Each new Genshin Impact update or phase brings new or rerun banners for players to choose from, which is the only way you can obtain featured five-star units.
The first half of the Version 4.0 update features one new recruit, the five-star Pyro Bow character Lyney, and one rerun character, the five-star Hydro Bow character Yelan. So, you might be wondering which of the two you should pull for.
Is Lyney worth pulling for in Genshin Impact?
Lyney is a dedicated DPS unit, and while he is a solid one, he does lack some versatility that many Genshin players may desire. Because of this, whether or not Lyney is worth pulling for will ultimately come down to your specific playstyle and gameplay preferences.
Based on my own gameplay style and experience, Lyney is not really worth pulling for because he lacks what I look for most in Teyvat recruits, which is versatility. I prefer units who can fit well in any team lineup and even swap between various roles while excelling as they do so. Characters like Raiden Shogun or Nahida are top-tier Genshin recruits because of this, while those like Nilou or Cyno are less impressive to me.
The reason Lyney lacks versatility is because of his “Conclusive Ovation” ability, which allows Lyney to deal increased damage against enemies affected by Pyro. On his own, this ability grants a 60 percent increase, but this number can be raised up to 100 percent if he has two more Pyro allies since each Pyro character on his team adds 20 percent to this buff for up to the maximum of 100 percent.
Because of this ability, to maximize Lyney’s potential, you’ll want him on a team with mostly Pyro characters, which makes him not very versatile since he is restricted to only very specific team lineups. Generally, his ideal lineup will include two other Pyro units to maximize this buff plus one character who wields power over another element. Some kind of Anemo support unit will work best in this role, so a powerful lineup for Lyney could be him, Lynette, Bennett, and Xiangling.
Unlike many other recruits, Lyney is not a character who is focused on dealing damage through elemental reactions, so if you prefer a team based around these, then you’ll want to skip Lyney’s banner. I enjoy building my teams around elemental reactions, so Lyney’s playstyle doesn’t appeal to me even though I think he has some of the most stunning animations in all of Teyvat.
Related: Genshin Impact Hydro Archon (Furina) leaks: Star rarity, weapon, release date, and more
When you play as Lyney, you’ll primarily be dishing out damage through his basic attack, charged attack, and elemental skill. These three are the best parts of his kit, and while his elemental burst is good, it is massively outshined by his more basic abilities.
Lyney does have a few drawbacks, but one massive plus is that he’s extremely fun to play due to how unique his skills are. You can taunt enemies with his special Grin-Malkin Hat, which works similarly to Mona’s Phantom of Fate, every move he makes lines up with his magician theme, and it just feels like he’s putting on an epic show throughout any battle he tackles.
The Pyro character possesses some extremely unique animations and has a design quite unlike any other recruit Genshin has seen so far. He incorporates his magician skills into every aspect of his skillset, which means he’s always putting on a show, even when he’s in battle. You might be tempted to pull for him based on his design and animations alone simply because of how unique he is, but try to keep in mind his actual gameplay mechanics too when making this decision.
Is Yelan worth pulling for in Genshin Impact?
The five-star Hydro Bow unit is one of the most solid secondary damage dealer and support units you can obtain in all of Teyvat, so Yelan is absolutely worth pulling for. Yelan is best in a secondary damage-dealing role where she is focused on filling in the gaps between the main damage dealer’s skills and is one of the best characters you can have in this role.
The Hydro recruit is one of the easiest characters to build since she scales off of health points. With many other characters, it’s tough to create a balanced build and especially difficult to ensure they have enough health points when they don’t scale off of them. But for Yelan, creating a powerful build is extremely easy as long as you consider all parts of her build carefully.
As powerful as Yelan is, she does also have one flaw to consider. In comparison to other Hydro units, Yelan is not the best or most consistent Hydro applicator overall. Her Hydro application isn’t bad by any means, it’s just not as powerful as someone like Sangonomiya Kokomi or Kamisato Ayato.
Overall, Yelan is an immensely versatile recruit that fits well within most team lineups and is one of Genshin’s strongest recruits overall. She is also an incredible damage dealer and support unit, which makes her an immensely useful character to add to your roster.
Should you wish for Lyney or Yelan in Genshin Impact?
Based on my experience, I would highly recommend pulling for Yelan over Lyney. Yelan is one of Teyvat’s best recruits overall while also being immensely versatile. Meanwhile, Lyney is a solid character but does not have flexibility and is not one of Genshin’s strongest forces.
While Yelan is a better recruit than Lyney overall, you may also want to consider the two based on which character fulfills your specific team’s needs better. If you are lacking a DPS, then you may want Lyney, while if you are seeking a secondary damage dealer or support unit, then Yelan is the recruit for you.
When choosing between these characters, you can also consider them in comparison to other similar recruits to see how their abilities compare. Lyney has a direct contender for comparison with Yoimiya since she is also a five-star Pyro Bow DPS unit.
Both Lyney and Yoimiya have very unique-looking abilities as Lyney’s are all based around magic while Yoimiya’s are all based around fireworks. These two are similar in many ways, so if you have one, you certainly don’t need the other, and both are solid DPS units but not the best of the best overall.
There aren’t really any five-star Hydro characters you can directly compare Yelan to since most of them aren’t suited for a secondary damage-dealing role, but the four-star recruit Xingqiu is a decent recruit to compare her to. His Hydro application may be a bit more consistent and reliable, but Yelan’s overall skillset and damage-dealing capabilities greatly surpass his.
Ultimately, you’ll want to pull for Yelan if you can and skip Lyney unless you really want him. Lyney is just not the best overall and there are many more exciting new Fontaine characters arriving in the future, including Navia and Arlecchino, so it’s best to save your wishes unless you are pulling for Yelan. You’ll also want to keep the phase two banners in mind since you may want one of the recruits re-running in the second half of Version 4.0 more than you want Yelan or Lyney.
