Kaeya Genshin Impact Guide

 Kaeya is one of the most beloved characters in Genshin Impact, with his witty remarks and overall flair being the driving point behind his love from fans. In this Kaeya Genshin Impact guide, you can expect to see an in-depth review of Kaeya, and below I will note down what can be expected from this article.

Kaeya is well, Kaeya… being eccentric and very difficult to read are key components of his personality. He absolutely loves putting both his allies and enemies into difficult situations and often goes out of his way to make the situation more complex to test the moral compass of those around him.

1. Ranking based on his abilities (Main DPS, Sub DPS, Support, Exploration)
2. Ascension material and statistics
3. Attacks and Talents
4. Constellations
5. Weapons and artifacts that are suitable for him
6. Team Compositions
7. Mistakes to avoid
8. FAQ

A brief summary of Kaeya

As with all Genshin characters, we shall quickly cover the basics and move on to the more essential aspects such as team building and so on.

Below is a breakdown of Kaeya:

1. Title: Kaeya Alberich
2. Nationality: Citizen of Mondstadt City
3. Rarity: 4-star
4. Weapon Type: Sword
5. Vision: Cryo
6. Constellation: Pavo Ocellus
7. Speciality Dish: Fruity Skewer
8. Birthday: November 30th

Ranking and Ascension details

Ranking

Kaeya is a very versatile character since he can take almost any role in a team comp. Since I am in the latter stages of the current version of Genshin Impact. I mainly use Kaeya for exploration purposes when I have to make Cryo bridges over water to cross over to my destination.

The Cryo from his elemental skill Frostgnaw is much stronger and more suitable for ice bridge formation in comparison to most Cryo characters. However, in the early stages of Genshin Impact, Kaeya was one of my undroppable characters because of his contributions to the team.

My team contained the Anemo Traveler as Main DPS (controversial, I know), Kaeya as Sub DPS, Xiangling as Support, and Noelle as my Shielding and Healing unit.

This team overcame most of the early game bosses and quests; then, during the mid-game, my team evolved to Keqing as Main DPS, Kaeya as Sub DPS, Xiangling as Support, and Raiden Shogun as Support.

Ascension

For his ascension, Kaeya requires items that are found in Mondstadt. This makes it easier for early game players since gathering his resources would be much easier when compared to characters from the Inazuma region because players would have to wait until the region is made available through the Archon quest.

to ascend Kaeya to level 90 you will need the following character ascension materials:

1. Calla Lilly – Players can use the interactive map from Mihoyo to locate this item, or grow this item in the Serenitea pot
2. Hoarfrost Core – Players can collect this after defeating the Cryo Regisvine.
3. Shivada Jade Sliver/ Fragment/ Chunk/ Gemstone – This can be collected after defeating Cryo bosses; players can also convert these (slivers, fragments, chunks, gemstones) from other elements by using the dust of Azoth (purchased in Paimon’s Bargain Shop).
4. Treasure Hoarder drops – Kaeya uses enemy drop material from Treasure Hoarders; they are found primarily in Liyue however there are plenty to be found in Mondstadt. (Treasure Hoarder Insignia, Silver Raven Insignia, Golden Raven Insignia)

In order to ascend Kaeya up to level 90, you will also need 2095230 Mora, and 419 Hero’s Wit. 

Talents

Kaeya’s talents are primarily beneficial for him; they revolve around his Elemental Skill, which is excellent because it is a move with a pretty short cooldown.

Through “Glacial Heart,” additional energy particles are generated for the team, which would be beneficial when dealing with enemies that do not produce many energy particles.

In-game representation	Name	Description
	Normal Attack: Ceremonial Bladework	Normal attack – Perform up to 5 rapid strikes. Charge Attack – Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash 2 rapid sword strikes. Plunge Attack – Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging enemies along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
	Frostgnaw	Unleashes a frigid blast, dealing Cryo DMG to enemies in front of Kaeya.
	Glacial Waltz	Coalescing the frost in the air, Kaeya summons 3 icicles that revolve around him. These icicles will follow the character around and deal Cryo DMG to enemies in their path for so long as they persist. The Elemental Burst is still effective even if Kaeya is off the field.
	Cold-Blooded Strike	Every hit with Frostgnaw regenerates HP for Kaeya, equal to 15% of his ATK.
	Glacial Heart	Enemies Frozen by Frostgnaw will drop additional Elemental Particles. Frostgnaw may only produce a maximum of 2 additional Elemental Particles per use.
	Hidden Strength	Decreases sprinting Stamina consumption of your characters in the party by 20%. Not stackable with Passive Talents that provide the exact same effects.

In order to ascend Kaeya’s talents up to level 10, you will need the following materials:

• Mora – 4957500
• Crown of Insight – 3
• Teachings of Ballad – 9
• Guide of Ballad – 63
• Philosophies of Ballad – 114
• Treasure Hoarder insignia – 18
• Silver Raven Insignia – 66
• Golden Raven Insignia – 93
• Spirit locket of Boreas -18

The Spirit locket of Boreas can be obtained from the weekly trounce domain boss Lupus Boreas. 

Constellations

As with all characters, unlocking constellations provides additional benefits which can improve the gameplay of some characters. 

In Kaeya’s case, unlocking the second constellation and the sixth constellation would make him extremely powerful. This would give him an edge over most cryo characters.

Kaeya, as a main DPS character, would benefit immensely from the additional constellations:

In game representation	Name	Description
	Excellent Blood	The CRIT Rate of Kaeya’s Normal and Charge Attacks against enemies affected by Cryo is increased by 15%.
	Never-Ending Performance	Every time Glacial Waltz (Elemental Burst) defeats an enemy during its duration, its duration is increased by 2.5s, up to a maximum of 15s.
	Dance of Frost	Increases the Level of Frostgnaw (Elemental Skill) by 3. The maximum upgrade level is 15.
	Frozen Kiss	Triggers automatically when Kaeya’s HP falls below 20%: Creates a shield that absorbs damage equal to 30% of Kaeya’s Max HP. Lasts for 20s. This shield absorbs Cryo DMG with 250% efficiency. It can only occur once every 60s.
	Frostbiting Embrace	Increases the Level of Glacial Waltz (Elemental Burst) by 3. The maximum upgrade level is 15.
	Glacial Whirlwind	Glacial Waltz (Elemental Burst) will generate 1 additional icicle and will regenerate 15 Energy when cast.

Weapons

Since Kaeya is a sword user, we have an abundance of weapons available, both 4* and 5*. Due to his versatility, he can use both free to play weapons and high tier Gacha weapons as well.

In general, I would recommend using Kaeya with a weapon that is either 4* or above since this will help boost the team.

*The weapons will be listed from top to bottom, going from the most compatible to compatible but can do better.*

4* Weapons

Weapon	Name	Description
	Amenoma Kageuchi	After using an Elemental Skill, players obtain a “Succession Seed.” A Succession seed can be triggered one every 5s, and it lasts for 30s before it despawns. Players may collect only three Succession seeds, which can exist at the same time. However, when a player uses an Elemental Burst, all of the available Succession Seeds are used 2s after activating an Elemental Burst, players receive six Elemental energy per each active Succession Seed.   (Forging)
	Favonius Sword	CRIT hits run the possibility of generating a small number of Elemental energy particles for the character; this replenishes six energy. This probability lies at 60%; this effect can only occur once every 12s.   (Gacha)
	The Alley Flash	The damage output of the character equipping this weapon will increase by 12%. However, if the said character takes on damage, the effect of the weapon wears off for 5s.   (Gacha)
	Black Sword	There is a 20% increase in all Normal and Charged attacks that are carried out. The Sword also regenerates 60% of the character’s ATK as HP when a CRIT Hit occurs via a Normal or Charged attack. However, the HP regeneration effect can occur once every 5s. (Battle pass)
	Blackcliff Longsword	Once an open has been defeated, the ATK of the character is increased by 20% for 30s. Each defeat adds one stack to the weapon; players can accumulate only three stacks. However, each stack is independent of each other, which means the time it takes to despawn varies from the origin of one stack to the other.   (Paimon’s Bargain Shop)

5* Weapons

Weapon	Name	Description
	Mistsplitter Reforged	The character gains a 12% Elemental DMG bonus for the specific Element of the character (Eg: Ayaka will gain a 12% Cryo Elemental DMG bonus). The weapon also gains stacks which increase the Elemental DMG as:   Stack 1: 8% Stack 2: 16% Stack 3: 28% Each stack can be obtained by: Normal attacks imbued in Elemental DMG (stack duration 5s). Using an Elemental Burst (stack duration 10s). Having energy below the 100% mark, this particular stack disappears when energy is at 100%. (Gacha),
	Primordial Jade Cutter	The character’s HP is increased by 20%, while receiving an ATK bonus which constitutes of 1.2% off the maximum HP of the character.   (Gacha)
	Summit Shaper	The character’s Shield Strength is increased by 20% while receiving a 4% ATK bonus every 8s when a player successfully scores a hit on an opponent, which can only be stacked up 5 times. This effect can only take place every 0.3s. Additionally, when the character is protected by a shield, the ATK increase effect is increased by 100%   (Gacha)
	Aquila Favonia	The character’s ATK is increased by 20%; this is activated when the character takes on damage. A banner of resistance is raised by “The Soul of the Falcon of the West,” which regenerates HP equal to 100% of the character’s ATK while additionally dealing 200% ATK damage to enemies in the vicinity. However, this effect can only take place once every 15s.   (Gacha)
	Haran Geppaku Futsu	The character gains a 12% Elemental DMG bonus for the specific Element of the character (Eg: Ayato will gain a 12% Hydro Elemental DMG bonus).   When team members use their Elemental skill moves, the character using the “Haran Geppaku Futsu” will gain one “Wavespike” stack; only a maximum of 2 stacks may exist at any given time. This effect can be activated once every 0.3s. Once the character that is using this weapon unleashes their own Elemental skill move, all available Wavespike stacks will be used up to gain: “Rippling Upheaval,” which increases the Normal Attack damage by 20% for 8s per Wavespike available. *As of 2.5, this weapon has not been released yet. However, I do feel that this would work well with Kaeya* (Gacha)

All of the above weapons are compatible with Kaeya. However, if players do not have these weapons, any other weapon would do until a suitable replacement can be obtained.

Another free to play friendly option would be the “Harbinger of Dawn”. Although it is a 3* weapon, this weapon is free, and it compliments Kaeya’s playstyle very well.

Artifacts

As for artifacts, if the RNG gods do not bless players, this could be a very time-consuming endeavour, as most end game players would know. It can take months to obtain the perfect artifact set for characters, especially if they need a four-piece set to unlock a particular bonus. In Kaeya’s case, we can use Blizzard strayer as a four-piece set or even a two-piece set as long as another two-piece set accompanies it.

Artifact	Description
	Blizzard Strayer Two-piece bonus: Cryo DMG Bonus +15% Four-piece bonus: When a character attacks an enemy affected by Cryo, their CRIT Rate is increased by 20%. If the enemy is Frozen, the CRIT Rate is increased by an additional 20%.
	Noblesse Oblige Two-piece bonus: Elemental Burst DMG +20% Four-piece bonus: Using an Elemental Burst increases all party members’ ATK by 20% for 12s. This effect cannot stack.
	Gladiators Finale  Two-piece bonus: ATK +18% Four-piece bonus: If the wielder of this artifact set uses a Sword, Claymore, or Polearm, it increases their Normal Attack DMG by 35%.

Most of these artifacts require a lot of time and patience in order to obtain the perfect substats, which I will list below. However, in terms of how to get the above mentioned artifacts:

1. Blizzard Strayer – Domain name: “Peak of Vindagnyr.”
2. Noblesse Oblige – Domain name: “Clear pool and Mountain Cavern,” Noblesse artifacts can also be exchanged for other unwanted 5* artifacts at the crafting table.
3. Gladiators Finale – There is a drop chance after defeating normal or trounce domain bosses, Gladiators artifacts can also be exchanged for other unwanted 5* artifacts at the crafting table.

Recommended Artifacts and how to use them

Main artifact stat and complimentary Substats

Since Kaeya is more suited to be Main DPS or Sub DPS, most of his artifact stats will revolve around damage or attack amplifying stats. Stats such as HP%, DEF, DEF%, and Energy recharge would not be as beneficial as the stats listed below.

Players could also benefit from his Elemental Mastery since it would help with most Melt or Freeze comps and elemental reactions, but this is not a crucial substat, and it is solely based on the player’s preference.

Early game players could use Artifacts such as Berserker or The Exile since they are complementary to Kaeya’s playstyle.

Most players use a Berserker and Dawn Harbinger combination as Kaeya’s build in the early game.

Team Comps

All players obtain Kaeya for free at the start of Genshin Impact. Due to this, he has been integrated into many team comps because of how easy and adaptable he is.

For most players who have not been blessed with strong DPS Cryo characters (myself included), Kaeya is viable if not one of the best alternatives.

Below, I will compile some of the team comps that I would recommend, accompanied by my reasoning for the suggested team builds.

Free to play

Since Kaeya is a day one character, he would most likely lead the charge for most new and strictly free to play players. Due to his abilities as both Main DPS and Sub DPS, rotating him within the squad is relatively easy. I would list the Main DPS team and a Sub-DPS team; players can select or modify the suggestions to include their preferences.

Kaeya Main DPS Team

	Main DPS	Sub DPS	Support	Support
Character
Reasoning and Weapon	Kaeya – Kaeya is an excellent Main DPS character in the early game due to his constant Cryo application and overall DPS abilities. By using his Cryo application, players can participate in various elemental reactions in the current team: Melt and Freeze comps are possible.   Weapon – Dawn Harbinger	Xiangling – Xiangling is easily one of the best Pyro appliers in Genshin Impact. Pyro-based elemental reactions come with so much ease with her on the team. I love using her Pyronado and Kaeya’s Glacial Waltz simultaneously.   Weapon – Crescent Pike	Noelle – Our trusty in-game maid/ Knight in training, is an excellent option for any free to play team since she can heal and provide a strong shield as well. Crystallize reactions are easy as well since her Elemental burst deals pure Geo damage.   Weapon – Whiteblind	Barbara – A reliable healer for any free to play team and a Hydro applier for our mini Freeze comp with Kaeya or Vaporize with Xiangling. Since she is the only free healer, she is essential for any free to play team.   Weapon – Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers

Kaeya Sub DPS Team

	Main DPS	Sub DPS	Support	Support
Character	(Anemo)
Reasoning and Weapon	Traveler – The Anemo Traveler is one of my favourite characters to use since his Elemental skill has a large AoE if mixed with another element. I usually apply Cryo and then mix it in with Electro from Lisa in order to fully utilize the Swirl damage.   Weapon – Prototype Rancour	Kaeya – In the early stages of Genshin Impact, I used Kaeya as a Sub DPS; he could swap in and deal good damage while my Anemo Traveler had his CD’s. Once again, by using his Cryo application, players can participate in various elemental reactions; in the current team: Superconduct and Freeze comps are possible.   Weapon – Dawn Harbinger	Lisa – Lisa is an excellent Electro applier since both her Elemental skill and Elemental burst provide ample Electro damage. This is great for team comps that want to do Taser or Freeze comps. Weapon – Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers	Barbara – A reliable healer for any free to play team and a Hydro applier for our mini Freeze comp with Kaeya or Electro Charge with Lisa. Since she is the only free healer, she is essential for any free to play team. But, her elemental mastery has to be incredibly high in this team comp.   Weapon – Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers

Best Team Comp

The Main DPS team is mainly for Kaeya mains who want to run a tank through the world of Teyvat. By using Kaeya in these team comps, players can utilize him in instances where Cryo or high damage characters are essential while gaining support from the entire team.

Kaeya Main DPS Team

	Main DPS	Sub DPS	Support	Support
Character
Reasoning and Weapon	Kaeya – Once again, we have Captain Kaeya leading the pack. Only this time, it’s a Melt/ Reverse Melt comp. With Shenhe buffing Kaeya’s Cryo output, Cryo resonance providing the Crit Rate buff if enemies are Frozen or affected by Cryo, and Pyro resonance giving a 25% ATK buff This team could easily wipe out most opposition.   Weapon – Mistsplitter Reforged	Xiangling – Once again, Xiangling makes an appearance; I feel that she is one of the pivotal characters in making this team comp work. Steady Pyro application is essential. Therefore, her Elemental Mastery must be high.   Weapon – Engulfing Lightning	Shenhe – Since she provides Cryo buffs and can resonate with Kaeya to unlock the Cryo resonance, I believe that she is an excellent addition to the team and that players can find fun ways to run different rotations.   Weapon – Calamity Queller	Bennett – Our resident bad luck magnet is the opposite in this team comp since he provides Pyro application and an ATK buff which would benefit Kaeya tremendously. Since this team comp does not have a character that offers shields, Bennett can heal them before any players get knocked out.   Weapon – Skyward Blade

Kaeya Sub DPS Team

	Main DPS	Sub DPS	Support	Support
Character
Reasoning and Weapon	Hu Tao – The Directress of the Wangsheng funeral parlour is the focal point of this team comp since her Pyro attacks are the main damage provider. Kaeya’s Glacial Waltz and Zhongli’s Dominus Lapidis would provide Hu Tao with an ATK buff. Xingqiu would more or less break Hu Tao’s damage scaling by enabling high Elemental mastery based Vaporize damage.   Weapon – Staff of Homa	Kaeya – As the Cryo applier, players must focus on keeping his Elemental burst ready at all times. A high Elemental mastery would be recommended since Freeze and Melt are both possible Elemental reactions.   Weapon – Mistsplitter Reforged	Zhongli – Zhongli with the Tenacity of the Millelith artifact set (4-piece) would be able to provide outstanding ATK buffs for all of the team members. By using Planet Befall, players can petrify enemies in place and allow Hu Tao to deal damage without any hassle.   Weapon – Vortex Vanquisher	Xingqiu – As one of the best Hydro appliers, it is essential to have a high Elemental mastery and use the Raincutter as often as possible. By using the Sacrificial Sword, players have a chance to avoid CD on his Elemental skill move.   Weapon – Sacrificial Sword

Mistakes to avoid

As with all characters, there are things to keep in mind when using Kaeya during combat and while exploring Teyvat. Even though Kaeya is one of the least complicated characters in Genshin Impact, he too comes with a few key points.

1. Not using his Elemental skill and Elemental burst at the right time:

1. Elemental Skill – most players use Kaeya’s Elemental skill at the wrong time. Since it is a one-shot move, players sometimes miss the opponent altogether, especially if an opponent has been knocked down onto the floor. Strategic placement to deal damage to as many enemies as possible and timing it ideally requires experience, which can be gained over time.
2. Elemental Burst – once again, players might start the Elemental burst away from the opponent(s) and then move closer, but this would get in the way of the initial Cryo damage inflicted on the enemy. Once again, using this during close combat is optimal, preferably with a shield.

2. Players may opt to use mobility based characters or swim in order to cross large masses of water; however, Kaeya is a viable option for players who lack mobility based characters. Since he can freeze the water immediately in front of him through his skill move, it forms a small ice bridge. If players use Kaeya with Sacrificial Sword as his weapon, it could mean much faster and safer movement than swimming.

3. Kaeya can also successfully take care of Pyro based obstacles in domains or subdue the Flaming Flower Stamen in order to collect it.

4. Players may forget that Kaeya’s Cryo application is quite strong; if coupled with Xingqiu, then players might be able to build a long-lasting Freeze unit. This Freeze unit would be beneficial when players attempt to complete the Freeze based achievements in Genshin Impact.

How to Obtain Kaeya?

Kaeya is one of the first characters we meet when we first enter the world of Teyvat, and he is also one of the first free characters as well. Aside from that, there are two ways to obtain Kaeya:

1. The Wish System – Through the wish system (on the standard banner), we can obtain Kaeya. Unlike other 4* units, Kaeya can only be obtained from the standard event wish banner, not from any limited-time event banners. 
2. Paimon’s Bargain Shop – During the months of June and December, Kaeya is available for purchase at Paimon’s Bargain shop, along with Barbara and Royal weapons.

Kaeya Wish Art

FAQ

Conclusion

Kaeya is a character that I love using and recommend for any player, old or new. He is very versatile since he can be placed in almost every DPS slot and does help make Cryo-based elemental reactions which help players ease through Freeze, Melt, Superconduct, Crystallize, and Swirl reactions.

I feel that Kaeya and Xiangling are the best free characters from the first seven given to us when we start Genshin Impact. Most players still use Kaeya and Xiangling for the Abyss, and also when tackling all sorts of bosses.

Kaeya is very easy to use and requires only a tiny amount of time to get used to his rotations. He is one of the best 4* characters, even though he is not at the same level as Xingqiu or Bennett. For anyone that the Gacha system has not been kind to but needs a good Cryo character, I would recommend Kaeya.

Since he is a free character, he can be bought through Paimon’s Bargain shop during specific months and can also be obtained through the wish system; getting his constellations is pretty easy compared to most characters.

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Rashen Perera

Rashen is a dedicated and passionate Genshin player turned writer who has used his love for this brilliant live service game as a means of turning his passion into a career. While not outspoken in nature, when let loose on a page, Rashen let's his work speak for itself and when it comes to the world of Genshin, there are few players out there that can offer more detailed and informative articles than him. He's poured literally thousands of hours into Genshin and explored every nook and cranny of Mondstadt, and he's more than willing to pass this knowledge on to you, our faithful readers!

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