A Comprehensive Sayu Guide in Genshin Impact

Sayu, the quirky ninja healer from Genshin Impact, not only has unique gameplay mechanics but is also more than a mere substitute for other team members.

Sayu's distinct abilities and how they can be harnessed for both utility and fun make her a character worth considering for your roster.

This guide dives into her talents, gameplay strategies, optimal artifact and weapon choices, and team compositions.

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A Comprehensive Sayu Guide: Best Builds and Team Compositions

Understanding Sayu's Kit

Normal Attacks: Shuumatsuban Ninja Blade‍

Sayu's normal attacks are typical of claymore users, involving a series of physical strikes.

Her charged attack spins her around with the claymore, dealing physical damage to all nearby enemies.

These aren't her main focus, given her utility-oriented kit.

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Elemental Skill: Yoohoo Art Fuuin Dash‍

This skill has two modes based on whether it's tapped or held.

Tapping it causes Sayu to deal a quick Anemo slash, generating a small amount of particles.

Holding it transforms Sayu into a rolling whirlwind, allowing her to traverse terrain quickly and deal continuous Anemo damage to enemies she rolls into.

This mode is unique as it allows Sayu to absorb an element (Pyro, Hydro, Electro, or Cryo) and deal additional elemental damage.

It's a versatile tool for both exploration and combat, enabling elemental reactions on the go.

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Elemental Burst: Yoohoo Art Mujina Flurry‍

Sayu's burst heals allies and deals Anemo damage to enemies.

Upon activation, it sends out a healing whirlwind that provides healing based on Sayu's ATK stat.

Additionally, it summons a Muji-Muji Daruma that alternates between healing allies below a certain HP threshold and attacking enemies with Anemo damage.

This burst serves as Sayu's primary source of healing and requires careful energy management due to its high energy cost.

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Passive Talents

Someone More Capable (A1)‍

This passive talent allows Sayu's Elemental Skill to heal her and her allies when Sayu's HP is below a certain threshold, linking her healing capability not just to her burst but also to her mobility skill.

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No Work Today! (A4)‍

Enhances the healing effect of Sayu's Elemental Burst based on her Elemental Mastery, encouraging a build that balances ATK for healing and EM for enhanced swirl reactions.

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Yoohoo Art: Silencer's Secret (Exploration Passive)‍

A quality-of-life passive for exploration, reducing the detection radius of Sayu by animals that can be scared away.

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Talent Prioritization

Elemental Burst

‍This should be your top priority for leveling up, regardless of Sayu's role in your team.

Her burst not only provides significant healing based on Sayu's ATK stat but also deals Anemo damage to enemies.

With the right build, the burst can heal allies below 70% HP and simultaneously attack enemies, making it a versatile tool in any combat scenario.

Enhancing this talent increases both the healing and damage output, solidifying Sayu's role as a healer who can contribute to the team's overall DPS.

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Elemental Skill

‍Sayu's skill is unique, allowing her to roll around the battlefield, dealing Anemo damage, and triggering Swirl reactions.

While not the primary source of her utility, upgrading this talent can improve her damage output when used strategically, especially together with Elemental Mastery to maximize Swirl damage.

However, because the skill's primary function is utility rather than damage, it should be a secondary priority after her burst.

If you're using Sayu primarily for her healing and support capabilities, investing heavily in this talent is less crucial.

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Normal Attack

‍Sayu's normal and charged attacks are the least important to invest in.

Given that Sayu's primary contributions to a team are her healing and ability to facilitate elemental reactions through her Elemental Skill and Burst, her physical attack chain is often underutilized.

You will find that resources spent on enhancing her normal attacks could be better allocated to her Elemental Skill and Burst for a more significant impact on her performance in a support role.

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Artifact Builds for Sayu

Viridescent Venerer Set (4 pieces)

Increases Swirl damage by 60%.

Decreases opponent's Elemental RES to the element infused in the Swirl by 40% for 10 seconds.

Best for enhancing Sayu's ability to reduce enemies' Elemental Resistance through Swirl reactions, making her an excellent support for teams that rely heavily on Elemental Damage.

This set increases not just Sayu's utility but also increases the overall damage output of the team.

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Maiden Beloved Set (4 pieces)

Increases Healing Effectiveness by 15%.

Using an Elemental Skill or Burst increases healing received by all party members by 20% for 10 seconds.

Best for teams that benefit significantly from increased healing.

This set is ideal if Sayu is primarily used as a healer, ensuring that she can keep her teammates healthy in prolonged fights.

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Mixed Set for Flexibility

2 pieces of Viridescent Venerer (Anemo DMG Bonus +15%) and 2 pieces of Maiden Beloved (Healing Effectiveness +15%).

Best for a balanced approach that boosts both Sayu's healing capabilities and her Anemo damage, suitable for teams that need moderate healing and benefit from her Swirl reactions.

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Main Stat Priority

Sands

Energy Recharge or Elemental Mastery‍

Choose Energy Recharge if you find Sayu's burst uptime lacking.

If her energy needs are met comfortably, Elemental Mastery can enhance her Swirl reaction damage and healing effectiveness through her Ascension 1 passive.

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Goblet

Anemo DMG Bonus‍

Boosts the damage of her Elemental Skill and Burst, making her Swirl reactions more potent.

Alternatively, for a more healing-focused Sayu, HP% can be considered to improve her healing output directly, although Anemo DMG is generally preferred for its versatility.

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Circlet

Healing Bonus: Directly increases the amount of healing her burst provides, which is crucial if she's your main or sole healer.

Elemental Mastery: If Swirl reactions and enhancing team damage are your priority, and if another healer supports Sayu, EM can further improve her utility.

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Sub Stat Priority

Energy Recharge‍

Sayu has a high energy cost on her burst (80).

Ensuring she has enough Energy Recharge to use her burst frequently is crucial, aiming for at least 180%-200% depending on the rest of your team composition and her weapon.

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Elemental Mastery‍

Increases the effectiveness of her Swirl reactions and the healing from her Ascension 1 passive.

After meeting your Energy Recharge requirements, Elemental Mastery is a great stat to stack for an all-around supportive Sayu.

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ATK%‍

Since her healing scales with her ATK stat, having some ATK% in her sub stats can help balance her healing efficiency without sacrificing too much on her support capabilities.

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HP%‍

Beneficial if you're using Sayu primarily as a healer, as it indirectly boosts her healing output.

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Crit Rate and Crit DMG‍

These are lower priority but can be beneficial if you're using Sayu more actively in combat or optimizing her roll build for damage.

These stats can help maximize the damage output of her Elemental Skill's final kick and her Elemental Burst.

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Weapon Selection

For Support and Swirl Reaction Enhancement

Sacrificial Greatsword

‍This weapon is an excellent choice for Sayu, primarily for its ability to potentially reset the cooldown of her Elemental Skill, allowing her to roll or heal more frequently.

The Energy Recharge stat also helps with her burst's high energy requirements, ensuring more consistent healing and Swirl reactions.

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Favonius Greatsword‍

Similar to the Sacrificial Greatsword, the Favonius weapon focuses on Energy Recharge, helping Sayu maintain her burst uptime.

Its passive ability generates energy particles when CRIT hits are achieved, which can be beneficial in teams where Sayu is one of the primary sources of Energy generation.

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For Enhanced Healing

Prototype Archaic (formerly Prototype Animus)‍

While not directly enhancing her healing, this weapon boosts Sayu's overall ATK, which her healing scales with.

It's a solid choice if you're also using Sayu's damage potential alongside her healing capabilities.

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Rainslasher‍

Although more niche, this weapon can be useful in teams where Sayu is paired with Hydro or Electro characters, enhancing her damage against enemies affected by those elements.

The Elemental Mastery stat also benefits her Swirl reaction damage and, indirectly, her healing through her Ascension 1 passive.

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For Mobility and Fun

The Bell‍

While generally not recommended due to its passive not aligning well with Sayu's kit, The Bell can offer an interesting playstyle focused on maximizing Sayu's HP for better survivability while rolling around.

This option is more for fun rather than optimization.

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Special Mention

Freedom-Sworn‍

Although a 5-star option and not easily accessible, this sword offers a significant boost to Sayu's Elemental Mastery, enhancing her Swirl reactions and the passive healing from her Ascension 1 talent.

The passive ability also increases DMG, which can be beneficial in reaction-focused teams.

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For Elemental Mastery Focus

Katsuragikiri Nagamasa‍

This Energy Recharge-focused claymore also allows Sayu to use her Elemental Skill more frequently, which can be particularly useful if you're focusing on a role build or ensuring her burst is always ready.

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Team Composition for Sayu

Reaction-Based Teams

Sayu is a great addition to teams focusing on elemental reactions like Swirl, Electro-Charged, or even Bloom if paired with Dendro characters.

Her ability to Swirl with her Elemental Skill and Burst ensures consistent elemental reaction damage output.

Example Team: Sayu (Anemo), Xiangling (Pyro), Beidou (Electro), and Barbara (Hydro).

In this composition, Sayu can Swirl Pyro or Electro applied by Xiangling and Beidou, enhancing reaction damage while Barbara provides additional healing and Hydro application for Electro-Charged reactions.

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Mobility and Exploration

Sayu's unique rolling mechanic allows for fast traversal, making her a convenient choice for exploration teams.

Her passive also prevents startling certain wildlife, making her ideal for gathering resources.

Exploration Team: Sayu, Razor/Kazuha for additional mobility, Ningguang for revealing ore locations, and any character for specific elemental puzzles (e.g., Electro for activating mechanisms).

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Healing-focused Teams

In teams that require sustained healing over time, Sayu can continuously heal the active character with the lowest HP, ensuring team survivability.

Her healing scales with her ATK, making her compatible with teams that engage in prolonged battles.

Sustain Team: Sayu, Albedo (Geo) for consistent off-field damage, Bennett (Pyro) for additional healing and ATK buffs, and a flexible DPS slot depending on the enemy element or player preference.

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Elemental Mastery Builds

For teams that aim to maximize Swirl reaction damage, Sayu can be built with high Elemental Mastery.

Pairing her with characters that apply consistent elemental auras can significantly boost the team's overall damage output.

Elemental Mastery Team: Sayu, Sucrose (Anemo) for Elemental Mastery sharing, Fischl (Electro) for consistent Electro application, and Tartaglia (Hydro) for Riptide effects and Hydro application.

This setup focuses on maximizing Swirl and Electro-Charged reactions.

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Flexibility in Team Roles

Sayu's kit allows her to fit into various team roles, either as a primary healer, a Swirl reaction enabler, or even a secondary damage dealer with her Elemental Burst.

Her adaptability makes her a valuable addition to many team compositions without a fixed Anemo support.

Flexible Team: Sayu, Ganyu (Cryo) for Freeze reactions and high DPS, Zhongli (Geo) for shielding and crowd control, and Mona (Hydro) for Hydro application and damage amplification.

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Sayu's Constellations

Constellation 1: Multi-Task no Jutsu

This constellation allows Sayu's Yoohoo Art: Mujina Flurry to attack and heal simultaneously, ignoring the HP threshold that typically dictates its function.

This upgrade solidifies Sayu's role as a flexible support, enabling her to contribute to DPS while providing consistent healing to the team.

With C1, Sayu becomes more reliable in fast-paced combat situations where healing and damage are both critical, making her an excellent choice for teams that engage closely with enemies.

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Constellation 2: Egress Prep

Enhances the damage of Sayu's Fuufuu Whirlwind Kick and increases its damage the longer she remains in her Windwheel state.

This constellation boosts Sayu's potential in a role build, where she spends more time rolling to deal damage.

C2 is particularly useful in situations where Sayu can safely roll through enemies for extended periods, such as in large mob fights or when needing to break shields with Swirl reactions.

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Constellation 4: Skiving New and Improved

This constellation provides a steady stream of energy for Sayu, reducing her reliance on external energy recharge sources.

It enhances her ability to consistently deploy her Elemental Burst.

C4 is invaluable for maintaining high uptime on Sayu's burst in energy-hungry teams or when Sayu is built with less emphasis on energy recharge.

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Constellation 6: Sleep O'Clock

This powerful constellation ties Sayu's Elemental Mastery directly to the effectiveness of her Daruma, significantly increasing its healing and damage.

It encourages a build focusing on Elemental Mastery for Sayu.

C6 transforms Sayu into a formidable support character who can provide substantial healing and damage based on her Elemental Mastery.

It's especially beneficial in teams that leverage Swirl reactions or where Sayu can capitalize on high Elemental Mastery for enhanced utility.

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Sayu's Unique Role and Gameplay Tips

Embrace Her Mobility

Sayu's Windwheel state, activated by holding her Elemental Skill, offers unparalleled mobility on the battlefield.

It not only allows her to evade attacks with ease but also positions her strategically to gather enemies, apply elemental reactions, or quickly traverse the map.

Using her roll to reposition or escape tight situations can significantly enhance your team's survivability and damage output.

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Snapshotting with Elemental Skill

Sayu's Elemental Skill, when held, snapshots buffs at the moment of activation.

This means any attack or Elemental Mastery buffs applied to Sayu, such as those from Bennett's Fantastic Voyage or Sucrose's passive talents, are locked in for the skill's duration.

Strategically timing the activation of her skill after receiving buffs can maximize her damage and healing effectiveness during her Windwheel state.

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Elemental Absorption Strategy

Given her priority for Elemental absorption (Pyro > Hydro > Electro > Cryo), Sayu can become a key player in setting up or continuing elemental reactions for your team.

Placing her in environments or alongside characters that can consistently apply these elements can turn her into a reaction machine.

However, be mindful of her surroundings and team composition to ensure the desired element is absorbed, especially in domains or battles where multiple elements are at play.

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Optimizing Daruma's Utility

Her Elemental Burst summons a Daruma that provides healing and deals damage, prioritizing characters with HP below 70%.

After her first constellation, it simultaneously heals and attacks, regardless of HP thresholds.

Positioning in combat can ensure that the Daruma heals the intended targets or focuses on enemies when additional damage is necessary.

Moreover, since her Daruma's healing scales with Sayu's Attack, building her with a balance of ATK and Energy Recharge can ensure she performs both roles effectively.

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Swirl Reactions and Elemental Mastery

Sayu benefits significantly from Elemental Mastery, enhancing the effectiveness of her Swirl reactions and, with her C6, the healing and damage of her Daruma.

For teams reliant on elemental reactions, prioritizing EM in her build can amplify the team's overall damage output.

Pairing her with characters like Sucrose, who can boost the team's EM, or reaction-focused teams can optimize Sayu's potential to create devastating elemental combinations.

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Energy Management

Managing Sayu's energy is crucial due to the high cost of her Elemental Burst.

While her C4 constellation aids in energy regeneration, integrating Sayu with characters who provide energy particles or using weapons like Favonius Greatsword can ensure her burst is available when needed.

Balancing her Energy Recharge rate through artifacts or team synergy is key to maintaining her as a constant presence on the field.

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Final Thoughts on Sayu

Whether you're traversing Teyvat's vast landscapes or engaging in challenging battles, Sayu's unique blend of healing and Anemo support ensures she's more than just a backup option.

By understanding and taking advantage of her strengths, Sayu can become an indispensable member of your Genshin Impact team.