Understanding Yelan: Mastering the Versatile Hydro Archer

Yelan, a 5-star Hydro archer in Genshin Impact, stands out for her flexibility and potency in various team compositions.

This guide explores her talents, optimal builds, team synergies, and tips for maximizing her potential.

Let's dive in!

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Understanding Yelan: Mastering Genshin Impact's Versatile Hydro Archer

Yelan's Talents and Playstyle

Elemental Skill: Lingering Lifeline

Upon activation, Yelan enters a "Breakthrough" state, allowing her to move rapidly and mark enemies with "Lifeline" marks.

When exiting this state, either manually or automatically after a duration, she fires a "Breakthrough Barb" that deals AOE Hydro damage.

Damage scales off Yelan's Max HP.

Primarily used for energy generation and applying Hydro for reactions.

Can strategically maneuver around the battlefield, marking multiple enemies.

Enhances her burst's energy recharge rate, crucial for maintaining her burst uptime.

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Elemental Burst: Depth-Clarion Dice

Yelan's most vital talent, where she throws out a dice that aids in combat alongside the active character.

The dice releases coordinated attacks dealing Hydro DMG whenever the active character attacks.

Like her skill, burst damage scales with her Max HP.

Provides an ATK bonus to the active character, scaling over time during the burst's duration.

Essential for Hydro-related elemental reactions.

Significantly boosts team DPS due to its supportive nature and consistent Hydro application.

The ATK buff is particularly beneficial for main DPS characters in the team.

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Normal Attack: Stealthy Bowshot

Breakthrough Barb‍

A charged attack that becomes available after 5 seconds out of combat.

Deals AOE Hydro DMG and also scales with Max HP.

Generally less important than her skill and burst, but useful for picking off enemies or initiating combat.

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Passive Talents

‍Turn Control: Increases Yelan's HP based on the diversity of the party composition.‍

Adapt With Ease: Reduces cooldown of Lingering Lifeline and increases damage of Depth-Clarion Dice under certain conditions.‍

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Talent Priority

Elemental Burst

This is Yelan's most impactful talent.

Her burst deals consistent Hydro damage and synergizes with the active character’s attacks, making it crucial for triggering elemental reactions.

Scales with her max HP, making it highly effective as Yelan’s HP increases.

It enhances team DPS due to its supportive nature.

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Elemental Skill

Useful for energy generation and applying the Hydro element to enemies.

Increases Hydro application efficiency.

Higher skill level means better energy recharge, aiding in consistently deploying her Elemental Burst.

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Normal Attacks

As a support character, Yelan's normal attacks are less significant.

If relying on her charged attack (Breakthrough Barb), which scales off her normal attack talent.

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Optimal Artifacts for Yelan

Emblem of Severed Fate

This set synergizes perfectly with Yelan's kit.

Her burst is her main source of damage, and it scales off her Max HP.

The energy recharge bonus helps ensure that her burst is available as often as possible, while the bonus to burst damage directly enhances her main damage output.

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Alternative Sets for Mixed Builds

Tenacity of the Millelith: Works well if focusing on HP for a more supportive role.

Mix of Two 2-Piece Sets: Combination of Emblem of Severed Fate with Heart of Depth, Tenacity of the Millelith, or Noblesse Oblige for Energy Recharge and Hydro DMG/HP%/Elemental Burst DMG bonus.

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Main Stats Priority

• ‍Sands: Energy Recharge or HP%.‍
• Goblet: Hydro Damage Bonus.‍
• Circlet: Crit Rate or Crit Damage, depending on what you need to balance her Crit stats. Alternatively, HP% if focusing more on supportive capabilities.

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Substats Priority

• ‍Energy Recharge: Essential to maintain burst uptime.‍
• HP%: Since her skills scale with Max HP, this stat significantly increases her damage output.‍
• Crit Rate and Crit Damage: To maximize her damage potential, especially if her role includes dealing significant damage.‍
• Elemental Mastery: Can be beneficial for boosting elemental reaction damage, especially in teams focused on reactions like Vaporize.

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Weapon Recommendations

5-Star Weapons

Aqua Simulacra‍

Best for maximizing her personal damage.

It offers a high Crit Damage bonus and a beneficial effect for Yelan, particularly in boosting her HP, which directly influences her damage output.

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Elegy for the End‍

Excellent for teams relying on elemental reactions.

It provides Energy Recharge, which is crucial for Yelan, and buffs the team with additional Elemental Mastery and ATK.

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4-Star Weapons

Favonius Warbow‍

A top choice for Energy Recharge, ensuring her Elemental Burst is available as often as possible.

Its passive also generates energy particles, further aiding in burst uptime.

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Sacrificial Bow‍

Offers Energy Recharge and can reset the cooldown of her Elemental Skill, potentially allowing for more energy generation and hydro application.

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The Stringless‍

Enhances Elemental Skill and Burst damage.

While it doesn't offer Energy Recharge, it's a good pick if her energy needs are already met through other means.

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3-Star Weapon

Recurve Bow‍

Provides an HP bonus, which synergizes with her HP scaling.

It's a viable option if limited by weapon availability.

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Weapon Choice Considerations

Energy Recharge Focus: If struggling with energy management, prioritize weapons like the Favonius Warbow or Elegy for the End.

Maximizing Damage Output: If Yelan's role is more damage-focused and energy isn't an issue, Aqua Simulacra or The Stringless can be great choices.

Team Composition Impact: Consider the team's overall energy generation and reaction focus. For teams with tons of energy particle generation, you might lean towards damage-boosting weapons.

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Constellation Analysis

C1: Enter the Plotters

Adds an extra charge to her Elemental Skill.

Increases her energy generation and hydro application, making it easier to maintain her burst uptime.

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C2: Taking All Comers

Enhances her Elemental Burst, adding an extra water arrow that scales with her HP.

Significantly boosts her overall damage output and hydro application, making this a highly valuable constellation for DPS and support roles.

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C4: Bait-and-Switch

After using the Elemental Skill, increases all party members' Max HP for 25 seconds.

Particularly useful if your team has other characters that benefit from increased HP (like Hu Tao). Enhances team survivability.

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C6: Winner Takes All

Her Normal Attacks become Breakthrough Barbs after using the Elemental Burst.

Transforms her into a formidable DPS character, greatly increasing her damage potential.

Especially effective in prolonged fights where sustained damage is crucial.

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Team Composition and Synergy

Hydro Resonance Teams (Double Hydro)

Setup: Another Hydro character like Mona, Furina, or Xingqiu.

Enhanced energy regeneration.

These teams excel in maintaining Elemental Burst uptime for both Hydro characters, maximizing their support and DPS potential.

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Vaporize Teams

Setup: Hu Tao, Diluc, or Klee.

Amplifying Pyro damage through Vaporize reactions.

Yelan’s consistent Hydro application ensures frequent Vaporize procs, boosting Pyro DPS significantly.

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Electro-Charged Teams

Setup: Fischl, Beidou, or Raiden Shogun.

Continuous AOE electro-charged reactions.

Ideal for crowd control and sustained AOE damage.

Yelan's Hydro application complements the Electro characters in triggering consistent Electro-Charged reactions.

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Freeze Teams

Setup: Ganyu, Ayaka, or Chongyun.

Crowd control through freezing enemies.

Excellent for controlling enemy movements and setting up for heavy Cryo DPS.

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Bloom and Hyperbloom Teams (With Dendro)

Setup: Characters like Nahida, Baizhu, Collei, or the Dendro Traveler.

Triggering Dendro-related reactions for additional damage.

Yelan can enhance Dendro reactions, making her a great fit in teams exploiting these mechanics.

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Flexibility in Quick-Swap and Reaction-Based Teams

Yelan can be slotted into various quick-swap teams focusing on elemental reactions, thanks to her quick burst and ability to apply Hydro off-field.

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Advanced Tips for Hydro Application

Maximizing Hydro Application During Elemental Burst

Ensure your active character is consistently hitting enemies during Yelan's Elemental Burst to trigger coordinated Hydro attacks.

Characters with faster attack rates can capitalize on Yelan's burst to apply Hydro more frequently.

This is particularly effective in Vaporize or Electro-Charged teams.

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Balancing Elemental Applications in Reaction Teams

Vaporize Teams (with Pyro DPS)‍

In these teams, Yelan’s Hydro application should be carefully balanced with the Pyro character's attacks to ensure optimal Vaporize procs.

Avoid overwhelming Pyro application to maintain reaction consistency.

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Electro-Charged Teams‍

Here, Yelan's consistent Hydro application complements continuous Electro application for sustained AOE damage.

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Freeze Compositions‍

For Freeze teams, it's crucial to balance Yelan's Hydro with Cryo application to maintain the Freeze status without over-applying one element.

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Using Charge Attack Post-Burst

Breakthrough Barb‍

After Yelan's Elemental Burst, use her charge attack (Breakthrough Barb) for a powerful Hydro application.

This can be especially useful in cleaning up or applying Hydro to new targets.

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Energy Management for Continuous Hydro Application

Energy Recharge: Ensure Yelan has sufficient Energy Recharge to consistently use her Elemental Burst. Pairing her with another Hydro character or using Favonius Warbow can help with energy generation.

‍Elemental Skill Usage: Regularly use Yelan's Elemental Skill for additional energy particles, aiding in keeping her Elemental Burst ready.

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Optimizing Elemental Skill for Additional Hydro Application

While using Yelan's Elemental Skill, move strategically to tag as many enemies as possible, enhancing Hydro application across multiple targets.

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Final Thoughts on Yelan

Yelan's adaptability and potent Hydro application make her an excellent addition to various team compositions.

Whether as a primary Hydro enabler or part of a double Hydro setup, her skills contribute significantly to team DPS and elemental reactions.

If you have the resources, Yelan is a worthy investment, excelling in both damage output and team supporting synergies.