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.

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

Constellations

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

Quickbloom

Hyperbloom

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