In the Version 3.6 update of Genshin Impact, Kamisato Ayato finally joins his sister as a playable character in the in-game card game, Genius Invokation TCG. Genshin Impact's Genius Invokation TCG has been a hit since it first landed back in Version 3.3, with tactics, several different game modes, online play, and - maybe most importantly - even more Primogems.
When it comes to the Genius Invokation meta, Ayato has already managed to find a solid space thanks to his build and his ability to apply Hydro and both help with and benefit from different types of Elemental Reactions. Though Ayato is slightly more suited for casual play over hardcore competitive play with others, there are still ways to make him viable for competitive teams thanks to how solid of a unit he is. For more advice on how to build a deck around Ayato, read on.
Ayato's Card and Skills
Normal Attack: Kamisato Art: Marobashi
Primary Dice | 1 Hydro |
Secondary Dice | 2 Unaligned |
Effect | Deals 2 Physical DMG |
Elemental Skill: Kamisato Art: Kyouka
Primary Dice | 3 Hydro |
Effect | Deals 2 Hydro DMG. Gains Takimeguri Kanka. |
Special Effect | Takimeguri Kanka Status The character this is attached to has their Normal Attacks deal +1 DMG, and their Physical DMG dealt converted to Hydro DMG. 2 Usages. |
Elemental Burst: Kamisato Art: Suiyuu
Primary Dice | 3 Hydro |
Energy Cost | 3 Energy |
Effect | Deals 3 Hydro DMG. Summons 1 Garden of Purity. |
Special Effect | Garden of Purity Summon Deals 2 Hydro DMG at the end of each round. When this summon is on the field, all characters' Normal Attacks deal +1 DMG. 2 Usages. |
Ayato's Talent Card: Kyouka Fuushi
Ayato's talent card, Kyouka Fuushi, can be a difficult one to use. If the player has an unlucky shuffle in the early game, getting this card in the deck and keeping it until it can be used can feel like a loss, especially in competitive play that relies on both luck and skill. That being said, in certain teams that are reliant on Summons and near-constant Reaction triggers that do a good job of chipping away at the opposing team's health, Kyouka Fuushi can be incredibly useful. Ultimately, it's up to the player as to whether to keep this card in the deck, but it can definitely turn the tides of battle when it's least expected as long as the player gets lucky and knows what they're doing.
Best Ayato Decks
As mentioned, Ayato by far works best in decks with teammates that can set up summons that allow Ayato to take advantage of his Burst. He can also work great in any deck that revolves around Elemental Reactions, meaning that Freeze, Electrocute, Melt, and any other teams are all perfectly viable. This also means that a huge range of characters can be used alongside Ayato: while some of the ideas below include Yoimiya, Ganyu, and Fischl, characters like Ayaka, Beidou, and Sucrose will work just as well.
One other thing to note about Ayato while playing him is that at least one good support character is also a must, whether in terms of setting up Reactions for Ayato to benefit from or to help buff him or his health in some way. Keep this in mind while team-building, and Ayato should last a lot longer and deal more damage.
Ayato + Kaeya + Ganyu
This is a great example of a Freeze team that will work very well with both Ayato's kit and the characters used alongside Ayato. Ganyu and Kaeya can both set up Summons that will constantly apply Cryo to the members of the opposing team, allowing for near-constant Freeze Reactions that will allow the player to take control of the match far more easily. This team also allows for players to use Ayato as their main player, which means less energy will have to be extended on trying to keep Kaeya and Ganyu alive - though Kaeya's healing and Ganyu's shield will even make that less of a concern.
Ayato + Yoimiya + Xingqiu
Though this team might not make perfect sense at first glance thanks to Yoimiya working as a primary damage dealer alongside Ayato, trying out this deck will show how powerful it really is. Here, Xingqiu is mostly used to set up for Yoimiya's Elemental attacks, and Yoimiya in turn helps set up for Ayato's Elemental attacks, with each repeat of this set-up doing huge damage. This is also great because even if a member dies - including Yoimiya or Ayato - there's still plenty of room for Reactions, including Freeze.
Ayato + Fischl + Xiangling
As another Summon-focused team, this build is relatively self-explanatory. Switching between Fischl and Xiangling to set up Summons and letting Ayato take the lead as the main damage dealer will allow for almost endless Elemental Reactions with very little effort. This one is a little weaker than others since neither Fischl nor Xiangling really has any way to defend themselves with shields or healing, so it might require more healing-focused Action Cards, but Electro-Charged, Overload, and Vaporize are such strong reactions it's likely players won't even need that much of a back-up plan.
Recommended Action Cards
There's a wide range of Action Cards available to Ayato teams, though some teams will benefit more from certain cards than others. For example, while it's always recommended to give Ayato the Aquila Favonia Weapon Card to further add to the Physical DMG buffs Ayato deals to himself and his teammates, players should choose carefully whether this is a good option for other teams. For teams that are built to last or that need help with dealing Physical DMG alongside Reactions, like a team also built around Yoimiya or Ganyu, it will likely be helpful to also focus on weapons like the Skyward Harp. For teams that are heavily focused on Summons, though, players might find that Weapon Cards are simply a waste of time, taking spaces from more helpful cards. That being said, if players do choose to use Weapon Cards, adding Wagner's card to the deck is always a good option.
Linking back to the prior point about team-building, for teams focused more on one element - like a Hydro-focused Ayato and Xingqiu team, or a Cryo-focused Ganyu and Kaeya Freeze build - players should think about adding an Elemental Resonance card to their deck. Elemental Resonance: Woven Waters or Woven Ice are good choices here, since they cost nothing to play and will give the player one free die of their corresponding element. Similarly, for teams that focus on more supportive roles, Send Off can be an incredibly useful card to have in the deck - after all, there's no point in setting up a shield if a Summon on the other side will render it useless almost immediately.
Food Cards are also always useful to have, but Minty Meat Rolls is an especially good choice for Ayato teams. As mentioned,
Ayato benefits from exceptionally good Physical DMG and can buff himself and his teammates further as the match progresses. Using this card will help buff Ayato benefit even further from this by reducing the cost of his Normal Attacks by one Unaligned Element. Other useful Food Cards include Mondstadt Hash Browns for extra healing, and Lotus Flower Crisp for protection against extra damage.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.