Image Credit: HoyoVerse

Aino is a 4-star Hydro Claymore user introduced in Version 6.0 of Genshin Impact. She comes from the Nod-Krai region, known for its Moonsign mechanics, and offers strong utility rather than overwhelming personal damage. She is especially useful for players who want a flexible support / off-field Hydro applicator for reaction-based teams. If you got her or plan to use her, this guide will help you build her well.

Who Is Aino & How Her Kit Works

• Aino uses a Claymore and Hydro element.
• She is a support / sub-DPS role, designed to provide Hydro application, Moonsign buffs, and reaction boost for the team. Her talents are not focused on pure on-field damage.
• Her Elemental Skill is called Musecatcher: she throws a Musecatcher forward, deals Hydro damage, drags herself along behind it, and when the dragging stops she deals AoE Hydro damage. Holding the Skill lets you aim the throw direction.
• Her Elemental Burst, Precision Hydronic Cooler, deploys the “Cool Your Jets Ducky”, creating a “Focused Hydronic Cooling Zone”. While active, the device periodically fires Hydro projectiles (water balls) at nearby enemies, applying Hydro damage.
• Passive / Moonsign-related effects:
  • Aino increases the party’s Moonsign level by 1 just by being in the party.
  • She has a passive that increases her Burst damage based on her Elemental Mastery.
• Constellations matter more for her support power:
  • C1 gives Aino and nearby teammates Elemental Mastery boost when she uses her Skill or Burst.
  • C2 adds a trigger where, if she is off-field while her Burst zone is active, active allies hitting enemies will cause the Ducky to fire an additional Hydro ball dealing AoE Hydro damage.
  • C4 offers Energy restoration when her Elemental Skill hits enemies, which helps with energy needs.
  • C6 improves reaction damage (Electro-Charged, Bloom, Lunar-Charged and Lunar-Bloom) for nearby characters after using her Burst, with extra benefit if Moonsign level “Ascendant Gleam” is active.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Good Hydro application off-field via Burst and useful Skill, which helps trigger reactions with minimal active input.
• Her Moonsign passive gives free value to the entire party just by being present. That helps even if her personal damage is modest.
• Burst cost is relatively low for a 4-star, making her more energy-efficient compared to many supports of similar type.

Weaknesses

• Her own damage output is low compared to dedicated DPS. She depends heavily on teammates for reaction damage.
• Hydro application speed is slower than some top Hydro units. If you need fast-applying Hydro for reaction spam, others may do it better.
• Without constellations, some of her utility is somewhat limited; C4 and C6 boost her value significantly.

Best Weapons for Aino

• Favonius Greatsword (4★)
  • Secondary stat: Energy Recharge
  • Passive: Crit hits generate elemental particles that restore energy for the team.
  • Why it works: Aino needs consistent Burst uptime, and this weapon helps her generate energy for herself and allies while also scaling well with ER.
• Master Key (4★, craftable)
  • Secondary stat: Elemental Mastery
  • Passive: After triggering an elemental reaction, the user gains additional Elemental Mastery.
  • Why it works: Perfect F2P option that lets Aino contribute more to reaction damage and buffing.
• Flame-Forged Insight (4★)
  • Secondary stat: Elemental Mastery
  • Passive: Increases EM and enhances damage when triggering reactions.
  • Why it works: Strong option if your team heavily relies on Bloom or Electro-Charged style reactions.
• Makhaira Aquamarine (4★)
  • Secondary stat: Elemental Mastery
  • Passive: Converts a portion of EM into an ATK bonus for the wielder and nearby allies.
  • Why it works: A more niche choice, but still solid for buffing teammates in EM-heavy teams.

Best Artifact Sets for Aino

• Silken Moon’s Serenade (4-piece, Natlan/Nod-Krai)
  • 2-piece: +20% Energy Recharge
  • 4-piece: After dealing Elemental DMG, grants Gleaming Moon, which buffs party Elemental Mastery (scales with Moonsign level). Also increases Lunar Reaction DMG by 10% for each stack.
  • Why it works: This is Aino’s best-in-slot set. It perfectly complements her kit by giving ER, team EM buffs, and stronger Lunar reactions.
• Noblesse Oblige (4-piece)
  • 2-piece: +20% Elemental Burst DMG
  • 4-piece: Using a Burst increases all party members’ ATK by 20% for 12 seconds.
  • Why it works: Great if someone else on your team already uses Silken Moon’s Serenade. Provides a reliable teamwide ATK buff.
• Flower of Paradise Lost (4-piece)
  • 2-piece: +80 Elemental Mastery
  • 4-piece: Boosts Bloom, Hyperbloom, Burgeon, and Lunar-Bloom DMG. Each reaction triggered adds stacking bonuses.
  • Why it works: Perfect for reaction-heavy teams where Aino is expected to contribute directly to Bloom-style reactions.
• Instructor (4-piece, low-rarity)
  • 2-piece: +80 Elemental Mastery
  • 4-piece: Triggering an elemental reaction increases the EM of the entire team.
  • Why it works: Great early-game or F2P option until you farm better sets. Still effective in reaction comps.

Stat priorities:

• Sands: Elemental Mastery (or Energy Recharge if you lack enough)
• Goblet: Elemental Mastery
• Circlet: Elemental Mastery or Crit Rate (especially if using Favonius)
• Substats: Energy Recharge > Elemental Mastery > Crit Rate / Crit DMG

Best Team Compositions for Aino

Flins and Aino Synergy

• Flins: A 5-star Electro Polearm user specializing in Lunar-Charged reactions. His abilities and passives enhance Electro-Charged reactions, making him a potent on-field DPS.
• Aino: A 4-star Hydro Claymore user who provides off-field Hydro application and Elemental Mastery buffs.

Synergy:

• Aino’s Hydro application enables Flins to trigger Lunar-Charged reactions effectively.
• Aino’s Elemental Mastery buffs enhance the damage of these reactions.
• Both characters benefit from the Nod-Krai set bonuses, further amplifying their effectiveness.

Recommended Team Compositions:

• Flins (Main DPS)
• Aino (Hydro Support)
• Electro Character (e.g., Fischl or Ororon)
• Anemo Character (e.g., Sucrose or Kazuha)

This team setup ensures consistent Lunar-Charged reactions and maximizes damage output through Elemental Mastery and elemental resonance.

Other Teams to Consider

• Bloom / Hyperbloom Teams
  • Pair Aino with Dendro characters like Nahida or Collei, and Electro characters like Raiden or Fischl.
  • Aino’s Hydro application enables Bloom, while Electro allies convert cores into Hyperbloom.
  • Works best with Flower of Paradise Lost for maximum reaction damage.
• Vaporize Teams
  • Pair Aino with Pyro DPS like Hu Tao, Yanfei, or Lyney.
  • Her Hydro support ensures consistent Vaporize triggers.
  • Works especially well if Aino runs Silken Moon’s Serenade for EM buffs.
• Electro-Charged Teams
  • Pair her with Electro characters such as Beidou or Yae Miko.
  • Aino’s Hydro application sustains Electro-Charged reactions while she buffs the team’s EM.
• Support Flex Teams
  • Aino can slot into many reaction-based squads, offering EM and ER utility.
  • She is less suited for raw Hydro DPS comps and better used to enhance others’ damage output.

Final Thoughts

Aino excels as a support character who boosts elemental reactions and provides consistent Hydro application. When paired with Flins, their abilities create a powerful synergy that significantly enhances team damage. By focusing on Energy Recharge and Elemental Mastery, Aino can reliably enable her team and amplify reaction damage in a variety of compositions.

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