Yanfei Genshin Impact Character Guide – Best Build, Weapons, Artifacts, and Teams

TL;DR

• Yanfei is a 4-star Pyro Catalyst user from Liyue who excels as an on-field Charged Attack DPS.
• Her playstyle revolves around collecting Scarlet Seals and unleashing empowered Charged Attacks.
• Best weapons: Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds, The Widsith, or Skyward Atlas.
• Best artifacts: 4-piece Crimson Witch of Flames (Vaporize), 4-piece Gilded Dreams (Overload/EM), or 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter (Furina teams).
• Her strongest team pairs her with Yelan or Xingqiu, Nahida or Kazuha, and Zhongli.
• C4 unlocks a shield on her burst, turning her into “Tankfei” — a shielder build option.
• Ascension uses Agnidus Agate, Noctilucous Jade, and Juvenile Jade.
• She is a great beginner-friendly DPS who works without constellations.

Who Is Yanfei in Genshin Impact?

Yanfei is a 4-star Pyro character who uses a Catalyst. She is from Liyue and works as the region’s most sought-after legal adviser. What makes her unique is her background — she is a half-illuminated beast, meaning she carries the blood of an Adeptus (one of the divine beings who protect Liyue). Despite this rare heritage, she has chosen not to sign a contract with Rex Lapis like other Adepti, instead dedicating herself to the law and the people of Liyue Harbor through her own consultancy.

She was added to the game in Version 1.5 and has been a popular pick for Pyro reaction teams ever since. Her title is Wise Innocence and her constellation is Ignis Lampas. She is cheerful, sharp-witted, and passionate about fairness and the rule of law — sometimes hilariously so. See the full Yanfei character page for more on her profile and lore.

If you are building a Liyue Pyro roster, you may also want to check guides for Xiangling and Bennett, two staples who pair excellently with Yanfei in Pyro teams.

Genshin Impact is free to play on PC via the official site, Android, iOS, PlayStation, Epic Games Store, and Xbox.

genshin impact yanfei

Yanfei Skills and Abilities

Yanfei’s entire kit is built around a system called Scarlet Seals. These are stacks she collects through her Normal Attack, Elemental Skill, and Elemental Burst. Each seal she holds reduces the Stamina cost of her Charged Attack and increases her resistance to interruption while performing it. The goal is always to collect as many seals as possible before unleashing a Charged Attack for maximum damage.

Normal Attack: Yan Fei’s Seal Script

Yanfei performs up to 3 Pyro ranged attacks that launch small fireballs at enemies. Each successful Normal Attack grants her 1 Scarlet Seal. Her Charged Attack consumes Stamina and her current Scarlet Seals to deal a powerful AoE Pyro hit — the more seals she holds, the less Stamina it costs and the stronger her interruption resistance. She can hold a maximum of 3 seals at baseline (4 with C6).

Her Plunging Attack drops from mid-air and deals AoE Pyro damage on impact.

Elemental Skill: Signed Edict

Yanfei calls upon blistering flames that deal AoE Pyro damage to nearby enemies. If at least one enemy is successfully hit, she immediately gains the maximum number of Scarlet Seals — so after using her skill, she can immediately fire off a fully-empowered Charged Attack. This is the backbone of her basic rotation: use the Elemental Skill to instantly max out seals, then follow with a Charged Attack for a big hit.

Elemental Burst: Done Deal

Yanfei summons a burst of blistering flames that deals AoE Pyro damage to all nearby enemies. Similar to her Elemental Skill, opponents hit by the burst grant her the maximum number of Scarlet Seals. The burst also has an additional ongoing effect: for the next 10 seconds, Yanfei’s Charged Attacks deal bonus Pyro DMG to nearby opponents, turning her sustained output significantly higher during this window.

At C4, the burst gains an extra effect — it generates a shield for Yanfei that absorbs up to 45% of her max HP for 15 seconds, and has 250% absorption effectiveness against Pyro damage.

Passive Talents

• A1 – The Law Knows No Kindness: When Yanfei uses her Charged Attack, each Scarlet Seal she holds reduces the Stamina cost of that attack by 10% and increases her interruption resistance. This makes her Charged Attacks much more practical — especially with max seals, where Stamina cost is virtually eliminated.
• A4 – Right of Final Interpretation: When Yanfei’s Charged Attack deals a CRIT Hit, she deals an additional instance of AoE Pyro damage equal to 80% of her ATK. This bonus counts as Charged Attack damage and can itself trigger Pyro reactions, making CRIT Rate an especially important stat for her.
• Utility Passive – Encyclopedic Expertise: Displays the location of nearby resources unique to Liyue on the mini-map. Excellent for farming local specialties while exploring.

Yanfei Constellations

Yanfei is usable without any constellations. Her constellations gradually improve her damage output and at C4 unlock a completely new support role. Here is what each one does:

• C1 – The Law Hath Forbidden This: Yanfei’s Charged Attack CRIT Rate is increased by 20% against enemies below 50% HP. A clean damage upgrade that helps close out fights faster.
• C2 – Right to Exact Prosecution: Increases the maximum number of Scarlet Seals by 1 — from 3 to 4. This means her Charged Attacks get one extra seal’s worth of Stamina reduction and a stronger follow-up hit potential. A meaningful buff to her rotation.
• C3 – Samadhi Fire-Forged: Increases the level of Signed Edict (Elemental Skill) by 3, up to Level 15. More Pyro damage on her skill cast.
• C4 – Supreme Amnesty: When Done Deal (Elemental Burst) is used, it creates a shield that absorbs up to 45% of Yanfei’s max HP for 15 seconds, with 250% Pyro absorption effectiveness. This constellation unlocks a completely different build path called “Tankfei”, where Yanfei is built as an HP-stacking shielder who provides both a Pyro shield and Pyro Resonance to the team instead of acting as the main DPS.
• C5 – Abiding Affidavit: Increases the level of Done Deal (Elemental Burst) by 3, up to Level 15. More burst damage and a stronger burst window buff.
• C6 – Verdict in Absentia: Using Yanfei’s Charged Attack increases the movement speed of nearby party members by 10% and increases Yanfei’s own Charged Attack damage by 20% for 6 seconds. Also permanently increases the max Scarlet Seal count by 1, stacking with C2 for a maximum of 4 seals at C2 and C6 combined (5 at C6 only). A strong constellation for sustained combat.

Recommended constellation to aim for: Yanfei is playable and effective at C0. C2 is a nice quality-of-life upgrade. C4 is the most transformative constellation, opening up the Tankfei shielder build for teams that need a Pyro shield rather than a DPS.

Best Weapons for Yanfei in Genshin Impact

Best Weapons for Vaporize DPS Build

• Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds (5-star): CRIT Rate substat with a stacking Elemental DMG bonus the longer Yanfei stays on the field. This is her best weapon in most standard DPS builds, especially when paired with Bennett’s ATK buff from his burst. The CRIT Rate substat frees up your artifact CRIT distribution significantly.
• Skyward Atlas (5-star): High base ATK with an ATK% substat and a passive that periodically fires a seeking cloud attack. A strong all-rounder that works in most Yanfei builds.
• Kagura’s Verity (5-star): CRIT DMG substat with a stacking Elemental DMG bonus after using the Elemental Skill. Works well when Yanfei uses her skill frequently in her rotation and when Bennett is present to further boost ATK.
• The Widsith (4-star): CRIT DMG substat with a random 10-second buff on entering the field — either ATK%, Elemental DMG, or Elemental Mastery. It is the best 4-star option when it hits ATK% or Elemental DMG, and can even outperform 5-stars in those windows. The unpredictability is the trade-off.
• Solar Pearl (4-star, Battle Pass): CRIT Rate substat. Using a Normal Attack briefly boosts Skill and Burst damage, and vice versa. Fits naturally into Yanfei’s Normal → Skill → Charged Attack rotation.

Best Weapon for Overload or EM Build

• A Thousand Floating Dreams (5-star): Elemental Mastery substat with a passive that buffs EM for the whole team. Ideal in Overload or Burgeon-based teams where EM is the priority stat.
• Sacrificial Fragments (4-star): Elemental Mastery substat with a chance to reset the Elemental Skill cooldown. Good for reaction-heavy builds and helps with more consistent seal generation.

Best Weapon for Tankfei (Shield Build)

• Prototype Amber (4-star, Craftable): HP% substat and a passive that restores Energy and heals the party after using the burst. Perfectly matched for Tankfei’s HP-stacking shielder build, and it is free to craft. This is the clear best-in-slot for the C4 shielder build.

Best Artifacts for Yanfei in Genshin Impact

Best Set for Vaporize DPS: 4-Piece Crimson Witch of Flames

This is Yanfei’s primary artifact set for Vaporize teams. The 2-piece gives 15% Pyro DMG Bonus. The 4-piece increases Vaporize and Melt damage by 15%, increases Overloaded and Burning damage by 40%, and stacks an additional 7.5% Pyro DMG Bonus for 10 seconds each time the Elemental Skill is used (up to 3 stacks). Since Yanfei uses her skill frequently, the stacking bonus builds quickly and stays active throughout her rotation.

Alternative Set: 4-Piece Shimenawa’s Reminiscence

If you struggle to farm good Crimson Witch pieces, Shimenawa’s Reminiscence is a strong alternative. The 4-piece increases Charged Attack damage by 50% after using the Elemental Skill, at the cost of 15 Energy. This lines up naturally with Yanfei’s rotation — use skill, get max seals, lose some Energy, fire a massive Charged Attack. The trade-off is you will need more Energy Recharge to compensate for the Energy drain and maintain burst uptime.

Best Set for Furina Teams: 4-Piece Marechaussee Hunter

When Yanfei is paired with Furina, whose HP-draining abilities naturally activate Marechaussee Hunter stacks, this becomes her best artifact set. It raises CRIT Rate significantly through passive stacking, letting you invest more heavily in CRIT DMG on your artifacts. Pair with Cashflow Supervision or Tome of the Eternal Flow weapons in this setup.

Best Set for Overload Teams: 4-Piece Gilded Dreams

In Overload or other transformative reaction teams — especially with Chevreuse — go full Elemental Mastery. 4-piece Gilded Dreams provides a strong EM boost based on team composition. In Chevreuse Overload teams made up entirely of Pyro and Electro characters, EM-stacking Yanfei with Gilded Dreams can be surprisingly competitive.

Artifact Main Stats

• Sands: ATK% (Vaporize/CRIT builds) or Elemental Mastery (Overload/EM builds)
• Goblet: Pyro DMG Bonus%
• Circlet: CRIT Rate% or CRIT DMG%
• Sub-stats to prioritize: CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK%, Elemental Mastery (in reaction builds)

Yanfei gains Pyro DMG Bonus as her ascension stat, reaching 24% bonus Pyro DMG at full ascension. This makes the Pyro DMG Goblet even more powerful when stacked on top of her base bonus.

Best Teams for Yanfei in Genshin Impact

Best Team: Vaporize + Burgeon Team (SS Tier)

• Yanfei – On-field Pyro DPS triggering Vaporize Charged Attacks
• Yelan – Off-field Hydro sub-DPS providing consistent Hydro for Vaporize
• Nahida – Off-field Dendro for Burgeon reactions and Elemental Mastery buff
• Zhongli – Shield, RES shred via Jade Shield, and survivability

This is Yanfei’s strongest team as of current rankings. Yelan provides constant Hydro off-field for Yanfei to Vaporize her Charged Attacks, which multiplies their damage by 1.5x since Yanfei is the Pyro applicator. Nahida adds Dendro to the mix, enabling Burgeon reactions between Hydro and Dendro which trigger when Pyro is applied — adding extra AoE damage bursts. Zhongli keeps Yanfei safe and shreds enemy elemental resistance with his shield passive. Check out the Yelan guide and Zhongli guide for how to build these teammates.

Standard Vaporize Team

• Yanfei – Main Pyro DPS
• Xingqiu – Off-field Hydro for consistent Vaporize reactions
• Kaedehara Kazuha or Sucrose – Anemo grouping, Viridescent Venerer resistance shred, EM buff
• Bennett – Massive ATK buff, healing, Pyro Resonance

This is the classic Yanfei Vaporize team and one of the most widely recommended compositions. Xingqiu’s off-field Hydro rain lines up beautifully with Yanfei’s Charged Attacks, turning each one into a Vaporize hit. Bennett’s burst zone boosts Yanfei’s ATK significantly. Kazuha or Sucrose then use 4-piece Viridescent Venerer to shred Pyro and Hydro resistance, amplifying both Yanfei’s damage and Xingqiu’s off-field contribution. See the Xingqiu, Kazuha, and Bennett pages for their best builds in this team.

Overload Team (with Chevreuse)

• Yanfei – On-field Pyro DPS triggering Overload (Pyro + Electro)
• Fischl – Off-field Electro from Oz for consistent Overload reaction
• Chevreuse – Pyro/Electro-only team buff, Pyro and Electro RES shred, healing
• Bennett or Beidou – Additional Pyro Resonance and ATK buff, or off-field Electro damage

Yanfei is well-suited to Overload teams because she is a ranged attacker. Most characters hate Overload because the explosion knocks enemies away, making them hard to follow up on. Yanfei fires from range and can immediately hit the knocked-back enemy without chasing it. Chevreuse’s Pyro/Electro-only team restriction actually boosts all party members’ Pyro and Electro DMG significantly, making this a surprising but viable Yanfei team. Build Yanfei with Elemental Mastery and Gilded Dreams in this setup. Check out the Fischl and Chevreuse pages for support build details.

Melt Team

• Yanfei – On-field Pyro DPS triggering Melt (1.5x multiplier)
• Kamisato Ayaka or Ganyu – Off-field Cryo application for Melt reactions
• Kaedehara Kazuha – Grouping, EM buff, and resistance shred
• Bennett or Zhongli – ATK buff / healing or shield / RES shred

In Melt teams, Cryo is applied first and Yanfei Melts it with her Pyro Charged Attacks for a 1.5x damage multiplier. Ayaka or Ganyu work especially well as off-field Cryo appliers. This team is less consistent than Vaporize because keeping a steady Cryo aura on enemies for Yanfei to Melt is more demanding, but when it works the damage spikes are impressive. See the Kamisato Ayaka guide for her off-field support build.

Tankfei Shield Support Team (C4 Required)

• Yanfei (C4) – Pyro shielder and Pyro Resonance provider
• Main DPS – Any strong on-field carry who benefits from Pyro Resonance
• Bennett – ATK buff, healing, and second Pyro for Pyro Resonance with Yanfei
• Sub-DPS or Utility – Any off-field damage dealer or support

At C4, Yanfei’s burst creates a large Pyro shield. When built with HP% stats and Prototype Amber, she becomes “Tankfei” — a budget Pyro shielder who also provides the party with Pyro Resonance and the Prototype Amber’s burst-triggered healing. She works well in teams that need a Pyro unit for resonance but cannot fit Bennett as the only Pyro. This build runs HP% on Sands and Goblet, with Energy Recharge sub-stats to keep her burst available. It is a genuinely useful support role even if it is not her primary identity.

Yanfei Ascension Materials

Gem Type

• Agnidus Agate (Sliver, Fragment, Chunk, and Gemstone) – The Pyro gem. Drops from the Pyro Regisvine, Primo Geovishap, Pyro Hypostasis, and Trounce Domain bosses. Can also be crafted via Alchemy using Dust of Azoth.

Boss Drop

• Juvenile Jade – Dropped by the Primo Geovishap field boss in Liyue, found north of Nantianmen. Spend 40 Original Resin per run. This boss also drops other elemental shard types, so bring a team that can handle a Geo-absorbing boss. You need 46 total to fully ascend Yanfei.

Local Specialty

• Noctilucous Jade (168 total needed) – A glowing ore found primarily in caves and cliffsides across Liyue. Notable farming spots include Mingyun Village, the cliffs of Mt. Tianheng, and areas near the Artifact domain Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern. You can also buy 5 at a time from the merchant Shitou in Liyue Harbor for 1,000 Mora each, restocking every 3 days.

Enemy Drops

• Treasure Hoarder Insignia
• Silver Raven Insignia
• Golden Raven Insignia

All three tiers drop from Treasure Hoarder enemies found across Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma.

Ascension Stat

Yanfei gains Pyro DMG Bonus as her ascension stat — 24% at full Level 90 ascension. This is one of the best possible ascension stats for a Pyro DPS, and it stacks directly on top of your Pyro DMG Goblet, making both highly efficient together.

Yanfei Talent Materials

To level up Yanfei’s talents, you will need:

• Gold Talent Books: Teachings, Guide, and Philosophies of Gold — farmed from the Taishan Mansion domain in Liyue on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
• Treasure Hoarder Insignias (all three tiers) — enemy drops
• Bloodjade Branch — weekly boss material from the Azhdaha Trounce Domain (Beneath the Dragon-Queller)
• Crown of Insight — required to max a talent to Level 10

Talent Priority

• Normal Attack first — Her Charged Attacks are her main source of damage, and the Normal Attack talent controls Charged Attack scaling. This is by far the most important talent to level up.
• Elemental Burst second — Levels up the burst’s initial AoE hit, the ongoing Charged Attack bonus it applies, and the shield strength at C4.
• Elemental Skill third — The skill provides an instant seal refresh, but its damage contribution is the smallest of the three talents.

Yanfei Playstyle Tips

• Always max out Scarlet Seals before a Charged Attack. The core loop is: 2–3 Normal Attacks to build seals → Use Elemental Skill to instantly max seals → Fire Charged Attack. With max seals, Stamina cost is drastically reduced and you get your A4 bonus on a CRIT hit.
• Use supports before using her Elemental Skill. Activate Xingqiu or Yelan’s Hydro off-field effects and Bennett’s burst before swapping to Yanfei. When she uses her skill and immediately fires a Charged Attack, that attack should Vaporize against the Hydro already applied to the enemy for a full 1.5x multiplier.
• CRIT Rate is extremely important for her A4 passive. Her fourth ascension passive fires a bonus Pyro hit when a Charged Attack scores a CRIT. Aim for at least 60–70% CRIT Rate to make this proc reliably and consistently in your rotation.
• Energy Recharge matters for burst uptime. Her burst is crucial — it grants max seals instantly, deals good AoE damage, and extends her damage window by boosting Charged Attacks for 10 seconds. Aim for around 140–160% ER to keep her burst available every rotation, especially if not using Bennett’s Pyro Resonance.
• She handles Overload without issue. Unlike most melee DPS characters who hate Overload’s knockback, Yanfei fires from range. When enemies get knocked back by an Overload explosion, she can immediately hit them again from wherever she stands. This makes Electro teammates much friendlier on Yanfei teams than on most other Pyro carries.
• C4 Tankfei is a genuine team option. If you have C4 Yanfei but no strong shielder, do not dismiss the shielder build. A well-built HP-stacked Yanfei with Prototype Amber provides a solid Pyro shield, heals the team via Prototype Amber’s passive, and gives Pyro Resonance. In certain teams, she frees up Bennett for a second team on the other side of Spiral Abyss.

Yanfei Lore and Background

Yanfei is one of the few half-illuminated beasts in Teyvat — a being born from both mortal and Adeptus lineage. Her father is an Adeptus, and Madame Ping, one of Liyue’s oldest and most powerful Adepti, knows him well. Despite this extraordinary background, Yanfei has chosen to live as an ordinary citizen of Liyue Harbor, applying her talents not to divine matters but to the legal system.

She runs the Yanfei Legal Consultancy and is known across Liyue for her encyclopedic knowledge of the law — not just Liyue’s laws, but the laws of other nations as well. Her photographic memory and razor-sharp reasoning make her the go-to adviser for anyone with a complicated contract dispute or legal problem. She charges fairly and believes deeply in the principle that no structure can exist without clear and equitable laws.

Yanfei also lives by the personal belief that everyone should be able to “live as one pleases without overstepping.” She sees the law not as a rigid cage but as a framework that protects people’s freedom. Her Pyro Vision reflects this passion — she received it while devoting herself to the pursuit of legal fairness and a burning desire to see justice done. In Liyue, adepti and mortals alike each protect the region in their own way; Yanfei has simply chosen to do it through contracts and courtrooms rather than divine power.

How to Get Yanfei

Yanfei is a standard 4-star character available on the Wanderlust Invocation Standard Wish banner permanently. She also frequently appears as a featured rate-up 4-star on event banners, most recently appearing during the Lantern Rite events and Version 5.5’s Phase 2 banner alongside Venti and Xilonen.

She has also been given out as a free character through Lantern Rite and similar Liyue-themed limited events. Keep an eye on event rewards as she occasionally shows up there as well.

Is Yanfei Worth Building?

Yanfei is a very good 4-star DPS who punches above her weight class when built properly. Her Vaporize Charged Attacks deal solid damage, and her kit is straightforward to learn. She excels in open-world content and handles most Spiral Abyss floors well, especially in a good Vaporize team.

Her main weakness is that newer and premium Pyro DPS characters — like Hu Tao or Arlecchino — significantly outpace her ceiling. Within the 4-star pool though, she is one of the best Pyro options available, and she genuinely does not need constellations to function well. Getting her to C2 is a nice improvement, and C4 opens up an entirely different support role that can be surprisingly useful for team-building flexibility.

For newer players especially, Yanfei is an excellent main DPS to invest in early. She is easy to pull, straightforward to build, and carries teams comfortably through the mid-game. If you are still filling out your Liyue roster, pairing her with Xingqiu and Bennett gives you a strong, accessible Vaporize team that covers most content in the game.

Quick Summary – Yanfei at a Glance

• Rarity: 4-Star
• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Catalyst
• Region: Liyue
• Role: On-field Pyro DPS / Shielder at C4
• Best Weapon: Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds or The Widsith
• Best Artifact Set: 4-piece Crimson Witch of Flames (Vaporize); 4-piece Gilded Dreams (Overload); 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter (Furina teams)
• Best Team: Yelan, Nahida, Zhongli
• Key Constellation: C4 – Supreme Amnesty (unlocks shield/Tankfei build)
• Ascension Stat: Pyro DMG Bonus (24% at Level 90)
• Ascension Materials: Agnidus Agate, Noctilucous Jade, Juvenile Jade, Treasure Hoarder Insignias
• Talent Books: Gold series (Taishan Mansion domain, Liyue — Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays)
• Weekly Boss Material: Bloodjade Branch (Azhdaha Trounce Domain)