With the standard banner finally gearing up to round out its roster in Genshin Impact, it’s about time we welcomed a fresh face into the mix. While we’ve been missing some characters from regions, Mizuki is about to shake things up! This new Anemo Catalyst character brings some exciting new playstyles, and her healing and Swirl-centric damage output have players buzzing. But, what exactly does Mizuki bring to the table? Who does she pair best with? And what makes her stand out? Let’s dive in and explore everything you need to know before you pull for her!
Mizuki Pre-Release Guide & Analysis
Mizuki is a versatile Anemo Catalyst who can switch between healing and supporting her team with some serious Swirl-related damage boosts. Her unique abilities put her in a fantastic spot to function both on-field and off-field, making her a top-tier support for reaction-heavy teams.
Overview & Abilities
Elemental Skill: Dream Drifter
Mizuki’s Elemental Skill deals AoE Anemo damage and activates her Dream Drifter state, which lasts for 5 seconds. While in this state, she:
- Hovers above the ground (no need to worry about pesky terrain).
- Disables normal attacks (it’s all about those skills, baby).
- Gains interruption resistance (say goodbye to getting knocked around).
- Fires AoE Anemo missiles every 0.75 seconds (up to 7 times).
- Buffs her team’s Swirl damage based on her Elemental Mastery.
This skill has a 15-second cooldown, but don’t get excited about resetting it with weapons like Sacrificial Fragments—Mizuki’s Dream Drifter can’t be reset that way. On the bright side, each hit generates energy particles, with a max of four on-field particles (just one if she’s off-field).
Elemental Burst: Snack Time!
Mizuki’s burst is an absolute treat (pun intended). It deals AoE Anemo damage, pulls in enemies and objects, and drops “snacks” that explode after a short delay, dealing more AoE Anemo damage.
What’s really special is that Mizuki or her teammates can pick up these snacks to:
- Deal more damage and pull in enemies.
- Heal the active character (based on Mizuki’s Elemental Mastery) if their HP is below 70%.
And if Mizuki herself picks up a snack, not only does the healing double, but the pickup range is increased while she’s in Dream Drifter.
Passives
- First Ascension Passive: Extends Dream Drifter by 2.5 seconds for each Swirl triggered, up to 5 seconds.
- Second Ascension Passive: Grants Mizuki 100 Elemental Mastery for 4 seconds when Pyro, Hydro, Electro, or Cryo reactions are triggered during Dream Drifter.
Talent Prioritization
The key to Mizuki’s build is her versatility, and your talent upgrades should reflect how you want to play her:
- Skill & Burst: Level them both together. Prioritize whichever one fits your playstyle.
- Defensive Support: If you’re focusing on her healing, prioritize her Elemental Burst.
- SP Damage Amplifier: If you’re all about boosting damage through Elemental Mastery, level her Elemental Skill.
There’s no need to level normal attacks—Mizuki’s main function is her elemental abilities, especially for triggering Swirl.
Combos
Mizuki’s gameplay loop is versatile, offering on-field and off-field utility:
- On-field: Use her Elemental Skill, then immediately activate her Burst. Position yourself carefully during Dream Drifter to target enemies effectively and maximize Swirl damage.
- Off-field: Activate her Burst, then swap her out to a damage dealer while her skills continue to support.
Constellations
Mizuki’s constellations enhance her already impressive kit. Some of them are must-haves, while others are more niche.
- C1: Buffed Swirl Damage
Every 3.5 seconds, nearby enemies affected by Swirl take a debuff that boosts their Swirl damage by 900% of Mizuki’s Elemental Mastery. This is massive in single-target fights, but its effectiveness drops off in AoE scenarios. Still, it’s a strong upgrade for anyone who loves big Swirl numbers. - C2: Elemental Damage Buff for Allies
Mizuki boosts elemental damage for allies in Dream Drifter, offering a 25% damage bonus to Pyro, Hydro, Electro, and Cryo units. But, this buff is only active while Mizuki is on-field, limiting its usefulness. - C3: Skill Level Increase
A straightforward talent boost that raises Mizuki’s Elemental Skill level by 3. It’s helpful, but not a game-changer. - C4: Unrestricted Healing & Energy Refund
C4 removes the HP restriction from her Elemental Burst healing, and grants 5 energy per snack pickup (max 20). This is huge for off-field utility, ensuring constant Burst uptime and reliable healing, even in energy-starved teams. - C5: Burst Level Increase
Another skill level increase, but the impact is minor. - C6: Swirl Damage Critical Hits
A 30% chance for Swirl damage to critically hit, with a 100% damage boost. This is the cherry on top—her Swirl damage becomes much more powerful, making her a top-tier pick for high-damage teams.
Overall Constellation Assessment
Mizuki’s constellations are a mix of situational and exceptional upgrades:
- C1: Excellent for boosting Swirl damage, especially in single-target scenarios.
- C2: Decent support buff for off-field units but limited by its on-field requirement.
- C3 & C5: Talent level upgrades that offer minimal impact.
- C4: Amazing for off-field utility, ensuring consistent Burst uptime and healing.
- C6: A massive Swirl damage boost, elevating her to elite team compositions.
While her constellation value varies based on playstyle, C4 and C6 stand out as the most impactful upgrades, with C1 offering strong early value for Swirl-focused teams.
Artifact Sets
Mizuki thrives with artifact sets that boost her Elemental Mastery and Swirl damage. Here’s a breakdown of the best sets for her:
- Viridescent Venerer (4-Piece): This set is made for her. It increases Swirl damage and lowers enemy resistance by 40%, amplifying her team’s damage. It’s the go-to choice for maximizing her potential.
- Instructor (4-Piece): If you’re pairing Mizuki with another Anemo unit, this is a solid choice. The Elemental Mastery boost it provides benefits her Swirl damage and team reactions, but it’s not as universally strong as Viridescent Venerer.
Stat Priority
When building Mizuki, it’s all about Elemental Mastery. Here’s what to focus on:
- Main Stats:
- Sands: Elemental Mastery
- Goblet: Elemental Mastery
- Circlet: Elemental Mastery
- Substats:
- Prioritize Elemental Mastery.
- Aim for 135% Energy Recharge to keep her Burst available.
- After that, look for Crit Stats and Attack% as secondary stats.
Weapons
Mizuki’s best-in-slot weapon options provide massive boosts to Elemental Mastery and team utility:
Her Signature Weapon
Mizuki’s signature weapon, Sunny Morning Sleep-In, provides a huge boost to her personal Elemental Mastery and damage output. However, due to diminishing returns on Elemental Mastery at higher values, its benefits for team damage are relatively minor compared to other catalysts. While it’s a solid option for vertical investment (especially at high refinements), it’s often outclassed by weapons that offer team utility. Here are alternatives:
- A Thousand Floating Dreams: This 5-star weapon gives her a hefty Elemental Mastery boost and provides bonuses for her team based on their roles. It’s the top choice for most situations.
- Favonius Codex: Perfect for off-field builds, it ensures her Burst uptime with energy regeneration, which is key in longer fights.
- Wandering Evenstar: Great for higher refinements, this 4-star catalyst boosts team-wide Attack%.
- Thrilling Tales of the Dragon Slayer: A free-to-play favorite that boosts the Attack% of the character you swap in, making it an excellent choice for teams with strong Attack-scaling units.
Synergies
Mizuki’s greatest strength is her versatility. Here’s a look at some of the best team compositions and synergies:
- Venti: The perfect pairing. Venti’s grouping ability and Swirl synergy with Mizuki’s buffs create an unstoppable force, boosting Swirl damage to crazy levels.
- Swirl + Aggravate Teams: Pairing Mizuki with Electro units helps amplify Swirl’s damage. Mizuki’s Elemental Mastery boosts allow these teams to rival traditional DPS.
- Burning Teams: Mizuki can boost Burning damage by enhancing Elemental Mastery through her Swirl reactions. Throw Venti and Bennett into the mix, and you’ve got a powerful reaction-based comp.
- Double Anemo Teams: Mizuki works beautifully with units like Kazuha or Sucrose. Their Elemental Mastery boosts and the extra Swirl damage make for a solid team.
Final Thoughts
Mizuki is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to supporting teams with Swirl-based damage and healing. Her Elemental Mastery scaling is top-tier, and her ability to apply AoE healing while shredding enemy resistances makes her a valuable asset to almost any team. With the Viridescent Venerer set and the right weapons, Mizuki can easily become a cornerstone of your team.
Despite her occasional energy struggles and off-field inconsistencies, Mizuki’s versatility, healing, and damage output make her a fantastic pick for players who love reaction-based teams. Whether you’re aiming to maximize her damage potential or use her for support, she’s a fantastic choice for both new and experienced players alike!
