Ayaka vs Ganyu
The queen of Freeze burst vs. the legendary Cryo sniper
TL;DR — Quick Pick
Pick Ayaka if…
- In Freeze teams where you want to delete enemies in a 5-second window
- Against mobile enemies that can be frozen and shredded by her Burst
- If you prefer fast-paced sword combat and dashing
Pick Ganyu if…
- In Melt teams (Ganyu Melt) for massive individual hits
- When you need to attack from a long distance
- If you want a unit that doubles as a powerful off-field Burst support
Ayaka is the undisputed queen of Freeze DPS due to her concentrated Burst damage, while Ganyu offers more versatility between Freeze, Melt, and support roles. Choose Ayaka for raw Abyss clearing power, and Ganyu for flexible, ranged utility.
At a Glance
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ayaka
- Has on-demand, on-field Cryo application through her Alternate Sprint and Cryo Infusion
- Her free-to-play weapons perform close to 5-star alternatives and not far behind her signature
- Can flexibly fill downtime with her Cryo-infused Normal and Charged Attacks or swap to her teammates and activate their respective abilities
- Loses a majority of her personal damage if her Elemental Burst misses
- Requires good Energy management and funneling to fund her Elemental Burst
- Relatively inflexible team compositions
Ganyu
- Strong Cryo damage
- Versatile team options
- Requires investment
- Best teams use limited 5-stars
Shared Team Members
With Ayaka
Kazuha is indispensable for Ayaka, providing the grouping necessary to ensure her Burst, Sougetsu, hits every enemy in its path. He also provides a massive Cryo DMG bonus and Viridescent Venerer shred, which are vital for her front-loaded damage profile.
With Ganyu
Kazuha helps Ganyu by grouping enemies for her Frostflake Arrow's AOE and her Burst's icicles. He provides the Cryo DMG bonus and RES shred that allows Ganyu to clear groups of enemies with ease in Freeze or Mono-Cryo setups.
With Ayaka
Kokomi provides the best off-field Hydro application for Ayaka, keeping enemies frozen with her Skill while Ayaka executes her rotation. Her ability to carry Tenacity of the Millelith and Thrilling Tales further increases Ayaka's Burst damage.
With Ganyu
Kokomi allows Ganyu to maintain a safe distance while keeping enemies frozen and vulnerable to Ganyu's Charged Shots. Her consistent healing and Hydro application make the team very resilient and easy to play in high-pressure content.
Best Builds (Signature)
Weapon
Mistsplitter Reforged
Artifacts
Blizzard Strayer
Sands
ATK%
Goblet
Cryo DMG%
Circlet
CRIT DMG
Substats
CRIT DMG > ATK% > CRIT Rate (Blizzard + Mistsplitter covers CRIT Rate)
Weapon
The First Great Magic
Artifacts
Blizzard Strayer
Sands
ATK %
Goblet
Cryo DMG
Circlet
CRIT DMG %
Substats
CRIT Rate/DMG > ATK% > ER%
Who Should You Pull?
- In Freeze teams where you want to delete enemies in a 5-second window
- Against mobile enemies that can be frozen and shredded by her Burst
- If you prefer fast-paced sword combat and dashing
- In Melt teams (Ganyu Melt) for massive individual hits
- When you need to attack from a long distance
- If you want a unit that doubles as a powerful off-field Burst support