Best F2P (Free-to-play) Ayaka build in Genshin Impact: Artifacts, weapons, and talent priority

Kamisato Ayaka, also known as Shirasagi no Himegimi, is one of the most powerful and broken units in Genshin Impact. She is a 5-star Cryo Sword user who's capable of dealing consistent and powerful Cryo DMG to her enemies, which has earned her the moniker of "Cryo Princess" within the community.

Despite being a 5-star unit, she's extremely F2P friendly and doesn't require a lot of investment to make her an incredible main DPS unit. She will soon be returning with her second rerun banner in the second phase of v3.5, which is a great chance to obtain this character.

Having said that, this article will focus on guiding players on how to build Ayaka and cover some of her best artifacts and weapon options in Genshin Impact.

This article reflects the personal views of the author.

Best artifacts for Kamisato Ayaka in Genshin Impact

1) Blizzard Strayer

The Blizzard Strayer is ideal for Ayaka (Image via HoYoverse)

The full Blizzard Strayer set is arguably the most broken set in Genshin Impact and is practically perfect for this character, as it provides the following buffs:

2-piece set bonus: Cryo DMG Bonus +15%
4-piece set bonus: When a character attacks an opponent affected by Cryo, their CRIT Rate is increased by 20%. If the opponent is Frozen, CRIT Rate is increased by an additional 20%

The 2-piece bonus provides a decent buff of 15% Cryo DMG, but the true selling point is the effect from its full set. A 4-piece bonus can increase the CRIT Rate of the wielder by 40%, which helps in dealing consistent CRIT DMG and allows you to focus on getting more CRIT DMG and ATK% from sub-stats.

2) 2-piece + 2-piece combos

Although the 4-piece Blizzard Strayer is Ayaka's best option in Genshin Impact, she can use other artifacts without any major issues as well. However, she will end up losing the free 40% CRIT Rate from the Blizzard set. Here are some of the best 2-piece combo alternatives:

2-piece Blizzard Strayer + 2-piece Noblesse Oblige
2-piece Blizzard Strayer + 2-piece Gladiator's Finale
2-piece Blizzard Strayer + 2-piece Shimenawa Reminiscence

The Gladiator and Shimenawa sets will increase Ayaka's overall ATK, while the Noblesse will increase her Elemental Burst DMG.

Ayaka's talent priorities

Most of Ayaka's damage comes from her Elemental Burst, so it's highly recommended that you level it up first in the following manner: Elemental Burst > Normal Attack > Elemental Skill

Ideally, however, all of them should be evenly leveled up for the main DPS Ayaka build, since all three of her talents are vital parts of her kit.

Amenoma Kageuchi is the best 4-star Sword for Ayaka in Genshin Impact

1) Amenoma Kageuchi

Amenoma Kageuchi is a craftable weapon (Image via HoYoverse)

It's safe to say that Amenoma Kageuchi is the best 4-star option for the Cryo Princess in Genshin Impact. This is a craftable weapon that can easily be obtained from the Blacksmith NPC. The Amenoma has a low base attack, but its ATK% sub-stat makes up for that disadvantage by increasing the overall ATK of the wielder.

Additionally, Ayaka has a high Elemental Burst cost, which can easily be solved with the weapon's passive ability.

2) Blackcliff Longsword

Blackcliff Longsword is a CRIT DMG weapon (Image via HoYoverse)

Blackcliff Longsword is another good 4-star option for Ayaka, but it's not craftable and cannot be pulled from the gacha. It can only be obtained from Paimon's Bargains in exchange for 24 Masterless Starglitters.

The weapon stat provides a decent amount of 36.8% CRIT DMG, and the passives can increase the user's ATK by 12% at R1.

3) The Flute

The Flute is a decent option (Image via HoYoverse)

While not ideal, The Flute is a decent 4-star sword option for Ayaka in Genshin Impact. With a high base attack and a useful secondary stat, it will undoubtedly boost her performance.

Additionally, the weapon's passive skill allows Ayaka to gain Harmonic stacks whenever she uses her Normal or Charged Attacks. After collecting five stacks of Harmonic, The Flute will deal 100% ATK DMG to all nearby enemies.