Illuga Guide and Best Builds

Illuga Guide & Best Builds

Welcome to our Illuga build guide for Genshin Impact. Illuga is a 4-Star Geo Character who supports Nod-Krai teams and deals damage with the Lunar-Crystallize reaction. In our guide, we'll cover everything you need to know to get the most out of your Illuga, from building the best Artifacts and Weapons to important stat priorities and rotations.

Best Weapons for Illuga

Listed below are Illuga's best weapons. While weapons are listed in a priority order, what's best to build on your Illuga can vary slightly depending on the team composition and level of investment you want to put into Illuga.

This ranking was done in a team with Zibai, Illuga, Columbina, and a general Geo character.

Dragon's Bane 100% - Baseline Option

Bane of Flame and Water

Base ATK: 454

Elemental Mastery: 221

Increases DMG against opponents affected by Hydro or Pyro by 20% / 24% / 28% / 32% / 36%.

Favonius Lance 99.80%

Windfall

Base ATK: 565

Energy Recharge: 30.6%

CRIT Hits have a 60% / 70% / 80% / 90% / 100% chance to generate a small amount of Elemental Particles, which will regenerate 6 Energy for the character. Can only occur once every 12s / 10.5s / 9s / 7.5s / 6s.

Kitain Cross Spear 99.10% (R5)

Samurai Conduct

Base ATK: 565

Elemental Mastery: 110

Increases Elemental Skill DMG by 6% / 7.5% / 9% / 10.5% / 12%. After Elemental Skill hits an opponent, the character loses 3 Energy but regenerates 3 / 3.5 / 4 / 4.5 / 5 Energy every 2s for the next 6s. This effect can occur once every 10s. Can be triggered even when the character is not on the field.

Generally, Illuga can use any of these weapons, especially Dragon's Bane or Favonius Lance. Both options are nearly identical in performance, with the better option depending on your specific team or use-case.

Dragon's Bane provides the most EM, and therefore buffs Zibai's damage the most. Favonius Lance provides bonus energy to the whole team, which both Illuga and other characters that require ER investment, such as Columbina, can benefit from. Bonus energy from Favonius can be particularly useful in game modes such as Stygian Onslaught where energy is in high demand. However, it also requires additional CRIT Rate investment. The extra energy comfort from Favonius Lance can potentially make it a better or easier option overall.

Best Artifacts for Illuga

Two 2-Piece EM Sets

Silken Moon's Serenade

2-Piece Set: Energy Recharge +20%.

4-Piece Set: When dealing Elemental DMG, gain the Gleaming Moon: Devotion effect for 8s: Increases all party members' Elemental Mastery by 60/120 when the party's Moonsign is Nascent Gleam/Ascendant Gleam. The equipping character can trigger this effect while off-field. All party members' Lunar Reaction DMG is increased by 10% for each different Gleaming Moon effect that party members have. Effects from Gleaming Moon cannot stack.

Silken Moon's Serenade (C2+)

Silken Moon's Serenade

2-Piece Set: Energy Recharge +20%.

4-Piece Set: When dealing Elemental DMG, gain the Gleaming Moon: Devotion effect for 8s: Increases all party members' Elemental Mastery by 60/120 when the party's Moonsign is Nascent Gleam/Ascendant Gleam. The equipping character can trigger this effect while off-field. All party members' Lunar Reaction DMG is increased by 10% for each different Gleaming Moon effect that party members have. Effects from Gleaming Moon cannot stack.

Illuga's Stat Priority

: Elemental Mastery

: Elemental Mastery > Energy Recharge

: Elemental Mastery

Substats: Energy Recharge (Until Requirement) > Elemental Mastery > CRIT Rate (with Favonius)

Illuga should be built almost entirely with Elemental Mastery, as he needs enough Energy Recharge to burst every rotation. In most teams with Zibai and another Geo character, Illuga will need around 160% to 180% Energy Recharge to reliably burst every rotation. With Illuga's first constellation Vigilant Sentinel, his Energy Recharge requirements can drop by ~20%. CRIT Rate investment is not necessary unless you are using Favonius Lance.

Aside from Energy Recharge, Illuga wants as much Elemental Mastery as possible to maximize his buffs.

Recommended Stats for Illuga

Illuga's Talent Priority

Illuga's most important talent by far is his Elemental Burst, as that is where Lunar-Crystallize and Geo bonus damage comes from. His Skill is not necessary to level, as it only deals damage. Normal Attacks will typically never be used on Illuga and are also not necessary to level.

How to Play Illuga

Illuga is a character who buffs Geo Damage and Direct Lunar-Crystallize damage, often being paired with characters who can deal Lunar-Crystallize damage or enable the reaction such as Zibai and Columbina. Illuga is a Nod-Krai character, and therefore increases the team's Moonsign level, but he cannot enable the Lunar-Crystallize reaction himself.

Illuga's rotation is very simple: just before switching into your main DPS, press Dawnbearing Songbird to deal damage and generate energy particles, then press Shadowless Reflection to buff Geo and Direct Lunar-Crystallize damage. At C0, the buffs Illuga grants are as follows:

• Additive Bonus Damage to the active character's Geo and Direct Lunar-Crystallize damage, scaling on his Elemental Mastery.
• 5% CRIT Rate and 10% CRIT Damage to active characters dealing Geo damage. (4th Ascension Passive)

Illuga's Elemental Burst Shadowless Reflection is his main source of buffs. Using his burst grants 21 stacks of Nightingale's Song. When the active character deals Geo damage (which also includes Direct Lunar-Crystallize damage), 1 stack will be consumed to grant bonus damage scaling on Illuga's Elemental Mastery stat.

It is worth noting that this is not the same as the damage bonus stat; the buff Illuga's burst provides is additive bonus damage, which directly adds to the character's base damage. The bonus damage granted is greater if the attack dealt is direct Lunar-Crystallize damage, which is currently only available with Zibai and Columbina. The buff does not apply to regular Lunar-Crystallize reaction damage.

Nightingale's Song stacks will be consumed as you deal damage; once the stacks reach 0, the bonus damage will no longer be granted. However, an extra 15 can be granted by having 3 Geo constructs present. Characters like Zibai can create Geo constructs, and the Lunar-Crystallize reaction itself generates Geo constructs. This allows you to gain the extra 15 stacks, as long as the team triggers the Lunar-Crystallize reaction.

Illuga's Ascension Passive Torchforger's Covenant can also increase the bonus damage granted by his burst. When the party contains 1/2/3 Geo or Hydro characters, the Elemental Mastery scaling will increase accordingly. Illuga usually plays with a Geo DPS, and with a Lunar-Crystallize team, you also want a Hydro character. This brings the total to 3 characters, making this an easy passive to activate.

Illuga's Ascension Passive Demonhunter's Dusk also provides buffs to your Geo DPS. After using Illuga's Skill or Burst, Geo attacks from party members will have increased CRIT Rate and CRIT Damage. If the party's Moonsign level is at the Ascendant Gleam (which should always be the case with Lunar-Crystallize teams), party members gain an additional 50 Elemental Mastery. Both effects of this passive can be increased by Illuga's C6 Nightmare Orioles.

Illuga's Best Constellations

This ranking was done in a team with Zibai, Illuga, Columbina, and a general Geo character. Illuga's personal damage increases with his constellation level, but the largest impact remains on the team DPS, as most of his constellations serve to increase the team's damage.

Illuga's constellations are decent and increase team damage significantly at C6. C1 provides extra energy, lowering Illuga's Energy Recharge requirement by around ~20%. C2 enables him to use the Silken Moon's Serenade artifact set, which is a further team damage increase on its own. C3 increases Elemental Burst level, further increasing his Lunar-Crystallize and Geo bonus damage.

C4 increases party members' DEF, which can be useful for defense-scaling characters, such as Zibai. C6 enhances Illuga's Ascension Passive Torchforger's Covenant, increasing the amount of CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and Elemental Mastery received.

Illuga's Best Team Compositions

To learn all about Illuga's synergies and best team compositions, check our dedicated Illuga team page below:

Changelog