Nilou teams are capable of significant damage, but there’s a catch. Nilou’s ability to turn everyday Dendro Cores into potent bombs only works when her teammates are all Dendro or Hydro. So, given this strict team restriction, what are Nilou’s best teams?
Teambuilding advice for Nilou
Nilou’s best teams are usually double Dendro, double Hydro. This means there should be a total of two Dendro characters and two Hydro characters, including Nilou herself. Having two of each element means you can trigger Bloom more often, resulting in more Dendro Cores and more explosions. While you can try to increase Bloom damage by building Elemental Mastery on your characters, it’s often better to just maximize the sheer number of Blooms by applying as much Dendro and Hydro as possible.
You should also remember to bring a healer. When Dendro Cores explode, they deal damage to everyone in their blast radius, yourself included. While you take reduced damage from Dendro Cores compared to enemies, it’s easy to accidentally die from self-damage.
Best Dendro teammates for Nilou
Pick two Dendro characters from this list. Remember that you need a healer in your team, and try to only have one dedicated on-fielder in total. This list is in general order of recommendation.
| Character | Notes |
| Nahida | Can apply lots of off-field Dendro. Not good for multi-wave content. |
| Dendro Traveler | Applies good off-field Dendro. Recommended for multi-wave content. |
| Baizhu* | Applies some off-field Dendro, potent healer. |
| Yaoyao* | Applies some off-field Dendro, but requires field time to do bulk of her healing. |
| Collei | Applies some off-field Dendro, but her Skill targeting is janky. |
| Alhaitham | Must be played on-field, but applies lots of Dendro. |
| Kirara | Must be played on-field and is unable to use Normal Attacks. Has a strong shield, though. |
Best Hydro teammates for Nilou
Pick one Hydro character from this list. Remember that you need a healer in your team, and try to only have one dedicated on-fielder in total. This list is in general order of recommendation.
| Character | Notes |
| Xingqiu | Applies lots of off-field Hydro and provides damage reduction. |
| Yelan | Applies lots of off-field Hydro. |
| Kokomi* | Applies good Hydro in an AoE and can heal your team. Can be either on-field or off-field. |
| Furina | Applies decent off-field Hydro, but her HP drain can make survival more difficult. |
| Kamisato Ayato | Applies good Hydro, can be played on-field or off-field. |
| Tartaglia/Childe | Applies lots of on-field Hydro, but must be played on-field in strict rotations. |
| Candace | Only recommended at Constellation 6. Provides decent off-field Hydro. |
| Barbara* | Hydro application is unreliable, but can heal your team. |
| Sigewinne* | Hydro application is unreliable, but can heal your team. |
Can Nilou be used outside of Bloom teams?
Optimally, Nilou should not be played in anything other than pure Bloom teams. While it’s possible to play Nilou in Hyperbloom or Vaporize teams, these teams don’t make full use of Nilou’s kit. Vaporize teams, in particular, require a heavily invested Nilou with high Constellations. Nilou is optimized to turn Bloom into a powerful reaction. Take advantage of her unique kit and fill the world with green explosions.
That said, if you’re dying to try out a nontraditional Nilou team, go for it! These guidelines are just based on what’s optimal and are not intended to police your gameplay. However you decide to play your Nilou, I hope you have a great time with her.
