Lan Yan, the 4-Star Anemo Catalyst

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Anemo
Weapon	Catalyst
Best Role	Shielder / Buffer / Sub-DPS
Stat Priority	ATK% > ER > CRIT
Tier	A (Strong 4-Star)

Lan Yan is a skilled artisan from Chenyu Vale and the first Anemo Shielder in Genshin Impact. She brings unique utility to the roster by providing an ATK-scaling shield that can absorb elements to increase its durability, while also dealing off-field Anemo damage.

Pros

First Anemo Shielder (Combines VV Shred + Protection).
Shield can absorb elements (250% efficiency) for tanking.
C4 provides Elemental Mastery buff to the team.
Works well with Normal Attackers (C2 Shield Restore).
F2P Friendly (Catalyst user = TTDS holder).

Cons

Shield scales on ATK (makes her squishy without shield).
Shield duration (12.5s) can be tight for long rotations.
Burst grouping is weaker than Kazuha/Venti.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

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

Best Artifact: 4pc Viridescent Venerer (Support/Shred).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Noblesse Oblige (If another Anemo has VV).
Best Weapon: Starcaller's Watch (5⭐ Stat Stick).
Support Weapon: Thrilling Tales (TTDS) (3⭐ - 48% ATK Buff).
F2P Weapon: Flowing Purity (Craftable ATK%) or Favonius Codex.
Main Stats: SANDS: ATK% or ER | GOBLET: ATK% or Anemo | CIRCLET: ATK% or CRIT.
Talent Priority: Elemental Skill (Shield) > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack.
Top Team: Lan Yan + Arlecchino/Yoimiya + Yelan + Bennett.

Pro Tip: Shield Restoration: At C2, Lan Yan's shield restores health when the active character hits enemies with Normal Attacks. This makes her exceptionally good for drivers like Ayato, Yoimiya, and Arlecchino.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Clearwater Jade	Chenyu Vale (Liyue)
Boss Drop	Gold-Inscribed Secret Source Core	Secret Source Constructor (Natlan)
Talent Books	Teachings of Diligence	Taishan Mansion (Tue/Fri/Sun)
Common Mob	Nectar	Whopperflowers

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Swallow-Wisp Pinion Dance

The Shield: Lan Yan dashes forward and summons the "Swallow-Wisp Shield".
Scaling: Unlike Noelle or Zhongli, this shield's health scales based on Lan Yan's ATK. This allows her to deal damage while shielding.
Feathermoon Rings: While mid-air or after using Skill, she can hurl rings that deal Anemo DMG and apply Swirl.
Elemental Absorption: If her dash hits Hydro/Pyro/Cryo/Electro, the shield absorbs that element and gains 250% absorption efficiency against it.

Elemental Burst: Lustrous Moonrise

Cost: 60 Energy | Cooldown: 15s
Swallow Array: Creates a field that pulls in nearby opponents (Crowd Control) and deals periodic Anemo DMG.
Damage: The damage is decent and can trigger Swirls for team buffs (if using VV).

Passive: Four Sealing Divination Charms

Conversion Bonus: If her shield undergoes Elemental Absorption, the Feathermoon Rings she throws will deal additional Elemental DMG of that type. This is great for reaction application.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Skill (Level 10) - Shield strength is priority.
Elemental Burst (Level 8) - Crowd control and damage.
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Lan Yan needs ATK for shielding and ER for burst uptime.

Team Context	Weapon	ER Requirement
Solo Anemo (Support)	Favonius Codex	180% - 200%
Solo Anemo	TTDS (No ER)	220%+
Double Anemo (Xiao/Scara)	Any	140% - 160%

Substat Priority:

Energy Recharge (Until requirement met)
ATK% (Shield scaling)
Flat ATK
CRIT Rate (For Favonius trigger)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Viridescent Venerer	BiS Support	Combining a Shield + VV Shred is the holy grail of Anemo supports. Allows you to drop a healer/shielder slot for more DPS.
4pc Noblesse Oblige	Buffer	If you are running a team that doesn't benefit from RES shred (like Xiao or Geo), this provides 20% ATK.
2pc ATK / 2pc ATK	Max Shield	Mix Gladiator/Shimenawa/Echoes for max ATK% to make her shield as thick as possible.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Thrilling Tales (TTDS)	HP%	S (Buffing)	The 48% ATK buff to your carry is invaluable. Shield will be weaker (HP substat useless for her), but team DPS is higher.
Favonius Codex	ER%	S (Battery)	Solves energy problems. Good if you need her to Burst every rotation for grouping.
Skyward Atlas	ATK%	S (Shield)	Highest Base ATK + ATK% substat. Makes for the strongest possible shield.
Flowing Purity	ATK%	A (F2P)	Craftable. Good ATK stat stick for shield scaling.

Constellation Value

Lan Yan works at C0, but C2 and C4 are significant upgrades.

C1: "As One Might Stride..." - (Damage) Adds an extra Feathermoon Ring after absorption. Good for extra element application.
C2: "Dance Vestments Billow..." - (Core Shielding) While shield is active, Normal Attacks from the active character restore 40% of shield absorption. This makes her shield essentially infinite for drivers like Ayato/Yoimiya.
C4: "With Drakefalcon's Blood-Pearls..." - (Buff) After using Burst, team gains 60 Elemental Mastery. Nice for reaction teams.
C6: "Let Us Away on Slyphic Wing" - (Uptime) Grants 1 extra charge of Elemental Skill. Basically 100% Shield uptime without needing C2 mechanics.

Verdict: C2 is the target for a reliable shield.

Top Team Compositions

1. Vaporize Protection (Zhongli Replacement)

Main DPS: Arlecchino / Yoimiya
Hydro: Yelan / Xingqiu
Buffer: Bennett
Shield/Shred: Lan Yan (VV)

Why it works: Lan Yan replaces Zhongli. She provides a shield AND shreds Pyro/Hydro RES with the VV set, increasing team damage ceiling compared to Zhongli (who only shreds 20%). C2 keeps the shield healthy as Arlecchino attacks.

2. Neuvillette Hypercarry

Main DPS: Neuvillette
Hydro: Furina
Shield/Shred: Lan Yan
Flex: Fischl / Baizhu

Why it works: Neuvillette C0 needs a shield to prevent interruption. Lan Yan provides that shield plus VV shred. She can also hold TTDS to buff Neuvillette's charged attacks massively.

Rotations & Combos

Standard Support Rotation:
Element Applier > Lan Yan E (Shield/Swirl) > Lan Yan Q (Group) > Main DPS

Tip: If using TTDS, make sure Lan Yan is the last support you swap from before bringing in your Main DPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is she better than Zhongli?
Defensively: No. Zhongli's shield is still thicker and lasts longer.
Offensively: Yes. Lan Yan can hold VV set (-40% RES) vs Zhongli's -20% RES, leading to higher team damage.

Why build ATK?
Her shield absorption scales with ATK, not HP or DEF. This is unusual for a shielder, so don't autopilot into HP artifacts.

Data Source: Version 5.3 Beta Leaks. Last Updated: December 2025

Lan Yan Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis