Thoma 
✦ Pyro Support Guide ✦
Welcome to my Thoma Guide! Here we will cover basic info but also go deep into mechanics and playstyles.
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✦ Quick Infographic ✦
✦ Introduction ✦
Thoma is a 4 Star Pyro Polearm user, often played as Support/Shielder and known for his off-field Pyro applications, strong shield abilities and synergy with Normal Attack users. He is very easy to build and play but anyone willing to bring him along has to take into accounts his 2 main downsides: High Energy requirement and low damage.
He has however one of the strongest shields in the game and require very little investment if played as a support, which is the playstyle this guide will focus on.
✦ Talents Overview ✦
✦ Normal Attack: Swiftshatter Spear ✦
Thoma's Normal, Charged and Plunge Attack talent. The Normal Attack string consists of 4 different attacks (but 5 total hits). His Charged Attack sprints forward, dealing damage along the way. The Plunge Attack is standard.
This Talent is not important for most uses of Thoma and should be left at level 1. The only relevance in a support build is to wave in a fast attack for more chances to proc Favonius Lance.
✦ Elemental Skill: Blazing Blessing ✦
Kicks to deal AoE Pyro DMG and summons his Blazing Barrier (shield).
• Cooldown 15s / Duration 8s
• Generates 3 or 4 Elemental Particles if an enemy is hit
• Applies the Pyro element on Thoma upon casting
Blazing Barrier
• Scales off Thoma's HP
• Absorbs Pyro DMG 250% more effectively
• If a new Blazing Barrier is summoned, the remaining DMG absorption of an existing Blazing Barrier will stack and its duration will be refreshed
✦ Elemental Burst: Crimson Ooyoroi ✦
Deals AoE Pyro DMG and activates a Scorching Ooyoroi status.
• Energy cost 80 / Cooldown 20s
• Duration 15s
Scoroching Ooyoroi
During this status, the active character's Normal Attacks will trigger a Fiery Collapse, dealing AoE Pyro DMG in a cone-shaped area and summoning a Blazing Barrier (shield).
• The shield created via Burst is identical to his Elemental Skill's shield, except for a much lower Shield Absorption
• Fiery Collapse can be triggered every 1s
• Fiery Collapse triggers via Normal Attack animations, not hits (Raiden's Burst can trigger it)
• Fiery Collapse have standard ICD (they will apply Pyro every 2.5 seconds and every 3 hits)
• It does not snapshot, meaning it will use Thoma's stats in real time
The Burst basically allows you to stack your shield via Normal Attacks from the active character, making it stronger each time and refreshing its duration. The 2 downsides of this Burst are a very high cost (80 energy) and really really low DMG multipliers.
✦ Ascension 1: Imbricated Armor ✦
When your current active character obtains or refreshes a Blazing Barrier (shield), that character's Shield Strength will increase by 5% for 6s. This effect can be triggered once every 0.3 seconds with a max of 5 stacks.
✦ Ascension 4: Flaming Assault ✦
DMG dealt by Thoma's Burst procs is increased by 2.2% of Thoma's Max HP.
✦ Talent Priority ✦
Elemental Skill ≥ Elemental Burst >> Normal Attack (lv 1)
✦ Artifacts and Stats ✦
Artifact sets
• 2 Tenacity of the Millelith | 2 Emblem of Severed Fate
The easy way to get the 2 stats that Thoma needs the most: ER and HP. Also easier to build as you don't need to force a 4 piece set.
• 4 Noblesse Oblige
Further boosts his utility as a Support slot. Allowing every Burst to buff your party ATK by 20% for 12s.
• 4 Instructor
A great option in Vaporize teams, providing 120 EM for 8s to everyone upon triggering an elemental reaction. The buff comes at the cost of HP and ER since 4 star artifacts have lower Main and Sub stats.
• 4 Emblem of Severed Fate
You can use a full Emblem if you feel like your shield will be good enough but want to squeeze any possible damage while not losing on ER.
Main/Sub Stats
• Sands | ER / HP
• Goblet | HP
• Circlet | HP
Your substats will focus, first of all, on any Energy Recharge missing and then on HP%. Crit Rate will be important when using the Favonius Lance.
Having some Crit and ATK% can be beneficial but not worth spending your resin on.
Why not build for damage?
The reason you don't build for damage on Thoma is because of his 2 big cons: high need of energy and low multipliers. He's best used as the utility slot, squeezing some damage will be ok but it will not be resin efficient at all compared to building the rest of your team.
✦ Energy Requirements ✦
He's gonna need between 200 to 250 ER depending on the team and the use of Favonius weapons.
Some examples at C0:
• Hu Tao/Yoimiya Vape with Fav: ~210%
• Hu Tao/Yoimiya Vape no Fav: ~250%
• Xiao double resonance with Fav: ~225%
• Xiao double resonance no Fav: ~270% (!)
• Mono Pyro with Fav: ~180%
• Mono Pyro no Fav: ~200%
✦ Weapons ✦
Thoma's best weapons will mostly be Energy Recharge options, to meet his high requirements. Let's see what's available!
• Favonius Lance | 30.6% ER | The proc is amazing to help him and his team with extra energy but requires even higher investment because of low ER substat and the need of Crit Rate to proc the effect.
• Engulfing Lightning | 55.1% ER | Amazing choice with the highest ER substat for any Polearm in the game and even more ER via its effect. The extra ATK is mostly unnecessary.
• The Catch | 45.9% ER | Best free weapon (if you are into fishing). The passive is not that great because of his low damage output.
• Prototype Starglitter | 45.9% ER | Just an ER stick
• Kitain Cross Spear | 110 EM | Another fully F2P option. The EM is mostly not used but the effect will let you lose 3 Energy on Elemental Skill cast for 3 Energy every 2s for the next 6s (works off-field). If you use this weapon remember to Burst before using your Elemental Skill.
• Skyward Spine | 36.8% ER | Another ER stick. Passives and high base ATK are kinda useless.
• Black Tassel | 46.9 HP | The greedy HP substat will require even higher ER stats from your artifacts. Easy to enhance though. A good option for C4 users.
• Staff of Thoma | no
✦ Teams ✦
It's not easy to fit Thoma in a team as his kit can be a bit underwhelming, but there are teams where his protection and utility can be really valuable. I'll go more in detail for the most meta teams, then mention other possibilities.
Hu Tao Vape 
Probably his best team. In theory he works amazingly with Hu Tao and looks like he was made for her but in reality he faces competition here as well. Especially with Bennett, Amber or C4 Yanfei. Having a C6 Xingqiu is recommended to help with the Hydro application.
The rotation has to avoid Thoma stealing Vaporizes with his Burst at all costs. Let's see an example, where we also Swirl both Pyro and Hydro.
E = Elemental Skill; Q = Burst; N? = Normal Attack a number of times
Xingqiu Q N1 E E > Thoma E N1 Q > Sucrose N3 E > Hu Tao
Yoimiya Vape 
Very similar to Hu Tao Vape team but here the Thoma slot is even more valuable with a Bennett. You are trading a huge ATK buff and heals for protection and freedom of positioning. Since many units overlap you can usually get away with the same rotation showcased on the previous team or similar ones. Kazuha is also very good here.
Mono Pyro 
This team has the lowest Energy requirements and is very fun and synergistic to play. Bennett would fill Thoma's slot better but freeing him for another team might be a good way to face the Abyss.
Xiao Double Resonance 
It's important to use the JET combo on Xiao when playing this team: basically wave a fast attack each time you plunge to activate Thoma's Burst.
Itto's Shielder 
Since this Geo trio kinda lacks a shield, Thoma might be a good pick. A bit un-synergistic with Itto's Charged Attack playstyle though.
✦ Constellations ✦
Green = Good to have
Yellow = Average or situational
Red = Not important or worth
C1 • When a character protected by Thoma's shield (Thoma excluded) is attacked, his Elemental Skill CD is decreased by 3s, while his Burst's CD is decreased by 3s.
This effect can be triggered once every 20s
C2 • Burst's duration is increased by 3s. With C1, it makes your Burst have a 100% uptime
C3 • +3 Level to his Skill Talent
C4 • After using his Burst, 15 Energy will be restored to Thoma. Hands down his best Constellation, helping his Energy requirements a lot
C5 • +3 Levels to his Burst Talent
C6 • When his shield is obtained or refreshed, the DMG dealt by all party members' Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks is increased by 15% for 6s. Good but not "C6 good"
No Constellation is mandatory for Thoma but having C4 is very valuable for his energy reqs. Also I wouldn't consider any Constellation bad but neither very strong (except C4)
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