Updated for Version “Luna II” (6.1)
Kaeya is a 4★ Cryo Sword character in Genshin Impact who deals off-field Cryo damage from his Elemental Burst and offers high particle generation. Learn about Kaeya’s best builds, best weapons, best artifacts, and best teams in this quick guide.
Note that the information given may change if new discoveries are made. More extensive testing is in progress.
The full-length guide is available here. It is currently out-of-date.
Table of Contents
Infographic
Credits to: cuppacote, haafr, baloopy & KQM Staff
Credits to: cuppacote, haafr, baloopy & KQM Staff
Character Overview
Pros
- Provides off-field AoE Cryo application that follows the active character.
- Has one of the fastest rates of Cryo application at C6.
- Generates high amounts of particles in Freeze teams.
- Is freely obtained from progressing through early quests.
Cons
- Deals personal damage that lags behind other competitors.
- Has a rather short Burst duration without his C2’s extension.
- Lacks any buffs without 4pc artifact sets or weapon passives.
- Has a small Burst radius that requires hugging opponents.
Playstyles
Off-Field Cryo DPS
Kaeya is a decent quickswap or off-field Cryo DPS due to his low field time, long Burst uptime, and incredible Cryo particle generation. In Freeze teams, Kaeya’s Burst deals sizable off-field damage and maintains the Frozen status on enemies. Moreover, Kaeya’s Skill can battery his Cryo teammates.
Forward Melt Support
As a Forward Melt support, Kaeya is usually played as the only Cryo character in the team. He provides good off-field Cryo application for Pyro damage dealers to Melt off of. In this archetype, he sacrifices his personal damage in order to run more supportive gear. Kaeya’s C6 is greatly appreciated for its increased Cryo application in this role.
Talents
Talent Priority
Burst > Skill >> Normal Attack
For Kaeya’s support playstyle, his Talent levels are a low investment priority for the team’s DPS.
Level Kaeya’s Burst since it is the majority of his damage output. His Normal Attack should be left unleveled for an off-field playstyle as it does not contribute much damage.
Talent Overview
Normal Attack | Ceremonial Bladework
Talent Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 5 rapid strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash 2 rapid sword strikes.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Kaeya performs a series of Sword attacks and teleports behind the target before his final strike. Kaeya possesses the highest Normal Attack multipliers in the game among Sword users; however, his low Attack Speed and lack of special mechanics on his Normal Attacks make him a less than ideal on-field Normal Attack carry.
Combos
Kaeya’s best Normal Attack combo is two Normal Attacks followed by a Charged Attack (N2C). It is not worth jump canceling at the end of the combo since doing so increases DPS by less than 1%. Other potential combos have lower DPS or require too much Stamina to be worth using.
Elemental Skill | Frostgnaw
Talent Description
Unleashes a frigid blast, dealing Cryo DMG to opponents in front of Kaeya.
A simple skill that deals Cryo DMG. In conjunction with his A4 Passive, Kaeya can use his short-cooldown Skills multiple times per rotation to battery his Cryo teammates.
Elemental Burst | Glacial Waltz
Talent Description
Coalescing the frost in the air, Kaeya summons 3 icicles that revolve around him.
These icicles will follow the character around and deal Cryo DMG to opponents in their path for the ability’s duration.
Kaeya’s Burst is his largest source of damage. It also provides relatively good Cryo application, allowing him to trigger Reverse Melt or Freeze frequently, or to enable Forward Melt for his teammates. However, its short range around the on-field character prevents Kaeya from working well with ranged or vertically mobile characters. Kaeya’s Burst can apply Cryo on half of its hits due to its ICD. It also snapshots buffs for its whole duration.
Ascension 1 Passive | Cold-Blooded Strike
Talent Description
Every hit with Frostgnaw regenerates HP for Kaeya equal to 15% of his ATK.
Kaeya’s A1 Passive provides him with a small amount of healing upon using his Elemental Skill. It is mildly helpful in teams without a healer or in teams with Furina.
Ascension 4 Passive | Glacial Heart
Talent Description
Opponents Frozen by Frostgnaw will drop additional Elemental Particles.
Frostgnaw may only produce a maximum of 2 additional Elemental Particles per use.
This Passive makes Kaeya the best Cryo battery for Freeze teams. Kaeya can lower his Cryo teammates’ ER requirements, especially if he funnels the particles to them.
Note that the in-game description is incorrect: Kaeya can also generate 2 additional Elemental Particles if an enemy is already Frozen.
Utility Passive | Hidden Strength
Talent Description
Decreases sprinting Stamina consumption for your own party members by 20%.
Not stackable with Passive Talents that provide the exact same effects.
Kaeya’s Utility Passive is handy for the overworld. In combat, it provides a nice quality-of-life buff to characters that rely on frequent dashing for their combos.
Constellations
Constellation 1 | Excellent Blood
Constellation Description
The CRIT Rate of Kaeya’s Normal and Charge Attacks against opponents affected by Cryo is increased by 15%.
Only ever useful for his on-field playstyle, which is generally not impactful.
Constellation 2 | Never-Ending Performance
Constellation Description
When Glacial Waltz is in effect, for each opponent defeated, its base duration is increased by 2.5s, up to a maximum of 15s.
This Constellation increases Kaeya’s Burst duration from 8s to 15s, with the requirement of 3 enemies defeated by any team member. While this is only ever useful for multi-target or multi-wave content, it significantly boosts Kaeya’s personal damage and Cryo application.
Constellation 3 | Dance of Frost
Constellation Description
Increases the Level of Frostgnaw by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
A nice upgrade to his Skill, although the damage increase is not as great as his C5.
Constellation 4 | Frozen Kiss
Constellation Description
Triggers automatically when Kaeya’s HP falls below 20%:
Creates a shield that absorbs damage equal to 30% of Kaeya’s Max HP. Lasts for 20s.
This shield absorbs Cryo DMG with 250% efficiency.
Can only occur once every 60s.
Only benefits an on-field DPS Kaeya, since the incredibly situational shield only affects himself. The shield’s protection is quite low and basically useless for a quickswap or off-field playstyle.
Constellation 5 | Frostbiting Embrace
Constellation Description
Increases the Level of Glacial Waltz by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
A simple yet effective increase to the majority of his damage.
Constellation 6 | Glacial Whirlwind
Constellation Description
Glacial Waltz will generate 1 additional icicle, and will regenerate 15 Energy when cast.
Kaeya’s best Constellation. It reduces his Energy Cost and increases the number of Burst hits, thus increasing his personal damage. Against a stationary enemy, C6 Kaeya’s Burst can “spread out” its Cryo application, allowing a more preferable Melt pattern for the Pyro DPS unit.
Artifacts
ER Requirements
Off-Field
| Skill Uses | Solo Cryo | Double Cryo | Double Cryo (Freeze) | Triple Cryo |
| 1 | 230-285% | 170-210% | 155-180% | 145-160% |
| 2 | 195-230% | 150-190% | 135-160% | 120-140% |
| 3 | 170–200% | 135-165% | 115-130% | 115-125% |
On-Field
| Skill Uses | Solo Cryo | Double Cryo | Double Cryo (Freeze) | Triple Cryo |
| 2 | 175-185% | 140-170% | 125-130% | 115-125% |
| 3 | 140-150% | 130-140% | 105-110% | 105-110% |
Assumptions: 20s rotation, average Particle RNG, C0 Kaeya. Off-Field Kaeya catches the particles from one use of his Skill. Double Cryo (Freeze) Skill hits 1 Frozen enemy.
If holding Favonius Sword, Kaeya’s ER requirement is lowered by 15-25%. If another teammate triggers the Favonius passive once per rotation, his ER requirement can be lowered by about 15%. With Kaeya’s sixth Constellation unlocked, he refunds 15 Energy which lowers his ER requirements by 30-40%.
Use the Energy Recharge Calculator to determine exact requirements for your team and rotation. For more details on how Favonius weapons will affect your team, please use Ac1d’s Favonius Mastersheet.
Artifact Stats
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| ER | ATK% (EM) | Cryo DMG Bonus | CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG |
Stat Priority: ER (until requirement) > CRIT ≥ ATK% (≥ EM)
EM Sands and EM substats can be good when Kaeya can Melt his Burst. Generally, he does not need to use an EM Sands if he can get EM from substats or from teammates’ buffs. Aim for CRIT ratio of 1:2 CRIT Rate to CRIT DMG after accounting for buffs (e.g. 4pc BS or 4pc MH CRIT Rate buff). In ATK-buff–scarce teams and with CRIT weapons, Kaeya wants ATK% substats as much as CRIT ones.
For his support build, Kaeya prioritizes getting as much ER and CRIT Rate (to proc Favonius Sword) as possible.
Artifact Sets
DPS Artifact Sets
 4pc Blizzard Strayer (BS) | Kaeya’s best set for personal damage against Frozen enemies. It can also perform decently in Mono Cryo teams if he does not run a support set. |
 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate (EoSF) | Kaeya’s best generalist set for personal damage that works in all team archetypes. 4pc EoSF is his recommended set in non-Burning Melt teams. It can compete with 4pc BS at high ER requirements in Freeze teams, although this is a rare scenario. |
 4pc Gilded Dreams (GD) | Performs well in Reverse Melt playstyle with its mixture of ATK% and EM stats. |
  4pc Marechaussee Hunter (MH) 4pc Unfinished Reverie (UR) | Niche but strong artifact sets. With Furina, 4pc MH beats 4pc BS if the enemies cannot be Frozen as long as Kaeya stays on-field to gain the set’s effect before casting his Burst to snapshot the CRIT Rate buff. 4pc UR is better than 4pc EoSF in a Burnmelt team. |
 2pc Mixed Sets | Bonuses: Cryo DMG Bonus, Burst DMG Bonus, ATK%, ER, EM Decent temporary options for Kaeya while farming for a full 4pc set. 2pc EM is only usable in Melt teams. |
Support Artifact Sets
 4pc Noblesse Oblige (NO) | 4pc NO is often Kaeya’s preferred set for team DPS. For Kaeya’s personal damage, 4pc NO performs similarly to 2pc mixed sets. |
 4pc Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City (Scroll) | 4pc Scroll can substitute 4pc NO if someone is already holding it or if Kaeya’s teammates do not scale with ATK. Note that Kaeya can only trigger the 12% DMG buff as he cannot enter the Nightsoul’s Blessing state. |
 4pc Archaic Petra (AP) | 4pc AP is a niche set in a team with a Geo character. Picking up a Cryo shard in Mono Cryo teams gives 35% Cryo DMG Bonus to Kaeya and his teammates, which makes the set extremely valuable for the entire team’s performance. Picking up other Elemental shards (often Pyro shards) does not increase Kaeya’s damage, but the team buff is well worth it. Kaeya tends to swap in right after the Geo character to pick up the shard before the dedicated on-fielder takes the field. |
 4pc Instructor | Another buffing set to use for Kaeya’s Melt support playstyle. However, it can be difficult to meet his ER requirements with Instructor’s 4-star artifact statlines. |
Weapons
Freeze and Mono Cryo
 5★ Mistsplitter Reforged | Kaeya’s overall best-in-slot for personal damage in Freeze and Mono Cryo teams, even when only being able to get 1 stack for the passive via his Burst (not accounting for teammates that have infusion like C6 Bennett or Chongyun). However, the difference in team DPS may not be as impactful compared to other options as Kaeya’s damage contribution is quite modest in his teams. |
  5★ Azurelight, Absolution | Two other good CRIT DMG Swords that only perform slightly behind Mistsplitter. Similar to Mistsplitter, Kaeya cannot utilize the full passive of these weapons. |
 Other 5★ CRIT Swords | Uraku Misugiri, Light of Foliar Incision, Splendor of Tranquil Waters, Haran Geppaku Futsu, Primordial Jade Cutter Other good stat sticks for personal damage. Haran performs slightly worse if Kaeya has many CRIT Rate buffs (e.g. Cryo Resonance, 4pc BS). Primordial Jade Cutter’s secondary stat can overcap Kaeya’s CRIT Rate, but it is still a great option nonetheless. |
  5★ Summit Shaper, Skyward Blade | Viable options that perform better than the 4-star Swords in certain scenarios. Summit Shaper is decent in Freeze teams where the lack of ATK buffs is favorable to the weapon. Skyward Blade is useful if Kaeya’s ER requirements are high. |
 5★ Freedom-Sworn | While Freedom-Sworn’s EM secondary stat is useless in Freeze or Forward Melt teams, it provides team buffs that make it still worthwhile to use. |
 4★ Favonius Sword | Kaeya’s most notable 4-star option. It reduces both his and other party members’ ER requirements, which can make it optimal in some teams for team DPS. It also helps to meet his own ER needs that he could not meet otherwise. |
 4★ Moonweaver’s Dawn | Moonweaver’s Dawn is a freely obtained weapon from a Nod-Krai World Quest, and its copies are only obtained from exclusive weapon banners. At R1, it performs slightly worse than R5 Finale of the Deep without needing healing to activate its passive. At higher refinements, Moonweaver’s Dawn becomes one of Kaeya’s top options, surpassing many 5-star ones. |
 4★ Finale of the Deep | Finale of the Deep requires healing to clear its Bond of Life (BoL) in order to give Kaeya a Flat ATK buff. It ranks as one of Kaeya’s best 4-star Swords when the conditions are met, but it still remains a fine option even when its BoL cannot be cleared. |
 3★ Harbinger of Dawn | A free-to-play option that is only viable if you can maintain Kaeya’s HP above 90%. If you cannot, it is a terrible candidate due to its low Base ATK. |
  4★ Amenoma Kageuchi, Fleuve Cendre Ferryman | Acceptable options to use when Kaeya’s ER requirements are high and Favonius Sword is not available. However, they lack the teamwide utility that Favonius Sword gives, and their damage output is not competitive compared to the aforementioned Swords. |
Reverse Melt
 5★ Primordial Jade Cutter | Primordial Jade Cutter has stellar performance and is Kaeya’s best-in-slot option in Reverse Melt teams thanks to its high CRIT Rate stat and useful ATK buff from its passive. |
5★ Mistsplitter Reforged | Mistsplitter is still one of Kaeya’s top performing Swords in Reverse Melt. With C6 Bennett or Chongyun, Kaeya can have 2 stacks thanks to their Elemental Infusions. Otherwise, he can only get 1 stack. |
Other 5★ CRIT Swords | Uraku Misugiri, Light of Foliar Incision, Splendor of Tranquil Waters, Haran Geppaku Futsu, Absolution, Azurelight Other good stat sticks for personal damage. |
5★ Freedom-Sworn | Freedom-Sworn is a good option in Reverse Melt teams for personal damage. It also buffs teammates with ATK% and DMG% buffs, so it can be notable for team performance. |
 4★ Wolf-Fang | One of Kaeya’s top 4-star choices for Reverse Melt teams. While Kaeya can only maintain some stacks of the weapon passive before he swaps out, the buff duration is fairly long and lasts for his whole Burst at 8s baseline. |
4★ Moonweaver’s Dawn | Moonweaver’s Dawn is a freely obtained weapon from a Nod-Krai World Quest, and its copies are only obtained from exclusive weapon banners. At R1, it performs slightly worse than Wolf-Fang. At higher refinements, Moonweaver’s Dawn becomes one of Kaeya’s top options, surpassing many 5-star ones. |
 4★ Lion’s Roar | Lion’s Roar is a standard banner 4-star weapon that performs well in Reverse Melt teams. R5 Lion’s Roar has similar output to R1 Moonweaver’s Dawn. |
  4★ EM Swords | Iron Sting, Toukabou Shigure, Xiphos’ Moonlight EM Swords that are viable in Reverse Melt teams, but are generally worse than the above 4-star options. |
4★ Favonius Sword | Kaeya’s most notable 4-star option. It reduces both his and other party members’ ER requirements, which can make it optimal in some teams for team DPS. It also helps to meet his own ER needs that he could not meet otherwise. |
Teams
Rotation Notation
- N = Normal Attack
- C = Charged Attack
- A = Aimed Shot
- P = Plunging Attack
- E = Elemental Skill
- tE = Tap Skill
- hE = Hold Skill
- Q = Elemental Burst
- D = dash (cancel)
- J = jump (cancel)
- W = walk (cancel)
- > = switch character
- ( ) = these actions are optional; please refer to the notes below
- [ ] = repeat these actions the specified number of times
Teambuilding
- Kaeya is mostly used as an off-field Cryo DPS that holds supportive gear (e.g. Favonius Sword, 4pc NO) to buff his teammates.
- His short Skill and Burst cooldowns allow him to fit in short or quickswap rotations.
- Kaeya’s dedicated teams shine the most in AoE or multi-wave scenarios where his C2 can take effect to increase his personal damage output.
Freeze and Mono Cryo
In Freeze and Mono Cryo teams, Kaeya acts as a battery that contributes some adequate damage output and maintains Frozen auras. He is best suited in a quickswap team where he can swap in and use his Skill for more particle generation.
Freeze teams prefer matchups against groups of enemies that can be Frozen. Not only does this trigger Kaeya’s A4 Passive for more Energy, but it also activates his C2 for better personal damage. Mono Cryo fares better in single-target fights than in multi-target ones, and it allows all Cryo teammates to have significantly lower ER requirements thanks to the team’s combined particle generation.
Kaeya often uses a support-oriented build with 4pc NO and Favonius Sword in most of these teams, but a build with 4pc BS and a more offensive Sword can perform decently with sufficient investment.
Notable Teammates
 Escoffier ★ | Escoffier is the most valuable teammate in any Freeze or Mono Cryo team. She replaces the role of an Anemo 4pc VV shredder in the team by providing up to 55% RES Shred with her A4 when the team only consists of Cryo and Hydro teammates. She also heals the whole team with her Burst and deals respectable personal damage. Kaeya benefits from all the perks that Escoffier brings, while he himself provides good particle generation to lessen Escoffier’s ER requirements in return. |
Cryo
Cryo teammates benefit from Kaeya’s excellent particle production. A Double Cryo or Triple Cryo team is commonly used to activate Cryo Resonance for a 15% CRIT Rate teamwide buff.
 Ayaka ★ | Ayaka’s costly Burst appreciates a dedicated battery so she can run more offensive stats. While Kaeya is not the best option in most of her teams, he can fill the role perfectly with his Skill’s low cooldown and high particle generation. |
 Shenhe ★ | Shenhe boosts all Cryo teammates’ damage considerably with a variety of buffs. Kaeya’s good particle generation is useful for her high-cost Burst. |
Hydro
AoE Hydro appliers are preferred for the slot. An Anemo grouper allows single-target Hydro appliers to work as well.
Apart from the Hydro application, the Hydro units’ team buffs and personal damage also play an important part in their selection.
 Furina ★ | The best off-field Hydro teammate for Freeze teams for her good personal damage and great teamwide DMG Bonus. She also allows the on-field DPS to run 4pc MH, a more reliable set than 4pc BS against enemies that cannot be Frozen. Off-field DPS Kaeya can also use 4pc MH with Furina, but he has to wait for his HP to change before using his Burst so it can’t snapshot the set’s CRIT Rate buff. |
Anemo
An Anemo character is highly valuable in Freeze teams since they enable the 4pc Viridescent Venerer’s Elemental Shred and group enemies with their abilities. Kazuha is notable for his Elemental DMG% buff.
In situations where Venti’s Burst completely lifts enemies, Kaeya should use his Burst after Venti’s Burst ends, since Kaeya’s Burst cannot hit fully lifted enemies within Venti’s Burst.
Flex
Characters from other Elements can be used as long as their Elemental application does not ruin Freeze uptime. A Double Geo core fits decently in Mono Cryo teams for Geo Resonance and easy off-field damage. They also allow a teammate (such as Kaeya) to hold 4pc AP to further increase the team’s damage.
 Xilonen ★ | Xilonen can replace an Anemo character thanks to the long-lasting Cryo and Hydro RES Shred from her Skill. If grouping is not needed, she tends to perform better than Anemo characters with her healing and additional DMG Bonus from 4pc Scroll. However, it can be tricky to trigger both Hydro and Cryo Crystallize for the buffs without careful attention to the reaction setup. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level.
Kaeya can generate an enormous amount of Cryo particles with up to 3 Skill uses per rotation, allowing Ayaka and Escoffier to invest in more offensive stats instead of ER. While a support-oriented build on Kaeya is optimal, he can still deal decent damage in this team thanks to Furina’s and Escoffier’s buffs.
Sample Rotation
Furina ED Q > Escoffier EQ > Kaeya Q E > Ayaka ED N1 Q N2CD > Kaeya E > Ayaka N2CD N1C ED > Kaeya E
This is one ofKaeya’s best teams for personal damage thanks to the sheer amount of buffs from all teammates. It also allows him to stay on-field to display his knightly swordsmanship. Escoffier and Furina also deal significant damage themselves.
Sample Rotation
Furina ED Q > Shenhe tEQ > Escoffier EQ > Kaeya EQ N2C¹ N1C> Shenhe N1 E > Kaeya E 3[N2C] E
¹If Kaeya uses 4pc MH, do E N2C Q instead.
A quickswap team that performs best against waves of enemies that can be grouped and Frozen.
Sample Rotation
Rosaria E > Aino EQ > Kaeya E > Kazuha hEQ > Rosaria EQ > Kaeya EQ > Kazuha (N2) tEP
A typical Mono Cryo Shenhe team with a quickswap playstyle due to Kaeya’s and Rosaria’s low Skill cooldowns.
Sample Rotation
Shenhe tEQ > Xilonen E N2 > Rosaria EQ > Kaeya EQ > Shenhe N3 tE > Rosaria N1 E > Kaeya N1 E > Xilonen E N2 (Q)¹ > Rosaria N1 E > Kaeya N1 E
¹Use when healing is needed.
Limited Roster Alternatives
These teams are meant for newer players whose limited roster prevents them from using the teams above; as such, the teams below result in lower damage output.
A comfy and accessible Freeze team for on-field DPS Kaeya lovers. Kaeya can deal Cryo-infused Normal and Charged Attacks because of Chongyun’s Skill. Lan Yan protects the team with her decent shield and can carry TTDS. Aino can be substituted with Mona or Xingqiu, and Lan Yan can be replaced with other Anemo VV holders at the expense of a shield.
Note that the damage output of this team is subpar for most endgame content. However, it remains a fine option to use in early game.
Sample Rotation
Chongyun E (Q)¹ > Aino EQ N1 > Lan Yan 2[E] (Q)¹ > Kaeya EQ NA & E spam for about 8-10s.
¹Use when available.
Reverse Melt
Reverse Melt teams use Cryo abilities on a Pyro aura to trigger Melt. Some Pyro units’ abilities and Pyro-absorbed Anemo Bursts can provide enough Pyro application to allow a Cryo DPS to consistently trigger Melt on enemies. Dendro units can be used to maintain Burning aura, which also enables Melt reactions.
Although Kaeya’s Burst can only trigger Melt half of the time, he still provides decent off-field damage and can lower his Cryo teammate’s ER requirement with his Elemental Skill’s particle generation.
Notable Teammates
Cryo
 Rosaria ★ | Rosaria is an excellent off-field Cryo DPS that can Melt all of her hits. Her Burst snapshots Bennett’s buffs and her low Skill cooldown allows her to fit nicely into the rotation with Kaeya. Use Rosaria’s Burst first before Kaeya’s so he can snapshot her CRIT Rate buff. |
Escoffier ★ | Escoffier is another great off-field DPS. While Escoffier’s RES Shred encourages the use of full Hydro–Cryo teams, she still deals significant damage in Melt teams. |
 Shenhe | Shenhe buffs Kaeya greatly with her various buffs. However, she is only worth considering when prioritizing Kaeya’s personal damage. |
 Chongyun | Chongyun decreases the whole team’s cooldown at C2, allowing faster rotations. He also deals fine damage with his Burst that can Melt all of its hits. |
Pyro
A Pyro applier enables Melt reactions for Kaeya and his teammates. Xiangling is often used for her fast Pyro application that can sustain the Double Cryo pair.
 Bennett ★ | Bennett provides a significant boost to the team through his ATK buff, healing, and potential contribution to Pyro Resonance. Bennett can hold 4pc NO or 4pc Instructor to provide additional buffs to the team. When paired with Xiangling, Bennett can use his Elemental Skill to battery her. Bennett’s Skill and Burst apply 2U Pyro, which helps enable Melts. Additionally, at C6, on-field Claymore, Polearm, and Sword users in his Burst’s AoE have Pyro-infused Normal Attacks. With this additional Pyro application, slower off-field Pyro appliers like Pyro Traveler become viable. |
Dendro
Dendro characters enable a Burning aura, which behaves similarly to Pyro aura for Reverse Melt reactions. This allows the Cryo units to Melt reliably even with intermittent Pyro application from Bennett.
 Emilie ★ | Emilie applies Dendro and deals good personal damage. |
 Nahida | Nahida’s personal damage is not as good as Emilie’s, but her EM buff allows the Cryo units to dish out higher Melt damage. |
Anemo
These Anemo characters provide 4pc VV’s RES Shred and additional off-field Pyro application. Kazuha and Lynette can absorb Pyro into their Bursts, while Jean’s Burst triggers Pyro Swirls off the active character’s Pyro aura. Bennett is instrumental for these interactions as his Burst applies Pyro to the active character.
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level.
Bennett’s C6 is highly valuable for this team to maintain the Burning state. 4pc UR is best on Kaeya, Rosaria, and Emilie. However, for optimal team DPS output, Kaeya should use 4pc Deepwood to buff Emilie.
Sample Rotation
(Emilie E)¹ > Bennett EQ > Rosaria EQ N1 > Kaeya EQ N1 > Emilie N1 Q/E > Bennett N2 E > Rosaria E N2 > Kaeya N2 E N2
¹First rotation only.
This team focuses more on Kaeya’s personal damage. While Bennett’s C6 is not needed, it enables better Melt consistency.
Sample Rotation
Shenhe tEQ > Bennett Q E > Kaeya E N1 Q > Xiangling N1 Q E > Shenhe N1 E N2 > Kaeya E > Bennett N1 E > Xiangling N2 > Bennett N1 E > Xiangling N2 > Kaeya E > Shenhe N3
Forward Melt Support
Kaeya’s good off-field Cryo application from his Burst makes him a decent Melt enabler for Pyro DPS units. At C6, Kaeya’s Cryo application intervals becomes more spread out, which makes it more preferable for consistent Melt reactions. Kaeya can also be paired with a second Cryo applier to stabilize the Cryo aura without the need for his C6.
Kaeya uses support gear and aims to get as much ER as possible instead of focusing on his personal damage in these teams.
Notable Teammates
Pyro
Plunging Attack DPS units with Xianyun and C6 Bennett can also work.
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level.
Kaeya is a good Melt enabler for Mavuika if Citlali is not available. Use 4pc Archaic Petra on him and pick up the Pyro Crystallize shard to give a 35% DMG Bonus buff to Mavuika.
Sample Rotation (C0–C5 Kaeya)
Mavuika tE > Bennett Q E > Xilonen E N2 > Kaeya ED¹Q > Mavuika Q² 5[C2D] C3D
Sample Rotation (C6 Kaeya)
Mavuika tE > Bennett Q E > Xilonen E N2 > Kaeya ED¹Q > Mavuika Q 5[C2D] C5D
¹First rotation only.
²Wait about half a second before performing the first Charged Attack.
Kaeya can apply enough Cryo for most Pyro Plunge DPS enabled by Xianyun. Bennett’s C6 lets Diluc skip his Burst, which saves time. While 4pc Instructor on Kaeya is optimal, meeting his ER requirement with a 4-star set is quite challenging; he can use 4pc Scroll instead.
Sample Rotation (C0–C5 Kaeya)
Diluc 3[E] > Xianyun EPQ > Bennett EQ > Kaeya Q E > Diluc 4[JP] 3[JPD] JP
Sample Rotation (C6 Kaeya)
Diluc 3[E] > Bennett EQ > Xianyun EPQ > Kaeya EQ > Diluc 4[JP] 3[JPD] JP
Credits
Writer(s): acerbus114
Contributors: ren718.exe, pjeljr, haafr, irokei, pulsar79.
Previous Quick Guide Contributors: irokei, casdela, fourmana, jdha, luno, cuzimori, jamberry, ai, pweep, nikatosaurus, idkanonymized, sew
Team images made with the KQM portrait generator.