Updated for Version 3.3
Ayato is a 5-star Hydro Sword character who uses his Elemental Skill to infuse his Normal Attacks with Hydro to deal a considerable amount of damage and consistently apply Hydro. This is further enhanced by his Elemental Burst to create a flexible playstyle, enabling various Elemental Reactions from on- or off-field.
More extensive testing is in progress. Note that the information given is subject to change if and when new discoveries are made.
The full-length guide (currently in the process of being updated) is available here.
Table of Contents
New Content
| Dendro Element | Ayato can supply Hydro in Dendro teams to enable Hyperbloom, Burgeon and Bloom reactions. |
Playstyles
On-Field DPS
This playstyle involves Ayato spending a lot of time on-field, using two Elemental Skills per Burst to deal damage while enabling reactions. This is Ayato’s primary use case and the playstyle where he shines the most.
Off-Field/Burst DPS
As a Burst DPS, Ayato uses only one Skill per Burst in order to occupy less field time, instead choosing to capitalize on the AoE off-field Hydro application of his Burst to enable different reactions.
Character Overview
Talent Priority
Leveling Ayato to Lv. 90 can help maximize his damage from Namisen stacks.
On-Field DPS: Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst
Burst DPS: Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill
The Shunsuiken slashes (his Normal Attacks after using his Skill) do not scale off Ayato’s Normal Attack Talent level. As such, players can opt to neglect leveling up his Normal Attack Talent.
Talents
Normal Attack | Kamisato Art: Marobashi
Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 5 rapid strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to dash forward and perform an iai.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Ayato’s Normal Attack Talent is a fairly standard set of Sword Normal Attacks. Note that his converted Normal Attacks do not scale off of this Talent’s levels, which means this Talent can be ignored.
Elemental Skill | Kamisato Art: Kyouka
Description
Kamisato Ayato shifts positions and enters the Takimeguri Kanka state.
After this shift, he will leave a watery illusion at his original location. After it is formed, the watery illusion will explode if opponents are nearby or after its duration ends, dealing AoE Hydro DMG.
Takimeguri Kanka
In this state, Kamisato Ayato uses his Shunsuiken to engage in blindingly fast attacks, causing DMG from his Normal Attacks to be converted into AoE Hydro DMG. This cannot be overridden.
It also has the following properties:
- After a Shunsuiken attack hits an opponent, it will grant Ayato the Namisen effect, increasing the DMG dealt by Shunsuiken based on Ayato’s current Max HP. The initial maximum number of Namisen stacks is 4, and 1 stack can be gained through Shunsuiken every 0.1s. This effect will be dispelled when Takimeguri Kanka ends.
- Kamisato Ayato’s resistance to interruption is increased.
- Unable to use Charged or Plunging Attacks.
Takimeguri Kanka will be cleared when Ayato leaves the field. Using Kamisato Art: Kyouka again while in the Takimeguri Kanka state will reset and replace the pre-existing state.
This Skill is the bulk of Ayato’s damage. Ayato enters the Takimeguri Kanka state, where he quickly attacks with consecutive slashes. This skill is Ayato’s primary way of generating particles and applying Hydro. These slashes have a noticeably large AoE, which means that Ayato can still hit enemies who are not grouped as tightly.
Note that players can hold down the attack button to make Ayato attack automatically in this state.
Elemental Burst | Kamisato Art: Suiyuu
Description
Unveils a garden of purity that silences the cacophony within.
While this space exists, Bloomwater Blades will constantly rain down and attack opponents within its AoE, dealing Hydro DMG and increasing the Normal Attack DMG of characters within.
After casting his Elemental Burst, Ayato summons droplets that target enemies. Ayato summons 36 droplets over the duration of his Burst. An enemy can be targeted by one out of every three droplets, meaning that in single target situations a minimum of 12 droplets typically hit the enemy, with some additional number of hits possible based on random chance. The number of droplet hits can vary based on the total number of enemies in the field or the size of the enemy.
Droplets deal AoE Hydro DMG, meaning that grouped enemies will take a number of instances of damage equal to the number of enemies, increasing as the number of enemies increases. This is commonly known as quadratic scaling. This effect caps at 3 enemies.
As the pattern in which these droplets spawn can be unpredictable, this can largely affect the reliability of his Hydro application, making teams such as Xiangling Vaporize teams less consistent due to her not always being able to Vaporize all hits of her Elemental Burst.
Additionally, characters standing inside Ayato’s Elemental Burst gain a Normal Attack DMG Bonus buff.
Ascension 1 Passive | Kamisato Art: Mine Wo Matoishi Kiyotaki
Description
Kamisato Art: Kyouka has the following properties:
- After it is used, Kamisato Ayato will gain 2 Namisen stacks.
- When the water illusion explodes, Ayato will gain a Namisen effect equal to the maximum number of stacks possible.
This Talent lets Ayato start out with 2 Namisen Stacks after casting his Elemental Skill, or with the maximum amount of Stacks when the clone explodes.
This Passive does not change his damage by a significant amount.
Ascension 4 Passive | Kamisato Art: Michiyuku Hagetsu
Description
If Kamisato Ayato is not on the field and his Energy is less than 40, he will regenerate 2 Energy for himself every second.
This Passive helps alleviate Ayato’s ER requirements.
Note that the Energy gained from this Passive is Flat Energy and not affected by ER.
Constellations
Constellation 1 | Kyouka Fuushi
Description
Shunsuiken DMG is increased by 40% against opponents with 50% HP or less.
This Constellation is generally unreliable and highly reliant on specific scenarios, making it have a small impact in most cases.
Constellation 2 | World Source
Description
Namisen’s maximum stack count is increased to 5. When Kamisato Ayato has at least 3 Namisen stacks, his Max HP is increased by 50%.
A strong Constellation that increases his usual cumulative Namisen stack damage from 57 stacks to 69 (assuming 15 Shunsuiken slashes per Skill) and buffs said damage. A good stopping point for those seeking low Constellations on Ayato.
Constellation 3 | To Admire the Flowers
Description
Increases the Level of Kamisato Art: Kyouka by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
This Constellation is already a strong one based solely on the fact that it provides levels to his primary source of damage. Furthermore, the increase to the HP-based Namisen stack scaling means that this Constellation actually also improves his C2.
Overall, a great Constellation and another good stopping point for low Constellations.
Constellation 4 | Endless Flow
Description
After using Kamisato Art: Suiyuu, all nearby party members will have 15% increased Normal Attack SPD for 15s.
This Constellation typically allows him to use 2 or 3 more Shunsuiken slashes per Skill. Overall, a solid damage increase.
Constellation 5 | Bansui Ichiro
Description
Increases the Level of Kamisato Art: Suiyuu by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Ayato’s Burst is not his primary source of damage, and therefore this Constellation is generally lackluster.
Constellation 6 | Boundless Origin
Description
After using Kamisato Art: Kyouka, Ayato’s next Shunsuiken attack will create 2 extra Shunsuiken strikes when they hit opponents, each one dealing 450% of Ayato’s ATK as DMG.
Both these Shunsuiken attacks will not be affected by Namisen.
A considerable DPS increase that allows Ayato to frontload his damage to some degree.
Artifacts
ER Requirements
| Situation | ER Requirement |
| 2 Skills with Fischl | 130-140% |
| 2 Skills without Fischl | 150-170% |
| 1 Skill, Double Hydro | 140-150% |
| 1 Skill, Solo Hydro | 200%+ |
Favonius weapons generally lower ER requirements by around 10% per passive proc.
For exact ER requirements, refer to Zakharov’s Energy Recharge Calculator.
Artifact Stats
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| ATK%/ER% | Hydro DMG Bonus | CRIT Damage/CRIT Rate |
Substats: ER% until ER requirement is reached > CRIT Damage = CRIT Rate > ATK% > HP% > Flat ATK > Flat HP
Ayato can make use of any spare HP% substat rolls but should not be prioritized over other stats.
ER Sands can be used if needed to meet ER requirements.
Artifact Sets
| Artifact Set | Description |
| 4pc Heart of Depth (HoD) | One of Ayato’s best sets, and arguably more Resin-efficient than 4pc Echoes of an Offering as it is obtainable through the Artifact Strongbox. |
| 4pc Gladiator’s Finale (Glad) | Another one of Ayato’s best sets. Very accessible as players obtain this set from defeating bosses or from the Artifact Strongbox. |
| 4pc Echoes of an Offering | Generally only recommendable if players have consistent ping below 100ms. If players do have consistently good ping, this set can perform marginally better than 4pc HoD or 4pc Glad with weapons and buffs that provide DMG%. |
| 2pc Heart of Depth/2pc ATK%/2pc Emblem of Severed Fate | A very accessible option. Mixed 2pc sets can compete with 4pc sets given better substats, and potentially perform on par for Burst DPS Ayato. |
| 4pc Blizzard Strayer | Only used in Freeze teams. Can outperform other sets assuming high Freeze uptime. |
| 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate | Only used when Ayato is played as a Burst DPS. This set helps Ayato reach his ER requirements while increasing the damage of his Elemental Burst. |
| 4pc Thundering Fury (TF) | A decent choice when playing Electro-Charged teams with Beidou. Beidou rewards having a driver on-field to proc her Elemental Burst more frequently, with TF allowing Ayato to stay on field and attack with his Shunsuiken slashes for a longer period of time. It should be noted however, that even in the best case scenario, TF is only a small increase over other sets. This means that it might not be worth it to farm this set for Ayato. Other options can perform on par or even outperform this set given better substats, while also being more general-purpose. |
Weapons
| Weapon | Description |
| Haran Geppaku Futsu | Ayato’s general Best in Slot. Gives Ayato a lot of DMG Bonus. |
| Primordial Jade Cutter | A very strong option for Ayato. The passive effect is also unconditional and universal. |
| Mistsplitter Reforged | Another strong option for Ayato, although falling behind Haran Geppaku Futsu and Primordial Jade Cutter. This is due to Ayato struggling to maintain full stacks of the passive in most rotations. |
| The Black Sword | One of Ayato’s best 4* weapons, providing Normal Attack DMG Bonus and CRIT Rate, and a little bit of healing on top. |
| Summit Shaper | Ayato rarely is paired together with a shielder. Nonetheless, this weapon still performs fine as an ATK statstick. |
| Skyward Blade | Can be a solid option, especially at higher ER requirements. Otherwise, its passive provides very little for Ayato. |
| Lion’s Roar | Another great 4* weapon on Ayato, specifically in Electro-Charged teams, the only situation where he can maintain high uptime for the passive. |
| Kagotsurube Isshin | A decent free to play option. Basically gives Ayato a lot of ATK%. The passive can be snapshotted onto his Elemental Burst by doing a single Normal Attack outside of his Takemiguri Kanka state. |
| Amenoma Kageuchi | Because Ayato often casts his Burst first in rotations, Amenoma’s passive is sometimes rendered useless, at least for the first rotation. The Flat Energy generation of its passive can in turn decrease the amount of Energy obtained from Ayato’s A4 Talent when it does take effect. Therefore, it is recommended to disregard Amenoma’s passive and build ER on Ayato as usual in rotations where Ayato Bursts before casting any Skills. Nonetheless, it works as an ATK statstick with a chance for some amount of Energy refund for F2P players. |
| Harbinger of Dawn | A very strong 3* option, only if players can maintain full uptime on the passive. |
| Favonius Sword | A great supportive weapon that helps Ayato and his teammates reach their ER requirements, though at a personal damage loss for Ayato. |
Teams
Ayato has a unique mix of on-field and off-field capabilities in his kit. Combined with his Hydro Element, Ayato has access to a very wide range of team archetypes. With the addition of the Dendro Element, Ayato has even more teams he can fit into.
Hyperbloom/Burgeon
With the addition of the Dendro Element, Ayato now has access to a myriad of different Dendro reaction teams. Dendro enables Ayato to generate Dendro Cores, which can then turn into Hyperblooms/Burgeons when they come into contact with Electro/Pyro respectively.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Off-field Hydro DPS: Xingqiu, Yelan | Deal off-field Hydro DMG through their Elemental Bursts. Help alleviate Ayato’s ER requirements by a significant amount. Xingqiu provides a bit of defensive utility via a small amount of healing, damage reduction and Interruption Resistance, whereas Yelan buffs Ayato’s DMG%. |
| Dendro applicator: Nahida, Dendro Traveller, Collei | Provide off-field Dendro application, which is the other half of the recipe to creating Dendro Cores. |
| Electro characters with off-field AoE Electro application: Kuki Shinobu, Raiden Shogun | The primary Hyperbloom triggers. Have access to AoE Electro application, which allows them to easily trigger Hyperbloom through their Elemental Skills. Kuki Shinobu has role consolidation as a healer, while Raiden buffs teammates’ Burst DMG. |
| Off-field Pyro applicator: Thoma | Provides off-field Pyro application to trigger Burgeon. Additionally gives the team a shield which can reduce the self-damage taken from Burgeon. Thoma needs to meet his ER requirements while building either to maximize EM if run with another defensive unit, or building a mix of HP and EM stats for more survivability. See Thoma Quick Guide for details. |
| Anemo units holding 4pc Viridescent Venerer: Kazuha, Sucrose, Venti | Bring grouping to the team, which synergizes well with Ayato’s Elemental Burst. Also buff teammates’ damage through the 4pc Viridescent Venerer set. When paired with Bennett, Kazuha can consistently absorb his Burst with Pyro, meaning Kazuha can act as a Burgeon trigger. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams, and the inclusion of a certain team or lack thereof does not necessarily indicate the power level of the team in question. This list is not ranked.
Hyperbloom
Ayato – Nahida – Kuki – Fischl
Burgeon
Ayato – Kokomi – Nahida – Thoma
Thoma is the primary Burgeon trigger in this team. Due to Burgeon dealing self-damage, it is very beneficial to run a dedicated healer.
Ayato – Nahida – Bennett – Kazuha
By absorbing Kazuha’s Elemental Burst with Pyro, Kazuha can be a very consistent Burgeon trigger. Bennett is used as an easy way to absorb Kazuha’s Burst with Pyro while also being a healer.
Electro-Charged
Despite the name, Electro-Charged itself is typically not the focus of this team, but rather merely a byproduct of the characters’ Elemental applications. However, Electro-Charged is useful for maintaining both a Hydro and Electro aura, allowing the usage of weapons such as Lion’s Roar or making it easier to Swirl both Elements.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Off-field Hydro DPS: Xingqiu, Yelan | Deal off-field Hydro DMG through their Elemental Bursts. Help alleviate Ayato’s ER requirements by a significant amount. Xingqiu provides a bit of defensive utility via a small amount of healing, damage reduction and Interruption Resistance, whereas Yelan buffs Ayato’s DMG%. |
| Fischl | Provides off-field Electro DMG and application. She also acts as a battery for both Ayato and other Electro characters in the team through Oz and Electro Resonance. |
| Kuki Shinobu | Consolidates the healer and Electro applicator role. |
| Bennett | Provides healing and buffs both Ayato’s and other off-field DPS characters’ ATK. Pairing Provides healing and buffs both Ayato’s and other Off-field DPS characters’ ATK. Pairing Bennett with Anemo units can turn an Electro-Charged team into a Soup team. |
| Anemo unit holding 4pc Viridescent Venerer: Kazuha, Sucrose, Venti, Jean, Sayu | Increase the team’s damage through the 4pc Viridescent Venerer set. Also deal a significant amount of damage through chain reactions. Kazuha, Venti and Sucrose provide grouping, which synergizes well with Ayato’s Burst. Also provide different kinds of buffs, such as Kazuha’s Elemental DMG%, Sucrose’s EM buff and Venti’s Energy refund. Jean and Sayu provide healing. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams, and the inclusion of a certain team or lack thereof does not necessarily indicate the power level of the team in question. This list is not ranked.
Ayato – Bennett – Beidou – Fischl
Ayato – Jean – Yelan – Fischl
Ayato – Yae Miko – Kuki Shinobu – Kazuha
Soup
This archetype leverages Electro-Charged to enable the Anemo unit to deal a lot of damage through Swirls and Overloads. The other units provide damage to the team in their own ways.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Bennett | Buffs teammates’ ATK and provides healing, while also allowing Kazuha to consistently absorb Pyro with his Elemental Burst through his self-Pyro application. |
| Fischl | Provides Electro application to create Electro-Charged on enemies. Additionally deals a good amount of damage on her own, especially when buffed by Bennett. Also generates a non-negligible amount of particles. |
| Kazuha | The ideal Anemo unit for this archetype. Provides grouping, while also triggering both Swirls and Overload when his Elemental Burst absorbs Pyro. On top of that, Kazuha also provides buffs through his passive talents and the 4pc Viridescent Venerer. |
| Jean | Through a unique interaction between Bennett’s and Jean’s Elemental Burst called Sunfire, Jean can reliably trigger Overloads and Swirls. It is recommended to build Jean with triple EM. |
| Venti | Although it can be sometimes difficult to control what Element Venti absorbs in his Burst, his powerful grouping makes him a great choice against liftable enemies. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams, and the inclusion of a certain team or lack thereof does not necessarily indicate the power level of the team in question. This list is not ranked.
Ayato – Bennett – Fischl – Kazuha
Through a specific interaction between Kazuha and Bennett, Kazuha can consistently absorb the Pyro Element with his Elemental Burst, which allows him to trigger a lot of reactions to deal a significant amount of damage.
Vaporize
With the combination of Ayato’s Shunsuiken slashes and his Elemental Burst, Ayato can somewhat sustain Hydro Aura on enemies, allowing Xiangling to Vaporize her Elemental Burst.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Bennett | Buffs both Ayato and Xiangling’s ATK, provides healing and batteries Xiangling. |
| Xiangling | Deals Vaporized Pyro DMG from off-field with Ayato’s Hydro application from his Elemental Skill and Burst. |
| Support unit providing RES Shred: Kazuha, Sucrose, Zhongli | Kazuha and Sucrose provide grouping and a DMG% or EM buff. They also increase the team’s damage through the 4pc Viridescent Venerer set. In a lot of rotations, it is harder for Kazuha to consistently swirl both Hydro and Pyro, whereas Sucrose, through a mechanic called “Guoba Swirl”, can do so with relative ease. Zhongli, on the other hand, provides a hefty shield along with his Shield’s RES Shred, making the team more comfortable to play. |
| Off-field DPS: Fischl, Albedo, Xingqiu, Yelan | Deal respectable off-field damage. Fischl can help lower teammates’ ER requirements. Albedo can provide a bit of defensive utility through Crystallize shields. Xingqiu and Yelan can help Ayato reach his ER needs while also dealing a lot of damage on their own. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams, and the inclusion of a certain team or lack thereof does not necessarily indicate the power level of the team in question. This list is not ranked.
Ayato – Bennett – Xiangling – Sucrose
Hyper
“Hyper” typically refers to teams that focus on buffing Ayato’s personal damage. These teams generally underperform compared to other reaction-based teams. However, these teams are still viable nonetheless.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Bennett, Yun Jin | Bennett buffs Ayato’s ATK while also providing healing to the team. Yun Jin buffs Ayato’s Ayato’s Shunsuiken slashes, the bulk of his personal damage. Note that Yun Jin can have Energy issues, which can be alleviated by running her with Zhongli or Albedo. |
| Kazuha | Provides grouping and an Elemental DMG Bonus buff. Also reduces enemies’ Elemental Resistance through the 4pc Viridescent Venerer set. |
| Zhongli | Provides a sturdy shield to the team while also giving universal RES shred. |
| Off-field DPS: Xingqiu, Yelan | Help reduce Ayato’s ER requirements while also providing a significant amount of damage from off-field. Each provides different types of buffs and utility to the team. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams, and the inclusion of a certain team or lack thereof does not necessarily indicate the power level of the team in question. This list is not ranked.
Ayato – Bennett – Zhongli – Yun Jin
Freeze
Freeze is a Reaction that prevents enemies from moving. This results in a much better consolidation of characters’ damage, while also allowing a more comfortable gameplay experience and allows the 4pc Blizzard Strayer set to shine.
In a lot of Freeze teams, Ayato can opt to play as a Burst DPS.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Anemo groupers: Venti, Kazuha | Bring grouping to the team, which has very strong synergy with Ayato’s and Ganyu’s Bursts. Also reduce enemies’ Elemental Resistance with 4pc VV. |
| Off-field Cryo DPS: Ganyu, Kaeya, Rosaria | Deal off-field Cryo DMG. |
| Layla, Diona | Provide defensive utility through shields while batterying the Cryo DPS unit. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams, and the inclusion of a certain team or lack thereof does not necessarily indicate the power level of the team in question. This list is not ranked.
Ayato – Layla – Ganyu – Venti
Ayato – Jean – Kaeya – Rosaria
Credits
Rrei#1606, thunderoath#2211, idkanonymized#4166, kol#1593, mina#4448, Seima#4597, leah.#2212, Luno#1337