Gaming's one of those characters that caught everyone off guard. This 4-star Pyro Claymore user specializes in enhanced Plunging Attacks through his Elemental Skill, and honestly? At C6 investment, he can go toe-to-toe with 5-star DPS units. His whole kit revolves around HP-consuming plunges that loop via his Elemental Burst – it's wild how effective it is.
Gaming Character Overview & Plunge Mechanics
Gaming's Kit Analysis
So here's the deal with Gaming – he's an on-field Plunging Attack DPS from Liyue who dropped on January 31, 2024. His base stats at Level 90 aren't groundbreaking: 11,419 HP, 302 ATK, 703 DEF, with a 24.0% ATK ascension stat. But don't let those numbers fool you.
His core mechanic? That's where things get interesting. Bestial Ascent (his Elemental Skill) launches him skyward for a special Plunging Attack called Charmed Cloudstrider. It deals Pyro damage while consuming 15% of his Max HP – though it'll never drop him below 10% remaining. The damage scales with his Skill talent level, which is why you'll want to max that first.
The real magic happens with his Elemental Burst, Suanni's Gilded Dance. It summons Man Chai (yes, that's the actual name), and when Man Chai returns to Gaming, it resets his Skill cooldown. This enables 4-6 enhanced plunges during the Burst duration. Pretty clever design, actually.
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Plunge Attack Fundamentals
Here's something crucial that trips up new Gaming players: his enhanced plunges count as Plunging Attack damage, NOT Elemental Skill damage. This affects which buffs actually work on him, so keep that in mind when team building.
His 1st Ascension Passive is pretty neat – it provides 6% Max HP recovery over 0.8 seconds after each plunge. The 4th Ascension Passive creates an HP threshold system: above 50% HP grants 20% more plunge damage, while below 50% HP provides 20% increased healing. Smart design that encourages aggressive play while maintaining survivability.
What I find fascinating about Gaming is his controlled Pyro application. Unlike characters with continuous infusion, his discrete plunges enable precise Vaporize and Melt timing. The spaced application allows for strategic elemental aura management – crucial for Forward Melt setups that require maintaining Cryo aura.
Best Weapons for Gaming Plunge DPS
5-Star Weapon Rankings
Let's be real about 5-star weapons for Gaming – they mostly function as expensive stat sticks. Beacon of the Reed Sea, Redhorn Stonethresher, Verdict, and A Thousand Blazing Suns all provide excellent base ATK and CRIT substats, but their passives don't fully benefit his plunge-focused kit.
From a cost-effectiveness standpoint? 4-star alternatives often match 5-star performance at high refinements. Unless you're swimming in primogems, there are better investments.
4-Star Alternatives
Serpent Spine R5 is the general Best-in-Slot, especially with a shielder (which you should be running anyway). The DMG bonus stacks aren't lost from his self-HP drain, and that CRIT Rate substat synergizes perfectly with his kit.
Fruitful Hook R5 rivals Serpent Spine as an outstanding craftable option. Its passive affects subsequent attacks after the first plunge, making it incredibly consistent. Plus, you can guarantee refinements through crafting.
Rainslasher R5 becomes an absolute powerhouse in Vaporize teams – seriously competitive with 5-stars. The Elemental Mastery substat and damage bonus against Hydro/Electro-affected enemies excel for reaction setups. Mailed Flower offers a strong F2P option for Vape/Melt teams with its EM and ATK% scaling.
F2P Weapon Options
Tidal Shadow emerges as the best permanent F2P option thanks to 100% uptime on its passive (Gaming's self-healing mechanics make this trivial to maintain). Prototype Archaic and Blackcliff Slasher serve as basic alternatives, but they lag behind the specialized options mentioned above.
Optimal Artifact Sets & Stats
Primary Artifact Recommendations
4-piece Marechaussee Hunter is my top recommendation for most players. It provides 36% CRIT Rate from Gaming's HP fluctuation mechanics, making building significantly easier and more Resin-efficient. You'll actually enjoy farming for once.
4-piece Crimson Witch serves as Best-in-Slot for Melt/Vaporize teams, especially at C6 or with high CRIT Rate weapons (to prevent overcapping). The reaction damage bonus is substantial.
4-piece Gilded Dreams offers roughly 5% less performance but provides substantial EM for reaction teams. It works particularly well in Burgeon compositions where Gaming triggers Dendro Cores.
Main Stat Priorities
Sands priority depends on your team: Elemental Mastery for Vaporize/Melt teams (highest damage ceiling), ATK% for Mono Pyro, or ER% if you haven't met requirements. Goblet should always be Pyro DMG Bonus%.
For Circlet: CRIT DMG with Marechaussee Hunter, CRIT Rate with other sets for optimal ratios.
Substat Optimization
Energy Recharge takes priority until requirements are met: 180-190% for C0-C3 solo Pyro, 150-160% with Bennett funneling, and 25-35% less at C4+. Reduce requirements by 15-25% per Favonius weapon proc in your team.
CRIT Rate should cap at 64% with Marechaussee Hunter (don't waste substats overcapping). EM becomes third priority in reaction teams, while ATK% works for general damage scaling.
Team Composition Guide
Core Team Templates
The premium Vaporize setup – Gaming/Furina/Xianyun/Bennett – leverages Furina's DMG% buff, Xianyun's plunge enhancement, and Bennett's ATK buff. It's expensive but devastatingly effective.
F2P version: Gaming/Xingqiu/Sucrose/Bennett requires 1-2 Normal Attacks between plunges for Xingqiu triggers. Still very strong, just requires more precise timing.
The premium Melt setup showcases 2025's new supports: Gaming/Citlali/Bennett/Xianyun. Citlali provides solo Cryo application, RES shred, and shielding utility all in one package. For quick recharge Genesis Crystals to secure these premium supports, BitTopup provides secure transactions with excellent customer service ratings.
Elemental Synergies
Vaporize provides consistent 1.5x multipliers, and Furina synergizes beautifully with Gaming's HP fluctuation for Fanfare stacks. It's almost like they were designed together.
Melt offers 2x multipliers but requires precise timing – only Citlali, Rosaria, and C6 Kaeya provide adequate solo Cryo application for Gaming's plunge frequency. Don't try to force Melt with insufficient Cryo application; you'll just frustrate yourself.
Role Distribution
Bennett serves as the most crucial support: ATK buffing, healing, Pyro resonance, and energy generation. He keeps Gaming above 50% HP for that A4 passive damage bonus.
Xianyun enables regular plunges during Skill downtime while providing massive Additive Base DMG bonuses and VV resistance shred. She's transformative for Gaming's performance.
Best Shield Partners for Gaming
Zhongli Partnership
Zhongli provides the strongest shield in the game: 2,506 + 21.76% Max HP absorption with a 150% damage absorption bonus and 20-second duration. That's 100% uptime, guaranteed. His universal 20% RES shred amplifies damage across the board, and Petrification enables uninterrupted plunge sequences.
Honestly? If you have Zhongli, this partnership is a no-brainer.
Diona Support Analysis
Diona offers Cryo shields with 12.24% HP + 1,408 absorption (75% bonus when holding Skill). Her C6 grants 200 EM to characters above 50% HP – that's a massive boost for Melt damage while maintaining defensive utility. Perfect for Melt-focused Gaming teams.
Alternative Shield Options
Layla provides strong Cryo shields with consistent off-field application and can hold 4-piece Tenacity for team buffs. Thoma's C6 grants 15% plunge damage bonus, and his stacking shield reaches 33.32% HP + 3,838 at full power.
Kirara serves Burgeon teams by protecting from Dendro Core self-damage – niche but effective in the right setup.
Talent Priority & Constellations
Talent Leveling Order
Elemental Skill takes absolute priority (level 9-10 first) since it's the source of his enhanced plunges. Elemental Burst comes second for utility and damage.
Exception: In Xianyun/C6 Bennett teams, prioritize Skill > Normal Attack > Burst. Regular Pyro-infused plunges become a significant damage source in these setups.
Constellation Value Analysis
C1 provides 15% HP healing when Man Chai returns – perfect Furina synergy. C2 grants 20% ATK for 5 seconds on overflow healing. C4 offers 2 Energy restoration on plunge hits, lowering ER requirements by 25-35%.
C6 is the big one: +20% CRIT Rate, +40% CRIT DMG, and increased radius. This elevates Gaming to genuine 5-star DPS performance levels.
Plunge DPS Rotation Optimization
Basic Rotation Guide
The pattern is straightforward: Off-field Supports → Gaming E → Gaming Q → [Filler → Gaming E] × 4-6.
Filler actions vary by team: 1-2 Normal Attacks for Xingqiu/Yelan teams, spacing for Melt teams, or dashing toward Man Chai in C6 Bennett teams.
Advanced Combos
The juggling technique involves reconnecting with Man Chai mid-air for 1-2 extra plunges per rotation. It's tricky but rewarding.
Specific notations: Vaporize EP Q 5[N2 EP], Melt Q 5-6[EP], Xianyun teams EP Q 3[JP EP] 2[N2 EP]. Don't worry if this looks like gibberish initially – it becomes second nature with practice.
Energy Management
ER requirements: C0-C3 need 180-190% solo, 150-160% with Bennett. C4+ reduces this to 145-155% solo, 125-135% with Bennett. Favonius weapons in your team reduce requirements by 15-25% per proc.
Common Mistakes & Troubleshooting
Build Pitfalls
The biggest mistake? Neglecting Energy Recharge. Inconsistent Burst uptime causes major DPS loss. I see this constantly in co-op.
Don't default to Crimson Witch over Marechaussee Hunter – you're creating unnecessary farming burden for yourself. Also, ignoring Normal Attack talent wastes damage in Xianyun/C6 Bennett teams.
Rotation Errors
Using Burst for initial damage without collecting Man Chai wastes enhanced plunge opportunities. It's tempting but counterproductive.
Improper filler actions disrupt reactions – Vaporize needs Normal Attacks for triggers, while Melt needs spacing for Cryo application. Learn your team's rhythm.
Performance Optimization
Don't overcap CRIT Rate with Marechaussee Hunter – cap at 64% from artifacts/substats. Constellation changes require build adjustments: C4 alters ER needs, C6 changes talent priorities.
Keep Gaming above 50% HP for that A4 damage bonus whenever possible.
FAQ
What's Gaming's best weapon for plunge DPS? Serpent Spine R5 is the general Best-in-Slot with a shielder. Fruitful Hook R5 is a competitive craftable alternative, while Rainslasher R5 excels specifically in Vaporize teams.
Which artifacts work best for Gaming's plunge build? 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter is most recommended for that 36% CRIT Rate from HP fluctuation. 4-piece Crimson Witch is Best-in-Slot for Melt/Vaporize, especially at C6 or with high CRIT Rate weapons.
Who are the best shield partners for Gaming? Zhongli's the strongest with 100% uptime and universal RES shred. Diona excels in Melt teams with her C6's 200 EM buff. Thoma's C6 grants 15% plunge damage bonus.
How do you optimize Gaming's plunge attack rotation? Basic pattern: Off-field Supports → Gaming E → Gaming Q → [Filler → Gaming E] × 4-6. Advanced juggling reconnects Man Chai mid-air for extra plunges.
Should I prioritize Gaming's constellations? C6 is the most crucial with +20% CRIT Rate and +40% CRIT DMG, elevating him to 5-star performance. C1, C2, and C4 offer excellent value. F2P players should focus on weapons and artifacts before constellations.
Can Gaming work in F2P teams? Absolutely. Gaming/Xingqiu/Sucrose/Bennett works great for Vaporize. Tidal Shadow is the best permanent F2P weapon, and Marechaussee Hunter makes building efficient and straightforward.