Gaming FAQ

Credits:

• Emiliabyss - Lead
• Leifa - Consultation, Writing Verification, Author | Overview
• June - Transcription, Author | Talents, Constellations, Combos, Calcs | Constellations
• Duckfero - Author | ER Requirements
• Nooot - Author & Calcs | Artifacts
• Quinslay - Author & Calcs | Weapons
• Whalien - Author | Teambuilding
• Luno - Calc Verification
• Athena - Transcription

For all Gaming Calcs you can reference: Gaming Mastersheet by fianwens, quinslay, noootnooot, and duckfero

Pre-TC is volatile and, as always, perpetually subject to change until release (and sometimes later!). Please note that these are theoretical suggestions. Everything described in this FAQ is a good faith analysis based on the little information about the character’s kit that we know. Team calcs, additionally, are not established yet, and as with everything in TC, the content in this FAQ should be taken with a grain of salt.

Character Overview

Authored by Leifa

Gaming is a 4-star Pyro Claymore character who uses his Elemental Skill’s Wushou arts to jump off enemies and retaliate with an enhanced Plunging Attack. Upon hitting an enemy with his enhanced Plunging Attack, Gaming will consume a fixed amount of HP, whilst gaining some back over a short period. His Elemental Burst causes him to enter the Wushou Stance, recovering a fixed amount of HP and throwing his companion, the Suanni Man Chai, at enemies. Once Man Chai hits an enemy, it will return to Gaming, resetting the CD of his Elemental Skill. If Gaming has over 50% HP when using his Elemental Skill or enhanced Plunging Attack, Man Chai will be resummoned and bounce randomly nearby before returning to Gaming.

Gaming will primarily be played as an on-field DPS, repeatedly dashing at enemies and Plunging with his Elemental Skill. As a Liuye character, Gaming will be obtainable in this year’s Friends at the Doorstep event as part of the upcoming Lantern Rite Festival, allowing players to access him for free.

Talents

Authored by June

• Leveling Priority: Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack

  

• With C6 Bennett and Xianyun: Elemental Skill > Normal Attack > Elemental Burst

  

Analysis

• Gaming’s kit revolves around his Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attacks; hence, his Elemental Skill should be prioritized in leveling. The Wushou Stance granted by his Burst helps him perform these enhanced Plunging Attacks in rapid succession. These enhanced Plunging Attacks cannot deal Collision Plunge Damage.

• With C6 Bennett and Xianyun, Gaming’s Normal Attacks and regular Plunging Attacks contribute notably to his damage output due to Xianyun’s Plunging Attack buffs and C6 Bennett’s Pyro infusion, along with a 15% Pyro DMG Bonus. Therefore, in such teams, it is recommended to level his Normal Attack Talent as well.

• Gaming has a HP fluctuation mechanic similar to Fontaine characters, consuming and recovering his own HP upon using his Skill. It is recommended to keep him above 50% HP as much as possible to fully maximize his self-buffs and Man Chai’s Elemental Skill CD reset.

Talent Overview

Normal Attack: Stellar Rend

Gaming’s Normal and Plunging Attacks are often used in between his Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attacks. Regular Plunging Attacks are used when Xianyun is in the team to maximize her A4 Passive. Hence, it is not recommended to fully ignore this Talent.

Elemental Skill: Bestial Ascent

The crème de la crème of Gaming’s kit and the source of most of his damage. Gaming lunges forward and launches himself upwards after colliding with an enemy. Upon going down, he performs his special Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attack, which is a Pyro-converted Plunging Attack that cannot be overridden by other infusions. Gaming also consumes 15% of his Max HP upon landing a Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attack. This consumption stops when only 10% of his Max HP remains. Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attacks cannot deal Collision Plunge Damage.

Elemental Burst: Suanni's Gilded Dance

Gaming enters Wushou Stance upon using his Burst. During its initial cast, Gaming regains 30% of his Max HP, briefly applies Pyro to himself, and summons his companion, Suanni Man Chai, who smashes into the enemy and deals damage. Man Chai then rolls to a nearby location and collides with Gaming. After colliding, Gaming’s Elemental Skill CD resets.

If Gaming performs a Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attack whilst above 50% HP during the Wushou Stance, he summons Man Chai again, who rolls and collides with Gaming once more. This resets his Skill CD again and allows him to do Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges 4–5 times within Wushou Stance’s duration.

A1 Passive: Dance of Amity This Passive allows Gaming to heal himself outside of his Burst’s initial cast. For 0.8s, he recovers 1.5% of his HP per 0.2s, which means he heals 6% of his HP total for 0.8s after hitting an opponent with his Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attack.

A4 Passive: Air of Prosperity Depending on the amount of HP Gaming has, he receives different buffs from this Passive. He gains 20% Healing Bonus if his HP is below 50%, and a 20% increase on the damage dealt by his Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges if his HP is above 50% instead.

Utility Passive: The Striding Beast

Gaming gives Movement SPD to the whole party, but only during the daytime in the overworld.

Constellations

Authored by June

Constellation 1 - Stable Front Line's Resolve

Constellation 1 - Bringer of Blessing When the Suanni Man Chai from Suanni's Gilded Dance meets back up with Gaming, it will heal 15% of Gaming's HP.

Gaming gains even more self-healing outside of his Burst’s initial cast and his A1 Passive, which aids in keeping him above 50% HP. Unfortunately, this Constellation doesn’t really do anything to directly increase his own damage.

DPS% Increase vs. C0: 0.00%

Rating: 1.5/5

Constellation 2 - Plum Blossoms Underfoot

When Gaming receives healing and this instance of healing overflows, his ATK will be increased by 20% for 5s.

Gaming buffs himself for any instance of overhealing he receives, adding a little more value to his self-healing and other healers.

DPS% Increase vs. C1: 3.87%

DPS% Increase vs. C0: 3.87%

Rating: 1.5/5

Constellation 3 - Awakening Spirit

Increases the Level of Bestial Ascent by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

An increase on Gaming’s Elemental Skill level, which in turn, is a welcome increase on his Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attack’s damage.

DPS% Increase vs. C2: 6.41%

DPS% Increase vs. C0: 10.53%

Rating: 2.5/5

Constellation 4 - Soar Across Mountains

When Bestial Ascent's Plunging Attack: Charmed Cloudstrider hits an opponent, it will restore 2 Energy to Gaming. This effect can be triggered once every 0.2s.

Notably lowers Gaming’s ER Requirements (to be discussed further in the next section), allowing more leeway for offensive substats to increase his damage output.

DPS% Increase vs. C3: 5.46%

DPS% Increase vs. C0: 16.56%

Rating: 2/5

Constellation 5 - Evil-Daunting Roar

Increases the Level of Suanni's Gilded Dance by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

An increase on Gaming’s Burst level. His Burst is not a significant portion of his overall damage output, but an increase is still welcome nonetheless.

DPS% Increase vs. C4: 1.85%

DPS% Increase vs. C0: 18.72%

Rating: 1/5

Constellation 6 - To Tame All Beasts

Bestial Ascent's Plunging Attack: Charmed Cloudstrider CRIT Rate increased by 20% and CRIT DMG increased by 40%, and its attack radius will be increased.

Gaming’s strongest Constellation. His Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attacks gain a notable CRIT buff, which increases its damage by roughly 31%. Charmed Cloudstrider Plunging Attacks also gain an attack radius increase from 4m to 6m, which makes its AoE the same size as Bennett’s Burst radius.

DPS% Increase vs. C5: 19.29%

DPS% Increase vs. C0: 41.62%

Rating: 4/5

Combos

Authored by June

Gaming's combos can vary between several factors such as Xianyun, Xingqiu, or Yelan's inclusion in the team, Bennett's Constellation level, and the moment Man Chai collides to reset Gaming's Skill CD.

Please note that if you want to Swirl Pyro, you will have to switch to Xianyun or Kazuha AFTER using Bennett’s Burst, meaning funneling from Bennett to Gaming during setup is not possible. Nevertheless, this can still happen at the end of the rotation by doing an Elemental Skill on Bennett then switching back to Gaming to do a final Elemental Skill.

For the discussion of in-depth gameplay details, please check the Teambuilding section of this FAQ.

• If Xianyun: EP focus, JP or NA in between EP With Xianyun in the team, Gaming would want to maximize her A4 Passive's Flat DMG Bonus with his Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges. Regular Plunging Attacks or Normal Attacks can be used in between Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges.

• If Xianyun AND C6 Bennett: Alternate between EP and JP With C6 Bennett's ATK buff and 15% Pyro DMG Bonus, use Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges with regular Plunging Attacks to fully utilize Xianyun's A4 Passive and maximize Gaming's damage output.

Keep in mind that if you are using regular Plunging Attacks, it makes it harder to meet up with Man Chai to reset Gaming's Skill CD, which means that there would be 1 less Skill per rotation most of the time.

• If Xingqiu or Yelan: Weave NAs before any PA Weaving Normal Attacks in between Plunging Attacks triggers Xingqiu's Rain Swords or Yelan's Exquisite Throw to ensure Gaming's Plunging Attacks trigger Vaporize.

• If Melt with C6 Bennett: Dash towards Man Chai and only EP Dashing to meet Man Chai would maximize the amount of Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges Gaming is able to use. Due to the insufficient amount of Cryo application, focusing on Charmed Cloudstrider Plunge's Melt damage would be more optimal instead of weaving in any regular Plunging Attacks or Normal Attacks.

• Else: NA between EP until E CD resets To deal as much damage as possible while waiting for Gaming's Elemental Skill CD, weave Normal Attacks in between Charmed Cloudstrider Plunges.

ER Requirement

Authored by Duckfero

Gaming generates 2 particles per Elemental Skill with an ICD of 3s. Depending on your rotation, you will either do 4, 5 or 6 Skills per rotation, with only 3 or 4 of them generating particles.

Gaming’s ER Requirements depend a lot on the team, their gear, and the rotation: whether Bennett is present or not, whether you feed Bennett's particles to Gaming, the number of Favonius weapons in the team, and whether your Gaming is C0 or C4+.

Gaming’s C4 generates 2 Flat Energy per Skill. As mentioned previously, you will do 4, 5 or 6 Elemental Skills per rotation, which corresponds to 8/10/12 Flat Energy per rotation.

Also, keep in mind that if you play Gaming with Bennett C6 and Xianyun, you will likely do some normal Plunging Attacks. This makes it harder to pick up Man Chai to reset your Elemental Skill CD, which means that you will do 1 less Skill per rotation most of the time.

Moreover, if you want to Swirl Pyro, you will have to switch to Xianyun or Kazuha AFTER using Bennett’s Burst, meaning you won’t be able to funnel from Bennett to Gaming during setup. Nevertheless, this can still happen at the end of the rotation by doing an Elemental Skill on Bennett then switching back to Gaming to do a final Elemental Skill.

Energy requirements will vary based on your team and rotation. For a more accurate estimate, please use the Energy Recharge calculator linked here.

For more details on how Favonius weapons will affect your team, please use Ac1d’s Favonius Mastersheet linked here.

Artifacts

Authored by Nooot

Artifact Stats

Sands of Eon: EM/ATK%

Goblet of Eonothem: Pyro DMG%

Circlet of Logos: CRIT

EM Sands is preferred due to Gaming’s reliance on Vaporize/Melt. Nevertheless, ATK% Sands can be viable with better substats or within Overload/Mono teams.

Substats: ER until requirement > CRIT DMG = CRIT Rate > EM > ATK%

Artifact Sets

4pc Marechaussee Hunter

This is Gaming’s BiS set both with and without Furina. Whilst he does not get the most usage out of the 2pc effect, he is able to consistently obtain all 3 stacks of the 4pc effect quickly. This allows Gaming wider weapon options and less reliance on a lot of CRIT substats. It is highly recommended to not build above 64% CRIT Rate to avoid overcapping.

4pc Crimson Witch of Flames

Crimson Witch of Flames is tied with Marechaussee Hunter for Gaming’s BiS set within Vaporize/Melt teams due to the reaction bonus the set provides. Gaming is able to build stacks of the 4pc effect over a rotation as a result of his Elemental Burst resetting the cooldown of his Elemental Skill. However, it is recommended to farm Marechaussee Hunter due to it not being reliant on reactions to get value.

4pc Gilded Dreams

Gilded Dreams is a viable set to run on Gaming as it is only ~5% worse than both Crimson Witch and Marechaussee Hunter. Similar to Crimson Witch, Gilded Dreams benefits more from being used in a Vaporize/Melt team due to the EM that the set gives. Outside of reaction-heavy teams, Marechaussee Hunter becomes much more consistent.

2pc ATK%/EM/DMG%

2pc combinations are usable as an alternative to the above sets if you are still farming for a 4pc set. Simply aim for enough ER along with as much CRIT and EM as you can muster.

4pc Vermillion Hereafter

Vermillion Hereafter may seem to be a viable alternative to use on Gaming due to his HP drain, however due to Gaming’s synergy with Bennett, this set actually performs considerably worse than other 4pc sets. Furthermore, Vermillion Hereafter only performs slightly better than 2pc combinations for Gaming. Generally only use this set if you have really favorable substats; otherwise, use the aforementioned 4pc sets or a 2pc/2pc combination.

Weapons

Authored by quinslay

Serpent Spine

Gaming’s self HP drain does not affect Serpent Spine’s Passive. Serpent Spine’s CRIT Rate substat and massive DMG% passive makes it Gaming’s BiS weapon across all refinements assuming you can maintain the passive. The only thing holding Serpent Spine back is its lower Base ATK, which is remedied by the inclusion of Bennett or Xianyun in most Gaming teams. While R5 Serpent Spine is by far Gaming’s BiS, if you have a lower refinement Serpent Spine, it may be worth considering other options if you aren’t running a shielder, due to Serpent Spine losing value if Gaming takes damage. It also loses some value if Gaming is used with units that give high amounts of DMG% such as Furina.

If you have C6 Gaming, it's recommended to use 4pc Crimson Witch with Serpent Spine as it is easy to overcap his CRIT Rate.

5-star CRIT Weapons

These include Verdict, Redhorn Stonethresher, and Beacon of the Reed Sea. All these weapons are viable options as more consistent alternatives to a lower refinement Serpent Spine. Although none of their passives are extremely noteworthy, their 5-star stats allow them to be quite decent on Gaming. It should be noted that Gaming cannot trigger the passive of Beacon of the Reed Sea with his Skill as it is considered Plunging Attack damage.

Rainslasher

Rainslasher’s EM substat and increased DMG% against Hydro-affected enemies make it a strong unconditional weapon for Gaming in Vaporize teams. It scales heavily with refinements; being competitive with the 5-star CRIT weapons at R5 for personal damage. It is not worth using Rainslasher outside of Vaporize teams, and the weapon loses some value if Gaming is used with units that give high amounts of DMG% such as Furina.

Wolf’s Gravestone and The Unforged

Both these weapons provide large amounts of ATK% in various forms. However, since Bennett and Xianyun are common teammates in Gaming teams, the value of these ATK buffs is diminished. Without these two, they have the potential to surpass some of the above weapons, but optimal teams usually include either Bennett or Xianyun. This being said, Wolf’s Gravestone can also provide an ATK% team buff, which allows teammates to deal more damage. The Unforged does not, which leads to it being slightly worse than Wolf's Gravestone.

Song of Broken Pines

Despite its Physical DMG% substat, Song of Broken Pines is still a decent option on Gaming for its high Base ATK and ATK% passive. It also provides an ATK% team buff if Gaming uses at least four Normal Attacks, which may allow teammates to deal more damage. It loses value if you use Gaming with a unit that can infuse his Normal Attacks. It also loses value in Xianyun teams if Gaming uses Plunging Attacks instead of Normal Attacks during his downtime.

Talking Stick

Talking Stick is always a downgrade to Serpent Spine, so it’s not recommended to get Talking Stick from the Battle Pass. That said, if you already have Talking Stick, it’s a decent option for Gaming because he can at least guarantee half of the passive by imbuing himself with Pyro. Even if you can somehow guarantee the other half of the passive, it still performs worse than Serpent Spine.

Skyward Pride

Skyward Pride’s value largely depends on Gaming’s ER Requirements. In teams with Bennett, they’re often low enough for Skyward to lose some value. Gaming’s C4 also reduces his ER Requirements, which subsequently makes this weapon lose even more value. That said, even with lower ER needs, it’s still a weapon with high Base ATK, unconditional DMG%, and some mild Physical damage procs from the passive.

Mailed Flower

An event exclusive weapon that gives high amounts of EM and ATK%. It does lose the buff on one of Gaming’s Plunging Attacks which causes it to lose a small amount of value, but it’s still a great weapon for those who obtained it.

Lithic Blade

Since Gaming is a Liyue character, this weapon is guaranteed to have at least one stack. The average assumption for Lithic Blade is that you have at least two stacks, otherwise it's not recommended to use this weapon. The ATK% is decent, but pales in comparison to the CRIT Rate% it gives. This weapon scales well with refinements, which can be seen as a downside because of Lithic Blade’s exclusivity to the weapon banner.

Tidal Shadow

A F2P craftable weapon that requires being healed in exchange for a massive ATK% buff. Gaming heals himself upon using a Plunging Attack, so he can easily maintain the passive. However, since Bennett and Xianyun are common teammates for Gaming teams, the value of this ATK% buff is diminished. Tidal Shadow sees higher value if used in teams that give Gaming large amounts of DMG%.

Ultimate Overlord’s Mega Magic Sword

A decent alternative to Tidal Shadow for those who obtained it in the recent 4.3 event. Ultimate Overlord’s Mega Magic Sword’s value largely depends on Gaming’s ER Requirements. In teams with Bennett, these are typically low enough for this weapon to lose some value. Gaming’s C4 also reduces his ER Requirements, which subsequently makes this weapon lose value.

Team Building

Authored by Whalien

Bennett

Bennett is a particularly important teammate for Gaming for multiple reasons. Not only are the ATK buff and healing from Bennett’s Burst useful — the former for obvious reasons and the latter to help Gaming maintain his DMG Bonus from his A4 Passive — but with C6 Bennett, Gaming gains a Pyro infusion on his Plunging Attacks, allowing him to trigger more reactions, increasing his damage significantly. Bennett’s Burst does have the issue of being tied to a fixed area, which can be limiting with regards to Gaming’s gameplay, which involves dashing towards enemies before doing Plunging Attacks. This is, however, less of an issue in fights with heavy enemies in single-target scenarios, or if Xianyun is on the team since you can opt to execute normal Plunging Attacks instead. Generally, it’s highly preferred to have Benentt on Gaming teams.

Vaporize

Gaming | Bennett | Hydro | Anemo

The most recommended team for Gaming, in which for Gaming can trigger Vaporize on his Plunging Attacks, alongside other buffs to increase his damage. The Hydro and Anemo slots are flexible, as their primary roles are to allow Gaming to Vaporize his Plunging Attacks and provide RES Shred from 4pc Viridescent Venerer respectively, and neither function is fixed to one unit.

Teammates :

Hydro Options: Furina, Yelan, Xingqiu

Anemo Options: Kazuha, Xianyun, Sucrose

Mono Pyro

Gaming | Bennett | Xiangling | Anemo

Mono Pyro teams take advantage of shared Elemental Particles to reduce ER Requirements and VV shred for multiple members in order to boost damage without other reactions. Gaming, with his strong synergy with Bennett, fits well into Mono Pyro teams. Kazuha provides a large amount of Pyro DMG Bonus to both Gaming and Xiangling, while Xianyun is able to buff Gaming’s Plunging Attack damage; other Anemo characters do not differ significantly.

Teammates :

Anemo Options: Xianyun, Kazuha

Overloaded

Gaming | Chevreuse | Electro | Pyro/Electro

Overloaded teams have seen an increase in viability due to the introduction of Chevreuse. While the playstyle certainly still has issues with knocking enemies away from Bennett’s Burst circle, it can be a decent option against heavy enemies in single-target scenarios. Note that units such as Beidou and Xiangling may have very high ER Requirements.

Teammates :

Electro Options: Fischl, Yae Miko, Beidou

Pyro Options: Bennett, Xiangling

Melt

Gaming | Cryo | Flex | Flex

While Melt teams have high potential for damage, they do have issues that make them more difficult to play than other teams. In Melt teams, C6 Bennett can cause an enemy’s Cryo Aura to be lost for Plunging Attacks if Normal Attacks are weaved into Gaming’s on-field combos. If C6 Bennett is in the team, it is recommended to dash towards Man Chai for faster Skill-Plunging Attack combos. The greater risk of losing reactions on key hits, in conjunction with the high ER Requirements for many teammates, makes the team hard to play and not highly recommended.

Only C6 Kaeya can enable Gaming to consistently Melt as solo Cryo; other Cryo teammates (including Kaeya without C6) require being paired with another Cryo character or an Anemo character who can absorb Cryo on their Burst to do the same. After the Cryo character(s) have been slotted in, Bennett and/or an Anemo character can be added to the team; double Anemo may be viable in select situations.

Teammates :

Cryo Options: Kaeya, Rosaria, Layla

Anemo Options: Xianyun, Kazuha, Sucrose

Other Flex: Bennett