In Genshin Impact, a “meta unit” refers to a character or a team composition that is considered to be particularly powerful, effective, or dominant in the game’s current metagame. The term “meta” is short for the metagame, which refers to the strategies, tactics, and character choices that are prevalent and most successful within the game’s community at a given time.

Meta units are typically those characters or team compositions that possess exceptional abilities, synergies, or stat distributions that allow players to excel in various aspects of the game, such as combat, exploration, or resource farming. These units are often sought after by players aiming to optimize their gameplay and progress efficiently.

The metagame in Genshin Impact can shift over time due to balance updates, the introduction of new characters or content, and the evolving strategies developed by the player community. As a result, what is considered a meta unit can change periodically, with some characters or team compositions rising to prominence while others become less favoured.

Dendro Meta Tier List in Genshin Impact 3.6

It’s been a while since Version 3.1 when we last made a Dendro meta tier list. There have been a few changes and a couple of new additions. Since players have had time to play with Dendro for a while now- it’s now undisputedly one of the best if not the best element in the game purely due to how powerful and versatile its teams are even with low F2P levels of investment or units. Dendro single-handedly raises multiple B to C-tier characters to A-Tier or even S-tier.  

In the tier list below, we have tried our best to summarise each character in one sentence in terms of their gameplay or role in the game.

S Tier

The current S-Tier is saturated with Dendro units and for good reason. But that still isn’t enough to knock out old favourites like Hu Tao, Ganyu or Ayaka even though they seldom have a role to play in Dendro comps.

• Nahida– Universal Dendro support and sub-DPS.
• Alhaitham– Best Dendro DPS in the game on par with Hu Tao and Ayaka.
• Kokomi– Most preferred unit in Bloom-based teams. Best Healer in the game.
• Yae Miko– Best Electro sub-DPS and most preferred unit for Quicken and Aggravate comps.
• Zhongli– Best shielder in the game with universal RES shred.
• Kaedehara Kazuha– Best reaction support unit in the game outside of Dendro comps.
• Sucrose– Can be considered a 4-star alternative to Kazuha.
• Fischl– Best Electro battery and a highly preferred unit for Quicken and Aggravate comps.
• Raiden Shogun– Best energy support in the game and a broken Hyperbloom support.
• Nilou– Despite her uncompromising kit, she breaks the game with her Bountiful Blooms.
• Bennett– Best buffer in the game coupled with powerful heals. 
• Xingqiu– Second-best Hydro sub-DPS coupled with interruption resistance and minimal healing.
• Xiangling– Best Pyro sub-DPS and reaction support in the game.
• Venti– Best unit when it comes to crowd control.
• Ganyu– Arguably the best Cryo DPS who also doubles as a Cryo sub-DPS. 
• Ayaka– Best Cryo DPS for Freeze teams.
• Yelan– Best Hydro sub-DPS in the game since she’s a 5-star based on Xingqiu.
• Kuki Shinobu– An Electro healer who’s the best support in Hyperbloom teams.
• Baizhu– A 5-star Dendro healer with interruption resistance and minor team buffs.
• Yaoyao– A 4-star Dendro healer with high AoE Dendro application and minor buffs.
• Dendro Traveler– Second-best off-field Dendro application after Nahida.   

A Tier

In A tier we have a few new faces but apart from them, this tier has largely remained the same with only a few changes.

• Xiao– Best Anemo DPS in close-combat and AoE scenarios.
• Wanderer– Best single-target ranged Anemo DPS.
• Eula– Best Physical DPS even though the Physical playstyle is long outdated in the Abyss.
• Itto– Best Geo DPS and he shines in mono-Geo teams.
• Cyno– A powerful Electro DPS in Dendro comps with long field-time. 
• Keqing– A powerful Electro DPS in Aggravate comps that can be used as a quick-swap DPS.
• Tighnari– A powerful quick-swap Spread DPS. 
• Diona– Reliable 4-star shielder and healer. 
• Layla– Reliable 4-star shielder and Cryo applier.
• Childe– Best Hydro hypercarry in the game with a high damage ceiling.
• Ayato– Comparable to Childe as a Hydro main DPS but he’s flexible and easy to use.
• Barbara– She became relevant after Bloom was introduced and is a reliable 4-star Hydro healer.
• Mona– The best Hydro reaction support- comparable to Xingqiu’s value.
• Jean– One of the most versatile units with DPS, support and healer value.
• Yoimiya– Second-best single-target Pyro DPS after Hu Tao.
• Beidou– A versatile Electro unit with DPS, interruption resistance and reliable electro application.
• Kaveh– A powerful 4-star Bloom DPS.
• Yanfei– Best 4-star Pyro ranged DPS.
• Qiqi– Most powerful healer in the game comparable to Kokomi but with less reaction value.

B Tier

In B Tier, we mainly have decent but outdated units or units that don’t shine in one specific role.  

• Diluc– A relic of the old but still a powerful 5-star Standard banner Pyro DPS.
• Klee– A powerful Pyro DPS with a very clunky kit.
• Albedo– A reliable Geo support who also gives bonus EM to the team.
• Shikanoin Heizou– The best 4-star melee Anemo DPS.
• Lisa– She’s here only after Dendro made her viable.
• Faruzan– A powerful Anemo DPS support but not worth the investment.
• Thoma– Best unit for Burgeon comps.
• Collei– Reliable Dendro sub-DPS and support.
• Sayu– Anemo healer with reaction support and fun and convenient mobility value. 
• Sara– A powerful Electro DPS support but not worth the investment.
• Razor– Best 4-star Physical DPS.
• Kaeya– Versatile Cryo unit with DPS, Cryo sub-DPS and Freeze value.
• Shenhe– Best DPS-support for Cryo DPS units like Ayaka and Ganyu.
• Yunjin– A powerful support for all Normal Attack DPS units.
• Rosaria– Best 4-star Cryo support who can also be used as a DPS.
• Ningguang– Best 4-star ranged Geo DPS.

C Tier

C Tier comprises of bad or outdated units with incomplete or faulty kits or those whose purpose is still unclear.

• Dehya– Introduced as a tank and DPS but she’s an incomplete problematic unit.
• Gorou– Best support for mono-Geo teams but Geo has always been the bottom of the meta.
• Candace– A confusing unit whose purpose is still unclear.
• Noelle– A reliable shielder, healer and DPS for early and mid-game players.
• Chongyun– A reliable early-game Cryo unit that falls off quickly.
• Dori– A subpar Electro battery and healer.
• Electro Traveler– A reliable Electro battery for players with no other option.
• Geo Traveler– Decent support and DPS unit for early and mid-game players.

D Tier

In D Tier we have units that will likely always be bottom of the meta and some of them have been here since the beginning of the game. These units have abysmally low-scaling and clunky kits.

• Anemo Traveler– Poor damage and clunky kit and grouping abilities.
• Mika– Dedicated Physical DMG buffer but Physical playstyle is outdated.
• Aloy– A clunky Cryo burst DPS.
• Amber– A Pyro support and sub-DPS with abysmally poor damage scaling.
• Xinyan– A unit pulled in two directions and thus fails in both.

Being meta in Genshin Impact means following the popular trends and opinions of the community about which characters, weapons, artifacts, and teams are the best for different situations. Being meta can help you clear the game’s content more easily, but it also means you might miss out on experimenting with your own preferences and playstyle. 

It’s important to note that while meta units can offer advantages and make gameplay easier, Genshin Impact is designed to be accessible and enjoyable for players using a wide range of characters. Ultimately, being meta is a choice you should ultimately play who you want to because Genshin isn’t too difficult of a game if you’re just a casual player. Every character has unique abilities and playstyles, and it’s ultimately up to the individual player to decide which characters they prefer and how they want to experience the game.