Unlocking Collei's Potential in Genshin Impact

Collei, the bow-user Dendro character in Genshin Impact, often compared to Amber, has more to offer than meets the eye.

Despite mixed reviews, she can be a valuable asset to your team, especially if you don't have Tighnari or the Dendro Traveler built yet.

Let's dive into optimizing Collei's kit, enhancing her role as a Dendro support and sub-DPS.

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Complete Collei Guide: Best Builds and Team Compositions

Understanding Collei's Kit

Elemental Skill: Razorsharp Throw

Throws a boomerang that deals Dendro damage twice—once when thrown and once upon return.

Capable of consecutively triggering two Dendro reactions.

Enhanced by her A1 passive, it triggers a sprout effect when a Dendro reaction occurs before the boomerang returns.

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Elemental Burst: Trump-Card Kitty

Creates a Dendro AoE field lasting 6 seconds, extendable to 9 seconds via A4 passive.

Applies Dendro up to three times.

The AoE is relatively small, requiring strategic placement or crowd control to maximize effectiveness.

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Normal and Charged Attacks

Generally considered unremarkable in her kit and often underused unless building her for charged shots.

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Talent Passive

A1 Passive Floral Sidewinder: If a Dendro reaction is triggered before the boomerang's return, it enables an additional sprout effect, adding more utility to her skill.

A4 Passive The Languid Wood: When a Dendro-related reaction is triggered within the burst's AoE, the duration extends by 3 seconds, maximizing its potential.

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Talent Prioritization

Elemental Skill

This skill is a key component of her kit for triggering Dendro reactions.

It deals Dendro damage twice and can trigger her A1 passive for an additional sprout effect.

Leveling this skill increases its damage output and overall reaction potential.

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Elemental Burst

Her burst creates a Dendro AoE field that continuously deals damage and applies Dendro, crucial for setting up reactions.

Extending its duration through her A4 passive makes it even more effective.

Upgrading this talent enhances the burst’s damage and utility in triggering reactions.

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Normal and Charged Attack

Collei's normal and charged attacks are generally less impactful in her role as a Dendro support.

These talents can be largely ignored unless you're specifically building her for a charged shot playstyle, which is less common.

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Artifact Builds

Deepwood Memories

Boosts Dendro DMG and reduces Dendro RES of enemies.

Ideal for maximizing the effectiveness of Dendro reactions like Bloom, Burgeon, and Spread.

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Gilded Dreams

Provides a significant boost to EM, enhancing Collei’s ability to trigger stronger reactions.

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Noblesse Oblige

Increases Elemental Burst DMG and provides an ATK bonus to the team after using Burst.

Suitable for teams where Collei’s Burst damage and team support are prioritized.

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The Exile/Scholar

Offers ER bonuses, helping Collei maintain consistent skill and burst usage.

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Instructor

Useful in reaction-heavy teams, especially if Collei is used to trigger reactions frequently.

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Main Stats Priority

Sands

• ‍Elemental Mastery (EM): Ideal for enhancing Dendro reaction damage, especially in reaction-centric teams.‍
• Energy Recharge (ER): Opt for ER if Collei struggles with energy generation, ensuring consistent Burst uptime.

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Goblet

• ‍Dendro Damage Bonus: The best choice for maximizing her Dendro skill and burst damage output.

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Circlet

• ‍Crit Rate/Damage: If Collei is used in a sub-DPS role, balancing Crit Rate and Damage can significantly boost her overall damage.‍
• Elemental Mastery: For a more reaction-focused role, EM enhances the potency of Dendro reactions.

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Substats Priority

• ‍Elemental Mastery: Amplifies reaction damage, making it a top priority for reaction-based roles.‍
• Energy Recharge: Essential for maintaining frequent use of her Elemental Burst, especially if not using an ER-focused Sands.‍
• Crit Rate and Crit Damage: Important for a sub-DPS build, aim for a balanced ratio (ideally 1:2) to maximize damage output.‍
• ATK%: A general boost to her overall damage, beneficial but secondary to EM, ER, and Crit stats.

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Weapon Options

Energy Recharge (ER) Weapons

Sacrificial Bow: Offers cooldown reset, allowing more frequent skill usage, which is beneficial for triggering Dendro reactions. Especially effective at higher refinements.

Favonius Warbow: A reliable ER weapon that generates additional energy particles on critical hits, helping maintain Burst uptime.

Elegy for the End: Ideal for team support, boosting overall team DPS with its buff, although it's a 5-star option.

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Non-ER Weapons

Prototype Crescent: A craftable bow that increases ATK after hitting an enemy's weak spot, suitable for a more DPS-oriented build.

King's Squire (Hamayumi): Another craftable option, providing increased damage when Collei's energy is not full.

The Stringless: Enhances Elemental Skill and Burst damage, making it a solid choice for boosting her Dendro abilities.

Alley Hunter: Boosts her skill and burst damage as long as she doesn't get hit, making it a high-risk, high-reward option.

Viridescent Hunt: Provides crit rate and a cyclone effect that can group enemies, enhancing her AOE capabilities.

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5-Star DPS Bows

Skyward Harp, Amos' Bow, or Thundering Pulse: While not optimal for her support role, if you have them and want to maximize her sub-DPS potential, they can be effective.

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Team Composition Strategies

Quicken Teams

Bring Collei to enable Electro characters to trigger Quicken and then Spread reactions.

Electro DPS like Fischl, Raiden Shogun, or Beidou.

An Anemo support like Kazuha or Sucrose can enhance reaction damage.

Collei sets up Dendro, Electro characters trigger Quicken, and then Anemo character swirls for increased reaction damage.

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Bloom Teams

Pair Collei with Hydro characters to trigger Bloom reactions, leading to explosive Dendro Core damage.

Hydro characters like Xingqiu, Mona, or Barbara.

Additional support or DPS depending on the main Hydro character's role.

Collei and Hydro character alternate applying their elements to create Dendro Cores, which are then detonated for AOE damage.

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Hyperbloom or Burgeon Teams

Focus on advanced Dendro reactions like Hyperbloom or Burgeon for high AOE damage.

Electro character for Hyperbloom (like Lisa or Kujou Sara) or Pyro character for Burgeon (like Xiangling or Yanfei).

Similar to Bloom, but with an additional element to trigger the advanced reaction.

Coordination is key to maximize reaction frequency.

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Aggravate Teams

Enhance Electro character's damage with Aggravate, a reaction between Electro and Dendro.

Main Electro DPS and possibly a secondary Electro character for energy.

An Anemo support for resistance reduction.

Maintain Dendro application for the Electro character to exploit Aggravate consistently.

Anemo character swirls for debuffing enemies.

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Double Dendro Synergy

Pair Collei with another Dendro character like Tighnari or Dendro Traveler for increased Dendro application.

A main DPS character from any element that benefits from Dendro reactions, and a healer or utility support.

Alternating Dendro application between Collei and the other Dendro character.

The main DPS takes advantage of the reactions.

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Constellations: Enhancing Collei's Kit

C1: Deepwood Patrol

Grants Collei 20 Energy Recharge (ER) when off-field.

This boosts her energy management, allowing more frequent use of her Elemental Burst.

Ideal for teams where Collei's Burst is crucial for elemental reactions.

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C2: Through Hill and Copse

Simplifies triggering her A1 passive talent, Floral Sidewinder.

The Sprout effect from her boomerang skill triggers automatically upon return, and extends if a reaction occurs before it ends.

Adds an extra instance of Dendro application and extends reaction opportunities, enhancing her utility in reaction-based team compositions.

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C4: Gift of the Woods

When her Elemental Burst is used, all party members gain 60 Elemental Mastery (EM) for 12 seconds.

Significantly enhances the team's reaction damage.

It’s particularly effective in Quicken, Aggravate, or Bloom team compositions.

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C6: Forest of Falling Arrows

Her Elemental Skill deals additional Dendro damage upon hitting an enemy.

Increases Dendro application and overall DPS potential.

C6 turns Collei into a more boosted Dendro enabler and damage contributor.

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Overcoming Limitations

Burst Duration and Dendro Application: Her Elemental Burst has a limited duration and applies Dendro only three times. This can restrict her effectiveness in keeping up consistent Dendro application for reactions.

Energy Recharge Needs: Collei requires a substantial amount of Energy Recharge (ER) to use her Elemental Burst consistently, especially if not using her Elemental Skill frequently.

Positioning and AOE Size: The area of effect (AOE) of her Burst is relatively small, necessitating careful positioning to ensure enemies remain within its range.

Sub-DPS Potential: While capable of contributing to damage, her output is moderate compared to dedicated DPS characters.

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Strategies to Overcome Limitations

Team Synergy: Pair her with characters who can group enemies together (like Sucrose or Venti) to maximize the effectiveness of her Burst's AOE. Use another Dendro character (like Dendro Traveler) in the team to enhance overall Dendro application.

Artifact and Weapon Choices: Focus on ER in her artifact main stats or substats to ensure she can use her Burst frequently. Equip weapons like Sacrificial Bow to reset her Elemental Skill's cooldown for increased Dendro application.

Constellation Advantages: Aim for her C2 and C4, which significantly enhance her Dendro application and team support capabilities.

Tactical Gameplay: Trigger her A1 passive just before her boomerang returns for guaranteed Sprout effect application. Use her Burst strategically in rotations, aligning with peak moments of enemy vulnerability or team reaction setups.

Energy Management: Pair her with characters that have good energy generation capabilities. If using her in a sub-DPS role, balance between ER and offensive stats for optimal performance.

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Final Thoughts on Collei

Collei may not be the strongest Dendro character, but with the right build and team composition, she can be a valuable addition to your team.

Whether in Quickening or other Dendro reaction teams, Collei brings unique abilities that, when used effectively, can significantly enhance your team's performance.