Strike down enemies with this five-star Electro enforcer.
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Genshin Impact Scarabs: Cyno’s ascension material
Genshin Impact Setaria: Answer her questions
Genshin Impact Sumeru: How to get there
Genshin Impact Dendroculus: Where to find
The best Genshin Impact Cyno build is all about buffing the General Mahamatra’s Electro damage, making him an absolute terror on the battlefield—kind of what you’d expect from the Akademiya’s chief enforcer and a guy who goes around wearing a jackal on his head.
Cyno is a bit like if you crossed Xiao with Razor, combining the former’s speedy dashes with an Electro super-state that lets him slash away at enemies with Electro claws like the latter. But Cyno is a lot stronger than Razor. Once he unlocks his Featherfall Judgement passive, he can activate his skill at specific intervals during the burst to create powerful Electro AoEs and fire off Duststalker Bolts at enemies.
Going even further, his Authority Over the Nine Bows passive grants him a Raiden Shogun-esque effect whereby his elemental mastery buffs his normal attack damage and those Duststalker Bolts. It’s a whole lot of powerful effects stacked on top of each other. In this Genshin Impact Cyno build guide, I’ll run through some of your options for building him, as well as providing info on his abilities, ascension materials, and how to get him.
Builds
The best Genshin Impact Cyno build
Cyno is an Electro damage-dealer who can dash with his Chasmic Soulfarer elemental skill, and enters a super-state with his burst where he attacks with claws infused with Electro. Once you unlock his Featherfall Judgement and Authority Over the Nine Bows passives, his elemental skill will gain a special damage effect when in that state, and he’ll get increased damage based on his elemental mastery.
As such, it’s important to build Cyno’s Electro damage capabilities and elemental mastery.
Weapon: Staff of the Scarlet Sands or Primordial Jade-Winged Spear
Similar to Engulfing Lightning for the Raiden Shogun, Cyno’s five-star weapon, Staff of the Scarlet Sands, is basically a secondary version of the effect that he already gets from his Authority Over the Nine Bows passive. The weapon buffs crit rate, and converts 52% of a character’s elemental mastery into bonus attack. When Cyno lands his elemental skill, the Dream of the Scarlet Sands effect adds a further 28% of elemental mastery as attack for ten seconds, stacking up to three times.
Considering you’ll be using Cyno’s elemental skill at intervals during his burst to activate the powerful Judgement effect, this stacking buff will be extremely strong. Another option is the five-star Primordial Jade-Winged Spear. This weapon also boosts crit rate, and increases attack by 3.2% when you hit, stacking up to six times. When you get full stacks, damage is increased by 12%. This should provide a lot of utility for Cyno, who’ll be hitting fast most of the time.
In terms of four-star options, Deathmatch is a pretty good substitute, buffing crit rate and increasing attack or defense based on the number of nearby enemies. A three-star option could even be White Tassel, since it also increases crit rate and normal attack damage; two things which are useful for Cyno.
Artifacts: (4) Thundering Fury or (4) Gladiator’s Finale
Since Cyno’s Pactsworn Pathclearer burst state infuses his attacks with Electro and lets him use his elemental skill to deal big Electro damage, you’ll understandably want to buff his Electro output. Two pieces of Thundering Fury increase Electro damage by 15%, while four-pieces boosts the damage caused by Electro elemental reactions.
When these reactions are triggered, elemental skill cooldown is decreased by one second. Considering you’re going to be building Cyno with elemental mastery for that passive damage buff he gets, this is a great way of also strengthening any reactions you cause, and letting Cyno use his skill more.
That said, if you want to focus purely on attack, you can also do that with Gladiator’s Finale, buffing attack by 18% for two-pieces, and normal attack damage by 35%. You could also mix and match between the two. For stats, you’ll want an artifact with an Electro damage bonus substat, then elemental mastery, attack, and crit damage to take advantage of your weapon’s crit rate increase when you’re not causing reactions.
How to unlock
How to get Cyno in Genshin Impact
You can wish for Cyno through his banner, Twilight Arbiter. This released on September 28 alongside Venti‘s rerun banner, and will run for about three weeks until October 17, when Nilou will take his place. Cyno’s banner features the new character Candace as a featured four-star, as well as Kuki Shinobu and Sayu.
Abilities
Cyno’s abilities
Here are Cyno’s abilities, passives, and constellations:
Normal Attack: Invoker’s Spear
NormalPerforms up to four consecutive spear strikes.ChargedConsumes a certain amount of Stamina to lunge forward, dealing damage to opponents along the way.PlungingPlunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE damage upon impact.
Elemental Skill
Secret Rite: Chasmic SoulfarerPerforms a swift thrust, dealing Electro damage to opponents along the path. When Cyno is under the Pactsworn Pathclearer state triggered by Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, he will instead unleash a Mortuary Rite that deals thunderous AoE Electro damage and extends the duration of Pactsworn Pathclearer.
Elemental Burst
Sacred Rite: Wolf’s SwiftnessCalls upon a divine spirit to possess him, morphing into the Pactsworn Pathclearer.Pactsworn PathclearerCyno’s Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks will be converted to Electro damage that cannot be overridden. Cyno’s Elemental Mastery and resistance to interruption will increase, and he gains immunity to Electro-charged damage. This effect will be cancelled when Cyno leaves the field and lasts a maximum of 18 seconds.
Passives
The Gift of SilenceGains 25% more rewards when dispatched on a Sumeru Expedition for 20 hours.Featherfall JudgmentWhen Cyno is in the Pactsworn Pathclearer state activated by Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, Cyno will enter the Endseer stance at intervals. If he activates Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer while affected by this stance, he will activate the Judication effect, increasing the damage of this Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer by 35%, and firing off three Duststalker Bolts that deal 50% of Cyno’s Attack as Electro damage. Duststalker Bolt damage is considered Elemental Skill damage.Authority of the Nine BowsCyno’s damage values will be increased based on his Elemental Mastery as follows: Pactsworn Pathclearer’s Normal attack damage is increased by 100% of his Elemental Mastery. Duststalker Bolt damage from his Ascension Talent Featherfall Judgment is increased by 250% of his Elemental Mastery.
Constellations
Ordinance: Unceasing VigilAfter using Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, Cyno’s Normal Attack speed will be increased by 20% for 10 seconds. If the Judication effect of Featherfall Judgment is triggered during Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer, the duration of this increase will be refreshed.Ceremony: Homecoming of SpiritsWhen Cyno’s Normal Attacks hit opponents, his Normal Attack Crit Rate and Crit Damage will be increased by 3% and 6% respectively for four seconds. This effect can be triggered once every 0.1 seconds. Max five stacks. Each stack’s duration is counted independently.Precept: Lawful EnforcerIncreases the level of Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15.Austerity: Forbidding GuardWhen Cyno is in the Pactsworn Pathclearer state after he triggers Electro-Charged, Overloaded, Quicken, Hyperbloom, an Electro Swirl, or an Electro Crystallization reaction, he will restore three Elemental Energy for all nearby party members (except himself). This effect can occur five times within one use of Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness.Funerary Rite: The Passing of StarlightIncreases the level of Sacred Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15.Raiment: Just ScalesAfter using Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness or triggering Judication, Cyno will gain four stacks of the “Day of the Jackal” effect. When he hits opponents with Normal Attacks, he will consume one stack to trigger one Duststalker bolt. Day of the Jackal lasts for eight seconds. Max eight stacks. One stack can be consumed every 0.4 seconds. This effect will be cancelled once Pactsworn Pathclearer ends.
Ascension materials
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Cyno’s Ascension materials
Character
Both Thunderclap Fruitcores and Vajrada Amethysts are dropped by Electro Regisvines, though the latter is also rewarded when defeating the Electro Hypostases and Thunder Manifestation. You’ll also need:
ScarabsDivining/Sealed/Forbidden Curse Scrolls
You can find Scarabs all across the new desert region of Sumeru, but particularly around the Mausoleum of King Deshet. Scroll items, on the other hand, are a potential drop for defeating Samachurl enemies.
Talents
You’ll need the following items to level up Cyno’s talents:
Divining/Sealed/Forbidden Curse ScrollsAdmonition scrollsMudra of the Malefic GeneralCrown of Insight
As mentioned above the Divining, Sealed, and Forbidden Curse Scrolls are dropped by Samachurls while Admonition scrolls are rewarded for completing the Steeple of Ignorance domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Meanwhile, Mudra of the Malefic General is a possible reward from the Guardian of Eternity weekly boss and the Crown of Insight is a seasonal event reward. The latter also comes from upgrading the Frostbearing Tree in Dragonspine, the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma, or the Lumenstone Adjuvant in The Chasm.
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