Yelan, the enigmatic owner of the Yanshang Teahouse

Rarity	(5-Star)
Element	Hydro
Weapon	Bow
Best Role	Off-Field Sub-DPS
Stat Priority	CRIT > HP% > ER
Tier	SS+ (Universal Sub-DPS)

Yelan is a mysterious intelligence agent in Liyue. Often called "Hydro 5-Star Xingqiu," she trades defensive utility for significantly higher personal damage and a ramping DMG buff for the active character. Her HP scaling makes her tanky while dealing massive damage.

Pros

High off-field Hydro DMG (Exquisite Throw).
Ramping DMG% Buff for active character (up to 50%).
Excellent mobility with Elemental Skill (Speedrunning).
Flexible team slots (Double Hydro, Hyperbloom, Vape).
Scales purely on HP (Tanky and easy to build).

Cons

High Energy Recharge requirements at C0 (Solo Hydro).
Lower Hydro application than C6 Xingqiu (until C2).
Skill can get stuck on terrain occasionally.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

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

Best Artifact: 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate (Uncontested BiS).
Alt Artifact: 2pc HP% / 2pc Hydro DMG (Transition).
Best Weapon: Aqua Simulacra (Signature - Massive Crit DMG).
Alt Weapon: Elegy for the End (Support/Team Buff).
F2P Weapon: Favonius Warbow (Best for Energy consistency).
Main Stats: SANDS: HP% or ER | GOBLET: Hydro DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT.
Talent Priority: Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill > Normal Attack (Ignore).
Top Team: Yelan + Hu Tao + Xingqiu + Zhongli (Double Hydro Vape).

Pro Tip: "E-Q" vs "Q-E": Always try to catch your own particles. Cast Skill (E) and then immediately cast Burst (Q) if your ping allows, or Q then E. Catching particles is vital for uptime. In Double Hydro, funnel particles to whoever needs energy more.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Starconch	Liyue Beaches (Yaoguang Shoal)
Boss Drop	Runic Fang	Ruin Serpent (The Chasm)
Talent Books	Teachings of Prosperity	Taishan Mansion (Mon/Thu/Sun)
Common Mob	Insignia	Fatui Skirmishers / Agents

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Lingering Lifeline

Tap: Dashes forward.
Hold: Enters "Lifeline" sprint. Moves fast and marks enemies. Upon ending, deals Hydro DMG.
Breakthrough Barb: If she has 3 stacks (gained by hitting enemies with Skill), she fires a special charged shot instantly.
Utility: Best skill for overworld exploration speed. Generates 4 particles.

Elemental Burst: Depth-Clarion Dice

Cost: 70 Energy | Cooldown: 18s | Duration: 15s
Exquisite Throw: Summons a die that follows the active character. When the active character performs a Normal Attack (or Yelan's E hits), the die fires a coordinated Hydro attack.
Scaling: Damage scales purely on Max HP. ATK is useless.
Hydro Application: Fires 3 waves of Hydro. Good for single-target Vaporize (Hu Tao/Yoimiya).

Passive: Adapt With Ease

The Ramping Buff: While the Burst is active, the active character gains DMG Bonus that increases over time (1% to 50%).
Strategy: Use Yelan's Burst before switching to your Main DPS to start the ramp-up. It averages around ~30% DMG Bonus for your carry.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Burst (Level 10) - Primary damage source.
Elemental Skill (Level 8) - Good nuke damage.
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore unless C6.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Yelan's damage scales on HP, but if you don't have enough ER to burst, she is useless.

Team Context	Constellation	ER Requirement (Favonius)	ER Requirement (Aqua)
Solo Hydro	C0	210% - 240%	250%+
Double Hydro (Xingqiu)	C0	160% - 180%	180% - 200%
Solo Hydro	C1	160% - 180%	180% - 200%

Substat Priority:

Energy Recharge (Until requirement met - critical)
CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (Target 70/160+)
HP% (Increases all damage)
Flat HP

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Emblem of Severed Fate	BiS	Converts Energy Recharge into Burst DMG. Since Yelan needs lots of ER, this set gives the highest damage return efficiently.
2pc HP / 2pc Hydro	Transitional	Good if you have god-tier substats. Mix and match Tenacity/Vourukasha (HP) with Heart of Depth/Nymph (Hydro).
4pc Noblesse Oblige	Pure Support	Use only if no one else in the team holds it. Yelan loses personal damage, but buffs team ATK.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Aqua Simulacra	CRIT DMG	S+	Signature. Massive 88% Crit DMG and HP boost. Increases DMG when enemies are close. Requires ER Sands in most teams.
Favonius Warbow	ER%	S (Comfort)	The premier F2P option. High ER (61%) and white particles for the team. Often feels better than Aqua at C0 due to energy comfort.
Elegy for the End	ER%	S (Support)	Best for reaction teams (Hu Tao/Cyno). Buffs team EM and ATK. Yelan loses personal damage but team damage increases.
The Stringless	EM	A (Damage)	Passive increases Burst DMG significantly. Good for Vaporize nuke builds, but makes ER management very hard.

Constellation Value

Yelan is a complete unit at C0, but C1 and C2 solve her biggest issues.

C1: Enter the Plotters - (Energy) Adds 1 charge to Elemental Skill. Generates more particles and improves exploration speed. Reduces ER needs by ~30%.
C2: Taking All Comers - (Hydro App) Fires an extra water arrow every 1.8s dealing 14% Max HP. Increases Hydro application enough to solo sustain Hu Tao Vape (replacing Xingqiu).
C6: Winner Takes All - (Main DPS) After Burst, her first 5 Normal Attacks become special "Breakthrough Barbs" dealing massive damage. Turns Yelan into a front-loaded speedrun carry.

Verdict: C1 is great for QoL. C2 is the meta stopping point.

Top Team Compositions

1. Double Hydro (Hu Tao / Yoimiya)

Main DPS: Hu Tao / Yoimiya
Sub-DPS 1: Yelan
Sub-DPS 2: Xingqiu
Shield: Zhongli

Why it works: Hydro Resonance gives +25% HP, buffing both Yelan and Hu Tao. Xingqiu shreds Hydro RES for Yelan. Yelan buffs DMG for Hu Tao. Infinite Hydro application ensures every hit Vapes.

2. Hyperbloom (Alhaitham / Cyno)

Driver: Alhaitham / Nahida
Hydro: Yelan
Trigger: Kuki Shinobu (EM)
Flex: Baizhu / Zhongli

Why it works: Yelan provides Hydro for blooms and a ramping DMG buff for Alhaitham's spread damage. Her single-target hydro is sufficient for quickbloom teams.

Rotations & Combos

Standard Support Rotation:
Yelan E Q > N1 (Normal Attack to proc Burst/Favonius) > Swap

Tip: Always weave a Normal Attack (N1) between her Skill and Burst to trigger a wave of dice and potentially proc Favonius Warbow crits for extra energy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yelan vs. Xingqiu?
Xingqiu offers defensive utility (damage reduction, interrupt resist) and slightly better Hydro application (C6). Yelan offers higher damage and buffs. Use Xingqiu if you die easily; use Yelan if you want bigger numbers.

Should I level Normal Attack?
No. Unless you are C6, her normal attack deals physical damage scaling on ATK, which is useless for her. Her Charged Shot (Breakthrough Barb) scales on HP but is rarely used in rotation.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Yelan Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis