Best Archers in Genshin Impact, Ranked

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Penned by Devin Dornbrock

Devin has always been a fan of good writing and compelling visuals. She learned from an early age that video games are the best and most satisfying... Read more

Reviewed by Jeffrey Hsu

There are a lot of different weapons in Genshin Impact, and even more characters who wield them all. It can be hard to keep them all straight and determine which ones are worth Wishing for. If this sounds like you, worry no longer! We’re going over the 10 best archers in Genshin Impact and offering tips on how to make the most of each of them.

Let’s get started!

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Best Archers in Genshin Impact, Ranked Good to Overall Best

Just to be clear, our rankings are generally based on independent, fully-leveled, Constellation 0 characters. That means all Talents are unlocked without any extra buffs, which in turn means that this ranking may not look exactly the same for you. Your team comp and Constellation levels may make some characters better than others, regardless of where we’ve placed them!

Our goal is to help you understand the base abilities of each archer on this list and determine who’s wroth putting time and effort into building. What matters most, however, is who you personally enjoy playing. If your main is low in the ranks, don’t sweat it! You should still play them if that’s what you find most fun.

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s get into our ranking of the best archers in Genshin Impact!

10/10

Collei — Dendro (4-Star)

First up on our list of the best archers in Genshin Impact is Collei! Collei is a trainee forest ranger in Avidya Forest of Sumeru. Her cheery personality makes her quick to befriend others, though her past is riddled with tragedy and cruelty.

Collei was originally introduced in the official Genshin Impact manga as a victim of the Fatui’s human experiments. Luckily, she was able to meet fellow archer Outrider Amber and forge a new path in life.

What Makes Collei So Good?

Collei is one of the few characters available without Wishing. Thanks to the permanent event Curtain of Leaves, all players who clear the fourth floor of the Spiral Abyss can obtain her as a reward. 

The best part about her, though, is her Dendro application. Collei’s Elemental Burst, Trump-Card Kitty, throws out a Cuilein-Anbar doll. This doll sets off an explosive AOE Dendro attack and creates a Cuilein-Anbar Zone. The Cuilein-Anbar doll will continue jumping around within the zone and deal more AOE Dendro DMG to all enemies within it. 

The wide area of effect for her Elemental Burst makes it great for applying Dendro to groups of enemies, and for triggering Dendro Elemental Reactions.

Next is Collie’s Elemental Skill, Floral Brush. It basically works like a Dendro-infused boomerang. When thrown, all enemies in its path will be dealt Dendro DMG. Enemies in its path when it returns will also be dealt Dendro DMG.

Her Elemental Skill and Elemetan Burst are made even more powerful by her Ascension Talents, which increase the duration of her Cuilein-Anbar doll. Her Passive Talent, Gliding Champion of Sumeru, also decreases gliding stamina consumption by 20%, which is pretty helpful when you need to glide long distances. 

Drawbacks

While having an archer on your team is a great way to consistently apply Elemental Energy, Collei’s Dendro application can be a little spotty. Her Elemental Skill only applies Dendro twice before going on a long Skill cooldown.

Her Elemental Burst is luckily a bit better, but it can be hard to trigger more than one or two Elemental Reactions. On top of her so-so Elemental Skill, Collei’s Normal Attack is pretty weak and doesn’t deal much damage. 

We mostly suggest adding Collei to your team if you’re in need of a Dendro character who isn’t the Traveler. 

Artifacts

For the best Collei build, we suggest focusing on the following artifact stats:

• Elemental Mastery
• Dendro DMG Bonus
• Energy Recharge

Collei’s best artifact set is the 5-star Deepwood Memories set. It increases her Dendro DMG Bonus while also decreasing her enemies’ Dendro RES after using an Elemental Burst or Elemental Skill.

There aren’t many great 4-star artifacts for Collei at this time. For players who don’t want to farm the Deepwood Memories set, we suggest The Exile artifact set. It will increase her Energy Recharge while also providing some extra Energy for her party members. 

9/10

Kujou Sara — Electro (4-Star)

Taking the ninth spot on our list of the best archers in Genshin Impact is the strict tengu of Inazuma and number one Raiden Shogun fan. It’s Kujou Sara!

Kujou Sara was adopted by the Kujou clan and quickly became one of the Shogun’s most loyal followers. She has a strict moral compass and will do whatever it takes to enact the Shogun’s orders. 

What Makes Kujou Sara So Good?

Most players overlook Kujou Sara due to her unique moveset. Her Elemental Skill, Tengu Stormcall, isn’t very intuitive, but is hands down her best move. When used, Kujou Sara teleports backwards and gains Crowfeather Cover for 18 seconds. 

When Sara fires a fully-charged Aimed Shot, her Crowfeather Cover is consumed and leaves a Crowfeather at the target location. Crowfeathers created this way will deal Electro DMG after a short time while also granting active characters an ATK Bonus (based on Sara’s Base ATK). 

Basically, her Elemental Skill is a two-part move that requires a fully-charged Aimed Shot. Without the Aimed Shot, it’s easy to miss out on the Electro DMG and the ATK Bonus. Just be aware that you’ll have to quickly swap to your next character to take advantage of the buff Sara gives.

Along with her Elemental Skill, her Elemental Burst, Subjugation: Koukou Sendou, also grants an ATK Bonus to nearby active characters. When using her Elemental Burst, Kujou Sara casts down Tengu Juurai: Titanbreaker, which triggers more AOE Electro DMG while granting the same ATK Bonus gained from her Elemental Skill.

Drawbacks

As we mentioned above, a lot of players overlook Kujou Sara because of her Talents. Casual players especially will learn by doing and thus don’t use Sara’s Talents to the fullest. It’s not exactly a drawback, but it does keep her from being more popular.

While she is a decent choice for players specifically needing an Electro character capable of buffing, there are other characters who can add more to the team. Bennett, for example, offers more when it comes to buffs thanks to his Elemental Burst. As for Electro archers, there is another 4-star option higher on our list who is much more player friendly. 

Artifacts

Artifact stats for Kujou Sara should prioritize the following:

• Energy Recharge
• Electro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

As for artifact sets, we suggest the 5-star Noblesse Oblige set. It will increase not only Sara’s Elemental Burst DMG, but her party members’ ATK too. It also helps increase the number of buffs given to the rest of the party while increasing Sara’s overall DMG.

As a 4-star artifact set alternative, we recommend The Exile. This artifact set won’t increase DMG directly, but it will still decrease the time between using Elemental Bursts for the whole party.

8/10

Diona — Cryo (4-Star)

The title of eighth best archer in Genshin Impact goes to Monstadt’s youngest bartender, Diona!

We’re not really sure how Diona is allowed to be a bartender despite her age — or how it doesn’t violate Monstadt’s child labor laws — but it does make for an interesting backstory. Diona hates alcohol and has made it her mission to ruin the entire wine industry. However, she’s only managed to brew a number of amazing cocktails and increase business at the Cat’s Tail tavern. 

What Makes Diona So Good?

Diona is one of the few characters in the game who can both shield and heal her party members. Her Elemental Burst, Signature Mix, deals AOE Cryo DMG and creates a Drunken Mist field. Within the field, Cryo DMG is continuously applied to all enemies while allies have their HP continuously regenerated.

Her Elemental Skill, Icy Paws, fires off a number of projectiles called Icy Paws, with the number of projectiles increasing if you hold down the Skill button. When firing off the Icy Paws, a shield of Cryo energy is created around active characters. The amount of time on her shield depends on the number of Icy Paws fired off. We strongly recommend using the Held version of her Skill whenever possible.

Being able to both heal and shield party members is a huge asset for pretty much any team. As a bonus, all shielded allies run 10% faster and use 10% less stamina. Her skill also generates a large chunk of Energy for your entire team if you use the held-version of her Skill.

Diona’s Passive Talent, Complimentary Bar Food, is another great reason to have her. When using Diona to cook (which can be done whether she is on your team or not), she has a 12% chance of making extra healing dishes. More food with fewer resources consumed is always a huge help.

Drawbacks

The biggest drawback to Diona is that she isn’t very strong on her own. Her Normal and Charged Attacks don’t deal much DMG and aren’t especially great at applying Cryo energy. Along with her low DMG potential, Diona also has some pretty low base stats. 

Additionally, depending on the terrain you’re fighting on, her Icy Paws can actually collide with the environment. While you will gain the shield no matter what, you won’t get any Energy from those wasted Icy Paws, so be aware of your surroundings!

If you’re worried that Diona’s abilities will infuse you with Cryo at a bad time, then don’t be! While her Skill does infuse you with Frozen for a brief moment, it’s only in name alone. You will not actually be frozen or be negatively affected.

Artifacts

The best artifact for Diona should prioritize the following stats:

• HP%
• Energy Recharge
• Healing Bonus

The best artifact set for Diona is actually a two-piece mix of the 5-star Tenacity of the Millelith set and the 5-star Emblem of Severed Fate set. The increased HP from the Tenacity of the Millelith set is absolutely necessary to get the most out of Diona’s healing abilities. The Emblem of Severed Fate set meanwhile, increases Energy Recharge and allows her to heal much more consistently. 

As there are not any 4-star artifact sets geared toward healing or increasing HP, the best 4-star artifact set is the Instructor set. The four-piece effect grants a nice boost of Elemental Mastery to all party members after triggering an Elemental Reaction. 

7/10

Tighnari — Dendro (5-Star)

The next best archer character in Genshin Impact is Collei’s mentor and the most responsible Forest Watcher we know, Tighnari!

Tighnari is an incredibly intelligent man who has distanced himself from Sumeru’s Akademiya despite the sages’ best attempts to bring him back into the fold. Tighnari is just a man who enjoys nature and the quiet forests of Sumeru over the hustle and bustle of Sumeru City.

What Makes Tighnari So Good?

Much like his protégé Collei, Tighnari also excels at applying Dendro energy to his enemies. His Elemental Skill, Vijnana-Phala Mine, acts as a grenade. When his grenade goes off, it deals AOE Dendro DMG and creates a Vijnana-Khanda field. This field is pretty small, but it does taunt enemies and draw aggro for a short time, which is pretty handy. 

After using his Elemental Skill, Tighnari also gains the Vijnana Suffusion effect, which decreases the charge time of his Aimed Shots. 

Tighnari’s Elemental Burst, Fashioner’s Tanglevine Shaft, fires off six Tanglevine Shafts that can track enemies. After they hit, a second wave of Tanglevine Shafts explode out and can also track opponents. Essentially, Tighnari’s Elemental Burst fires off two waves of heat-seeking missiles that deal Dendro DMG. 

Tighnari’s Normal Attack Talent can also fire off tracking shots at the second level of his Charged Attacks. Combine it with his Skill to get an incredibly devastating hit off quickly.

The last great thing about Tighnari is his Passive Talent. Encyclopedic Knowledge points out the location of unique Sumeru resources on the mini-map. While it won’t point out the exact location in the overworld game layout, it’s still nice to know where exactly you should be looking for all those Nilotpala Lotuses.

Drawbacks

Tighnari’s DMG potential is all right, but it largely relies on his Aimed Attacks, which take time to charge. That’s fine for players who can keep a distance, but most enemies don’t just stand around waiting for you to hit them.

While his Elemental Skill does decrease the charge time of his Aimed Shots, Tighnari’s charge time still takes too long to effectively use once combat has started. His mid- and close-range abilities aren’t nearly as effective at dealing DMG, which keeps him from moving higher up our list. 

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Tighnari should prioritize the following stats:

• Elemental Mastery
• Dendro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

In general the best artifact set is the 5-star Deepwood Memories set. The increased Dendro DMG and decreased Dendro RES are necessary for maximizing Tighnari’s DMG output. If another character in your party already has this artifact set, we suggest the Wanderer’s Troupe set instead.

The best 4-star artifact set for Tighnari is the Martial Artist set. It will increase his Normal and Charged Attack DMG by a base 15%, and then by another 25% after using his Elemental Skill.

6/10

Tartaglia — Hydro (5-Star)

The sixth spot on our list of the best archers in Genshin Impact actually goes to a member of the Fatui’s Eleven Harbingers. While he may be the Eleventh of the Harbingers and the youngest member, he is still incredibly dangerous. Not to mention he’s always eager to take on whatever deadly challenge comes his way. 

We’re talking about Tartaglia (aka Childe)! Incidentally, he’s an archer in Genshin Impact solely because he’s trying to master the bow as a self-imposed challenge.

What Makes Tartaglia So Good?

Childe is one of only a few characters who can switch their weapon type, which makes him quite versatile in combat. His Ranged Stance is his default state. It utilizes his bow to attack and make ranged shots. His Elemental Skill, Foul Legacy: Raging Tide, switches from his bow stance to a Melee Stance.

When in his Melee Stance, Childe slashes out with blades made of water. These blades deal Hydro DMG when drawn and convert all of Childe’s Normal and Charged Attacks to Hydro DMG.

Using his Aimed Shot in Ranged Stance, Childe can apply a Riptide effect. Enemies affected by Riptide will take added AOE Hydro DMG when hit by a fully charged Aimed Shot or when hit by Childe’s Melee Stance attacks.

Childe’s Elemental Burst Havoc: Obliteration has a couple of different effects depending on the stance he is in when used. When in his Ranged Stance, Childe fires off five arrows that deal AOE Hydro DMG and apply the Riptide status. In his Melee Stance, Childe makes a large sweeping attack with his Hydro blades. This attack deals massive AOE Hydro DMG and deals extra DMG to enemies affected by Riptide.

If that wasn’t enough of a reason to get him on your team, Childe’s Passive Talent, Master of Weaponry, increases his party members’ Normal Attack Talent Level by one. This effect is one of the only ways to increase a Talent above Level 13. 

Drawbacks

The biggest drawback to Tartaglia is that he requires a lot of management. His Elemental Skill cooldown increases the longer you remain in his melee stance and can be very long when not properly managed. This can put him in a tricky spot if he runs into a skill cooldown at the wrong time. Higher Constellation levels mitigate this, but 5-star characters are so tough to get once, nevermind enough to level up their Constellations.

Another thing to note is that Childe cannot make Plunging Attacks while in his Melee Stance. We’re not really sure why — other characters who can switch weapons, like the Raiden Shogun, don’t have this drawback. Just something to be aware of before you go jumping off any cliffs.

Generally speaking, Childe is a pretty good DPS character. It’s just that his Talents are not very intuitive and have a bit of a learning curve. Sometimes it can take a while for even advanced players to get the hang of his Stance switching. 

Artifacts

Artifacts for Tartaglia should focus on the following stats:

• ATK%
• Hydro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

The best artifact set for Childe is the 5-star Heart of Depth artifact set. The increased Hydro DMG Bonus is great for his Melee Stance attacks, not to mention the increased Normal and Charged Attack DMG after using an Elemental Skill. 

Since Childe’s Normal Attacks are so important, we suggest the 4-star Martial Artist artifact set for players who don’t want to farm the Heart of Depth set. Both sets increased Normal and Charged Attack DMG, though the 4-star artifacts don’t grant as much of a buff.

5/10

Yoimiya — Pyro (5-Star)

Kicking off the top five on our list of the best archers in Genshin Impact is another native of Inazuma. Her bubbly personality makes her a real hit with children and has made her an integral part of her community. It’s Yoimiya!

Yoimiya is a bit of a pyromaniac who loves fireworks. She’s even been named “Queen of the Summer Festival” by her neighbors thanks to her explosive contribution to the festivities. 

What Makes Yoimiya So Good?

With her Elemental Skill, Niwabi Fire-Dance, Yoimiya’s Normal Attacks are converted to Blazing Arrows that deal Pyro DMG. Her Blazing Arrow attacks are decently powerful on their own, but when paired with off-field characters who can trigger Elemental Reactions, Yomiya becomes a serious force to be reckoned with. 

Yoimiya is especially perfect for triggering powerful and rapid Elemental Reactions with other characters whose Elemental Bursts grant Normal Attack buffs. 

Her Elemental Burst, Ryuukin Saxifrage, marks one enemy with an Aurous Blaze while also dealing AOE Pyro DMG. Enemies marked by this Aurous Blaze will be dealt AOE Pyro DMG whenever they’re hit by Yoimiya’s allies. If the enemy is defeated before the Aurous Blaze’s duration is up, it will be transferred to a nearby enemy.

In general, Yoimiya is very good against single enemies big and small. Her fiery attacks make it easy to take out Elemental shields and trigger Elemental Reactions, too.

Drawbacks

Yoimiya’s attacks are geared toward single opponents. In groups of enemies, she can quickly become overwhelmed and have a hard time clearing them all out quickly. It doesn’t help that her auto-aim attacks may switch between enemies before finishing any of them off, which only makes everything harder.

There’s also a bit of down-time between her Skill casts. If you swap off her, the Skill’s effects end immediately. Make sure to activate your other characters’ off-field effects before using Yoimiya’s skill!

One other issue with Yoimiya is that she can’t trigger the effect of her own Elemental Burst. To deal the AOE Pyro DMG from her Aurous Blaze, another character has to hit the marked enemy. 

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Yoimiya should prioritize the following stats:

• ATK%
• Pyro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

The best artifact set for Yoimiya is the 5-star Shimenawa’s Reminiscence. It will increase her ATK while also increasing her Normal Attack DMG after using an Elemental Skill. Just beware that this DMG increase comes at the cost of Energy.

Yoimiya’s best 4-star alternative artifact set is a two-piece mix of the Gambler and the Martial Artist sets. The increased Elemental Skill DMG and Normal Attack DMG work better with her Elemental Skill than any other four-piece set effects. 

4/10

Venti — Anemo (5-Star)

The fourth best archer character in Genshin Impact is a real powerhouse of Teyvat. It’s one of The Seven — the Anemo Archon Barbatos! He doesn’t typically use the name Barbatos anymore, though, so we’ll be calling him Venti.

Venti may have lost most of his power from his heyday, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a formidable archer. He’s also incredibly insightful and seems to know much more than he’s letting on about the conflicts within Teyvat.

What Makes Venti So Good?

The God of Wind and Freedom is a pretty fun character to play. His Elemental Skill, Skyward Sonnet, makes exploration a breeze. Literally! 

When held, his Elemental Skill deals AOE Anemo DMG to nearby enemies and creates a wind current that Venti can ride high up into the air. Enemies hit by this attack will also be lifted into the air and fall gently back down (unless hit while in the air). His first Passive Talent, Embrace of Winds, increases the duration of his air current to 20 seconds. 

Being lifted into the air on command makes exploration super easy, whether you’re faced with a tall mountain climb or you’re trying to get a pesky anemoculus. 

Another advantage to Venti is his Elemental Burst. Wind’s Grand Ode creates a huge Stormeye that sucks in enemies and deals continuous Anemo DMG. If the Stormeye comes into contact with Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, or Electro, it gains Elemental Absorption and deals extra Elemental DMG of that type.

This is fantastic for grouping up enemies to deal a massive blow with your whole party and chain elemental reactions back-to-back.

Drawbacks

The biggest drawback to Venti is that his Elemental Burst and Elemental Skill don’t work very well against large enemies. Boss monsters won’t be affected as much by his air currents and will be much harder to push around. 

While being able to push around and group up small enemies is pretty helpful, not being as effective against large enemies is a pretty big obstacle to overcome.

Venti’s Normal Attacks are also not the strongest, and most of his damage comes from his Elemental Burst triggering Elemental Reactions. Without other characters to take advantage of his ability to group enemies up, Venti is going to have a hard time finishing them off.

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Venti should prioritize the following stats:

• Elemental Mastery
• Anemo DMG Bonus
• Energy Recharge

Venti’s best artifact set is the 5-star Viridescent Venerer set. The increased Anemo DMG and Swirl Reaction DMG are too good to pass up. Not to mention Swirl Reactions will also decrease enemies’ Elemental RES too.  

A good 4-star artifact set alternative is the Instructor set. The increased Elemental Mastery will really show in the DMG of Venti’s Elemental Burst and Elemental Skill. 

3/10

Fischl — Electro (4-Star)

Our pick for the third best archer in Genshin Impact is kind of a big deal in the Adventurer’s Guild…at least in Monstadt, anyway. Her personality may be a bit eccentric, but beneath it all, she’s just a lonely girl wanting to make some friends. It’s Fischl!

Despite her “Prinzessin der Verurteilung” persona, Fischl is not actually from a world beyond Teyvat. Most of the time it’s easier to just play along than call her out on it, though.

What Makes Fischl So Good?

The best part about Fischl is her off-field Electro DMG. Thanks to her Elemental Skill Nightrider, she summons her raven companion Oz. Oz lingers on the field for 10 seconds and attacks nearby enemies with Electro DMG attacks. Being able to deal consistent Electro DMG while off field is great for triggering Elemental Reactions with other party members. 

Fischl’s Elemental Burst is an extension of her Elemental Skill. Midnight Phantasmagoria again summons Oz, but this time, he and Fischl become one and fly swiftly around the field. While flying like this, lightning will strike down nearby enemies and deal Electro DMG. After a few moments, Fischl will go back to normal and Oz will remain on the field. If he was already on the field, his remaining time will be reset. 

Thanks to her Passive Talents, Stellar Predator and Undone Be Thy Sinful Hex, Fischl is able to deal Thundering Retribution DMG by hitting Oz with a fully charged Aim Shot and triggering Electro Elemental Reactions, respectively. Thundering Retribution DMG can be between 80% and 152% DMG depending on how it was triggered. 

Drawbacks

While Fischl does have some invincibility after using her Elemental Burst, it doesn’t last more than a few frames. This means flying around as Oz can leave Fischl vulnerable to attacks and put her in a state where she can’t dodge. 

Oz unfortunately does not remain if Fischl goes down, so be careful when using her Elemental Burst in combat. Most of the time it isn’t a problem, but when going up against bosses with huge AOE attacks, it can spell trouble. 

Another drawback to Fischl is that she’s most useful when summoning Oz. She herself doesn’t deal a huge amount of damage. Her ATK SPD is pretty high compared to other archers in Genshin, but that doesn’t mean she’s necessarily stronger. 

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Fischl should prioritize the following stats:

• ATK%
• Electro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

For teams geared toward Elemental Reactions, we suggest the 5-star Gilded Dreams artifact set. It will really up the Electro Reactions Fischl triggers while granting the whole party either an Elemental Mastery or ATK% buff. 

For pure Electro DMG, the best artifact set is the 5-star Thundering Fury set. This set is much easier to get for beginners who don’t have access to Sumeru yet. It will also increase Electro Reaction DMG and even decrease Fischl’s Elemental Skill Cooldown.

As a 4-star alternative, go with the Instructor set. It will help new players get used to prioritizing Elemental Reactions in combat by upping your party’s Elemental Mastery.

2/10

Ganyu — Cryo (5-Star)

Coming in as the second best archer in Genshin Impact is one of Liyue’s most well known Adepti! 

Ganyu is a gentle soul who works tirelessly for the Liyue Qixing. While she doesn’t quite feel at home among humans, that hasn’t stopped her from becoming a beloved figure in Liyue Harbor. She has worked as the Qixing’s secretary for many, many years and is an integral part of the inner workings of the government. 

What Makes Ganyu So Good?

Ganyu is the best DPS in the game. Her Aimed Shots have two levels of charge, which can do insane DMG when fully charged, and it only takes a brief extra half-second to fully charge. Her second Charge Level fires off a Frostflake Arrow, which deals Cryo damage to the target before blooming and dealing a high amount of AOE Cryo DMG to its surroundings.

With the right build, Ganyu’s Aimed Shots can easily deal 30,000+ DMG. Being able to deal that much DMG in an AOE is even more impressive and makes her pretty effective at crowd control. Her high Base CRIT Rate and DMG help her DMG output a lot even without intensive building or artifact farming.

Aside from her Normal Attacks, Ganyu’s Elemental Burst, Celestial Shower, is also great at dealing Cryo DMG over a large range. When used, Ganyu summons a Sacred Cryo Pearl. This large Pearl hangs over the field and creates a frosty field for 15 seconds. Within the field, shards of ice rain down and strike enemies for Cryo DMG. Due to its long duration, you can easily swap to another character to take advantage of Elemental Reactions.

As for her Elemental Skill, Trail of the Qilin creates an Ice Lotus while Ganyu dashes backward. When summoned, the Ice Lotus deals AOE Cryo DMG and taunts nearby enemies for 6 seconds before detonating and dealing more AOE Cryo DMG to its surroundings.

Being able to draw aggro is an indispensable skill for archers who work best at long-range. Ganyu’s Elemental Skill is especially helpful since it will group enemies up and make them the perfect target for her fully charged Frostflake Arrows or to help keep them inside her burst for its full duration.

Drawbacks

Relying largely on Charged Attacks is all well and fine until you’re fighting enemies in close-range. Ganyu unfortunately doesn’t have a lot of HP, and she’s often left vulnerable in combat while she charges up her Frostflake Arrows. 

While her Elemental Skill helps, it doesn’t always get every enemy’s attention. If even one or two enemies aren’t drawn in by the Ice Lotus, it can mean Ganyu getting hit for a large chunk of damage.

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Ganyu should prioritize the following stats:

• ATK%
• Cryo DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

There are a couple of different artifact sets that work well with Ganyu. The best, though, seems to be the 5-star Shimenawa’s Reminiscence. It will increase Ganyu’s Normal and Charged Attacks by 50% for 10 seconds after using an Elemental Skill. This comes at the cost of 15 Energy, so make sure you’re aware of that before you try to use an Elemental Burst. 

The best 4-star alternative artifact set is easily the Martial Artist set. Any chance to increase Ganyu’s Charged Attacks is important when maximizing her Frostflake Arrow DMG.

1/10

Yelan — Hydro (5-Star)

Finally, the stage is set for the single best archer character in Genshin Impact! She’s a powerhouse in Liyue working directly under the Tianquan. She also prefers to stay in the shadows while pulling the strings behind the scenes. The top pick on our list of the best archers in Genshin Impact is none other than Yelan! 

She’s quick-witted and even quicker on her feet. Yelan isn’t someone you want to take lightly, and you especially don’t want to get on her bad side.

What Makes Yelan So Good?

Yelan’s DMG potential may be slightly lower than our second ranked archer, but her versatility makes her more than worthy of our top spot. 

Whether she’s in a DPS, Sub-DPS, or Support role, Yelan is sure to shine. She’s also a pretty easy character to use, so players won’t need to be pouring over her Talent descriptions to figure out how her moves work. 

Yelan’s Elemental Burst, Depth-Clarion Dice, is like a supercharged version of Xingqiu’s. When used, Yelan deals AOE Hydro DMG and summons a floating die. This die, called an Exquisite Throw, follows the active character and attacks along with the active character’s Normal Attack. Its attacks deal Hydro DMG and work wonderfully to trigger tons of Elemental Reactions.

Aside from her Elemental Burst, Yelan’s Normal Attacks also pack quite a punch. This is thanks to the Breakthrough state she enters after being out of combat for five seconds and after using her Elemental Skill. While in a Breakthrough state, Yelan’s Aimed Shot charge time is decreased by 80% and will fire Breakthrough Barbs. Breakthrough Barbs deal AOE Hydro DMG that can equal up to 20% of her Max HP. 

If that weren’t enough of a reason to pull for Yelan, her Elemental Skill, Lingering Lifeline, is great at both dealing damage and covering ground without consuming stamina. When used, her Elemental Skill causes Yelan to run at a faster pace than her normal Sprint without using stamina. 

While running in this state, Yelan trails a glowing blue Lifeline behind her. Enemies who come into contact with the Lifeline will be entangled in it. When Yelan stops running, the Lifeline explodes and deals Hydro DMG to all enemies entangled within it. 

Drawbacks

While not exactly a drawback, something to keep in mind when adding Yelan to your team is her Passive Talent. Turn Control increases her Max HP by up to 30% depending on the number of Element types on the team. 

The more Element types on the team, the higher the HP bonus granted. Inversely, this means fewer Element types equal a lower HP bonus, too. Thankfully, with all the characters available now in Genshin Impact, it’s not too important to have two of the same element in your team (outside of specific team builds).

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Yelan should prioritize the following stats:

• HP%
• Hydro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

The overall best artifact set for Yelan is the 5-star Emblem of Severed Fate set. Other artifact sets can also work incredibly well with her, but we suggest the Emblem set to maximize the DMG dealt by her Elemental Burst. 

Depending on your team comp, the 4-star Scholar artifact set makes a decent alternative. It increases Energy Recharge while also giving Energy to party members who use a bow or a catalyst. The Exile works similarly but grants slightly less Energy to all characters regardless of weapon type. 

Join the High Ground

There you have our list of the best archers in Genshin Impact! Did your favorite archer character make our list? Make their case in the comments below!

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of who to Wish for, it’s time to arm them, too. Luckily, we have a list of the best bow weapons in the game, which you can check out here. Check back soon for more guides, character rankings, and all things Genshin Impact.

Happy gaming!