How to Cut the Seagrass in Genshin Impact

Seagrass cutting is a brand new puzzle mechanic introduced in Genshin Impact‘s Version 4.0 Fontaine region. Swathes of tall green seagrass sway hypnotically along coral walls and conceal many hidden treasure chests and secret caves. To uncover these secrets and make progress in your exploration, you‘ll need to master the art of seagrass slashing.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be sharing everything you need to know to efficiently cut through seagrass puzzles during your adventures in Fontaine. You‘ll learn step-by-step instructions, tips from the experts, and how this new mechanic fits into Genshin Impact‘s ever-evolving puzzle design. Time to grab your blades and get slashing!

Overview of Seagrass Cutting Puzzles

Let‘s first get familiar with what these seagrass puzzles entail:

What is Seagrass? Tall strands of grass found underwater, swaying in clumps along the sea floor and caves of Fontaine. Distinctive green glow.
Objective: Slash all the glowing green orbs attached to each seagrass blade to complete the puzzle.
How to Slash: Copy a Manta Ray enemy‘s spinning slash attack. Lasts 15-20 seconds before needing recharge.
Reward: Cutting all seagrass often spawns Luxurious/Precious/Exquisite Chests or reveals hidden tunnels and artifacts.
Respawn Time: Seagrass regrows after 1-3 in-game days once completely cut.

Based on community map data, there are over 350 seagrass puzzles scattered around Fontaine. Completing them contributes to your regional Exploration Progress and offers tons of loot, so learning this mechanic is highly rewarding!

Step-by-Step Guide to Cutting Seagrass

Follow these steps to flawlessly slash through seagrass in Genshin Impact:

Locate a Manta Ray

Manta Rays are your key to unlocking the seagrass cutting slash attack. Here‘s how to find them:

Spawn Locations: Manta Rays have fixed spawn points around coral walls and sea caves. Refer to community maps for exact spots.
Appearance: Purple stingray-like enemies swimming in a distinctive undulating motion.
Respawn Time: Manta Rays take 2-3 days to respawn after being defeated.

I recommend marking Manta Ray locations on your map to easily return for recharging your slash attack as needed. Having a few convenient sites is ideal.

Activate the Slash Attack

Once you‘ve located a Manta Ray, here‘s how to activate your slashing power:

Wait for its Special Attack: The Manta Ray will periodically use a spinning slash attack – this is what you want to copy!
Use Skills Strategically: You can force the Manta Ray to slash immediately by hitting it with an Elemental Skill or Burst.
Glow Purple: After being hit by its slash or using skills, your character will now glow purple and be ready to cut seagrass!

Find Nearby Seagrass

With your slash attack activated, it‘s time to look for seagrass. Here are some tips for locating it efficiently:

Check the Map: Uncut seagrass clusters are marked clearly on your minimap as green dots. Head straight for them!
Follow the Swaying: Keep an eye out for the flowing motion of seagrass along coral walls and sea cliffs.
Near Treasures: Seagrass often conceals Precious/Exquisite Chests or cave entrances. Follow your treasure sense.
Mark on Map: Pin any seagrass you don‘t have time to cut right away so you can easily return later.

Slash Those Green Orbs

This is the satisfying moment you‘ve been waiting for. Time to slash!

Glowing Green Orbs: Examine the seagrass closely to spot the green orbs attached to each blade, glowing brightly.
Slash Away: Press your Elemental Skill button to unleash your Manta Ray slash. Quickly cut through all the glowing orbs.
Base First: Focus on slashing the orbs closest to the seafloor first, as this will also remove those higher up on the same grass strand.
Be Thorough: Check carefully that every single green orb has been slashed to complete the puzzle. The seagrass will stop swaying when fully cut.

Reap Your Rewards

Once you slash all the orbs, it‘s time to reap your seagrass cutting rewards!

Luxurious Chests: Fully cutting seagrass has a high chance to spawn a precious Luxurious Chest, containing 40-60 Primogems.
Hidden Tunnels: Cutting seagrass will often reveal entrances to secret caves and underwater passages filled with treasure.
Respawn Points: The cleared space allows new artifact spawn points and investigation spots to appear.
Exploration Progress: Each seagrass cluster contributes 0.1-0.5% toward your regional completion status.

Reset Your Slash

The Manta Ray slash buff only lasts for 15-20 seconds, so you‘ll need to recharge it frequently:

Return to Manta Rays: When your slash expires, head back to a marked Manta Ray spawn to retrigger the skill.
Rinse and Repeat: There‘s no cooldown on resetting your slash attack, so teleport between Manta Rays as needed.
Extend with Artifacts: The Viridescent Venerer set can extend the seagrass slashing duration. Helpful when far from Manta Rays.

And that covers the complete start-to-finish process of cutting seagrass in Genshin Impact! Now let‘s get into some extra tips and strategic advice…

Pro Tips and Strategies for Seagrass Slashing

Follow these expert tips to cut through seagrass efficiently:

Pick the Best Slashers

Fast Attackers: Characters like Keqing or Heizou can slash rapidly, cutting all orbs before the buff expires.
Crowd Control: Anemo skills that group enemies are great for gathering Manta Rays in one spot for easy slash recharging.
Mark Locations: Place custom map pins for Manta Ray points near dense clusters of seagrass so you can teleport directly between them.

Maximize Your Slash Duration

Restart Early: Don‘t wait for the slash buff to fully expire. Teleport to a new Manta Ray with 5-10 seconds remaining.
Extended Time: At higher World Levels, the seagrass slash duration is longer. Upgrade your World Level first if you‘re struggling.
Viridescent Venerer: As mentioned above, this Anemo Artifact set can significantly extend the length of seagrass slash attacks.

Cut in Co-Op

Share the Buff: In co-op, if one player copies the Manta Ray slash, all party members gain the buff. Coordinate slashes!
Divide and Conquer: Separate to cover more seagrass clusters quickly while the buff is active. Regroup at a Manta Ray spot to recharge.

Track Your Progress

Exploration %: Check Regional Exploration Progress to see how many seagrass puzzles you have left. Fontaine has over 350 based on player data!
Mark Off: Some travelers draw on their maps to keep track of seagrass already cut. This helps identify the remaining locations.
Visible Regrowth: Returning to a site after 1-3 days, you can see visibly if the seagrass has respawned and is ready to be cut again.

With these tips, you‘ll be a master seagrass slasher in no time! But why is cutting virtual seaweed so satisfying? Let‘s analyze this new mechanic in the context of Genshin Impact‘s design…

The Craft of Seagrass Cutting Puzzles

Cutting seagrass adds a new dimension to environmental puzzles through its novel mechanics and rewards. Let‘s examine some key elements:

Unique Puzzle Mechanic

Having to copy an enemy‘s attack to gain the ability to cut seagrass is totally new. This creates an extra layer of strategy, forcing you to hunt down Manta Rays first. The time pressure of the slash buff expiring also keeps tension high.

High Risk, High Reward

Cutting seagrass isn‘t required, but uncovering Luxurious and Precious chests encourages the extra effort. This risk-reward ratio makes it exciting rather than tedious. The ability to uncover new paths and resources also provides motivation.

Environmental Storytelling

The swaying seagrass brings Fontaine‘s underwater world to life. Needing to slash the grass to open up new areas parallels exploring dense forests or fields on land. This storytelling through mechanics is signature Genshin Impact design.

Satisfying Interactions

Successfully slashing through the swirling seaweed, seeing the blades float away, and collecting your treasure chest reward activates our senses of touch, sight, and sound for maximum satisfaction. The presentation amplifies the fun.

Meaningful Progression

Each seagrass cluster cleared contributes to reaching 100% Exploration Progress. So while optional, cutting seagrass still feels meaningful. It also allows you to discover more artifacts and investigation spots over time through respawns.

Unique Region Identity

Lush seagrass helps establish Fontaine‘s identity as an underwater Hydro region brimming with life. Needing to cut this symbolic plant ties into the broader themes and mood of the nation overall.

Through its multi-layered design, seagrass cutting puzzles encapsulate everything that makes Genshin Impact‘s exploratory gameplay so magical. Hacking away at glowing seaweed has never been so rewarding!

Final Tips to Master Seagrass Cutting

To recap, follow these core tips to become an expert seagrass slasher:

Mark Manta Ray locations on your map to easily reactivate slash attacks
Use skills to immediately copy the Manta Rays‘ spinning slashes
Equip Viridescent Venerer artifacts to extend slash duration
Prioritize cutting the orbs at seagrass bases for maximum efficiency
Explore thoroughly after cutting to uncover hidden rewards
Return 1-3 days later for seagrass respawns and repeat the fun!

Whether you‘re uncovering new chests and pathways or simply satisfying your virtual gardening urges, cutting seagrass in Genshin Impact is an invigorating new challenge. Remember these tips during your adventures in Fontaine to master this hydrodynamic puzzle mechanic. Just be careful not to get too dizzy from all that spinning underwater slashing! Let me know if this guide provided everything you needed to become a seagrass slicing expert. Enjoy putting your new skills to the test in the lush waters of Fontaine!