cards usually have the equipped character instantly use a move or skill, followed up by a special bonus.
Xiangling’s Talent Card, for example, Crossfire, allows Xiangling to summon Gouba and still deal DMG herself every time she uses the Gouba Attack Skill. This is a great way to chip away at enemy health throughout the match (especially when every hit deals +2 because of Vaporize). Every Character Card has a Talent Card to go alongside them and you will need to balance which are more important in your deck. When fighting against Rhodeia, I would recommend Pyro Talent Cards over other types simply for that extra +2 on Vaporize.
Xiangling’s Crossfire
Support Cards
Similar to Equipment Cards, a lot of your Support Card choices will depend on how your deck is made up. Some clear standouts belong in every team, though.
Katheryne is an insane card, allowing you to freely swap your Active Character as a Fast Action once per Round. This lasts for the entire match and costs 2 Elemental Dice of any colour. You will likely be switching around characters a lot during this fight simply so they don’t die while you whittle down Rhodeia’s massive health pool, so having a Fast Swap every Round is a lifesaver.
This gets even better when you pair it with other cards like Dawn Winery, which allows for your Switch Character Action to become free once per round. This and Kastheryne paired together essentially means that every Round, you can swap characters without needing Elemental Dice or without spending an Action. These two cards (and others like them) should be in basically every Deck you build.
Other Cards like the Jade Chamber or the Liyue Harbour Wharf give you some nice support throughout the fight for a relatively low cost. Liu Su is also a good choice considering how much switching around you will be doing, thanks largely to Katheryne.
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- Katheryn is the Best
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- Dawn Winery
Event Cards
Event Cards are where some bigger picture stuff comes into play. This is where you will pack a few options that will dismantle Rhodeia.
The main Cards to slot into your deck are Guardian’s Oath and Send Off.
Guardian’s Oath is an expensive Card with 4 matching Elemental Dice. It’s worth it, though, as it will destroy all the Summons currently on the field. Considering that Rhodeia spawns in with their Talent Card equipped (guaranteeing big damage as it constantly spawns its Mimics), you need to get those Mimics off the field if you want to avoid an OHKO. Guardian’s Oath is best saved for right before Rhodeia can cast their Elemental Burst, wiping the board clean and allowing you to survive the Burst (which will deal a measly 2 DMG).
Guardian’s Oath
Send Off is a cheaper version of Guardian’s Oath. Instead of costing 4, it costs 2 Elemental Dice, but in return it only removes 1 Summon from the enemy. This is still a great Boon, though, as Rhodeia does have the ability to summon 1 Mimic at a time with its basic Elemental Skill. Being able to quickly snipe any Summon before they can do anything to do you in the End Phase is great and will minimise the amount of damage Rhodeia can deal throughout the fight.
Aside from them, typical Event Cards will work wonders here. Strategize will give you more cards to choose from, The Bestest Travel Companion gives you instant access to 2 Omni-Dice and Starsigns to help you get your Burst faster on your Active Character. If you’re playing Xiangling or another Summoner, you may want to bring Quick Knit, but that is for select Decks only.
Send Off
Fight Strategy
With all that in mind, and a deck made, you should be ready to face The Oceanid’s Concern.
First and foremost, dealing with Reactions should be a priority. Whether it is Vaporize, Super-Conduct, Crystalize or Bloom, you will be getting extra DMG every time you hit Rhodeia thanks to the Hydro infusion. Take massive advantage of this with your Pyro characters in particular to strip away Rhodeia’s health points by at least 3 every single hit.
Second, keep an eye on the Summons. Knowing exactly what Rhodeai’s Summons are capable of and what amount of damage they will deal to you in the End Phase is vital. Slipping up here and forgetting about the Mimics may allow them to snipe a character that you believe is safe – they can deal up to about 5-7 DMG depending on circumstances, after all – so be cautious. Use Guardian’s Oath and Send Off when you need to.
Last, remember to switch your characters around. This fight will take a while and Rhodeia will beat on your characters by themselves and with their Mimics. This can mean that, in a single turn, a Character Card can go from full to almost nothing. Use Katheryne and Dawn Winery to quickly switch Active Characters to keep key players alive and in the fight.
Victory Achieved
Keep everything you’ve learnt in mind, exploit Rhodeia’s glaring Elemental weakness and, before long, you’ll take the Oceanid down and claim your prize. Depending on how many objectives you complete, you’ll now be the proud owner of your own Rhodeia of Loch Character Card, complete with Hydro Mimic summoning capabilities.
That is how to beat The Oceanid’s Concern Tavern Challenge in Genshin Impact.
