Updated for Version 3.2

Cyno is a 5* Electro Polearm character who infuses his attacks with Electro to deal consistent damage throughout the duration of his Burst mode.
More extensive testing is in progress. Note that the information given is subject to change if and when new discoveries are made.
Join our Discord to check on and participate in the theorycrafting process.
Table of Contents
New Content—3.2
Content | Description |
Nahida (Character) | Nahida’s long Skill duration allows her to slot nicely into Cyno teams, bringing buffs and off-field Dendro application throughout his field time. See the Teams section for additional details. |
Character Overview
Talent Priority
Level 90 is highly recommended to maximize Cyno’s reaction DMG.
Burst ≥ Skill
Leveling Cyno’s Normal Attacks is not recommended.
Talents
Normal Attack | Invoker’s Spear
Talent Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 4 consecutive spear strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to lunge forward, dealing damage to opponents along the way.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Cyno’s Normal Attack talent scalings do not contribute to his damage in Burst, and thus do not need to be leveled.
Elemental Skill | Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer
Talent Description
Performs a swift thrust, dealing Electro DMG to opponents along the path.
When Cyno is under the Pactsworn Pathclearer state triggered by Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, he will instead unleash a Mortuary Rite that deals thunderous AoE Electro DMG and extends the duration of Pactsworn Pathclearer.
Although Cyno’s Skill cooldown outside of Burst is 7.5s, casting his Skill followed by his Burst will decrease his Skill cooldown by 4.5s. This allows Cyno to pre-funnel particles with EQ while not worrying about his Skill cooldown, since he will be able to cast it again a few seconds after entering Burst.
Elemental Burst | Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness
Talent Description
Calls upon a divine spirit to indwell him, morphing into the Pactsworn Pathclearer.
Pactsworn Pathclearer
- Cyno’s Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attacks will be converted to Electro DMG that cannot be overridden.
- Cyno’s Elemental Mastery and resistance to interruption will increase, and he gains immunity to Electro-Charged DMG.
This effect will be canceled when Cyno leaves the field and lasts a maximum of 18s.
Cyno’s Elemental Burst is his main source of damage, providing talent scalings separate from those of his Normal Attack talent scalings.
Ascension 1 Passive | Featherfall Judgment
Talent Description
When Cyno is in the Pactsworn Pathclearer state activated by Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, Cyno will enter the Endseer stance at intervals. If he activates Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer while affected by this stance, he will activate the Judication effect, increasing the DMG of this Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer by 35%, and firing off 3 Duststalker Bolts that deal 100% of Cyno’s ATK as Electro DMG.
Duststalker Bolt DMG is considered Elemental Skill DMG.
During the duration of his Burst, Cyno will enter the Endseer stance at intervals. Players can identify this stance by in-game visuals, where a purple eye shows up while his Burst is active. If his Elemental Skill is used while the Endseer stance is active, he will fire 3 Duskstalker Bolts along with the Skill.
Ascension 4 Passive | Authority Over the Nine Bows
Talent Description
Cyno’s DMG values will be increased based on his Elemental Mastery as follows:
- Pactsworn Pathclearer’s Normal Attack DMG is increased by 150% of his Elemental Mastery.
- Duststalker Bolt DMG from his Passive Talent Featherfall Judgment is increased by 250% of his Elemental Mastery.
Cyno’s Attacks during the duration of his Burst and Duskstalker Bolts all receive an EM-scaling DMG increase.
Constellations
Constellation 1 | Ordinance: Unceasing Vigil
Constellation Description
After using Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, Cyno’s Normal Attack SPD will be increased by 20% for 10s. If the Judication effect of his Passive Talent Featherfall Judgment is triggered during Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer, the duration of this increase will be refreshed.
You need to unlock the Passive Talent “Featherfall Judgment.”
Provides more freedom for executing combos with the ATK SPD and allows more optimization for damage.
Constellation 2 | Ceremony: Homecoming of Spirits
Constellation Description
When Cyno’s Normal Attacks hit opponents, his Electro DMG Bonus will increase by 10% for 4s. This effect can be triggered once every 0.1s. Max 5 stacks.
A significant boost to Cyno’s personal damage, allowing him to stack up to 50% Electro DMG Bonus.
Constellation 3 | Precept: Lawful Enforcer
Constellation Description
Increases the Level of Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Increases the Talent Level of Cyno’s Elemental Burst, slightly increasing his personal damage.
Constellation 4 | Austerity: Forbidding Guard
Constellation Description
When Cyno is in the Pactsworn Pathclearer state triggered by Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, after he triggers Electro-Charged, Superconduct, Overloaded, Quicken, Aggravate, Hyperbloom, or an Electro Swirl reaction, he will restore 3 Elemental Energy for all nearby party members (except himself.)
This effect can occur 5 times within one use of Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness.
Negligible Constellation; however, it may slightly decrease party members’ Energy requirements.
Constellation 5 | Funerary Rite: The Passing of Starlight
Constellation Description
Increases the Level of Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Increases the Talent Level of Cyno’s Elemental Skill, slightly increasing his personal damage.
Constellation 6 | Raiment: Just Scales
Constellation Description
After using Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness or triggering the Judication effect of the Passive Talent “Featherfall Judgment,” Cyno will gain 4 stacks of the “Day of the Jackal” effect. When he hits opponents with Normal Attacks, he will consume 1 stack of “Day of the Jackal” to fire off one Duststalker Bolt.
“Day of the Jackal” lasts for 8s. Max 8 stacks. It will be canceled once Pactsworn Pathclearer ends.
A maximum of 1 Duststalker Bolt can be unleashed this way every 0.4s.
You must first unlock the Passive Talent “Featherfall Judgment.”
Can provide around 12-16 more Duststalker Bolts within the duration of his Burst depending on fieldtime, greatly increasing Cyno’s personal damage.
Combos
N# = Corresponding number of consecutive Normal Attacks
E = Elemental Skill
Q = Elemental Burst
Further calcs need to be done to determine optimal combos and their relative damage differences.
Below are example combos that have currently been found to be viable:
Combo | Usage |
EQ N2E N4E N4E N5E N4E N4E | Stable Endseer proc combo if running 4pc Thundering Fury |
EQ N3E N5E N5 N2E N5 N2E | Stable Endseer proc combo if running other sets |
Builds
ER Requirements
Cyno’s ER requirements depend on whether he is running 4pc TF or not, since it allows him to use his Skill more often.
With 4pc TF
Situation | ER Requirement (4pc TF combo) |
Solo Electro | 180%+ |
Double Electro (Low Particle Gen) | 140-150% |
Double Electro (High Particle Gen) | 110-120% |
Triple Electro | 100-120% |
Without 4pc TF
Situation | ER Requirement (Non-TF Combo) |
Solo Electro | 220%+ |
Double Electro (Low Particle Gen) | 160-180% |
Double Electro (High Particle Gen) | 120-140% |
Triple Electro | 110-130% |
Favonius weapons typically lower ER requirements by around 10% per passive proc.
These numbers are approximate; your mileage may vary. For a more accurate estimate of your requirements based on your team and gear, use Zakharov’s Energy Recharge Calculator.
Artifact Stats
Cyno’s artifact stat priorities depend on whether he is in an Aggravate team, Quickbloom team or Hyperbloom team.
See the relevant team in the Playstyles section below for artifact stat priorities.
Artifact Sets
Artifact Set | Description |
4pc Thundering Fury (TF) | Situationally Cyno’s BiS artifact set. It allows him to cast his Elemental Skill more often, which reduces his ER requirements. However, it also makes it more difficult to line up his Skill with his A1, which can cause a drop in DPS if not executed properly. |
4pc Thundersoother | This set is easily accessible due to it sharing a domain with TF. Allows Cyno to produce a good amount of damage while maintaining the 4pc effect consistently in Aggravate teams. In contrast, Hyperbloom teams in particular would have much worse uptime on the 4pc passive. |
4pc Gilded Dreams (GD) | Much more consistent than 4pc TF, but has a slightly lower DPS ceiling. |
4pc Gladiator’s Finale (GF) | Easily accessible set due to it dropping from bosses. GF is a viable and consistent option for Cyno. |
2pc combination of TF/ATK/EM/Emblem of Severed Fate | These 2pc combinations are all viable, and may outperform 4pc sets should players have better substats on their 2pc combinations. |
Weapons
Weapons | Description |
Staff of the Scarlet Sands | Cyno’s signature and BiS weapon by a large margin. This weapon provides additional EM scaling, and highly prefers EM Sands. |
Primordial Jade Winged Spear / Staff of Homa | Strong stat sticks. |
Deathmatch | A very strong, accessible option for Cyno. Requires a BP purchase. |
R5 White Tassel | This weapon is 100% F2P, as it is obtained from chests in Liyue and The Chasm. Due to its 48% NA Damage at R5 and CRIT Rate secondary stat, it is a strong option on Cyno despite its low Base ATK. |
R5 Missive Windspear | Viable F2P option if players did not hold onto an R5 White Tassel. |
Kitain Cross Spear | Increases EM and Elemental Skill DMG, while reducing his ER requirements. The Energy drain mechanic poses issues for trying to use Cyno’s Burst directly after his Skill. |
Playstyles
Team-Building
- In order to trigger Cyno’s A1 consistently, a strong team sustainer (healer/shielder) is recommended to reduce time needed for dodging.
- Future Dendro or other units may affect his preferred teams.
Aggravate

Aggravate teams require a 2nd Electro character for Cyno to Burst consistently without compromising his damage.
Artifact Stat Priorities
![]() Sands | ![]() Goblet | ![]() Circlet |
EM / ATK% | Electro DMG Bonus % | CRIT |
Substats: ER until requirement > CRIT > ATK% ~= EM
EM or ATK% Sands typically comes down to substat differences and weapon Base ATK; EM is preferred for low base ATK weapons, while ATK% is preferred for high base ATK weapons.
For Aggravate Cyno, a good EM Circlet may be viable when running Staff of the Scarlet Sands, but is typically not worth considering with other weapons.
Notable Teammates
Character | Description |
![]() Electro: Fischl / Beidou / Yae Miko / Kuki Shinobu / Dori | Electro units that provide particles along with either damage or utility for Cyno. |
![]() Dendro: Dendro Traveler / Collei / Nahida | Dendro units capable of off-field Dendro application. DMC needs enough ER to Burst every rotation. Collei can opt to use Burst every other rotation and still provide basically full Quicken duration for Cyno’s fieldtime if she is C2+. Nahida’s Skill alone is enough to maintain full Quicken uptime throughout Cyno’s field time. She also provides Cyno with additional EM through her A1, increasing his reaction damage. |
![]() Flex: Zhongli | Strong shielding to minimize time taken for dodging, decreases 20% Elemental RES of opponents. |
![]() Flex: Kazuha / Sucrose | Able to provide Cyno with DMG boosts in the form of Electro DMG Bonus/EM. 4pc Viridescent Venerer holders. |
Quickbloom

Quickbloom teams feature Hydro characters with slower Hydro application, which allows for high to full Quicken uptime with additional damage via Cyno triggering occasional Hyperblooms.
Artifact Stat Priorities
![]() Sands | ![]() Goblet | ![]() Circlet |
EM | Electro DMG Bonus % | CRIT / EM |
Substats: ER until requirement > CRIT ~= EM > ATK%
For Quickbloom Cyno, EM Sands are preferred over ATK Sands. Either a CRIT or EM Circlet can be used as they perform on par.
Notable Teammates
Character | Description |
![]() Hydro: Barbara / C6 Candace / Mona / Kokomi | Slow, yet consistent sources of off-field Hydro application. |
![]() Dendro: Dendro Traveler / Collei / Nahida | Dendro units capable of off-field Dendro application. Both DMC and Collei need enough ER to Burst every rotation. Collei’s Skill-only Dendro application may not be enough to maintain good Quicken uptime depending on the Hydro application involved. Nahida’s Skill alone is enough to maintain full Dendro uptime throughout Cyno’s field time, allowing for Quicken and Hyperbloom triggers. She also provides Cyno with additional EM through her A1, increasing his reaction damage. |
![]() Flex: Fischl / Kuki Shinobu / Beidou / Dori | Electro units that provide particles along with either damage or utility for Cyno. Kuki, Beidou and Dori can provide sustain if Barbara/Kokomi aren’t used in the Hydro slot. Kuki may trigger occasional Hyperblooms, but as she can be built with full EM, this is not an issue for team damage. |
![]() Flex: Zhongli | See description in the Aggravate section above. |
![]() Flex: Kazuha / Sucrose | Able to provide Cyno with DMG boosts in the form of Electro DMG Bonus/EM. 4pc Viridescent Venerer holders. Note that Absorbing Hydro in their Bursts may not be desirable if optimizing for a Quicken team, as additional Hydro application interferes with Quicken uptime. |
Hyperbloom

Hyperbloom teams using fast Hydro appliers (e.g., Xingqiu/Yelan) are currently being investigated. In such teams, the high rate of Hydro application leads to much less Quicken uptime and less Aggravate procs on the primary target. Instead, a large proportion of Cyno’s damage comes from triggering Hyperblooms.
Although Hyperbloom Cyno teams have decent damage potential in single target (with a higher ceiling if Cyno is built full EM), they do not scale as well into multi-target as Aggravate/Quickbloom Cyno teams.
Artifact Stat Priorities
![]() Sands | ![]() Goblet | ![]() Circlet |
EM | Electro DMG Bonus % / EM | EM / CRIT |
Substats: ER until requirement > EM ~= CRIT > ATK%
The most versatile build for Hyperbloom Cyno seems to be EM/Electro DMG/EM, as it performs almost as well as full EM in single target and performs on par with EM/Electro DMG/CRIT in multi-target.
Notable Teammates
Xingqiu and Yelan provide fast Hydro application and strong personal damage.
Since Cyno wants an Electro battery to lower his Energy requirements as well as a defensive unit on his team, using Xingqiu/Yelan for Hydro application strongly suggests that an Electro healer/shielder such as Kuki, Beidou or Dori should be used in the last slot. This is due to the lack of a Dendro defensive unit at present.
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.
Aggravate

Cyno — Fischl — Nahida — Zhongli

Cyno — Kuki — Collei — Kazuha
Quickbloom

Cyno — Fischl — Dendro Traveler — Barbara

Cyno — Kuki — Nahida — Mona
Hyperbloom

Cyno — Xingqiu — Beidou — Collei

Cyno — Yelan — Kuki — Nahida
Credits
- Contributors: koko#1111, mina#4448, Akane#0926, Raf#7220, Merp#6832, Luno#1337, Ayzel#7399, Kuro_kami91#6652, snowy#4028, tpoints#3473, jstern25#1399, Rathalos#2875
- Cyno Mastersheet
- Team images courtesy of the KQM portrait generator