Genshin Impact Xianyun (Cloud Retainer) Build Guide | Xianyun Best Builds, Weapons and Teams

After a very long wait, playable Cloud Retainer has arrived in Genshin Impact Version 4.4 as Xianyun, a new 5-star Anemo Catalyst unit. As a human, Xianyun is an aloof and inquisitive figure, an elegant lady obsessed with mechanisms and machines who seems well-liked by the populous of Liyue. Of course, as an Adeptus, Cloud Retainer boasts impressive elemental power. Xianyun is quite versatile with a myriad of different bonuses and buffs but with a clear and strong focus on improving the viability and lethality of Plunging Atacks, one of Genshin’s lesser-used playstyles.

Here’s how to make the best Xianyun (Cloud Retainer) build in Genshin Impact, including an in-depth look at her kit, what her best weapons and artifact setups are, the different builds you can run on her and what premium and F2P teams she works well in. If you’ve yet to decide on whether Cloud Retainer is right for you, check out our Should You Pull guide focused entirely on Xianyun for some help making up your mind. 

Want more Genshin Impact content and guides? You can find more, including other character-build guides, here on KeenGamer:

1. Genshin Impact 4.4 Livestream Overview: Lantern Rite, Cloud Retainer and New Skins
2. Genshin Impact Chevreuse Build Guide
3. Genshin Impact Furina Build Guide
4. Genshin Impact Wriothesley Build Guide
5. Genshin Impact: Ayamiya (Yoimiya + Ayaka) Genius Invokation TCG Deck Guide

Xianyun Ascension Materials

First and foremost, let’s begin by looking at Cloud Retainer’s Ascension Materials, the items you’ll need to collect to get her to level 90:

• Clearwater Jade x168 (Liyue Local Speciality)
• Divining Scrolls x18 / Sealed Scrolls x30 / Forbidden Curse Scrolls x36 (Enemy Drop Material)
• Cloudseam Scale x46 (World Boss Material)
• Vayuda Turquoise Sliver / Vayuda Turquoise Fragment x9 / Vayuda Turquoise Chunk x9 / Vayuda Turquoise Gemstones x6 (Anemo Elemental Gemstones)
• 420k Mora + 416 Hero’s Wit EXP Books

Cloud Retainer has two new Ascension Materials from Chenyu Vale, the latest Liyue expansion added in 4.4, with the first being Clearwater Jade. This new material is considered a Liyue speciality (meaning that Yanfei and Qiqi can find it on the mini-map) and looks like a small flower made of teal-coloured jade crystals. Within Chenyu Vale, the main area to find Clearwater Jade will be the Southern Mountain: once Version 4.4 releases and Chenyu Vale goes live, check in with the Teyvat Interactive Map for precise Clearwater Jade locations. 

Following the Jade are the enemy materials needed to fuel Xianyun’s rise to level 90, which are the various Scrolls dropped by Samachurls, the mages of the Hilichurl forces. Samachurls come in all shapes and elements such as Electro, Hydro, Dendro and more, with each having a unique way of attacking. Like most Hilichurls, Samachurls are scattered all across Teyvat so, in order to find the ones you need, consult the Adventure’s Handbook to make your hunt that little bit easier.

Elegance and Beauty

Returning to Chenyu Vale, this mystical new area also houses a new World Boss alongside the Clearwater Jade: that boss is the Solitary Suanni, a being said to be equal to an Adeptus living deep in Chenyu Vale. The main elements under the Suanni’s control are Anemo and Hydro, both of which it will use to dominate and crush you with its elegant fighting style. 

Finally, as with all Genshin Impact characters, Xianyun will need the aid of Anemo Elemental Gemstones to reach level 90 because of her Anemo Vision. Anemo Gems, or Vayuda Turquoise Gems, mainly drop from Anemo-aligned World Bosses like the Anemo Hypostasis or the even Solitary Suanni, but you can also acquire them from upcycling or transmuting Gems at the Alchemy or from getting lucky on your Daily Commission Reward. 

Adeptus Cloud Retainer

Genshin Impact Cloud Retainer Kit Overview

Normal Attack: Word of Wind and Flower

Xianyun is a Catalyst user and, like all Catalyst users, her Normal Attacks are subsequently very flashy and very cool. Her standard combo is 4 attacks where she quickly fires darts of Anemo DMG at her opponents, whereas her Charged Attack has her fire a Breeze Bolt in a straight line towards her foes. Lastly, her Plunging Attack is the same standard animation and affair as other Anemo Catalysts like Scaramouche or Sucrose (at least, at base). 

Cloud Retainer is built primarily to be used as a support, whether as an offensive Plunging Attack enabler or a passive healer and Anemo buffer, so her Normal Attacks, no matter how pretty, won’t see much use. Unless you’re running Xianyun as a dedicated on-field DPS, you won’t have to worry much about her NAs. 

Xianyun’s Normal Attacks

Elemental Skill: White Clouds at Dawn

Things start to quickly get more interesting and enticing with Xianyun’s Elemental Skill, White Clouds at Dawn. There are two main components to this Skill: there’s the traversal and mobility half and the damage half. Starting with the former, whenever you cast this Skill,  Xianyun will enter the Cloud Transmogrification state, which stops her from taking Fall DMG, and use Skyladder once to leap into the air. Subsequent Skill casts will cause Xianyun to use Skyladder again to ascend higher up to a maximum of three times, dealing Anemo DMG as she does so. 

Once all uses of Skyladder have been spent or you don’t trigger another instance within a short time, the Cloud Transmogrifiaction state will be cancelled and Xianyun will fall. However, at any point in the jump, you can perform Driftcloud Wave, a special Plunging Attack where Cloud Retainer reverts back into her original Adpetus form for but a moment, honing in on any nearby enemies and dealing high AoE Anemo DMG which flings susceptible enemies upwards. This attack is considered Plunging Attack DMG and will gain an increase in damage for each use of Skyladder.

Xianyun’s Elemental Skill

White Clouds at Dawn is certainly Xianyun’s flashiest ability and one of the main cruxes of her kit. Thanks to how the Skill works, it has a multitude of uses including making traversal much easier, giving you a good amount of mobility in combat and, of course, giving you an easy opportunity for damage with the Driftcloud Wave. What makes things better is that this Skill synergises with Xianyun’s Ascension 2 Passive Talent, allowing it to serve as both a damage ability and a buffing tool. 

While most Cloud Retainer builds in Genshin Impact won’t be DPS-centric, the damage this Skill allows her Plunging Attack to deal is noticeable and the effects tied to said attack are more than worth her spending some time on the field.

Aftermath of Cloud Retainer

Elemental Burst: Stars Gather at Dusk

Xianyun’s last major ability is her Burst, Stars Gather at Dusk, which is where her identity as an Anemo and Plunging Attack supports come out in full force. When cast, Xianyun will summon forth a sacred breeze which deals AoE Anemo DMG and heals nearby party members based on her ATK stat, while also spawning in the Starwicker. 

This little mechanical device is Cloud Retainer’s pride and joy, which is fitting considering how much it does for her kit. While the Starwicker is on the field, it will continually follow the lead character and heal all nearby party members. It will also begin with 8 stacks of Adeptal Assistance, a special buff which increases the jump height of nearby party members, with Punging Attacks consuming 1 stack to deal additional AoE Anemo DMG. 

If her Skill was where Xianyun was able to combine her support and damage capabilities, her Burst is where she goes all in on her support potential. Compared to her main healer competition in Anemo, Jean, her instant healing won’t be as effective but her long-lasting heals will likely be far easier to maintain thanks to the Starwicker following you. Aside from that, the Adeptal Assistance stacks allow Xianyun to either massively buff any characters who already use Plunging Attacks (especially when considering her Ascension 6 Passive) or transform damage dealers directly into Plunging Attackers thanks to the jump height increase.

No matter what kind of team composition or build you’re running on Xianyun, making sure to have high uptime on her Burst is essential for damage, buffing and healing. While her overall kit does feel a bit restrictive and suffocating, this Burst is actually rather versatile if you know how and when to use it, making it one of Xianyun’s strongest abilities. 

Xianyun’s Elemental0 Burst

Xianyun’s Passive Talents

Of course, accompanying her main Talents are a suite of three Passive Talents which will primarily increase Xianyun’s support potential. These abilities will each unlock at different points in her Ascension, with her first being available right away and her second and third Talents only becoming accessible once you hit Ascension Levels 2 and 4, respectively. Xianyun’s first passive, Crane Form, increases the Gliding SPD of your party by 15%, fitting her original form as an Adeptus. 

Things start to get more interesting with her Character Ascension 2 Talent, Galefeather Pursuit. For each opponent hit by Driftcloud Wave, the empowered Plunging Attack in Xianyun’s Skill, all nearby party members gain 1 stack of Storm Pinion for 20s. This effect has a maximum of 4 stacks and increases the holder’s Plunging Attack DMG by 4%/6%/8%/10% depending on how many stacks you have. Alongside her Burst, this is the primary way that Xianyun becomes an almost dedicated Plunging Attack support, allowing her to massively boost this niche style of play by stepping back from more traditional buffing avenues. 

Finally, her Ascension 4 Talent, Consider, the Adeptus in Her Realm, is another ability which buffs Plunging Attacks. While her Burst’s Starwicker remains on the field, Plunging Attack Shockwave DMG is increased by 200% of Xianyun’s ATK. For characters built around Plunging Attacks like Gaming or Xiao, this is a crazy good buff that will drastically improve their damage output, especially when paired with the extra Anemo DMG from Xianyun’s Burst. On the other hand, this also improves the ease of use for non-native Plunging Attackers, allowing them a little more leeway when it comes to damage. 

As you can see, Cloud Retainer’s Passive Talents are essentially all geared towards making Plunging Attacks as strong as they can be. Despite being a rather niche playstyle, having a dedicated support as strong and versatile as Xianyun should make Plunging Attacks a lot more viable and attractive, especially with how her abilities allow her to transform anyone into a Plunging Attacker. While she isn’t for everyone, Xianyun will be perfect for those she works well with and her Passives only reinforce that. 

Let the Wind Fly Free

Cloud Retainer Talent Priority Order

1. Stars Gather at Dusk (Elemental Burst)
2. White Clouds at Dawn (Elemental Skill)
3. Word of Wind and Flower (Normal Attacks) 

First and foremost, Cloud Retainer’s most important ability is her Elemental Burst, primarily because it is her most direct form of support. Investing in this ability will increase its healing potential, both burst and sustained, as well as the Burst’s initial damage: meanwhile, the Plunging Attack bonus is a fixed stat unless you grab her C2 for an increase. Considering that most Xianyun builds will have her in the support role and be built around getting her Burst back as quickly as possible, having that Burst be able to keep your team happy and healthy while they perform Plunging Attacks is a big must.

Xianyun’s Elemental Skill comes in a narrow second place but, honestly, depending on your build there is room for adjustment. The only thing increasing her Skill’s Talent level does is improve the damage of her Skyladder and Dritfcloud Wave, meaning that this is a pure damage increase and nothing more (her Passives tied to her Skill will function the same regardless of the Skill’s Talent level). As such, in most Cloud Retainer builds, the Skill takes lower priority but, in the few instances where she’ll be run as a DPS, consider higher investment. 

Then, in last place in terms of priority, we have Xianyun’s Normal Attacks. In a support build, Xianyun won’t be using her Normal Attacks at all, as all her support capabilities come from either her Skill or Burst. Similarly, even in a damage-dealing build for Cloud Retainer, the majority of her damage comes from her Skill which has its own unique scaling and Plunging Attack damage outside of her Normal Attacks. Simply, it just isn’t as useful to invest in her Normal Attacks as it is to invest in literally either of her other abilities.

Passerine Herald

All Xianyun Constellations in Genshin Impact

If you get a duplicate of a character you already have in Genshin Impact, you’ll receive that character’s Stella Fortuna, instead. This will allow you to pick up one of their Constellations, a set of six powerful upgrades which will improve that unit’s kit significantly. As a limited 5-star, Xianyun’s Constellations will be the hardest to obtain in the whole game, requiring that you get lucky and pull her multiple times while her Character Event Wish is active. 

1. Purifying Wind: White Clouds at Dawn gains 1 additional charge.
2. Aloof From the World: After using a Skyladder, Xianyun’s ATK increases by 20% for 15s. Additionally, the Shockwave DMG increase from her Ascension 6 Talent will be increased from 200% of Xianyun’s ATK to 400% of her ATK. 
3. Creations of Star and Moon: Increases the level of her Elemental Burst Level by 3.
4. Mystery Millet Gourmet: After using a Skyladder 1/2/3 times, if a Driftcloud Wave hits an opponent, it will heal the party for 50%/80%/150% of Xianyun’s ATK. This effect can be triggered every 5s.
5. Astride Rose-Colored Clouds: Increases the level of her Elemental Skill by 3.
6. They Call Her Cloud Retainer: After Xianyun uses 1/2/3 Skyladders, the CRIT DMG of a Driftcloud Wave created in this instance of Cloud Transmogrification will be increased by 15%/35%/70%. Also, within 16s after Xianyun has used her Burst, her Skill will not enter CD. This effect will be cancelled once she has used White Clouds at Dawn 8 times.

When it comes to her best Constellations, Cloud Retainer’s C1 and C2 and relatively cheap pick-ups which can drastically increase her performance. Her C1 is a big boost to her Skill, giving you an extra jump for both traversal and damage boost purposes, whereas her C2 is a gigantic increase to both her overall damage and healing as well as her Plunging Attack DMG boost. Then, of course, her C6 is incredibly strong, allowing her to spam her Skill and become a more efficient on-field DPS. 

Cloud Retainer’s Constellations

Cloud Retainer’s Best Weapons 

Xianyun’s Best in Slot: Crane’s Echoing Call

As an Adeptus, Cloud Retainer clearly deserves the best for her weapons and nowhere is that clearer than in her signature weapon, Crane’s Echoing Call. This 5-star Catalyst launched alongside Xianyun on the Weapon Event Wish and will be available on that banner anytime Xianyun is present on the Character Event Wish. As for what this weapon does, it tightens the stranglehold Xianyun has on Plunging Attacks, emphasizing her support abilities towards that niche even further.

At level 90, Crane’s Echoing Call will increase the wielder’s ATK by 740 and provide them with 16.5% ATK. They will also be able to tap into the Cloudfall Axiom effect which is entirely built around improving Plunging Attack DMG. First and foremost, when the equipping character hits an enemy with a Plunging Attack, nearby party members will gain a 28% Plunging Attack DMG Bonus for 20s. Additionally, when characters other than the wearer land Plunging Attacks on opponents, the wearer will regenerate 2.5 which can be triggered every 0.7s, even if the wearer is off the field.

Cloud Retainer’s signature weapon is just another extension of her main design philosophy and unique niche support branch, giving her yet another way to drastically improve Plunging Attack DMG across the board. Paired with her Passive Talents which both improve Plunging Attacks in one way or another and the jump height and extra Anemo DMG from her Burst, Crane’s Echoing Call can become a deadly tool used to hone any pre-existing Plunging Attackers into a deadly scourge or mould a new damage dealer into that archetype quite effectively.

Compared to some of Cloud Retainer’s other options, it does limit her even further into being just a Plunging Attack support so other options may feel better depending on your build. In most circumstances, though, Crane’s Echoing Call will be your best bet if you want to maximise the support capabilities of your Cloud Retainer so consider sparing the Jade if you happen to have it.

Crane’s Echoing Call

Recommended Replacement Weapons for Xianyun

While a good amount of players will seek the Crane’s Echoing Call alongside pulling Cloud Retainer, many others will simply pull for Xianyun herself and nothing more, leaving them a bit at odds when it comes to possible weapons for her. Fear not, though, as there are several impactful Catalysts which will improve either her support or damage capabilities. 

Before continuing, we must mention that all recommendations will be 4-star in rarity, with no 5-star Catalysts in sight. The main reason for this is simply accessibility as more players are likely to have a larger roster of 4-star weapons than 5-stars like Skyward Atlas or Lost Prayer. However, because 5-stars generally have higher stat packages and more impactful abilities, give any high rarity Catalyst a go on Cloud Retainer before committing to a lower-level option. 

The best 4-star weapons for Cloud Retainer in Genshin Impact include the Favonius Codex, Oathsworn Eye, and Ballad of the Boundless Blue. 

Favonius Codex

First up is the Favonius Codex, a safe and easy F2P option which any player can obtain from the gacha. The Favonius line of weapons all specialise in Energy restoration and the Codex is no different, increasing ATK by 509 and Energy Recharge by 45.9%. Then, the Windfall ability will give a 60% chance (100% at R5) to spawn a small amount of Elemental Particles which regenerate 6 Energy whenever the wearer lands a CRIT Hit. This weapon is an excellent source of Energy for Xianyun, allowing her to keep Burst uptime high across her whole team for cheap. 

The next Catalyst recommendation for Xianyun is the Oathsworn Eye, a rare weapon which was only available to earn from an event from when Enkanomiya launched. At level 90, Oathsworn increases the wielder’s ATK by 564 alongside 27.5% additional ATK. Meanwhile, People of the Faltering Sky will increase Energy Recharge by 24% for 10s after using an Elemental Skill. At R5, Oathswon will likely be better than even Xianyun’s signature weapon if you’re looking to run her in teams outside of Plunging Attacks as it rewards her with a steady stream of Energy that is quick to obtain, easy to access and very impactful.

Lastly, we have Ballad of the Boundless Blue, another limited-time weapon, this time available from the 4.2 flagship event, meaning that more players are likely to have it than Oathsworn. At level 90, Ballad gives 564 ATK as well as 30.6% Energy Recharge and the Azure Skies effect. Within 6s of a Normal or Charged Attack, Normal Attack DMG will be increased by 8% and Charged Attack DMG by 8% with a max of 3 stacks. This weapon is definitely geared way more towards a Xinayun DPS build but the abundant Energy Recharge the weapon offers will be useful no matter how you’re running her. 

Ballad of the Boundless Blue

Cloud Retainer’s Best Artifact Sets in Genshin Impact

Artifact set choice is the lifeblood of most Genshin Impact builds, massively impacting what kind of buffs or bonuses your characters will receive outside of their base kits. When it comes to a character as versatile as Cloud Retainer, she has many different options depending on where you want to take her build, with Anemo-centric, support-centric and damage-centric options available to choose from. 

The first option when it comes to artifacts for Xianyun is full 4-piece Viridescent Venerer, a classic choice for most Anemo characters. With all 4-pieces quipped, Viridescent gives a 15% Anemo DMG Bonus and 60% extra Swirl DMG. It will also allow the wearer to decrease the Elemental RES to the element infused in the Swirl by 40% for 10s.

Viridescent should be considered on Xianyun if you’re using her alongside a non-Anemo DPS like Gaming or Diluc because she can Swirl their Pyro for additional Pyro RES reduction. This will carry over to their infused Plunging Attacks, allowing them to deal additional damage on top of Xianyun’s already plentiful amount of buffs. The additional Anemo and Swirl DMG are also a nice bonus, giving your Xianyun the ability to hit a little bit harder on her lonesome. 

Viridescent Venerer

If you’re feeling like running something a bit more substantial and less focused on Swirl, the next best option for Cloud Retainer is 4-piece Noblesse Oblige, another iconic support set in Genshin Impact. With all the pieces equipped, Xianyun will benefit from 20% additional Elemental Burst DMG and increase the ATK of her whole party by 20% for 12s whenever she uses an Elemental Burst. 

The damage increase of this artifact set is honestly negligible because you likely won’t be using her Burst for damage purposes, but the team-wide ATK increase is stellar. Not only does this increase the damage of your main or sub-DPS but it also boosts Xianyun’s ATK, boosting her support potential way higher: with this boost, the healing from her Burst and the bonus Plunging Attack Shockwave DMG she provides will both be increased, benefiting the whole team. This set is way simpler than either of the other recommendations but it is still very effective.

Noblesse Oblige

Lastly, if a DPS Cloud Retainer build is your goal, consider running full 4-piece Desert Pavillion, another Anemo-aligned set which prioritises damage above all else. With 4-pieces, Pavillion increases Anemo DMG by 15% and, after landing a Charged Attack on an opponent, will also increase the Normal Attack SPD of the wearer by 10% and the Normal Attack, Charged Attack and Plunging Attack DMG of the 40% for 15s.

Landing a Charged Attack with a Catalyst is a rather simple affair, giving Xianyun easy access to a substantial damage bonus which carries over to her Skill, an ability with its array of crazy damage multipliers. Combining this effect with the menagerie of buffs already at Xianyun’s disposal, you have a really effective damage dealer who can deal insane damage with her Skill and then continue dealing moderate damage with her Normal and Plunging Attacks.

Desert Pavillion

Most Important Stats and Substats for Xianyun

Choosing the artifact set is only half of the battle as you’ll still need to obtain decently rolled artifacts to use on Cloud Retainer. For Xianyun, her most important stats are, fortunately, quite manageable, allowing you to go force on ATK for the most part as both her healing and damage scale off of that. With that in mind, here are the best artifact main stats for Cloud Retainer in Genshin Impact: 

• Hourglass (Sands): ATK%
• Goblet: ATK% / Anemo DMG Bonus
• Hat: ATK% / CRIT Rate

Next, here are the main substats for Xianyun to let you know which stats you should be looking for on those artifacts to improve both her damage and support capabilities:

1. ATK
2. Energy Recharge
3. CRIT Rate
4. Elemental Mastery

Lost in Tranquility

Genshin Impact Best Cloud Retainer Team Compositions

Premium Xianyun Anemo Team

Finally, let’s go over the best teams for Cloud Retainer in Genshin Impact, beginning with her premium teams. In the following compositions, Xianyun will act primarily as an Anemo and Plunging Attack support unit instead of a sub or main DPS but, thanks to her flexibility in these comps, she can also work in those roles. As for what kind of teammates she’s looking for, she wants to work with damage dealers who either have a lot of Plunging Attack multipliers or characters already suited to Plunging Attacks. 

Our first team composition for Xianyun is going to be an Anemo-heavy comp where your main Elemental Reaction is going to be Swirl. In this team, Xianyun’s Plunging Attack buffs get to take centre stage. If you want to go all in on Anemo, run Cloud Retainer alongside Xiao, Faruzan and Furina. 

Xiao is one of Cloud Retainer’s best pairings because he’s an already existing character who relies on Plunging Attacks to do the majority of his damage, meaning that he’ll already work well with her kit and benefit greatly from the buffs she provides. Usually, Xiao can only do consistent Plunging Attacks in his Burst state but, with the aid of Xianyun, he’ll be able to do them more consistently and with more power. Additionally, the extra Anemo DMG and Shockwave DMG will make his Bust-empowered Plunging Attacks do even more damage. Their synergy is honestly pretty self-explanatory and effective.

Xiao, the Valiant Yaksha

Joining Xiao on the team is Faruzan, another one of Xiao’s best teammates and one of the strongest overall Anemo support in the game. Faruzan has fairly effective CC abilities from her Skill and Charged Attack but the real magic comes from her Burst which inflicts high amounts of Anemo RES shred on top of a 30% boost to Anemo DMG. Additionally, her A1 Passive increases the damage of Plunging Attacks based on her ATK stat while the Burst is active. For these reasons, she was already excellent with Xiao but, with the variety of bonuses Xianyun can provide, she’ll be even better. 

Lastly, we want a character who Xiao and Cloud Retainer can Swirl with to both deal higher damage and trigger Viridescent Venerer so enter Furina, possibly Genshin Impact’s off-field DPS and support. Her Hydro Summons are incredibly effective and aggressive, ensuring that you’ll never need to worry about not having an element for Swirl. They also deal really high damage and Furina is capable of applying a teamwide Elemental DMG Bonus from her Burst, which Xianyun can contribute to with her bout of healing. You do need to be careful running Furina in the same team as Xiao, though, as her health-draining effect may leave you in a bad situation if you pop Xiao’s Burst at the wrong time.

Cloud Retainer Premium Anemo Team

Premium Xianyun Pyro Team

If going full Anemo isn’t your thing and you’d prefer to place Cloud Retainer in a team more focused on Elemental Reactions – especially powerful ones like Vaporize – then you’re in luck. Not only does Xianyun have some great pairings for Elements outside of Swirl but one of her best companions is a new unit players can get for absolutely free, giving them a superb Pyro Plunging Attacker who can profit from all of her insane buffs. 

For Cloud Retainer’s best Pyro team in Genshin Impact, you should run her alongside Gaming, Bennett and Furina. 

The star of the show this time is Gaming, Cloud Retainer’s new partner during 4.4. Like Xiao, he’s a main DPS who uses Plunging Attacks as his main source of damage. His Skill, in particular, causes Gaming to leap forward and deliver a powerful Pyro-infused Plunging Attack which can synergise excellently with Xianyun’s Anemo to cause consistent Swirl. Additionally, while in his Burst, Gaming will be able to deliver a series of constant Plunging Attacks, all of which will benefit massively from Xianyun’s variety of buffs and bonuses. Gaming will be one of the free Liyue 4-stars in the Lantern Rite and, if you want a perfect pairing with Cloud Retainer, you should pick him up. 

Lion Dancer Gaming

Following Gaming is Bennett, a staple support unit in most Genshin Impact team compositions. The main reason for that is his Burst which drops a pool on the ground which heals the active character up to 70% and provides them with a chunky ATK boost. Both Xianyun and Gaming will benefit greatly from this ATK buff, allowing them both to deal more damage and heal more efficiently. Also, because Gaming and Bennett are both Pyro units, the Pyro Resonance will kick in, increasing the ATK of the whole team by another 20%. 

Lastly, we have Furina once again. She’s back in this team for her insane Hydro application and Elemental DMG Bonus. When it comes to Gaming, Furina will give him and his Pyro-Plunging Attacks constant access to Vaporize, one of the strongest Elemental Reactions in Genshin. Additionally, unlike with Xiao, you won’t have to worry as much about health issues when running Furina in this team allowing you to focus entirely on dealing as much damage as possible. 

Cloud Retainer Premium Pyro Team

F2P Cloud Retainer Team

Obviously, with these premium teams, you’re relying on having a backlog of already existing 5-stars and some players may not have access to characters like Furina or Xiao. In these situations, you’ll need to turn to free-to-play or welfare units to make up the difference. Well, as luck would have it, Cloud Retainer’s best F2P team is almost the exact same as one of her premium ones, with one notable exception.

When it comes to Cloud Retainer’s best F2P team in Genshin Impact, just run her premium Pyro team with Gaming and Bennett but replace Furina with Xingqiu. 

The rest of the team and playstyle remain the same as in the Pyro team but without Furina’s consistent, omniscient Hydro application. This means fewer Vaporize and Hydro Swirl triggers for Gaming and Xianyun but we can substitute her for Xingqiu, a respectable replacement who can serve excellently in this team.

Not only can he heal, providing some extra survivability outside of Bennett’s Burst, but his own Burst will cause your active character to be accompanied by a ring of water swords. These deal Hydro DMG whenever your active character attacks, making them a solid replacement for Furina’s minions when it comes to triggering Vape or Swirl, especially for Gaming. With Xingiqu’s aid, this F2P team can still crush the toughest bits of content Genshin Impact has to offer without a problem. 

Cloud Retainer F2P Team

That was how to make the best Xianyun build in Genshin Impact.