Ayaka

Ayaka

5★CryoSwordMain Damage

TL;DR

Ayaka's Burst is a snowstorm that grinds across the arena hitting everything 20 times. That is most of her damage. Everything else you do is setup for it: freeze the enemies so they stand still and take all of it. Her dash is worth learning. It turns her sword Cryo and gives her a damage bonus for 10 seconds.

Rotation

  1. Hydro teammate applies Hydro so the enemies freeze.
  2. Swap to Ayaka and tap the dash next to them, so her sword goes Cryo.
  3. Skill (E).
  4. Normal Attack for a few seconds, then Skill (E) again when it's back.
  5. Burst (Q) into the frozen pile, then swap out and start again.

Abilities

Normal Attacks A fast five-hit string. Physical unless her dash has infused them, which is the whole reason you dash.
Her dash She has a special sprint instead of a normal dash. Tap it and let go. For the next 5 seconds her attacks are Cryo.
Skill (E) A quick burst of ice that launches small enemies and makes a healthy pile of energy particles. 10 second cooldown, so you get two per rotation.
Burst (Q) The snowstorm. It rolls forward hitting repeatedly, then blows up at the end. 80 Energy, 20 second cooldown and the bulk of her damage.

The one mechanic to understand

The dash is a button, not a movement key.

Tapping her dash and releasing it puts Cryo on her sword for 5 seconds. It also gives her an 18% Cryo damage bonus for 10 seconds. Both want to be active when the snowstorm goes off, so treat the dash as a short cast you do before the damage rather than a way of getting somewhere. One tap right next to the enemies is all it needs.

What actually matters

  • Something has to hold the enemies still. The snowstorm hits 20 times over several seconds. Against a frozen enemy that's 20 hits, against something running away it might be 6. A Hydro teammate is what makes the number big.
  • Two Skill casts per rotation. Her Burst costs 80 Energy and her Skill is the only thing feeding it. Fit both casts in and she needs little Energy Recharge, around 130% to 140%.
  • She wants a Cryo teammate too. Two Cryo characters give the team the Cryo resonance Crit Rate bonus against Frozen enemies. The second Cryo character usually helps her energy as well.
  • Aim the snowstorm. It travels in the direction she's facing. Point it through the enemies, not past them.

Gear

Weapon Crit, then Energy Recharge for the 80-cost Burst. Amenoma Kageuchi is craftable and hands Energy back every Skill cast, which covers her one real cost.
Artifacts 4-piece Blizzard Strayer. Against a Frozen enemy it is a lot of free Crit Rate. Her team's job is keeping things frozen anyway.
Sands Goblet Circlet Substats
ATK Cryo DMG Crit DMG Crit / ATK

Blizzard Strayer gives so much Crit Rate that a Crit DMG circlet is usually the better pick.

Works well with

HydroCryoAnemo

One Hydro to freeze, one Cryo for resonance, one Anemo to group things up and shred resistance.

Don't bother

  • Using the dash to travel. It drains stamina fast and you only ever needed the tap.
  • Charged Attacks. They aren't worth the stamina.
  • Bringing Pyro. Melt looks clever but it thaws the enemies you needed frozen.

Want the full deep dive? Read Ayaka on KeqingMains.

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