Best Team Comps and Synergy for Nilou in Genshin Impact

Image: miHoYo via HGG / Ethan Erekson

Human Made

Penned by Ethan Erekson

Ethan is our resident Stardew Valley expert. He has also covered Genshin Impact, Animal Crossing, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Nilou is a 5-star Hydro character in Genshin Impact. On her own, the star of Zubayr Theater is quite capable, with plenty of flexibility and a number of useful talents. She has high HP, letting her tank hits, and with skills and abilities that scale off of it, she’s able to deal quite a bit of damage. However, Nilou is much more than just a capable Hydro sword user. With the right weapon and artifacts, she’s pretty great, but if you pair her with the right characters, she really starts to shine. Today, we’re going over the best team comps and synergies for Nilou in Genshin Impact.

Let’s get started.

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Foreword on the Best Team Comps for Nilou

There’s a lot that goes into building a solid team in Genshin Impact, and choosing characters that work well together is very important. However, it’s not always easy figuring out which characters work best with each other that also work well with how you like to play.

Each character uses different weapons and abilities, and depending on how you build them, they also have a variety of different roles. Characters also have a number of talents, which can interact in a number of unique ways.

Below we’ll go over some of the characters that synergize well with Nilou and briefly discuss their abilities and drawbacks, along with options for stats and equipment. We also go over some team recommendations too!

Our list features 4-star and 5-star characters that work well with Nilou, and some of them are time-limited characters. However, there are plenty of free-to-play friendly options, and for some of the rarer characters, there are other characters you can use instead.

We’re also assuming everything is fully leveled and ascended, but these recommendations should still work regardless of where you’re currently at in the game. If you see something you don’t have yet, use something else in the meantime, and keep an eye out for character banners so you can save up for them when you get the chance.

Also, feel free to change things up! The meta isn’t everything, and the important thing is that you’re having fun and doing what works for you.

How to Choose a Team for Nilou in Genshin Impact

Before we get into the recommendations, let’s go over some basics about team-building in Genshin Impact. 

Synergies, Stats, & Rotations

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing and building your team in Genshin Impact. Like we mentioned earlier, one of the big things is the character combinations. Different characters and elements work together in different ways. You’ll need to consider your characters passives, weapons, and roles, along with what Elemental Reactions you want to have.

Another important factor is stats. While you can always just go for the stats that work best for each character, sometimes another character utilizes that stat better. You might want to prioritize a different stat to make your team better. For example, when you’re triggering Elemental Reactions, you’ll want to have plenty of Elemental Mastery. However, not all of your characters need to have that stat, just the character triggering the reactions. As such, you might be better off adjusting your other characters stats so they work better for another role. This can vary a lot, and in doubt, you can always stick with the standard recommendations. Just remember that what’s best for that individual characters isn’t always what’s best for the team.

Finally, there are rotations. These specific combinations of attacks, skills, and bursts can help you maximize your team’s DPS. Nilou-centric teams are flexible, so knowing specific key combos isn’t necessary,but you’ll still need to know each character’s role and how their skills can be used together. With this information, you’ll be able to make the most of your team and make quick work of your enemies.

Catering Nilou’s Teammates to Her Best Role

Nilou is a capable character on her own, but her real talents are her A1 and A4 Passives. By pairing Nilou exclusively with Hydro and Dendro characters, she becomes a powerful Bloom Support.

By using Sword Dance or Whirling Steps the third time after you cast Nilou’s Skill, Bloom reactions instead summon Bountiful Cores, which are far more powerful their typical Bloom counterpart. With a healer to balance out the AoE damage and a high EM character for Dendro application, you end up with a team that can dish out a ton of explosive damage.

Of course, Nilou is pretty flexible, so feel free to experiment! While Nilou’s Ascension Passives are geared towards Bloom reactions, she also works well in a variety of other setups, including Freeze and Vape team comps. You can also consider throwing in a character like Kazuha to help with crowd control. Sure, you may lose out on the explosive power of Bountiful Cores, but Nilou is pretty versatile. You don’t always have to stick to the meta to get a capable team.

Takeaway

Nilou is a versatile character with a lot of strengths, and she works well in a variety of situations. One thing she’s especially great at is Bloom support, thanks to her Passives and the Bountiful Cores that come along with it. However, the most important thing is finding a team that works well with how you play the game. If that ends up being characters and teammates that fit the meta, then great! If not, that’s fine too.

Overall, we made this list to help you better understand your options when choosing what characters to pair Nilou with in Genshin Impact. There are plenty of characters out there, and hopefully, you’ll find something that works for you and also destroys your enemies.

5 Best Teammates for Nilou in Genshin Impact, Ranked

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into the recommendations. Here are Nilou’s top 5 teammates in Genshin Impact, ranked from good to best.

5/5

Collei

First up we have Collei, a 4-star Dendro character and a bow user. This trainee forest ranger is sure to fulfill your off-field Dendro application needs. She’s also fairly free-to-play friendly, which is a bonus.

Talents & Abilities

Elemental Skill: Floral Brush

Floral Brush is one of Collei’s many ways of applying Dendro, and it sort of functions like a boomerang. When she uses her Skill, she throws out a Floral Ring, which comes back after some time. The main advantage for her skill is that it deals Dendro DMG to targets it comes into contact with, including on the way back. This means you have a chance to apply Dendro twice each time you use her skill. Consistently landing Floral Brush will take some practice, but it’s pretty useful once you get the hang of it.

After you get Collei’s A1 Passive, her skill gets even better. Floral Sidewinder adds the Sprout effect, and when it’s active, Collei gets some extra Dendro application for nearby enemies. To activate this effect, all you need to do is have one of your party members trigger a Dendro-based Elemental Reaction before the Floral Ring returns. Sprout also deals some damage, but the extra Dendro application is really what matters.

Elemental Burst: Trump-Card Kitty

Most of Collei’s damage and Dendro application come from her Elemental Burst. For Trump-Card Kitty, Collei throws a doll, whose name is Cuilein-Anbar, which causes an explosion and deals AoE Dendro DMG. During this, Cuilein-Anbar bounces around and deals additional Dendro DMG within the area of the explosion.

Overall, this move is great for dealing damage and applying Dendro at the same time. Once you unlock Collei’s A4 Passive, The Languid Wood, and throw some Elemental Reactions into the mix, her Burst also gets extended by up to 3 seconds, making it even more useful.

Drawbacks

Overall, Collei is a pretty good character, but there are a couple things to keep in mind. For starters, she’s fairly energy hungry and you’ll need a decent amount of Energy Recharge. 200% ER is usually a pretty good target, though you’ll need to balance that with other stats like EM since you’ll want to maximize her damage potential. Of course, there are some things you can do help with this, like using a second Dendro character or equipping a weapon that grants ER.

On top of that, Collei also requires some high investment if you want to unlock her potential. She may be a free character, but you won’t get some of her bigger damage and gameplay improvements until her later constellations. She’s still a great free-to-play option, but it’s something to keep in mind when deciding to use her over other characters.

Stats & Equipment

Elemental Mastery. Dendro characters like Collei are especially great for applying Dendro and triggering Elemental Reactions. As such, EM is vital as it helps maximize Bloom ownership and damage.

For artifacts, Deepwood Memories is the way to go, but if you’re using it on another character, you’ll want to use Gilded Dreams instead. As for what weapon to use, Elegy for the End is a great option as it gives EM, ER, and ATK% along with buffing the rest of your team! However, if you don’t have it yet, Favonius Warbow is a great free-to-play option.

4/5

Xingqiu

Next up, we have Xingqiu, a 4-star Hydro character and a great Sub-DPS. While most on this list are geared towards applying their respective elements and Bloom ownership, you may not always want to trigger Bloom reactions. If you ever need a character for some non-reaction damage, Xingqiu is the way to go.

Talents & Abilities

Elemental Skill: Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen

When Xingqiu uses his skill, he deals Hydro DMG and summons a certain number of Rain Swords, which have a number of effects. Their primary effect is damage reduction, as whenever Xingqiu take damage, a Rain Sword will shatter and reduce damage, with further damage reduction based on his Hydro DMG Bonus. On top of that, his A1 Passive also heals Xingqiu by 6% of his max HP when they break. Xingqiu’s Rain Swords also applies Hydro to enemies within range, which can open up other opportunities in combat.

Elemental Burst: Guhua Sword: Raincutter

Like his Skill, Raincutter creates a number of Rain Swords that surround Xingqiu, though it adds another effect into the mix with Rainbow Bladework. The Rain Swords function as they normally do, though with his Burst, Normal Attacks trigger consecutive sword rain attacks that deal Hydro DMG. All of this together gives Xingqiu damage resistance, healing, and increased damage and Hydro application.

However, that’s not all. The effects of Raincutter carry over to other character on your team, so whenever you switch out Xingqiu, the active character gets to keep the Rain Swords and the effects of Rainbow Bladework! Of course, this isn’t particularly useful on a Pure Bloom team, as most of the other characters that work well on a Bloom team don’t rely on their Normal Attack that much, but the added flexibility is still nice nonetheless.

Drawbacks

Like Collei, Xingqiu is an energy hungry character. As a Sub-DPS, his gameplay largely focuses on his Skill and Burst, which requires a lot of energy. Using the right equipment helps with this, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

However, the primary drawbacks to using Xingqiu in a Pure Bloom team with Nilou ultimately depends on your playstyle. While some people might enjoy the flexibility of having a non-reaction DPS option, going all in on Bloom has higher damage. In the end, it’s up to you and how you want to play.

Stats & Equipment

Energy Recharge. To use Xingqiu effectively and maximize his Bursts, you’ll want to have plenty of ER. Emblem of Severed Fate is especially great for this, and if you have enough ER (around 240%) Primordial Jade Cutter is easily his best weapon. If it’s a little lacking, Sacrificial Sword is another great option.

3/5

Dendro Traveler

Being able to use a character you already have is pretty convenient, and unlike some of their other elements, Traveler is actually a pretty good Dendro character. Functionally, they’re pretty similar to Collei, but doubling up on Dendro just means more Bountiful Cores and explosive damage.

Talents & Abilities

Elemental Skill: Razorgrass Blade

Dendro Traveler’s Elemental Skill is pretty straightforward. They swing their sword, unleash a “spray of razor-sharp leaves”, and deal Dendro DMG. It has a pretty large horizontal range, and it also generates some Dendro particles, which you’ll want to collect while Traveler is on-field. The energy generated is pretty useful, so you’ll want to use their skill when you get the chance.

Elemental Burst: Surgent Manifestation

However, Dendro Traveler’s most important ability is easily their Burst. Surgent Manifestation creates a Lea Lotus Lamp that deals continuous Dendro DMG to enemies within its AoE. The Lamps effects also change somewhat as it comes into contact with certain elements.

For Hydro, the Lamp’s AoE and attack AoE both increase, and for Electro, the attack speed increases. However, when it’s hit by Pyro, the Lamp explodes, disappearing and dealing AoE Dendro DMG in the process.

The Lamp reactions can be triggered by anyone, including your enemies. If you want to take advantage of it’s Hydro (or Electro) state, you’ll want to trigger it before your opponents can. Fortunately, it can only change once. As long as you apply some Hydro, you’ll be able to take full advantage of the Lamp and the Dendro DMG and application it provides.

The Lea Lotus Lamp is already pretty handy from that alone, but once you unlock Dendro Traveler’s A1 Passive, it becomes even more useful. Verdant Overgrowth adds a new ability to the mix called Overflowing Lotuslight, which increases EM for characters within its AoE. Most Bloom damage is based on EM, so the extra EM is especially great for a Pure Bloom team.

Drawbacks

Like the other characters on this list, Dendro Traveler has some relatively high energy requirements, with the only difference being that they’re even higher. Depending on how you use them, their ER requirements can be anywhere from 200-250%! Of course, you can offset this somewhat by doubling up on Dendro characters, but you’ll still need to make sure they have enough ER when working on their build.

Traveler is also a pretty high investment character, though it’s a little different then Collei. All of their constellations are free, and you’ll get them just by playing the game. However, with each new element, you have to build Traveler all over again, including for basic things like their Normal Attack! Of course, Dendro Traveler is still very capable, and they’re a great free-to-play option, but it’s still frustrating, to say the least.

Stats & Equipment

EM/ER. In terms of stats and equipment, Dendro Traveler’s build is almost identical to Collei. You’ll want to prioritize Elemental Mastery for their stats, and Deepwood Memories is their best artifact set (or Gilded Dreams if someone else is using Deepwood). As for Traveler’s weapon, you’ll want to use Favonius Sword, as it offers plenty of ER, which is necessary for this character because they’re pretty energy hungry, as we mentioned above.

2/5

Sangonomiya Kokomi

Sangonomiya Kokomi is versatile 5-star who works especially well as both a Healer and Hydro enabler. She’s perfectly capable of out-healing the self-damage that comes along with the explosive might of Bloom reactions and Bountiful Cores, and she can also deal quite a bit of damage on her own. All of this and more makes her a valuable addition to just about any team.

Talents & Abilities

Elemental Skill: Kurage’s Oath

Kokomi’s Elemental Skill pretty much does it all. Upon using Kurage’s Oath, Kokomi summons a Bake-Kurage that’s created from water. Not only does this Bake-Kurage deal Hydro DMG, but it also provides healing to Kokomi and her teammates. It also has a chance to generate Hydro particles.

Bountiful Cores comes with a fair amount of self-damage, so this healing is much needed as it enables you to keep the Bloom reactions coming while your enemies perish from their explosive power. With damage, healing, energy, and Hydro application, Kokomi’s Skill has a lot to offer.

Elemental Burst: Nereid’s Ascension

Kokomi may be a healer, but that doesn’t mean she can’t deal her fair share of damage. Upon using her Burst, Kokomi deals Hydro DMG to surrounding opponents, and then she gets clothed in a Ceremonial Garment.

While in this state, Kokomi’s Normal and Charged Attacks, along with her Bake-Kurage, receive a significant DMG buff based on her max HP. On top of that, Kokomi restores HP for party members when her Normal and Charged Attacks hit opponents. Kokomi’s Burst also refreshes her Bake-Kurage’s duration if it’s on the field once you get her A1 Passive. With all of this, Neried’s Ascension certainly takes both of Kokomi’s roles to the next level.

Drawbacks

There aren’t that many drawbacks to using Kokomi, especially in a Pure Bloom team. However, there’s something you’ll have to consider when you’re working on her build. We’ll go into more depth below, but it ultimately comes down to how you want to use her.

On one hand, you can build her as you normally would and have really good healing and personal damage. Alternatively, you can build her with a focus on reaction damage and Bloom ownership. You get greater overall damage and flexibility as a result, but her healing capabilities are somewhat reduced.

Stats & Equipment

HP%/DMG%/Healing Bonus. A great option for Kokomi is her best-in-slot equipment: Ocean-Hued Clam artifacts with Everlasting Moonglow. Ideally, you’ll want HP% on Sands, Hydro DMG Bonus on Goblet, and Healing Bonus on Circlet. With this combination, you’ll have boosted damage and healing capabilities. It also helps reduce Kokomi’s ER requirements. However, if you want something that’s a little more free-to-play friendly, you can always substitute Prototype Amber for Everlasting Moonglow and still keep most of the advantages of this build.

Elemental Mastery. Alternatively, you can do an EM Kokomi build. While Elemental Mastery usually isn’t the best stat for Kokomi, this is a Nilou Bloom team, so EM ends up being pretty useful. Going all in on EM lets Kokomi trigger Bountiful Cores, which helps the team do even more damage. Kokomi also has really solid Bloom ownership, making this build very effective. For equipment, you’ll want 4pc Gilded Dreams with Sacrificial Fragments, as those will let you maximize Kokomi’s Elemental Mastery. You’ll lose out on some of Kokomi’s healing capabilities when compared to 4pc OHC with Everlasting Moonglow, but for some people, the higher damage ceiling is worth the sacrifice.

1/5

Nahida

When it comes to Dendro characters, it doesn’t get much better than the Dendro Archon herself. Nahida is a 5-star Dendro Catalyst character who’s great for Dendro application and damage, and she’s unparalleled when it comes to Dendro Elemental Reactions. Paired with Nilou’s Bountiful Cores, Nahida’s abilities get taken to another level.

Talents & Abilities

Elemental Skill: All Schemes to Know

Nahida’s Skill is one of her main sources of damage, and there’s a couple of ways you can use it. If you decide to just use it, it’ll deal AoE Dendro DMG and mark up to 8 opponents with the Seed of Skandha. However, if you hold her Skill, you’ll instead enter Aiming Mode, which lets you target specific enemies. After you release, it deals Dendro DMG, and like before, it can mark up to 8 enemies with the Seed of Skandha. Once they’re marked, the opponents are linked.

This may not sound like much, but the real damage comes once you throw Elemental Reactions into the mix. After opponents marked by Seed of Skandha take damage from these reactions, Nahida unleashes Tri-Karma Purification, which deals Dendro DMG based on her ATK and EM. This is on top of the damage from the reactions, and Bountiful Core Blooms can already deal a ton of damage on their own! And if that’s not enough, Nahida’s A4 Passive gives TKP even more damage based on how much EM she has.

Elemental Burst: Illusory Heart

As for Nahida’s Elemental Burst, it generates a large AoE field that can have a variety of effects depending on what Elemental Types are present within your party. For Hydro, the effect is just an increased duration, so the real value of Nahida’s Burst in a Pure Bloom team comes from her A1 Passive.

Compassion Illuminated provides an EM buff to your active character as long as they’re within the AoE field generated by Nahida’s burst. This buff equals 25% of the EM of the party member with the highest EM. It can be as high as 250 EM, which is a significant damage boost for teams that utilize Elemental Reactions.

Drawbacks

For the most part, Nahida doesn’t really have a any drawbacks. She’s pretty great at what she does. However, if you want to make the most of her in a Pure Bloom team with Nilou, you’ll probably want a second Dendro character as Nahida’s solo Bloom ownership can be a little inconsistent.

Stats & Equipment

Elemental Mastery. Like other Dendro characters, Nahida’s role in a Nilou Bloom team largely revolves around applying Dendro and triggering Bloom reactions. If you want to maximize her Bloom ownership and DPS, you’ll need plenty of EM. Ideally, you’ll want to have it be around 900-1000 so you can maximize the buffs from Nahida’s passives.

To achieve this, you should generally use Deepwood Memories artifacts on Nahida, but if you’re using that set on another character, Gilded Dreams is also a solid option. As for her weapon, A Thousand Floating Dreams is the way to go.

Best Team Comps for Nilou in Genshin Impact

Double Hydro/Dendro

Prepare for trouble and make it double! This is a Nilou Bloom team comp after all. While most combinations of Hydro and Dendro characters will work for this team, one of the best options is a Double Hydro/Dendro team. Each combination has its own advantages, but the double version is especially great for Bloom ownership. It also helps solve the energy needs for most of these characters.

Now, with this setup, we recommend using Nilou, Nahida, Kokomi, and Dendro Traveler. Nilou is essential to this team—this is a Nilou guide after all—as she is great for non-reaction damage and off-field Hydro application. Her skill also enables your Dendro characters to do some Hydro application of their own through her Tranquility Aura. She also brings Bountiful Cores to the table through her passive, which greatly increase damage on multiple fronts, including power, speed, and AoE.

Next, you have Nahida, who’s great for on-field Dendro application and Bloom ownership. With high EM, she’s able to maximize the damage from the Bountiful Core reactions. Of course, Dendro Bloom ownership can be a little inconsistent if Nahida’s applying Dendro on her own, so Dendro Traveler is there to help out.

Finally, you have Kokomi. The increased reaction area from the Bountiful Cores comes with increased self-damage, so Kokomi is there to balance things out. And depending on how you build her, she can also help trigger Bloom reactions, improving overall Bloom ownership and letting you mix things up a bit.

Double Hydro/Dendro (Free-to-Play Variant)

Of course, some of these characters are time-limited, and you may not have them yet. Fortunately, there are other characters that can be used while you wait for the next banner to roll around. Here’s a more accessible team comp option you can use in the meantime.

For the most part this team functions pretty much the same. You still have Nilou and Dendro Traveler, but instead of Kokomi and Nahida, you have more free-to-play friendly characters like Barbara and Collei. Collei (or Dendro Traveler) takes over Dendro application, and Barbara is your healer.

All that you really lose out on is some flexibility when it comes to Bloom ownership as Barbara isn’t great for triggering Blooms, and your damage ceiling is lower. You’ll also need to be mindful of your self-damage, but overall, you keep most of the setup and most of the damage that comes with it.

Rotations

Rotations for a Nilou Bloom team are pretty flexible, and as long as you keep each character’s abilities and roles in mind, you should be able to deal a ton of damage. However, for those interested, we’ve included a rotation for you to try below. If you want an example of this rotation and it’s damage potential, you can find one here.

Nilou E -> Nahida E -> Kokomi E -> DMC E Q -> Nahida Q E -> Kokomi Q and DPS until it’s over -> Nilou Q to fill the downtime -> repeat (adapt and apply Dendro with Nahida as needed)

Overall, just remember to experiment and have fun. These teams are pretty flexible after all. With a bit of work and practice, you too can experience the explosive might of a Nilou Bloom team.

Join the High Ground!

What are your thoughts on the team comps and synergies we’ve chosen for Nilou in Genshin Impact? What characters and setups would you use instead? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. Want to learn more about how you can build Nilou? Learn about her best weapons and more here.

Happy gaming!