Layla Character Overview: What Makes Her Tick
Breaking Down Her Kit
Here’s what you need to know about Layla - she’s a 4-star Cryo sword user who’s all about keeping your team alive. At level 90, she’s sitting pretty with 11,092 HP, 217 ATK, 655 DEF, and a nice 24% HP ascension bonus that actually matters for her role.
Her Elemental Skill Nights of Formal Focus is where the magic happens. Creates this thing called Curtain of Slumber - basically a shield that lasts 12 seconds with a 12-second cooldown. Perfect uptime, no awkward gaps where you’re suddenly vulnerable. The shield scales with her Max HP (hence why we stack HP like crazy), and it generates Night Stars every 1.5 seconds. Get 4 Night Stars? They transform into homing Shooting Stars that deal Cryo damage.
The Elemental Burst Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker drops a Celestial Dreamsphere that fires Starlight Slugs for 12 seconds. Only costs 40 energy with a 12-second cooldown - honestly, pretty generous compared to other supports. Each Starlight Slug hit generates 1 Night Star, keeping the cycle going.
Her passives are where things get interesting. Like Nascent Light increases Shield Strength by 6% per Night Star (maxing at 24% - that’s substantial). Sweet Slumber Undisturbed adds 1.5% of her Max HP to Shooting Star damage. Not game-breaking damage, but every bit helps.
Where She Fits in the Meta
Layla carved out this unique niche as the only Cryo shielder with 100% uptime. No downtime, no weird conditions to meet - just consistent protection. She works beautifully in Freeze comps, Superconduct setups, and even some Melt teams where you need that extra survivability.
What sets her apart from other shielders? Zhongli might hit harder with his meteors, but Layla brings Cryo application to the table. Diona heals, but Layla’s shields are generally stronger and more consistent.
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C0 vs C1: Is the Investment Worth It?
C0 Performance - The Baseline
C0 Layla does her job well. Really well, actually. Her single-target shielding handles everything the game throws at you, including Spiral Abyss floor 12. That 40 energy cost means you’re not desperately hunting for Energy Recharge substats just to keep her burst up.
I’ve run her at C0 for months before getting constellations, and honestly? She never felt incomplete.
C1 - Where Things Get Spicy
But then C1 Fortress of Fantasy comes along and changes everything:
20% stronger main shield (noticeable difference)
Secondary shields for nearby party members at 35% of the main shield’s absorption
Those secondary shields last the full 12 seconds
250% Cryo damage effectiveness against the secondary shields
This constellation transforms her from really good single-target support to team-wide lifesaver. For multiplayer content or those nasty AoE-heavy encounters, C1 feels like a different character entirely.
If you’re planning constellation investments through Buy Genesis Crystals, C1’s probably the sweet spot for most players. The jump from C0 to C1 is way more noticeable than most other constellations.
Best Artifacts: Tenacity Reigns Supreme
Why 4-Piece Tenacity of the Millelith Works So Well
This is pretty much non-negotiable for support Layla. Here’s why:
2-Piece gives you that sweet 20% HP boost
4-Piece grants your entire party +20% ATK and +30% Shield Strength for 3 seconds when Elemental Skill hits connect
Here’s the kicker - Layla’s Shooting Stars trigger this effect every 0.5 seconds while she’s off-field. Near-permanent uptime on those buffs. Your main DPS will thank you.
Main stats are straightforward: HP% on Sands, HP% on Goblet, HP% on Circlet. We’re going all-in on that HP scaling.
Substats That Actually Matter
HP% - This is your bread and butter. More HP = stronger shields + more passive damage
Energy Recharge - Aim for 130-140% for consistent burst uptime (you can go lower with C2 or Cryo teammates)
CRIT Rate - Only if you’re running Favonius Sword, shoot for around 30%
CRIT DMG - Nice to have but not essential
Don’t overthink the substats too much. HP% and enough ER to burst on cooldown, and you’re golden.
Weapon Selection: Your Options Ranked
The S-Tier Choices
Favonius Sword is the 4-star king here. That 61.3% Energy Recharge substat solves your energy problems, and the passive generates particles for your whole team when you crit. Just need about 30% CRIT Rate to make it work consistently.
Key of Khaj-Nisut - if you’ve got it, this 5-star is incredible. 66.2% HP substat plus a 20% HP passive that also buffs your team’s Elemental Mastery. Perfect for reaction-heavy comps.
Budget-Friendly Options
Fleuve Cendre Ferryman from the Fontaine Fishing Association is your best F2P option. 45.9% Energy Recharge plus some nice bonuses - 8% skill CRIT Rate and 16% ER buff after using your skill.
Quick tier list: Key of Khaj-Nisut and Favonius Sword are S-tier, Fleuve Cendre Ferryman sits comfortably in A-tier, while options like The Dockhand’s Assistant and Sacrificial Sword are serviceable B-tier choices.
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Talent Leveling: Where to Spend Your Resources
Priority Order That Makes Sense
Elemental Skill first, always. This directly buffs your shield’s base absorption - every level matters when you’re trying to tank Maguu Kenki’s combos.
Elemental Burst comes next. Decent HP scaling damage and more Night Star generation.
Normal Attack? Level 1 and forget about it. You’re not here to do sword combos.
Target levels I’d recommend: Skill to 8-9, Burst to 6-8, Normal Attack can stay at 1-2. You’re looking at about 420,000 Mora, 168 Nilotpala Lotus, and 46 Perpetual Calibers from that annoying Aeonblight Drake.
Team Building: Where Layla Shines
Freeze Compositions
Classic setup: Layla + Ayaka/Ganyu + Kokomi/Mona + Kazuha/Venti. Cryo resonance, consistent shielding, reliable Cryo application - it all clicks together. Her off-field presence maintains Frozen status while keeping your main DPS safe during those long animation commitments.
Melt and Superconduct Teams
Melt works surprisingly well: Layla + Hu Tao/Diluc + Yelan/Xingqiu + Anemo support. That shield lets your Pyro carries be more aggressive.
Superconduct’s obvious: Layla + Eula/Razor + Fischl/Shinobu + flex support. Physical carries love having that consistent protection during their burst windows.
The beauty of Layla? She fits into way more team comps than you’d expect.
Energy Management: Keeping the Burst Flowing
ER Requirements by Situation
Solo Cryo (C0-C1): 130-140% ER
Dual Cryo teams: 120-130% ER
C2 and beyond: 110-120% ER
Simple rotation: Cast Skill → Burst if available → swap to other characters → repeat every 12 seconds. Nothing fancy, just consistent.
Common Mistakes (I’ve Made Them All)
Don’t skimp on Energy Recharge below 130% - you’ll hate yourself when your burst isn’t ready.
Stop trying to build her for damage over HP. Yes, bigger numbers are fun, but your team will get more value from stronger shields and buffs.
And please, don’t use Sacrificial Sword over Favonius. Her skill already has 100% uptime - the cooldown reset is completely wasted.
Real-World Performance
With a proper build hitting around 35,000 HP, her shields absorb 15,000-25,000 damage before breaking. Factor in the progressive strengthening from Night Stars, Tenacity buffs, and that 250% Cryo absorption, and you’ve got some seriously chunky protection.
That team-wide 20% ATK buff from Tenacity? It adds up to way more damage than you’d think.
FAQ
Is Layla C1 worth pulling for support builds?
Absolutely. That 20% stronger personal shield plus secondary shields for everyone else (at 35% absorption) transforms her into a team-wide protector. Especially valuable in co-op and against AoE-heavy content.
What artifacts should I farm for Layla support?
4-piece Tenacity of the Millelith with HP% main stats across Sands, Goblet, and Circlet. The set bonus synergy with her kit is too good to pass up.
Favonius or Sacrificial Sword?
Favonius, hands down. Sacrificial’s cooldown reset is pointless when she already has 100% skill uptime. Favonius gives your whole team energy through particle generation.
How much Energy Recharge does Layla actually need?
130-140% for solo Cryo, 120-130% with another Cryo teammate, 110-120% once you hit C2. That low 40 energy cost makes her pretty forgiving compared to other burst supports.
Can Layla replace dedicated healers?
She prevents damage instead of healing it. Those HP-scaling shields with perfect uptime often work better than healing in practice. Though you might still want a healer for specific content that demands direct HP recovery.
What teams work best with Layla?
Freeze teams with Ayaka/Ganyu, Superconduct Physical teams with Eula/Razor, even some Melt comps with Pyro carries. Her consistent Cryo application and team buffs fit into more archetypes than you’d expect.