Updated for Version 7.1
Nilou is a 5★ Hydro Sword character in Genshin Impact who specializes in maximizing Bloom damage in teams of strictly Hydro and Dendro characters. Learn about Nilou’s best builds, best weapons, best artifacts, and best teams in this quick guide.
Note that the information given may change if new discoveries are made. More extensive testing is in progress.
The full-length guide is available here. It is currently being updated.
Table of Contents
Infographic
Credits to: kolvii, mocha_biscuit, irokei, .jdha, and KQM Staff
Character Overview
Pros
- Enables Bountiful Bloom teams, which are extremely potent in AoE scenarios.
- Easy to build due to her primary focus on HP stats, with Talent levels and 4pc artifact sets unnecessary.
- High Base HP and HP% Ascension stat, alongside frequent usage of healer and defensive units, allow for overall tanky and comfortable teams.
Cons
- Limited usage outside of Bountiful Bloom teams.
- Restricted to Hydro and Dendro units for Bountiful Bloom teams.
Playstyles
In all of Nilou’s off-field playstyles, she casts her Skill as Whirling Steps to apply her buffs and enable off-field Hydro application. In most teams, you can skip her Burst or simply use it when available since she prefers to focus on HP stats over ER.
Off-Field Bountiful Bloom Support
Nilou makes full use of her buffs and Skill as an off-field Hydro applier in Bloom teams. In teams of strictly Dendro and Hydro characters, she enables Bountiful Bloom, which deals increased damage. This archetype also includes teams where Columbina deals Lunar-Bloom damage on-field with her special Charged Attacks.
Off-Field Lunar-Bloom Support
Nilou is a strong off-field support for Lunar-Bloom DPS units like Nefer. In such teams, Nilou loses Bountiful Bloom since Nefer’s “Seeds of Deceit” take priority. In such teams, she provides easy off-field Hydro application and doesn’t need to build full HP, instead opting for more supportive gear. At C2, she is a strong pick for Nefer teams due to the Dendro RES Shred she provides.
Other
In many teams, Nilou’s poor personal damage and weak synergy with non-Bloom teams cause her to fall behind as an on-field character or a support.
Nilou is a situationally acceptable pick in some teams for her Hydro application through her Tranquility Aura (and EM buff through Key of Khaj-Nisut).
Some teams allow Nilou to act as an on-field Vape DPS using her Sword Dance state. Certain Constellations, namely her C2 and C6, significantly increase her personal damage and increase her viability outside of Bloom teams. This playstyle will not be covered in this quick guide.
Talents
Level and Talent Priority
Character Level >> Skill > Burst
Level 90 is highly recommended to maximize Nilou’s HP and Bloom damage buff. Talent levels do not affect Nilou’s buff to Bloom damage and provide negligible DPS increase, so they can be skipped entirely. Leveling Nilou’s Normal Attacks is not recommended.
Talent Overview
Normal Attack | Dance of Samser
Talent Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 3 consecutive sword strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to perform a twirling slash.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Nilou’s Normal Attacks, although beautiful, are fairly unimpressive and can be neglected.
Elemental Skill | Dance of Haftkarsvar
Talent Description
Enters the Pirouette state, dealing Hydro DMG to nearby opponents based on Nilou’s Max HP.
While she is in the Pirouette state, Nilou’s Normal Attacks and Elemental Skill will cause her to enter the Sword Dance and Whirling Steps stances respectively, causing DMG she deals to be converted to Hydro DMG that cannot be overridden and that is considered Elemental Skill DMG.
In these stances, Nilou’s third dance step will end Pirouette, and has the following effects:
- Sword Dance: unleashes a Luminous Illusion that deals Hydro DMG to opponents it touches and grants Nilou the Lunar Prayer effect. This effect converts Nilou’s Normal Attacks into Sword Dance techniques, and her final hit will unleash a Luminous Illusion.
- Whirling Steps: Nilou unleashes a Whirling Water Wheel that deals AoE Hydro DMG and creates a Tranquility Aura that follows your active character around and applies Wet to opponents within its AoE.
Nilou is unable to perform Charged Attacks when under the effect of Pirouette or Lunar Prayer. These effects will be removed once she leaves the field.
After casting Nilou’s Elemental Skill, she enters the Pirouette state: up to three times in total, players can press either the Normal Attack or Skill button to cast Sword Dance or Whirling Steps, respectively, both of which deal damage that scales based on Nilou’s Max HP.
Note that her first two dance steps in the Pirouette state do not impact the stance she enters on her third. Normal Attack steps are slightly faster than Elemental Skill steps, so you can use Sword Dance for the first two dance steps to more quickly end Pirouette. If the third cast of Sword Dance / Whirling Steps is Sword Dance, then Nilou will be able to continue casting Sword Dance for another 8s. If the third cast is Whirling Steps, then Nilou will summon a ring around the active character that will apply Hydro over time.
Elemental Burst | Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring
Talent Description
Begins the dance of faraway dreams and springs that hear, causing a Lotus of Distant Waters to bloom, dealing AoE Hydro DMG based on Nilou’s Max HP and applying the Lingering Aeon effect to all opponents hit.
After an interval, opponents affected by Lingering Aeon will take Hydro DMG.
Nilou’s Elemental Burst inflicts two instances of Hydro damage with no other effects. It has no ICD, meaning both hits can trigger reactions.
Mainly used to apply additional Hydro for Bloom generation.
Ascension 1 Passive | Court of Dancing Petals
Talent Description
When all characters in the party are all Dendro or Hydro, and there are at least one Dendro character and one Hydro character:
The completion of the third dance step of Nilou’s Dance of Haftkarsvar will grant all nearby characters the Golden Chalice’s Bounty for 30s.
Characters under the effect of Golden Chalice’s Bounty will increase the Elemental Mastery of all nearby characters by 100 for 10s whenever they are hit by Dendro attacks. Also, triggering the Bloom or Lunar-Bloom reaction will create Bountiful Cores instead of Dendro Cores.
Such Cores will burst very quickly after being created, and they have larger AoEs.
Bountiful Cores cannot trigger Hyperbloom or Burgeon, and they share an upper numerical limit with Dendro Cores. Bountiful Core DMG is considered DMG dealt by Dendro Cores produced by Bloom.
Should the party not meet the conditions for this Ascension Talent, any existing Golden Chalice’s Bounty effects will be canceled.
Nilou’s A1 Passive is her defining ability. In a team containing exclusively Hydro and Dendro characters, casting either Sword Dance or Whirling Steps a third time after casting Nilou’s Elemental Skill will cause all Bloom reactions to summon Bountiful Cores instead of Dendro Cores. It also provides all teammates with a sizable 100 EM buff.
These Bountiful Cores explode much faster than Dendro Cores, with a larger AoE. As such, Bountiful Bloom teams generally want a healer or on-field character with self-sustainability to withstand the self-inflicted damage throughout combat.
Ascension 4 Passive | Dreamy Dance of Aeons
Talent Description
Every 1,000 points of Nilou’s Max HP above 30,000 will cause the DMG dealt by Bountiful Cores created by characters affected by Golden Chalice’s Bounty to increase by 9%.
The maximum increase in Bountiful Core DMG that can be achieved this way is 400%.
Nilou’s A4 Passive greatly amplifies Bountiful Bloom damage, scaling with her Max HP.
Though the description mentions a buff to Bountiful Core damage for every 1,000-point increase in Nilou’s Max HP, the damage of Bountiful Cores is actually increased for every point of her Max HP, meaning that Nilou reaches her A4 Passive cap when she has a Max HP of 74,444.
Constellations
Constellation 1 | Dance of the Waning Moon
Constellation Description
Dance of Haftkarsvar will be enhanced as follows:
· Luminous Illusion DMG is increased by 65%.
· The Tranquility Aura’s duration is extended by 6s.
Nilou’s C1 increases the duration of her Tranquility Aura to 18s, which can improve Dendro Core production.
It also lends a significant damage increase for attacks in the Sword Dance stance. Note that on-field Nilou (not recommended) requires significant investment in CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, HP%, and EM stats to be competitive. This Constellation also synergizes well with her C6.
Constellation 2 | The Starry Skies Their Flowers Rain
Constellation Description
After characters affected by the Golden Chalice’s Bounty deal Hydro DMG to an opponent, that opponent’s Hydro RES will be decreased by 35% for 10s. After dealing Bloom or Lunar-Bloom DMG to opponents, their Dendro RES will be decreased by 35% for 10s.
You must first unlock the Ascension Talent “Court of Dancing Petals.”
Nilou’s C2 is a significant boost to team damage. It provides Dendro RES Shred when dealing Bloom or Lunar-Bloom damage and Hydro RES Shred when dealing Hydro damage. Overall, this is a highly versatile Constellation and a good stopping point.
Constellation 3 | Beguiling Shadowstep
Constellation Description
Increases the Level of Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Nilou’s C3 is a negligible increase to her personal damage.
Constellation 4 | Fricative Pulse
Constellation Description
After the third dance step of Dance of Haftkarsvar‘s Pirouette hits opponents, Nilou will gain 15 Elemental Energy, and DMG from her Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring will be increased by 50% for 8s.
Nilou’s C4 lowers the ER requirements to Burst every rotation to ~140%. It also buffs her Burst damage.
Constellation 5 | Twirling Light
Constellation Description
Increases the Level of Dance of Haftkarsvar by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Nilou’s C5 is a negligible increase for Nilou’s personal damage.
Constellation 6 | Frostbreaker’s Melody
Constellation Description
For every 1,000 points of Max HP, Nilou’s CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG will increase by 0.6% and 1.2% respectively.
The maximum increase in CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG via this method is 30% and 60% respectively.
Nilou’s C6 is a decent damage increase for Sword Dance, and relatively mediocre for Whirling Steps. It enables an on-field DPS playstyle for Nilou.
By reaching up to 50,000 Max HP, Nilou can gain up to 30% CRIT Rate and 60% CRIT DMG. While 50,000 Max HP may seem difficult to reach, assuming you have R1 Key of Khaj-Nisut, an HP% Sands, a Level 20 Flower, and Hydro Resonance, Nilou at Level 90 only needs about 12% HP from substats to reach this quota, disregarding Flat HP rolls.
Combos
Combo Notation
- N = Normal Attack
- E = Elemental Skill
- Q = Elemental Burst
- ( ) = these actions are optional; please refer to the notes below
- [ ] = repeat these actions the specified number of times
Nilou’s Burst is optional in Bountiful Bloom and Lunar-Bloom teams.
Off-Field
| (Q) 4[E] | Nilou’s default Whirling Steps combo to apply her buff and enable off-field Hydro application. This version is safe and easy to execute. |
| (Q) E N2 E | This is a faster way to apply Nilou’s buff while maintaining Whirling Steps for off-field Hydro application. However, it’s possible to mess up and perform N3 instead, which will trigger Sword Dance instead. |
| (Q) E N3 | This combo triggers Sword Dance, which applies Nilou’s buff but prevents her from applying Hydro off-field. You can use this to minimize her Bloom ownership if there is enough Hydro application on the team otherwise. |
On-Field
| (Q) E 6[N3] | This combo triggers Sword Dance, which applies Nilou’s buff and allows her to act as an on-field Hydro applier. Nilou’s on-field playstyle tends to be suboptimal. Read more in the Nilou Extended Guide. |
Artifacts
ER Requirements
Nilou does not need to build ER. She can skip her Burst, use it when available for comfort, or use it every other rotation. If you still want to see her Burst in action, you can follow the general ER requirements below. Even so, it is still not recommended to use her Burst every rotation.
Assumptions:
- Every hit during Nilou’s Pirouette state hits enemies to generate 4–5 Hydro particles.
- Each off-field Favonius proc reduces Nilou’s ER requirements by 10–15%.
| # of Teammate Hydro Particles | Example | ER Requirement (Burst Every Other Rot.) |
| 8–10 | 2 Yelan or Xingqiu Skill Casts | 100% |
| 5–6 | Kokomi Skill + Burst Refresh | 100% |
| 5 | 1 Xingqiu Skill | 100–110% |
| 4 | 1 Yelan Skill or 2 Candace Skill | 110–120% |
| 0 | Barbara | 150–160% |
Use the Energy Recharge Calculator to determine exact requirements for your team and rotation. For more details on how Favonius weapons will affect your team, please use Ac1d’s Favonius Mastersheet.
Artifact Stats
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| HP% | HP% | HP% |
Stat Priority: (ER until requirement) > HP% > EM > Flat HP > CRIT
HP is Nilou’s most prioritized stat in Bountiful Bloom teams because Bountiful Core damage scales with Nilou’s Max HP. EM is the next worthwhile stat to grab, as Nilou herself triggers a sizable portion of Blooms.
Without Key of Khaj-Nisut, it is near impossible for Nilou to reach 74,444 HP without external buffs other than Hydro Resonance. In this case, you should acquire as many HP% and Flat HP substats as possible to maximize Bountiful Bloom damage.
EM is unnecessary if Nilou does not trigger Bloom, such as in Triple Hydro teams.
Note that Nilou’s stats don’t actually matter that much in Lunar-Bloom teams, so feel free to use whatever pieces are available for the 4pc artifact set she should hold.
Artifact Sets
Bountiful Bloom
2pc HP% + 2pc HP% is the most recommended combo for Nilou in Bountiful Bloom teams. Other sets may be used as placeholders until it is obtained.
Hover over artifact images/names for more information.
 2pc HP% + 2pc HP% | 2pc Tenacity of the Millelith (TotM) + 2pc Vourukasha’s Glow (VG) Both sets’ 2pc bonuses combined provide 40% HP, greatly lowering the threshold to reach Nilou’s A4 Passive cap. |
 2pc HP% + 2pc EM | 2pc HP% – Tenacity of the Millelith (TotM) – Vourukasha’s Glow (VG) 2pc EM – Wanderer’s Troupe (WT) – Gilded Dreams (GD) – Flower of Paradise Lost (FoPL) – Night of the Sky’s Unveiling (NotSU) – Aubade of Morningstar and Moon (AMM) For players who can achieve Nilou’s HP cap without utilizing a second 2pc HP% set, the EM increases Nilou’s Bloom damage. If you don’t reach the cap, the EM slightly helps offset the loss. |
 4pc Flower of Paradise Lost (FoPL) | 4pc FoPL can be considered in teams where Nilou triggers a high portion of Blooms, such as when the second Hydro unit deals primarily single-target damage or only has a moderate rate of Hydro application. While 4pc FoPL sacrifices a substantial amount of HP%, it increases Nilou’s Bloom damage by 80%, helping offset the loss. |
Lunar-Bloom
Hover over artifact images for more information.
 4pc Silken Moon’s Serenade (SMS) | 4pc SMS is Nilou’s default set in Lunar-Bloom teams if her teammates prefer other sets. She can easily trigger its passive with her Skill from off-field. The team appreciates the Lunar-Bloom DMG Bonus and EM buff. |
 4pc Instructor | Nilou can hold 4pc Instructor if another character is holding 4pc SMS. The team’s Lunar-Bloom DPS and EM-scaling characters appreciate the buff. |
 4pc Deepwood Memories | Nilou can hold 4pc Deepwood Memories to shred enemy Dendro RES if her teammates prefer other support sets. Please note that only Nilou’s initial on-field Skill casts shred enemy Dendro RES; the Skill’s off-field Hydro application does not refresh 4pc Deepwood’s passive. |
Weapons
As Bountiful Bloom’s damage is affected by Nilou’s Max HP, Swords with HP% secondary stats should be prioritized. When they are not available, Swords with EM secondary stats can be considered, and they perform well in practice if players properly utilize Nilou’s Tranquility Aura.
Hover over weapon images/names for more information.
 5★ Key of Khaj-Nisut | Key of Khaj-Nisut is Nilou’s signature weapon and her uncontested best-in-slot in Bountiful Bloom, Lunar-Bloom, and Vaporize teams. It grants a massive HP increase to Nilou and a sizable EM buff to the entire team, significantly upgrading Bountiful Bloom damage. The teamwide buff also allows Hydro teammates to deal considerable Bloom damage regardless of their builds. |
 4★ The Dockhand’s Assistant | The Dockhand’s Assistant is the only other Sword with an HP% secondary stat. Its passive is useful, but requires Nilou to be healed during her field time. |
 4★ Serenity’s Call | Serenity’s Call is a craftable option that provides HP% with its passive. It shines best in Ascendant Gleam teams (2 Nod-Krai characters). |
 4★ Xiphos’ Moonlight | Xiphos’ Moonlight is the best option with an EM secondary stat since its passive provides a teamwide ER% buff. While this weapon increases the value of EM, HP% is still the priority stat to build. Nilou can reach over 400 EM with Xiphos’s EM secondary stat, Dendro Resonance, artifact substats, and her A1 Passive. |
 5★ EM and HP% Swords | Freedom-Sworn, Primordial Jade Cutter, Splendor of Tranquil Waters These weapons are decent 5-star stat sticks due to their EM or HP% stats. |
 4★ Favonius Sword | Favonius Sword helps decrease team ER requirements. Nilou can proc the Favonius passive reasonably well even with low CRIT Rate, since her Skill hits once on cast and three times during her Pirouette state. This weapon may be ideal if her teammates face high ER requirements. |
   4★ Emberwell, Iron Sting, Toukabou Shigure | These free 4-star Swords are decent options thanks to their EM secondary stats, but Nilou still prefers Serenity’s Call if you can forge it. |
 4★ Sapwood Blade | Sapwood Blade is a free-to-play option that provides a small EM buff to an ally. To make the best use of this weapon’s passive, you should pick up the Leaf of Consciousness with a character that triggers many Blooms. |
Teams
Rotation Notation
- N = Normal Attack
- C = Charged Attack
- A = Aimed Shot
- P = Plunging Attack
- E = Elemental Skill
- tE = Tap Skill
- hE = Hold Skill
- Q = Elemental Burst
- D = dash (cancel)
- J = jump (cancel)
- W = walk (cancel)
- > = switch character
- ( ) = these actions are optional; please refer to the notes below
- [ ] = repeat these actions the specified number of times
Bountiful Bloom
Nilou’s Bountiful Bloom teams use only Hydro and Dendro units due to her A1 Passive’s restriction. Though this significantly limits her teammate options, the choices for units within each Element and role are quite flexible. At least one healer or shielder should be considered, to survive both enemy attacks and Bloom’s self-damage.
Nilou’s Bountiful Bloom teams commonly include two Hydro characters and two Dendro characters. This way, Dendro characters maintain a Dendro aura on enemies while Hydro characters use their Hydro application to maximize Bountiful Core generation. Additionally, characters lower each other’s ER requirements, and both Hydro Resonance and Dendro Resonance improve Bountiful Bloom damage.
Triple Hydro teams have the Dendro unit trigger more Blooms than usual, as the many sources of Hydro application constantly cause enemies to have their Dendro aura removed. The Dendro unit has to be on-field to consistently trigger Blooms, and this mandates Hydro healers like Kokomi, Barbara, or Sigewinne. Triple Dendro teams are not recommended, as Nilou triggers the vast majority of Blooms.
Notable Teammates
Hydro Sustain
These characters provide enough healing to withstand self-damage through multiple rotations.
 Barbara | Barbara is a free-to-play unit who heals and drives on-field. Her long Elemental Skill cooldown can be circumvented by holding Sacrificial Fragments. 4pc Ocean-Hued Clam, 4pc Flower of Paradise Lost, or other sets that increase Barbara’s EM work well. Barbara can opt to forgo some EM stats for HP or Healing Bonus for stronger healing. Unlike Kokomi, Barbara has more freedom to switch to a different character and save her Burst for an emergency. That said, Barbara’s healing significantly improves with more field time, so you should use proper rotations to keep the team healthy. |
 Kokomi | Similar to Barbara, Kokomi can take the field to trigger Blooms and fully utilize her Burst to keep the team alive. Sacrificial Fragments is generally used to bypass Bake-Kurage’s immobility and increase Kokomi’s Bountiful Bloom damage. While Kokomi ideally holds triple EM main stat artifact pieces, she can opt for a Healing Bonus Circlet instead of an EM Circlet for increased healing and comfier gameplay. |
 Vodyanitsa | Vodyanitsa uses her Elemental Skill to provide healing, off-field Hydro application, Hydro RES Shred, and Additive Base DMG Bonus to Hydro teammates. Her Hydro RES Shred can increase a third Hydro character’s personal damage. |
 Sigewinne | Sigewinne can conveniently keep the team alive with her Skill, as its utility is not compromised by long cooldowns, Energy, or immobile turrets. Due to her lack of off-field Hydro application, it is recommended to use Sigewinne in Triple Hydro teams where another Hydro character will consistently apply Hydro throughout the rotation. |
Off-Field Hydro Application
These characters provide consistent off-field Hydro application for steady Bountiful Core generation.
 Xingqiu | Xingqiu has extended, consistent off-field Hydro application from his orbitals and Burst. His Rain Sword orbitals do not reduce Bloom’s self-damage, but his defensive utility remains effective for its interruption resistance, enemy damage mitigation, and minor healing. Xingqiu’s single-target damage can also make up for Nilou’s weakness in single-target. If you build for Bountiful Bloom damage, Xingqiu becomes straightforward to build, as he only needs EM and ER%. Sacrificial Sword, Favonius Sword, and Xiphos’ Moonlight are all good options in EM builds. |
 Yelan | Yelan provides off-field Hydro application with her Burst. In some teams, Yelan can take up more field time to use her Elemental Skill and Breakthrough Barbs to apply Hydro to multiple enemies. Yelan’s single-target damage helps mitigate Nilou’s weakness in single-target. Due to Stringless’s good passive and EM secondary stat, it can be viable in Nilou’s teams to improve both Yelan’s personal damage and Bountiful Bloom damage. Elegy for the End is a potent option for any build as it helps Yelan meet her ER requirements and improves the whole team’s Bountiful Bloom damage. |
 Vodyanitsa | Vodyanitsa provides consistent off-field Hydro application and healing. Her Hydro RES Shred can increase a third Hydro character’s personal damage. |
 Columbina | Columbina provides steady Hydro application and damage with her Skill and on-field combos. She can employ Charged Attacks to deal Lunar-Bloom damage. |
 Aino | Aino provides good Hydro application with her Burst, but it does have a fixed AoE and cannot move. As such, she isn’t a great option against mobile enemies or enemies in a large area. |
 Candace | Candace is an option for off-field Hydro application by enabling other melee units to trigger Blooms with her Burst’s Hydro Infusion. She has great synergy with Yaoyao, who heals the team while applying both Hydro and Dendro. At C6, Candace’s Hydro application significantly improves. |
 Furina | Furina provides persistent off-field Hydro application with her Salon Members. Although she has little synergy with Bountiful Bloom itself, Furina can be a decent off-field DPS if there is a strong healer to stack Fanfare points. |
On-Field Hydro Application
These characters provide consistent on-field Hydro application and act as the team’s on-field driver.
 Hydro Catalyst | Barbara, Columbina, Kokomi, Mona, Vodyanitsa These Hydro Catalyst characters can provide on-field Hydro application with their Normal and Charged Attacks. |
 Ayato | Ayato’s interruption resistance and Hydro application make him a viable Hydro option. Standard builds are viable, but EM builds are recommended, boosting his Bountiful Bloom damage and giving him more room to build ER%. |
 Neuvillette | Playing Neuvillette in Bountiful Bloom is viable, but not recommended. His fully stacked A1 Passive is generally very hard to achieve, and Nilou’s teams tend to lack the means to improve Neuvillette’s personal damage. His long range comes in handy due to the lack of crowd control in this team archetype, and he can reasonably sustain himself against incoming damage through his Sourcewater Droplets. If Neuvillette is C0, you can use Kirara or Baizhu for interruption resistance. |
 Tartaglia | Tartaglia has AoE Hydro application with his Skill and Burst that requires careful gameplay for the best results. His Elemental Skill’s dynamic cooldown, his lack of off-field presence without C4, and his fast Hydro application that can overwhelm even Nahida’s Dendro application all encourage intentional gameplay and rotations. Ultimately, Tartaglia is a niche and rarely recommended Hydro teammate in Nilou’s Bountiful Bloom teams. |
Dendro Sustain
These Dendro characters provide enough sustain to withstand Bountiful Bloom self-damage.
 Baizhu | Baizhu is a strong healer and pseudo-shielder with accessible build options. With short field time, Baizhu guarantees teamwide healing with his Skill and even more healing for the active character with his Burst. His A4 Passive also increases the reaction damage of the on-field character. Baizhu’s shield usually serves only as protection against Bloom’s self-damage, while his healing provides most of the team’s sustain. He prefers Lauma or Nahida as a second Dendro character to alleviate his high ER requirements and overall poor Dendro application. |
 Kirara | Kirara provides a sturdy shield that absorbs Bloom’s self-damage. This complements Hydro healers so they can build more EM. Her Burst is handy for removing Hydro aura from enemies with Cat Grass Cardamoms. At C4, Kirara has consistent off-field Dendro application. Kirara can also be played on-field using her Hold Skill, triggering Blooms while having better shield and particle generation. This playstyle does not pair with her C4 or characters like Yelan and Xingqiu, who require Normal or Charged Attacks to activate their off-field Hydro application. |
 Yaoyao | Yaoyao provides teamwide healing and Dendro application. She can provide greater healing and Dendro application with her Burst, but this requires her to be on-field. With Candace on the team, she can also drive Bloom reactions with the Hydro Infusion. Note that Yaoyao has inconsistent healing with her Skill, which either targets the enemy for damage or heals the on-field character if they are under 70% Max HP. |
 Kaveh | Kaveh is easily the sturdiest on-field character for Bountiful Bloom teams due to the interruption resistance from his Burst and built-in healing when Dendro Cores explode. He can serve as an on-field tank and wield Favonius Greatsword to reduce the team’s overall ER requirements, though Flame-Forged Insight benefits him the most. Kaveh cannot heal other characters, so a healer or Prototype Amber on Lauma or Nahida can be helpful if your other characters are prone to taking damage. |
Off-Field Dendro Application
These Dendro characters provide consistent off-field Dendro application.
 ★ Lauma | Lauma provides many buffs for Bloom, including Dendro and Hydro RES Shred, as well as an Additive Bloom DMG Bonus buff through her Elemental Burst. Additionally, if the team’s Moonsign Level is Nascent Gleam, she can give Blooms a fixed CRIT Rate of 15% and a fixed CRIT DMG of 100%. The CRIT Rate effect stacks with other sources that allow Bloom to crit. When used alongside a second Nod-Krai character, the Moonsign Level will shift to Ascendant Gleam. This increases the CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG of Lunar-Bloom reaction damage. |
 ★ Nahida | Nahida’s Elemental Skill provides significant amounts of Dendro application, allowing for more frequent Bountiful Blooms. The Hold variant of her Skill mitigates the common AoE problem of enemies not being grouped. The EM share from her Elemental Burst increases the damage of Bountiful Blooms triggered by the on-field character. It is important to note that Nahida is very frail and vulnerable due to her low Base HP and DEF. When Nahida is on-field, exercise caution against aggressive endgame content. |
 Dendro Traveler | Dendro Traveler provides consistent off-field Dendro application with their Burst. They also grant up to 60 EM with their A1 Passive. They only need to build ER% to use their Burst every rotation. |
 Collei | Collei offers high frontloaded Dendro application with her Burst and provides a teamwide 60 EM buff at C4. Her C2 maintains Dendro application in most scenarios when paired with Sacrificial Bow. |
 Emilie | Emilie can conveniently apply Dendro from off-field through her long-duration, long-range Skill that can be repositioned with her Burst. Overall, Emilie’s use is similar to that of Dendro Traveler, but she provides noticeably better comfort and flexibility without the need to build ER. |
On-Field Dendro Application
These Dendro characters provide consistent on-field Dendro application.
 Dendro Catalyst | Baizhu, Lauma, Nahida Dendro Catalyst characters can act as on-field Dendro appliers with their Normal and Charged Attacks. |
  Kaveh, Yaoyao | Kaveh and Yaoyao are viable on-field Dendro appliers and sustain units with their Burst. |
 Alhaitham | Alhaitham’s Dendro application allows either him or his Hydro teammates to trigger Blooms, depending on his playstyle. It is recommended to pair him with a healer and a second Dendro unit, and 4pc Marechaussee Hunter can be used with a healer to further improve Alhaitham’s personal damage and pack more stats from artifacts. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level.
Columbina herself can act as a potent on-field Lunar-Bloom DPS thanks to her special Charged Attacks and her Skill’s Gravity Interference. Nahida or Columbina can hold Prototype Amber for some survivability. If Nilou holds Favonius Sword, she can swap in during Columbina’s field time to proc its passive again.
Sample Rotation
(Nahida N1)¹ > Columbina E (Q/C)² > Nahida N1 E (Q)³ > Nilou E N2 E > Lauma N1 hEQ > Columbina N1 5[CD] N1
¹First rotation only.
²Columbina uses a Charged Attack when her Burst is unavailable after the first rotation
³Every other rotation.
This is one of Nilou’s best teams, with Kokomi as the team’s sustain. Lauma and Nahida provide strong off-field Dendro application and buffs while Kokomi drives on-field. Lauma can slightly extend the rotation to fit 2 Hold Skills per rotation.
Sample Rotation (Lauma 1 Skill)
Nahida E > Kokomi N1 E > Nilou E N2 E > Lauma N1 hEQ > Nahida Q > Kokomi Q 5[N3D] N2C
Sample Rotation (Lauma 2 Skill)
Nahida E > Kokomi N1 E > Nilou E N2 E > Nahida Q > Lauma N1 hEQ > Kokomi Q 5[N3D] > Lauma N1 hE > Nahida E C > Kokomi N2C > Nilou Q / Kokomi N3C
This is a solid team with Nahida driving Xingqiu’s Burst or Yelan’s Burst. Baizhu provides sustain.
Sample Rotation (Xingqiu)
Nahida E > Nilou E N2 E > Baizhu N1 EQ > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Nahida combo
Sample Rotation (Yelan)
Baizhu E > Nilou E N2E > Nahida E Q > Baizhu Q > Yelan EQ N1 > Nahida combo > Baizhu E > Yelan E > Nahida combo
This is a strong Kaveh team. Nahida or Lauma can hold Prototype Amber to provide sustain for the team as Kaveh only sustains himself.
Sample Rotation (Lauma)
Nilou E N2 E > Lauma hEQ > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Kaveh combo
Sample Rotation (Nahida)
Nilou E N2 E > Nahida E (Q) N2C > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Kaveh combo
Limited Roster Alternatives
These teams are meant for newer players whose limited roster prevents them from using the teams above; as such, the teams below result in lower damage output.
This is a nice free-to-play team. Xingqiu extends the rotation a bit with lower Dendro Core production until he can use his Burst again.
Sample Rotation (Kaveh)
Nilou E N2 E > Dendro Traveler EQ > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Kaveh combo
Sample Rotation (Yaoyao)
Nilou E N2 E > Dendro Traveler EQ > Xingqiu ED Q N1 > Yaoyao Q 3[N1J N1D] E > Dendro Traveler E N1 > Yaoyao N3
A team with free 4-star characters. Sacrificial Fragments circumvents Barbara’s very long Skill cooldown, but the cooldown of its weapon passive may not line up with the rotation length before R3. The short range of Barbara’s Skill may also force you closer to enemies. You can consider partially sacrificing Bloom damage for increased survivability by building higher HP on Barbara or by using a Healing Bonus Circlet.
Sample Rotation
Nilou E N2 E > Barbara E > Collei EQ > Dendro Traveler EQ > Barbara combo
Lunar-Bloom
Nilou provides consistent Hydro application and EM buffs that Lunar-Bloom DPS units appreciate. There should be at least 2 Moonsign characters in the team to activate Ascendant Gleam. Nilou’s C2 is extremely powerful in this archetype.
Notable Teammates
Lunar-Bloom DPS
 Nefer | Nefer appreciates Nilou’s off-field Hydro application and EM buffs from her A1 Passive and 4pc artifact set. If you happen to have C2 Nilou, Nefer also appreciates her Dendro RES Shred. |
 Columbina | Columbina can act as an on-field Lunar-Bloom DPS thanks to her special Charged Attacks and her Skill’s Gravity Interference. |
Dendro
A Dendro teammate enables Dendro Resonance and ideally provides buffs to Lunar-Bloom damage and EM.
 ★ Lauma | Lauma is the preferred Dendro support in Lunar-Bloom teams. She provides a plethora of buffs, which include Dendro RES Shred, Lunar-Bloom CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG, a Lunar-Bloom Base DMG Bonus, and a Lunar-Bloom Additive DMG Bonus. |
Flex
In Lunar-Bloom teams, a second Hydro character isn’t necessary since Nilou provides enough Hydro application herself. However, they still provide personal damage and enable her A1 Passive, which is necessary for her A1 Passive’s EM buff and her C2’s Dendro and Hydro RES Shred.
Additionally, the team should include another Moonsign character in addition to the Lunar-Bloom DPS to enable Ascendant Gleam. Possible units include Lauma, Columbina, Aino, Ineffa, and Jahoda.
 ★ Columbina | Columbina is an ideal teammate for Nefer thanks to her A4 Passive’s Lunar-Bloom damage, Moonsign Benediction Passive buff, and personal damage. Columbina also enables Nefer to perform an additional Charged Attack per rotation, although this slightly extends the rotation. |
 Aino | Aino is a suitable substitute for Columbina thanks to her decent buffs at C1 and C6. She only needs enough ER to use her Burst every rotation. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level.
These are among Nefer’s best teams with Nilou. The last slot can hold Prototype Amber for some survivability.
Sample Rotation (Columbina)
(Lauma N1)¹ > Columbina EQ > Lauma hEQ > Nilou E N2 E > Nefer combo > Columbina CD
¹First rotation only.
Sample Rotation (Nahida)
Nahida EQ > Lauma tEQ > Nilou¹ E N2 E > Nefer combo
¹Nilou can start the rotation if she does not hold 4pc Instructor.
Sample Rotation (Sucrose)
Lauma tEQ > Nilou¹ E N2 E > Sucrose N1 E (Q)² > Nefer combo
¹Nilou can start the rotation if she does not hold 4pc Instructor.
²Use Burst when available.
Columbina herself can act as a potent on-field Lunar-Bloom DPS thanks to her special Charged Attacks and her Skill’s Gravity Interference. Sucrose can hold Prototype Amber for some survivability. If Nilou holds Favonius Sword or 4pc Instructor (which she should), she can swap in during Columbina’s field time to proc its passive again. Nilou is a little better than C2 Aino but slightly worse than C6 Aino as Columbina’s Hydro teammate.
Sample Rotation (Ineffa)
(Lauma N1)¹ > Columbina E (Q)² > Ineffa E (Q)² > Nilou E N2 E > Lauma N1 hEQ > Columbina N1 3[CD] > (Nilou N1C)³ > Columbina N1 4[CD] N1
¹First rotation only.
²Every other rotation.
³If Nilou holds Favonius Sword or 4pc Instructor.
Sample Rotation (Sucrose)
(Lauma N1)¹ > Columbina E (Q)² > Nilou E N2 E > Sucrose N1 ED (Q)² > Lauma N1 hEQ > Columbina N1 5[CD] N1
¹First rotation only.
²Every other rotation.
Credits
Writer(s): luwunae, .jdha, irokei
Contributors: joeykn, lesterberne, antiguaa, lostguide
Team images made with the KQM portrait generator.