Name: Yelan
Vision: Hydro
Birthday: 20 April
Constellation: Umbrabilis Orchis
Titles: Valley Orchid, "someone who works for the Ministry of Civil Affairs," Owner of the Yanshang Teahouse
Genshin Impact Yelan Build
Like any other Genshin Impact character, how to build a character depends on what stat their skills scale on. You can easily check it by reading the description and the attribute scaling through the 'Talents' option on your 'Characters' menu.
Normal Attacks scale on ATK--that's a constant in all characters. Yelan has a unique Charged Shot ability called the 'Breakthrough Barb,' which deals AoE Hydro DMG based on her max HP. You can shoot one every five seconds, which is when Yelan enters the Breakthrough state (indicated by her glowing bracelet).
Her Elemental Skill Lingering Lifeline similarly deals damage based on her max HP. Depth-Clarion Dice, her Burst, also has damage calculated by her health. It works like Xingqiu's Rain Swords but has an additional buffing effect with her Fourth Ascension Passive.
The mentioned ability increases the damage dealt by the active character by 1% while Depth-Clarion Dice's Exquisite Throw is in play. Every second the state is in effect, the damage bonus increases by 3.5%, with a maximum of 50%. Unfortunately, you only have a second to take advantage of that bonus since it takes 14 seconds to reach that limit, and the skill lasts for 15.
As you've read, her skills revolve around her HP, which will be your primary method of increasing her damage potential. Still, there are more factors to consider for DPS, so it's not the only thing to build.
Genshin Impact Yelan Build
Emblem of Severed Fate
Yelan's Burst has an Energy Cost of 70, which is the second to the highest for the usual range of costs. The minimum is 40, and the highest is 80. The actual maximum is Raiden Shogun's at 90, but she is currently the only one to have it.
Being second to the highest, Energy Recharge can be a problem; her primary way of damage is her Burst, so it'll be a problem if you can't use it because it can't be charged. Emblem of Severed Fate fixes that with a 20% increase to ER, plus the 4-set effect of increasing Burst damage by 25% of ER. It lets you fill the cost quickly and use her Q as much as you want.
- Main Stats: HP%, Hydro DMG Bonus%, Crit Rate/DMG
- Substats: HP (both flat and percentage), Crit DMG/Rate (both recommended), Energy Recharge
2-Set Tenacity of the Millelith and Severed Fate or Heart of Depth
2-set Tenacity provides 20% more HP to the character that equips it. Yelan can't use its 4-set effect efficiently, so she has to do with another 2-set. Severed Fate or Heart of Depth are excellent partners, depending on whether you want ER or extra Hydro DMG.
- Main Stats: same as above set or triple HP at the cost of Crits
- Substats: same as above or Crit Rate, Crit DMG, ER
Note: 4-set Heart of Depth isn't recommended unless you plan to use her as an active DPS on the field. Using the same stat priorities as the Severed Fate set is best.
Budget Builds (4-Star Artifacts)
With no 4-star sets having a bonus to HP, the best artifacts would be The Exile or Berserker. Preferably in combination with each other. If going for a 4-set, Exile is better than the latter, but it depends on you.
- Main Stats: HP%, HP% or Hydro DMG Bonus, Crit Rate/DMG
- Substats: HP (both flat and percentage), Crit DMG/Rate, Energy Recharge
Weapons
Since Yelan doesn't need ATK as much, you should be more concerned about the weapon's substat. Of course, being her signature weapon, the Aqua Simulacra is her best in slot. There is one HP substat bow, but you're better off building health from artifacts. It's better to look for Crit Rate or Crit DMG bows to use on her. Here's a short list:
- Skyward Harp
- Thundering Pulse
- The Viridescent Hunt
- Blackcliff Warbow
- Messenger
- Sharpshooter's Oath
- Slingshot
The Polar Star is a Crit DMG bow, but it isn't recommended for Yelan because she can't use the passive ability effectively. Consider it as a last resort option if you don't have anything else. She can also use Energy Recharge or Elemental Mastery bows, but crit ones are more effective for a DPS build. Some notable weapons are:
- Elegy for the End
- Stringless
- Sacrificial Bow
- Favonius Warbow
- Windblume Ode
- Raven Bow
Fading Twilight is not included due to its passive ability being reliant on RNG. That leaves the character's damage output unreliable, so it's better to use something else. 3-star bows are a legitimate option as Yelan's damage scales from her HP, as having a low ATK stat isn't a problem with her.
Skill Priority
- Depth-Clarion Dice
- Lingering Lifeline
- Normal Attacks
You won't use her AAs as much, so you can leave it at a lower level. But if you use her Breakthrough Barbs, you'll have to increase the talent so the multipliers can grow. You'll be using her Burst the most often, which is why it's the priority ability to improve.
Genshin Impact Yelan Materials
To level Yelan to 90 and crown her skills, here is a list of the materials you'll need:
Yelan Ascension Materials
- 1 Varunada Lazurite Sliver
- 9 Varunada Lazurite Fragments
- 9 Varunada Lazurite Chunks
- 6 Varunada Lazurite Gemstones
- 168 Starconch
- 46 Runic Fang
- 18 Recruit's Insignia
- 30 Sergeant's Insignia
- 36 Lieutenant's Insignia
- 420k Mora
Yelan Talent Materials to Max Out 1 Skill (Total for All 3 in Parenthesis)
- 6 (18) Recruit's Insignia
- 22 (66) Sergeant's Insignia
- 31 (93) Lieutenant's Insignia
- 3 (9) Teachings of Prosperity
- 21 (63) Guides to Prosperity
- 38 (114) Philosophies of Prosperity
- 6 (18) Gilded Scales
- 1 (3) Crown of Insight
- 1,652,500 (4,957,500) Mora
The Varunada Lazurite Stones can come from Hydro-based Bosses such as:
- Azhdaha
- Stormterror
- Childe
- Hydro Hypostasis
- Oceanid
- Primo Geovishap
Your most reliable source would be the Oceanid and the Hydro Hypostasis, as they are World Bosses with a 40 Resin cost to claim rewards. Otherwise, you can convert other elemental stones into these with Dust of Azoth in the Crafting Bench.
The insignias come from various Fatui enemies, from the Skirmishers to the Agents and Cicins.
The Runic Fangs are from the Ruin Serpent in the Chasm's Underground Mines. You'll have to finish the questline there to unlock the fight. Also, your Lumenstone Adjuvant must have the Blooming Light ability to make the battle easier.
Starchonches are found along beaches and seaside areas of Liyue; the notable hotspots are Yaoguang Shoal and Guyun Stone Forest. 2.8's version of the Golden Apple Archipelago also has Starconches in the Liyue version of Pudding Isle; use the Unyielding Rocks in Kazuha's Bonsai Pot to find them.
Prosperity skill books are from the Taishan Mansion Domain in Jueyun Karst on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays.
Genshin Impact Yelan Lore (Backstory)
Yelan is a mystery to many of Liyue's inhabitants. Some might know her as the owner of the Yanshang Teahouse; others say she is a worker in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. But those titles and descriptions do not encapsulate her and what she does.
Without going into too much detail, Yelan is a secret agent for Ningguang--she investigates and collects information for the Qixing. Usually, she uses various disguises and false identities in her investigations. That contributes to the wildly varying descriptions of people who meet her.
During the Archon Quest Interlude Chapter' Perilous Trail,' Yelan is level-headed and logical. She never gave up looking for a way out and even refused Xiao's self-sacrificing tendencies. She's also sensitive enough to energies (due to her bloodline) that she sensed Zhongli helping Xiao out at the last minute.
In her quest, she creates and discards identities at the drop of a hat. She's also wary enough to be suspicious of the best candidate despite their glowing reputation and pleasant personality. Moreover, Yelan knows enough of the political and economic atmosphere of Liyue to ferret out discrepancies in the candidate's proposals.
Those suspicions were correct, and the candidate was colluding with the Fatui. Granted, they planned to double-cross the Snezhnayan organization later, but the damage was done.
