u/auralily

Hello! Well, I'll have a C6 Cyno soon, given Hoyo gave me double golds twice when I lost my 50/50 trying to collect Yae Miko. I even lost my first weapon pull to his staff. 😬

I just had two questions:

1. Do you recommend a video or guide for his new build? I hear I should go all EM, especially given I have his staff, but people seem to disagree on ER and I don't know whether to give him an ER sands or not.
2. Has anyone tried a team with him, outside of the one Hoyo recommends (in the pictures above)?

I am annoyed, but I'm a little excited to have him, so I'd like to play him well. Thanks! 🌺🍃

Edit: Three questions. I clearly failed preschool.

Hello! I've been playing since September of 2025 and actually managed a C6 Qiqi. I was levelling her half-heartedly got Varka (cryo healer) when she was named as being a future teammate for Sandrone. I was definitely excited about that, but, as weird as this may sound, I was happier that her skill cooldown was now 15s, and that it would generate 2 cryo particles every six seconds.

I tried to level and build her properly, and I found myself copying my Jean by piling on ATK (though I can't get Qiqi's crit rate very high). I'm nervous about asking those who have mained her for years, but I do need someone accustomed to her to look over my build, if you have the time.

I appreciate the help! 🌨️🩵❄️

I didn't want to use her, but I finally levelled her, and Varka did surprisingly well. If I had never listened to this group, I wouldn't have hit 1,007,330 DPS. THANK YOU!!! 🌺🍃

My C6 Prune is currently 53, and at 41 alone, she gave Varka 921 additional attack in a cryo-Varka team (he's normally 2759). I'm still stunned she is considered a four star.

I put her on VV against my better judgment because I wanted the shred, but I don't know if I'm going to get very close to her 4K requirement; however, I did try to grab attack percent wherever I could:

Flower: ATK 12.8% and flat ATK 14
Feather: ATK 18.1% and ER 4.5%
Sands: ATK 14.6% (ER piece)
Goblet: ATK piece
Crown: ATK piece with flat ATK 18 and ER 17.5%

I also have Angelos' Heptades levelled to 90, so there is additional attack percentage there, and with all of this, it says her attack is just 2891 (875+2016). I know that her witch's homework gives her 60% more, her C2 gives 10% and 5%, and her C6 gives 350 attack, but I don't know if they all apply to her hitting her 4K mark.

Should I use the Days artifact set? She looks like she would get 18% attack plus a conditional 25%. I could also have two sets of two pieces each with both giving 18% attack. I just can't remove the ER Sands as it's helping me hit 173.8% ER.

I'm beginning to hope I lose a 50/50 just for one more masterless to raise her base attack. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Am I gearing her incorrectly? Help. 😩

I am sending out my luck since I managed a C6 Prune and a Nicole in eight big pulls and a double gold for Nicole's weapon after two big pulls.

Take my luck! 🍀

Of course, after cursing Varka's dungeon and moving to Nefer's, I was gifted this piece that would be great for Varka. His dungeon really dislikes me. 😔

In a pyro party, my Varka has 3,017 attack, and I like this because he isn't dependent on much more than the 25% pyro-party buff to benefit fully from his Dawn Wind's March passive talent. This has caused me to pass up my first decent crit damage piece that you see here.

With Nicole and Prune, does anyone know if they give a flat, starting attack boost that is reliant on nothing for activation before adding more via skills and bursts? I know I can just wait until next week to see, but I'm trying to preplan.

As always, I appreciate your advice and am thankful for the time you spend responding. 💝✨

I know so many claim he's worthless, terrible, not "meta," but I kept trying my hardest to improve him, his team, everyone's talents... I kept working in a garbage artifact dungeon that thinks giving DEF pieces with HP, HP%, DEF, and DEF%, is top tier, trying my best to get EVERYONE gear so they could move up just a little bit.

I don't care if I'm teased; I cried a little. Yes, he's high investment but, damn it, I like him. I really do! His design, his personality, his voice actors (both English and Japanese [heard he voiced various people in the Yakuza series]), his story -- I wanted him to work so badly.

I just wanted to share my progression pictures and say thank you to people here who helped me try to understand how he worked best for them, how his team was organized and geared, and even how to best improve him with Nicole and Durin cons. Thank you so much. I swear, you just don't get this type of support in other Genshin subreddits.

Thank you. 🥰🫂

Hello!!! ✨

I can't go for broke on both Nicole and Durin. I have a C0R2 Durin that I would love to improve as much as possible, but trying to go for Nicole would botch that.

In your educated opinions, which would be best for my C6R5 Varka; 1) C0R1 Nicole; 2) C2R2 Durin; 3) C0R1 Nicole & C0R2 Durin?

The reason I am leaning toward Durin is because of the damage I believe he's giving my Varka team. I keep trying to up his crit damage, and at 191.8%, which is still low, he produced 955,424 melt damage.

Thanks for the advice! 💫

This damage was melt, I think, because some animal in Nod Krai was cryo.

This is very odd. I've changed nothing about him: His attack is still 3015, and his crit rate and damage are terrible at 81% and 180.1%. The past few days, Varka has been hitting higher elemental reaction numbers when fighting certain enemies or in different weather conditions, and the numbers are getting bigger.

Then, there is still a buff or two that I can't identify that are often in place when this large numbers occur, and I don't recall seeing them before.

Nothing about my party has changed. He's just suddenly hitting for more. This mystery is bugging me.

Hello! 💫

I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know what all the symbols under Varka's name, or anyone else's, are. I know the first one because when isn't he on fire. 🔥

I think the second is the damage buff from Jean because I see it when I jump and take no fall damage. When I jump, though, I think the number (stacks?) at the bottom is 2, not 4.

Then, he has two swords and one with a 2.

All I know is he did excellent damage with it. I just don't know how to figure out the symbols. Is there a legend in the game for the symbols? I play on console and pushing in on the left and right sticks does nothing. 😅