Nilou is a 5-star Hydro unit who dances for the Zubayr Theater in Genshin Impact. Here’s everything you need to know about effectively building her.
Nilou is a niche character in Genshin Impact, where she can work in a very specific setup, but is unmatched in her role. She has received a rerun in Genshin Impact version 4.8 phase 1 and is still worth pulling in the current meta.
In combat, Nilou has the ability to transform Dendro Cores into Bountiful Cores, which have a higher explosion radius than the standard form. However, the damage from the Bountiful Core’s explosions requires a team healer to recover from the impact.
If you’re looking to build Nilou, keep reading for our recommended Artifacts, weapons, and more.
Best Nilou build in Genshin Impact
| Weapon | Artifacts | Stats | Team Comp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key of Khaj-Nisut | Tenacity of Milileth (2-pc)Vourukasha’s Glow (2-pc) | Sands: HP%Goblet: HP%Circlet: HP%Substats: HP%, Elemental Mastery, Energy Recharge | Nilou, Nahida, Baizhu, Kokomi |
Best Nilou Artifacts
The best artifact set for Nilou is a combination of 2-piece Tenacity of the Millelith and 2-piece Vourukasha’s Glow. The set bonus for each of them is as follows:
| Set piece | Set Bonus |
|---|---|
| Millelith (2-pc) | HP +20% |
| Vourukasha’s Glow (2-pc) | HP +20% |
You do not need much for Nilou in terms of buffs apart from high HP stats. This makes the 2-pc sets worth using.
Best Nilou weapons
Key of Khaj-Nisut
This is the best weapon for Nilou in Genshin Impact. It is a 5-star sword that increases the HP of the wearer by 20%. Additionally, the wielder gains the Grand Hymn effect upon hitting an opponent with their Elemental Skill.
This effect provides a 0.12% Elemental Mastery boost to the wielder and can stack up to 3 times. At the 3rd stack, the Elemental Mastery of party members increases by 0.2% of the wearer’s maximum HP. This weapon also comes with an HP% secondary stat which is tailor-made for Nilou.
Freedom Sworn
Another good option for Nilou is Freedom Sworn as it comes with the Elementary Mastery secondary stat. Additionally, this weapon increases the DMG of the wearer by 10%. Triggering Elemental Reactions grants a Sigil of Rebellion buff even if the character is not on the field.
Once the stacks are consumed, all nearby party members gain 20% ATK and 16% Normal, Charged, and Plunging ATK DMG. This basically increases the damage you gain from the Bloom reactions, though you need a lot of HP% from artifacts to balance the stats.
Nilou Talent Level-up and Ascension Materials
Talent level-up materials
Nilou’s talents in Genshin Impact need Teachings of Praxis, Fungal Spores, and Tears of the Calamitous God. The exact number of materials you need are as follows:
| Nilou Talent level-up materials | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Talent level-up materials | Teachings of Praxis x9 | Guide to Praxis x63 | Philosophies of Praxis x114 |
| Common Ascension Materials | Fungal Spores x18 | Luminescent Pollen x66 | Crystalline Cyst Dust x93 |
| Weekly Boss Material | Tears of the Calamitous God x18 |
Where to farm Nilou’s Talent level-up materials
Teachings of Praxis and its upgrades
Teachings of Praxis is dropped from the Steeple of Ignorance domain in Genshin Impact. It can be found in Sumeru near Chatrakam Cave.
Fungal Spores
Fungal Spores are drops from the Fungus enemy in Genshin Impact. However, you must remember that to get Fungal Spores, you cannot use Electro or Pyro to defeat the enemies.
Tears of the Calamitous God
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This item is dropped from the Raiden Shogun boss fight in Inazuma. It is unlocked as part of Raiden Shogun’s second story quest.
Ascension materials
Nilou’s ascension materials include Varunada Lazurite Silver, Perpetual Caliber, Fungal Sports, and Padisarah. The exact number of materials you need are as follows:
| Ascension Level | Mora | Materials | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20000 | Varunada Lazurite Silver x1 | Fungal Spores x3 | Padisarah x3 | |
| 2 | 40000 | Varunada Lazurite Fragment x3 | Perpetual Caliber x2 | Fungal Spores x15 | Padisarah x10 |
| 3 | 60000 | Varunada Lazurite Fragment x6 | Perpetual Caliber x4 | Luminescent Pollen x12 | Padisarah x20 |
| 4 | 80000 | Varunada Lazurite Chunk x3 | Perpetual Caliber x8 | Luminescent Pollen x18 | Padisarah x30 |
| 5 | 100000 | Varunada Lazurite Chunk x6 | Perpetual Caliber x12 | Crystalline Cyst Dust x12 | Padisarah x45 |
| 6 | 120000 | Varunada Lazurite Gemstone x6 | Perpetual Caliber x20 | Crystalline Cyst Dust x24 | Padisarah x60 |
Where to farm Nilou ascension materials
Varunada Lazurite Silver and its upgrades
These are dropped from the Hydro Hypostasis boss in Genshin Impact. You will find it very close to the Sangonomiya Shrine on Watatsumi Island in Inazuma.
Perpetual Caliber
Perpetual Caliber is dropped by Aeonblight Drake in Sumeru. You can locate it close to Devantaka Mountain in Ardravi Valley.
Padisarah
This is a local specialty of Sumeru. The areas where it can be found in abundance are Vanarana, around Sumeru City, and the Palace of Alcazarzaray.
Best Nilou team comp
The best team for Nilou involves Nahida, Baizhu, and Kokomi. I
n this team, Nahida and Baizhu help to produce the Dendro Cores. Additionally, Baizhu’s healing and Dendro shield ensures Nilou does not die from the Bountiful Cores. Kokomi helps with Hydro application and healing.
If you want, you can also run a team comprised of Nilou, Nahida, Xingqiu, and Yaoyao. This team also works quite well due to Xingqiu’s powerful Hydro application. Ideally, a team with two Dendro and two Hydro units works best as there is a balance between damage and sustainability.
Nilou abilities
Normal Attack: Dance of Samser
| Ability Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Normal Attack | Perform up to 3 consecutive strikes. |
| Charged Attack: | Consumes a certain amount of stamina to perform a twirling slash. |
| Plunging Attack | Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact. |
Elemental Skill
| Ability Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Dance of Kaftkarsvar | Enters Pirouette state, dealing Hydro DMG to nearby opponents based on Nilou’s Max HP. While she is in the Pirouette state, Nilou’s normal attacks and elemental attacks will cause her to enter the sword dance and whirling steps stances, respectively, causing DMG she deals to be converted to Hydro DMG that cannot be overridden and that is considered elemental skill DMG. |
| Sword Dance | Unleashes a Luminous Illusion that deals Hydro DMG to opponents it touches and grants Nilou the Lunar Prayer effect. This effect converts Nilou’s normal attacks into sword dance techniques, and her final hit will unleash a Luminous Illusion. |
| Whirling Steps: | Nilou unleashes a Whirling Water Wheel that deals AoE Hydro DMG and creates a Tranquility Aura that follows your active character around and applies Wet to opponents within its AoE. |
Elemental Burst
| Ability Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring | Begins the dance of faraway dreams and springs that hear, causing a Lotus of Distant Waters to bloom, dealing AoE Hydro DMG based on Nilou’s Max HP and applying the Lingering Aeon effect to all opponents hit. After an interval, opponents affected by Lingering Aeon will take Hydro DMG. |
Passives
| Ability Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Court of Dancing Petals | When all characters in the party are all Dendro or Hydro, and there are at least one Dendro character and one Hydro character:The completion of the third dance step of Nilou’s Dance of Haftkarsvar will grant all nearby characters the Golden Chalice’s Bounty for 30s.Characters under the effect of Golden Chalice’s Bounty will increase the Elemental Mastery of all nearby characters by 100 for 10s whenever they are hit by Dendro attacks. Also, triggering the Bloom reaction will create Bountiful Cores instead of Dendro Cores.Such Cores will burst very quickly after being created, and they have larger AoEs.Bountiful Cores cannot trigger Hyperbloom or Burgeon, and they share an upper numerical limit with Dendro Cores. Bountiful Core DMG is considered DMG dealt by Dendro Cores produced by Bloom.Should the party not meet the conditions for this Passive Talent, any existing Golden Chalice’s Bounty effects will be canceled. |
| White Jade Lotus | When Perfect Cooking is achieved on Food with Adventure-related effects, there is a 12% chance to obtain double the product. |
| Dreamy Dance of Aeons | Every 1,000 points of Nilou’s Max HP above 30,000 will cause the DMG dealt by Bountiful Cores created by characters affected by Golden Chalice’s Bounty to increase by 9%.The maximum increase in Bountiful Core DMG that can be achieved this way is 400%. |
Nilou Constellations
If you’re lucky enough to pull multiple copies of Nilou, here’s what buffs you will be granted from her Constellations:
- Level One – Dance of the Waning Moon: Dance of Haftkarsvar will be enhanced as follows:Luminous Illusion DMG is increased by 65%. The Tranquility Aura’s duration is extended by 6s.
- Level Two – The Starry Skies Their Flowers Rain: After characters affected by the Golden Chalice’s Bounty deal Hydro DMG to an opponent, that opponent’s Hydro RES will be decreased by 35% for 10s. After a triggered Bloom reaction deals DMG to opponents, their Dendro RES will be decreased by 35% for 10s. You need to have unlocked the “Court of Dancing Petals” Talent.
- Level Three – Beguiling Shadowstep: Increases the Level of Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
- Level Four – Fricative Pulse: After the third dance step of Dance of Haftkarsvar’s Pirouette hits opponents, Nilou will gain 15 Elemental Energy, and DMG from her Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring will be increased by 50% for 8s.
- Level Five – Twirling Light: Increases the Level of Dance of Haftkarsvar by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
- Level Six – Frostbreaker’s Melody: For every 1,000 points of Max HP, Nilou’s CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG will increase by 0.6% and 1.2% respectively. The maximum increase in CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG via this method is 30% and 60% respectively.
Nilou pros and cons
Nilou being a niche unit, has her own strengths and weaknesses. Here are her pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High burst damage | Niche character and requires dedicated setups |
| Ease to build | Cannot function without a healer |
| Easy to use |
Nilou trailer
On October 13, 2022, HoYoverse released the official trailer for Nilou on their YouTube channel. If you didn’t catch it yet, you can check it out below:
For more on Genshin Impact, check out our guides on banners and codes. You can also check out our character guides for Raiden Shogun, Neuvillette, and Furina.