Kinich Guide and Best Builds

Kinich Guide and Best Builds for Genshin Impact

Kinich is a 5-star Dendro Claymore character in Genshin Impact who acts as a Main DPS dealing damage through his Elemental Skill "Riding High" which grants him a special state as well as a grappling hook allowing him to move around enemies more easily.

Last updated Today at 20:00 by Shikhu
A Rating
Dendro Element
Claymore Weapon
Rarity
John Patneaude EN Voice Actor
Sugiyama Noriaki JP Voice Actor
1.

Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +High damage output due to Scalespiker Cannons.
  • +Kinich has high mobility during combat due to the mechanics of his Elemental Skill.
  • +Elemental Skill makes combat with ranged enemies easier than most claymore characters due to the automatic targeting and grappling.
X Weaknesses
  • -Blind Spot mechanic causes unpredictability during gameplay which requires more understanding of enemy attack patterns than most other characters as well as creating variances that lead to not necessarily having a set rotation.
  • -Poor performance in AoE scenarios due to being heavily single-target focused.
2.

Kinich Main DPS Build

Kinich is a DPS who primarily acts as an on-field DPS however unlike other Dendro DPS, Kinich focuses on their personal damage more than reaction damage.

BiS Weapon Fang of the Mountain King
Alternative Weapons
  1. Beacon of the Reed Sea
  2. Serpent Spine
  3. Verdict
  4. Redhorn Stonethresher
  5. Earth Shaker
  6. Wolf's Gravestone
  7. Talking Stick
  8. Other 4-Star CRIT/ATK Claymores
Best Artifacts
  1. Obsidian Codex
  2. Deepwood Memories
  3. Unfinished Reverie
  4. Marechaussee Hunter
Main Stats
  • Sand Stats: ATK %
  • Goblet Stats: Dendro DMG
  • Circlet Stats: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG
Substat Priority
  1. CRIT Rate/DMG
  2. ATK %
  3. Energy Recharge
Talent Priority
  1. Elemental Skill
  2. Elemental Burst
  3. Normal Attack

Kinich has a very wide range of high-damage and useful weapons. Kinich's best weapon is Fang of the Mountain King which provides a significant damage increase over his next few options, Beacon of the Reed Sea, Serpent Spine and Verdict.

His best artifact set by far is Obsidian Codex which provides a 40% CRIT Rate increase. As with many other Dendro teams/characters, Deepwood Memories tends to be the next best option if no one else in the team is using it (but someone really should be). If someone else is using Deepwood, then this set should not be considered at all. Unfinished Reverie is your second best option for Burning teams while Marechaussee Hunter is instead a solid strongbox option if you are using Furina.

Kinich scales primarily on ATK %, Dendro DMG and CRIT. Energy Recharge is a nice stat to have for comfort however you do not burst every rotation on Kinich unless you have his C4 Hummingbird's Feather.

3.

Combos and How to Play Kinich

Kinich's gameplay revolves around his Elemental Skill Canopy Hunter: Riding High. Not only is it a great skill for mobility and exploration inside of Natlan, it also attaches to enemies and allows Kinich to enter Nightsoul's Blessing.

While under the effects of Nightsoul's Blessing, Kinich generates Nightsoul points every second while hooked onto a nearby enemy. When using Normal Attacks Kinich will fire Loop Shots on the enemy to deal Dendro DMG. This is the main way that Kinich deals damage.

When Nightsoul points are at max (20), you can use Canopy Hunter: Riding High to fire off a Scalespiker Cannon to deal massive damage. This makes it incredibly important to build Nightsoul fast.

3.1.

How Does Kinich Gain Nightsoul?

Kinich can gain Nightsoul Points through the following methods:

  • 2 Points a second for being hooked to an enemy.
  • 3 Points when using a Normal Attack while hooked.
  • 4 Points when entering an enemies Blind Spot.
  • 7 Points when opponents are hit by Burning or Burgeon DMG while in the Desolation state.

The Desolation state is gained when opponents are hit by his Elemental Skill while Kinich is already in the Nightsoul's Blessing state.

4.

Kinich Best Team Compositions

Kinich's best teams always revolve around Dendro, Pyro and Hydro characters. This is so that Burning and Burgeon reactions can occur. Some good examples of these are characters like Bennett who provides an ATK % buff alongside some Pyro application, Emilie who is always a great SubDPS for Burning, and Yelan who has amazing Hydro application.

4.1.

Kinich Burning Teams

Main DPS SubDPS Support Pyro
Kinich Emilie Bennett
Main DPS SubDPS Support Geo
Kinich Emilie Bennett

Burning is one of Kinich's best teams with a lot of flexibility although Bennett is definitely your best support option. Emilie is by no means required but does tend to be your best option due to how perfectly she works with the Burning reaction.

Emilie can be substituted in for Nahida as a Dendro option however Electro characters such as Fischl and Yae Miko can be great for Quickburn teams. Another great substitution however is Chiori who can be played as pair of a Double Geo pairing alongside Kachina. The downside is that Chiori will want to be carrying Deepwood Memories.

4.2.

Kinich Burgeon Team

Main DPS SubDPS SubDPS Support
Kinich Xingqiu Yelan Thoma

In Burgeon teams, Thoma is a must due to being such a perfect support for Burgeon reactions with his slower rate of Pyro application as well as shielding. This team wants as many Dendro Cores as possible so high Hydro application is required. This is your most ideal team for AoE situations with Kinich due to half of the teams damage coming from Burgeon while Kinich is primarily a single-target DPS.

4.3.

Kinich Burnvape Team

Main DPS SubDPS SubDPS Support
Kinich Furina Xiangling Bennett

This last team is a Burnvape team using Furina, she has great synergy with Kinich and in Burnvape teams is able to vape her hits while still keeping Pyro on the enemy due to Xianglings great Pyro application.

5.

Kinich's Ascensions, Talents, and Constellations

Kinich Ascensions Kinich Talents Kinich Constellations
5.1.

Kinich Ascension Passives and Materials

Ascension Passive Explanation
The Price of Desolation When Kinich is in Nightsoul's Blessing state, opponents hit by his Elemental Skill will enter the Desolation state, and when affected by Burning or Burgeon reaction DMG, they will restore 7 Nightsoul points to him. Nightsoul points can be gained this way once every 0.8s. The Desolation state will persist until this instance of Kinich's Nightsoul's Blessing state ends.
Flame Spirit Pact After a nearby party member triggers a Nightsoul Burst, Kinich will gain 1 stack of Hunter's Experience that lasts 15s. Max 2 stacks. When Kinich uses Canopy Hunter: Riding High's Scalespiker Cannon, all stacks of Hunter's Experience will be consumed, with each stack consumed increasing the DMG dealt by this Cannon shot by 320% of Kinich's ATK.
Night Realm's Gift: Repaid in Full

When Kinich is in the air following Canopy Hunter: Riding High's mid-air swing, he can consume 10 Phlogiston points to perform another mid-air swing.

While in an area with Phlogiston Mechanics within Natlan, he can use Nightsoul Transmission: Kinich. When the current active character is sprinting, in movement states that result from specific Talents, or in the air, when you switch to Kinich: Kinich will perform one of the following actions depending on the conditions met:

  • When facing a Coilgrass Sigil that can be interacted with: He will fire a grappling hook towards it to move;
  • When there are nearby opponents and you are in combat: Kinich will use Canopy Hunter: Riding High in the direction of the opponents;
  • Otherwise, Kinich will fire a grappling hook and swing, prioritizing valid Coilgrass Sigils as grapple targets.

Nightsoul Transmission can be triggered once every 10s by your own party.

When interacting with Coilgrass Sigils and other items that Yumkasaurs can interact with, "Canopy Hunter: Riding High" will be converted to "Yumkasaur Mimesis," which causes interactions with such items to follow rules applicable to Yumkasaurs, and which will not put Canopy Hunter: Riding High on CD.

Swift Envoy While in an area with Phlogiston Mechanics within Natlan, interacting with some harvestable items will increase your own party members' Movement SPD by 15% for 10s. Additionally, the location of nearby resources unique to Natlan will appear on your mini-map.

Kinich gains CRIT DMG as he levels giving him a total of 88.4% CRIT DMG at level 90.

The total cost to upgrade all ascensions is:

Source Quantity
Mora 420,000 Mora
Boss Material 46x Water That Failed To Transcend
Ascension Material
Local Specialty 168x Saurian Claw Succulent
Enhancement Material
  • 18x Juvenile Fang
  • 30x Seasoned Fang
  • 36x Tyrant's Fang
5.2.

Kinich's Talents

Type Talent Name Brief Explanation
Normal Normal Attack: Nightsun Style

Normal Attack

Performs up to 3 rapid strikes. After using his Elemental Skill Canopy Hunter: Riding High's mid-air swing, he can perform a Normal Attack in mid-air before landing.

Charged Attack

Consumes a certain amount to spin and throw his Claymore forward to attack opponents.

Plunging Attack

Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.

Elemental Skill Canopy Hunter: Riding High

Kinich uses his big-game hunting skills to either move swiftly or attack his opponent.

When there is an opponent or object that can be attacked nearby, he will attach a grappling hook to the target and enter Nightsoul's Blessing with 0 Nightsoul points. If neither is nearby, he fires a grappling hook forward and swings in mid-air, and this Skill's CD is decreased by 60%.

This skill can be Held to release. When it is Held, Kinich can aim the grappling hook.

Nightsoul's Blessing: Kinich

Kinich's Nightsoul's Blessing lasts 10s and generates 2 Nightsoul points every second.

In this state, Kinich will hook onto a nearby opponent and perform a variable attack:

  • When using a Normal Attack, Kinich will fire Loop Shots as he loops around the grappled target based on his current movement direction, dealing Nightsoul-aligned Dendro DMG and generating 3 Nightsoul points. Loop Shot DMG is considered Elemental Skill DMG.
  • When Nightsoul points are at max, he can use the Elemental Skill "Scalespiker Cannon": Consume all Nightsoul points to deal Nightsoul-aligned Dendro DMG. When "Scalespiker Cannon" is Held, Kinich can aim this shot. After firing the Cannon, Kinich will try to grapple to its target.

While in Nightsoul's Blessing, after grappling an opponent or firing "Scalespiker Cannon," a Blind Spot will be generated next to the opponent. When Kinich enters this Blind Spot, it will disappear and he will generate 4 Nightsoul points.

If the grapple connection should snap due to exceeding the maximum distance or some other reason, using a Normal Attack will establish a new connection with a nearby opponent before performing Loop Shots.

Elemental Burst Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord

Unleashes the power of the Almighty Dragonlord, K'uhul Ajaw (on a limited, conditional, restricted, contractual, partial, temporary basis), dealing Nightsoul-aligned AoE Dendro DMG.

Ajaw will unleash his Dragon Breath at intervals, dealing Nightsoul-aligned AoE Dendro DMG.

If Kinich is in Nightsoul's Blessing when this is used, this Blessing's duration is extended by 1.7s.

To upgrade a single talent to level 10, it costs:

Source Quantity
Mora 1,625,500 Mora
Special Material 1x Crown of Insight
Boss Material 6x Denial and Judgment
Domain Material
  • 3x Teachings of Kindling
  • 21x Guide to Kindling
  • 38x Philosophies of Kindling
Enhancement Material
  • 6x Juvenile Fang
  • 22x Seasoned Fang
  • 31x Tyrant's Fang
5.3.

Kinich's Constellations

Kinich's best constellations is Tiger Beetle's Palm (C2) which lowers the enemies Dendro RES by 30%. This is generally considered the best stopping point for lower spenders with C3 and C5 providing not a lot of value. Auspicious Beast's Shape (C6) is however a good constellation if you can pull that far.

Pulling specifically for Parrot's Beak is not recommended due to Fang of the Mountain King being a higher DMG increase.

# Name Explanation
C1 Parrot's Beak

After Kinich lands from Canopy Hunter: Riding High's mid-air swing, his Movement SPD will increase by 30% for 6s.

Additionally, Scalespiker Cannon's CRIT DMG is increased by 100%.

C2 Tiger Beetle's Palm

When Kinich's Elemental Skill hits opponents, it will decrease their Dendro RES by 30% for 6s.

Additionally, the first Scalespiker Cannon Kinich fires after entering Nightsoul's Blessing has increased AoE, and its DMG increases by 100%.

C3 Protosuchian's Claw Increases the Level of Canopy Hunter: Riding High by 3.
C4 Hummingbird's Feather

When in Nightsoul's Blessing, Kinich will restore 5 Energy after using his Loop Shots or after unleashing the Scalespiker Cannon. Energy can be regenerated this way once every 2.8s.

Additionally, Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord deals 70% more DMG.

C5 Howler Monkey's Tail Increases the Level of Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord by 3.
C6 Auspicious Beast's Shape

After Scalespiker Cannon hits an opponent, it will bounce between opponents once, dealing 700% of Kinich's ATK as Dendro DMG.

If this Scalespiker Cannon triggers the buffs that Passive Talent "Flame Spirit Pact" or the Constellation "Tiger Beetle's Palm" grant to the Cannon, the bouncing attack will also obtain the relevant buffs.

5.4.

Changelog

  • 06 Sep. 2024: Full Guide released.
  • 27 Jul. 2024: Initial page added.
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