Learn how to put together the best possible Amber build in Genshin Impact
Want to learn how to create the best build for Amber in Genshin Impact?Amber is widely regarded as one ofGenshin Impact’s least desirable party members, but as the second playable character you unlock in the game’s prologue questline, you’re going to be playing as her for a while regardless of your opinion of her combat skills. Luckily recent shifts in the meta have been kinder to Amber, and while still not highly thought of as a fighter, she’s now gaining more recognition for her merits as a utility character and 4-star equivalent toYoimiya. Either way, as one of only a handful of completely free characters in the game, this Pyro Bow user is your friend if you’re looking to keep costs down in this free-to-play RPG phenomenon.
How to build Amber as a sub-DPS/support character in Genshin Impact
As one of the game’s starter characters, it’s likely that Amber will play a variety of roles within your party as you advance through the early stages of the game — and, if your focus is on free-to-play, she might end up sticking around even longer than that. The most common and logical role for Amber to fall into seems to be sub-DPS with a secondary specialisation in ranged Pyro support, so that’s what we’ll be focussing on in this build.
Alternative: Prototype Crescent
Amber is an archer, and the best bow to make the most of her skills is undoubtedly theSkyward Harp. Hits with this bow offer increased critical damage, as well as a high chance of inflicting AoE damage with every hit, which goes a long way to making up for Amber’s comparative weaknesses in other areas of combat. Furthermore, Amber is one of just three bow-users in the game (along withFischlandTartaglia) who can proc the Skyward Harp’s passive effects with the use of her Elemental Skill as well as with her normal attacks, which strongly points towards this weapon being designed at least partially with her in mind.
However, the Skyward Harp is a 5-star weapon, meaning that it’s not always a realistic or desirable choice for fans focusing on putting together a free-to-play party, or those building Amber as a support character. For a more attainable 4-star alternative, there are arguments to be made for either the Sacrificial Bow or Favonius Warbow thanks to their elemental cooldown reductions, but I prefer thePrototype Crescent. After landing a charged attack hit on an enemy’s weak point with this weapon, Amber will enjoy 10% increased movement speed and a 36% boost to ATK power for 10 seconds. If (like me) you often find yourself switching to Amber as a utility fighter for large enemies like the Ruin Guard who are best tackled by a ranged character capable of ducking and weaving, this weapon is an ideal choice.
Alternative: Crimson Witch of Flames
As a general rule, any Artifacts that boost Amber’s elemental abilities can’t be equipped quickly enough. But for the most useful possible effects, going all-in on theWanderer’s Troupeset is your best bet. Equipping two pieces will boost her Elemental Mastery by a whopping 80, while equipping four will further add a sizeable (35%) Charged Attack DMG to her bow attacks. There aren’t many sets that provide this kind of balanced increase to both weapon and elemental attacks at once, and this one’s very relevant to Amber, so it’s worth tracking down all the pieces.
If you’re struggling to pick up a complete Wanderer’s Troupe set, though, you can substitute in a few pieces fromCrimson Witch of Flamesto make up the shortfall. Amber’s kit doesn’t call for any particularly spectacular artifacts, so defaulting to the standard Pyro-boosting set is as good a choice as any. Two pieces from this set give a 15% bonus to all Pyro damage Amber deals, while four pieces massively increase all damage from her Elemental Skill and anyElemental Reactionsshe applies in combination with other characters.
Keep Amber’s build in balance by prioritising the following stats and substats on her artifact set:
Secondary: Fiery Rain (Elemental Burst)
Amber’s ranged weapon attacks are more useful than her purely elemental offensives, so make the most of her bowmanship by focusing on herSharpshooterandFiery Rainskills. The latter actually gives you the chance to enjoy the best of both worlds, and there’s something very satisfying about sending a volley of flaming arrows at your enemies from a (relatively) safe distance, so don’t miss out on this potential aspect of Amber’s build.
Here’s a quick run-down of all of Amber’s talents:
5-star alternative:Mona replacing Xingqiu as sub-DPS
Amber makes a solid sub-DPS for her fellow starter characterKaeya, thanks to their respective elements of Pyro and Cryo reacting together for the powerful Melt damage-dealing reaction. Ideally, Amber should be the one to attack second and trigger Melt, since having the Pyro character activate it delivers a stronger version of the effect; while Kaeya, as a sword-wielder and overall the stronger fighter of the two (unless attacking from range), should be your active character to deliver the follow-up attacks while Melt is active.
Adding a second sub-DPS with the Hydro element to the team opens up the door for another pair of devastating offensive reactions: Freeze (Hydro + Cryo) and Vaporize (Hydro + Pyro). Freeze completely immobilises enemies for the duration of the effect, while Vaporize works more or less the same as Melt (although with this reaction, the effect is stronger if Amber lets her Hydro partner deliver the second attack).Xingqiuis one of the best sub-DPS characters in the game and quite easy to obtain from early on thanks to his 4-star rarity, making him an ideal choice for this role; though if you’re lucky enough to pullMona, it’s worth considering using her instead for this set-up, since her Elemental Burst skill features an expansive Hydro AoE that particularly complements Amber’s ranged Pyro abilities.
Finally,Bennettis the ideal healer/support character for a fellow Pyro user, since his mere presence on a team with Amber will grant the entire party an additional 25% DMG with the Fervent Flames resonance (as well as reducing the duration of Cryo debuffs applied to the team by 40%). He heals the team when using his Elemental Burst and is also a solid choice for dealing additional Pyro damage, potentially making this a team with four DPS characters working in rotation.
To fully ascend Amber you’ll need the following materials:
Fortunately, almost all of these materials can be acquired by either foraging around Mondstadt (Amber’s favourite place) or clearing out Hilichurl camps (Amber’s favourite activity), so as long as you’re happy to keep at it you should be able to steadily work on her ascensions as you play as her.
To fully level up (or “crown”) any one of Amber’s three talents, you’ll need the following materials:
You can choose to fully level up two or even all three of Amber’s talents (known as “triple crowning”), but just be aware that this entails collecting the aforementioned levelling materials three times over, which is why Genshin Impact players usually reserve that honour only for their very favourite mains. But hey, if that’s what Amber is to you, then go for it! Like her Ascension Materials and in common with the game’s other starter characters, Amber’s talent levelling materials are mercifully quite easy to get hold of, and you’ll almost certainly end up farming them as you progress through the game without too much extra difficulty. Just be sure to regularly tackle the Confront Stormterror trounce domain to get a hold of a supply of Dvalin’s Sighs, and keep an eye on the events and offerings that can net you a Crown of Insight as part of their rewards.
It’s fair to say that Amber benefits from a little extra help when it comes to increasing her strength as a party member. However, thanks to her status as a starter character meaning that she’s never featured in the gacha, her Constellations are actually surprisingly hard to collect. Therefore, yourWishesmight be better spent trying to get hold of a different Pyro character; but if you do decide to press on with Amber, here’s a full list of her Constellations:
Amber — the last Outrider of the Knights of Favonius — joinsthe Traveler’s party while you’re playing through Genshin Impact’s prologue questline. She’s kind of impossible to miss, as simply following Paimon’s directions will cause you to bump into her shortly before you reach Mondstadt. Progression through the prologue requires you to have Amber in your party, so don’t worry about missing out on unlocking her, since the game won’t allow you to get very far without her. You technically need to complete the Prologue Act 1 quest Wind-Riding Knight to get her on-side permanently, but in practice she’ll be with you full-time from when you first meet.
It’s also possible to re-roll Amber when wishing on the standard Wanderlust Invocation banner or to purchase her from Paimon’s Bargains, where she’s featured about once every six months (usually on the April and October line-ups). However, Amber never appears on any featured wishes from the Character or Weapon Event wish series, and therefore never has an increased drop rate in the gacha, making her one of the rarest re-roll characters in the game.
Now you know everything there is to know about making Amber the best she can be, why not check out ourGenshin Impact character tier listand see how she measures up? (Spoilers: she ranked dead last. Sorry, Amber.)
Still, if Amber’s ignited your interest in Pyro Bow users, you might be interested in new hero Yoimiya, who basically does everything Amber does but better (but who you also have to pay money for). Have a look at ourbest Yoimiya buildpage for more details. Alternatively, if you’re interested in exploring the possibilites of other free and early game characters, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to thebest Traveler build, and given the same treatment to Amber’s fellow starter recruitsKaeyaandLisa.
