Genshin Impact: Yelan Build Guide

Himel Mahmud
By Himel Mahmud
16 Min Read
Credit: HoYoverse

Here is the build guide for Yelan, the newest Hydro DPS character in Genshin Impact.

Yelan is a 5-star Hydro bow character in Genshin Impact; she made her debut on the Genshin Impact version 2.7 update. Yelan works for the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Liyue, but most of her colleagues have never heard of her, nor is her name anywhere to be found on any rosters. Like a phantom, she often appears in various guises at the center of events and disappears before the storm stops.

She is a Hydro DPS character with a unique elemental skill animation, and her elemental burst does incredible AoE Hydro damage and applies Hydro onto enemies similar to Xingqiu. Although Yelan is a DPS character, she can be played as a Sub-DPS or as Hydro support. This makes Yelan a versatile character to play within the game. She can be obtainable from the ‘Discerner of Enigma’ Character Event banner.

Here is a comprehensive build guide for the newest 5-star character, Yelan.

Read More: Genshin Impact 2.7: Yelan Personal Info, Talents, Story, Voice Lines, Hobbies, Favorite Food, and More

Yelan Build Guide

Yelan Talents

Normal Attack: Stealthy Bowshot

Normal Attack
Performs up to 4 consecutive shots with a bow.

Charged Attack
Perform a more precise Aimed Shot with increased DMG. While aiming, flowing water will accumulate on the arrowhead. A fully charged torrential arrow will deal Hydro DMG.

Breakthrough
Yelan will enter a “Breakthrough” state after spending 5s out of combat, which will cause her next Charged Aimed Shot to have 80% decreased charge time, and once charged, she can fire a “Breakthrough Barb” that will deal AoE Hydro DMG based on Yelan’s Max HP.

Plunging Attack
Fires off a shower of arrows in mid-air before falling and striking the ground, dealing AoE DMG upon impact.

Elemental Skill: Lingering Lifeline

Fires off a Lifeline that allows her to move rapidly, entangling and marking opponents along its path.
When this rapid movement ends, the Lifeline will explode, dealing Hydro DMG to the marked opponents based on Yelan’s Max HP.

Press
Moves a certain distance forward swiftly.

Hold
Engages in continuous, swift movement, during which Yelan’s resistance to interruption is increased.
During this time, Yelan can control this rapid movement and end it by using this Skill again. Additionally, each opponent marked by the “Lifeline” when it explodes grants Yelan a 34% chance to reset her “Breakthrough” state.

Elemental Burst: Depth-Clarion Dice

Deals AoE Hydro DMG and creates an “Exquisite Throw,” which aids her in battle.

Exquisite Throw
Follows the character around and will initiate a coordinated attack under the following circumstances, dealing Hydro DMG based on Yelan’s Max HP:

  • Can occur once every second when your active character uses a Normal Attack.
  • Will occur each time Yelan’s Lifeline explodes and hits opponents.

Passive Talents

Turn Control

When the party has 1/2/3/4 Elemental Types, Yelan’s Max HP is increased by 6%/12%/18%/30%.

Adapt With Ease

So long as an Exquisite Throw is in play, your own active character deals 1% more DMG. This increases by a further 3.5% DMG every second. The maximum increase to DMG dealt is 50%.

Necessary Calculation

Gains 25% more rewards when dispatched on a Liyue Expedition for 20 hours.

Yelan Constellations

ConstellationEffect
Enters the Plotters
(Unlocked at C1)
Lingering Lifeline gains 1 additional charge.
Taking All Comers
(Unlocked at C2)
When Exquisite Throw conducts a coordinated attack, it will fire an additional water arrow that will deal 14% of Yelan’s Max HP as Hydro DMG.

This effect can trigger once every 1.8s.
Beware the Trickster’s Dice
(Unlocked at C3)
Increases the Level of Depth-Clarion Dice by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.

Bait-and-Switch

(Unlocked at C4)
Increases all party members’ Max HP by 10% for 25s for every opponent marked by Lifeline when the Lifeline explodes. A maximum increase of 40% Max HP can be attained in this manner.
Dealer’s Sleight
(Unlocked at C5)
Increases the Level of Lingering Lifeline by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Winner Takes All
(Unlocked at C6)
After using Depth-Clarion Dice, Yelan will enter Mastermind state.
In this state, all of Yelan’s Normal Attacks will be special Breakthrough Barbs. These Breakthrough Barbs will have similar abilities to normal ones and the DMG dealt will be considered Charged Attack DMG, dealing 156% of Breakthrough Barb’s DMG.

The Mastermind state lasts 20s and will be cleared after Yelan fires 5 arrows.
Yelan Constellations

Read More: Genshin Impact: Artifacts Guide for Beginners

Yelan Artifact Set Guide

Yelan can be played as a Main DPS, Sub DPS, or event as a Support, depending on how you decide to gear her with artifacts. These are the best artifact sets for Yelan.

  • Heart of Depth
    2-piece set: Hydro DMG Bonus +15%
    4-piece set: After using an Elemental Skill, increases Normal Attack and Charged Attack DMG by 30% for 15s.
  • Tenacity of the Millelith
    2-piece set: HP +20%
    4-piece set: When an Elemental Skill hits an opponent, the ATK of all nearby party members is increased by 20% and their Shield Strength is increased by 30% for 3s. This effect can be triggered once every 0.5s. This effect can still be triggered even when the character who is using this artifact set is not on the field.
  • Noblesse Oblige
    2-piece set: Elemental Burst DMG +20%
    4-piece set: Using an Elemental Burst increases all party members’ ATK by 20% for 12s. This effect cannot stack.
  • Emblem of Severed Fate
    2-piece set: Energy Recharge +20%
    4-piece set: Increases Elemental Burst DMG by 25% of Energy Recharge. A maximum of 75% bonus DMG can be obtained in this way.

Best Weapons for Yelan

Yelan has many weapon options for her DPS, Sub DPS, and Support builds. These are the best weapons for Yelan.

Aqua Simulacra

Aqua Simulacra. Credit: HoYoverse
Aqua Simulacra. Credit: HoYoverse

Base Attack: 44, at Level 90: 542
Substat
CRIT DMG: 19.2%, at Level 90: 88.2%

HP is increased by 16%. When there are opponents nearby, the DMG the character who equips this weapon deals is increased by 20%. This will take effect whether the character is on-field or not.

Skyward Harp

Skyward Harp. Credit: HoYoverse
Skyward Harp. Credit: HoYoverse

Base Attack: 48, at Level 90: 674
Substat
CRIT Rate: 4.8%, at Level 90: 22.1%

Increases CRIT DMG by 20%. Hits have a 60% chance to inflict a small AoE attack, dealing 125% Physical ATK DMG. Can only occur once every 4s.

Read More: Genshin Impact 2.8 Beta: Shikanoin Heizou Abilities, Ascension Materials, Talents Constellations, and More

Elegy for the End

Elegy for the End. Credit: HoYoverse
Elegy for the End. Credit: HoYoverse

Base Attack: 46, at Level 90: 608
Substat
Energy Recharge: 12.0%, at Level 90: 55.1%

A part of the “Millennial Movement” that wanders amidst the winds. Increases Elemental Mastery by 60. When the Elemental Skills or Elemental Bursts of the character wielding this weapon hit opponents, that character gains a Sigil of Remembrance. This effect can be triggered once every 0.2s and can be triggered even if said character is not on the field. When you possess 4 Sigils of Remembrance, all of them will be consumed, and all nearby party members will obtain the “Millennial Movement: Farewell Song” effect for 12s. “Millennial Movement: Farewell Song” increases Elemental Mastery by 100 and increases ATK by 20%. Once this effect is triggered, you will not gain Sigils of Remembrance for 20s.

Of the many effects of the “Millennial Movement,” buffs of the same type will not stack.

The Stringless

The Stringless. Credit: HoYoverse
The Stringless. Credit: HoYoverse

Base Attack: 42, at Level 90: 510
Substat
Elemental Mastery: 36, at Level 90: 165

Increases Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst DMG by 24%.

Polar Star

Polar Star. Credit: HoYoverse
Polar Star. Credit: HoYoverse

Base Attack: 46, at Level 90: 608
Substat
CRIT Rate: 12.0%, at Level 90: 33.1%

Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst DMG increased by 12%. After a Normal Attack, Charged Attack, Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst hits an opponent, 1 stack of Ashen Nightstar will be gained for 12s. When 1/2/3/4 stacks of Ashen Nightstar are present, ATK is increased by 10/20/30/48%. The stack of Ashen Nightstar created by the Normal Attack, Charged Attack, Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst will be counted independently of the others.

Favonius Warbow

Favonius Warbow. Credit: HoYoverse
Favonius Warbow. Credit: HoYoverse

Base Attack: 41, at Level 90: 454
Substat
Energy Recharge: 13.3%, at Level 90: 61.3%

CRIT hits have a 60% chance to generate a small amount of Elemental Particles, which will regenerate 6 Energy for the character. Can only occur once every 12s.

Verdict

Unfortunately, Yelan doesn’t have a good free-to-play weapon, but her weapons are easily obtainable. Aqua Simulacra is the best in slot weapon for Yelan because of its insane high CRIT DMG and passive, which is excellent specifically for her. Elegy for the End is another good 5-star option for a support Yelan build and sometimes outperforms Aqua Simulacra. Skyward Harp and Polar Star are both excellent 5-star options for Yelan. The Stringless is the best 4-star option for Yelan because of the high elemental mastery, and the passive will increase elemental skill and burst damage by a lot with refinements. Finally, Favonius Warbow is another excellent 4-star weapon for Yelan for the high energy recharge, and it’s the overall best 4-star weapon a support Yelan build.

Read More: Genshin Impact: Keqing Build Guide 2022

Yelan Builds

Standard DPS Build
4-piece Heart of Depth or 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate or 2-piece Tenacity of the Millelith or 2-piece Heart of Depth
Flower, Feather, HP%, Hydro DMG Bonus, CRIT Rate or DMG

Hydro Support Build
4-piece Noblesse Oblige or 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate
Flower, Feather, HP%, HP% or Hydro DMG Bonus, CRIT Rate or DMG

Recommended Energy Recharge: 180%-200%

Recommended HP: 28,000-30,000

Playstyle

Yelan can be played as a Main DPS character, a Sub-DPS, or even as Hydro support, depending on how you build her. But it’s best to use her as a Burst DPS or as Hydro support because she is excellent at them over her DPS role. The primary source of her damage is her elemental burst, while her elemental skill also deals decent damage.

For a Hydro DPS build, 4-piece Heart of Depth or 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate are her best artifact sets, but EOSF will provide more damage over Heart of Depth.

Yelan’s elemental skill, Lingering Lifeline allows her to move rapidly in the field and mark enemies with “Lifeline.” When this rapid movement ends, the Lifeline will explode, and it will] deal Hydro DMG to the marked opponents based on Yelan’s Max HP. So it is better to stack HP on her with her artifacts.

Her elemental burst, Depth-Clarion Dice, allows Yelan to deal AoE Hydro DMG and creates an Exquisite Throw, which aids her in battle. The Exquisite Throw will follow the character and initiate a coordinated attack under the following circumstances, dealing Hydro DMG based on Yelan’s Max HP. Can occur once every second when your active character uses a Normal Attack. Will occur each time Yelan’s Lifeline explodes and hits opponents. This elemental burst is similar to Xingqiu’s burst, but it does a bit more damage than Xingqiu’s rainswords.

Yelan can fit into any team requiring a Hydro applier and damage dealer, such as Diluc, Yoimiya, and Hu Tao teams. She will be great as a viable substitute for Xingqiu in Raiden or other national teams because of how fast she can apply Hydro onto enemies. Pyro-oriented teams will benefit from Yelan for vaporized reactions because they rely primarily on vaporized reaction damage. However, she is also a good unit for Freeze comps, especially with Ayaka.

Best Team Comp

Yelan can be slotted into every team comp in Genshin Impact that requires a Hydro applier/damage dealer. Here we listed some of the popular team comps for Yelan.

  1. Hu Tao, Yelan, Albedo, Zhongli
  2. Raiden Shogun, Yelan, Bennett, Xiangling
  3. Yelan, Fischl, Beidou, Kazuha
  4. Ayaka, Yelan, Venti, Diona

Yelan Ascension Materials

Lv.20 → Lv.40Starconch ×3
Varunada Lazurite Sliver ×1
Recruit’s Insignia ×3
Mora x20,000
Lv.40 → Lv.50Starconch ×10
Varunada Lazurite Fragment ×3
Recruit’s Insignia ×15
Runic Fang ×2
Mora x40,000
Lv.50 → Lv.60Starconch ×20
Varunada Lazurite Fragment ×6
Sergeant’s Insignia ×12
Runic Fang ×4
Mora x60,000
Lv.60 → Lv.70Starconch ×30
Varunada Lazurite Chunk ×3
Sergeant’s Insignia ×18
Runic Fang ×8
Mora x80,000
Lv.70 → Lv.80Starconch ×45
Varunada Lazurite Chunk ×6
Lieutenant’s Insignia ×12
Runic Fang ×12
Mora x100,000
Lv.80 → Lv.90Starconch ×60
Varunada Lazurite Gemstone ×6
Lieutenant’s Insignia ×24
Runic Fang ×20
Mora x120,000
Yelan Ascension Materials

Talent Upgrade Materials for Yelan

These are the total number of materials required to level up the talents of Yelan. Please multiply these materials by 3 because there are three types of upgradable talents for Yelan.

AmountMaterials
3Teachings of Prosperity
21Guide to Prosperity
38Philosophies of Prosperity
6Recruit’s Insignia
22Sergeant’s Insignia
31Lieutenant’s Insignia
6Gilded Scale
1Crown of Insight
1,652,500Mora
Talent Materials for Yelan

That’s it for the exclusive Yelan build guide in Genshin Impact. Keep an eye on GameRiv for more build guides and future Genshin Impact content.

Read More: Genshin Impact: Jean Build Guide

By Himel Mahmud Guide Writer
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Himel Mahmud is a Staff Writer and Social Media Manager at GameRiv. A former FIFA Professional, Himel has been playing video games forever. He plays video games passionately, loves football and an avid music listener.