Cyno Genshin Impact Character Guide – Best Build, Weapons, Artifacts & Teams

TL;DR

Cyno is a 5-star Electro Polearm on-field main DPS who received major kit buffs in Version 6.7 via Witch’s Revelation.
His best role is now Stellar-Conduct DPS, pairing with Odette or Cryo Traveler to enable the reaction.
Staff of the Scarlet Sands is his signature and best weapon — it converts Elemental Mastery into ATK.
Disenchantment in Deep Shadows (4-piece) is his best artifact set for Stellar-Conduct; Gilded Dreams for Aggravate teams.
He requires long on-field time during his Elemental Burst state — do not swap him out prematurely.
Talent priority: Burst > Normal Attack > Skill.
His Ascension Stat is CRIT Rate, reaching 19.2% at max Ascension.
C1 and C6 are his most impactful constellations; C1 was distributed for free via a Version 6.7 event.

Table of Contents

Who Is Cyno in Genshin Impact?

Cyno is a 5-star Electro character in Genshin Impact. He wields a Polearm and comes from Sumeru, where he holds the fearsome title of General Mahamatra — the highest enforcement authority of the Sumeru Akademiya. His role is to investigate, pursue, and deliver judgment upon researchers who violate Akademiya law. In Sumeru’s deeply academic society, this position commands both great respect and considerable dread.

In combat, Cyno is a powerful on-field main DPS who enters a special alternate form through his Elemental Burst. In this Pactsworn Pathclearer state, all his attacks are infused with Electro, and he gains access to enhanced Normal Attacks and a powerful Elemental Skill effect called Judication. His damage output grows substantially over the duration of his Burst state. Following his Version 6.7 Witch’s Revelation buffs, Cyno became one of the strongest Stellar-Conduct carries in the game — a new team archetype enabled by Odette that converts Superconduct into the far more powerful Stellar-Conduct reaction. He also remains viable in his traditional Aggravate, Quickbloom, and Lunar-Charged team roles.

For more on teams that pair naturally with Cyno, check out our Cyno Stellar Conduct build guide and the Odette best build guide — she is his current best teammate and Stellar-Conduct enabler.

Cyno

Cyno’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Stellar-Conduct carry after Version 6.7 buffs — Cyno received kit adjustments through the Witch’s Revelation system that gave him the ability to deal direct Stellar-Conduct DMG. This made him one of the strongest Stellar-Conduct carries currently available alongside Sandrone and Wriothesley.
Scaling Burst state damage — His Pactsworn Pathclearer state grows stronger over its duration. Players who use his Skill optimally to trigger Judication windows deal significantly more damage than a simple button-press approach, rewarding skillful play.
Strong Elemental Mastery scaling — His A4 passive (Featherfall Judgment) and his signature weapon both leverage Elemental Mastery, making it a genuine damage stat for him rather than just a reaction amplifier.
Versatile team options — Beyond Stellar-Conduct, he functions well in Aggravate, Quickbloom, Hyperbloom driver, and Lunar-Charged team compositions, giving him broad compatibility with available rosters.
Free C1 from Version 6.7 event — Cyno’s C1 was distributed for free via the Temper Thyself and Journey Far event in Version 6.7, giving all players who participated a meaningful power boost to his kit at no primogem cost.

Weaknesses

Requires very long on-field time — Cyno’s Burst state is long and he must remain on-field for most of it to maximise damage. Unlike quickswap DPS characters, swapping him out early significantly reduces his total output per rotation.
Rotation complexity — Timing his Elemental Skill uses to hit the Judication windows within his Burst state requires practice. Missing these windows is a notable DPS loss.
Cannot enable Stellar-Conduct independently — Cyno needs a Stellar Linchpin character like Odette or Cryo Traveler to convert Superconduct into Stellar-Conduct. He cannot trigger the reaction on his own.
Teammates must act before he enters his Burst — Because Cyno should not leave his Burst state early, all support abilities must be deployed before switching to him. This requires deliberate rotation planning.

Cyno’s Abilities and Talents

Normal Attack – Invoker’s Spear

Cyno performs up to four consecutive Polearm strikes in his normal form. His Charged Attack consumes Stamina to lunge forward and deal damage. His Plunging Attack deals AoE damage on landing. Normal Attacks outside his Burst state are rarely used in his rotation. Inside his Pactsworn Pathclearer state, his Normal Attacks are replaced by enhanced Electro-infused attacks with different animations and damage profiles. The Normal Attack talent level governs the damage of these enhanced in-Burst attacks, making it the second priority talent despite the name.

Elemental Skill – Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer

In his normal form, the Skill deals Electro DMG. Inside the Pactsworn Pathclearer state from his Burst, recasting the Skill triggers the Endseer stance — when this happens at the correct timing window, it triggers the powerful Judication effect, dealing significant AoE Electro DMG and extending the Burst state’s duration. Properly chaining Skill casts to hit Judication windows is the core mechanical challenge of playing Cyno well. The Skill talent level affects Judication damage and contributes less to his total output than the Burst or Normal Attack talents, making it the third priority to level.

Elemental Burst – Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness

Cyno dons the guise of the god of death and enters the Pactsworn Pathclearer state. In this state:

All his attacks are infused with Electro and cannot be overridden by other elemental infusions.
His Normal Attacks become enhanced Electro strikes with different hit patterns and higher damage.
He gains enhanced Elemental Skill access to trigger Judication as described above.
His attack range and AoE increase significantly compared to his normal form.

The Burst costs 80 Energy and lasts approximately 18 seconds at base (extendable through Skill timing). Everything Cyno does during this window is the foundation of his DPS identity. This is his highest priority talent to level.

Passive Talents

Featherfall Judgment (A1) — When Cyno is in the Pactsworn Pathclearer state, at intervals, he will enter the Endseer stance. If he uses his Elemental Skill while in this stance, the Skill will trigger Judication — dealing AoE Electro DMG equal to a percentage of his ATK. The number of times Judication can trigger scales with stacks accumulated. This is the core mechanic that makes precise Skill timing so important.
Authority Over the Nine Bows (A4) — Cyno’s Electro DMG dealt by Judication is increased by 35% of his Elemental Mastery. This passive makes EM a genuine damage amplifier for his most important in-Burst hits, directly incentivising EM stacking on top of CRIT and ATK.
The Gift of Silence (Utility) — Gains 25% reduced time spent on Sumeru Expedition tasks. A small open-world quality-of-life bonus.

Best Weapons for Cyno

Cyno wants Polearms with CRIT stats and high Base ATK. His signature weapon uniquely solves his split scaling between ATK and EM, making it his clear best-in-slot. Other weapons function as CRIT stat sticks or provide other offensive bonuses.

Best 5-Star Weapons

Staff of the Scarlet Sands (Signature — Best in Slot) — Cyno’s signature Polearm and by far his best weapon across all builds. It provides 44.1% CRIT Rate as a substat and a passive called Heat Haze at Horizon’s End that increases the wielder’s ATK by 52% of their Elemental Mastery. Additionally, when the Elemental Skill hits a target, it grants a stack of Dream of the Scarlet Sands, adding another 28% of EM as ATK per stack (up to three stacks for 84% additional EM-to-ATK). This weapon directly resolves Cyno’s split scaling problem — he can freely stack Elemental Mastery without sacrificing ATK, because the weapon converts his EM into ATK automatically. It synergises perfectly with his A4 passive and the EM-heavy builds demanded by both Aggravate and Stellar-Conduct compositions.
Primordial Jade-Winged Spear — Provides CRIT Rate and a stacking ATK and DMG bonus from hitting enemies. Works well as a consistent damage option and requires no team-specific conditions to function. A solid alternative if Staff of the Scarlet Sands is unavailable.
Deathmatch (Battle Pass) — Provides CRIT Rate and ATK%/DEF% bonus depending on the number of nearby enemies. A strong accessible option for players who have the Battle Pass.

Best 4-Star Weapons

White Tassel (3-Star — Best F2P) — Surprisingly, White Tassel is cited as Cyno’s best F2P weapon by multiple sources, particularly for Stellar-Conduct builds. Despite being a 3-star weapon, it provides CRIT Rate as a substat and a passive that increases Normal Attack DMG by 24%. Since Cyno’s Burst state Normal Attacks are his primary damage source, the passive applies directly and meaningfully. Available for free from Liyue chests and enemies. Build this at Refinement 5 for maximum value.
Dragon’s Bane — Elemental Mastery substat and a passive that increases DMG against opponents affected by Pyro or Hydro. Useful in Quickbloom or Hyperbloom teams where enemies consistently carry Hydro aura, as Cyno’s hits against Hydro-affected enemies deal bonus damage. Does not apply in Stellar-Conduct teams.
Kitain Cross Spear (Craftable) — Provides Elemental Mastery and a passive that restores Energy from the Elemental Skill. Useful in ER-challenged rotations but generally outclassed by weapons with better personal damage output for Cyno.

Best Artifacts for Cyno

Cyno’s best artifact set changed with the introduction of Stellar-Conduct in Version 7.0. His setup now differs based on which team archetype he is running.

Disenchantment in Deep Shadows (4-Piece) — Best for Stellar-Conduct

This is Cyno’s best-in-slot artifact set for Stellar-Conduct teams. The set buffs his ATK% while granting him CRIT Rate after using his Elemental Skill, and amplifies Stellar-Conduct reaction DMG substantially. Since Cyno uses his Skill frequently throughout his Burst state to trigger Judication and Stellar-Conduct procs, the set’s conditions are consistently met throughout his entire damage window. This transforms his Stellar-Conduct hits into significantly more powerful outputs than his previous sets could achieve in the same role.

Gilded Dreams (4-Piece) — Best for Aggravate and Quickbloom

In his traditional non-Stellar-Conduct compositions, Gilded Dreams remains Cyno’s best artifact set. The 2-piece bonus grants 80 Elemental Mastery. The 4-piece provides additional EM or ATK% based on party composition — in Cyno’s standard Aggravate teams (two Dendro, two Electro or similar), he typically gains significant EM from the 4-piece. The EM feeds his A4 passive (Featherfall Judgment), his Spread/Aggravate reaction damage, and his Staff of the Scarlet Sands passive, making it a beautifully self-reinforcing build.

Thundering Fury (4-Piece) — Aggravate Alternative

The 4-piece bonus increases Superconduct, Electro-Charged, Overloaded, Quicken, and Aggravate damage by 40%, and reduces Elemental Skill cooldown by 1 second each time an Electro reaction triggers. In solo Electro Cyno Aggravate teams, the cooldown reduction can allow more frequent Skill casts within the Burst state, extending effective Judication uptime. However, the additional Skill casts may interfere with hitting the optimal Endseer timing windows, making this set more situationally effective than consistently better than Gilded Dreams.

Recommended Artifact Main Stats

For Stellar-Conduct builds:

Sands: Elemental Mastery
Goblet: Elemental Mastery or Electro DMG Bonus
Circlet: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG

For Aggravate builds:

Sands: Elemental Mastery or ATK%
Goblet: Electro DMG Bonus
Circlet: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG

Recommended Substats

Aim for approximately 1,800 ATK and 400 Elemental Mastery as baseline targets before focusing on CRIT. After meeting these thresholds, prioritise CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG at roughly a 1:2 ratio. Energy Recharge needs are lower than many characters — aim for around 130–140% ER to reliably use his Burst every rotation, as his Burst state self-generates some energy through hits.

Cyno Constellations Guide

Cyno is a limited 5-star character available on Event Wish banners and Chronicled Wishes. His C1 was distributed for free in a Version 6.7 event, making it widely accessible. C1 and C6 are his most valuable constellations. The order of constellation priority is: C1 → C6 → C2 → C4.

C1 – Ordinance: Unceasing Vigil (Free from Event): After using Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness, Cyno’s Normal Attack SPD is increased by 20% for 10 seconds. If the Judication effect is triggered during Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer, this duration is refreshed. The Attack Speed increase directly accelerates his Pactsworn Pathclearer state damage output, allowing him to fit more attacks per Burst window and maintain the speed bonus throughout the entire duration through Judication triggers. A very impactful constellation that was given to all players via the Version 6.7 event.
C2 – Ceremony: Homecoming of Spirits: When Cyno’s Normal Attacks hit opponents, his Electro DMG Bonus increases by 10% for 4 seconds. This can occur once every 0.1 seconds and stacks up to 5 times for a total of 50% Electro DMG Bonus. Because he hits rapidly during his Burst state, he quickly reaches maximum stacks and maintains them throughout his window. A meaningful damage increase.
C3 – Precept: Lawful Enforcer: Increases the level of Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness (Burst) by 3, up to a maximum of level 15. A direct improvement to his most important talent.
C4 – Austerity: Forbidding Guard: When Cyno’s Pactsworn Pathclearer state ends, all nearby party members other than Cyno will gain 10% Electro DMG Bonus for 12 seconds. A useful team-wide buff but less impactful on Cyno’s personal damage.
C5 – Funerary Rite: The Passing of Starlight: Increases the level of Secret Rite: Chasmic Soulfarer (Skill) by 3, up to a maximum of level 15. A boost to Judication damage.
C6 – Raiment: Just Scales (Biggest Upgrade): After using Sacred Rite: Wolf’s Swiftness or triggering the Judication effect, Cyno gains 4 stacks of Pactsworn Pathclearer (if not in the state) or 4 stacks of Duststalker Bolt charges. Duststalker Bolts deal additional Electro DMG at intervals. In Stellar-Conduct teams, these Duststalker Bolts are converted to Duststalker Bolts – Starsame, dealing significantly higher Stellar-Conduct reaction damage. This constellation more than doubles Cyno’s personal Stellar-Conduct damage and is by far his most powerful constellation, transforming his ceiling from strong to exceptional.

Cyno’s Best Team Compositions

Cyno’s best teams in the current meta are Stellar-Conduct compositions. He remains viable in Aggravate, Quickbloom, and Lunar-Charged teams as well.

Stellar-Conduct Team (Current Best)

Stellar-Conduct converts the Superconduct reaction (Cryo + Electro) into a much more powerful reaction that can CRIT and deals substantial damage. A Stellar Linchpin character — currently Odette or Cryo Traveler — is required to enable the conversion. Cyno acts as the on-field Electro driver who repeatedly triggers Stellar-Conduct against enemies affected by Cryo from his Linchpin partner.

Cyno + Odette + Yae Miko + Qiqi — The premium Stellar-Conduct team. Odette enables Stellar-Conduct with consistent off-field Cryo application and provides significant reaction DMG buffs. Yae Miko supplies massive off-field Electro damage from her Sesshou Sakura totems and at C1 provides a 50% Stellar-Conduct and Electro DMG bonus to the team. Qiqi provides healing and additional Cryo application to maintain the Stellar-Conduct conditions. A very high-damage composition that leverages multiple strong supports simultaneously.
Cyno + Odette + Alyosha + Qiqi — Alyosha provides off-field Electro application, teamwide ATK% and Stellar-Conduct DMG% buffs, and healing. At C6, he also grants 200 Elemental Mastery to Cyno, further amplifying his A4 passive and Stellar-Conduct damage. A slightly more defensive composition with excellent sustain.
Cyno + Odette + Yae Miko + Alyosha — Maximum Stellar-Conduct pressure with both Yae Miko’s off-field Electro damage and Alyosha’s EM buffs combined. Strong team for players with both characters well-built.

F2P Stellar-Conduct Team

Cryo Traveler is the free alternative to Odette as a Stellar Linchpin. They can also enable Stellar-Conduct and provide some buffs to the reaction. This makes a full Stellar-Conduct team buildable without any limited 5-star characters beyond Cyno himself.

Cyno + Cryo Traveler + Alyosha + Diona — Cryo Traveler enables Stellar-Conduct and provides reaction DMG buffs with their Charged Attack and Burst. Alyosha provides off-field Electro and ATK/EM buffs. Diona at C6 grants 200 Elemental Mastery while Cyno stands in her Burst field, directly boosting his A4 passive and Stellar-Conduct damage. A strong F2P-accessible team that covers healing, Stellar-Conduct enablement, and buffing in a single composition.

Aggravate Team

Before Stellar-Conduct was available, Aggravate was Cyno’s best team archetype. In Quicken teams (Dendro + Electro), Cyno’s hits trigger Aggravate for a flat Electro damage bonus scaled by EM. This remains a strong option for players without Odette or Cryo Traveler.

Cyno + Nahida + Fischl + Baizhu — Nahida provides Dendro for Quicken aura and holds Deepwood Memories for Dendro RES shred. Fischl applies off-field Electro with Oz. Baizhu heals, provides additional Dendro application, and buffs Bloom-type reactions. Cyno drives on-field and triggers Aggravate on every hit. A reliable and strong team that performs well without needing Snezhnaya characters.
Cyno + Nahida + Fischl + Kuki Shinobu — Kuki replaces Baizhu for healing and Electro Resonance. Her Electro application is reliable and her healing keeps Cyno safe during his long on-field window. A very accessible and solid Aggravate team.
Cyno + Nahida + Yae Miko + Zhongli — Yae Miko adds strong off-field Electro DPS alongside her Skill’s Sesshou Sakura totems. Zhongli provides a permanent shield through Cyno’s long Burst duration, preventing him from being knocked out of his attack chains during the Pactsworn state.

Quickbloom Team

Cyno can act as a Hyperbloom driver in teams that include Dendro and Hydro, where his Electro hits detonate Dendro Cores created by Bloom. The Elemental Mastery stacking that benefits his normal builds also amplifies Hyperbloom damage.

Cyno + Nahida + Yelan + Baizhu — Nahida applies Dendro, Yelan applies Hydro for Bloom, and Cyno’s Electro hits trigger Hyperbloom. Baizhu provides healing and additional Dendro. Yelan also buffs team DMG with her passive. A Quickbloom team that deals damage from multiple reaction sources simultaneously.

Cyno Talent Priority

Recommended talent upgrade order: Burst > Normal Attack > Skill.

The Burst is the most important talent — it governs the stats of Cyno’s Pactsworn Pathclearer state and his enhanced in-Burst attacks. Level and crown this first. Normal Attack is second because it governs the damage of his enhanced Electro strikes during the Burst state, which are his primary damage output. The Elemental Skill contributes Judication damage and is the third priority. At C6 and above, the Skill becomes somewhat more relevant to level as it interacts with the Duststalker Bolt mechanic.

Cyno Ascension Materials

Here is everything you need to fully ascend Cyno to Level 90.

Gemstones (From Electro Hypostasis, Electro Regisvine, or Thunder Manifestation)

1x Vajrada Amethyst Sliver
9x Vajrada Amethyst Fragment
9x Vajrada Amethyst Chunk
6x Vajrada Amethyst Gemstone

Boss Drop

46x Thunderclap Fruitcore (from the Electro Regisvine in Sumeru, near the Liyue border)

Local Specialty

168x Scarab (beetles found throughout Sumeru’s desert regions, particularly around the Mausoleum of King Deshret; they burrow underground when combat occurs nearby, so approach carefully)

Monster Drops (Samachurl enemies across Teyvat)

18x Divining Scroll
30x Sealed Scroll
36x Forbidden Curse Scroll

Other

420,000 Mora
Approximately 414x Hero’s Wit

Ascension Stat: Cyno’s Ascension Stat is CRIT Rate, reaching 19.2% at max Ascension. This, combined with his signature weapon’s 44.1% CRIT Rate substat, gives him a very strong natural CRIT Rate foundation — freeing up more artifact substats for CRIT DMG and Elemental Mastery.

Cyno Talent Materials

To fully upgrade all three of Cyno’s talents to level 10, you will need the following materials. Costs are listed for all three talents combined.

Talent Books (Admonition Series – Monday / Thursday / Sunday from Steeple of Ignorance Domain in Sumeru)

9x Teachings of Admonition
63x Guide to Admonition
114x Philosophies of Admonition

Monster Drops

18x Divining Scroll
66x Sealed Scroll
93x Forbidden Curse Scroll

Weekly Boss Drop

18x Mudra of the Malefic General (from the Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto — Raiden Shogun weekly boss in End of the Oneiric Euthymia domain, Inazuma)

Crown

3x Crown of Insight (one per talent to max all three to level 10)

Mora

Approximately 4,957,500 Mora (for all three talents combined)

Cyno Lore and Character Background

Cyno is the General Mahamatra — the head of the Mahamata, the enforcement body of the Sumeru Akademiya. His role is to investigate violations of Akademiya regulations by researchers and scholars, pursue those who have broken the rules, and deliver judgment. In Sumeru’s deeply academic society, where knowledge and research are the highest cultural values, the General Mahamatra is both an essential institution and a figure who inspires uneasy caution in even law-abiding scholars.

Cyno carries out his duties with absolute dedication and precision. He is efficient, thorough, and uncompromising when it comes to matters of academic integrity and law. Outside of his enforcement role, however, Cyno has a notoriously unique personality quirk that has become legendary among those who know him: he tells terrible jokes. Not mildly unfunny jokes — jokes so dry and so misaligned with conventional humour that they produce more bewilderment than laughter. Cyno himself seems entirely sincere in finding them amusing, which makes the gap between his fearsome professional reputation and his casual demeanour deeply endearing.

He wears a distinctive headdress shaped like a jackal — referencing the jackal-headed god Anubis of ancient Egyptian mythology, a fitting parallel for a character whose role involves judgment and the weighing of transgressions. He is notably knowledgeable about cats, having a personal fondness for them that surfaces in his character stories and voice lines. Tighnari, the Forest Watcher of Avidya Forest and fellow Sumeru character, is one of his closer acquaintances, and their dynamic — Cyno’s deadpan jokes meeting Tighnari’s exasperated but affectionate responses — is a recurring comedy in Sumeru’s character interactions.

How to Get Cyno in Genshin Impact

Cyno is a limited 5-star character available only during his Event Wish banner windows.

Event Wish Banner — Cyno is available with a boosted drop rate during his dedicated limited Event Wish. He was first released in Version 3.1 and has had multiple reruns since, including a Chronicled Wish appearance in Version 6.7.
Chronicled Wish — Cyno has appeared in Chronicled Wish banners, providing a targeted path to obtaining him or building his constellations.
C1 from Version 6.7 Event — Players who participated in the Temper Thyself and Journey Far event in Version 6.7 received Cyno’s C1 constellation for free. If you completed this event, you already have his first and most impactful pre-C6 constellation unlocked.

You can download Genshin Impact for free on Android (Google Play), iOS (App Store), PlayStation, Epic Games Store (PC), and Xbox.

Cyno Playstyle Tips and Rotation Advice

Always set up supports before swapping to Cyno — Because he should not leave his Burst state prematurely, all support abilities must be deployed before switching to him. Use Odette’s Skill, Yae Miko’s Skills, Nahida’s Skill, and Bennett’s Burst (if running it) before pressing Cyno’s Burst and entering his Pactsworn state.
Standard rotation — Activate all supports → use Cyno’s Elemental Skill for particle generation → use Cyno’s Burst → Normal Attack and Skill during the Pactsworn state, timing Skills to hit Judication windows → let the state expire naturally → return to supports.
Do not swap out during Pactsworn Pathclearer — Exiting the Burst state early is one of the biggest damage losses possible with Cyno. The state’s power scales over its duration, so cutting it short sacrifices a disproportionate amount of total output.
Timing Judication is key — The Endseer stance within the Burst state appears at intervals. Only when the Endseer stance is active does a Skill press trigger Judication. Practice recognising when the Endseer window is available by paying attention to visual cues on Cyno during the Burst state.
Stellar-Conduct needs Cryo on enemies — For Stellar-Conduct procs, enemies must have a Cryo aura or ongoing Cryo application. Odette’s off-field Cryo provides this. Ensure Odette’s Solo Dance Double turret is active before Cyno starts his window.
Zhongli or Nicole for comfort — Cyno lacks strong interruption resistance during his Burst state. A shield from Zhongli or Nicole prevents enemies from breaking his attack chains and is highly recommended in challenging content.

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