Hey fellow Travelers! Let's talk about one of the most dynamic and downright fun four-star characters to come out of Liyue in recent years: Gaming. As a seasoned player who's been tackling the Spiral Abyss since 2026, I can confidently say that building him right unlocks a powerhouse capable of handling all the game's toughest challenges. Pyro has always been a fan-favorite element, and HoYoverse continues to deliver with characters who are not just powerful but incredibly engaging to play. Gaming, with his unique lion dancer aesthetic and plunge-focused playstyle, is a perfect example of this philosophy. Forget button-mashing; mastering him is about rhythm, positioning, and chasing down that adorable spectral lion, Man Chai.
🦁 The Best Gaming Builds: A DPS Powerhouse
The beauty of Gaming's kit lies in its fluidity and low cooldowns, making him a blast for both exploration and intense combat. His Elemental Skill, "Bestial Ascent," is the core of his identity. You can use it to leap forward, and if you hit a wall or an enemy, you'll soar high into the air for a powerful, Pyro-infused Plunge Attack. The real magic happens after using his Elemental Burst, "Suanni's Gilded Dance," which summons Man Chai and lets you spam this skill for a short, exhilarating window. To maximize his damage, you need to actively chase Man Chai to recover HP and reset your Skill. It's an active, engaging playstyle that rewards skill.
Thankfully, building him is relatively straightforward with some clear frontrunners for artifacts and armaments.
General DPS / Fontaine Power Build
For the majority of players, the Marechaussee Hunter artifact set is the definitive best-in-slot. Released in Fontaine, this set is a match made in heaven for characters with fluctuating HP. Since both Gaming's Skill and Burst change his HP, he can easily maintain the full 36% Crit Rate bonus from the 4-piece effect. This frees up your artifact substats to focus heavily on Crit DMG, creating a monstrous damage dealer.
When it comes to weapons, you have several excellent choices:
| Weapon | Rarity | Key Benefit | Best For... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon of the Reed Sea | 5★ | Massive ATK & Crit Rate boost; utilizes all stats. | Ultimate damage potential. |
| Wolf's Gravestone | 5★ | Huge ATK% substat and powerful team ATK buff. | Raw power and team support. |
| Lithic Blade | 4★ | High ATK% and Crit Rate with Liyue teammates. | Dedicated Liyue team comps. |
| Tidal Shadow | 4★ | Great ATK boost after healing, synergizes with his kit. | Accessible and effective F2P option. |
A quick note on Lithic Blade: This weapon truly shines when you surround Gaming with fellow Liyue natives. This is surprisingly easy with top-tier supports like Yelan, Xingqiu, and Xianyun for Vaporize teams, or Xiangling for Mono-Pyro compositions. The stat boost can rival some 5-star options!
Elemental Reaction Driver Build
If your strategy revolves heavily around triggering Vaporize, Melt, or Overloaded reactions, an alternative build can sometimes edge out the Hunter set. For this role, the classic Crimson Witch of Flames set is your go-to. Its 4-piece effect provides a direct damage bonus to Pyro-related reactions, which can be a massive 40% boost for Vaporize and Melt. Unlike Marechaussee, you'll also actively benefit from the solid 2-piece Pyro DMG bonus.
Weapon choices shift slightly for this build:
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Beacon of the Reed Sea and Wolf's Gravestone remain top-tier.
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Serpent Spine (Battle Pass weapon) becomes an exceptional 4-star choice because Gaming will be on-field often to maintain its stacks and its Crit Rate substat is always valuable.
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Blackcliff Slasher (Starglitter Shop) is a strong F2P alternative, offering Crit DMG to balance your stats.
📊 Artifact Stat Priority: Building a Balanced Beast
Once you've chosen your artifact set, it's time to farm for the perfect pieces. Gaming's stat priorities are refreshingly standard for a main DPS, making him less of a headache to optimize than some other characters.
Here’s the breakdown of what to look for on each artifact piece:
| Artifact Type | Main Stat Priority | Substats Priority (in order) |
|---|---|---|
| Flower (Fixed HP) | HP (Fixed) | Crit Rate / Crit DMG > Energy Recharge > ATK% |
| Plume (Fixed ATK) | ATK (Fixed) | Crit Rate / Crit DMG > Energy Recharge > ATK% |
| Sands | ATK% | Crit Rate / Crit DMG > Energy Recharge > Elemental Mastery* |
| Goblet | Pyro DMG Bonus% | Crit Rate / Crit DMG > Energy Recharge > ATK% |
| Circlet | Crit Rate or Crit DMG% (Balance your ratio) | The opposite Crit stat > Energy Recharge > ATK% |
* Elemental Mastery becomes a higher-priority substat (sometimes even competing for the main stat on the Sands in a reaction-focused Crimson Witch build) if you are running him as a Vaporize or Melt driver. For the general Marechaussee build, ATK% is typically better.
The goal is to aim for a 70:140 Crit Ratio as a baseline, which the Marechaussee set makes incredibly achievable. Don't neglect Energy Recharge entirely; around 120-140% is usually comfortable to ensure his Burst is ready off-cooldown, especially without a dedicated battery like Bennett.
⭐ Talent Priority: Don't Be Fooled!
This is where many players get tripped up initially. Reading his talents can be misleading!
His Elemental Skill description states that the subsequent Plunge Attack is considered Plunging Attack DMG. This might lead you to think you need to level his Normal Attack talent. This is incorrect! The damage from the plunge after his Skill uses a separate multiplier that scales exclusively with his Elemental Skill talent level.
Therefore, your upgrade path should be crystal clear:
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Elemental Skill (Bestial Ascent) = TOP PRIORITY. This is your main source of damage. Crown this if you love him!
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Elemental Burst (Suanni's Gilded Dance) = Secondary Priority. Leveling this increases the flat DMG bonus it provides to your Plunging Attacks and the healing from Man Chai. Very important.
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Normal Attacks = Lowest Priority. Only level these up last, or if you find yourself using his basic attack combos frequently during his downtime. For most optimized rotations, you'll be swapping to supports, making this a luxury upgrade.
So, to sum it all up: equip Marechaussee Hunter, grab a hard-hitting Claymore, prioritize Crit and ATK stats, and pour all your talent books into his Skill first. Master the dance of chasing Man Chai and leaping through the air, and you'll have a fiery, four-star champion who can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. Happy gaming with Gaming!