Ayato Kamisato Quick TL;DR DPS Build Guide

Updated for 3.3 😁!

PSA #1: A DPS is that friend who seems super friendly and outgoing on the outside, but secretly really sneaky and dangerous. Keep them happy so they don’t spy on you or something 😨

PSA #2: Both Ayato’s abilities scale off ATK, and boy is he one flashy character. Super cool design that fits his super cool and easy playstyle. Just make sure to keep him constantly buffed up!

This is Ayato’s core skill, and what makes him an insanely strong on-field DPS. Just a few things to keep in mind:

1. The water clone will explode if 6 seconds pass or an enemy enters it’s range — you can also just use it on top of enemies for a quick DMG + Hydro application!
2. Using E changes all Normal Attack DMG to Hydro. You also cannot Charged or Plunged attack while E is active — It also cannot be overwritten, so things like C6 Bennett will not ruin the comp!
3. You gain Namisen stacks by hitting enemies. Max of 4 stacks total (unless you have C2 which bumps it to 5 stacks max)

It has a fairly long duration of 6s, which allows you to get roughly 12-13 Normal Attacks in (or basically 4 rotations of the 3NA combo). The Namisen DMG bonus is multiplicative, which is a fairly nice buff.

For example: lets say you have 20,000 HP and E at level 8. Meaning each stack = 192 DMG bonus x 4 = 768 DMG bonus at max stacks. Doesn’t seem like much, but remember that in a damage formula this number is multiplied in the total calculation!

The most optimal playstyle with Ayato is to E on top of an enemy to ensure the clone instantly explodes, granting max stacks!

While Ayato generally doesn’t struggle with energy generation, to maximize DPS windows you want to have your Q up as much as possible. That being said ER% should only be prioritized as a substat, and not worth taking over an ATK% Sands. It has an absurdly long duration, so you only really see 2 seconds of downtime as long as you can generate the energy!

Keep in mind that you have to be within the AoE to gain the NA DMG buff. Moment you step out, it instantly negates itself.

Talent Leveling Order: E = Q > Normal (your E replaces your Normal hit multipliers while active)

WEAPON #1 (Recommended for best DPS): Haran Geppaku Futsu

How do I get it D: ? – It’s time to roll boys (gacha)

Ayato’s signature weapon, Haran Geppaku Futsu (HGF) (ik… long as heck), is his best in slot as it’s an extremely consistent and potent weapon. The fact it has CRIT% alone makes it valuable, but the 12% Elemental DMG bonus + the stacking NA DMG buff is absurd. Keep in mind that the only requirement is that party members use their Skill (E), so in a single rotation you could easily get the max of 2 stacks… That means Ayato would basically have a semi-permanent 52% DMG buff at all times (as long as he has his E up)!

Mistsplitter Reforged is also a strong option as Ayato can easily maintain all 3 stacks up, if not consistently 2 stacks at all times. While the total DMG bonuses provided at R1 only adds up to 40%, the CRIT DMG it provides can easily compete with HGF — keep in mind that Ayato’s ascension stat is CRIT DMG, so you can easily cap over 200% CRIT DMG if you have optimized CRIT% substats!

Lastly, the honorary stat stick Primordial Jade Cutter performs well due to it not only providing ample CRIT%, but also boosting Ayato’s HP% (for his Namisen stacks), and an ample ATK bonus that’s based of max HP.

WEAPON #2 (Recommended for 4-stars): The Black Sword

How do I get it D: ? – Battlepass (Tier 30)

The Black Sword is an amazing 4-star weapon that fits Ayato’s kit well as it buffs his core revolving around Normal Attack DPS. It also allows for an option to prioritize a CRIT DMG circlet piece, as it provides a decent amount of CRIT% when paired with sub-optimal CRIT% substats!

If you are running a taser comp (Hydro + Electro), then the Lion’s Roar can be a great substitute as well. Since Electro-Charged can proc quite frequently, you’ll have the consistent DMG buff available at all times. Ayato’s playstyle favors quick team rotation so he can hog field time, so getting quick Electro procs off is essential for this option.

Amenoma Kageuchi is only advised if you somehow lack the energy regen to have consistent uptime on Ayato’s burst. Typically if you’re pairing him with someone like Fischl, Kazuha/Venti/Sucrose, or Raiden you won’t really have this issue though.

WARNING = Festering Desire does not affect or buff Ayato’s E DMG at all. Ayato’s E form is only affected by Elemental DMG and Normal Attack DMG buffs, nothing else.

If somehow you don’t have any of the above, then Cool Steel will do fine as a placeholder. Assuming you have it at R5, you’ll be able to consistently benefit from the 24% DMG bonus when E is active.

ARTIFACT #1 (Recommended for best DPS): Echoes of an Offering

How do I get it D: ? – The Lost Valley Domain (AR 30 locked, 20 Resin per run)

4x Echoes of an Offering is the new artifact set introduced in the Chasm area, and it packs a serious punch. The key factor being the insane 70% Normal Attack DMG buff that can proc whenever a Normal Attack hits. The idea is every time you NA, you roll a 36% chance for the next NA to deal bonus DMG equal to 70% of your total ATK. If it hits, then it’ll be 36% again until it fails — in which case the next NA will have 56% chance. If that somehow fails, then 76% chance etc…

An easy way of seeing it is you basically are guaranteed that every other NA will do 70% bonus DMG… It’s insane, but it can also be somewhat inconsistent.

If you don’t want to farm for the new set, then 4x Heart of Depth is also a solid set to run on Ayato as you’ll not only benefit from the +15% Hydro DMG buff, but also gain a 30% NA buff after using E!

For taser comps (Electro + Hydro), you can technically run 4x Thundering Fury as you will benefit from the Electro-Charged DMG + the E CD reduction, but will require a very specific comp to benefit (imo too much work for such little output)!

ARTIFACT #2 (Recommended for early DPS): Martial Artist

How do I get it D: ? – Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula Domain (AR 30 locked, 20 Resin per run)

4x Martial Artist is the most optimal set to run early on, until you have access to Heart or Echoes. It’s basically a set made for Ayato, as it buffs the living heck out of his Normal Attack DMG (total of 40% from both 2x + 4x bonuses)!

If you are struggling with ER% early on, then you can technically run 2x Exile + 2x Martial Artist as well!

Main stats:

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
ATK%	Hydro DMG%	CRIT% or CRIT DMG

Substats: CRIT% > CRIT DMG > ATK (ATK% if not main stat) > ER%

If you want other characters let me know. Hope this helped. Bye.