Diluc is a 5* Pyro Claymore DPS best known for being the Undisputed King of DMG back when the game launched. While he’s long since been dethroned from that position, Diluc is still a strong unit that can compete with many of the top-DPS characters if properly built.
And since he’s one of the five Standard 5* characters that you can lose the 50/50 to, there’s a high chance you’ll get Diluc while attempting to obtain a Limited 5* character.
If we had to guess, that’s probably why you’re here—you’ve lost the 50/50 to Diluc and now you’re wondering whether or not your newly obtained 5* DPS is any good and worth investing in.
As mentioned, Diluc can still dance with the best of them, but to do this he has to be built optimally—equipped with the right weapons and artifacts, teamed up with the most synergistic teammates.
In this Diluc build guide, we’ll show you how to do all of this and more, starting with how you should prioritize his talents.
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Diluc’s Talent Priority
| Talent | Description | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Attack (Tempered Sword) | Normal Attack Perform up to 4 consecutive strikes. Charged Attack Drains Stamina over time to perform continuous slashes. At the end of the sequence, perform a more powerful slash. Plunging Attack Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact. | Diluc’s Normal Attacks have some hefty scaling, especially his last hit. As Diluc’s most consistent source of DMG, this is his top priority talent. |
| Elemental Skill (Searing Onslaught) | Performs a forward slash that deals Pyro DMG. This skill can be consecutively used 3 times. Enters CD if not cast again within a short period. | Simple, yet effective. You don’t have to perform all three instances of this Skill in quick succession. There’s enough wiggle room before the skill goes on cooldown for you to perform the entire 4-hit Normal Attack combo in between the uses of this Skill. Despite this being Diluc’s least important talent, it’s still one you should level up as much as you can. |
| Elemental Burst (Dawn) | Releases intense flames to knock back nearby opponents, dealing Pyro DMG. The flames then converge into the weapon, summoning a Phoenix that flies forward and deals massive Pyro DMG to all opponents in its path. The Phoenix explodes upon reaching its destination, causing a large amount of AoE Pyro DMG. The searing flames that run down his blade cause it to be infused with Pyro. | This 12-second cooldown ability not only deals impressive amounts of upfront DMG, but it also leaves Diluc with a lengthy Pyro infusion, meaning all his Normal and Charged Attacks do Pyro DMG. Vaporizing the initial instance of DMG can lead to some impressive DMG numbers. Use it as frequently as you can. All in all, this is Diluc’s second priority talent. |
Diluc’s Passive Talents
| Talent Name | Description | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Tradition of the Dawn Knight | Refunds 15% of the ores used when Forging Claymore-type weapons. | We’d say this passive talent is garbage, and it kind of is, but for what it’s worth it’s useful for helping beginner players to craft one of Diluc’s best 4* weapons more easily. |
| Relentless | Diluc’s Charged Attack Stamina Cost is decreased by 50%, and its duration is increased by 3s. | Now, this really is garbage in all use cases. Unless you like looking at the animations, there’s no reason to ever use Diluc’s Charged Attack. |
| Blessing of Phoenix | The Pyro Infusion provided by Dawn lasts for 4s longer. Additionally, Diluc gains a 20% Pyro DMG Bonus during the duration of this effect. | This not only makes it so that Diluc can have 100% uptime on his Pyro infusion, but he also gets an unconditional 20% Pyro DMG Bonus. As far as passive talents go, this one is good enough to make up for the last two being bad. |
Although Diluc has fallen off in terms of overall DMG output, he remains one of the comfiest DPS characters in the game.
Aside from the initial hit of his Burst, his DMG is spread out consistently, so that you never have to feel bad about missing the expensive Burst that most of your DMG is locked behind—case in point Eula and Ayaka. His Burst has a short cooldown and inexpensive 40 Energy cost, making it easy to get his Pyro infusion up, which isn’t the case with Xiao and his Anemo infusion. And lastly, you don’t have to perform mid-animation jumps or Dash-cancelling to increase his effectiveness, unlike Klee or Hu Tao.
We feel that this is Diluc’s biggest strength and the thing that keeps him competitive—he does his job effortlessly. And since it’s not unexpected for even F2P players to unlock a couple of Standard 5* character constellations, you can get your Diluc to perform even better. So let’s look at how much value his constellations add.
Diluc’s Constellations
| Constellation Name | Description | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Conviction | Diluc deals 15% more DMG to opponents whose HP is above 50%. | While this is a conditional DMG buff, the condition isn’t difficult to meet. It’s a marginal DMG upgrade in the grand scheme of things, though, so Diluc’s C1 is still a sore point for many players. |
| Searing Ember | When Diluc takes DMG, his ATK increases by 10% and his ATK SPD increases by 5%. Lasts for 10s. This effect can stack up to 3 times and can only occur once every 1.5s. | Here’s the great thing about this constellation—you still get the benefits even if Diluc is shielded and the shield blocks all the DMG. In other words, this is an easy 30% ATK buff with some ATK speed added to boot—an amazing constellation, especially among the Standard 5* roster. |
| Fire and Steel | Increases the Level of Searing Onslaught by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15. | This is okay. It’s not a huge DMG buff, but it adds up. It’s nice that this is C3 and not C5 because it directly ties into the next constellation. |
| Flowing Flame | Casting Searing Onslaught in rhythm greatly increases damage dealt. 2s after casting Searing Onslaught, casting the next Searing Onslaught in the combo deals 40% additional DMG. This effect lasts for 2s. | If you can Vaporize all the Searing Onslaught hits, this constellation can net you a sizeable DMG buff. It’s not as great as C2, but it’s still good. |
| Beckoning Stars | Increases the Level of Dawn by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15. | This constellation greatly boosts Diluc’s Damage-per-Screenshot capabilities by buffing up the initial DMG instance of his Burst. It’s a decent constellation overall. |
| Flaming Sword, Nemesis of the Dark | After casting Searing Onslaught, the next 2 Normal Attacks within the next 6s will have their DMG and ATK SPD increased by 30%. Additionally, Searing Onslaught will not interrupt the Normal Attack combo. | Getting 30% extra DMG is huge, although limiting it only to two attacks is less than ideal. At the very least, the constellation enables you to still get this buff for the 4th Normal Attack hit. All in all, this is a strong constellation, but we still think his C2 is slightly better. |
Diluc has got some incredible constellations, especially for a Standard 5* character, as they have some of the worst constellations of all the characters in the game. Each and every constellation is a DMG upgrade, and while some are better than others, they all contribute towards making Diluc a stronger DPS unit.
In other words, if you’re already using Diluc, you should at least find some solace in knowing that his constellations are pretty decent when you lose the 50/50 to him.
Best Weapons For Diluc
| Weapon Rarity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Wolf’s Gravestone 5* | Wolf’s Gravestone is Diluc’s BiS weapon, providing a decent base ATK, ungodly amounts of ATK, and the ability to buff both himself and the rest of the team with even more ATK. Even at r1, this weapon can give Diluc a total of almost 110% ATK when he procs the passive. |
| The Unforged 5* | Although not ideal, as it forces you to run a shielder, the Unforged is still Diluc’s 2nd best 5* weapon. If you can make optimal use of the passive, this weapon will outdamage Wolf’s Gravestone in scenarios where its passive can’t easily be procced, such as against single Boss enemies. |
| The Serpent Spine 4* | The Battle Pass exclusive Serpent Spine is a 5* weapon in disguise. If you can maintain max stacks on its passive, it will do more DMG than some 5* weapons, especially with refinements. It also packs plenty of CRIT Rate as its substat, which is more valuable than the ATK% substat provided by the 5* weapons listed above. |
| Prototype Archaic 4* | The craftable Prototype Archaic is the best F2P option of Diluc, giving him a relatively high base ATK, extra ATK scaling, and a passive that isn’t the most powerful but feels incredibly satisfying to proc. Those who have managed to snag the patch 2.1 event-exclusive Luxurious Sea-Lord can use it in place of Prototype Archaic, provided the meme aesthetics aren’t an issue. It deals marginally more DMG. |
| Lithic Blade 4* | Lithic Blade has the potential to be the best non-paid 4* option for Diluc. Xingqiu, his most synergistic partner, is a character from Liyue, so getting at least two stacks on the passive shouldn’t be too difficult. |
| Rainslasher 4* | You wouldn’t think that Rainslasher is a great weapon for Diluc, but it’s unironically amazing at higher levels of investment. The best way to maximize Diluc’s DMG is by Vaporizing as many of his hits as possible. To trigger Vaporize with Diluc, the opponent needs to be affected by Hydro. Rainslasher increases the DMG of Diluc’s Vapes through both its passive and its Elemental Mastery substat. |
Best Artifacts For Diluc – 4-Crimson Witch of Flames
The 4-piece Crimson Witch of Flames set bonus was literally made for Diluc, as thanks to his three instances of Elemental Skill casting, he’s the only character who can effortlessly max out the stacks on it. This not only increases his Pyro DMG but also his Vaporize and Melt DMG.
In terms of main stats, Diluc wants ATK% on the Sands, Pyro DMG on the Goblet, and CRIT DMG/CRIT Rate on the Logos. He gets plenty of CRIT Rate from leveling up, so it’s more likely he’ll need the extra CRIT DMG from the Logos, but whatever the case, you should aim for a 1:2 ratio on CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG.
If your Diluc already has all the ATK he needs, either thanks to a weapon like Wolf’s Gravestone or a teammate like Bennett, you could instead give him an Elemental Mastery Sands to further increase his Vaporizes and Melts. But unless you’re firmly in the end game, you should just stick with an ATK% Sands.
In terms of substats, you should aim for CRIT DMG/CRIT Rate, ATK%, Elemental Mastery, and Energy Recharge.
We don’t suggest running any other artifacts on Diluc as this will significantly lower his DMG output. A 2-piece Crimson Witch plus 2-piece Gladiator’s Finale/Shimenawa’s Reminiscence is an okay alternative while you’re farming the 4-piece Crimson Witch set.
Elemental Synergies
The Elements that Diluc synergizes with the most are:
- Hydro: This allows Diluc to trigger Vaporize, which is the second hardest-hitting Elemental Reaction in the game.
- Cryo: This allows Diluc to trigger Melt, which is the hardest-hitting Elemental Reaction in the game.
- Anemo: Anemo supports can use the 4-piece Viridescent Venerer set bonus to reduce enemies’ Pyro Resistance by a massive 40%, thereby increasing Diluc’s DMG.
The two Elements that Diluc doesn’t care for are:
- Geo: The Crystallize shields aren’t bad, per se—they’re just not worth it.
- Electro: No melee character wants to trigger Overload Reactions, and Diluc is no exception.
Best Team Composition For Diluc (Both F2P And Whale)
In other Genshin Impact character guides, we like to showcase at least two amazing team compositions for the character we’re covering—usually one for F2P players that’s limited to 4* characters and one for whales, where we pick from the entire roster of characters. We also provide some alternative suggestions, especially for the F2P team.
But Diluc is an exception. While he can be run in two teams—Vaporize Diluc and Melt Diluc—they’re incredibly similar. That’s why we’ll list out the characters needed to make F2P versions of these teams, and then tell you which 5* characters to add in for more powerful versions of the teams.
F2P Vaporize Diluc
- Diluc
- Xingqiu
- Bennett
- Sucrose
Xingqiu is here for his off-field Hydro application. With Xingqiu in his team, Diluc can consistently trigger Vaporize reactions and keep stacking huge DMG numbers on top of each other. Xingqiu’s also a capable off-field DPS in his own right—especially with constellations—significantly increasing the overall raw DMG output of this team. There are no replacements for Xingqiu. If you don’t have him, try running a Melt Diluc team. Vaporize actually does less DMG than Melt, but thanks to Xingqiu’s consistency, Vaporize Diluc has better results.
Bennett does here what Bennett does best—buffing the DPS unit’s ATK into the stratosphere. It also helps that his DPS is a Pyro unit, so even if you’ve activated Bennett’s C6 by accident, you can find a great home for him in this team. And as the second Pyro unit in this team, Bennett also unlocks the Pyro Resonance for even more DMG. Bennett is also irreplaceable.
Sucrose is here to shred the enemies’ Pyro Resistance thanks to the 4-piece Viridescent Venerer set bonus. She also gives the team plenty of Elemental Mastery, which comes in handy when triggering both Vaporize and Melt reactions. Finally, she can be equipped with the Thrilling Tales of the Dragonslayer for giving Diluc even more ATK buffs. Any Anemo support can fill her role, so F2P players without Sucrose can use Sayu or Anemo Traveler.
If you put Kazuha in here instead of Sucrose, then you’ll have one of Diluc’s all-time best teams.
F2P Melt Diluc
- Diluc
- Rosaria
- Bennett
- Sucrose
Rosaria is the Cryo applicator in this team. While she can’t even come close to Xingqiu in terms of consistency, she has the perk of increasing Diluc’s CRIT Rate. She can easily be replaced by Kaeya.
However, the best Cryo support for this team is actually Ganyu. Support Ganyu can maintain longer uptime on her off-field Cryo application than even Xingqiu on his Hydro application.
Bennett brings all the same benefits to the Melt Diluc team, only here he is technically replaceable. While he’s still the better option, you can get away with using a second Cryo support. This includes all of the characters we’ve listed above—Rosaria, Kaeya, and Ganyu. In addition to them, Diona is also a good 2nd Cryo support, as she can provide you with healing and a shield.
Sucrose performs the identical role in both teams, and she’s can also be replaced by the same units we’ve mentioned above, including Kazuha as the best 5* option.
Is Diluc Worth It?
A DPS unit’s value is determined by how much DMG they bring to the table.
And despite forever being known as the character who used to be the best DPS by got power crept by most new units, Diluc can still perform his role admirably. We’re still keeping him in the A-Tier in our Genshin Impact Tier List, despite moving some other 5* DPS units like Keqing and Klee down to the B-Tier. What can we say—the man’s resilient.
So yes, he is worth it, if you can manage to lose the 50/50 to him. Or at the very least, he’s a good consolation prize, if you’re in need of a powerful and comfy DPS. But you should not waste your Primogems on the Standard Banner hoping to get him.
