Updated for Version 4.0

Yanfei is a 4-star Pyro Catalyst character who primarily acts as an on-field damage dealer centered around her ranged Pyro application and enhanced Charged Attacks. 

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 being updated) is available here.

New Content

Shikanoin Heizou	A 4-star Anemo Catalyst character focused around his high-scaling Elemental Skill. In Yanfei teams, he acts as a quickswap unit that offers a mix of modest buffs, grouping, and damage.
A Thousand Floating Dreams	Nahida’s signature weapon. Provides an unmatched amount of EM as well as some Elemental DMG% buffs, and provides some EM to the rest of the team. A good choice in Vaporize teams and her Best-in-Slot in Transformative Reaction builds.
Tulaytullah’s Remembrance	Wanderer’s signature weapon. It provides a modest amount of CRIT DMG, but its Normal Attack DMG% and ATK SPD buffs are largely insignificant for Yanfei.
Wandering Evenstar	A limited 4-star weapon. This weapon provides both EM and a small Flat ATK buff to Yanfei. At higher levels of EM, it can also provide a decent Flat ATK buff to her teammates as well.
Dendro Reactions	Yanfei’s ranged Pyro Normal and Charged Attacks can hit Dendro Cores produced by Bloom to trigger Burgeon without being constrained by Energy or cooldowns. Her rapid Pyro application, however, may unintentionally cause Burning to trigger, which hampers  Dendro Core generation.
Gilded Dreams	A new artifact set that provides EM or ATK% buffs depending on team composition. Often a good option in reaction-based teams, and can be resin-efficient if a Deepwood Memories set is needed for another character.
Flower of Paradise Lost	New artifact set that maximizes Burgeon DMG.

Infographic

Playstyles

On-Field DPS

Yanfei’s Pyro Normal and Charged Attacks allow her to trigger numerous Pyro reactions such as Vaporize and Overloaded from a distance. In particular, the lack of ICD on her Charged Attacks allows her to consistently trigger Vaporize for substantial damage. Her frequent use of fast Normal Attacks also make her a good driver for off-field damage dealers such as Beidou, Xingqiu, and Yelan.

Shield Support (At C4+)

With her Constellation 4, Yanfei can create a Pyro shield that provides some survivability without Talent investment. Her main niche as a shielder is to apply Pyro aura for Double VV setups like in Hu Tao teams. However, this playstyle requires a high investment into Energy Recharge and a refined Prototype Amber or Favonius Codex as her shield can only be deployed using her Burst. This playstyle will not be covered in this Quick Guide.

Character Overview

Talent Priority

Normal Attack > Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill

If Yanfei is triggering numerous Transformative Reactions such as Overloaded and Burgeon, Level 90 is highly recommended to maximize her reaction damage. 

For builds that focus on her Overloaded or Burgeon DMG or her shield, Talent levels are not required due to her negligible personal damage in such cases.

Talents

Constellations

Combos

N# = Corresponding number of consecutive Normal Attacks
C/CA = Charged Attack
E = Elemental Skill
Q = Elemental Burst

Yanfei’s general attack combo will consist of an opening combo with her Skill and Burst (when available), a series of normal combos, and finally an ending combo when her Skill is off cooldown. An example of a full combo is ‘N1 EQ 3N3C N1 E CA,’ where N1 EQ is the opening combo and 3N3C N1 E CA is the Normal Attack combo.

Opening Combos

Normal Attack Combos

3N3C	Standard combo that ensures a Hydro aura before Yanfei uses Charged Attacks when using either non-C6 Xingqiu or non-C2 Yelan. It also uses the least amount of Stamina among her normal combos.
4N2C	Highest damage normal combo due to a balance of Scarlet Seal generation and Charged Attack frequency. Generally requires a high amount of off-field Hydro to consistently Vaporize her Charged Attacks.
N3C/N2C Hybrid	Alternating between the above combos can act as a middle ground between the two, especially if frequent dodging is required.
N1 E CA	Used at the end of the rotation when Yanfei’s Skill is off cooldown.

Artifacts

ER Requirements

120-140%

2 Yanfei Skills, 1 Bennett Skill per rotation, Burst every other rotation, 1-2 Favonius procs, 21s rotations

For an on-field DPS playstyle, it is recommended to use Yanfei’s Burst every other rotation instead of sacrificing substats for enough ER% to use her Burst every rotation. Yanfei’s exact ER requirements will depend greatly on her team’s composition and gear.

In some cases Yanfei may opt to never cast her Burst, like when using 4-Piece Shimenawa’s Reminiscence or when acting as a Transformative Reaction DPS who does not rely on her Burst’s buffs.

To calculate a more specific estimate for her ER requirements, it is recommended to use the Energy Recharge Calculator.

Pyro DPS

Artifact Stats

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
EM/ATK%	Pyro DMG Bonus	CRIT Rate/CRIT DMG

Substats:
CRIT > ATK% = EM > ER%

ATK% and EM Sands perform similarly for a Vaporize DPS playstyle; the better of the two will depend on external buffs. ATK% Sands and substats are preferred in teams where Yanfei does not trigger reactions at all, such as in Mono Pyro teams.

Because of her A4 Passive, there is a slight advantage to CRIT Rate over CRIT DMG such that a 3:5 ratio may be preferred as opposed to the usual 1:2 ratio. However, players should not go out of their way to only stack CRIT Rate.

Artifact Sets

4pc Crimson Witch of Flames (CWF)	Overall Best-in-Slot in Vaporize teams by a slight margin. Its Pyro DMG Bonuses boosts all her damage sources and also gives DMG Bonuses for all Pyro-related reactions.
4pc Wanderer’s Troupe	Grants an unconditional boost to Charged Attacks, which make up the majority of Yanfei’s DPS. Its 2pc effect also grants an EM bonus which enhances reaction damage.
4pc Gilded Dreams	Provides 180 EM and 14% ATK in teams with a second Pyro, or 230 EM when she is solo Pyro. Yanfei can easily maintain the set bonus with her various Pyro attacks, though the effect can deactivate right before a Charged Attack hits.
2pc combinations of CWF/EM/ATK%	A mix of 2-Piece sets can be useful when building towards a full 4-Piece set, or if substats are exceptional.
4pc Shimenawa’s Reminiscence	Trades the passive Seal generation (and her C4 shield) for a more consistent but slightly weaker Charged Attack DMG% Bonus that can be used every rotation.
4pc Retracing Bolide	Viable option when used with Zhongli. Not recommended to farm.
4pc Lavawalker	Viable option only in Mono Pyro teams. Not recommended to farm.

Transformative Reaction DPS

Artifact Stats

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
EM	EM	EM

Substats:
EM >> ER%

For an on-field Transformative Reaction DPS, Elemental Mastery should be prioritized as it is the only stat that contributes to Overloaded and Burgeon DMG. 

Energy Recharge substats can still have value since Yanfei’s Burst still provides an additional instance of Pyro application, reduced Charged Attack Stamina consumption, invincibility frames, and a shield at C4+. CRIT Rate stats can actually be detrimental since unwanted A4 procs can cause Pyro to overtake other auras, reducing the frequency of Yanfei’s reactions.

Artifact Sets

4pc Gilded Dreams	Her general Best-in-Slot for this playstyle. Provides a large amount of EM as Yanfei is often the sole Pyro character in her Transformative Reaction teams.
4pc Flower of Paradise Lost	A marginal improvement over Gilded Dreams for Burgeon teams, but is worse outside of them. Not recommended to farm specifically for Yanfei.
2pc combinations of EM/EM	2-Piece combinations may be easier to obtain as EM main stat artifacts can be rare. Avoid using Instructor pieces due to the lower stats.
4pc Crimson Witch of Flames	Gives a decent boost to Overloaded and Burgeon, but still worse than Gilded Dreams. Not recommended to farm.
4pc Thundering Fury	Provides a similar bonus to Crimson Witch for Overloaded, but does not benefit Burgeon DMG. The Skill cooldown reduction effect is largely irrelevant. Not recommended to farm.
4pc Deepwood Memories	Can be used on Yanfei if no other teammates are already holding it, but reduces Yanfei’s potential EM.

Weapons

Pyro DPS

Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds	Yanfei’s overall Best-in-Slot weapon. Provides a substantial amount of highly valued CRIT Rate, and Yanfei’s long field time requirement synergizes well with the weapon passive.
The Widsith	When used as a Vaporize DPS, Yanfei can utilize all three possible buffs, in addition to its CRIT DMG stat. However, The EM buff is useless in Mono Pyro teams. The long cooldown on its passive also makes its performance inconsistent especially in longer fights. At higher refinements, it will often surpass even 5-star options.
Kagura’s Verity	A strong 5-star option due to its useful CRIT DMG substat. It is possible to maintain all stacks after the second rotation, further increasing its damage potential in extended fights.
Tulaytullah’s Remembrance	Boasts a modest amount of CRIT DMG and high Base ATK, but its Normal Attack DMG% and ATK SPD buffs are largely insignificant for Yanfei.
A Thousand Floating Dreams	Gives Yanfei an unmatched amount of EM as well as some Elemental DMG% buffs. Also provides some EM to the rest of the team.
Skyward Atlas	This weapon gives a large amount of ATK% and an unconditional Elemental DMG% Bonus. However, its value diminishes slightly with external ATK buffers.
Memory of Dust	Similar performance to Skyward Atlas especially with consistent shielding. Greatly diminishes in value when used with external ATK buffers.
Dodoco Tales	Good free-to-play weapon for those who have it, with a consistent buff to her Charged Attacks.
Solar Pearl	Useful CRIT Rate stat, but its passive does not buff her Charged Attacks, making refinements somewhat underwhelming.
Mappa Mare	Decent free-to-play weapon option especially with high refinements. Its EM stat is useless in Mono Pyro teams.

Transformative Reaction DPS

A Thousand Floating Dreams	Best-in-Slot for Yanfei’s Transformative Reaction builds. Provides an unmatched amount of EM. Also provides some EM to her team.
Sacrificial Fragments	Has the second highest EM stat of all Catalysts. Additional Skill uses can be helpful for reducing her Stamina consumption, but otherwise do not greatly affect this playstyle.
Wandering Evenstar	This weapon provides less EM than Magic Guide, but can provide a substantial permanent ATK buff to teammates like Fischl or Yae Miko.
Magic Guide	Third highest EM stat while being very cheap to level.
Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers	Reduces Yanfei’s reaction damage in favor of buffing a single powerful off-field DPS such as Beidou. Slightly increases her C4 shield HP.
Hakushin Ring	Provides an Elemental DMG% buff for Electro teammates and enables more frequent Bursts at the cost of reaction damage.

Teams

This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not reflect its power level.

Team-Building

• Yanfei as an on-field DPS works best with a mix of buffers and off-field damage dealers. She works particularly well with teammates that consistently apply Elemental auras for Yanfei to trigger reactions such as Vaporize or Overloaded. 
• Shielders (or her C4) may be helpful in allowing Yanfei to perform her attack strings at closer range without interruption.
• Yanfei greatly appreciates a second Pyro character to lower her Energy requirements and enable Pyro Resonance. Bennett is the optimal choice for this role.

Vaporize DPS

Yanfei’s personal damage is best improved with fast off-field Hydro application (Xingqiu, Yelan, or both) to help her consistently Vaporize her Charged Attacks, which are the bulk of her damage.

Notable Teammates

Xingqiu, Yelan, Kokomi	Xingqiu offers Hydro application with his coordinated attacks and orbitals, Interruption Resistance, DMG Reduction, and minor healing. Yelan offers a ramping DMG% buff which synergizes well with Yanfei’s extended field time. Her lack of on-contact Hydro application can make Double Swirl set ups more consistent. Both Xingqiu and Yelan can be paired together to reduce each other’s ER requirements and deal potent single-target damage. Kokomi cannot sustain a Hydro aura by herself, but she can supplement it with a second Hydro, especially in AoE. She also brings healing and buffs via TTDS and Tenacity of the Millelith (ToTM).
Bennett	While not strictly mandatory, Bennett is highly recommended, as he provides healing, Pyro particles, Pyro Resonance, and a substantial ATK buff on his Burst, all of which are incredibly valuable for Yanfei.  The Burst’s self Pyro application can cleanse debuffs and allow for Double Swirl setups with Kazuha.
Sucrose, Kazuha, Heizou	Each Anemo option provides grouping and RES Shred through 4-Piece Viridescent Venerer (4VV). Sucrose also offers EM sharing through her Passive Talents and ATK buff through TTDS. Kazuha provides a Pyro DMG% buff from his Swirls and can absorb his Burst with Hydro for AoE application. Avoid absorbing their Bursts with Pyro, as they can steal reactions from Yanfei. Heizou only provides a modest EM buff and weak grouping, but contributes personal damage. He can also use TTDS to provide an ATK buff at great cost to his own damage.
Fischl, Yae Miko	Fischl and Yae Miko offer good off-field Electro DMG. Electro application can allow for an Electro-Charged aura to exist on enemies, upon which Yanfei can trigger both Overloaded and Vaporize simultaneously, an interaction also known as ‘Overvape’.
Zhongli	Zhongli provides immense survivability and Interruption Resistance, allowing Yanfei to execute her combos at close range easily. Also provides RES Shred for all Elements, and can proc certain artifact sets such as 4pc ToTM, Archaic Petra, or Instructor.
Diona	Yanfei’s Charged Attacks and Skill trigger Shatter when used on Frozen enemies, dealing paltry damage and preventing either Melt or Vaporize from triggering. Because of this, you should not use Cryo units in Yanfei’s Vaporize teams.  Diona can still be a decent shielder for Yanfei if desired, but should only be used as a last resort. Avoid using her Burst frequently for the reasons stated above, even with her C6 EM buff.

Example Teams

Mono Pyro

Yanfei teams can choose to ignore reactions altogether by instead opting for synergistic supports to stack buffs or focus on dealing non-reactive off-field damage. These teams have the benefit of simpler gameplay as there is no need to manage Elemental auras, and can also permit more frequent swapping as Yanfei does not require as much continuous field time.

Notable Teammates

Bennett, Xiangling	The Bennett-Xiangling core is a staple duo inclusive of high off-field damage, buffing, and healing. The abundance of Pyro particles reduces ER needs for all characters.
Sucrose, Kazuha, Jean, Heizou	VV setups are easily performed due to the lack of conflicting Elemental auras. Sucrose’s EM buff is wasted, but she can still bring value with her grouping, TTDS, and her C6. Kazuha’s DMG% buff gains greater value in comparison, and he offers good AoE damage with his Swirls. Kazuha and Sucrose can freely absorb their Bursts with Pyro as there are no reactions to manage. Jean brings additional party healing, and off-field Swirl DMG through the Sunfire interaction. Heizou’s EM buff is wasted, but he can deal high personal damage with ATK buffs from Bennett and Pyro Resonance. He can also use TTDS to provide an ATK buff at great cost to his own damage.
Zhongli, Albedo	Geo characters can easily trigger Pyro Crystallize for the 4pc Archaic Petra set bonus. Zhongli provides strong shielding and hassle-free RES Shred. Albedo deals respectable off-field damage and pairs well with Zhongli to provide Geo Resonance. However, he does not benefit from ATK buffs nor does his EM buff have any use in this team.

Example Teams

Overloaded/Burgeon DPS

With sufficient off-field application of Electro, Hydro, or Dendro, it is possible for Yanfei to trigger numerous instances of Transformative Reactions for AoE damage. Care must be taken so that Pyro does not overtake as an aura, especially with Burning. These teams can afford to swap off Yanfei more often to cast teammates’ Skills, as Yanfei is much less reliant on her Burst or other buffs for her damage.

Notable Teammates

Fischl, Beidou, Yae Miko	Three Electro units who offer good off-field Electro DMG. Fischl provides fast Electro application from Oz, her A4 Passive and potentially her C6. This allows her to maintain Electro aura for Yanfei to cause Overloaded. Overloaded knockback is also less of an issue given Yanfei’s long range. Beidou and Yae Miko’s ER requirements are lowered when paired with Fischl, and offer added Electro application and substantial AoE or single-target damage, respectively. Beidou can also swap in to use her Skill to counter damage and generate Energy.
Xingqiu, Yelan, Kokomi	These Hydro units offer off-field Hydro application to generate Dendro Cores for Burgeon.  Xingqiu offers additional Hydro application on contact, Interruption Resistance, DMG Reduction, and minor healing. Yelan’s ramping DMG% buff is unable to buff Yanfei’s Transformative Reactions, but her shorter cooldowns can allow for faster rotations. She also has more freedom to use her Skill on cooldown. Both Xingqiu and Yelan can be paired together to reduce each other’s ER requirements for potent single-target damage. Kokomi brings AoE Hydro application, healing, and buffs such as TTDS, Hakushin Ring, ToTM, or even Deepwood Memories. Her healing is especially useful to counter the self-damage of Burgeon. She can opt to use her Burst to refresh the duration of her Bake-Kurage.
Sucrose, Kazuha, Jean, Sayu, Venti, Heizou	Offers VV Shred and other buffs for off-field DPS units. Sucrose and Kazuha offer some grouping. Sucrose grants EM buffs and can hold TTDS or Wandering Evenstar, while Kazuha offers DMG% buffs for the team’s off-field DPS units. They can also use their Skills more frequently for consistent grouping and buff uptime. Jean and Sayu consolidate healing alongside VV Shred. Venti provides unmatched grouping against light enemies which is incredibly useful in Overloaded teams, and an Energy refund for Yanfei’s teammates with his A4 Passive. Yanfei’s Charged Attacks can have difficulty hitting enemies lifted by his Burst. Heizou, similar to Sucrose, provides a modest EM buff and weak grouping. He can also use TTDS to provide an ATK buff at great cost to his own damage. Avoid absorbing Sucrose, Kazuha, or Venti’s Bursts with Pyro as these may steal some reactions from Yanfei or cause Burning. Pyro has top priority order for these Bursts’ Elemental Absorption, so it is essential to first infuse their Bursts with another Element before Yanfei takes the field.
Bennett	Bennett gives potent ATK buffs and healing with his Burst, as well as Pyro Resonance.
Zhongli	Provides survivability, Universal RES Shred (which boosts Overloaded and Burgeon DMG), Interruption Resistance, and other buffs such as 4pc ToTM, Archaic Petra, Instructor, or even DW.
Nahida, Dendro Traveler, Collei, Yaoyao	Consistent Dendro and Hydro application allow Yanfei to trigger Burgeon, which deals AoE damage with a higher scaling than Overloaded and does not cause knockback. Dendro units are also excellent holders of the 4pc Deepwood Memories set.  Nahida offers a sizable EM buff that has a generous AoE and duration in addition to her easily maintained off-field Dendro applications. Nahida can also easily swap in to reapply her Seeds of Skandha on new waves of enemies. Dendro Traveler acts as an accessible Dendro option, but with additional caveats such as their application relying on a high cost Burst, smaller AoE of effect, and requiring their Burst to first be transfigured with Hydro to prevent it being destroyed by Pyro application. Collei is an alternative to Dendro Traveler with a shorter Burst cooldown and more front-loaded Dendro application. She can also provide EM buffs from her Constellations and Elegy for the End. However, her A4 Passive’s small AoE is anti-synergistic with Yanfei’s range. Yaoyao consolidates healing and off-field Dendro application with her Skill, but will require a second Dendro unit to consistently generate Dendro Cores in Burgeon teams. It is not advised to use her Burst as its long field time conflicts with Yanfei’s own on-field requirements.

Example Teams

Credits

• Nikatosaurus#5639, kol#1593, idkanonymized#4166, Sew#2409, pweep#0150, Luno#1337, leah.#2212, irokei#6189, mian#8650, Seima#4597, Nociii#0111, uhinf1999

• Weapons Comparison Sheet
• Artifacts Comparison Sheet

• Team images courtesy of the KQM Portrait Generator.