A Kamisato Ayato Guide
Written by irokei and kolvii

Updated for Version 5.1

You want to know about me? Hmm. Things aren’t always a case of the more you know, the better. 

Introduction

Ayato is a 5-star Hydro Sword character in Genshin Impact who uses his special Hydro Normal Attacks and Burst to deal considerable damage and apply Hydro. He is a versatile Hydro DPS unit in a variety of team compositions due to his unique kit. While our boba king prefers basking in the sun, if you ask nicely, he can put in impressive work with his consistent damage output, fantastic team flexibility, and bombastic side eye.

This guide examines Ayato’s kit in-depth to help you better understand his best builds, best teams, best weapons, best artifacts, synergies, Talents, Constellations, and more!

TL;DR

Why Play Ayato?

Ayato is a great pick if you’re looking for a versatile, satisfying, and stylish on-field DPS unit. He deals solid damage while enabling reactions with his off-field and on-field Hydro application. His special Hydro Normal Attacks deal a quick barrage of damage while his Burst contributes AoE Hydro damage and further buffs his Normal Attacks. While Ayato’s click-and-hold attacks are simple to execute, his teams come with considerable nuance in regard to reactions and rotations. 

Many have likened Ayato to a jack-of-all-trades, which makes him an excellent option for players who believe that variety is the spice of life. He can enable Elemental Reactions like Vape, Electro-Charged, Bloom, Hyperbloom, and Burgeon. His popular Anemo Overvape teams are sometimes called “Soup”, but make sure Ayato doesn’t get near the hotpot or your stomach will never forgive you!

FAQ

Talents

Constellations

Ayato is perfectly fine at C0, and you do not need to pull any Constellations for him. None of his Constellations significantly expand his playstyle or notably increase quality of life. However, he does have one of the most consistent sets of Constellations in terms of personal damage increase. 

If you want to pull for Constellations, Ayato’s C2 and C3 are good stopping points unless going for C6. It is not worth pulling solely for his C1. Ayato’s C5 has the lowest DPS increase among his Constellations.

Calcs for Constellation comparisons can be found here (last updated for Version 5.1).

Character Overview

I'm no stickler for doing things in a certain way. Whatever method you use, the important thing is that it delivers acceptable results.

Playstyles

Ayato is primarily an on-field DPS unit, but he does have some off-field potential via his Burst. This guide mainly focuses on Ayato’s on-field playstyle, but notes pertaining to his Burst-oriented playstyle appear when applicable.

On-Field DPS (2 Skills)

Ayato’s on-field DPS playstyle showcases every aspect of his kit design, so this is the best option if you want to get the most out of Ayato!

As an on-field DPS, Ayato uses two Elemental Skills per Burst with split field time; however, this extends rotations to roughly 26s since his Skill has a 12s cooldown. In this playstyle, Ayato’s primary source of damage is his Shunsuiken attacks (special Hydro Normal Attacks) over 6s of field time per Skill cast, but his Burst still contributes a fair amount of damage. In addition to his personal damage, Ayato can also enable or trigger Elemental Reactions in his teams. 

A typical rotation in this playstyle is:

Ayato Q > Teammates > Ayato E N15 > Teammates > Ayato E N15 > repeat

Ayato splits his field time to accommodate his Skill’s cooldown. His Skill has a 12s cooldown but his Shunsuiken attacks only last around 6s, so his teammates need to fill the 6s downtime with their abilities. 

Ayato’s best teams fill this downtime efficiently so you constantly deal damage and refresh abilities as needed. The split field time is also great for characters who have <12s Skill cooldowns or multiple Skill charges like Bennett, Fischl, Kazuha, Xiangling, Yelan, Baizhu, C4 Lynette, and C1 Sucrose.

Burst-Oriented DPS (1 Skill)

As a Burst-oriented DPS, Ayato uses only one Skill per Burst to decrease his field time. Instead of using his second Skill, he capitalizes on his Burst’s off-field AoE Hydro application to enable different reactions. While this playstyle is called “Burst-oriented”, Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks (special Hydro Normal Attacks) still contribute a majority of his damage, unless there is significantly tight grouping with many enemies.

Using only 1 Skill per rotation considerably increases Ayato’s ER requirements, which means you have to divest from CRIT and ATK stats. Furthermore, his lower share of damage and lack of buffing utility means he often performs worse in this role compared to off-field Hydro units like Furina, Yelan, Xingqiu, Kokomi, and even Mona. Nevertheless, 1 Skill rotations can be optimal in certain Nilou Bloom teams, since it decreases rotation length and allows more consistent Bountiful Bloom generation. 

A typical rotation in this playstyle is:

Ayato Q > Teammates > Ayato E N15 > (Teammates) > repeat

Ayato swaps off-field after using his Burst to maximize his A4 Passive’s Energy regeneration, and then he uses his Elemental Skill and special Hydro Normal Attacks towards the end of the rotation to recharge his Energy. 

Since Ayato has higher ER requirements and a larger proportion of his damage comes from his Elemental Burst, 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate is usually the go-to artifact set in his Burst-oriented DPS playstyle.

Talents

Level and Talent Priority

Skill > Level 90 ≥ Burst

Ayato’s Skill Talent Level contributes the most to his personal damage output. His Shunsuiken attacks (special Hydro Normal Attacks), Namisen stacks, and Illusion damage all scale with his Elemental Skill Talent. Ayato’s Burst deals roughly 20% of his damage assuming 2 Skill casts, but its share of damage increases in multi-target scenarios with strong grouping and against larger enemy hitboxes. Even in 1 Skill rotations, Ayato’s Burst only accounts for roughly 33% of his overall damage, so his Skill should still be prioritized.

You should raise Ayato to Level 90 to maximize the damage from his Namisen stacks. In terms of prioritizing Ayato’s level or Burst, a level 90/90 Ayato with Level 6 Burst deals roughly the same damage as an 80/90 Ayato with Level 9 Burst.

Ayato’s special Hydro Normal Attacks (Shunsuiken attacks) do not scale with his Normal Attack Talent. The only circumstance where you would want to level Ayato’s Normal Attack Talent is if you pair him with Xianyun in a Plunging Attack DPS playstyle. 

Rotations

Ayato has an interesting mix of Talent cooldowns and durations, which results in split field time in his on-field DPS playstyle. 

Cooldowns, Durations and Downtime

The table below shows his Talent cooldown, duration, and the resulting downtime (difference in time) for Ayato’s Skill and Burst.

	Cooldown	Duration	Downtime
Elemental Skill	12s	6s	6s
Elemental Burst	20s	18s	2s

Ayato’s Skill has a 12s cooldown but only lasts for 6s or so (depending on hitlag). As a result, there is 6s of downtime until he can use his Skill again (assuming no cooldown reduction from teammates or 4pc Thundering Fury). Unfortunately, Ayato cannot fill this downtime himself since his only other option while on-field is to perform Physical Normal Attacks or drink boba. As a result, his teammates fill this downtime by casting and refreshing their abilities and buffs. Ultimately, you should accommodate 2 Skills in a rotation if possible, which requires at least 24s (in practice 25–26s).

Ayato’s Burst itself is relatively straightforward; however, its duration is only 18s while most Ayato rotations are 24–26s. As a result, his Burst is not active for the last 6–8s or so of a rotation (since he typically starts the rotation with his Burst). Consequently, Ayato’s last Normal Attack sequence cannot benefit from his Elemental Burst’s Normal Attack DMG buff. In some teams, Ayato uses his Burst in the middle of the rotation after his first Normal Attack sequence, but it is basically the same outcome in subsequent rotations.

Filling Downtime

Many of Ayato’s recommended teammates can accommodate this 12s cooldown – 6s downtime since their own abilities have cooldowns lower than 12s. Swapping 3 times usually results in 1–2s of additional field time not accounted for purely by character abilities. Since Ayato has 3 teammates, the sum of their abilities’ durations and swapping animations should wind up around 5–6s so Ayato can return to the field as soon as possible to deal more damage. 

Here are a few notable teammate abilities that can be used during Ayato’s downtime. Note that most of these cooldowns are lower than 12s.

Character	Ability	Cooldown	Field Time
Ayato	Burst	20s	~2s
Bennett	Tap Skill	2–4s	~1s
Xiangling	Skill	12s	~1s
Venti	Tap Skill	6s	~2s
Sucrose (C1)	Skill	15s[1]	~2s
Kazuha	Tap Skill	6s	~1s
	Hold Skill	9s	~2s
Fischl	Oz Refresh	15/25s[2]	~2s
Beidou	Tap Skill	7.5s	~1s
	Hold Skill	7.5s	~2s
Yelan	Tap Skill	10s	~1s
	Hold Skill	10s	~3s
Nahida	Tap Skill	5s	~1s
	Hold Skill	6s	~2s
Baizhu	Skill	10s	~2s

^[1]Sucrose can fill downtime with her Skill at C1 or with Sacrificial Fragments, due to the additional charge. Over successive rotations, the Skill will desync, so she can use her Burst when available instead.

^[2]Fischl’s Skill has a 25s cooldown while her Burst has a 15s cooldown. This overall 25s cooldown fits in Ayato’s rotation length, and she alternates using her Skill and Burst to maintain Oz uptime.

Example

In a team like Ayato — Bennett — Kazuha — Fischl, you could fill downtime like:

Ayato > Bennett Skill > Fischl Burst > Kazuha Tap Skill > Ayato

In this example, the sum of Ayato’s teammates' field time is approximately 1 + 2 + 1 = 4s, which gives us 5–6s including swapping. This helps lower ER requirements, refresh buffs (4pc Viridescent Venerer and Kazuha’s A4 Passive), and refresh Fischl’s turret ability.

A full rotation could look like this:

Ayato Q > Bennett EQ > Fischl E > Kazuha N1 hEP Q > Ayato E N15 > Bennett E > Fischl Q > Kazuha N1 tEP > Ayato E N15 > repeat

4pc Thundering Fury

In certain Electro-Charged and Hyperbloom teams with Fischl, Ayato can hold 4pc Thundering Fury and lower his Skill cooldown by triggering Electro-Charged reactions. With enough Electro application, Ayato can reduce his Skill cooldown by 5–6s over the course of his Shunsuiken attacks. As a result, he can use his Skill again immediately after the first one. This not only “cuts out” 1 period of downtime in the rotation, but also allows all of Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks to benefit from his Burst’s NA DMG% buff.

In a team like Ayato — Fischl — Shinobu — Nahida with Ayato on 4pc Thundering Fury, you could run a rotation like this:

Ayato Q > Nahida E > Shinobu E > Fischl E / Q > Ayato E N15 E N15 > repeat

This rotation is roughly 20s and both E N15 sequences occur during his Burst. Ayato’s 12s of continuous on-field Hydro application during Kuki’s Skill condenses Hyperbloom reactions into a shorter rotation. In a non-4TF playstyle, you’d need to run a ~30s rotation for full Shinobu Skill uptime since its cooldown and duration are 15s (insufficient for Ayato’s Skill cooldown timing). Fischl alternates using her Skill and Burst since the rotation is shorter than 25s.

Builds

Everything comes at a cost. And if you aspire to things that most could never dream of, then naturally, there will be an unimaginable price to pay.

Ayato’s recommended Nilou Bloom builds are noted in their own section after his typical build information.

ER Requirements

Ayato’s ER requirements vary depending on the number of Skills and Shunsuiken attack he performs per rotation. These numbers are approximate; ER requirements will vary depending on team and context. For a more accurate estimate of your ER requirements, use the Energy Recharge Calculator.

Calcs for ER requirements can be found here in this spreadsheet (last updated for 5.1). Every example team in this guide is included.

On-Field (2 Skills)

In most cases, you can get by with 135–140% ER, but you should still check your team’s specific requirement.

	# Skills	ER Requirement
Solo Hydro	2	130–160%
Double Electro	2	115–145%
Double Hydro	2	120–135%
Triple Hydro	2	100–120%

Burst-Oriented (1 Skill)

	# Skills	ER Requirement
Solo Hydro (Freeze)	1	155–175%
Double Hydro (Nilou)	1	135–170%

Assumptions:
- Safe particle generation
- Default enemy particles
- R3 Favonius weapons on teammates
- Zhongli 50% hit rate on pillar
- Guoba misses 1 hit without grouper
- Guoba misses 0 hits with grouper
- Units holding Favonius proc it every time they use their Skill as long as it is at least ~9s apart

Assumptions:

• Safe particle generation
• Default enemy particles
• R3 Favonius weapons on teammates
• Zhongli 50% hit rate on pillar
• Guoba misses 1 hit without grouper
• Guoba misses 0 hits with grouper
• Units holding Favonius proc it every time they use their Skill as long as it is at least ~9s apart.

Artifacts

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
ATK% or ER%	Hydro DMG Bonus	CRIT DMG/Rate

Substat Priority:
ER% (until requirement) > CRIT > ATK% > HP%

On-field DPS Ayato should always use an ATK% Sands. An ER% Sands can be used to meet Ayato’s ER requirements if he is used as a Burst-oriented DPS unit.

While Ayato can make use of HP% substats, they should not be prioritized over CRIT or ATK%. Even with Primordial Jade Cutter, ATK% outperforms HP% in both main stats and substats.

In Vape-related teams, Ayato can make use of EM substats, but since he is an inconsistent trigger for reactions, they still have lower overall value than CRIT and ATK% in most cases.

We recommend using Genshin Optimizer to compare your actual artifacts.

Artifact Sets

We recommend using Genshin Optimizer to compare your actual artifacts. The relative DPS of these artifacts is based on a very specific set of assumptions. What is best for you will change based on your team, weapon, and artifact substat quality.

Calcs for artifact comparisons can be found here (last updated for Version 5.1).

Assumptions:
• C0
• Talent Levels 9 / 9 / 9
• R1 Black Sword
• 133% ER Requirement
• ATK% | Hydro DMG% | CRIT DMG

DPS% ranges indicate unbuffed and buffed DPS values

Recommended Sets

Artifact	DPS%	Notes
4pc Heart of Depth	100%	4pc Heart of Depth is one of Ayato’s best sets. It usually performs better without additional DMG% buffs from teammates or Ayato’s weapon, but the difference is minor. You do not have to worry about its passive since it always triggers for each E N15.  Heart of Depth is available in the Strongbox, so you don’t have to farm its Domain. However, it may be a Resin-efficient option if you also play a Freeze DPS unit (like Ayato’s sister Ayaka).
4pc Gladiator’s Finale	100–101%	4pc Gladiator’s Finale performs very similarly to 4pc Heart of Depth. It performs slightly better with weapons that provide less ATK but more DMG% stats.  Gladiator’s Finale does not have a Domain, but long-time players likely have good pieces from farming Bosses over the years. You can also use the Strongbox.
4pc Nymph’s Dream	103–105%	4pc Nymph’s Dream is a good option, performing on par with (or slightly better than) 4pc Gladiator’s Finale and 4pc Heart of Depth. Ayato can reach 3 stacks if his Skill’s water illusion clone hits an enemy. However, this can be difficult against highly mobile enemies. You should start the first rotation with a Physical Normal Attack to gain a stack before using Ayato’s Burst (since it snapshots). While slightly better than other 4-piece options, Nymph’s Dream shares its Domain with Vourukasha’s Glow, a typically Resin-inefficient option for most players (unless you also have Nilou). You can also use the Strongbox. Note: the calcs assume only 1 rotation. Nymph’s Dream is actually slightly better (2–4%) across rotations since Ayato’s Burst can snapshot 2 or 3 stacks in subsequent rotations.
4pc Echoes of an Offering	7 Procs Per E 103–105%	4pc Echoes is actually fine if you have high ping. Even if you get only 5 procs per Skill, the set still performs on par with 4pc Heart of Depth and 4pc Gladiator’s Finale. 4pc Echoes of an Offering provides an Additive Base DMG Bonus to Ayato's Normal Attacks; however, it heavily depends on your ping since the damage is calculated server-side. Despite this, even at 350ms ping, you can get at least 6 procs per Skill. Below 100ms, Ayato should typically proc the 4-piece effect for 7/15 NAs. The average expected proc rate at 0ms ping is 50.2% proc rate (or 7.53/15 NAs), but this is highly unrealistic.
2pc Hydro DMG% Combinations	95–98%	• 2pc Hydro DMG% + 2pc Hydro DMG% • 2pc Hydro DMG% + 2pc ATK% • 2pc Hydro DMG% + 2pc Emblem of Severed Fate • 2pc Hydro DMG% + 2pc Marechaussee Hunter 2pc Hydro DMG% provides the strongest 2-piece set bonus for Ayato since it buffs all of his damage. Depending on your artifact substat quality, these 2-piece combinations may be your best option. 2pc Emblem of Severed Fate should not be overlooked since Ayato typically has ER requirements above 120%. The 20% ER is actually quite helpful! Use Genshin Optimizer to compare your actual artifacts.
Other 2pc Combinations	93–94%	• 2pc ATK% + 2pc ATK% • 2pc ATK% + 2pc Emblem of Severed Fate • 2pc ATK% + 2pc Marechaussee Hunter • 2pc Marechaussee Hunter + 2pc Emblem of Severed Fate 2pc ATK% and 2pc Normal Attack DMG% are also valuable buffs to Ayato, but they do not buff his entire kit (in comparison to 2pc Hydro DMG%).  Nonetheless, 2pc ATK% sets are plentiful, so these options can supersede the aforementioned sets depending on substat quality. Use Genshin Optimizer to compare your actual artifacts.
4pc Emblem of Severed Fate	136% ER 92–94%	4pc Emblem of Severed Fate is recommended for Ayato if he is the only Hydro character and he serves as a Burst-oriented DPS unit. However, it does have comparable damage to some of his 2-piece set combinations even in his on-field DPS playstyle. Since Emblem of Severed Fate is commonly farmed by the playerbase, it could be your best option depending on substats.

Niche Sets

These sets depend on specific circumstances to be viable. They are not recommended to farm specifically for Ayato.

4pc Marechaussee Hunter	4pc Marechaussee Hunter is a great option in teams with Furina. However, you can easily overcap on CRIT Rate with CRIT Rate Swords.  4pc Marechaussee Hunter is not recommended outside of teams with Furina since Ayato cannot reliably trigger its 4-piece effect on his own. Corrosion in Spiral Abyss may be the only other circumstance that warrants its use.
4pc Thundering Fury	4pc Thundering Fury is an option in certain Electro-Charged and Hyperbloom teams with 2 Electro characters, with at least one being Fischl. In these teams specifically, its 4-piece effect reduces Ayato’s Skill cooldown enough to perform consecutive Skill uses without a 6s break.  The DPS increase from using this set is minor in Electro-Charged teams (around 5–6%); however, it is a larger DPS increase in Hyperbloom teams since Ayato can apply Hydro on-field for 12–13s straight. If Resin-efficiency is an issue but you enjoy playing 4pc TF Ayato, you can always Strongbox it!
4pc Blizzard Strayer	4pc Blizzard Strayer is only viable in Freeze teams. It outperforms other options assuming high Freeze uptime. However, you can easily overcap on CRIT Rate with CRIT Rate Swords.  It may be better for Ayato’s Cryo teammates to hold 4pc Blizzard Strayer instead and for Ayato to hold one of his recommended sets above, depending on your artifact availability.
4pc Unfinished Reverie	4pc Unfinished Reverie is viable in specific Burgeon and Burnvape teams: Ayato — Thoma — Dendro — Dendro Ayato — Thoma — Nahida — Electro Ayato — Bennett – Xiangling – Nahida / Emilie These teams have consistent enough Burning uptime to maintain full stacks throughout the rotation. Other Burgeon teams have too much Elemental application for Burning to persist or appear enough throughout the rotation. Note that Beidou applies too much Electro in 2–3 enemy scenarios for consistent Burning uptime in Burgeon teams. Ayato receives the full 4-piece set bonus at the start of combat and can snapshot the buff onto his Burst even before a Burning reaction starts. In subsequent rotations, Burning needs to occur during his last Skill to ensure his Burst snapshots full stacks again.

Weapons

Calcs for weapon comparisons can be found here (last updated for Version 5.1).

Assumptions:
• C0
• Talent Levels 9 / 9 / 9
• 4pc Heart of Depth
• 133% ER Requirement
• ATK% | Hydro DMG% | CRIT DMG

Unbuffed values assume no team buffs at all (Solo Ayato)
Buffed values assume Bennett and Kazuha in this rotation: Ayato Q > (Bennett EQ) > (Other Teammate) > (Kazuha EQ) > Ayato E N15 > (Team) > (Kazuha E) > Ayato E N15
Ayato’s first E N15 is buffed by Bennett, Kazuha, and his Burst
His second E N15 is buffed only by Kazuha.

Recommended Weapons

DPS% is in relation to R1 Black Sword.

Weapon	Unbuffed	Buffed	Notes
Haran Geppaku Futsu	R1: 125% R5: 146%	R1: 123% R5: 142%	Haran Geppaku Futsu is Ayato’s Best-in-Slot. It provides Ayato with a myriad of beneficial stats. Ayato’s rotations almost always accommodate its passive effect, which requires teammates to use their Elemental Skills.
Primordial Jade Cutter	R1: 124% R5: 145%	R1: 121% R5: 138%	Primordial Jade Cutter is Ayato’s second-strongest weapon. It provides high CRIT Rate and an unconditional passive effect. Primordial Jade Cutter is also a more universal weapon that performs better than Haran on other Sword characters. At C2+, this weapon may outperform Haran depending on available artifacts. You should still prioritize ATK% stats over HP% if you play Primordial Jade Cutter.
Mistsplitter Reforged	R1: 118% R5: 137%	R1: 117% R5: 132%	Mistsplitter Reforged is Ayato’s third-best option. Ayato can struggle to maintain maximum stacks in his typical rotations, which makes it fall further behind his top two picks. The stack from casting his Burst only lasts 10s, so it persists only for the first E N15 sequence.  He typically has 2–3 stacks for his Burst and first E N15 sequence, and then 1–2 stacks for the second E N15.
Uraku Misugiri	No Geo R1: 108% R5: 115% With Geo R1: 115% R5: 127%	No Geo R1: 108% R5: 114% With Geo R1: 114%  R5: 127%	Uraku Misugiri is a good option, even in teams without a Geo teammate. If you play Ayato with a Geo teammate (like Zhongli or Xilonen), its damage output can compete with Mistsplitter Reforged. Note that it is not worth forcing one just for Uraku.
Light of Foliar Incision	40 EM R1: 107% R5: 112% 240 EM R1: 114% R5: 126%	40 EM R1: 107% R5: 112% 240 EM R1: 113% R5: 124%	Light of Foliar Incision is a strong option for Ayato. At R1, it generally performs on par with R5 Black Sword, but its viability improves with EM buffs (e.g., Sucrose’s A1/A4, Kazuha’s C2, Nahida’s A1). You should not build EM for this weapon since other stats like CRIT and ATK% are still more impactful.
Absolution	No Bond of Life R1: 105% R5: 111%	No Bond of Life R1: 106% R5: 111%	Absolution is a solid stat stick that provides a lot of CRIT DMG. It is very rare for Ayato to increase a Bond of Life and benefit from the weapon’s DMG% passive in combat outside of Fontaine.
Summit Shaper	No Shield R1: 104% R5: 108% Shield R1: 108% R5: 116%	No Shield R1: 99% R5: 103% Shield R1: 103% R5: 110%	Summit Shaper is a solid option in buffless teams, but it falls behind with ATK buffs from teammates like Bennett. It performs slightly better in teams with a shield, but it is still one of Ayato's lowest-performing 5-star options.
Splendor of Tranquil Waters	No Passive R1: 102%	No Passive R1: 102%	Splendor of Tranquil Waters is a decent stat stick for Ayato if you have a spare. However, you may be better off giving this weapon to a character that can better use its passive. Even in teams where its passive can be triggered (like with Furina), the buff only increases his Skill’s water illusion damage and his HP (which affects Namisen stacks), but those account for a much smaller proportion of his overall damage compared to his Normal Attacks and Burst.
The Black Sword	R1: 100% R5: 106%	R1: 100% R5: 106%	The Black Sword is one of Ayato’s strongest 4-star weapon options. It provides a valuable CRIT Rate secondary stat and a Normal Attack DMG Bonus. Refinements from R1 to R5 only result in a 6–7% DPS increase.
Skyward Blade	R1: 99% R5: 105%	R1: 99% R5: 105%	Skyward Blade helps meet Ayato’s ER requirements and performs roughly on par with R1 Black Sword. Ayato can execute a couple more slashes per Skill thanks to the Attack SPD buff from its passive.  Note that the number of additional Normal Attacks depends on your frame rate, so it could be 1–3 additional attacks depending on your device.
Kagotsurube Isshin	R1: 98%	R1: 94%	Kagotsurube Isshin is Ayato’s best free option, available from Kazuha’s second Story Quest. It provides ATK% and not much else. Ayato can snapshot its passive effect onto his Burst, so perform a single Normal Attack before using his Skill or Burst if you are using this weapon.
Sturdy Bone	R1: 95% R5: 100%	R1: 109% R5: 116%	Sturdy Bone is a gacha-exclusive weapon that buffs the damage from Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks based on his total ATK stat after he dashes. It performs on par with The Black Sword when Ayato is unbuffed or paired solely with Bennett. However, its performance improves greatly with DMG buffs and Hydro RES Shred, rivaling R1 Mistsplitter Reforged in such scenarios. This weapon’s relative strength decreases in multi-target scenarios since the Normal Attack buff lasts for up to 18 instances of damage. For example, against 3 enemies, the buff runs out after just 6 Shuinsuiken attacks. As such, its strength is limited to single-target scenarios. While additional ATK stats are nice, do not prioritize them over CRIT stats even with this weapon.
The Flute	R1: 94% R5: 98%	R1: 90% R5: 93%	R5 Flute performs on par with Kagotsurube Isshin, so there is not much point in using it. Nonetheless, it matches Ayato’s aesthetic much more closely than Isshin, so feel free to use it for the drip.
Finale of the Deep	Cleared R1: 95% R5: 100% Uncleared R1: 92% R5: 94%	Cleared R1: 94% R5: 97% Uncleared R1: 90% R5: 92%	R1 Finale of the Deep performs on par with Kagotsurube Isshin if you can consistently clear the Bond of Life with a healer. It performs slightly better with refinements. You should not use Finale of the Deep if you play a team without a strong healer. Despite this, it matches Ayato’s aesthetic more closely than Isshin, so feel free to use it if you can consistently clear the Bond of Life.
Lion’s Roar	80% Uptime R1: 96% R5: 103%	80% Uptime R1: 92% R5: 101%	In Electro-Charged teams only, R5 Lion’s Roar is a strong 4-star option for Ayato. In teams with Fischl and another Electro unit, you can expect roughly 80% uptime on its passive. In other cases, Lion’s Roar performs very poorly.
Harbinger of Dawn	Passive R5: 101% No Passive R5: 82%	Passive R5: 103% No Passive R5: 84%	R5 Harbinger of Dawn is a strong option only if you can keep Ayato above 90% Max HP. It performs on par with R1 Black Sword in these circumstances. However, it is unusual for Ayato to maintain the passive effect due to his on-field presence and typical teammate selection (lack of shielders or healer other than Bennett).

Not Recommended

These weapons may not be recommended for Ayato for a variety of reasons.

Weapon	Unbuffed	Buffed	Notes
Wolf-Fang	R1: 96% R5: 99%	R1: 98% R5: 99%	If you want just an R1 Battle Pass Sword and not a weapon for Ayato specifically, pick R1 Wolf-Fang. It’s only 2–4% less DPS than R1 Black Sword and is preferred on more characters. If you are an Ayato main but can’t go for a 5-star, Black Sword is the better choice. Notable Sword DPS characters who prefer Wolf-Fang over Black Sword: Alhaitham Ayaka Chiori Furina Kaeya Xingqiu
Blackcliff Longsword	R1–R5: 90%(No Passive)	R1–R5: 91%(No Passive)	It is not worth the Starglitter to purchase Blackcliff Longsword. In single-target scenarios, you will never trigger its passive.  If you can maintain 3 stacks on its passive in multi-target scenarios, then it performs on par with Black Sword at R1. However, since you need to defeat 3 enemies before then, the actual average DPS is lower.
Amenoma Kageuchi	R5: 89%	R5: 89%	You should not use Amenoma Kageuchi on Ayato.  Most of his rotations start with his Burst, so you cannot benefit from the passive until the second rotation. As a result, you still need to build enough ER% to meet his ER requirements without its passive. You should not delay using Ayato’s Burst later in the rotation to accommodate Amenoma’s passive; this significantly lowers DPS even with the lowered ER requirements across several rotations.

Nilou Bloom EM Build

You can still use Ayato’s typical ADC build in Nilou Bloom teams. EM builds are optimal by roughly 10–15%.

Ayato’s optimal build for Nilou Bloom is very different from his typical ADC build, but you do not need to farm an entirely new set for him. The build information below is provided for min-maxing optimization and comprehensiveness. You could also employ a “hybrid” DPS build that has significantly more EM stats or even an EM Sands or Goblet. They are all fine to use as long as you meet Ayato’s ER requirements.

Nilou Bloom EM Build Artifact Stats

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
EM or ER%	EM	EM

Substat Priority:
ER% (until requirement) > EM >> CRIT > ATK% > HP%

Rough ER Requirements: 145–170% ER

In Nilou Bloom teams, Ayato should focus on EM stats since he is the primary Bloom trigger. An ER% Sands can be used to meet Ayato’s ER requirements if they cannot be met with substats and his weapon.

Ayato’s ER requirements here were calculated assuming certain teammates hold Favonius weapons. If there are no Favonius teammates, his ER requirements can be anywhere from 180–240% (since he typically only uses 1 Skill per rotation).

We recommend using Genshin Optimizer to compare your actual artifacts, along with one of the multi-opt configs below.

Nilou Bloom EM Build Artifact Sets

Ayato’s recommended artifact sets in Nilou Bloom maximize his EM stats and Bloom damage.

4pc Flower of Paradise Lost	4pc Flower of Paradise Lost is Ayato’s Best-in-Slot artifact set in Nilou Bloom. Its 2-piece set bonus provides 80 EM, and its 4-piece set bonus provides a strong boost to Bountiful Bloom damage.  This set can be worth farming if you play a lot of different Nilou Bloom teams, but it shares its Domain with Desert Pavilion Chronicle, which is really only viable on Wanderer. You can also use the Strongbox.
4pc Gilded Dreams	4pc Gilded Dreams is a good option in Nilou Bloom teams. However, its 4-piece effect only provides 100 EM in Ayato–Nilou teams, which is only 20 EM greater than another 2pc EM set.
2pc Mixed Sets	2pc Gilded Dreams 2pc Flower of Paradise Los t2pc Wanderer’s Troupe 2pc Emblem of Severed Fate These 2-piece sets provide Ayato with EM or ER% stats, his primary build targets in Nilou Bloom. They can be a great option if they have better substats than a 4-piece set.

Nilou Bloom EM Build Weapons

Ayato’s best picks for Swords in a Nilou Bloom team maximize his EM stat or help him reach his ER requirements.

Xiphos’ Moonlight	Xiphos’ Moonlight is one of Ayato’s top picks in Nilou Bloom since it provides an EM secondary stat and lowers team ER requirements. Its only drawback is that it is a banner-limited 4-star, so you are unlikely to have it. Nonetheless, it is a solid pick even at R1!
Favonius Sword	Favonius Sword is one of Ayato’s best options in a Nilou Bloom team. Its ER secondary stat usually meets his requirements (assuming Favonius procs), which allows him to fully invest into EM. It also slightly lowers the ER requirements of his teammates. Some minor investment into CRIT Rate is necessary to consistently trigger its passive.
Fleuve Cendre Ferryman	Fleuve Cendre Ferryman is a free Sword awarded from fishing in Fontaine. It usually meets Ayato’s ER requirements by itself, which allows him to fully invest into EM for Nilou Bloom teams. This is basically a free-to-play replacement for Favonius Sword. After casting Ayato’s Burst, you should also cast Ayato’s Skill (without attacking) and swap off. This lets Ayato benefit from the ER% buff for 5s while he is off-field.  Its passive buff only buffs his Skill’s water illusion damage; it does not buff his Shunsuiken attacks.
Iron Sting, Toukabou Shigure	Iron Sting and Toukabou Shigure are free-to-play 4-star Swords with an EM secondary stat. While their passives provide a DMG% buff to Ayato’s personal damage, it is fairly insignificant in relation to Ayato’s Bloom damage.  If you have to choose between a 4-star EM Sword and a 4-star ER% Sword (that isn’t Xiphos’ Moonlight), you get more EM and ER% if you choose an ER% Sword with an EM Sands (assuming similar substat rolls).
Freedom-Sworn	Freedom-Sworn has the highest EM secondary stat among Swords. Its passive buffs Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks, but the buff is modest at best in Nilou Bloom teams since most of Ayato’s damage comes from Bountiful Bloom.
Sapwood Blade	Sapwood Blade is a craftable 4-star Sword with an ER% secondary stat. While its passive seems like a good option in Nilou Bloom, it has some limitations. The Leaf can be cumbersome or impossible to pick up in certain scenarios. In Nilou Bloom teams, Ayato is the primary trigger, so he would be the one to pick it up. While Nahida could pick it up to buff her EM, that is less impactful than directly buffing Ayato. In Nilou Bloom teams, Ayato activates the passive basically as soon as his Burst hits an enemy. The resulting leaf lasts 10s on-field and its buff lasts 12s. If Ayato picks up the Leaf near the start of the rotation, he can buff the Bountiful Blooms created by his Burst for a majority of its uptime. If Ayato returns to the field to pick up the Leaf within 5s before using his Skill, it will buff the Bountiful Bloom damage created by his Shunsuiken attacks.

Synergies

Teams

Variety is the spice of life.

Calcs for ER requirements can be found here in this spreadsheet (last updated for 5.1). Every example team in this guide is included.

Hyperbloom

Ayato performs well in Hyperbloom teams. The AoE Hydro application from his Shunsuiken attacks and Burst droplets produce a significant amount of Dendro Cores. 

Kuki Shinobu and Raiden Shogun are the primary Hyperbloom triggers seen with Ayato; however, Dori and Electro Traveler can be played as well if you are daring. The best Dendro teammate is Nahida, but Dendro Traveler and Collei are free-to-play options that still do well. The flex slot can be an off-field Electro, Dendro, Hydro, or Geo teammate. 

4pc Thundering Fury

Ayato can hold 4pc Thundering Fury and lower his Skill cooldown by triggering Electro-Charged reactions. With enough Electro application, Ayato can reduce his Skill cooldown by 5–6s over the course of his Shunsuiken attacks. As a result, he can use his Skill again immediately. This “cuts out” 1 period of downtime in the rotation, allows Ayato to continuously apply Hydro on-field increasing Dendro Core uptime, and lets both of his Skills benefit from his Burst’s NA DMG% buff.

Example Teams

This is a great Hyperbloom team. Fischl may occasionally steal Hyperblooms from Shinobu, but Fischl’s personal damage more than makes up for the difference. Ayato can also hold 4pc Thundering Fury in this team.

Sample Rotation (4TF)
Ayato Q > Nahida E > Shinobu E > Fischl E / Q > Ayato E N15 E N15

You should not use Nahida’s Burst in this team since it decreases 4TF procs. Shinobu’s Skill must also consistently hit the enemy to apply enough Electro for 4TF.

This team performs on par with the team above, but it focuses slightly more on non-Hyperbloom damage. While there may be fewer Dendro Cores produced due to the higher rate of Hydro application, Xingqiu offers higher personal damage, shreds Hydro RES (at C2), and lowers Ayato’s ER requirements.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Shinobu E > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Ayato E N15 > Nahida N3 E N3C > Shinobu (Q) E N1 > Xingqiu N2 > Ayato E N15

This is a more free-to-play friendly Shinobu Hyperbloom team. There are two possible rotations: a shorter one with 1 Collei Burst, and a longer one with 2 Collei Bursts. Adapt your rotation as necessary for the enemy wave scenario. Collei can hold Sacrificial Bow to make rotations more forgiving, otherwise you have to time her Skills at least 12s apart.

Sample Rotation (1 Collei Burst)
Ayato Q > Shinobu E > Traveler EQ > Collei EQ > Ayato E N15 > Shinobu Q > Traveler E > Collei E > Ayato E N15

Sample Rotation (2 Collei Bursts)
Shinobu E > Traveler EQ > Collei Q E > Ayato E N15 Q > Traveler E > Shinobu (Q) E > Collei Q E > Ayato E N15 

This is a strong Raiden Hyperbloom team with Zhongli for his shield and 20% Universal RES Shred. Zhongli can hold 4pc Deepwood Memories to buff Hyperbloom damage and allow Nahida to focus more on personal damage. However, Zhongli’s small pillar AoE may result in inconsistent uptime.

Sample Rotation (4TF)
Raiden E > Ayato Q > Zhongli hED > Nahida E Q > Ayato E N15 > Nahida N3 E N3C > Raiden E > Zhongli tE > Ayato E N15 

Another strong Raiden Hyperbloom team with Baizhu for defensive utility, Dendro Resonance, and additional Dendro application.

Sample Rotation
Raiden E > Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Baizhu EQ > Ayato E N15 > Raiden E > Nahida N3 E N3C > Baizhu E N2 > Ayato E N15

Dori is harder to play than Kuki Shinobu and Raiden, but her Hyperbloom teams remain viable.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Fischl E > Dori EQ > Ayato E N15 > Nahida E N2 > Fischl Q > Dori E N2D > Ayato E N15

This is a free-to-play friendly Hyperbloom team if you lack Kuki Shinobu. Electro Traveler triggers Hyperblooms while Beidou provides some defensive utility and additional Electro damage, especially in multi-target scenarios. Electro Traveler also lowers ER requirements across the entire team. The rotation below accommodates 2 Skills and 1 Burst for Collei.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Collei E > Traveler Q N1 E N1 > Beidou Q E > Collei Q > Ayato E N15 > Collei E > Traveler E N2 > Beidou E N1 > Ayato E N15

Burgeon

Ayato and Thoma Burgeon teams work quite well. Ayato’s AoE Hydro application is helpful in mitigating Burning (which limits Dendro Core production). Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks proc Thoma’s Burst and refresh his shield. These teams should run a 27s rotation if you have C1+ Thoma; this allows Thoma to cast his Skill twice per rotation and significantly lower his ER requirements. This is a DPS gain since Thoma’s ability to invest more EM outweighs the ~2s extended rotation.

The flex slot is generally a Hydro, Electro, or Dendro teammate to maximize Dendro Core production. If you choose a Hydro flex teammate, Nahida is the only character who applies enough Dendro to maintain consistent Dendro Core production; however, the flex teammate’s personal Hydro damage can offset shorter or more inconsistent Dendro Core production with other Dendro units.

Example Teams

This is a high-investment Thoma Burgeon team. Baizhu’s defensive utility allows Thoma to fully invest into EM without sacrificing survivability. Ayato and Baizhu can use their Elemental Skills twice per rotation. Yaoyao and Kirara are also solid defensive picks instead of Baizhu.

Sample Rotation (Baizhu)
Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Baizhu EQ > Thoma EQ > Ayato E N15 > Nahida N3E > Baizhu E > Ayato E N15 

Sample Rotation (Yaoyao)
Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Yaoyao E > Thoma EQ N1 > Ayato E N15 > Nahida N3E > Yaoyao Q > Thoma N1 E > Ayato E N15

This rotation assumes C1+ Thoma. Depending on how fast you execute the rotation, you may have to fill some downtime with additional Normal Attacks to accommodate Thoma’s Skill cooldown.

Sample Rotation (Kirara)
Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Kirara shE > Thoma EQ N1 > Ayato E N15 > Nahida N3E > Kirara shE (Q) > Thoma N1 E > Ayato E N15

This rotation assumes C1+ Thoma. Depending on how fast you execute the rotation, you may have to fill some downtime with additional Normal Attacks to accommodate Thoma’s Skill cooldown.

This is one of Ayato’s stronger Burgeon teams. Fischl helps eliminate Burning and provides strong personal damage. Nahida can hold Prototype Amber to provide healing for the team since Thoma’s shield is often insufficient on a full EM build.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Fischl E > Nahida E N1 Q > Thoma EQ N1 > Ayato E N15 > Fischl Q > Nahida N2 E N2 > Thoma N1 E > Ayato E N15

This rotation assumes C1+ Thoma. Depending on how fast you execute the rotation, you may have to fill some downtime with additional Normal Attacks to accommodate Thoma’s Skill cooldown.

Xingqiu is a solid pick in Burgeon teams since he lowers Ayato’s ER requirements, deals strong personal damage, and provides minor healing with his orbital Rain Swords. As with other teams, Nahida can also hold Prototype Amber to provide additional healing.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Nahida E (Q) > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Thoma EQ N1 > Ayato E N15 > Nahida N3E N3 > Xingqiu N3 > Thoma N1 E > Ayato E N15

This rotation assumes C1+ Thoma. Depending on how fast you execute the rotation, you may have to fill some downtime with additional Normal Attacks to accommodate Thoma’s Skill cooldown.

This is a more accessible Burgeon composition. Dendro Traveler’s Burst must first come in contact with Hydro to prevent it from exploding from Thoma’s Pyro application. Collei provides additional Dendro application and enables Dendro Resonance.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Traveler EQ > Collei E > Thoma Q N1 E > Ayato E N15 > Traveler E N2 > Collei N1 Q E > Thoma E > Ayato E N15

This rotation assumes C1+ Thoma. Depending on how fast you execute the rotation, you may have to fill some downtime with additional Normal Attacks to accommodate Thoma’s Skill cooldown.

This is another accessible Burgeon team with Beidou providing additional Electro application to mitigate Burning, a minor shield, and decent AoE damage output. Favonius weapons are strongly recommended on at least 2 teammates.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Traveler EQ > Thoma Q N1 E > Beidou EQ > Ayato E N15 > Traveler E N2 > Beidou E > Thoma E > Ayato E N10

This rotation assumes C1+ Thoma. Depending on how fast you execute the rotation, you may have to fill some downtime with additional Normal Attacks to accommodate Thoma’s Skill cooldown.

Nilou Bloom

Ayato works well in Nilou Bloom teams, an archetype that is incredibly strong in AoE scenarios. At least one of the Dendro characters must be a healer or shielder (Yaoyao, Baizhu, or Kirara). Typically, Ayato runs 1 Skill rotations to decrease the rotation length and maintain consistent Bloom uptime. Ayato can optimally run a triple EM build on 4pc Gilded Dreams or 4pc Flower of Paradise Lost since he is the primary trigger of Blooms in these teams; however, a standard DPS build is also okay.

Triple Hydro Nilou Bloom teams with Nahida are not recommended. Nahida would be the sole on-field Dendro enabler and there would be significantly lower Dendro Core production. Furthermore, Ayato would have almost no share of Bloom damage and his personal damage would be meager in comparison to the Bountiful Cores.

Example Teams

These teams have generally flexible rotations, so you don’t have to follow them exactly; however, ideally Ayato uses 1 Skill per rotation. 

This is Ayato’s highest-performing Nilou Bloom team (with defensive units). Baizhu provides valuable defensive utility and increases damage from the active character’s Blooms. Nahida provides strong Dendro application and an EM buff.

Sample Rotation
Nahida E Q > Ayato Q > Nilou (Q) E N2 E > Baizhu EQ > Nahida N3E N3C > Ayato E N15 > Baizhu E N2

This is a solid Nilou Bloom team. Traveler should hold Favonius Sword.

Sample Rotation
Traveler EQ > Ayato Q > Nilou (Q) E N2 E > Baizhu EQ > Traveler E > Ayato E N15 > Baizhu E N2

A Nilou Bloom option if you lack Baizhu but have Nahida, with comparable damage. Yaoyao needs to use her Burst every rotation so the team can survive.

Sample Rotation
Nahida E Q > Ayato Q > Nilou (Q) E N2 E > Yaoyao Q 3[N3D] E > Nahida E N3C > Ayato E N15

This is a more accessible Nilou Bloom team. Yaoyao should use her Burst every rotation so the team can survive.

Sample Rotation
Traveler EQ > Ayato Q > Nilou (Q) E N2 E > Yaoyao Q 3[N3D] > Traveler E > Yaoyao E > Ayato E N15

Kirara's shield has greater absorption against Dendro DMG, including self-damage from Bountiful Cores, making her a viable solo sustain option.

Sample Rotation
Kirara shE > Nahida E Q > Ayato Q > Nilou (Q) E N2 E > Kirara (Q) shE > Nahida E N3C > Ayato E N15

Another accessible team. Kirara’s shield helps prevent Collei from being staggered during her long Skill and Burst animations. Dendro Traveler can also work instead of Collei.

Sample Rotation
Kirara shE > Collei E > Ayato Q > Nilou (Q) E N2 E > Kirara (Q) shE > Collei EQ > Ayato E N15

This rotation assumes R4+ Sacrificial Bow on Collei.

Anemo Overvape

Ayato’s Anemo Overvape teams (also known as Soup) are incredibly strong in both multi-target and single-target scenarios. These teams have strong personal damage in addition to many instances of reaction damage. The Anemo unit usually absorbs Pyro and simultaneously triggers Overloaded and Vaporize (hence Overvape) off an Electro-Charged aura via their Pyro damage and Swirls.

Bennett is almost always used thanks to his strong Flat ATK buff, healing, and self-applied Pyro within his Burst (which allows the Anemo unit to absorb Pyro). Fischl is the ideal Electro option due to her A4 Passive (and C6) and synergistic rotations with Ayato, but other off-field Electro characters can work (at a significant DPS loss). 

Example Teams

This is one of Ayato’s highest-performing teams in both single-target and multi-target scenarios. The original “soup” team, this Anemo Overvape team is a classic Ayato option.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Fischl E > Kazuha N1 hEP > Ayato E N15 > Bennett EQ > Fischl Q > Kazuha N1 tEP Q > Ayato E N15

Sample Rotation (Front-Loaded)
Ayato Q > Bennett EQ > Fischl E > Kazuha N1 hEP Q > Ayato E N15 > Bennett E > Fischl Q > Kazuha N1 tEP > Ayato E N15

This team can suffer from “Circle Impact” issues since the on-field character has to stay within both Bennett and Jean’s Bursts to enable the Sunfire effect. As such, it is only recommended in single-target or very-low–AoE scenarios.

Sample Rotation
Bennett EQ > Ayato Q > Fischl E > Jean EQ > Ayato E N15 > Bennett E > Fischl Q > Jean E > Ayato E N15

This is a very solid Anemo Overvape team in large AoE content. Venti almost always absorbs Pyro, so Venti’s A4 Passive alleviates Bennett’s ER requirements.

Sample Rotation
Bennett EQ > Ayato Q > Fischl E > Venti EQ > Ayato E N15 > Bennett E > Fischl Q > Venti E > Ayato E N15

Vape

Ayato is a viable Vape DPS in teams with Bennett and Xiangling. He inconsistently sustains Hydro auras on enemies, which means either him or Xiangling will be the Vaporize trigger. An Anemo, Electro, or Geo flex slot is typically recommended.

Example Teams

This Ayato Overvape team is incredibly powerful, especially in single-target scenarios. In the latter half of the rotation, Normal Attacks can be used to fill downtime between Ayato’s Skill. In practice, this could also be dashing to a new wave of enemies or waiting for boss invulnerability windows.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Bennett EQ > Fischl N1 E > Xiangling QE > Ayato E N15 > Fischl N2 Q > Bennett N1 E > Xiangling N4 E > Ayato E N15

This Ayato-Furina Vape team is quite strong and gets even better the more you invest into Xiangling. Xiangling can Vape almost all of her Pyronado hits thanks to Ayato and Furina’s combined Hydro application.

Sample Rotation
Furina ED Q > Bennett Q E > Xiangling Q E > Ayato E N15 Q > Bennett E > Xiangling N2 E > Ayato E N15

Ayato has high ER requirements in this team, but Sucrose should still hold TTDS instead of Favonius Codex.

Sample Rotation
Bennett EQ > Sucrose ED N2 > Xiangling Q E > Ayato Q E N15 > Sucrose N1 Q E N2 > Bennett N1 E > Xiangling N1 ED > Ayato E N15

This is a VV Vape team for Ayato where he can Vape off both Xiangling and Kazuha’s Pyro application. However, achieving a Double Swirl is basically impossible in single-target scenarios, so you should only play this team against multiple enemies.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Bennett Q E > Xiangling E > Kazuha hEP Q > Xiangling Q > Ayato E N15 > Bennett E > Xiangling N2 > Kazuha tEP > Bennett E > Xiangling E > Ayato E N15

This is a Burnvape team where Ayato can consistently trigger Forward Vape thanks to the team’s combined Pyro application. While Xiangling can trigger Burgeon, the primary focus of the team is their personal damage.

Sample Rotation (Nahida)
Nahida E (Q) > Bennett Q E > Xiangling Q ED > Ayato E N15 Q > Nahida E > Bennett N1 E > Xiangling N1 ED > Ayato E N15

Sample Rotation (Emilie)
(Bennett E)¹ > Emilie E > Bennett Q E > Xiangling Q ED > Ayato Q E N15 > Emilie Q > Bennett N1 E > Xiangling N1 ED > Ayato E N15

¹First rotation only.

Electro-Charged

Ayato’s Electro-Charged teams (also known as “Taser” by some) do not actually focus on the reaction. Rather, the Electro-Charged aura maintained on enemies allows Ayato to use Lion’s Roar and enables an Anemo unit to consistently Swirl both Hydro and Electro.

4pc Thundering Fury

Ayato can hold 4pc Thundering Fury and lower his Skill cooldown by triggering Electro-Charged reactions. With enough Electro application, Ayato can reduce his Skill cooldown by 5–6s over the course of his Shunsuiken attacks. As a result, he can use his Skill again immediately after the first one. This not only “cuts out” 1 period of downtime in the rotation, but also allows all of Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks to benefit from his Burst’s NA DMG% buff.

If you are interested in a fun playstyle, especially in AoE content, then 4pc Thundering Fury Ayato may be a nice option to try out!

Example Teams

This team works quite well with Ayato on 4pc Thundering Fury. On another set, the rotation is extended by a few seconds to accommodate Ayato’s downtime.

Sample Rotation (4TF)
Ayato Q > Fischl E/Q > Venti EQ > Beidou EQ > Ayato E N15 E N15 > Beidou E > Venti E

Sample Rotation (Other Sets)
Ayato Q > Fischl E/Q > Venti EQ > Beidou EQ > Ayato E N15 > Beidou E N2 > Venti E N5 > Ayato E N15

Another Electro-Charged option. This rotation does not assume 4pc Thundering Fury.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Shinobu E > Yae 3[E] > Kazuha hEP > Ayato E N15 > Yae Q 3[E] > Shinobu Q (E)^[1] > Kazuha hEP Q > Ayato E N15

^[1]Shinobu's Skill may come off cooldown a bit later in subsequent rotations, but you can easily swap in and refresh it at any point.

While this team is not Double Electro, it still has amazing damage output thanks to Fischl and Furina. Jean provides 4pc VV RES Shred and teamwide healing to counteract Furina’s HP drain. Xilonen provides RES Shred, DMG% buffs via 4pc Scroll, and healing. Ayato has incredibly low ER requirements if Jean or Xilonen also holds Favonius Sword. 

Sample Rotation (Jean)
Furina ED Q > Fischl E > Jean EQ > Ayato E N15 Q > Fischl Q > Jean E N2 > Ayato E N15

Sample Rotation (Xilonen)
Furina ED Q > Xilonen Q E N2 > Fischl E > Ayato E N15 Q > Xilonen E N2 > Fischl Q > Ayato E N15

This is a more accessible Electro-Charged team with Sayu providing healing. Lisa can hold TTDS and 4pc Noblesse Oblige if she can meet her ER requirements.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Fischl E > Sayu shEQ > Lisa tE Q > Ayato E N15 > Fischl Q > Sayu shE > Lisa hE > Ayato E N15

Freeze

Ayato’s Freeze teams generally do not perform as well as his other options. Nonetheless, they are viable in AoE scenarios with enemies that can be Frozen. Ayato can opt to use 4pc Blizzard Strayer; however, his Cryo teammates generally use the set better if you have limited artifact selection.

When played as a Burst-oriented DPS unit, Ayato underperforms in comparison to Kokomi, Mona, and Furina. He lacks any buffs besides his Burst’s Normal Attack DMG buff.

Example Teams

This team’s rotation is quite flexible due to their low cooldowns, and other rotations may be better based on wave content. It is possible to skip Ayato’s Burst every other rotation to accommodate a 15s rotation, which also alleviates his ER requirements.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Rosaria E > Kazuha N1 hEP Q > Rosaria Q E > Kaeya E Q > Ayato E N15 > Kaeya E > Rosaria E > Kazuha N1 tEP > Ayato E N15

This Freeze team balances Ganyu’s damage with Ayato’s ER requirements. One Charged Shot from Ganyu takes about the same time as 5 of Ayato’s Shunsuiken attacks, but Ganyu’s Charged Shots deal significantly more damage at equal investment. As such, N10 rotations favor Ganyu’s damage while N15 rotations lower Ayato’s ER requirements.

Sample Rotation (Ganyu 1[C] + Ayato N15)
Diona (Q) hE > Ganyu EQ > Venti EQ > Ayato Q > Ganyu 1[C] > Venti E N1 > Ayato E N15

Sample Rotation (Ganyu 2[C] + Ayato N10)
Diona (Q) hE > Ganyu EQ > Venti EQ > Ayato Q > Ganyu 2[C] > Venti E N1 > Ayato E N10

Finally bringing Ayato and Ayaka together in the same team! Unfortunately, Ayato isn’t the best Hydro unit in Ayaka-Ganyu teams compared to Kokomi, Mona, and Furina. Nonetheless, the double quadratic scaling between Ayato and Ganyu’s Bursts lets this team perform well in multi-target scenarios with Freezable enemies.

Sample Rotation
Ayaka D N1E > Ganyu QE > Venti EQ > Ayato Q > Ayaka D N1EQ > Ganyu 1[C] > Venti E N1 > Ayato E N15

Mono Hydro and Hypercarry

Ayato’s Mono Hydro and Hypercarry teams can perform on par with his other teams thanks to the release of Furina. Teams without Furina can be viable depending on your Ayato’s level of investment and your other available teammates. Mono Hydro teams in particular lower all the Hydro teammates’ ER requirements.

Example Teams

This is one of Ayato’s best teams with Furina. Xilonen is a solid pick for Ayato’s Mono Hydro teams as she consolidates both healing and buffs. This role consolidation is especially valuable here since Ayato has no way to stack Furina’s Fanfare himself and would otherwise have to trade a dedicated buffer for a healer.

Sample Rotation (with Kazuha)
Xilonen Q > Furina ED N1 Q > Xilonen E N2 > Kazuha tEP > Ayato E N15 Q > Xilonen E N2 > Kazuha hEP > Ayato E N15

Sample Rotation (with Yelan)
Xilonen Q > Furina ED Q > Yelan Q N1 E N1 > Xilonen E N2 > Ayato E N15 Q > Xilonen N1 E N2 > Yelan N1 E N1 > Ayato E N15

This is another fantastic team with Furina. It has extremely high damage output in single-target scenarios and solid performance in multi-target scenarios. Ayato does not need to invest in any ER% if Jean also holds Favonius Sword.

Sample Rotation
Furina ED Q > Jean EQ > Yelan Q N1 E N1 > Ayato E N15 Q > Jean E N2 > Yelan N2 E > Ayato E N15

Furina, Bennett, and Kazuha all provide Ayato with fantastic buffs; however, Ayato and Furina deal roughly the same amount of damage. Despite this, the team itself is fairly weak in comparison to other options like Hyperbloom or even the Mono Hydro teams above since Ayato’s personal damage is wanting.

Sample Rotation
Furina ED Q > Bennett EQ > Kazuha hEP Q > Ayato Q E N15 > Bennett E > Kazuha tEP > Bennett E > Ayato E 15

This Mono Hydro team is a comfortable pick that performs well in single-target scenarios. Zhongli should hold 4pc Archaic Petra and pick up Hydro Crystallize shards when possible.

Sample Rotation
(Yelan C)* > Zhongli hED* > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Ayato E N15 Q > Yelan Q N1 E N1 > Zhongli tE N1 > Ayato E N15

*Yelan performs a Charged Attack at the beginning of the first rotation so Zhongli can trigger Hydro Crystallize for 4pc Archaic Petra.

This team is not recommended unless you have significant investment into Ayato.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Bennett EQ > Candace EQ > Kazuha N1 tEP Q > Ayato E N15 > Bennett E > Kazuha N1 hEP > Candace E > Ayato E N15

This is a meme team that maximizes Ayato’s Normal Attack SPD. Ayato usually whips out 5–6 additional Normal Attacks per Skill. He can also hold Skyward Blade to deal 1–2 more on top of that. You should use Favonius Lance on Yun Jin and Mika to maintain a decent Energy economy across rotations. Chongyun holds Sacrificial Greatsword so his Skill can be used for every Ayato Skill. If you have C2 Chongyun, Mika’s Skill cooldown can decrease enough to enable a more fluid rotation without waiting time.

You should not play this team in Spiral Abyss nor expect it to compete with any of Ayato’s truly recommended teams.

Sample Rotation
Ayato Q > Yun Jin EQ > Chongyun E > Mika E(Q) > Ayato E N20+ > Yun Jin E > Chongyun Q E > Mika E > Ayato E N20+

This rotation assumes Sacrificial Greatsword on C2 Chongyun.

Credits

I'm sure I've forgotten something... Not to worry, I'll simply send someone to fetch it. As soon as I remember what it was.

Authors: irokei, kolvii

Calcs: irokei (based on calcs by kolvii and luno_)

Readability Verification: idkanonymized, cuppacote

TC Verification: baloopy, haafr, madeofseaglass

Calc Verification: jamberry

Theorycrafting: luno_, baloopy, haafr, staryy_, jamberry

Version 4.8-5.1 TC: madeofseaglass, haafr, caramielle., clevernt, charliex3000, caxia5, nikatosaurus, baloopy, doomuh, spphrs, acerbus, pjeljr

Transcription: ausshuu

Quick Guide and Old Extended Guide: kolvii, luno_, irokei, reens, polomo, quinslay, bunnycookie, rrei., fritzzes, idk.anonymized, mina, seima, Leah, cinders_pear

References

Calcs

• Ayato Mastersheet
• Ayato ERC
• Weapons
  • Weapon Calcs - Unbuffed
  • Weapon Calcs - Bennett
  • Weapon Calcs - Bennett + Kazuha
• Artifact Sets
  • Artifact Calcs - Unbuffed
  • Artifact Calcs - Bennett
  • Artifact Calcs - Bennett + Kazuha
• Constellations
  • Cons - Unbuffed
  • Cons - Bennett
  • Cons - Bennett + Kazuha

Other Resources

• Ayato Quick Guide
• Ayato TCL Entry
• Ayato Evidence Vault
• Ayato Wiki
• Old Guide Draft