After the warmly received release of Mualani, Genshin Impact continues to delight its players with another fantastic character from Natlan, the Scions of the Canopy tribe’s Kinich. This Saurian hunter, who accompanies the “Dragonlord” Ajaw, brings a fresh twist to the game’s combat mechanics with an Elemental Skill that lets him tether onto enemies and deal massive damage. Today, we’ll cover everything about this cold and pragmatic hunter and teach you about his kit, ideal weapons, and artifacts. Read on!
Kinich’s Playstyle and Talents
Kinich’s unique gameplay revolves around his Elemental Skill, Canopy Hunter: Riding High, and the Nightsoul’s Blessing mechanic. These features combine to create a dynamic and engaging playstyle that lets Travelers play a “game within a game” to unlock enormous damage modifiers.
Nightsun Style (Normal Attack)
Kinich performs up to 3 rapid strikes with his claymore. Holding the attack button enables him to perform a Charged Attack, which causes him to spin and throw his claymore to inflict damage.
Canopy Hunter: Riding High (Elemental Skill)
Kinich uses this ability to either swing upwards or attack an opponent. When an enemy is present, he will tether onto it with a grappling hook and enter Nightsoul’s Blessing state with zero Nightsoul Points. Performing a Normal Attack while tethered to an enemy allows Kinich to fire Loop Shots and generate 3 Nightsoul Points.
When his Nightsoul Points are at max, he can use a modified Elemental Skill, Scalespiker Cannon, to fire a massive burst of Dendro DMG to an opponent. During the Nightsoul’s Blessing state, “Blind Spots” will appear next to a tethered opponent. Entering these blind spots will generate 4 Nightsoul Points, adding a fun mini-game to his combat mechanics.
Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord (Elemental Burst)
Kinich unleashes the power of the Dragonlord Ajaw to deal with AoE Dendro DMG. Afterwards, Ajaw will unleash his Dragon Breath at intervals.
The Price of Desolation (1st Ascension Passive)
While in Nightsoul’s Blessing state, opponents affected by Burning or Burgeon hit by Kinich’s Elemental Skill will enter the Desolation state, generating another 7 Nightsoul Points for Kinich.
Flame Spirit Pact (4th Ascension Passive)
Kinich gains one stack of Hunter’s Experience every time a nearby party member triggers a Nightsoul Burst. This buff can be stacked up to 2 times, with each stack boosting his Scalespiker Cannon’s damage by 320% of his ATK.
Repaid in Full (Night Realm’s Gift Passive)
While mid-air, after using his Elemental Skill, Kinich can perform another mid-air swing, pushing him forward and covering more range. This also allows Travellers to immediately tether onto Natlan’s Coilgrass Sigils when character-switching to Kinich.
Talent Priority
Although Kinich can deal damage with Normal Attacks during Nightsoul’s Blessing state, its damage relies purely on his Elemental Skill multipliers, so it’s ideal to max this tethering ability first. His Elemental Burst also provides a decent amount of AoE damage, making for an excellent secondary option for groups of enemies.
Best Weapons
Kinich’s signature weapon, Fang of the Mountain King, stands out as his best-in-slot option. This claymore boasts an impressive base attack of 741 and provides an 11% Crit Rate boost. Its unique effect, Canopy’s Favor, synergizes perfectly with Kinich’s playstyle. He gains one stack of Canopy’s Favor when his Elemental Skill hits an opponent. Additionally, when any party member triggers a Burning or Burgeon reaction, Kinich receives three stacks. Each stack increases Elemental Skill and Burst damage by 10%, up to a maximum of six stacks, potentially granting a whopping 60% damage bonus.
The new craftable claymore, Earth Shaker, is the best option for F2P Travellers with its 565 base attack and 27.6% ATK bonus. Its Oath of Qhapaq Nan passive also provides a 16% Elemental Skill DMG bonus when a party member triggers a Pyro-related reaction.
Best Artifacts
Kinich only needs to focus on ATK, Dendro DMG Bonus, and Crit when building artifact sets. Unlike most Dendro units, Kinich has little use of Elemental Mastery, as most of his damage output relies on his Scalespiker Cannon’s damage and Hunter’s Experience stacks.
Obsidian Codex set
- 2-piece bonus: Increases damage by 15% while in Nightsoul’s Blessing state.
- 4-piece bonus: Increases Crit Rate by 40% for 6 seconds after consuming 1 Nightsoul Point.
Unfinished Reverie
- 2-piece bonus: Increases ATK by 15%.
- 4-piece bonus: After leaving combat for 3 seconds, overall damage output increases by 50%. When an opponent affected by Burning is nearby, that damage bonus will increase by 10% per second until it reaches 50%.
Best Team Comps
Burning Team
- Kinich (Main DPS)
- Collei (Sub-DPS
- Xiangling (Sub-DPS, Pyro application)
- Bennett (Buffer/Healer)
Burning teams are where Kinich truly sets the battlefield ablaze. This composition focuses on consistently applying Pyro to enemies, allowing Kinich to trigger the Burning reaction to build his Nightsoul stacks quickly. Kinich takes center stage in this team as the Main DPS, while Collei provides additional damage and energy regeneration. Xiangling provides consistent off-field Pyro damage, ensuring enemies are always primed for Burning reactions. Bennett rounds out the team with his unparalleled ATK buff and healing.
Burgeon Team
- Kinich (Main DPS)
- Furina (Buffer, Hydro application)
- Xiangling (Sub-DPS, Pyro application)
- Bennett (Buffer/Healer)
While Burning teams are Kinich’s bread and butter, Burgeon comps offer an explosive alternative. This team introduces Hydro into the mix, creating Dendro cores that Pyro can detonate for massive AoE damage. In the Burgeon team, Furina’s Hydro application combos with Kinich’s Dendro attacks to create Dendro cores. Xiangling’s Pyronado then triggers Burgeon reactions, causing explosions across the battlefield. Bennett, once again, provides the team with much-needed ATK buffs and healing.
Kinich’s highly mobile and exhilarating playstyle is a refreshing treat for Travellers. His being a Dendro Main DPS with a Nightsoul state also hints that he’ll get even stronger as HoYoverse releases more Natlan characters. Considering his current kit, what interactions with Natlan units do you want to see in the future?
Let us know in the comments, and remember to add him to your Genshin Impact roster by topping up your Genesis Crystals only at Codashop. We offer an easy and hassle-free experience so you can return to your adventures immediately!
