Mona Guide: Mastering the Hydro Catalyst in Genshin Impact

Mona, the mysterious hydro catalyst unit, is a versatile character capable of fitting into various roles.

Whether you've pulled her in a wish or decided to dive into her abilities, understanding her kit and mechanics is essential.

This guide covers her talents, constellations, best artifact and weapon builds, and team compositions.

Let's jump right in!

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In-Depth Mona Guide: Best Builds and Team Comps

Understanding Mona's Talents and Playstyle

Normal and Charged Attacks: Ripple of Fate

Incorporates a distinctive backward teleport between the second and third hits.

Delivers high AoE damage at the cost of 50 stamina.

Mastery of her attack sequence is crucial, especially for DPS roles.

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Elemental Skill: Mirror Reflection of Doom

Tap Cast: Creates a taunting phantom for crowd control, emitting AoE Hydro damage.

Hold Cast: Adds a backward dodge, offering brief invincibility frames (iFrames).

Essential for crowd control and evasive actions, beneficial in both DPS and support roles.

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Elemental Burst: Stellaris Phantasm

Creates a bubble trap, applying Wet status and leading to a strong Hydro explosion.

Omen Buff is applied immediately, enhancing damage before and after the bubble pops.

Freezing enemies extends the Omen duration.

Central to Mona’s burst damage potential, especially when combined with Vaporize reactions.

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Sprint Mechanic: Illusory Torrent

Mona moves as a hydro stream, capable of passing through enemies and applying Hydro.

Key for quick positioning, applying Hydro strategically, and dodging attacks.

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Ascension Talents

Come 'n' Get Me, Hag! (Ascension 1)

After using Illusory Torrent for 2s, Mona will create a Phantom that deals 50% of her Skill damage when explodes.

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Waterborne Destiny (Ascension 4)

Converts a percentage of Mona's Energy Recharge into Hydro DMG Bonus.

Encourages building Energy Recharge for enhanced damage output.

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Talent Priority

Mona as Main DPS

Elemental Burst

Her burst is the centerpiece of her DPS toolkit, dealing significant hydro damage and increasing subsequent attacks with the Omen debuff.

Enhancing this talent increases the initial burst damage and the effectiveness of the Omen debuff, which is crucial for high-damage vaporize reactions.

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Normal and Charged Attacks

In a DPS role, Mona’s normal and charged attacks are important for consistent damage output, especially between burst cooldowns.

Mastery of her attack sequence, including the optimal use of charged attacks, is key for maximizing damage.

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Elemental Skill

While important for utility and some AoE hydro application, it’s less crucial for her overall DPS compared to her burst and normal attacks.

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Mona as Support

Elemental Burst

Even in a support role, the burst remains crucial.

It not only deals significant AoE hydro damage but also applies the Omen debuff, increasing the team’s damage against affected enemies.

Aim to maximize the duration and effectiveness of the Omen buff for team-wide damage enhancement.

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Elemental Skill

The skill’s utility for taunting enemies and applying hydro becomes more valuable in a support role.

Useful for setting up elemental reactions and providing brief crowd control.

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Normal and Charged Attacks

In a support-focused build, Mona’s normal and charged attacks are less frequently used, making this talent a lower priority.

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Best Artifact Builds

Best Artifact Sets for DPS Mona

Heart of Depth: Increasing her hydro damage, particularly effective if Mona is used for her normal and charged attacks.

Wanderer's Troupe: A playstyle focused on charged attacks and elemental reactions, especially Vaporize.

Noblesse Oblige: Often combined with a 2-piece Heart of Depth for a balance between burst and hydro damage.

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Best Artifact Sets for Support Mona

Noblesse Oblige: Ideal for enhancing team damage output, particularly beneficial in teams where Mona’s role is to buff and set up reactions.

Emblem of Severed Fate: Good for builds focusing on maximizing her burst frequency and damage, especially when high Energy Recharge is needed.

Tenacity of the Millelith: When an Elemental Skill hits an enemy, increases ATK of all nearby party members. Great for supportive builds where Mona’s skill is used to enhance team attack power.

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Main Stat Priorities

• Sands: ATK% for DPS; Energy Recharge for support.
• Goblet: Hydro DMG Bonus is almost universally the best choice for Mona.
• Circlet: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG, depending on your CRIT ratio. Consider Elemental Mastery for a reaction-focused build.

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Substat Priorities

• DPS Focus: CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK%, and Elemental Mastery.
• Support Focus: Energy Recharge, CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and ATK%.
• Balancing Act: Achieve a healthy balance between CRIT stats and Energy Recharge, ensuring both consistent damage and burst availability.

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Weapon Choices

Weapons for DPS Mona

Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds

High CRIT Rate and continuously increasing DMG when Mona remains on the field.

On-field DPS builds where Mona stays in combat for longer periods to maximize the DMG bonus.

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The Widsith

Offers a significant DMG boost through one of three random themes upon entering the field.

Excellent for burst DPS playstyles, especially when timed with its active buff.

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Skyward Atlas

Increases Elemental DMG and grants an additional ATK bonus through its special ability.

Great for enhancing overall Elemental DMG, benefiting both her normal attacks and burst.

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Solar Pearl (Battle Pass Weapon)

Boosts both Normal Attack and Elemental Skill/Burst DMG.

A balanced approach to DPS, enhancing all aspects of Mona’s offensive capabilities.

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Weapons for Support Mona

Favonius Codex

Provides Energy Recharge and generates energy particles, ensuring more frequent use of her burst.

Great for support builds focused on burst uptime and Elemental Reaction setups.

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Prototype Amber

Generates energy while also providing some healing.

Useful for teams needing additional sustain, while also boosting Mona's Energy Recharge.

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Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers (3-Star Weapon)

Increases the next character's ATK after Mona switches out.

Enhances the main DPS’s damage in quick-swap team compositions.

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Mappa Mare

Boosts Elemental Reaction DMG, making it a viable choice for Elemental Reaction-focused teams.

Effective in teams where Mona is used to trigger frequent Elemental Reactions.

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Niche and Situational Choices

Hakushin Ring

In Electro-Charged teams, boosts Electro DMG after triggering an Electro-related reaction.

Best orspecific team compositions involving Electro characters.

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Wine and Song

Offers Energy Recharge and mobility advantages.

Can be used in more mobile playstyles, though less commonly preferred.

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Constellations Breakdown

C1: Prophecy of Submersion

Increases the damage of Hydro-related Elemental Reactions (Electro-Charged, Vaporize, Hydro Swirl, and Frozen).

This constellation amplifies Mona's role in reaction-based teams, particularly enhancing Vaporize and Electro-Charged setups.

Ideal in teams where Mona is used to set up or contribute to Elemental Reactions.

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C2: Lunar Chain

Mona gains a 20% chance to emit a charged attack without consuming stamina.

Particularly useful for a DPS Mona, allowing more frequent use of powerful charged attacks.

Enhances her on-field damage potential, especially in prolonged combat scenarios.

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C4: Prophecy of Oblivion

Grants a 15% CRIT Rate bonus to characters attacking enemies affected by Omen.

Enhances both Mona’s burst damage and the overall team's damage output against Omen-affected enemies.

Amplifies her role as a supportive character who can also dish out considerable damage.

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C6: Rhetorics of Calamitas

Mona's sprint accumulates a damage bonus for her next charged attack.

While it offers a substantial damage bonus, it's often impractical in combat due to its setup requirement.

More of a niche utility, beneficial for showcasing high-damage bursts but less effective in standard gameplay.

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Team Compositions

Freeze Compositions

Use Mona's hydro application to freeze enemies in conjunction with Cryo characters.

Ganyu, Ayaka, or Kaeya for consistent Cryo application; Venti or Sucrose for crowd control and elemental absorption.

Mona sets up hydro status for Cryo characters to freeze enemies.

An Anemo character enhances group control and amplifies reactions through Viridescent Venerer artifacts.

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Vaporize Compositions

Mona's Elemental Burst is key for triggering high-damage Vaporize reactions.

Diluc, Hu Tao, or Klee for Pyro application; Bennett for his attack buff and healing.

Apply Pyro, then use Mona's burst for a massive Vaporize reaction.

Bennett enhances overall team damage and provides sustainability.

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Electro-Charged (Taser) Teams

Consistent Electro-Charged reactions for continuous AOE damage.

Fischl, Beidou, or Raiden Shogun for Electro application; Kazuha or Sucrose for elemental absorption and crowd control.

Mona applies Hydro, enabling continuous Electro-Charged reactions with Electro characters.

Anemo support enhances reaction damage and groups enemies.

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Bloom/Hyperbloom Teams

Mona can contribute to Dendro-based reaction teams, though not optimally.

Nahida or Tighnari for Bloom reactions; another Hydro character like Barbara for consistent Hydro application.

Use Mona for burst hydro application, setting up Bloom or Hyperbloom reactions with Dendro characters.

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Supportive Flex Role

Mona in a flexible, supportive role, enhancing team damage and providing utility.

Main DPS of any element that synergizes with Hydro; Zhongli or Albedo for additional support and off-field damage.

Mona provides burst damage and utility with her taunt and Omen debuff.

The main DPS and other support characters focus on sustained damage and team protection.

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Mona in Elemental Resonance

Hydro Resonance: Pairing Mona with another Hydro character enhances healing and can provide more consistent Hydro application.

Cryo Resonance: In freeze teams, Cryo resonance enhances CRIT Rate against frozen enemies, boosting overall team damage.

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Playstyle and Strategies

As a Main DPS

Skillful Elemental Burst Usage

The essence of Mona's DPS role revolves around her Elemental Burst.

Timing and placement are crucial for maximizing its damage potential, especially when setting up for Vaporize reactions.

Use her burst followed by a strong Pyro character's attack for massive Vaporize damage.

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Charged Attack Mastery

Her charged attacks are potent but consume significant stamina.

Mastery of these, combined with normal attacks, maximizes DPS output.

Use charged attacks strategically, especially when Elemental Reactions like Vaporize can be triggered.

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Fluid Combat Mobility

Mona's unique sprint ability allows her to reposition quickly and avoid damage.

Use this to maintain optimal positioning and apply Hydro strategically.

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Reaction Optimization

Focus on setting up and capitalizing on Elemental Reactions, primarily Vaporize, for peak damage output.

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As a Support or Sub-DPS

Strategic Burst Deployment

Mona's Elemental Burst, with its Omen debuff, significantly boosts the team's damage output.

Use it to increase your main DPS's attacks.

In a support role, prioritize the burst for its utility over direct damage.

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Elemental Skill for Crowd Control

Use her Elemental Skill for its taunting effect, providing crowd control and setting up reactions.

The skill can also be used defensively to distract enemies from your main DPS.

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Hydro Application for Reactions

Mona excels at applying Hydro status for reactions like Freeze or Electro-Charged.

Coordinate with your team for consistent and effective reaction setups.

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Energy Recharge Management

As a support, Mona's burst availability is key. Ensure sufficient Energy Recharge to use her burst frequently.

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Final Thoughts on Mona

Mona's complex mechanics offer rewarding gameplay for those willing to master her abilities.

Whether in a support or DPS role, her ability to enhance team damage and control the battlefield makes her a valuable asset in various team compositions.

Embrace the challenge and enjoy playing Mona in Genshin Impact!