By CQLQRS#7853
Version: 2.2

Art by Pナツ

Preface

Hey there! Welcome to the Sara Guide brought to you by CQLQRS#7853 from KeqingMains! Feel free to DM me if you have any questions regarding the guide! I will be updating it regularly to keep it up to date.

I would like to thank:

• jamberry#7142 for providing Sara’s weapons’ calculations and helping with editing the guide. This wouldn’t be possible without you!
• kol#1593, Ai#7362 and Sir_pick_the_prick#2209 for spotting mistakes and correcting them. 
• BowTae#0141 and NZPIEFACE#8439 for helping out with the Mechanics section.
• Everyone else at KeqingMains who has helped and supported me for the guide.

I hope you guys will enjoy reading this guide as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Introduction

Kujou Sara is an Electro-fying 4 star bow user with the ability to buff teammates and deal considerable damage using her Elemental Burst. Though niche, she shines where she has synergy.

TL;DR

Why should you play Sara?

Talents

Talent Priority: Elemental Skill ≥ Elemental Burst > Normal Attack

Talent Overview

Constellations

Art by whgkdud_d

 “To strike your foe takes unity between mind, arrow, and bow.” – Kujou Sara

Sara’s Playstyle

Sara’s primary role in teams is to act as a potent buffer to complement short duration but high impact skills and skills that snapshot, provided the player can properly manage her C6, most notably the Raiden Shogun’s Elemental Burst. This makes her build somewhat standardized across many team compositions, making her relatively easy to gear. With that being said, players should keep in mind that Sara’s Elemental Burst does a good amount of damage and should opt in to invest in both her Elemental Skill and Burst if they are able to, so as to maximize her potential.

Gearing

Artifact Stats

Building the General of the Tenryou Commission is a rather straightforward task, but it is still not without its twists and turns. Generally speaking, you would want to run a ATK%/DMG%/Crit build on her if you are running ER substat weapons though Sacrificial Bow may require an ER sands due to its lower secondary stat value, or ER/DMG%/Crit build on her if you are running any other weapon. The recommended ER for Sara are as follows:

• ~170% when paired with the Raiden Shogun or any other appropriate battery.  
• ~230% otherwise.
  

Artifact Sets

4 Emblem of Severed Fate	Sara’s BiS set. It provides everything Sara looks for: ER on 2 piece and ER to Burst DMG% conversion on 4 piece. The 4 piece alone provides Sara with 20% ER and 30% Burst DMG% even before building the ER Sara requires anyway. There should be no reason not to run this set unless players are looking to maximise her buffing potential.
4 Noblesse Oblige	Support set. Very good option for players who want to maximise Sara’s buffing capabilities and do not have a 4NO holder in the team yet. Provides 20% Burst DMG% on 2 piece and an additional 20% ATK Buff to the whole team after casting her Elemental Burst.
4 Tenacity of the Millelith	Support set. A more niche alternative for players who want to maximise Sara’s buffing capabilities but already have a 4NO holder in the team. However, because of Sara’s long Elemental Skill cooldown, the ATK Buff bonus from the 4 piece set will not be procced consistently, and the duration of the buff is not very good. For this reason, it is viable only specifically when players are snapshotting her buff from her C2 or fully-charged Aimed Shot Crowfeather already.
Hybrid	Alternative sets. As usual, if you do not have a good 4 piece for the sets mentioned, picking a combination of any 2 sets here can be a good substitute. 2 piece sets of TF, NO, Glad/SR and EoSF are all viable options.

Weapons

Weapon	vs. Sacrificial Bow R1 Burst Damage (4EoSF, Sara E ATK buff)	vs. Sacrificial Bow R1 Burst Damage (4EoSF, Bennett 1000 ATK buff, Sara E ATK buff and 4NO buff)	vs. Sacrificial Bow R1 ATK Buff	Notes
Skyward Harp R1	129%	126%	115%	Sara’s best weapon for a combination of personal damage and buffing. It maximises her ATK buff and allows her to do very high damage with her Elemental Burst.
Elegy for the End R1	114%	108%	106% without passive   131% with passive (calculated for 20% ATK buff on a 80/90 Raiden with The Catch)	Sara’s best buffing weapon. It does not do as much Elemental Burst damage compared to Skyward Harp but more than makes up for it with the 20% ATK and 100 EM buff for all party members. It can be difficult to proc the passive if Sara is not C2, and this bow can desync rotations by 1-2s due to the 20s CD on its passive in comps with shorter rotations. Furthermore, the ATK buff here will not stack with Freedom Sworn. This means that if you have it equipped on the same team and do not value the EM buff, Skyward Harp is better.  Check the Mechanics section for a rotation that allows you to proc this passive consistently with no drawbacks.
Polar Star R1	134%	132%	106%	It will usually be a loss to spend time stacking the passive for Sara, so pre-C2 will not allow her to receive stacks for her burst. The rotation for C2 Sara would be E>Q>Swap. Nevertheless, the Elemental Burst damage increase passive and Crit Rate secondary stat are still very valuable.
Thundering Pulse R1	125%	121%	106%	Sara cannot make use of the Normal Attack DMG% passive at all. The only consolation here is the Crit DMG secondary stat and ATK% passive which allows it to be a good stat stick for buffing and damage.
Amos’ Bow R1	114%	108%	106%	The passive is useless on Sara but works as a base ATK and ATK% statstick.
Mouun’s Moon R5	136%	133% at 290 team Energy capacity	100%	This has the ability to be a very strong option if your team’s Energy capacity allows for it. That will likely be the case in many of Sara’s teams which generally have high Energy capacity but this bow is very difficult to get, compared to Blackcliff Warbow and Sacrificial Bow.
Alley Hunter R5	122%	119%	100%	This bow has a strong passive but like Mouun’s Moon, this bow is very difficult to get.
Mouun’s Moon R1	118% at 290 team Energy capacity	116% at 290 team Energy capacity	100%
Alley Hunter R1	112%	109%	100%
Blackcliff Warbow R1-R5	102%	104%	100%	Its passive is useless on Sara as she will not be on field, making it unrealistic to assume she will build stacks. Still one of her better 4 star options due to its high Base ATK and Crit DMG secondary stat. However, Sacrificial Bow is competitive and does not cost Starglitter, which makes this undesirable if you have pulled Sacrificial Bow.
Sacrificial Bow R1	100%	100%	100%	Although Sara does not benefit from this passive in most teams, it can make her a better battery for Beidou and it also has the highest Base ATK among 4 star bows, is relatively easy to get, and comes with an ER substat that Sara very much needs. This is Sara’s most accessible and recommended 4 star option.
The Stringless R5	107%	111%	93%	Its passive buffs Sara’s Elemental Burst damage by a large margin. However, this bow is very sought after by many other supports such as Venti and it gives a lower ATK buff. As such, it is not desirable.
The Viridescent Hunt R1-R5	105%	108%	93%	This weapon only serves as a stat stick if you need the Crit Rate. Sara will not be on field and will not proc the passive in most teams unless the player intentionally takes time to do so, which is not worth it except when used for grouping purposes.
The Stringless R1	97%	100%	93%
Prototype Crescent R1-R5	99%	97%	93%	Sara’s best F2P option. This weapon was calculated without its buff as in most teams it will be a loss to spend time on Sara trying to headshot.
Windblume Ode R5	96%	96%	93%	Its passive will buff her Burst in an E>Q rotation, but not enough to make up for the unhelpful EM secondary stat.
Favonius Warbow R1-R5	100% at 190% ER requirement due to its passive	98% at 180% ER requirement due to its passive	85%	This weapon allows Sara to go all out as an Utility Support. She can battery, buff and deal damage with this bow but needs some investment into Crit Rate and the lower base ATK hurts her buff.

Note: Any set that boosts Normal or Charged ATK DMG are not recommended. 4Glad, 4Bolide, 4Shimenawa are all useless for the majority of Sara’s damage.

Art by 九条さん

“The Shogun’s Army might as well just be me!” – Kujou Sara

Team Compositions

Team images generated using Muakasan’s Team Portrait Generator

Raiden-Sara-Kazuha-Bennett

Raiden is the primary on-field DPS, and has a 9-10s Elemental Burst uptime. As Sara’s Elemental Burst has multiple lingering hits, this allows for an extension of the ATK buff on Raiden to last almost the same duration as her Elemental Burst. This team is built around buffing Raiden as much as possible, maximising her damage output in a short amount of time. Kazuha uses 4VV for resistance shred and buffs Raiden’s Elemental DMG%, while Bennett and Sara combine to give a hefty ATK buff. Sara’s C6 also enables Raiden to get an additional 60% Crit DMG buff. The frontloaded nature of this comp allows it to handle threats before they become a problem and makes it a premier pick for speedruns.

Check the Mechanics section on how to extend the ATK buff duration.

Beidou-Sara-Anemo-Bennett

Unlike Raiden’s team comp which focuses on frontloading damage, Beidou’s team revolves around her ability to snapshot stacked buffs, allowing her to deal sustained damage from her Elemental Burst. This team comp would be similar to that of Raiden’s, involving an Anemo unit to provide the 4VV resistance shred and Bennett for his healing and ATK buff but with Beidou substituting Raiden. Sucrose can be used instead of Kazuha to carry TTDS and drive Beidou’s burst. Alternatively, Kazuha can be used for his Elemental DMG% buffing and personal damage provided the player can manage timing his skill to lose as few procs of Beidou’s burst as possible. Sara is a reasonably good Beidou driver, battery, and buffer all in one, allowing this comp to perform very well.

Check the Mechanics section on how to extend the ATK buff duration.

Tartaglia-Sara-Beidou/Fischl-Bennett

or

A twist on the well known Electro-Charged archetype. While this team can be clunky compared to the Beidou-Fischl variation, it does give increased net team DPS due to Beidou being able to snapshot Sara’s buff. The team has a high number of buffs from Bennett, Sara, 4 NO and 4 ToTM. Due to Sara taking increased field time, Tartaglia does have lesser field time in Bennett’s ATK buff, but he is still able to maintain the level of DPS you would see in the original fireworks comp. For multiple targets (2 or more), Beidou would be a better option, but in single target situations, Fischl is the better option. For more in-depth information on this comp, click here for the Tartaglia guide by Risuke.

Team demonstration by Risuke#6743

Ningguang-Albedo-Sara-Bennett

This team can be dubbed “Two Stones, One Bird”, but jokes aside, Double Geo should be nothing new to most players. With Sara’s arrival, players can take the standard Ning-Albedo pair up a notch by making use of both Sara and Bennett to buff the team members. Ningguang and Albedo in particular are two units who appreciate external ATK buffs; Ningguang has low base ATK and Albedo wants to build DEF for his skill damage so external ATK allows him to maintain strong Elemental Skill damage without sacrificing his Elemental Burst. This team might not match the output of Sara’s other teams but is a fun and decent option nonetheless.

Team demonstration by loriental#0040

Sara-Electro-Electro-Flex

Electro-centric teams are where Sara shines. Many other Electro units are very suited for quickswap rotations, which ties in very well with Sara’s short buff duration and allows for some exciting, fast-paced gameplay. Such teams also make full use of Sara’s C6. The teams here will generally consist of 3 Electro units, including Sara and a flex slot, ideally an anemo for VV shred.

Flex Spot Option

Kazuha	Kazuha’s Elemental DMG% buff and VV shred are very valuable pairings with Sara’s ATK and Crit DMG buffs in most teams, especially in Mono Electro teams.
Sucrose	Sucrose is generally the best Anemo option after Kazuha. She brings EM sharing, VV shred and she can also hold The Thrilling Tales of Dragonslayers (TTDS) which can buff the team’s Main DPS.
Venti	Venti’s A4 talent refunds 15 flat energy to all teammates of the element his Elemental Burst absorbs, including himself after the duration ends. He also brings major CC and VV shred, while being able to buff teammates with Elegy for the End.
Jean	Jean is a generally strong anemo unit, but isn’t the best option in many of Sara’s teams. She is only able to provide some healing and damage while being a 4 piece VV holder, which is much less valuable than other Anemo units that can battery and buff.
Mona	Mona is a decent partner when it comes to buffing teammates thanks to her Omen debuff that can increase the damage dealt to enemies. Similar to Sara, Mona has a short buff uptime so they work well with the same DPSes.
Zhongli	Zhongli’s shield is generally not needed in most of Sara’s team comps. However, he does allow for more comfortable gameplay while bringing a smaller shred compared to the 4 piece VV set.
Beidou	Beidou boasts high damage with her Elemental Burst as well as some survivability with her constellations. She should be on the top of the list when choosing units for teams that are centered around Electro, at the cost of needing a battery.
Fischl	Fischl is lower maintenance than Beidou, but comes with a price of a lower damage ceiling in AoE. This can be overcome by pairing them together as she has particularly good synergy with Beidou and can both drive and battery her.
Raiden Shogun	Raiden is able to dish out large amounts of damage in a short amount of time and benefits directly from everything Sara provides, especially at C6. This duo is similar to Bennett and Xiangling and should definitely be paired together for the best results.
Keqing	Old but not obsolete, Keqing is a top contender in quickswap teams. Sara is able to buff Keqing, maximising the amount of damage she can do in the short rotations. Although her damage output alone is nothing impressive, when paired with other Electro units and Sara, Keqing can be deadly.
Hu Tao	A surprise on the list. Hu Tao is able to make use of Sara’s ATK buff, especially when she is paired with Beidou in an Overvape comp. However, it is very technical and difficult to pull off, making Fischl a better option in most cases.
Bennett	His ATK buff is second to none, brings healing as well as damage to the table. Bennett and Sara buffing the same target is just an insane boost, nearly doubling the damage for most of the targets able to utilise the buffs effectively while allowing the player to go for other necessities such as EM or ER.

Other Teams

Generally, Sara can be put in many teams as her ATK buff is valuable, albeit being short. If you are looking for a unit to occupy the flex slot when building teams, Sara is definitely worth considering.

Art by Mcpie#8672

“Power duly assimilated. Ready to receive instruction.” – Kujou Sara

Mechanics

Fully-Charged Aimed Shot Crowfeather

Sara’s Elemental Skill will leave a Crowfeather behind after the player releases a fully-charged Aimed Shot and the arrow hits an enemy, the floor or a wall. Note that to generate energy particles, a fully-charged Aimed Shot must be released after casting her Elemental Skill and the Crowfeather it leaves must hit an enemy upon exploding. It will buff the character standing in the AoE of the explosion.

Video by NZPIEFACE#8439

Raiden/Beidou Burst Buff Extension

Raiden’s Elemental Burst can have its buff duration extended via reapplication using Sara’s Elemental Burst. The rotation would be Sara E>Sara Q>Raiden Q. The successive Stormclusters from Sara’s Q will reapply the ATK buff, making sure Raiden has it for the whole duration of her Elemental Burst.

Proccing Elegy

As mentioned previously, it will be difficult to proc the buffing passive on Elegy for the End consistently while avoiding desynced rotations without constellations. However, if the player does have at least C2 and preferably C4 or higher, here is the rotation to do so in a Raiden-Sara-Bennett-Kazuha team by Greyhound#7836.

Elegy Rotation by Greyhound#7836

Snapshot

Many abilities will snapshot on cast or at a certain point during their skill animations. This records their current stats which will be used to determine the damage done for the whole duration of the skill, even if there are changes to it. Sara’s Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst can snapshot, but due to their short duration in most cases this will not have a significant impact on gameplay. The ATK buff Sara provides can be snapshotted; however, it must be noted that her 60% Crit DMG buff from her C6 cannot.

Escaping from Traps

Sara’s Elemental Skill has a unique mechanic that allows her to teleport a distance away from her original position. Players can utilise this to escape from the Mirror Maiden’s traps, to avoid getting hit a second time.

Video by Mcpie#8672

Double Buff

Sara’s Elemental Skill can be used to buff 2 separate characters other than Sara herself, once with a Crowfeather from her C2 and once more with a fully-charged Aimed Shot, without having to swap back to Sara in between. While this can smoothen rotations by cutting out one swap, the timing for it is extremely difficult to get right as the player will need to use ARCC or do a well-timed hold aim on the attack button (or the left mouse button) which allows the player to cancel the finishing animation. With that being said, this is unlikely to be useful in actual combat. Furthermore, ARCC auto targets enemies, meaning the floor will not be a target and the buff will be wasted if the Crowfeather ends up too far from the character meant to be buffed.

ARCC Video by NZPIEFACE#8439

Hold Attack Button Video by BowTae#0141

Afterword

Thank you again for being the readers to the first character guide I’ve ever written. If you’ve reached this point, it means that your training has been completed. But to ensure that your blade never dulls, remember to check back regularly for more training exercises! 

References

Calculations by jamberry#7142:

• Sara Weapons Mastersheet (Bennett + 4NO)
• Sara Weapons Mastersheet (own buff)

6-Minute Video Guide to Sara by KQM