Genshin Impact, a free gacha game by Hoyoverse, has a large and diverse list of playable characters. With so many characters, not everyone has the time to test out every character’s kit and abilities. This guide will go over how to play Yae Miko in Genshin Impact, the owner of the Yae Publishing House and overseer of the Grand Narukami Shrine.
Yae Miko is a 5-star character who requires you to pull on her during a Limited Character Banner. These characters are only available for a limited time when their rate-up is featured on a banner. Yae Miko is an overall strong, but flawed Electro-character who excels in off-field sub-DPS damage.
Overview
- Rarity: 5-star
- Element: Electro
- Weapon: Catalyst
- Best Role: Sub-DPS
Talents
Spirit Sin-Eater
Yae Miko unleashes a string of Normal Attacks, able to chain up to 3 attacks in one string. Like any other character, Yae Miko also has a Charged Attack that deals increased damage and a Plunging Attack if she attacks from a certain height. Her Charged Attack is a unique AoE effect.
When playing Yae Miko, you should not plan on using her Normal Attacks or Charged Attacks. Yae Miko specializes in off-field DPS, meaning she should place down her Elemental Skill and then swap to your main carry.
It is not recommended to level up this talent at all.
Yakan Evocation: Sesshou Sakura
Yae Miko’s Elemental Skill places down a totem that periodically strikes a nearby opponent, dealing Electro DMG. This is her main source of damage. This ability has three charges, meaning you should look to place all three at the same time. Each time the Sesshou Sakura strikes an enemy, it’ll generate 1 Elemental Particle. If there are multiple, only one will generate particles.
Each Sesshou Sakura lasts 14 seconds, and each totem has a cooldown of 4 seconds. That means after placing down all three totems, you’ll have to wait a total of 12 seconds before you can place all of them down again.
It’s not worth using this Elemental Skill if you cannot place all three totems down at the same time. When you place down three Sesshou Sakura, the DMG of the strikes will increase. Therefore, it’s imperative that you place down all three during each rotation. It’s best to organize the totems in a triangular shape. The totem will be placed wherever Yae Miko is standing, and she’ll dash either forward or backward depending on your movement.
Moving forward while placing down your Elemental Skill will cause Yae Miko to move forward while moving backward or not moving at all will cause her to move backward. It’s recommended to prioritize leveling up this talent first.
Note: Yae Miko is susceptible to taking damage or getting knocked away while placing these totems. This is because she does not have any invulnerability frames while using this ability. Take caution when placing this Elemental Skill down.
Great Secret Art: Tenko Kenshin
Yae’s Elemental Burst “unseals” any Sesshou Sakura, destroying them and causing each destroyed totem to shoot a bolt of lightning from the sky. Each bolt of lightning will strike a nearby enemy, dealing some massive damage.
Because of how her first passive works, after using your Elemental Burst, you will be able to place down three Sesshou Sakura again. This means the optimal combo when placing down her abilities is to use: Elemental Skill x3 > Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill x3 to replace the Sesshou Sakura.
This is an expensive Elemental Burst, as it has an energy cost of 90. This is the highest Elemental Burst cost in the game and will require you to funnel tons of energy for this character unless you have her Constellation 1.
Note: This Elemental Burst snapshots. This means after using her Elemental Burst, you will continue to keep any damage buffs applied when the ability was used.
It’s recommended to level up this talent after you level up your Elemental Skill.
The Shrine’s Sacred Shade
This passive makes the Elemental Skill x3 > Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill x3 combo possible. It allows you to place your totems again after destroying them with Yae Miko’s Elemental Burst.
Best Artifacts and Weapons for Yae Miko
Currently, Yae Miko only has one role in Genshin Impact. She functions as an off-field Sub-DPS, meaning certain artifacts and weapons are better for her. She doesn’t have a dedicated Artifact Set yet, meaning she has to make do with other Artifact Set pairings.
For her artifacts, you should choose a mix of an 18%+ ATK set and 2 Thundering Fury pieces. This gives you an ATK boost, as well as an Electro DMG boost, while is the best way to scale up her damage. If you run Yae Miko with Hydro units like Xingqiu or Barbara, you can also run a 4-piece Thundersoother set, which will amplify your Electro-Charged reactions.
For her weapons, she has a dedicated weapon made exclusively for her called the Kagura’s Verity. This weapon works great with her Elemental Skill, making it her best-in-slot. If you don’t have that weapon, you can opt for Skyward Atlas as another 5-star option, or the free Oathsworn Eye as a F2P 4-star option. Battle-pass payers can also put a Solar Pearl on her.
Roles and Teams
Off-field DPS with Raiden: Raiden / Yae Miko / Kazuha / Bennett
This is a great team for Yae Miko that deals tons of damage between Raiden, Yae Miko, and Kazuha. Bennett amplifies your team’s damage greatly as well. But the biggest benefit for this team is Raiden Shogun, who acts as a battery for Yae Miko’s Elemental Burst. With a 90-cost burst, Yae Miko needs someone to reliably let her cast her Elemental Burst off every time she’s on-field.
If you don’t have Raiden Shogun, you can consider using Fischl, Beidou, or Keqing who will all contribute to creating energy for Yae Miko while dealing some strong Electro damage themselves. Beidou in particular can reduce the Electro RES of enemies, while Fischl can generate tons of particles for Yae Miko.
Electro-Charged DPS: Raiden Shogun / Yae Miko / Xingqiu or Barbara / Kazuha
With strong and constant Electro application, Yae Miko can function perfectly in an Electro-Charged focus team. Ideally, you can slot in Xingqiu, and Raiden Shogun will do most of the Electro-Charged damage, with Yae Miko supporting as a sub-DPS on the side.
Similar to the prior team, those who do not have Raiden Shogun should consider building Fischl, Beidou, or Keqing instead as a sub. Kazuha in particular is vital in this team to amp up the Electro damage. He can also double-swirl, increasing the damage of both your Hydro damage and Electro damage.
Constellations
Yae Miko has an incredibly important Constellation 1, which alleviates one of her largest problems in the game. It’s difficult to grab a Constellation at all for most players, and it is not strictly necessary. If you have the funds, however, and love Yae Miko, then consider getting her Constellation 1 next time she’s available.
Here’s an overview of all of Yae Miko’s constellations:
| Constellation 1: Yakan Offering | Each time Great Secret Art: Tenko Kenshin activates a Tenko Thunderbolt, Yae Miko will restore 8 Elemental Energy for herself. | This is her most important constellation, as it cuts Yae Miko’s energy requirements by nearly 25%. If you are using her correctly, instead of a 90-cost Elemental Burst, Yae Miko will effectively have a 66-cost Elemental Burst. This is also an important constellation as it also allows her to be run with more teams. Raiden Shogun is no longer a near-mandatory battery for Yae Miko. |
| Constellation 2: Fox’s Mooncall | Sesshou Sakura will start at Level 2 when created, their max level is increased to 4, and their attack range is increased by 60%. | This is a solid constellation, if not just a marginal damage increase. You will still want to put all three totems down to take advantage of Constellation 1 and her passive. |
| Constellation 3: The Seven Glamours | Increases the Level of Yakan: Evocation: Sesshou Sakura by 3. | Free damage for Yae Miko’s most important part of her kit. |
| Constellation 4: Sakura Channeling | When Sesshou Sakura lightning hits opponents, the Electro DMG bonus of all nearby party members is increased by 20% for 5s. | A cute little constellation that helps her out in her Electro teams, as it amplifies the damage of her allies. Not really important. |
| Constellation 5: Mischievous Teasing | Increases the Level of Great Secret Art: Tenko Kenshin by 3. | More free damage on her Elemental Burst. |
| Constellation 6: Forbidden Art: Daisesshou | The Sesshou Sakura’s attacks will ignore 60% of the opponent’s DEF. | This is an excellent constellation that greatly increases her damage. However, as a 5-star, getting to this point is very expensive. Consider whether or not you really need this damage boost. |
That’s all you need to know about how to play Yae Miko in Genshin Impact. Be sure to follow this guide to create the strongest possible builds for your Yae Miko.
