Is Yae Miko worth pulling in Genshin Impact Update 2.5?

Yae Miko has made her debut in Genshin Impact’s Update 2.5. We’ll break down whether the 5-star Electro hero is worth Wishing for or not.

After her story debut in 2021, the hype around Yae Miko’s addition as a playable character was off the charts. Players could not get enough of the Grand Narukami shrine maiden.

The wait is over as the Electro Catalyst user has made her debut in the Everbloom Violet banner in Genshin Impact update 2.5. But is she worth pulling for? Well, it’s complicated.

Yae Miko is not what some players expected

Without sugarcoating it, some Genshin Impact players are disappointed in Yae Miko’s damage output. While the Inazuma hero was never promised to be a Main DPS kit, her popularity in the story created raised expectations.

• Read More: Best Yae Miko Genshin Impact build

At her core, the shrine maiden is actually an incredible Sub-DPS character who provides a consistent output of DMG off-field. And with the right Artifacts, her Elemental Burst really cracks.

Miko’s biggest hurdle as a character is the several barriers that HoYoverse has required users to get over before she really shines. Below we list the character’s biggest flaws.

Yae Miko negatives

Energy hungry

At 90 Energy, Yae Miko is one of the more costly characters to run in the game. Players who don’t have a battery unit such as Fischl or Raiden Shogun will have to center their artifacts around Energy Recharge to make up that massive deficiency.

Her Elemental Skill turrets also generate little Energy particles, making her solely dependent on other characters or Artifact sets to offset her Energy needs.

Weak Defense

Another major hurdle is her stats. Simply put, the maiden is weak. At a measly 569 Defense at level 90, the 5-star character gets melted with just a few hits from enemies. This becomes a major problem specifically because of her Yakan Evocation: Sesshou Sakura Elemental Skill.

The main way that Yae Miko attacks is to dash three times and to leave behind Sakura Fox Turrets. Unfortunately, the character does not have any iFrames (Invincibility Frames). This means each time you use her Elemental Skill, you are locked into a slow animation that leaves you completely defenseless.

Although this can be remedied by having a shield teammate such as Thoma, Diona, or Zhongli, it’s just another obstacle that players will have to deal with.

Constellation-heavy

Unlike most characters, Yae Miko greatly improves by having her constellations. While it’s true the constellation system is supposed to buff your characters, they don’t usually feel necessary the way they do with the Inazuma hero.

Take her C1 Yakan Offering for instance, it essentially cuts her Energy cost down from 90 to 65. Her C2 Fox’s Mooncall extends the range of her Sesshou Sakura up to 60% – those aren’t just buffs, but massive changes that fix a handful of her biggest flaws.

Yae Miko positives

Consistent Damage

Due to Yae Miko’s unique Sakura playstyle, users can essentially dish out a constant flow of DMG throughout each battle. Players who continue to invest in her can build up an impressive amount of free damage without having to do anything.

The hero can also pack a real punch with her Elemental Burst. Those who manage to overcome her Energy costs can utilize her nuke attacks quite effectively to hit boss enemies hard.

Incredible Sub-DPS

All negatives aside, she is an amazing Sub-DPS. Placing her turrets and rotating her out with the right teammates (such as a Hydro or Pyro type) can create powerful Elemental reactions.

Because her Turrets scale off Elemental Mastery, players can craft some incredible combinations that take advantage of her skills.

Wide-range AoE

While the 5-star character has a slow Elemental Skill animation, the flexibility of the turrets allows you to focus on a single enemy or spread them apart to hit larger groups.

Because the Sakuras are chained together, this results in having one of the largest-ranged AoE attacks in the game. Players can also spam her Elemental Skill which gives the ability to adjust the AoE on the fly without having any sort of cooldown or wait period.

Is Yae Miko worth pulling in Genshin Impact?

As of now, most players can probably wait on Yae Miko. She could get buffed down the line or get her own Artifact Set which helps iron out some of her flaws. As of now, she has too many hurdles that stop her from being a must-have character.

• Read More: Genshin Impact update 2.6 leaks

Those who absolutely need a Sub-DPS slot filled and are able to overcome her Energy needs won’t regret Miko. In fact, she can be one of the most powerful characters in the game if built right and paired with the right team.

The simple fact is, Yae Miko isn’t that much better than Fischl at C6 – a character that many players (especially free-to-play accounts) can get with less barrier to entry. Of course, if you just love the Inazuma hero then wish away.