Updated for Version 3.2
Layla is a 4-star Cryo Sword character who provides shielding, off-field Cryo application, and some damage.
More extensive testing is in progress. Note that the information given is subject to change if and when new discoveries are made.
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Table of Contents
Playstyles
Pure Support
As a pure support, all investment goes into HP to maximize the strength of her shields.
Invested Support
As an invested support, Layla still provides shielding and Cryo application, but does a bit of damage too. However, given that Layla has very underwhelming personal damage even with C6, the value of this build is debatable. Note that you should still invest in HP, since Layla stops generating Shooting Stars if her shield breaks, losing a source of damage and Energy generation.
Character Overview
Talents
Talent Priority
Pure Support
Character Level = Skill > Burst
Invested Support
Character Level = Burst = Skill
In both playstyles, Layla’s Character Level should be prioritized since much of her kit scales with Max HP. For a pure support build, her Skill is the only Talent that matters. For an invested support build, you can opt to level up her Burst Talent for damage. Normal Attacks are not used and can be ignored for both playstyles.
Talents
Normal Attack: Sword of the Radiant Path
Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 3 rapid strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash 2 rapid sword strikes.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Has unique animations, but generally not used.
Elemental Skill: Nights of Formal Focus
Description
Puts forth a shield known as the Curtain of Slumber, dealing AoE Cryo DMG.
The Curtain of Slumber’s DMG Absorption is based on Layla’s Max HP and absorbs Cryo DMG with 250% effectiveness. When the shield is deployed, Layla will have Cryo applied to her briefly.
Night Stars and Shooting Stars
While the Curtain of Slumber is active, it will create 1 Night Star that will be attached to it every 1.5s. When a character protected by this shield uses an Elemental Skill, 2 Night Stars will be created. Night Stars can be created once every 0.3s in this way. A maximum of 4 Night Stars can be accumulated at any one time.
Once the Curtain of Slumber has accumulated 4 Night Stars and there are opponents nearby, these Night Stars will transform into homing Shooting Stars that will be fired off in sequence, dealing Cryo DMG to any opponents hit.
If the Curtain of Slumber’s duration ends or it is destroyed, the Night Stars will disappear. If they are already being fired off as Shooting Stars, these Shooting Stars will last until this wave of shots ends.
New Night Stars cannot be created until the previous wave of Shooting Stars has been fired completely.
Creates a shield that does a small amount of AoE damage on creation and briefly applies Cryo to herself. The shield will start generating Night Stars and firing them off in volleys of 4 homing Shooting Stars. The shield’s DMG Absorption scales with Layla’s Max HP and persists when switching characters, while Shooting Star damage scales with ATK. Her Ascension 4 Passive adds additional HP scaling to the Shooting Stars.
If the shield is destroyed while Night Stars exist, the Stars are also destroyed. However, if the Stars are being fired off, they will remain until this last wave is fully fired off.
The damage on cast does not generate particles. Each Shooting Star volley will generate 1-2 particles.
Elemental Burst: Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker
Description
Unleashes a Celestial Dreamsphere that constantly fires Starlight Slugs at opponents within its AoE, dealing Cryo DMG.
When a Starlight Slug hits, it will generate 1 Night Star for nearby Curtains of Slumber. Each Curtain of Slumber can gain 1 Night Star this way every 0.5s.
Summons an orb that fires a homing Starlight Slug every 1.5s. While active, her Burst effectively doubles the rate of Night Star generation. Starlight Slug damage scales with Layla’s Max HP. Does not do damage on cast.
Ascension 1 Passive: Like Nascent Light
Description
While the Curtain of Slumber is active, the Deep Sleep effect will activate each time the Curtain gains 1 Night Star:
- The Shield Strength of a character under the effect of the Curtain of Slumber increases by 6%.
- This effect can have a maximum of 4 stacks and persists until the Curtain of Slumber disappears.
A boost to Layla’s Shield Strength. The stacks are independent for each character (i.e., each character has their own stack count) and persist until the shield is destroyed or expires.
Ascension 4 Passive: Sweet Slumber Undisturbed
Description
The DMG dealt by the Shooting Stars fired by Nights of Formal Focus is increased by 1.5% of Layla’s Max HP.
Increases the damage of Shooting Stars generated by Layla’s Skill by 1.5% of her Max HP. It’s still not much, but at least her entire kit scales with HP now.
Constellations
Constellation 1: Fortress of Fantasy
Description
The Shield Absorption of the Curtain of Slumber generated by Nights of Formal Focus is increased by 20%. Additionally, when unleashing Nights of Formal Focus, she will generate a shield for any nearby party members who are not being protected by a Curtain of Slumber. This shield will have 35% of the absorption of a Curtain of Slumber, will last for 12s, and will absorb Cryo DMG with 250% effectiveness.
Increases the DMG Absorption of Layla’s shield and grants a weaker version of her shield to coop teammates.
Constellation 2: Light’s Remit
Description
When Shooting Stars from Nights of Formal Focus strike opponents, they will each restore 1 Energy to Layla. Each Shooting Star can restore Energy to her in this manner once.
When a Shooting Star from Layla’s Skill hits an opponent, it generates 1 Energy for Layla. This is a welcome source of Energy for Layla, since she will mostly be off-field when particles are generated.
Constellation 3: Secrets of the Night
Description
Increases the Level of Nights of Formal Focus by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Increases the level of Layla’s Skill by 3. This increases DMG Absorption for her shield. It’s also a marginal increase in multipliers for her Shooting Stars, but since her ATK stat will generally be neglected, the actual impact is miniscule.
Constellation 4: Starry Illumination
Description
When Nights of Formal Focus starts to fire off Shooting Stars, it will grant all nearby party members the Dawn Star effect, causing their Normal and Charged Attack DMG to increase based on 5% of Layla’s Max HP.
Dawn Star can last up to 3s and will be removed 0.05s after dealing Normal or Charged Attack DMG.
When Layla’s shield begins to fire Shooting Stars, all nearby teammates will receive a flat increase to their next Normal or Charged Attack based on Layla’s Max HP. There is a 3s window to perform the NA/CA and the buff expires after one hit. (For example, Ganyu’s initial Frostflake Arrow receives the buff, but not her Frostflake Bloom.)
Constellation 5: Stream of Consciousness
Description
Increases the Level of Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Increases the level of Layla’s Burst by 3. For an invested support build, this is a small damage increase.
Constellation 6: Radiant Soulfire
Description
Shooting Stars from Nights of Formal Focus deal 40% increased DMG, and Starlight Slugs from Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker deal 40% increased DMG.
Additionally, the interval between the creation of Night Stars via Nights of Formal Focus is decreased by 20%.
This is a welcome damage increase for invested support builds. It also decreases the interval at which Night Stars are created from 1.5s to 1.2s. More testing is needed to see which rotations benefit from the decreased interval timing.
Artifacts
ER Requirements
| ER Requirement | Situation |
| ~180% | Solo Cryo, 20s rotation |
| ~140-160% | Double Cryo, 15s rotation |
| ~130-150% | Double Cryo, 20s rotation |
| ~100-110% | Triple Cryo, 20s rotation |
C2 reduces ER needs by 20-30%. Favonius weapons typically lower ER requirements by around 15% per passive proc.
Though Layla can theoretically have near-100% uptime on her Skill and Burst, attempting 12 or 15 second rotations is unfeasible with most teammates.
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
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| HP% ER% | HP% Cryo DMG% | HP% CRIT Rate CRIT DMG |
Substats
ER (until requirement) > HP% = CRIT Rate/DMG (if invested support)
Note that HP% maintains high priority even in invested support builds. This is because if Layla’s shield breaks, she stops generating Shooting Stars, losing an important source of damage and Energy.
Artifact Sets
| Artifact Set | Description |
| 4 Tenacity of the Millelith (4ToM) | Having 100% uptime on the 4pc effect can be shaky, but it buffs ATK% and Shield Strength for the rest of the team. |
| 4 Noblesse Oblige (4 NO) | Layla can have near-100% uptime on the 4pc effect, buffing her team nicely. The 2pc effect can also buff her damage as an invested support, though she will have a bit less Shield Strength compared to 4ToM. |
| Any combo of 2 Tenacity of the Millelith, 2 Blizzard Strayer, 2 Emblem of Severed Fate (2ToM/2BS/2ESF) | Layla benefits from the 2pc effects of these sets, so mix and match as your needs dictate. 2ToM will result in stronger shields and a bit more damage, 2BS will result in more damage only, and 2ESF may help reach ER requirements. |
| 4 Blizzard Strayer (4BS) | An option for Freeze teams. 4BS will likely result in more personal damage than 2pc/4pc ToM or 4pc NO at the cost of her shield’s DMG Absorption and team buffs. More testing is needed on the value of this set for overall team DPS compared to the supportive sets, but for now this is an option for Layla enthusiasts. |
| 4 Emblem of Severed Fate (4ESF) | An option for teams where Layla has higher ER requirements. It is not worth building extra ER just to use this set, though it is very strong for Layla’s personal damage even around mid-range ER requirements. More testing is needed on the value of this set for overall team DPS compared to the supportive sets. |
Weapons
| Weapon | Description |
| Key of Khaj-Nisut | Excellent HP stat stick. Layla has trouble activating the team EM buff, since the passive cannot proc off-field. She will usually only receive one stack of the passive per rotation (unless she swaps in while her Shooting Stars are being fired), and the EM buff to herself is fairly useless. Still, the massive amount of HP that comes from this sword maximizes Layla’s shields. |
| Favonius Sword | Very strong support option. Though Layla may overcap on her personal ER requirements with this weapon in certain teams, the passive lowers team Energy requirements and can increase overall team DPS. Requires some investment into CRIT Rate. Fav Layla can use her Burst, then Skill, then some Normal Attacks for more chances to proc Fav’s passive. |
| Primordial Jade Cutter | Layla actually makes use of the HP% bonus, unlike most other Sword units. The CRIT Rate stat is appreciated, but can be overkill in Freeze teams. |
| Harbinger of Dawn | Gives lots of CRIT and Layla should have little issue maintaining its passive due to her off-field nature. The low Base ATK doesn’t matter as Layla’s damage mostly scales with HP. |
| Mistsplitter Reforged or Haran Geppaku Futsu | CRIT stat sticks that also give Elemental DMG Bonuses. These are for Layla’s personal damage only. Mistsplitter is the generally preferred option between the two, since Layla can benefit from its passive and the CRIT DMG stat is more useful in Freeze teams. Even then, it performs similarly to Harbinger of Dawn. |
| Skyrider Sword, Amenoma Kageuchi, Festering Desire, Sacrificial Sword, or Skyward Blade | These weapons can help with Layla’s ER if your Favonius Sword is occupied. Festering Desire’s Skill DMG bonus is marginally useful. Barring Amenoma, the other passives aren’t particularly helpful for Layla. |
| Freedom Sworn | Layla has trouble triggering the passive in teams where she is not the only Cryo. The EM stat is somewhat wasted on her, but it can be an option for team buffs in teams where Layla can consistently trigger reactions. |
| Royal Longsword | BiS for drip, not recommended otherwise. |
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.
Team-Building
- Layla can be used any time you need a shield or off-field Cryo application.
- Layla’s Cryo application alone is not enough to enable forward Melts with Pyro DPS units.
- Due to the homing nature of her damaging projectiles, Layla does mostly single-target Cryo damage/application.
- Her 12s cooldowns can make certain team rotations awkward if you want full uptime on her abilities.
Notable Teammates
| Character | Description |
| Shenhe | Despite awkward cooldowns between the two, Layla is good at proccing Shenhe’s Quills. |
| Any Cryo DPS | Layla’s ability to generate Cryo particles from off-field makes her a good battery for other Cryo units. |
| Amber, Hu Tao, Yoimiya, Bennett (on-field) | Layla can shield Pyro carries and enable some Vape-Melt combos. (Diluc and Yanfei are excluded since they tend to trigger Shatter instead of Melt with their blunt attacks.) |
More in-depth teammate recommendations are available in their relevant sections.
Flex Shielder
Layla can be slotted in anytime a team calls for a shielder. This covers a wide variety of team archetypes that aren’t necessarily built around Layla, but benefit from a shielder in general. Note that in some teams, Layla’s Cryo application may interfere with reactions, making her a suboptimal choice.
Example Teams
Freeze
Layla provides a defensive option for Freeze teams in place of Diona. As an invested support, Layla treads a middle ground between utility and damage that can make her an alternative to Diona’s pure support in some situations, though Layla’s damage contribution is still marginal.
Example Teams
Mono Cryo
These teams use Shenhe and her Icy Quills to their fullest extent. The Cryo flex unit is a DPS like Ganyu or Ayaka. The Anemo flex unit can be Venti or Kazuha to provide grouping and buffs.
Example Teams
Reverse Melt
Layla can be used as a Cryo battery in Reverse Melt teams. The Cryo flex is your primary DPS, usually Kaeya or Rosaria. The other two slots consist of a Pyro unit who provides a Pyro aura for the Cryo DPS to Melt with as well as a utility flex. This can be Xiangling with Bennett to battery her or the Jean-Bennett “Sunfire” combo.
Example Teams
Superconduct
Layla can provide off-field Cryo application and Particles for a Superconduct-based Physical team. The Electro flex slot can be Fischl, Raiden, Kuki Shinobu, Yae Miko, or Dori. The additional flex slots are for your Physical DPS (usually Eula or Razor) and a utility/off-field DPS.
As batteries for Eula, Diona can create a flurry of Cryo Energy Particles at once with Sacrificial Bow, but Layla will provide more Energy over the entire rotation. Which one is the better battery comes down to personal preference and whether they are using Favonius weapons. Note that if Layla’s shield breaks, she stops generating particles, so a pure support build is recommended for Eula teams.
Example Teams
Credits
Nociii#0111, Reens#9389, Seima#4597, Athena#2444, Chronopolize#6513, TWICE#9958, koko#1111, mina#4448, Rare Possum#0511, Atomic#3770
Team images courtesy of the KQM portrait generator.