Learn how to put together the best possible Cyno build in Genshin Impact
It’s generally agreed he was worth the wait, though: not many Electro characters make for an effective main DPS, but Cyno handily bucks that trend with a set of powerful normal and elemental attacks. So read on for details of the best build we’ve seen for Cyno, including his best weapons, artifacts, party members, and more.
How to build Cyno as your main DPS in Genshin Impact
4-star alternative:Deathmatch
Staff of the Scarlet Sandsis a new polearm introduced in Version 3.1, and unsurprisingly it’s an excellent choice of weapon for the version’s brand-new polearm wielder Cyno. With this polearm equipped, Cyno will gain a huge percentage of his Elemental Mastery as an ATK bonus, with another EM-scaled ATK bonus popping in for 10 seconds whenever Cyno’s Elemental Skill hits an opponent.
However, a brand-new 5-star weapon isn’t necessarily the most attainable thing inGenshin Impact, especially if you’ve just depleted your wishes getting Cyno in the first place. TheDeathmatchmakes for a strong 4-star alternative for Cyno: it grants him increased ATK when facing off against a single opponent, or a mixed increase to ATK and DEF when in the vicinity of two or more opponents.
Cyno requires a good mix of ATK and Elemental Mastery, but you really have the choice of whether to go all-in on a single artifact set that boosts one stat, or mix-and-match for a balance of the two.
For ATK bonuses, theGladiator’s Finaleset will grant Cyno an extra 18% ATK bonus at two pieces. If you choose to focus entirely on ATK as Cyno’s primary artifact bonus, then you can equip four pieces from this set; then Cyno’s melee attacks with his polearm will enjoy a further 35% increase to Normal ATK DMG.
For Elemental Mastery bonuses,Gilded Dreamswill provide Cyno with some helpful boosts. With two pieces equipped, Cyno’s Elemental Mastery will be increased by 80. If you choose to focus fully on Elemental Mastery with Cyno’s artifacts, you can equip four pieces from this set. This will grant Cyno buffs based on the element of his party members whenever he triggers an elemental reaction: increasing his ATK by 14% for every other Electro character in his party, and his Elemental Mastery by 50 for every party memeber with a different element to Cyno’s.
To really make the most of Cyno’s build, aim for the following stats and substats on his artifacts:
Secondary:Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer (Elemental Skill)
All three of Cyno’s active talents are worth developing if you plan to use him as your main DPS, but his incredibly powerful Elemental Burst should definitely take top priority. Which talent you choose to focus on next is somewhat your call, but it’s probably better to go all-in on his elemental talents before focussing on his normal attack last (but not least).
Here’s a full list of Cyno’s talents and what they do:
5-star alternative:Yelan replacing Xingqiu as Hydro sub-DPS
Cyno is immune to Electro-Charged (Electro + Hydro) damage when his Elemental Burst is active, so pair him up with a Hydro sub-DPS to take best advantage of this.Xingqiuis a top-class candidate and extremely attainable at a 4-star rarity; but if you have a 5-star Hydro character likeYelan, you can consider subbing them in for more of a co-DPS role.
On the support side of the team, Cyno will find it useful to have another Electro character in his party to act as elemental battery. Since the game has gained a pair of Electro healers lately you might as well double up this role, in which case I recommendKuki Shinobu— as an added bonus, Shinobu’s Elemental Skill can provide continuous Electro DMG and healing even when she’s off-field. Finally, round the team out withColleito take advantage of the still-new interactivity between Electro + Dendro (and Dendro + Hydro) for some powerful DMG boosts.
To fully ascend Cyno, you will need the following materials:
Vajrada Amethyst pieces are easy enough to get hold of, since they’re dropped quite freely by Electro area bosses; included in random levelling material rewards and purchaseable from vendors at lower levels; and obtainable through alchemy at higher levels. Scarabs are found in the wild around Sumeru, while Scrolls are dropped by defeated Samachurls of increasing difficulty. Finally, Thunderclap Fruitcores are exclusively dropped by defeated Electro Regisvines at Lvl 30+.
To fully level up one of Cyno’s active talents, you’ll need the following materials:
If you want to level up all three of Cyno’s talents you’ll need to collect all of this three times over, so best get farming! As with his Ascension Materials, Samachurls are a source of Scrolls; while Cyno’s books can be obtained from Sumeru’s Steeple of Ignorance domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Mudras of the Malefic General come from replaying The Shogun’s boss fight “End of the Oneiric Euthymia” at Lvl 70+. Finally, Crowns of Insight can be obtained through limited-time events or by making offerings to the Frostbearing Tree and the Sacred Sakura.
As a 5-star character, Cyno’s constellations are going to be out of reach for many players, and will take even the most dedicated mains quite a while to collect. Still, if you’re all about Cyno, here’s what you’re pulling for when you roll his duplicates:
If you plan on pulling for Cyno this time around, be sure to take a look at our advice on how to get morecurrenciesandwishes!
Now that you know all about Cyno in Genshin Impact, you might be interested in learning more about the many other playable characters available in the game. If the idea of an Electro polearm fighter has piqued your interest, why not check out ourRaiden Shogun buildguide to see how her kit compares to Cyno’s? Or if you’re after the bigger picture, take a look at ourGenshin Impact character tier listfor our rankings of every single character in the game.
