Varka Character Guide: Best Weapons, Artifacts, Teams in Genshin Impact

Last Updated on February 24, 2026 by SoraHoshina

Varka is the new 5-star Anemo DPS character in Genshin Impact Luna V, focusing on dual elemental reaction (Double Anemo and Double Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo). With the many Lunar DPS in the previous versions, Varka’s kit stand out like a sore thumb as his kits are not related to Lunar-reaction. In fact, we’re going back to Swirl reaction but with constrict team of 2 Anemo and 2 PHEC teammates. Let’s see how he works and what’s the best build for Varka in Genshin Impact.

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Varka Kit & Overview

For this guide, I will use PHEC as a short-form for Pyro Hydro Electro Cryo!

Elemental Skill & Sturm und Drang Mode

There are Tap and Hold version of the Skill, but the Hold version is just for exploration and not worth using in a battle so we’re skipping that. The Tap version is what Varka’s passive is playing around with and the majority of his damage comes from.

By using Tap Elemental Skill, Varka will deal AoE Anemo DMG and enter the Sturm und Drang mode. Remember that if you switched out to another character and back to Varka while he’s in this state, he will lose the Sturm und Drang mode and you need to wait for his Elemental Skill CD to reset before using it again.

In the Sturm Und Drang Mode, Varka will gain Interruption Resistance and all of his attacks will be converted to Anemo and P/H/E/C damage (depending on the team composition), and the non-Anemo DMG is where his main damage output comes from.

Special Elemental Skill & Special Charged ATK

When Varka uses Tap Skill to enter the Sturm und Drang mode, his Skill will be converted to the special Elemental Skill, Four Winds’ Ascension, and he can uses it up to 2 times per rotation. These special Skills have an 11-second cooldown, and you can reduce the cooldown by using his Basic ATK.
Note: Bringing another Hexerei character will activate Varka’s Hexerei buff and further make the CD to reduce even faster!

Aside from the special Elemental Skill, Varka also has a special Charged ATK Azure Devour that can be used in the Sturm und Drang mode.

The difference between the special Elemental Skill and Charged ATK are the damage mulitplier and the attack range.
➡️ Special Elemental Skill deals AoE damage with multiplier a bit lower than the special Charged ATK
➡️ Special Charged ATK deals single-target damage with much higher multiplier compared to Special Skill

Talent #1 | Dawn Wind’s March

This talent is important as it will affect Varka’s personal damage.
The first one is: If there is a PHEC in the team, Varka will gain 10% Anemo DMG Bonus + 10% of corresponding PHEC element that you bring for every 1000 ATK. Reminder that only one of the PHEC element will get the DMG bonus, and the maximum amount of this damage bonus is 25%. This is why we will be aiming for 2500 ATK for Varka to get the 25% DMG Bonus.

TLDR: Bring a PHEC character, and Varka will get 10% Anemo & P/H/E/C DMG Bonus for every 1000 ATK (Max 25% DMG Bonus).

The second one is: If there are 2 Anemo characters + 2 P/H/E/C characters in the team, some of Varka’s kit (especially his special Charged ATK and special Elemental Skill) will deal 220% of their original DMG. This is what we’re aiming for when building Varka’s team.

TLDR: Bring 2 Anemo characters + 2 P/H/E/C characters in the team, and Varka’s damage will be doubled.

Varka’s Combo & Showcases

There are many, MANY, combo that Varka can utilizes, and it may changes depending on the enemies you’re facing. If you’re new to Genshin and don’t want to do the ‘complicated’ combot yet, you can do the easy one below:

Against multiple targets: E + N4 + Special E + N4 + Special E + Q
Against single target: E + N4 + Charged Attack + N4 + Charged Attack + Q

But if you already mastered the way of Genshin, here are two of the ‘top’ combo for Varka. A reminder that his best combo can constantly changes as more and more people will experiment more with Varka’s rotation (Remember how Mavuika gain new combo every few month? Yeah just like that).

Easy Combo: E N5sCA N4sCA N2
Dash Combo: E N3d N2d N3d N1C N2C N2

Word glossary:

N: Normal ATK
CA: Charged ATK
sC: Special Charged ATK
E: Elemental Skill
sE: Special Elemental Skill
Q: Elemental Burst
d: Dash or Evade

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Varka Best Weapon (Claymore)

Weapons	Names	Passive Skill
	Gest of the Mighty Wolf (CRIT Rate | 33.1%)	Increase ATK SPD by 10%. Every time the equipping character’s Normal Attack(s) hit opponent(s)/casts their Elemental Skill/performs Charged Attack(s), gain 1/2/2 stacks of Four Winds’ Hymn respectively: DMG dealt is increased by 7.5~15.5% for 4s. Max 4 stacks. This effect can be triggered once every 0.01s. Additionally, when the party has the “Hexerei: Secret Rite” effect, each stack of Four Winds’ Hymn will increase the CRIT DMG of the equipping character by 7.5~15.5%. Note: Remember to complete Varka’s Hexerei quest to activate the last buff (Crit DMG) from this weapon!
	A Thousand Blazing Suns (CRIT Rate | 11.0%)	Gain the “Scorching Brilliance” effect when using an Elemental Skill or Burst: CRIT DMG increased by 20~40% and ATK increased by 28~56% for 6s. This effect can trigger once every 10s. While a “Scorching Brilliance” instance is active, its duration is increased by 2s after Normal or Charged attacks deal Elemental DMG. This effect can trigger once every second, and the max duration increase is 6s. Additionally, when the equipping character is in the Nightsoul’s Blessing state, “Scorching Brilliance” effects are increased by 75%, and its duration will not count down when the equipping character is off—field.
	Beacon of the Reed Sea (CRIT Rate | 33.1%)	After the character’s Elemental Skill hits an opponent, their ATK will be increased by 20~40% for 8s. After the character takes DMG, their ATK will be increased by 20~40% for 8s. The 2 aforementioned effects can be triggered even when the character is not on the field. Additionally, when not protected by a shield, the character’s Max HP will be increased by 32~64%. Note: Best used when there is no shielder in the team so Varka can gain both ATK bonuses.
	Serpent Spine (CRIT Rate | 27.6%)	Every 4s a character is on the field, they will deal 6~10% more DMG and take 3~2% more DMG. This effect has a maximum of 5 stacks and will not be reset if the character leaves the field, but will be reduced by 1 stack when the character takes DMG. Note: This is considered to be R5 Serpent Spine. Lower refinement will land it below Wolf’s Gravestone.
	Wolf’s Gravestone (ATK | 49.6%)	Increases ATK by 20~40%. On hit, attacks against opponents with less than 30% HP increase all party members’ ATK by 40~80% for 12s. Can only occur once every 30s.
	Tidal Shadow (ATK | 41.3%)	After the wielder is healed, ATK will be increased by 24~48% for 8s. This can be triggered even when the character is not on the field. Note: Only use this weapon when you have a healer in the team.
	Blackcliff Slasher (CRIT DMG | 55.1%)	After defeating an opponent, ATK is increased by 12~24% for 30s. This effect has a maximum of 3 stacks, and the duration of each stack is independent of the others.
	“Ultimate Overlord’s Mega Magic Sword” (Energy Recharge | 30.6%)	ATK increased by 12~24%. That’s not all! The support from all Melusines you’ve helped in Merusea Village fills you with strength! Based on the number of them you’ve helped, your ATK is increased by up to an additional 12~24%.

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Varka Best Artifacts

Artifacts	Names	Effects
	A Day Carved from Rising Winds	2-Pc: ATK +18%. 4-Pc: After a Normal Attack, Charged Attack, Elemental Skill, or Elemental Burst hits an opponent, gain the Blessing of Pastoral Winds effect for 6s: ATK is increased by 25%. If the equipping character has completed Witch’s Homework, Blessing of Pastoral Winds will be upgraded to Resolve of Pastoral Winds, which additionally increases the CRIT Rate of the equipping character by 20%. This effect can be triggered even when the character is off-field.
	Shimenawa’s Reminiscence	2-Pc: ATK +18%. 4-Pc: When casting an Elemental Skill, if the character has 15 or more Energy, they lose 15 Energy and Normal/Charged/Plunging Attack DMG is increased by 50% for 10s. This effect will not trigger again during that duration. Note: For this set, you won’t be using his Burst too much so Varka will have Energy when using Skill.
	Desert Pavilion Chronicle	2-Pc: Anemo DMG Bonus +15% 4-Pc: When Charged Attacks hit opponents, the equipping character’s Normal Attack SPD will increase by 10% while Normal, Charged, and Plunging Attack DMG will increase by 40% for 15s. Note: For this set, you need to use his Charged ATK first to get the buff before starting his normal combo.

Main & Sub Stats Priority

Main Stat	Sub Stat
Sands: ATK% Goblet: Pyro/Hydro/Electro/Cryo DMG Bonus (depending on what double element his team is) Circlet: Crit Rate/Crit Damage	Crit Rate Crit Damage ATK%

Stat Goals:
ATK: +2000
Crit Rate: +90% in combat
Crit DMG: +180%

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Varka Synergy & Team Compositions

Varka has quite a strict requirement in the team compositions to make sure he can deal the maximum damage. The requirements are:
1) Must have 2 Hexerei characters in the team (including Varka)
2) Must have 2 Anemo characters in the team (including Varka)
3) The remaining 2 characters in the team must be of the same PHEC element (2 Pyro/2 Hydro/2 Electro/2 Cryo)

1) Aside from Varka, he needs another Hexerei character. The characters that suits him the most are Durin, Venti, Sucrose, and Mona. Fischl is also possible if you’re running double Electro.

2) Next one is Anemo. The best character for this slot would be Venti followed by Sucrose. These two can complete 2 out of 3 Varka’s team requirement (Anemo and Hexerei). Other possible characters are Kazuha, C2 or C4 Jean, Ifa with 4-piece of Scroll of the Hero of Cinder City and Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayer, and C6 Faruzan (specifically C6 because Varka doesn’t deal too much Anemo DMG at C0).

3) Last slot is for double PHEC elements. There are quite a lot of combinations that can be done here, and we will tackle it down below.

Double Pyro Team

In the current Genshin Impact Luna V, double Pyro team is Varka’s best teammates, featuring Durin, Venti, and Bennett. However, even with this team Varka could not unleash his full potential because Bennett’s buff uptime is too short for him. Hopefully we will get a Pyro replacement in the future that has a longer buff duration (cough Nicole cough).
Anemo: Venti is the best, followed by Sucrose and Kazuha. P/S: If you don’t have Durin, make sure to either choose Venti or Sucrose for the Hexerei requirement.
Sub-DPS/Support: Durin’s replacement can be Xiangling, Thoma, Mavuika, and Pyro MC.
Buffer: Bennett. In the current version, I don’t think there is a Bennett replacement for double Pyro team.

Double Hydro Team

In my opinion, Furina and Sigewinne is the best Hydro combination for Varka. Furina is a solid Sub-DPS who can provides DMG Bonus and ATK (if using Tenacity of the Millelith set), while Sigewinne is the sustain to stack Fanfare while also buffing Furina’s damage via her Talent. Since these two are not Hexerei character, you definitely must use Venti or Sucrose for the Hexerei and Anemo requirement.

Next Hydro team is Jean, Furina, and Mona. Jean will be the one doing the healing, while with C2, she can also increase the ATK SPD of the whole team by picking up an Elemental Orb/Particle. While Mona is here for her own buff, Hexerei buff, and at C4, she can provides Crit Rate and Crit DMG for Varka.

Above are the expensive double Hydro teams. While for the F2P teams, viable Hydro characters are Xingqiu, Dahlia, and Candace. Xingqiu as our trusty Hydro Sub-DPS, Dahlia is the sustain while also providing ATK SPD that Varka can take advantage of, while Candace provides some decent buff like increased Elemental DMG (with their Normal ATK) from her Elemental Burst.
The compositions are: Sucrose – Dahlia – Xingqiu, or Sucrose – Dahlia – Candace.

Double Electro Team

Double Electro is not the best for Varka, because there are too little characters that suits his team composition. Some of the decent units are Iansan, Fischl, Kujou Sara, and Beidou.

Double Cryo Team

Double Cryo is another great option because we have great Sub-DPS and Support for Varka, namely Escoffier and Shenhe. Escoffier is a solid Cryo Sub-DPS, and you can use Tenacity of the Millelith if you want to sacrifice some of her damage for ATK buffing Varka. While Shenhe is just a great Cryo support for the team. Make sure to use the correct way of Shenhe’s Skill depending on Varka’s combo. Tap Skill increases Skill and Burst DMG, while Hold Skill increase NA, CA, and Plunging ATK.

For the F2P options, there are many 4-star Cryo characters for Varka!
– Chongyun provides Normal ATK DPS at C0, and reduce Skill & Burst CD time at C2.
– Mika provides ATK DPS and healing at C0.
– Layla provides shield, decent Cryo off-field application and can hold Tenacity of the Millelith for the ATK buff.
– Charlotte can hold Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers, provides Cryo off-field application, and healing.
– Rosaria, while not providing much support, can at least provides Crit Rate bonus for Varka and deal decent Cryo DMG from Burst.

Wheelchair Team

Now remember when one of Varka’s team requirement must be double PHEC element? This team is an exception, purely because Columbina and Ineffa duo are such terrifiyingly good wheelchair team. No offense to Varka, but he’s literally here for emotional support and be the Sub-DPS while Columbina and Ineffa doing the obliteration even while off-field.

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Varka Talent Priority

Skill > Burst > Normal ATK

Varka’s damage output relies on his special skill and special charged attack, both scaling number under the Elemental Skill. Thus, make sure Skill is number one priority if you want him to do big damage. Next is Elemental Burst. While his Burst does not deal that much damage, he can easily fills his Burst so you can do once every rotation or every rotation (depending on his teammates). I feel like it’s such a waste to not use his Burst so it’s better if you level up the Burst and use it when necessary such as to dodge using its I-Frame. Basic Attack is rarely used because you will immediately enter Sturm und Drang mode via Elemental Skill once his turn is up.

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Varka Constellation Overview

Best Constellations: C1, C2, C4 & C6

Constellations	Effect
Constellation 1 ★	When Varka switches to Sturm und Drang, he will obtain an additional use of the special Elemental Skill Four Winds’ Ascension. Additionally, after switching to Sturm und Drang, Varka will gain the Lyrical Libation effect: When unleashing the special Elemental Skill Four Winds’ Ascension, or when performing the special Charged Attack Azure Devour, Varka can consume this effect to deal 200% of the original DMG dealt by Four Winds’ Ascension or Azure Devour.
Constellation 2 ★	When unleashing the special Elemental Skill Four Winds’ Ascension, or when performing the special Charged Attack Azure Devour, Varka will perform an additional strike, dealing AoE Anemo DMG equal to 800% of Varka’s ATK.
Constellation 3	Increases Elemental Skill Windbound Execution Level by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Constellation 4 ★	When Varka triggers a Swirl reaction, based on the Elemental Types involved in the reaction, all nearby party members gain a 20% Anemo DMG Bonus and the corresponding Elemental DMG Bonus for 10s.
Constellation 5	Increases Elemental Burst Northwind Avatar Level by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
Constellation 6 ★	Sturm und Drang is enhanced: · For a short time after unleashing the special Elemental Skill Four Winds’ Ascension, Tapping on Varka’s Elemental Skill or Holding his Normal Attack will not expend any uses of Four Winds’ Ascension, and will perform one additional instance of the special Charged Attack, Azure Devour. · For a short time after performing the special Charged Attack Azure Devour, tap on Varka’s Elemental Skill to unleash an additional instance of Four Winds’ Ascension without expending any uses of Four Winds’ Ascension. When triggering an additional special Charged Attack, Azure Devour, or unleashing an additional special Elemental Skill, Four Winds’ Ascension, in this manner, the above effect cannot be triggered. Additionally, the Azure Fang’s Oath effect in Ascension Talent Wind’s Vanguard is enhanced: Every stack of Azure Fang’s Oath will increase Varka’s CRIT DMG by 20%.

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Varka Showcase