Best Build for Yelan in Genshin Impact: Weapons, Artifacts & Talent Focus

If Genshin Impact were ever to have a CIA equivalent, the character that would best represent this would be Yelan. Working behind the scenes, this character likewise sneaked her way into the Traveler’s story upon the conclusion of the Chasm’s. With her return, will we learn more about her story? There’s only one way to find out and that’s to bring her home. Here is the best build for Yelan in Genshin Impact: Weapons, Artifacts & Talent Focus.

Related: All Materials Required for Ascending Yelan in Genshin Impact

Best Build for Yelan in Genshin Impact: Weapons, Artifacts & Talent Focus

Elemental Skill and Burst

Before even getting into her Elemental Skill, Yelan already comes with some pretty unique alterations to her kit to make her stand out from Hydro Archers. In her Normal Attack, Yelan has a special ability called Breakthrough which is a state she will enter that will power up her next charged shot so that it takes 80 percent less time to fire and deal AOE Hydro Damage based on Yelan’s Max HP. While this can be overlooked, you will often notice the difference in Yelan’s model herself by way of her jade bracelet. Once it has started to glow, the charged shot will be ready to fire which deals additional damage as opposed to Yelan’s normal Charged shot.

Yelan’s Elemental Skill Lifeline is her peculiar skill of linking herself to enemies by wrapping them in the thread produced by her bracelet. Tapping the Elemental Skill causes her to dash forward, but holding down the Elemental Skill allows Yelan to travel about the battlefield at a faster pace so that she can link as many enemies as possible. This state can end either by running out of time or breaking through it by tapping the Elemental Skill again. Then, the damage is dealt to enemies based on Yelan’s Max HP with Hydro Damage. 

Yelan’s Burst is a super-powered version of Xingqui’s Burst, as it rains down Hydro Damage each time a character lands a Normal Attack. Yelan’s Burst is much stronger due to her Max HP allowing her to hit harder and the ability to do additional damage if the Lifeline Elemental Skill is used during this state. With Depth-Clarion Dice, the character on the field is followed by a rotating dice that will deal Hydro Damage each time a character lands a hit. In Yelan’s passive, Adapt with Ease, the active character on the field will deal one percent more damage, which increases to a three and a half percent damage increase every second following, until a maximum of a fifty percent increase is reached, or the Exquisite Throw is concluded.

Further damage can be dealt if Yelan’s if consideration is taken to plan her party. When using her Turn Control passive, Yelan’s Max HP and thus, her damage, could be increased depending on how many Elemental Types are in her party. With four different elements, she can gain a thirty percent increase in her HP, though if she is in a mono team, she will still gain a six percent increase in her HP. The scaling is as such 1/2/3/4 element types to 6/12/18/30 percent Health increase.

However, the implementation of Hoyoverse’s new Hydro effect often boosts Yelan’s HP and damage far more than having four different Elemental Types in the party. This is due to the HP boost from having two Hydro Element Types in the same party.

Weapon

As a five-star, naturally, Yelan’s best weapon is going to be her signature, called the Aqua Simulacra. With a main stat of Crit Damage, a sixteen percent passive HP increase, it also increases the damage dealt by the character wielding the bow by twenty percent when surrounded by enemies. Although the Aqua Simulacra is a good standard five-star weapon, Yelan was released around the same time as an event weapon that will serve her just as well. Fading Twilight is an event weapon that the player was able to refine during its limited run. Fading Twilight has a main stat of Energy Recharge and can increase damage depending on its current state. Whenever the wielder takes the field, the bow will randomly select a buff, and depending on how many arrows appear above Yelan’s head, it will indicate potential max damage. 

There are a multitude of other weapons that come close to the aforementioned weapons, and which work great as free-to-play options. These are the Sacrificial Bow as it will allow the player to use the Elemental Skill twice in a row depending on the refinement. Other potential weapons are two of the three-star options including but not limited to: the Slingshot and the Recurve Bow. Each has its own unique capabilities for Yelan’s specific kit. Slingshot has a Crit Rate main stat, but its passive increases damage each time a Normal Attack or Charged Attack lands on an enemy. The Recurve Bow is based on HP, and while its passive helps with healing, it is mostly the main stat that the player will want in order to increase Yelan’s damage solely from her weapon. 

Artifact Sets

Yelan has a flexible build that allows for a variety of different artifact sets that suit her. The two main sets are the Emblem of the Severed Fate and Tenacity of the Millelith. At least, with a full four-set. Emblem of the Severed Fate offers a boost in Energy Recharge of twenty percent at two pieces and will increase Elemental Burst Damage by twenty-five percent of the total Energy Recharge that the character has which then maxes out at seventy-five percent bonus. Tenacity of the Millelith provides a HP Bonus of twenty percent and at four pieces, will increase Attack by twenty percent, as well as Shield Strength by thirty percent after enemies are struck with an Elemental Skill. 

However, if you were to use two-pieces your options open up. It often makes it easier to build characters this way as the player can take advantage of the boosts received. Emblem of the Severed Fates remains a viable option for Energy Recharge, but Tenacity of the Millelith, Heart of Depth, and any artifact with an Attack boost can be suitable options. The best of these combinations is Tenacity and Heart of Depth as it will boost Yelan’s Hydro Damage as well as her HP, which provides the bulk of her damage. 

Related: All Current and Next Limited Banners in Genshin Impact (January 2023)

Artifact Stats

The two most important stats for Yelan are Energy Recharge and HP. In her sub-stats, it is best to focus on HP, Energy Recharge, Attack, and Crit. However, in her Main Stats for her Sands, Goblet, and Crown, it may come down to two types of builds. The recommended build is to equip her similarly to Zhongli with HP Percentage on all three of her artifacts. Not only are these artifacts easier to find, but it is also what Yelan’s damage is based on. The player will likely have an easier time finding good sub-stats on these types of artifacts as well.

If the artifacts have been mixed and matched, one could use the original method of using HP for Yelan’s Sands so that it optimizes her damage, Hydro Damage Bonus for her Goblet, and Crit Rate or Crit Damage depending on the ratio. 

Talent Focus and Priority

While Yelan can use her Normal Attack well, it may not be the best talent to choose to level up first. Instead, it may be better to level up later on. Her Elemental Skill and Burst will be the main priority to level up first and foremost. It is where most of Yelan’s damage comes from. as well as the bonuses she will receive from having them leveled. With boosts to her HP as well as her Talent Branches, Yelan will deal all the more damage. When choosing between her Skill and her Burst, the player may see better results from leveling up her Elemental Burst first. However, Yelan also does considerable damage from her Skill.