Best Nilou build in Genshin Impact – Abilities, weapons, materials, more
HoYoverseNilou is one of the best Hydro sub-DPS in Genshin Impact that was first introduced in version 3.1. This 5-Star Sword wielder character stands out in Dendro and Hydro-exclusive teams and has the special ability to create Bountiful Cores to deal insane amounts of damage.
If you’re thinking about pulling Nilou when her banner is available, here’s what you need to know about her in Genshin Impact.
Best Genshin Impact Nilou build
- Artifacts: Vourukasha’s Glow x2, Tenacity of The Millelith x2
- Weapons: Key of Khaj-Nisut
- Team: Kokomi, Collei, Nahida / Free-to-play team: Barbara, Dendro Traveler, Colllei
Nilou works best when she’s teamed up with a Dendro and Hydro teams, so getting the Powerful Bloom reaction should be your priority. This will allow her to apply strong debuffs and clean large groups of enemies thanks to her Bountiful Cores.
Best weapons for Nilou in Genshin Impact
Key of Khaj-Nisut
- Type: Sword
- Base ATK: 44
- Bonus Effect: HP +14,4 %
- Skill: Sunken Song of the Sands
- HP increased by 20%. When an Elemental Skill hits opponents, you gain the Grand Hymn effect for 20s. This effect increases the equipping character’s Elemental Mastery by 0.12% of their Max HP. This effect can trigger once every 0.3 seconds Max 3 stacks.
- When this effect gains 3 stacks, or when the third stack’s duration is refreshed, the Elemental Mastery of all nearby party members will be increased by 0.2% of the equipping character’s max HP for 20s.
The Key of Khaj-Nisut is a 5-Star sword tailored for Nilou, as it buffs her HP Percent and Elemental Mastery, her most important stats. This sword’s passive boosts her whole moveset and allows her Elemental Skill to deal damage with a longer duration. Besides granting her a boosted EM, the Key of Kah-Nisut also buffs Elemental Mastery to her entire team.
Primordial Jade Cutter
- Type: Sword
- Base ATK: 44
- Bonus Effect: CRIT Rate +9.6%
- Skill: Protector’s Virtue
- HP increased by 20%. Additionally, provides an ATK Bonus based on 1.2% of the wielder’s Max HP.
If you’re planning to use Nilou as a full DPS, the Primordial Jace Cutter is the weapon for you. While it has a low base ATK, its Bonus Effect gives a massive 44,1% Crit Rate and increases her max HP.
Xiphos’ Moonlight
- Type: Sword
- Base ATK: 42
- Bonus Effect: Elemental Mastery +36
- Skill: Jinni’s Whisper
- The following effect will trigger every 10s: The equipping character will gain 0.036% Energy Recharge for each point of Elemental Mastery they possess for 12s, with nearby party members gaining 30% of this buff for the same duration. Multiple instances of this weapon can allow this buff to stack. This effect will still trigger even if the character is not on the field.
Xiphos’ Moonlight works far better if you are building Nilou with Elementary Mastery for her Bountiful Core since it will help her deal more DMG through them, as she provides bonus Energy Recharge for the entire team.
Best artifacts for Nilou in Genshin Impact
Tenacity of Millelith
- 2-piece: HP +20%
- 4-piece: When an Elemental Skill hits an opponent, the ATK of all nearby party members is increased by 20% and their Shield Strength is increased by 30% for 3s. This effect can be triggered once every 0.5s. This effect can still be triggered even when the character who is using this artifact set is not on the field.
Vourukasha’s Glow
- 2- piece: HP+20%
- 4-piece: Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst DMG will be increased by 10%. After the equipping character takes DMG, the aforementioned DMG Bonus is increased by 80% for 5s. This effect increase can have 5 stacks. The duration of each stack is counted independently. These effects can be triggered even when the equipping character is not on the field.
The best artifact set for Nilou is a combination of the Tenacity of Millelith (2-piece) and Vourukasha’s Glow (2-piece). These will grant her a double HP +20% bonus, one of the main stats you should buff when trying to build her as a sub-DPS.
If you want to also increase Nilou’s Elemental Skill, you can use the 4-piece Vourukasha’s Glow as well since it will grant a boost to this stat and Elemental Burst DMG by 10% even when she’s not frontlining.
Gilded Dreams
- 2- piece: Elemental Mastery +80
- 4- piece: Within 8s of triggering an Elemental Reaction, the character equipping this will obtain buffs based on the Elemental Type of the other party members. ATK is increased by 14% for each party member whose Elemental Type is the same as the equipping character, and Elemental Mastery is increased by 50 for every party member with a different Elemental Type. Each of the aforementioned buffs will count up to 3 characters. This effect can be triggered once every 8s. The character who equips this can still trigger its effects when not on the field.
If you’re still trying to get the Artifacts mentioned above, you can try the Gilded Dreams (4-piece) to build Nilou as a main DPS. Keep in mind that this Artifact will work better if her team is only Hydro and Dendro, and will majorly boost her Bountiful Cores.
Best team composition
Nilou’s best team in Genshin Impact will be restricted to Hydro and Dendro characters, which will allow her to make use of the Bloom reaction and create Bountiful Cores. You can team her up with Kokomi (Hydro), Collei (Dendro), and Nahida (Dendro).
While Kokomi works as the main healer and prevents damage from Dendro Cores, Collei and Nahida provide the off-field Dendro to keep the Bloom reaction going. Nilou will be the one spreading Hydro on the field, which will trigger the Bountiful Cores.
If you’re focusing on free-to-play teams, you can team up Nilou with Barbara, the Dendro Traveler, and Collei.
HoYoverseNilou Talent Level-up materials
| Talent Level | Materials | Mora |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Teaching of Praxis x3, Fungal Spores x6 | 12,500 |
| 3 | Guide to Praxis x2, Luminescent Pollen x3 | 17,500 |
| 4 | Guide to Praxis x4, Luminescent Pollen x4 | 25,000 |
| 5 | Guide to Praxis x6, Luminescent Pollen x6 | 30,000 |
| 6 | Guide to Praxis x9, Luminescent Pollen x9 | 37,500 |
| 7 | Philosophies of Praxies x4, Crystalline Cyst Dust x4, Tears of the Calamitous God x1 | 120,000 |
| 8 | Philosophies of Praxis x6. Crystalline Cyst Dust x6, Tears of the Calamitous God x1 | 260,000 |
| 9 | Philosophies of Praxis x12, Crystalline Cyst, Dust x9, Tears of the Calamitous God x2 | 450,000 |
| 10 | Philosophies of Praxies x16, Crystalline Cyst Dust x12, Tears of the Calamitous God x2, Crown of Insight x1 | 700,000 |
Here are all the materials you’ll need to upgrade Nilou’s one of three talent levels to 10:
- x1 Crown of Insight
- x3 Teachings of Praxis
- x6 Fungal Spores
- x6 Tears of the Calamitous God
- x21 Guide to Praxis
- x22 Luminescent Pollen
- x31 Crystalline Cyst Dust
- x38 Philosophies to Praxis
- 1,652,500 Mora
Nilou Ascension Materials
| Ascension Level | Mora | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20000 | Varunada Lazurite Silver x1, Fungal Spores x3,Padisarah x3 |
| 2 | 40000 | Varunada Lazurite Fragment x3, Perpetual Caliber x2, Fungal Spores x15, Padisarah x10 |
| 3 | 60000 | Varunada Lazurite Fragment x6,Perpetual Caliber x4, Luminescent Pollen x12, Padisarah x20 |
| 4 | 80000 | Varunada Lazurite Chunk x3, Perpetual Caliber x8, Luminescent Pollen x18, Padisarah x30 |
| 5 | 100000 | Varunada Lazurite Chunk x6, Perpetual Caliber x12, Crystalline Cyst Dust x12, Padisarah x45 |
| 6 | 120000 | Varunada Lazurite Gemstone x6, Perpetual Caliber x20, Crystalline Cyst Dust x24, Padisarah x60 |
In total, here’s all the Ascension Materials you need for Nilou:
- x1 Varunada Lazurite Sliver
- x6 Varunada Lazurite Gemstone
- x9 Varunada Lazurite Fragment
- x9 Varunada Lazurite Chunk
- x18 Fungal Spores
- x30 Luminescent Pollen
- x36 Crystalline Cyst Dust
- x46 Perpetual Caliber
- x168 Padisarah
- 420,000 Mora
Abilities explained
- Normal Attack: Dance of Samser
- Normal Attack: Perform up to 3 consecutive strikes.
- Charged Attack: Consumes a certain amount of stamina to perform a twirling slash.
- Plunging Attack: Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
- Elemental Skill: Dance of Kaftkarsvar
- Enters Pirouette state, dealing Hydro DMG to nearby opponents based on Nilou’s Max HP. While she is in the Pirouette state, Nilou’s normal attacks and elemental attacks will cause her to enter the sword dance and whirling steps stances, respectively, causing DMG she deals to be converted to Hydro DMG that cannot be overridden and that is considered elemental skill DMG.
- In these stances, Nilou’s third dance step will end the Pirouette, and has the following effects:
- Sword Dance: Unleashes a Luminous Illusion that deals Hydro DMG to opponents it touches and grants Nilou the Lunar Prayer effect. This effect converts Nilou’s normal attacks into sword dance techniques, and her final hit will unleash a Luminous Illusion.
- Whirling Steps: Nilou unleashes a Whirling Water Wheel that deals AoE Hydro DMG and creates a Tranquility Aura that follows your active character around and applies Wet to opponents within its AoE.
- Nilou cannot perform charged attacks when under the effect of Pirouette or Lunar Prayer. These effects will be removed once she leaves the field or exits these states.
- Elemental Burst – Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring
- Begins the dance of faraway dreams and springs that hear, causing a Lotus of Distant Waters to bloom, dealing AoE Hydro DMG based on Nilou’s Max HP and applying the Lingering Aeon effect to all opponents hit. After an interval, opponents affected by Lingering Aeon will take Hydro DMG.
Nilou Constellations in Genshin Impact
- C1 “Dance of the Waning Moon”: Dance of Haftkarsvar will be enhanced as follows:
Luminous Illusion DMG is increased by 65%. The Tranquility Aura’s duration is extended by 6s. - C2 “The Starry Skies Their Flowers Rain”: After characters affected by the Golden Chalice’s Bounty deal Hydro DMG to an opponent, that opponent’s Hydro RES will be decreased by 35% for 10s. After a triggered Bloom reaction deals DMG to opponents, their Dendro RES will be decreased by 35% for 10s. You need to have unlocked the “Court of Dancing Petals” Talent.
- C3 “Beguiling Shadowstep”: Increases the Level of Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
- C4 “Fricative Pulse”: After the third dance step of Dance of Haftkarsvar’s Pirouette hits opponents, Nilou will gain 15 Elemental Energy, and DMG from her Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring will be increased by 50% for 8s.
- C5 “Twirling Light”: Increases the Level of Dance of Haftkarsvar by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
- C6 “Frostbreaker’s Melody”: For every 1,000 points of Max HP, Nilou’s CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG will increase by 0.6% and 1.2% respectively. The maximum increase in CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG via this method is 30% and 60% respectively.
You can get Nilou in her rerun banner featured in the Genshin Impact 4.8 version. If you love all of Genshin Impact’s upcoming characters, you should see whose banner is next to save up some materials by completing events or trying to challenge the Imaginarium Theater.