Ayaka’s Talents
Kamisato Ayaka is a powerful 5-star cryo character that specializes in using her charged attack. Her normal attacks are also infused with Cryo every time she uses Kamisato Art: Senho, making her a great enabler as well.
Kamisato Art: Kabuki
Kamisato Art: Kabuki is Ayaka’s normal and charged attack. Her normal attacks allow her to perform five succeeding strikes. Charging her attack will use her stamina and perform a stream of sword ki. This charged attack is flexible and can reach mid-range enemies, as well as those in mid-air.
Kamisato Art: Hyouka
Kamisato Art: Hyouka is Ayaka’s Elemental Skill. She uses ice to launch surrounding opponents into mid-air and deal Cryo damage.
Kamisato Art: Senho
Just like Mona, Ayaka has a unique sprinting passive called Kamisato Art: Senho. Whenever she sprints, Ayaka goes underground and surrounds herself with the Cryo Element, freezing any body of water that she goes through. Her sprint also allows her to move faster in the water. When she gets out of her sprint form, she instantly applies the Cryo element to the nearby enemy and infuses her attacks with the Cryo element. Combine your sprint with your charged attack to unleash powerful Cryo damage. Keep in mind that you are not invulnerable when you use Ayaka’s Senho sprint, you can still be damaged by enemies even if you are underground.
Kamisato Art: Soumetsu
Kamisato Art: Soumetsu is Ayaka’s Elemental Burst. Using her burst will unleash a snowstorm that will move forward, applying the Cryo element to all the enemies it passes through. After the duration of the Elemental Burst, the snowstorm explodes, dealing massive damage to enemies around it.
Amatsumi Kunitsumi Sanctification
You can unlock this passive on Ascension Phase 1. This passive will increase Ayaka’s normal and charged attack damage by 30% for 6 seconds after using her Elemental Skill.
Kanten Senmyou Blessing
Kanten Senmyou Blessing is a passive that you can unlock on Ascension Phase 4. Whenever Ayaka applies the Cryo element on opponents using the end of her sprint ability, she restores 10 Stamina and gets an 18% Cryo damage bonus for 10 seconds.
Fruits of Shinsa
Fruits of Shinsa is Ayaka’s utility passive that is unlocked automatically. Using Ayaka when crafting Ascension Materials gives you a 10% chance to get twice the final product.
Best Builds for Ayaka
Ayaka is flexible when it comes to her builds, she is great as both an elemental burst support or as a main Cryo DPS. Below are some of the choice weapons for each specific build.
Cryo DPS Weapons
Mistsplitter Reforged
Mistsplitter Reforged is the featured sword that comes with Ayaka’s banner. This 5-star character can be obtained using Wishes on the featured weapon banner. Mistsplitter Reforged has a CRIT damage substat. For every element in your team, you gain a 12% elemental damage bonus and the effect called Mistsplitter’s Emblem. Mistsplitter’s Emblem will give you an 8/16/28% elemental damage bonus per stack depending on your character’s element. You can get a stack every time you perform the following actions:
Your normal attack deals Elemental damage Whenever you use your Elemental Burst Whenever you have less than 100% energy
Blackcliff Longsword
If you have enough Starglitter saved up, you can go and get the Blackcliff Longsword in Paimon’s Bargains for Ayaka. This 4-star sword costs 24 Starglitter and has a CRIT Damage sub-stat. Whenever you defeat an opponent, your attack increases by 12% for 30 seconds. You can stack this effect up to three times and the duration for each effect will be separate to one another.
Elemental Burst Weapons
Primordial Jade Cutter
The Primordial Jade Cutter is a 5-star weapon that has a CRIT Rate substat. This weapon increases your HP by 20% and gives you a 1.2% additional attack bonus depending on your character’s maximum health.
Amenoma Kageuchi
The Anemona Kageuchi is a 4-star craftable weapon for Ayaka. This weapon can be obtained by completing the Farmer’s Treasure World Quest which rewards you the Saimon Heirloom Blade Diagram to make the weapon. The weapon has an Attack sub-stat and gives you 1 succession seed every time you cast an elemental skill. You can get 1 Succession seed every 5 seconds and the seeds will last for 30 seconds. You will consume the seeds after using your Elemental Burst. Each seed that you consumed will return 6 energy to your character 2 seconds after using the elemental Burst.
Ayaka’s Artifact Set
4 pcs. Blizzard Strayer
One of the best artifact sets for Ayaka is the Blizzard Strayer artifact set. This set can work for both elemental burst and Cryo DPS builds. You can get this artifact set on the Peak of Vindagnyr domain which can be unlocked after completing the ‘In the Mountains’ quest. 2 pcs. of Blizzard strayer gives you a 15% Cryo damage bonus. 4 pcs. of this set increases your CRIT rate by 20% if your character attacks and applies Cryo on enemies. If the enemy is frozen, you get an additional 20% CRIT rate.
4 pcs. Emblem of Severed Fate
The Emblem of Severed Fate in Inazuma is a new artifact set available starting the 2.0 update. You can get this artifact set by clearing the Momiji-Dyed Court in Yashiori Island. 2 pcs. of this Artifact Set will increase your energy recharge by 20% and 4 pcs. this set will increase your elemental damage burst by 25% depending on your Energy recharge rate. You can get a maximum of 75% damage bonus depending on how high your energy recharge is. This artifact set is great for elemental burst support builds because it helps Ayaka spam her elemental burst more often.
4 pcs. Martial Artist
If you are still in the early phase of the game, or you do not have the sets above yet, you can replace them with 4 pcs. of Martial Artist. This artifact set is great for beginners in the game who recently got Ayaka. You can get this artifact set in the Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula and Ridge Watch. 2 pcs. of this Artifact Set will increase your normal and charged attack damage by 15%. Equipping 4 pcs. of Martial Artist will increase your normal and charged attack damage by 25% when you use an Elemental Skill. This effect can last for 8 seconds.
Talent Upgrade Materials
Daily Domain Drops every Tuesday/Friday/Sunday
Teachings of Elegance Guide to Elegance Philosophies of Elegance
Nobushi Drops
Old Handguard Kageuchi Handguard Famed Handguard
Azhdaha Boss Drop
Bloodjade Branch
Ascension Materials
Lv.20
1 Shivada Sliver 3 Sakura Bloom 3 Old Handguard
Lv.40
3 Shivada Jade Fragment 2 Perpetual Heart 10 Sakura Bloom 15 Old Handguard
Lv.50
6 Shivada Jade Fragment 4 Perpetual Heart 20 Sakura Bloom 12 Kageuchi Handguard
Lv.60
3 Shivada Jade Chunk 8 Perpetual Heart 30 Sakura Bloom 18 Kageuchi Handguard
Lv.70
6 Shivada Jade Chunk 12 Perpetual Heart 45 Sakura Bloom 12 Famed Handguard
Lv.80
6 Shivada Jade Gemstone 20 Perpetual Heart 60 Sakura Bloom 24 Famed Handguard
Team Compositions
Unli-Freeze Combo
One of the best team compositions for Ayaka is the Perma-Freeze comp. This team utilizes Ayaka’s Cryo attacks and skills to permanently freeze enemies and prevent them from moving and attacking. You will use Ayaka as your main DPS and Kaeya as your Battery. Having two Cryo characters increases your CRIT Rate on frozen enemies by 15%. You can then add either Xingqiu or Mona to apply Wet on surrounding enemies, and finally, an Anemo character like Kazuha can help pull all enemies in one place so you can freeze them all at once.
Reverse Melt
The Reverse Melt team utilizes Pyro and Cryo elemental reactions so you can create powerful Melt damage on your enemies. Ayaka will be the main DPS on your team followed by either Bennett or Diona as your healer. You can use Venti as an anemo support so you can pull all the enemies in one place. You can either choose a double Pyro resonance and add Xiangling or use Kaeya as your Cryo Battery. Keep in mind that if you run Kaeya, you will have to use Bennett as your Pyro Healer and Support.
Free-to-Play Team
A free-to-play team option for Ayaka would be Barbara, Kaeya, and Anemo Traveler. As always, Kaeya will act as a battery so Ayaka can get her energy recharged faster. Barbara will be both a Healer and Enabler because she can apply the Wet status to enemies. You can use either the Anemo Traveler for extra Anemo support or the Geo Traveler for extra defense against attacks.
Summary
Kamisato Ayaka can be both a powerful Cryo DPS and Elemental Burst Support because of her skillset. You must prioritize your CRIT rate and CRIT Damage when you are looking for artifact substats. Kaeya is a great 4-star character that you can pair with Ayaka because he can become the battery that will recharge her energy quickly. You can also perform a charged attack animation cancel when Ayaka comes out of her sprint to maximize her damage output.