Genshin Yelan Build 2026: Best Weapons, Artifacts & Teams
Yelan — the mysterious intelligence officer of Liyue — is one of the best off-field Hydro units in Genshin Impact. Her Elemental Burst drops a coordinated "Exquisite Throw" that follows your on-field character and fires Hydro attacks scaling off her Max HP, while her Skill marks enemies for bonus Hydro application. This guide covers weapons, the Emblem of Severed Fate set, HP stacking, her Vape / Neuvillette / Furina team comps, and the HP-scaling engine that makes her a top-tier sub-DPS in almost any team.
Why Yelan Is Worth Building
She is a premier Hydro enabler whose value comes from applying Hydro without being on field, and whose damage scales off a stat most units ignore — HP:
- Off-field Hydro at range: her Burst's Exquisite Throw trails the active character and fires Hydro attacks on every Normal Attack — she keeps your team wet while you play someone else.
- HP scaling: both her coordinated attack and her Burst's damage scale off her Max HP, so building HP directly raises her personal damage.
- Burst utility — "Adapts": her unique mechanic grants up to +50% coordinated-attack damage based on how many different elements are in the party. Pair her with a varied team for a big spike.
- Universal fit: she drops into Vape, Mono Hydro, Neuvillette, and Furina teams with almost no rebuild — the definition of evergreen value for a Hydro account.
Best Weapons
Yelan wants HP% and a bow. Because her damage scales off HP, an HP weapon often beats a higher-base-ATK one for most builds.
5★ BiSAqua Simulacra
Her tailor-made weapon: grants a large HP% bonus and a flat DMG boost to all attacks. The clear best-in-slot, but the gap to F2P is small enough that you can skip it.
5★ altPolar Star / Skyward Harp
Polar Star rewards her coordinated attacks with CRIT and DMG. Skyward Harp is a simple, strong CRIT bow you may already own. Both work if you lack the signature.
F2P ★Favonius Warbow
A 4-star bow that gives Energy Recharge and, on CRIT, produces a party-wide energy particle. It smooths her Burst rotation and helps the whole team — the default recommendation for a F2P Yelan.
F2PPrototype Crescent / Mouun's Moon
Prototype Crescent (craftable) gives a big ATK spike on charged hits. Mouun's Moon converts your ER into team-wide Burst DMG — strong if you over-stack ER. Both are free and easy to refine.
Best Artifacts
The choice is a simple rule: Yelan's Burst is her main damage source and loves Energy Recharge, so the Emblem set is her default.
| Set | Use when | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Emblem of Severed Fate (4pc) | Almost always | +20% ER and converts ER into Burst DMG%. Perfectly tuned to her kit — the best set in nearly every team. |
| 2pc Emblem + 2pc Tenacity of the Millelith | HP-focused build | Keeps the ER bonus while adding HP% for more coordinated-attack damage. A solid alternative if you want more personal HP scaling. |
| 2pc Emblem + 2pc Heart of Depth | Hydro DMG push | ER plus a Hydro DMG% bump. Good when you already have enough HP from weapons/substats. |
| 4pc Noblesse Oblige | Support-only variant | Gives the team an ATK buff after her Burst. Use only if no one else in the team already holds Noblesse. |
Stat Targets
Yelan's damage scales off Max HP, but her Burst must come up often, so Energy Recharge matters too. CRIT and HP share the spotlight.
| Slot | Main stat | Substat priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | HP% | CRIT Rate ≈ CRIT DMG > HP% > Energy Recharge (≈120–140% ER if not on Favonius) > ATK% |
| Goblet | Hydro DMG% | |
| Circlet | CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (or HP%) |
Best Team Comps
Yelan enables strong Hydro and Vape setups. Pick the comp by which reaction you want to drive.
VapeHu Tao Vape
Yelan + Hu Tao + Xingqiu + Zhongli or Bennett. Double Hydro keeps Hu Tao's Vape procs consistent. One of the highest ceiling teams she enables.
NeuvilletteNeuvillette Hypercarry
Yelan + Neuvillette + Furina + flex. Yelan's off-field Hydro feeds his stacks and the double-Hydro resonance fuels both their Bursts. A flagship team.
FurinaFurina Teams
Yelan + Furina + a healer (for Furina's HP drain) + flex. Yelan supplies the off-field Hydro that Furina's kit loves, and both scale off HP — a natural pairing.
Mono HydroDouble Hydro flex
Drop her into any team needing Hydro application: with Kazuha for VV swirl, or alongside Xingqiu for stacking off-field Hydro. She asks for little and amplifies almost any reaction team.
Talent Priority
Level in this order — her Normal Attack is the least of her worries:
- Elemental Burst (Depth-Clarion Dice) → 8–10. The Exquisite Throw and its HP-scaled damage are her entire kit; leveling it raises both personal damage and the "Adapts" scaling.
- Elemental Skill (Lingering Lifeline) → 8. The mark and bonus Hydro application matter, but the Burst matters more. Level for comfort.
- Normal Attack → 1 (or 6 if you ever run her on-field). Ignore otherwise.
How Her Coordinated Attack Works
Yelan's value is in the Exquisite Throw, not in the hit itself. Master this and she out-values most 5-stars:
- Cast Burst: she drops an Exquisite Throw that follows the active character. Every Normal Attack they land fires a Hydro coordinated strike scaling off her Max HP and Talent level.
- "Adapts" stacks: the more different elements in your party (up to 3 stacks), the higher the coordinated-attack damage — up to +50%. Build a varied team, not a mirror match.
- Skill mark: her Elemental Skill tags an enemy so the next coordinated attack (and her own) hit harder and apply extra Hydro — use it to open the rotation.
Common Mistakes
- Building ATK instead of HP. Her coordinated attacks scale off Max HP. An ATK-sponge Yelan deals a fraction of her potential.
- Letting her Burst fall off. Without ER tuned (≈120–140%, or Favonius), her Q drops and she loses most of her value. ER is non-negotiable.
- Running a mono-element team. Her "Adapts" buff needs different elements. A full-Hydro party throws away up to +50% of her damage.
- Using an Elemental Mastery weapon. She does not consume reactions herself — EM bows like The Stringless do almost nothing for her.
- Over-leveling her Normal Attack. It barely matters off-field. Spend the books on Burst/Skill.
Don't Have Yelan Yet?
She is a limited 5-star, so you may not own her. For off-field Hydro, Xingqiu (a free 4-star from Story Quests and the shop) is her best stand-in — he applies Hydro on-field and off, and pairs with the same Vape / Neuvillette teams. Candace (a 4-star on the beginner radar) is a weaker alternative who buffers Normal Attack Hydro DMG. Build either while you wait for her banner; they cover most Hydro teams until she arrives.
Related Guides
Quick Answers
What is Yelan's best build?
Yelan is an off-field Hydro DPS (similar role to Xingqiu). Use 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate or 4-piece Heart of Depth (HP%/ER sands, Hydro goblet, CRIT/HP circlet). HP 30000+, CRIT 60%+, ER 120-140%. Signature is Aqua Simulacra; best 4-stars are Fading Twilight and Favonius Warbow.
Why does Yelan scale on HP?
Her burst's coordinated attacks and her skill damage both scale on Max HP, not ATK. Stacking HP raises both her personal damage and the coordinated hits that buff the on-field carry.
What stats should I prioritize on Yelan?
HP 30000+ first, then CRIT (60%+/140%+) and Energy Recharge 120-140%. ATK is largely irrelevant; EM only matters in Vape teams.