The best builds for Aloy in Genshin Impact

The best Genshin Impact Aloy build
(Image credit: miHoYo)
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(Image credit: miHoYo)

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Searching for the best Genshin Impact Aloy build? Genshin Impact 2.2 is herer, and with it comes Horizon Zero Dawn's crossover character, Aloy. Officially, the five-star Cryo archer launched in version 2.1, but that was only on PlayStation. Now, PC players can finally claim her when the new version launches.

Best of all? She's free to every player—all you need is an adventure rank of at least 20 to collect her from your in-game mailbox. Aloy looks pretty powerful, too, with plenty of AoE Cryo attacks, and Coils: a stackable buff that increases normal attack damage, and infuses her attacks with Cryo when she hits four. 

Though it's unclear as to whether she'll be one the best Genshin Impact characters just yet, she does seem like a decent damage-dealer. This is especially true when you consider that everyone can add her to their team, and as she doesn't have constellations, she doesn't require as much investment.

In this Genshin Impact Aloy build guide, I'll go through everything there is to know about the Cryo archer, including abilities, ascension materials, and our very own build to try out when she arrives.

Builds

The best Genshin Impact Aloy build

Aloy can gain some hefty bonuses to normal attack damage through stacking Coils, so a good way to increase her damage-dealing potential is to build on top of that.

DPS

  • Weapon: Amos Bow

Unfortunately, Aloy's own Predator bow will only work properly on PlayStation, meaning you'll need an alternative pick for her. If you happen to have the five-star Amos Bow, that's a great choice, increasing normal and charged attack damage by 12%, as well as a further 8% for every 0.1 seconds the arrow is flying. This works well with the normal attack boost Aloy gets from stacking Coils. 

A four-star alternative would be one of the Inazuma weapons, Hamayumi. This bow increases normal attack damage by 16% and charged attack damage by 12%. When Aloy's energy reaches 100%, this effect is doubled. You can get the diagram to make Hamayumi by opening Takashi's chests for seven days in a row to the north of Kannazuka Island.

  • Artifact: Shimenawa's Reminiscence

Shimenawa's Reminiscence is a good artifact set for Aloy. For two-pieces, her attack is increased by 18%, and when you have four-pieces, casting an elemental skill boosts normal, charged, and plunging attack damage by 50% for ten seconds, if you have 15 or more energy.

Aloy's elemental skill is how she gains Coil stacks, which boost her normal attack damage, and allow her to enter the Rushing Ice state, infusing her attacks with Cryo. Shimenawa's effect stacks on top of this quite nicely, offering an extra normal attack boost when she uses that skill to gain more Coils.

Another alternative set could be the Martial Artist, which increases normal and charged attack by 15%, and also offers a normal and charged attack boost of 25% for eight seconds when casting an elemental skill.

(Image credit: miHoYo)

How to unlock

How to get Aloy in Genshin Impact

Aloy arrived in Genshin Impact in September, but she was only available to PlayStation users initially. Aloy is now on PC as of version 2.2. All you need to do to collect her is login and head to your in-game mailbox, though you'll have be adventure rank 20 to do so, and she'll only be available during the crossover event period.

Abilities

Aloy's abilities

Here are Aloy's abilities and passives, though as a one-of-kind character, she doesn't have Constellations:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Normal attack: Rapid Fire
NormalPerform up to four consecutive shots with a bow.
ChargedPerform a more precise, aimed shot, dealing Cryo damage.
PlungingFire off a shower of arrows before striking the ground, dealing AoE damage.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elemental Skill
Frozen WildsAloy throws a Freeze bomb that deals Cryo damage, and splits into Chillwater Bomblets, which explode when they come into contact with an enemy, or after a short duration, dealing Cryo damage. Bombs and bomblets decrease enemy attack, and grant Aloy one stack of Coil that increases normal attack damage. When Aloy reaches four Coil stacks, she enters the Rushing Ice state, which further increases normal attack damage, and infuses Aloy's normal attacks with Cryo.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elemental Burst
Prophecies of DawnAloy throws a power which detonates, dealing AoE Cryo damage.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Passives
Easy Does ItWhen Aloy is in the party, animals that produce fowl, raw meat, or chilled meat will not be startled.
Combat OverrideWhen Aloy receives the Coil effect from Frozen Wilds, her attack is increased by 16%, and 8% for party members. This lasts for ten seconds.
Strong StrikeWhen in Rushing Ice state, Aloy gains a 3.5% Cryo damage bonus every second. A maximum increase of 35% is possible.

Ascension materials

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Aloy's Ascension materials

Character

As with other Cryo characters, you'll need Shivada Jade to level Aloy, which can be obtained from Cryo Regisvines and Hypostases, though the latter is a better option as you'll also need the Crystalline Blooms that it drops. On top of that, you're going to have to get some world materials, too:

  • Crystal Marrow
  • Spectral Husk

Crystal Marrow is obtained from the serpent skeleton on Yashiori Island—just check around the bones and you'll see it sticking out. Spectral Husk-series items, on the other hand, are a new material arriving in Genshin Impact 2.1. You can get these by defeating Specters, which you should be able to find on the two new islands being introduced—Seirai or Watatsumi.

Talent

Here's what you'll need to ascend Aloy's talents:

  • Teachings of Freedom
  • Spectral Husk
  • Molten Moment
  • Crown of Insight

You can get Teachings of Freedom at the Forsaken Rift domain on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Spectral Husk-series items are dropped by Specters of varying world levels. The Molten Moment is a reward for defeating the new La Signora boss on level 70+. Finally, the Crown of Insight comes from seasonal events, and upgrading the Frostbearing Tree in Dragonspine, or the Sacred Sakura in Inazuma.

Genshin Impact guide:Genshin Impact characters: Genshin Impact code:Genshin Impact build:

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Sarah James
Senior Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.