Guide
How the kit works
Set up your teammates' effects, then use Canopy Hunter: Riding High near an opponent. Kinich attaches a hook and enters Nightsoul's Blessing with zero points. The state lasts 10 seconds and generates two points per second.
Use Normal Attacks while hooked to fire Loop Shots. Move in the direction you want to circle: each shot generates three points and counts as Elemental Skill DMG. Step into the Blind Spot that appears beside the opponent after grappling or firing the Cannon for four more points. If the connection breaks, a Normal Attack reconnects to a nearby opponent before firing.
At maximum points, use the Skill again to fire Scalespiker Cannon, consuming all points for Dendro damage. Hold it if you need to aim. Opponents hit by the Skill enter the Desolation state from The Price of Desolation; Burning or Burgeon damage against them restores seven points, up to once every 0.8 seconds.
Use Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord during Nightsoul's Blessing to extend it by 1.7 seconds. It deals AoE Dendro damage, followed by Dragon Breath at intervals. Flame Spirit Pact also gives Kinich a stack when a nearby party member triggers a Nightsoul Burst. The next Cannon consumes up to two stacks, each adding damage equal to 320% of his ATK.
Away from a target, the Skill instead lets you swing and reduces its cooldown by 60%. After that swing, Nightsun Style (NA) allows an attack in mid-air. Night Realm's Gift: Repaid in Full lets you spend 10 Phlogiston on another swing; in Natlan areas with Phlogiston Mechanics, it also enables Nightsoul Transmission.
Build and why
Use four pieces of Obsidian Codex. Its two-piece effect adds 15% damage while Kinich is on field in Nightsoul's Blessing, and consuming a point on field gives him 40% CRIT Rate for six seconds. Cannon spends points, so the set fits his usual rotation.
Four pieces of Unfinished Reverie are an alternative for a Burning team. Its damage bonus can reach 50%, but falls in combat if no Burning opponent is nearby for more than six seconds. Golden Troupe is another option: its two- and four-piece effects increase Elemental Skill DMG, though its extra off-field bonus clears two seconds after taking the field. A teammate can instead wear Deepwood Memories to reduce targets' Dendro RES after Skill or Burst hits.
For main stats, take ATK Percentage on the sands, Dendro DMG Bonus or ATK Percentage on the goblet, and CRIT DMG or CRIT Rate on the circlet. Look for CRIT DMG, ATK Percentage, CRIT Rate and Energy Recharge in substats. Account for Obsidian Codex's CRIT Rate when choosing the circlet and substats.
Fang of the Mountain King is the first weapon choice: Skill hits and a nearby party member's Burning or Burgeon reactions build stacks that increase Skill and Burst damage. A Thousand Blazing Suns gives CRIT DMG and ATK after a Skill or Burst. Beacon of the Reed Sea gives ATK after a Skill hit and after taking damage. Earth Shaker is a four-star option that increases Skill damage after a party member triggers a Pyro-related reaction.
Leveling priority
A sensible talent order is Canopy Hunter: Riding High first, Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord second, then Nightsun Style (NA). Loop Shots count as Skill damage and the Cannon is part of the Skill, so that talent covers much of his fighting time. The Burst adds damage, while the basic talent is less important during the grapple.
For ascension, collect Saurian Claw Succulent, Overripe Flamegranate and the Nagadus Emerald materials. You will also need Juvenile Fang, Seasoned Fang, Tyrant's Fang and Mora. Those Fang materials are needed for talents too.
Talent upgrades use Teachings of Kindling, Guide to Kindling and Philosophies of Kindling, along with Denial and Judgment and Mora. Crowning all three talents takes three Crown of Insight.
Constellations worth it
Tiger Beetle's Palm is the standout upgrade. Skill hits reduce an opponent's Dendro RES by 30% for six seconds, and the first Cannon after entering Nightsoul's Blessing gains a larger AoE and 100% more damage.
Auspicious Beast's Shape is worth considering as a later upgrade: after Cannon hits, it bounces once between opponents for Dendro damage equal to 700% of ATK. The bounce can also receive the relevant Flame Spirit Pact and Tiger Beetle's Palm buffs if they apply to the original shot.
Parrot's Beak is an earlier option that adds 100% CRIT DMG to Cannon. You can stay at C0 or stop at C2 rather than pursue later constellations. Howler Monkey's Tail, for example, raises Burst level rather than the Skill that includes Cannon.
Common mistakes
Do not wait at maximum Nightsoul points while continuing to circle. Fire Scalespiker Cannon, then resume building points. Watch for the Blind Spot after grappling or firing; missing its four points slows the next shot.
Do not assume Loop Shots benefit from every Normal Attack damage bonus. You trigger them with Normal Attacks, but their damage counts as Elemental Skill DMG. Build and level talents with that distinction in mind.
Do not use Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord before entering Nightsoul's Blessing if you want its 1.7-second extension. Also check that a Burning opponent is nearby when relying on Unfinished Reverie, and avoid ignoring the CRIT Rate already supplied by Obsidian Codex.
