The best build for Ganyu, Genshin Impact’s strongest bow user

By Kenneth Williams

|

Jan 16, 2022

Reading time: 4 min

With the best build, Ganyu easily becomes one of the absolute best main DPS characters in all of Genshin Impact.

Ganyu is one of the most sought-after characters in Genshin Impact for good reason. Her Frostflake arrows hit like an absolute truck and her elemental skill and burst cover almost all of her weaknesses. With Ganyu’s rerun coming soon in update 2.4, a lot of players will get their hands on her for the first time.

If you’re looking to turn your new five-star into your strongest character, follow our guide to the best build for Ganyu.

The best artifact build for Ganyu

Most popular five-star characters have a generally agreed-upon artifact build, but Ganyu is a special case.

There are two artifact sets that work perfectly with the Liyuen archer’s kit. The first is Blizzard Strayer. The cryo damage-oriented set buffs all Ganyu’s abilities. If you plan to use Ganyu as a support or sub DPS, Blizzard Strayer is definitely the correct choice. The two-piece set bonus grants a flat 15% buff to cryo damage. The full set boosts crit rate against cryo-affected enemies by 20% and 40% against frozen enemies.

Blog post image

The competing Ganyu artifact set is Wanderer’s Troupe. This set’s four-piece bonus increases charged attack damage by 35%. Ganyu almost exclusively uses charged attacks, so it works very well with Frostflake Arrows. The downside is that the two-piece bonus isn’t as useful. 80 elemental mastery isn’t as useful with such a selfish main DPS character. Wanderer’s Troupe drops from world and trounce bosses, so you might have a decent set already. 

For stats, look for attack on the timepiece. Cryo damage bonus is extremely important on the cup, as it affects nearly all of Ganyu’s damage output. The best hat state for Ganyu depends on the other parts of your build. If you go with Blizzard Strayer, the 20% crit rate boost means you can grab crit damage. This is also true if you use a crit rate weapon like Polar Star or Skyward Harp. If you decide to go with Wanderer’s Troupe, a crit rate hat is recommended. Her best substats are crit rate, crit damage, and attack in that order.

The best weapons for Ganyu

Ganyu’s ideal weapon is Amos’ Bow. The standard banner five-star increases attack damage by 12%. As the arrow flies, it will accumulate an additional damage bonus based on the time it spends in the air. If it stays aloft for .5 seconds before hitting its target, Frostflake Arrows get a whopping 40% damage boost.

This is perfect for Ganyu’s playstyle as a long-ranged archer focused on area-of-effect damage. The 608 base damage and 49.6% attack bonus is also very nice.

Blog post image

If you don’t have an Amos’ Bow, other weapons can still do work. Skyward Harp boosts crit damage and doubles down on Ganyu’s area-of-effect theme. The Viridescent Hunt from the battle pass is also great. The cyclone makes it easier to land repeated Frostflake Arrows. Blackcliff Warbow from Paimon’s Bargains boosts damage as Ganyu kills more mobs. If all else fails, standard banner three-star Messenger works well against enemies with crit spots and has inherent crit damage.

How to play Ganyu and best teammates

Despite her effectiveness, learning how to play Ganyu is surprisingly simple and easy.

Start off by throwing out her elemental skill Trail of the Qilin. It has a taunt effect that draws in enemies and keeps them away from Ganyu. Then start powering up Frostflake Arrows. Her charged attack has a special property where it gains an additional bonus after a short time. Frostflake Arrows deal standard charged damage when they hit and explode, dealing additional damage after a short delay. The Frostflake Arrow damage can reach as high as 400%. 

As for how to play with Ganyu’s elemental burst Celestial Shower, throw it out as soon as it becomes available. The ice rain isn’t as random as it seems. It constantly targets enemies and will deal damage even if the icicle seems to miss. These shards deal damage in a circle, so bunched-up enemies can quickly melt from overlapping areas of effect.

Blog post image

Ganyu’s role as a long-range sniper makes it difficult to find good supports.

The best teammates for Ganyu are Venti, Shenhe, Raiden Shogun, and Mona. Venti’s elemental burst has great synergy with Celestial Shower. Shenhe boosts cryo damage and strips enemy resistances, further boosting Ganyu’s damage. Raiden Shogun’s skill still deals damage at range, creating easy superconduct reactions. Mona is the best Ganyu teammate for constantly inflicting freeze reactions on enemies. Her skill is basically the same as Ganyu’s, and two taunts are always better than one.

Recommended

PvP dynamics and guardian classes in Destiny 2

All you need to know about PvP mode and unique classes in Destiny 2.

By William Davis

|

Mar 18, 2024