Updated for Version 4.0
Lyney is a 5-star Pyro Bow character in Genshin Impact who focuses on Charged Shots and works best in Mono Pyro teams. Learn about Lyney’s best builds, artifacts, weapons, and teams in this in-depth review.
Note that the information given may change if new discoveries are made. More extensive testing is in progress.
Join our Discord to participate in the theorycrafting process.
Table of Contents
Infographic
Design: kol
Content: kol
Character Overview
Playstyles
On-Field Charged Shot DPS
Lyney is an on-field Pyro DPS unit who deals a majority of his damage through Charged Shots and related abilities that deal Charged Attack DMG. His Ascension 4 Passive incentivizes the use of multiple Pyro teammates, especially in Mono Pyro teams.
Talents
Talent Priority
Talent Priority
Normal Attack > Skill ≥ Burst
Most of Lyney’s damage consists of his Charged Attacks and Grin-Malkin Hats, both of which scale with his Normal Attack Talent. As such, his Normal Attack Talent is the most recommended to level.
Lyney’s Skill and Burst Talents are interchangeable based on whether Lyney can expect to use his Burst every rotation or not.
Talent Overview
Normal Attack | Card Force Translocation
Talent Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 4 consecutive shots with a bow.
Plunging Attack
Fires off a shower of arrows in mid-air before falling and striking the ground, dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
Charged Attack
Performs a more precise Aimed Shot with increased DMG.
While aiming, flames will run across the arrowhead before being fired. Different effects will occur based on the time spent charging.
- Charge Level 1: Fires off a Pyro-infused arrow, dealing Pyro DMG.
- Charge Level 2: Fires off a Prop Arrow that deals Pyro DMG, and upon hit, it will summon a Grin-Malkin Hat.
When firing the Prop Arrow, and when Lyney has more than 60% HP, he will consume a portion of his HP to obtain 1 Prop Surplus stack. Max 5 stacks.
The effect will be removed after the character spends 30s out of combat.
The lowest Lyney can drop to through this method is 60% of his Max HP.
Grin-Malkin Hat
- Can taunt nearby opponents and attract their attacks. Each opponent can only be taunted by the Hat once every 5s.
- The Hat will inherit a percentage of Lyney’s Max HP.
- If destroyed, or if its duration expires, it will fire off a Pyrotechnic Strike at 1 nearby opponent, dealing Pyro DMG.
Only 1 Hat can exist at any given time.
Arkhe: Pneuma
At certain intervals, the Prop Arrow will cause a Spiritbreath Thorn to descend upon its hit location, dealing Pneuma-aligned Pyro DMG.
Most of Lyney’s damage comes from his Normal Attack Talent.
Lyney’s Level 2 Charged Shot fires a Prop Arrow that deals increased damage and summons a Grin-Malkin Hat. If his HP is above 60% when the Prop Arrow is fired, he consumes max 20% of his HP to obtain 1 Prop Surplus stack.
Grin-Malkin Hats (Hats) are a form of taunt. They remain on-field until 4s have passed, they take too much damage, or another Hat is summoned. Upon disappearing, the Hat disappears and fires a Pyrotechnic Shot, which targets an enemy and deals mostly single-target damage. Additionally, if Lyney’s Skill is used, all present Hats will explode and deal Pyrotechnic Strike damage in an AoE.
Prop Surplus is a stacking mechanic that increases the damage and healing of Lyney’s Skill.
Prop Arrows can deal Pneuma-aligned Pyro damage once every 6s, which allows him to interact with Ousia-aligned objects and enemies.
Elemental Skill | Bewildering Lights
Talent Description
Lyney does a flourish with his hat, unleashing a firework surprise!
When used, he will clear all current Prop Surplus stacks and deal AoE Pyro DMG to opponents in front of him. DMG will be increased according to the stacks cleared, and this will also regenerate Lyney’s HP based on his Max HP.
When a Grin-Malkin Hat created by Lyney is on the field, the fireworks will cause it to explode, dealing AoE Pyro DMG equal to that of a Pyrotechnic Strike.
The DMG dealt through the Grin-Malkin Hat in this way is considered Charged Attack DMG.
When Lyney’s Skill is cast, Prop Surplus stacks are consumed, with each stack increasing his Skill damage and self-heal. It is ideal to use Lyney’s Skill at the end of his rotation in order to maximize the Prop Surplus stacks consumed.
This Skill’s healing, while noteworthy, cannot replace a dedicated healer, as Lyney wants to fire up to five Charged Shots from above 60% Max HP.
Elemental Burst | Wondrous Trick: Miracle Parade
Talent Description
Unleashing his magic, Lyney turns himself into a Grin-Malkin Cat that can move around quickly. (Not to be mistaken for the Grin-Malkin Hat. They’re two different props!)
When the Grin-Malkin Cat gets close to opponents, it will send flames falling down on them, dealing at most 1 instance of Pyro DMG to each opponent. When the duration ends, he will dismiss the Grin-Malkin Cat and ignite fireworks that deal AoE Pyro DMG, summon 1 Grin-Malkin Hat, and grant himself 1 Prop Surplus stack.
Grin-Malkin Cat can be actively canceled.
Lyney’s Burst is a large chunk of damage that can be used at any point in the combo before his Skill.
It should be noted that the Hat summoned this way cannot benefit from Lyney’s A1.
Because of the long duration Lyney can stay in Grin-Malkin Cat form, it’s recommended to cancel it early by pressing the Skill button to save time. However, the invulnerability frames and subsequent damage reduction it provides make it a decent panic button.
Ascension 1 Passive | Perilous Performance
Talent Description
If Lyney consumes HP when firing off a Prop Arrow, the Grin-Malkin hat summoned by the arrow will, upon hitting an opponent, restore 3 Energy to Lyney and increase DMG dealt by 80% of his ATK.
Lyney’s A1 allows Prop Arrows to gain even more value. This, along with many other conditional additives to the Prop Arrow, requires Lyney to consume his HP.
Ascension 4 Passive | Conclusive Ovation
Talent Description
The DMG Lyney deals to opponents affected by Pyro will receive the following buffs:
- Increases the DMG dealt by 60%.
- Each Pyro party member other than Lyney will cause the DMG dealt to increase by an additional 20%.
Lyney can deal up to 100% increased DMG to opponents affected by Pyro in this way.
Lyney’s A4 is an extremely large increase to his damage with the condition that he hits opponents affected by Pyro. This means Lyney will not gain the buff if he triggers Vaporize or Melt. This loss in reaction damage is made up for by a whopping 60-100% DMG buff to all attacks as long as they meet the condition. This also incentivizes the usage of Mono Pyro teams (teams that focus on reaction-less Pyro damage and typically consist of primarily Pyro units).
Constellations
Constellation 1 | Whimsical Wonders
Lyney can have 2 Grim-Malkin Hats present at once.
Additionally, Prop Arrows will summon 2 Grin-Malkin Hats and grant Lyney 1 extra stack of Prop Surplus. This effect can occur once every 15s.
Lyney’s C1 adds an additional Hat if you use 4 or more Charged Attacks per rotation and adds a Hat and a Prop Surplus stack if you use 3 Charged Attacks per rotation. These are moderate increases to Lyney’s overall damage.
Constellation 2 | Loquacious Cajoling
When Lyney is on the field, he will gain a stack of Crisp Focus every 2s. This will increase his CRIT DMG by 20%. Max 3 stacks. This effect will be canceled when Lyney leaves the field.
This CRIT DMG buff is very potent for Lyney, despite being a ramping buff.
Constellation 3 | Prestidigitation
Increases the Level of Normal Attack: Card Force Translocation by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
This Constellation provides levels to Lyney’s Normal Attack Talent instead of the usual Skill or Burst levels. As such, it’s a strong Constellation due to improving the bulk of Lyney’s damage.
Constellation 4 | Well-Versed, Well-Rehearsed
After an opponent is hit by Lyney’s Pyro Charged Attack, this opponent’s Pyro RES will be decreased by 20% for 6s.
This Constellation is a small damage increase for Lyney himself, but allows other Pyro characters in the team to deal increased damage as well.
Constellation 5 | To Pierce Enigmas
Increases the Level of Wondrous Trick: Miracle Parade by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Lyney’s Burst is only a small portion of his overall damage. As such, this Constellation is rather insignificant.
Constellation 6 | Guarded Smile
When Lyney fires a Prop Arrow, he will fire a Pyrotechnic Strike: Reprised that will deal 80% of a Pyrotechnic Strike’s DMG. This DMG is considered Charged Attack DMG.
C6 greatly increases the damage Lyney does with each Charged Attack by adding a Pyrotechnic Strike: Reprised to each of his Prop Arrows. This is Lyney’s strongest Constellation.
Rotations / Combos
CS = Fully-Charged Aimed Shot
E = Elemental Skill
Q = Elemental Burst
| {Multiple CS} Q (E) | Lyney’s typical combo with his Burst. It is possible to use his Burst at the beginning of the combo to receive more Energy in the first rotation; however, you should prioritize using it at the end if holding 4pc Marechaussee Hunter. |
| {Multiple CS} E | Lyney’s combo without his Burst. |
| (CS) E {Multiple CS} (Q) | Lyney’s combo while holding 4pc Shimenawa’s Reminiscence. The initial Charged Shot and final Burst are optional. |
- Multiple Charged Shots – Lyney can usually get in at least 3–4 Charged Shots per combo. Additionally, he should use 1–2 more Charged Shots if his Burst is not ready.
- Burst Cancel – Lyney should cancel his Burst early by pressing his Skill. Note that this does not result in another use of his Skill.
- Maximizing Buffs – If you want Lyney’s Burst to benefit from 4pc Viridescent Venerer’s Pyro RES Shred, you should use it no later than after two Charged Shots in a typical rotation.
Artifacts
ER Requirements
| Bursting Every Rotation |
| 125–150% |
| Bursting Every Other Rotation |
| 100% |
Use the Energy Recharge Calculator to determine exact requirements for your team and rotation.
Artifact Stats
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| ATK% | Pyro DMG Bonus | CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG |
Substats: CRIT > ATK% > Flat ATK ≥ ER%
Goblet can be ATK% if its substats are better than your Pyro DMG% options.
With 4pc Marechaussee Hunter, Lyney’s Circlet should be CRIT DMG since the 4pc set bonus already provides substantial CRIT Rate.
In terms of substats, Lyney should prioritize CRIT since his typical teams already benefit from Bennett’s Flat ATK buff. Energy Recharge should only be considered if Lyney uses his Burst every rotation.
Artifact Sets
Because 4pc Marechaussee Hunter is so strong, it’s recommended to farm it for Lyney. As the set’s Domain is reasonably resin-efficient, other options are generally not worthwhile.
If you choose not to use 4pc Marechaussee Hunter, 4pc Lavawalker or 2pc mixed sets are your next best option. 4pc Vermillion Hereafter and 4pc Shimenawa’s Reminiscence are conditionally strong depending on Lyney’s team and ER requirements.
 Marechaussee Hunter | By far Lyney’s best artifact set. Lyney pairs well with this set’s condition, as he will achieve maximum stacks by the time his second Prop Arrow hits. At maximum stacks, it provides a whopping 36% CRIT Rate and 15% Charged Attack DMG Bonus. |
 Lavawalker | As this artifact set shares a condition with Lyney’s A4 Passive, it can be considered an unconditional buff to his damage. |
 Vermillion Hereafter | 4pc Vermillion Hereafter is best used when Lyney uses his Burst every rotation; otherwise, it is not recommended.The set provides a lot of ATK%, with the 4pc effect triggering both when firing Prop Arrows and when using Burst. It can be better than 4pc Lavawalker, although it remains notably weaker than 4pc Marechaussee Hunter. With this set, Lyney should start his on-field combo with his Burst. |
 Shimenawa’s Reminiscence | 4pc Shimenawa’s Reminiscence is best used in teams where Lyney uses his Burst every other rotation; otherwise, it is not recommended. The set provides high Charged Attack DMG Bonus at the cost of 15 Energy. This makes it infeasible for Lyney to Burst every rotation. With this set, Lyney should use his Skill first, or after one Charged Attack in his combo. |
| 2-piece Mixed Sets | Sets include 2pc Marechaussee Hunter, 2pc Crimson Witch of Flames, and any 2pc that provides 18% ATK. Any combination of these sets works similarly on Lyney. Choose the one with the best substats. |
 Wanderer’s Troupe | Provides the lowest Charged Attack DMG Bonus of the sets that increase Charged Attack damages, albeit unconditionally. |
 Retracing Bolide | Most Lyney teams will run a shielder, making this set’s condition fairly easy to maintain. However, it only buffs Lyney’s Charged Attacks, making it worse than other mentioned sets. |
 Desert Pavilion Chronicle | The passive condition is easy to trigger with a Charged Shot. However, it only buffs Lyney’s Charged Attacks, making it worse than other mentioned sets. |
Weapons
 The First Great Magic | As Lyney’s signature weapon, The First Great Magic complements his playstyle well. With CRIT DMG, Charged Attack DMG%, along with an ATK% buff that increases with each Pyro character in the team, it skyrockets above all other options. It is the best option for Lyney with 2+ stacks on its passive. |
 Aqua Simulacra | Aqua Simulacra is a great weapon for Lyney, as long as you fight somewhat close to enemies for the DMG% passive. Its high CRIT DMG substat pairs very well into 4pc MH, but is still very strong without 4pc MH. |
 Thundering Pulse | Thundering Pulse is a strong, unconditional weapon providing both CRIT DMG and ATK%. |
 Skyward Harp | Although weapons with a CRIT Rate secondary stat tend to overcap with 4pc MH, Skyward Harp has a low amount of the stat, while also yielding high Base ATK and some CRIT DMG. |
 Amos’ Bow | Amos’ Bow increases Charged Attack DMG% based on arrow flight time. Notably, Grin-Malkin Hats are capable of receiving this buff. |
 Song of Stillness | Song of Stillness works well with Lyney, who needs healers in his team. It has a lower damage ceiling than Prototype Crescent, but does not require hitting enemy weak points. |
 Prototype Crescent | Prototype Crescent can be potent if you trigger its passive, but tends to be inconsistent due to some enemies lacking weak points. |
 Polar Star | Though Polar Star is a strong option on Lyney, it becomes notably weaker due to his best set being 4pc MH. This causes Polar Star’s CRIT Rate secondary stat to quickly overcap in conjunction with 4pc MH. Because Lyney does not capitalize on this weapon as much as other units, it is recommended to use Polar Star on them instead. |
 Hunter’s Path | Because Lyney’s teams do not trigger significant Pyro reactions, Lyney will not build EM, meaning this weapon’s passive is close to useless. Though it provides a high CRIT Rate secondary stat, 4pc MH is highly recommended on Lyney, which will easily overcap Lyney’s CRIT Rate. Because Lyney does not capitalize on this weapon as much as other units, it is recommended to use Hunter’s Path on them instead. |
 Blackcliff Warbow | Blackcliff Warbow is a decent CRIT DMG stat stick. That being said, gaining its stacks is rather inconsistent, as Lyney performs best in single-target. It is not recommended to buy this weapon, since it is worse than the craftable options. Nevertheless, it can be a decent option if you already have one. |
Teambuilding
Offensive Teammates
 Bennett | Bennett is essential to Lyney’s teams due to his healing, Flat ATK buff, and battery potential. It is recommended to run a healing-focused build on Bennett while playing him with Lyney. |
 Kazuha | Kazuha provides an Elemental DMG% buff and can hold 4pc Viridescent Venerer to shred enemy Pyro RES. He is one of the best options for maximizing Lyney’s personal damage. |
 Venti | Venti’s powerful grouping uniquely allows Lyney to take advantage of the small AoE on his Pyrotechnic Strikes, allowing Lyney to deal with groups of enemies as long as they can be lifted by Venti’s Burst. With enemies grouped tightly by Venti’s Burst, the small AoE on Lyney’s Pyrotechnic Strikes can easily hit multiple enemies at once. Venti also contributes personal damage, shreds enemy Pyro RES with 4pc Viridescent Venerer, and can refund 15 Flat Energy to Lyney and other Pyro teammates. Venti’s potential is limited greatly in single-target situations and against enemies that his Burst cannot pull, so it is not recommended to bring him when facing such scenarios. |
  Sucrose / Heizou | Both Sucrose and Heizou can hold 4pc Viridescent Venerer to shred enemy Pyro RES and Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers to provide an ATK% buff. At C6, Sucrose can increase Lyney’s Pyro DMG Bonus with her Burst. |
 Other Anemo Units | Other Anemo units can still buff Lyney by using 4pc Viridescent Venerer, but are not particularly notable and may extend rotations. |
 Xiangling | Xiangling is a powerful Pyro off-field DPS who provides strong AoE damage while also allowing Lyney to max out his A4 Passive as well as his signature weapon’s passive. Bennett is more essential than ever with Xiangling in the team, as she greatly appreciates his Pyro Particle generation and is able to take full advantage of his ATK buffs. Though she forces longer rotations, the damage she provides more than compensates for this. However, her Burst requires Lyney to play at a close range, which players may find unpleasant. If players are struggling to pilot Lyney as a result, any damage gained from running Xiangling may be canceled out. In such cases, it is recommended that players use a character other than Xiangling. |
 C2+ Klee | Klee provides a DEF Shred with her C2, can hold Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers, and helps to maintain Lyney’s A4 Passive. In Lyney teams, she only casts her Skill to apply the C2 debuff before switching off to grant Lyney the Thrilling Tales buff. |
 Albedo | Albedo provides some off-field DPS while being exceptionally easy to play. It is recommended to use him with Zhongli for Geo Resonance. In order to prevent Zhongli’s Stone Stele Resonance from removing the Pyro aura on enemies, it’s recommended to break the Stone Stele by casting it on top of Albedo’s Solar Isotoma. Since they are summoned the same distance away from the player, this can be easily achieved with Albedo E > Zhongli hE. |
Defensive Teammates
 Zhongli | Zhongli provides a strong shield and Universal RES Shred. He can also hold support artifact sets like 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith or Archaic Petra. |
 Dehya | Despite not being a shielder, the interruption resistance from Dehya’s A1 Passive and her damage mitigation mechanic combine to provide similar utilities. She can also hold 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith and contribute to Lyney’s A4 Passive. However, she extends rotations and has lower uptime on her interruption resistance buff than other options. |
 C2+ Xinyan | With C2, Xinyan can use her Burst to give Lyney a max stack shield, guarantee a high-refinement Favonius Greatsword proc if used, and make 4pc Tenacity of Millelith a reliable option. Note that this requires building upwards of 220% ER on her. As a Pyro unit, she contributes to Lyney’s A4 Passive. Without C2, Xinyan’s Skill cooldown is longer than desired, and the strength of her shield depends on how many enemies you hit. |
 C4+ Yanfei | Yanfei provides a decent shield at C4 that can be used for Lyney. She has high ER requirements that incentivize using weapons like Prototype Amber or Favonius Codex. If you can reach her ER requirements without these weapons, Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers can be used instead. As a Pyro unit, she also contributes to Lyney’s A4 Passive. It should be noted that Yanfei forces a 20s rotation due to her Burst cooldown. |
  Layla / Kirara | Both provide a 12s shield and can fit within 15s rotations. Layla can hold 4pc Tenacity of the Milellith. Layla’s Burst can cause enemies to lose their Pyro aura, so it should not be used unless played alongside Xiangling. |
  Baizhu / Diona | Both units have weaker shielding and extend rotations, but trade it for access to healing. However, it’s not recommended to use them over the above options because Lyney should already have sufficient healing from Bennett. |
Mono Pyro
Mono Pyro is used loosely in this context to refer to teams in which a constant Pyro aura is maintained on enemies. While Mono Pyro teams typically consist of only Pyro, Anemo, and Geo units, certain units that do not belong to those elements but have little Elemental application can be used to achieve a similar effect.
Mono Pyro teams are Lyney’s bread and butter. Bennett is essential to this team archetype due to his healing, Flat ATK buff, and battery potential. It is recommended to run a healing-focused build on Bennett in Lyney teams. An offensive teammate can provide further buffs and personal damage, while a defensive one provides necessary Interruption Resistance and damage mitigation.
Note that characters that fit into 15s rotations are ideal for maximizing Lyney’s personal DPS.
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level. This list is not ranked.
Credits
cuzimori, pawketful, notnilou, yukiyafuyu, rafael0055, luno_, cozen.