Genshin Impact's First Hydro Claymore: Aino Character Build Guide 2025

Genshin Impact players rejoice! The final element-weapon combination has been filled with the introduction of Aino, the game's first-ever Hydro claymore user. What makes this character even more special is that she's available to all players for free through the Nod-Krai Archon Quest. For travelers eager to add this mechanical genius to their roster, let's dive into everything you need to know about ascending and building Aino in 2025.

Aino's Ascension Materials: A Comprehensive Guide

Leveling Aino to her full potential requires quite the shopping list of materials. The good news? Most can be found in the Nod-Krai region, making farming relatively straightforward if you've unlocked this area.

Here's a complete breakdown of what you'll need to ascend Aino to level 90:

• Varunada Lazurite: 1 sliver, 9 fragments, 9 chunks, 6 gemstones

• Portable Bearings: 168 total

• Knuckle Duckle Precision: 46 total

• Landcruiser Drive Shafts: 18 Sturdy, 30 Reliable, 36 Pristine

• Mora: A whopping 1.6 million

Talent Materials: Maximizing Aino's Abilities

If you're going all-in on Aino (and honestly, why wouldn't you?), triple-crowning her talents will require:

• Elysium Books: 9 Teachings, 63 Guides, 114 Philosophies

• More Drive Shafts: 18 Sturdy, 66 Reliable, 93 Pristine

• Silken Feather: 18 total (from The Knave trounce domain)

• Crown of Insight: 3 (one for each talent)

• Mora: Another 4.95 million

Talk about expensive hobbies! As they say, "You've gotta spend Mora to make Mora" — or in this case, to deal damage.

Where to Find Aino's Materials

Varunada Lazurite

As a Hydro character, Aino requires Varunada Lazurite for ascension. These blue gems can be obtained from numerous Hydro bosses across Teyvat:

• Rhodeia of Loch (Liyue)

• Hydro Hypostasis (Inazuma)

• Hydro Tulpa (Sumeru)

• Secret Source Automaton: Overseer Device (Fontaine)

• Solitary Suanni (Chenyu Vale)

Weekly bosses like Childe, Azhdaha (when Hydro-infused), and The Game Before the Gate can also drop these gems.

Portable Bearings

These mechanical components are scattered throughout Nod-Krai, with the highest concentration around Aino's own Krumkake Craftshop on Lempo Isle. They're also found in Barrowmoss Barrens and near Blue Amber Lake. Pro tip: Use the interactive map to create an efficient farming route!

Knuckle Duckle Precision

In a delightful bit of lore integration, this boss material comes from defeating the Knuckle Duckle, a mechanical boss that Aino herself created! You can find this unique boss south of Aino's workshop on Lempo Isle. Talk about fighting your own creation — it's giving major Frankenstein vibes! 🤖

Landcruiser Drive Shafts

These mechanical components drop exclusively from Landcruisers in Nod-Krai. They come in three qualities:

• Sturdy Drive Shaft (common)

• Reliable Drive Shaft (uncommon)

• Pristine Drive Shaft (rare)

Higher-level Landcruisers have better drop rates for the rarer versions, so don't waste your resin on the lower-level enemies if you're AR 50+.

Elysium Talent Books

These talent materials can be farmed from the Lightless Capital domain in Nod-Krai, but only on specific days:

• Tuesday

• Friday

• Sunday

Mark your calendars accordingly, or prepare to use Dream Solvent to convert other talent materials!

Silken Feather

This trounce material drops from The Knave inside the Scattered Ruins domain. Players who've reached AR 40 can challenge this domain using the Quick Challenge function, even if they haven't completed Arlecchino's Story Quest.

People Also Ask

Is Aino worth building in 2025's meta?

Absolutely! As the game's first and only Hydro claymore user, Aino fills a unique niche. Her kit allows for consistent Hydro application with claymore attack speed, making her excellent for vaporize and freeze teams. In the current meta, she pairs exceptionally well with the newest Pyro characters and remains competitive with other Hydro applicators.

What's the best weapon for Aino?

For 5-star options, the "Tidal Crusher" released in 2.9 is her BiS, but "Wolf's Gravestone" and "Skyward Pride" are excellent alternatives. For F2P players, the craftable "Prototype Archaic" or the fishing reward "Luxurious Sea-Lord" provide solid performance.

How long does it take to fully build Aino?

Assuming you're starting from scratch and playing approximately 1-2 hours daily, expect to spend about 3-4 weeks gathering all necessary materials. The biggest time-gates will be the weekly boss materials and resin-limited resources.

Building Aino: The Ultimate Mechanical Genius

Aino represents the perfect fusion of Nod-Krai's mechanical prowess and Hydro's flowing adaptability. Her journey from a humble craftsperson to a vision-bearer mirrors the player's own journey of collecting and piecing together the materials needed to maximize her potential.

As you gather Portable Bearings from around her workshop and defeat the very mechanical creatures she helped design, you'll develop a deeper appreciation for this character's lore and place in Teyvat. The irony of using parts from her own creations to strengthen her isn't lost on Aino herself, who often quips about "recycling for efficiency" during idle animations.

In the words of Nod-Krai's finest engineer: "Every discarded part has potential; you just need the right vision to see it." And that's exactly what building Aino is all about – seeing the potential in scattered resources across Teyvat and bringing them together to create something remarkable.

So grab your claymore, prepare your resin, and dive into the mechanical wonderland of Nod-Krai. With patience and persistence, you'll transform the free character everyone receives into a Hydro powerhouse that's truly "built different," as the kids say these days. After all, in Genshin Impact as in life, the most rewarding builds are often the ones that require the most dedication to complete.