Cyno is one of the upcoming 5-stars in Genshin Impact Version 3.1 and he’s already being marketed as a main DPS. Genshin players have always had high expectations from limited-banner main DPS units ever since meta-breaking characters like Ganyu, Hu Tao and Ayaka came out.
Cyno’s Kit from the Beta Program of Version 3.1 has already been leaked along with his initial impressions. Genshin Impact has also officially confirmed some of these leaks which has paved way for hardcore players to theorize how these characters will actually play out. This article will explore some of those claims on why Cyno might not be as cool or meta-breaking as he looks.
The Problem With Cyno in Genshin Impact 3.1
Cyno is being marketed as a pure Electro DPS with a gameplay similar to Razor who’s a 4-star Physical DPS. Theorycrafters have also observed that his gameplay style is very similar to characters like Itto and Xiao because Cyno demands a ton of field-time to shine.
Having Cyno in your team would mean he won’t synergise well with a majority of your other support and sub-dps options. As an electro unit from Sumeru who scales off of EM, he’s expected to shine in Quicken or Aggravate teams but that would mean steady off-field Dendro teammates. Currently, the Traveler is our only option for a steady off-field Dendro application for now.
As an on-field hypercarry unit who demands a lot of field-time, it means Cyno would also need a ton of survivability and ER. Our only options for Electro healers are Kuki and Dori- both of which would mean a considerable DPS loss. Dendro healers don’t exist yet either. As for ER and damage-support requirements, Fischl’s Oz or Beidou’s Q doesn’t last as long as Cyno’s field-time needs. Anemo units don’t synergise with Cyno either because they usually take considerable time casting their skills and bursts.
The only viable option to secure Cyno’s survivability and still ensure a boost to his DPS, is to use Zhongli. Zhongli’s shield fortifies itself everytime it takes damage and thus lasts a little longer the higher HP he has. He can not only give elemental shred to nearby enemies thus boosting Cyno’s damage but also keep him protected throughout his rotation. The resistance to interruption also ensures a smooth gameplay. In conclusion, players who don’t have Zhongli can’t comfortably use Cyno.
This is problematic as it forces players to use specific characters to get the best out of Cyno. For now the only thing that can redeem him from his selfish playstyle is his damage scaling which might make it all worth it. We wish all players good luck on their Cyno pulls regardless of whether he makes it into the meta because enjoyment always trumps meta and we stand by that.