The Definitive Build & Analysis

Rarity	(5-Star)
Element	Cryo
Weapon	Bow
Best Role	Melt DPS / Freeze DPS
CV Priority	CRIT > ATK% > EM (Melt)
Tier	S (The Cocogoat)

Ganyu is Liyue's half-qilin secretary and one of the strongest damage dealers in the game. She defined the "Hypercarry" meta with her massive Frostflake Arrow bloom damage. She is incredibly versatile, excelling in both Reverse Melt teams (charged shots) and Freeze teams (quadratic scaling burst).

Pros

Insane AoE damage with Frostflake Bloom.
Quadratic scaling on Burst (destroys grouped mobs).
Extremely F2P friendly (Prototype Crescent/Hamayumi).
Can be played as Main DPS or Off-Field Support.

Cons

Charging shots leaves you vulnerable (needs shielder).
Melt playstyle requires close range (Xiangling).
Aiming can be difficult on mobile devices.
Burst steals Melts in Melt teams (do not use it there).

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

If you don't have time for the math, here is the cheat sheet.

Best Artifact (Melt): 4pc Wanderer's Troupe (Standard) or 4pc Shimenawa.
Best Artifact (Freeze): 4pc Blizzard Strayer (Free 40% Crit Rate).
Best Weapon: The First Great Magic (Lyney's Bow) or Amos' Bow.
F2P Weapon: Hamayumi (Melt Craftable) or Prototype Crescent (General).
Support Weapon: Elegy for the End (Team Buffs).
Main Stats: SANDS: ATK% or EM (Melt) | GOBLET: Cryo DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT DMG.
Talent Priority: Normal Attack > Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill.
Top Team: Ganyu + Xiangling + Bennett + Zhongli (Meltyu).

Pro Tip: In Freeze Teams (Morgana), use her Burst off-cooldown to group and kill mobs. In Melt Teams, do NOT use her Burst, as the icicles will steal reactions from your Charged Shots.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Qingxin	Liyue Peaks (Jueyun Karst)
Boss Drop	Hoarfrost Core	Cryo Regisvine (Mondstadt)
Talent Books	Teachings of Diligence	Taishan Mansion (Tue/Fri/Sun)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Normal Attack: Liutian Archery

Frostflake Arrow: Charging beyond Level 2 fires a Frostflake Arrow.
The Bloom: Upon hitting a target (or ground), the arrow blooms, dealing massive AoE Cryo DMG. This bloom is the source of 80% of her damage.
Aiming: You can shoot the floor near enemies. The bloom will still hit them. This is useful for shielded enemies or groups.

Elemental Skill: Trail of the Qilin

Taunt: Dashes backward and leaves an Ice Lotus. The Lotus taunts enemies, grouping them for your bloom shot.
Durability: Scales off Ganyu's HP (don't build HP for this, it's just for distraction).
Particles: Generates 2 particles on cast and 2 on explosion.

Elemental Burst: Celestial Shower

Cost: 60 Energy | Cooldown: 15s | Duration: 15s
Quadratic Scaling: Icicles rain down on enemies. If enemies are grouped tightly (Venti/Kazuha), multiple icicles hit multiple enemies simultaneously, causing damage to scale exponentially.
Buff: Grants 20% Cryo DMG Bonus to active members in the field.

Talent Priority Order:

Normal Attack (Level 10) - Frostflake Arrow damage.
Elemental Burst (Level 8-10) - Essential for Freeze.
Elemental Skill (Level 6) - Utility only.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Ganyu's ER needs depend entirely on whether you use her Burst. In Melt teams, you usually skip Burst, so ER is 0.

Team Context	Build	ER Requirement
Melt Ganyu	Wanderer/Shimenawa	0% (Burst not used)
Freeze (Morgana)	Blizzard Strayer	130% - 140%
Support Ganyu	Noblesse/Emblem	160% - 180%

Substat Priority (Melt):

CRIT DMG (Ascension gives Crit DMG)
CRIT Rate (Target 60-70% for Melt)
Elemental Mastery (Target 200-300 EM)
ATK%

Substat Priority (Freeze):

CRIT DMG (Go all in. 40% Rate comes from set + 15% from resonance)
ATK%
Energy Recharge
CRIT Rate (Cap at 45%)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Wanderer's Troupe	Melt BiS	Unconditional 35% Charged Attack DMG + 80 EM. Perfect for Melt. Can be farmed via Strongbox.
4pc Blizzard Strayer	Freeze BiS	Free 40% Crit Rate vs Frozen enemies. Allows you to stack pure Crit DMG. Useless for Melt.
4pc Shimenawa's Reminiscence	Melt Alt	Higher Charged Attack buff (50%) than Wanderer's, but drains energy. Good for Melt since you don't burst anyway.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
The First Great Magic	CRIT DMG	S+	Lyney's bow. Massive Crit DMG and Charged Attack buffs. Generally beats Amos due to easier stats.
Amos' Bow	ATK%	S	Her "Canonical" signature. Passive buffs arrow flight time (Bloom damage). Still excellent.
Hamayumi (R5)	ATK%	S (F2P)	Inazuma Craftable. Buffs Charged Attack DMG if energy is full. Great for Melt (since you don't burst).
Prototype Crescent (R5)	ATK%	A (Conditional)	Mondstadt Craftable. Gives massive ATK if you hit weak spots. Useless against enemies without weak spots (Slimes, some Bosses).

Constellation Value

Ganyu is perfectly complete at C0. Her constellations are luxury.

C1: Dew-Drinker - (QoL) Charged Attacks reduce enemy Cryo RES by 15% and restore 2 Energy. Great damage increase and energy comfort.
C2: The Auspicious - (Utility) Grants an extra charge of Elemental Skill. Helps with taunt uptime and energy.
C6: The Clement - (Speedrun God) Using Elemental Skill makes the next Frostflake Arrow instant (no charge time). This allows for "E > Shot > E > Shot" burst combos.

Verdict: Stick to C0. C1 is nice but not needed. C6 changes her playstyle entirely.

Top Team Compositions

1. Meltyu (Reverse Melt)

Main DPS: Ganyu
Pyro App: Xiangling / Kazuha (Pyro Swirl)
Buffer: Bennett
Shield: Zhongli / Layla

Why it works: Ganyu shoots enemies affected by Pyro to trigger Melt (1.5x DMG). Since she is squishy and standing still to aim, a Shield is mandatory. Damage numbers per shot are massive (100k+).

2. Morgana (Classic Freeze)

Main DPS: Ganyu
Hydro: Mona / Kokomi
Anemo: Venti / Kazuha
Cryo: Diona / Rosaria / Shenhe

Why it works: Venti groups enemies. Mona applies Hydro omen (extension). Ganyu drops her burst. The quadratic scaling obliterates grouped enemies while they remain permanently frozen.

Rotations & Combos

Melt Rotation:
Zhongli Hold E > Bennett Q E > Xiangling Q E > Ganyu Charged Shots (3-4 times)

Freeze Rotation:
Ganyu E Q > Venti E Q > Mona Q E > Ganyu Charged Shots

Frequently Asked Questions

Wanderer's vs. Shimenawa?
Wanderer's allows you to use Burst if needed and is unconditional. Shimenawa offers slightly higher CA damage but drains energy, making it strictly for Melt. Wanderer's is generally preferred for flexibility.

Mobile Controls?
Playing Ganyu on mobile can be hard due to aiming. If you struggle, play her in a **Freeze** team where you rely on her Burst (auto-targeting) more than her aimed shots.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Genshin Impact: Ganyu Guide