Genshin Impact Cyno build and materials guide

The best equipment for Cyno to serve justice with
Genshin Impact Cyno build and materials guide
Genshin Impact Cyno build and materials guide /

The best Genshin Impact Cyno build needs to find the right balance between providing enough Energy Recharge and Elemental Mastery, as both are of vital importance if you want to dish out some judgment with the Sumeru Akademiya’s General Mahamatra.

Cyno is relatively easy to use, coming with a straightforward Elemental Skill, Chasmic Soulfarer, and a powerful Elemental Burst, Wolf’s Swiftness. His Burst morphs Cyno into the Pactsworn Pathclearer, who attacks enemies with electric wolf claws that deal Electro damage, which can not be overwritten. All of that damage is increased based on Cyno’s Elemental Mastery thanks to his Authority over the Nine Bows talent. Thus, Elemental Mastery not only helps this Main DPS with his reaction-based damage, but also with his base damage.

Read to learn more on how you need to equip Cyno, which teams are good fits for him, and how you get all his ascension and talent upgrade materials.

Genshin Impact Cyno.
Genshin Impact's Cyno with his signature weapon / HoYoverse

Best Cyno weapons – Genshin Impact

Like many other 5-star characters, Cyno has a signature weapon that came into the game at the same time as him. In his case, this is the polearm Staff of the Scarlet Sands. It increases Critical Hit Rate and lets the wielder gain 52% of their Elemental Mastery as bonus Attack. Hitting adversaries with an Elemental Skill can boost this effect up to three times by an additional 28% for ten seconds.

Here are the best weapons for Cyno in Genshin Impact:

  • Staff of the Scarlet Sands (5-star polearm)
  • Primordial Jade-Winged Spear (5-star polearm)
  • Staff of Homa (5-star polearm)
  • Deathmatch (4-star polearm)
  • Blackcliff Pole (4-star polearm)
  • White Tassel (3-star polearm)

Best Cyno artifacts – Genshin Impact

In general, there are two different ways to go about kitting out Cyno, depending on the playstyle you want to go with – and the equipment you have on your hands.

If you’re aiming for a reaction-based style and have Cyno’s signature weapon, then a full set of Gilded Dreams is a very good choice. It will provide massive buffs to Elemental Mastery, which are going to be even greater if you’re fielding a team with diverse elemental types.

Under the same conditions you could also go for a full set of Thundering Fury, which on paper will enable Cyno to reach his maximum damage output thanks to its buffs to Electro damage as well as Electro reactions. Since this style will depend on triggering Elemental Skill when Cyno’s Elemental Burst is active, interruptions or disadvantageous enemy positioning will be very punishing, resulting in a net loss in damage output compared to the other options.

If you don’t have access to Staff of the Scarlet Sands and favor a playstyle that’s less dependent on reactions, we’d recommend a full set of Gladiator’s Finale, which is going to maximize Cyno’s Attack.

A white-haired man wearing a dog's head cap.
There are two playstyles for Cyno and three strong artifact sets to consider / HoYoverse

You’ll want the following stat distribution on your set for Cyno, regardless of which one you go with:

  • Flower: HP (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Damage, Critical Hit Rate, Elemental Mastery (secondary stats)
  • Plume: Attack (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Damage, Critical Hit Rate, Elemental Mastery (secondary stats)
  • Sands: Elemental Mastery (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Damage, Critical Hit Rate, Attack % (secondary stats)
  • Goblet: Electro Damage % (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Damage, Critical Hit Rate, Elemental Mastery (secondary stats)
  • Circlet: Critical Hit Rate or Critical Damage (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Damage or Critical Hit Rate, Elemental Mastery, Attack % (secondary stats)

Best Cyno teams – Genshin Impact

Cyno is a typical Main DPS, who spends most of his time on the field, which necessitates that you team him up with some great off-field characters that provide effects for elemental reactions and support him through healing and energy generation.

This Hyperbloom team created Dendro Cores through the Dendro-Hydro interactions between Nahida and Yelan, which Cyno can then hit with his Electro attacks, enabling massive damage through Hyperbloom. Shinobu is there for healing and could be switched out in favor of Dori.

Artwork of a young white-haired girl.
Nahida / HoYoverse

  • Role: Sub DPS
Nahida's long off-field abilities and Elemental Mastery buffs are perfect to support Cyno.


Artwork of a blue-haired young woman.
Yelan / HoYoverse

  • Role: Sub DPS
Yelan's consistent Hydro application combined the Dendro abilities of other characters sets the stage for Cyno's devastating rampages.


Artwork of a green-haired girl with a face mask.
Kuki Shinobu / HoYoverse

  • Role: Support
Shinobu may steal a few Hyperblooms from Cyno, but is a fantastic healer and will enable the Electro Resonance for better energy regeneration.


Artwork of a young blue-haired man.
Xingqiu / HoYoverse

  • Role: Sub DPS
As is the case more often than not, Xingqiu is a solid option for those without Yelan.


Artwork of a pink-haired girl with sunglasses.
Dori / HoYoverse

  • Role: Support
Poor Dori is often overlooked, but can be a great option for a Cyno team thanks to her ability to both heal and charge up characters.


Artwork of a young girl with blonde-glue hair.
Sangonomiya Kokomi / HoYoverse

  • Role: Support
Genshin Impact's strongest healer is a great fit to accompany Cyno as well.


Artwork of a young woman with an eye patch.
Fischl / HoYoverse

  • Role: Sub DPS
Fischl and Oz, Genshin Impact's most iconic duo, are great with Cyno: they can provide off-field Electro effects to generate energy and set the stage for the Main DPS.


A woman with dark violet hair pulls a sword out of her chest.
Raiden Shogun / HoYoverse

  • Role: Sub DPS
Raiden is a fantastic battery for Cyno as well and can follow up on his Elemental Burst with her own, for an extra bit of damage output.


Zhongli from Genshin Impact.
Zhongli / HoYoverse

  • Role: Support
The CEO of Geo may not be able to heal Cyno, but his shields will keep the General Mahamatra alive for longer, while his Tenacity of the Millelith artifact set will bost the Main DPS' Attack.


As usual, Yelan is replaceable by Xingqiu. A variation of this team with Kokomi instead of Yelan and Fischl or Raiden Shogun for Shinobu is effective as well.

  • Cyno (Main DPS), Nahida (Sub DPS), Fischl (Sub DPS), Zhongli (Support)

This Aggravate team helps boost the damage of Cyno’s regular attacks. Nahida and Fischl can use their off-field abilities to provide those reactions, while Zhongli shields the team and carries Tenacity of the Millelith for a further damage buff. Dendro Traveler is a good alternative for Nahida here.

Cyno ascension materials – Genshin Impact

You’ll want to quickly raise Cyno’s level when you pull him, which means that you’ll need to farm his ascension materials. You’ll also require some materials to fully upgrade his talents.

Here’s what you need to get Cyno to level 90:

  • Vajrada Amethyst Sliver x1
  • Vajrada Amethyst Fragment x9
  • Vajrada Amethyst Chunk x9
  • Vajrada Amethyst Gemstone x6
  • Divining Scroll x18
  • Sealed Scroll x30
  • Forbidden Curse Scroll x36
  • Scarab x168
  • Thunderclap Fruitcore x46
  • Mora x2,092,530

Vajrada Amethyst is available from any Electro-affiliated boss on the world map, such as the Electro Hypostasis or the Electro Regisvine. Since you’ll need Thunderclap Fruitcores as well, which only drop from the Electro Regisvine in Sumeru, you should focus on that to cover both materials.

Scrolls are a common material from Samachurls, which are the priest-like Hilichurls with elemental powers. Scarabs can be found in Sumeru’s deserts, mainly around the grand Mausoleum of King Deshret. Blossoms of Wealth are the best source to make Mora.

Here’s what you need to upgrade all of Cyno’s talents to their maximum level:

  • Divining Scroll x18
  • Sealed Scroll x66
  • Forbidden Curse Scroll x93
  • Teachings of Admonition x9
  • Guide to Admonition x63
  • Philosophies of Admonition x114
  • Mudra of the Malefic General x18
  • Crown of Insight x3
  • Mora x4,957,500

You’ll have to defeat more Samachurls to get Scrolls and also farm some more money to upgrade the talents. Books of Admonition are found in the Steeple of Ignorance Domain on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday after completing the challenges.

Mudra of the Malefic General is a boss material from fighting Raiden Shogun on Inazuma. Finally, Crowns of Insight are often up for grabs in limited events and you can claim them by progressing through the reward tracks of places like the Tree of Dreams.


Published
Marco Wutz
MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg