With the release of the 1.2 update for Genshin Impact, Traveler and Paimon head to the icy Dragonspine region where they meet Albedo for a brand new questline. Albedo also appears on the limited character banner, which may mean that the next 5 star character is confirmed to be Ganyu, an emissary for the Qixing.
For most players who can't afford to spend lots of money on Genshin Impact, knowing how a character fits in a team is important and will ensure that an investment isn't wasted.
Who is Ganyu?
For a lot of players, Ganyu should be a familiar face as she has made an appearance in the main Genshin Impact storyline. She's first introduced as an emissary and secretary for the Liyue Qixing, who are a group of business leaders that govern Liyue and they include characters such as Keqing and Ningguang. A half-human, half-adeptus hybrid, Ganyu wields a bow and has a Cryo vision.
Though she appears mostly human, she has red horns in her hair, with her design seemingly based on the Qilin of ancient Chinese myth. She's a devout follower of Rex Lapis and has a quiet, reserved personality. Beyond that, not much is known about her, but her storyline will likely yield more information about her role in the Qixing and her relationships with the other characters.
Ganyu's Attacks, Elemental Skill, and Elemental Burst
For a while now, there have been a number of leaks taken from Genshin Impact's closed beta test (CBT), but with the official trailer finally out, Ganyu's skillset and how she fits into a team has become much clearer. Much of the community have dubbed Ganyu "the Cryo Amber". The latter is one of the first characters receive in Genshin Impact, and while she has her uses, she is often considered one of the weakest units in the game. However, there are a number of differences that make Ganyu stand out and should reflect her 5 star status.
The first distinction to note is that Ganyu's attacks are quite unlike any other bow user in Genshin Impact at the moment. Bow users are currently able to fire two different shots: a weaker shot that does not require aiming and will deal physical damage and a stronger shot that requires aiming and will imbue the arrow with the character's element. However, Ganyu seems to have an even stronger, third type of shot. When a player charges up an aimed shot longer, Ganyu will fire a "Frostflake" arrow that blooms after hitting its target, dealing AOE Cryo damage.
Ganyu's elemental skill is called "Trail of the Qilin," and activating it will cause Ganyu to jump backward dealing AOE Cryo damage and leaving behind an ice lotus. This ice lotus will continually taunt Genshin Impact enemies causing them to attack it, while the duration of the ice lotus scales with Ganyu's Max HP. If the ice lotus is destroyed or the duration ends, it will bloom and cause AOE Cryo damage.
Ganyu's elemental burst is called "Celestial Shower," which will summon an ice soul gem. During its ability duration, the soul gem will continuously rain down shards of ice, striking enemies in an AOE with Cryo damage. Once activated, Ganyu is free to continue attacking and moving, meaning Ganyu's burst and skill work in sync to constantly apply Cryo damage in Genshin Impact.
Ganyu's Passives and Constellations
Ganyu has two main passives: "Undivided Heart" and "Harmony Between Heaven and Earth." "Undivided Heart" boosts the crit rate of Ganyu's "Frostflake" arrows and the resulting bloom effect by 20%. Basically, this means that Ganyu's aimed shots become even stronger. "Harmony Between Heaven and Earth" grants a 20% Cryo damage bonus to other party members in the AOE of Ganyu's elemental burst. This is very useful for players who utilize two or more Cryo characters in Genshin Impact for the resonance bonus.
For most players, constellations for a 5 star Genshin Impact character will likely be out of reach. However, there are a few nice bonuses for Ganyu if players manage to get lucky with rolls. Ganyu's first constellation weakens the Cryo resistance on enemies which should boost her damage even more, and it also regenerates energy for Ganyu meaning that she will recharge her elemental burst faster.
Ganyu's second constellation gives her an extra charge to her elemental skill "Trail of the Qilin." Ganyu's fourth constellation strengthens her elemental burst causing enemies to take more damage the longer they are in the AOE, while Ganyu's sixth constellation allows her to fire a Frostflake Arrow without charging after she uses her elemental skill.
Of course, as nice as these constellations are, none of them are necessary to make Ganyu effective. Her kit and playstyle look very strong, and she will easily fit in with a wide variety of teams even at 0 constellations.
Where Does Ganyu Fit?
Despite the comparisons to Amber, Ganyu seems to have a completely different playstyle from any of the current archers in Genshin Impact. Ganyu specializes in Cryo application on her normal attack, elemental skill, and elemental burst, meaning that she will excel as an utility support. She has fantastic setup for elemental reactions, and she should pair well with any Pyro, Hydro or Electro DPS character. Characters like Klee, Diluc, Childe, and Razor would benefit greatly from Ganyu's consistent Cryo application. Ganyu's taunting ice lotus will also be a lifesaver for frail DPS characters like Klee who can output massive amounts of damage but suffer from poor defense gain.
Ganyu also specializes in aimed shots, so her weapon in Genshin Impact will have to reflect that. Most players won't be able to obtain the 5 star Amo's Bow, so they should look for 4 star alternatives such as the Prototype Crescent or The Stringless. Ganyu's weapon should either buff her aimed shots or strengthen her elemental skill and burst.
Since the release of Version 1.2, the new domain in Dragonspine features Hydro and Cryo artifact sets. Ganyu will most likely make use of the Cryo artifact set as it offers a 15% boost to Cryo damage as well as increasing her crit rate. Whether she should utilize the 4 piece bonus or mix and match 2 piece bonuses will depend on her damage output at release. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be a bad idea for players to do the Cryo artifact domain if they plan to roll for Ganyu.
Although some people may be disappointed in Ganyu's kit, she offers a unique playstyle and may just be a fantastic addition to most teams. If players are unsure about the emphasis on aimed shots, Ganyu will be available in the trial run when her banner is released. Players should also bear in mind that this information is from the beta leaks and preview trailer, so there is still room for adjustments before her release. Nevertheless, Ganyu appears to be an extremely versatile character that will be able to fit in well with many teams.
Genshin Impact is available now on the Mobile, PC, and PS4, and is currently in development for the PS5 and Switch.
