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Xingqiu Guide: A Moment of Solitude

Updated for Version 4.0
Official Xingqiu Art by HoYoverse
Official Xingqiu Art by HoYoverse

A Xingqiu Guide
Written by chasing_haze, quinslay, .reimu.

I am most grateful for your company on my journey.

Introduction

Xingqiu is a powerful Hydro Sword user in Genshin Impact who is widely known for his Hydro application. Hydro is one of the most valuable Elements for reactions, which is why Xingqiu is useful in a wide variety of reaction-based teams. As of version 4.0, Xingqiu is currently one of the best off-field Hydro appliers in the game, being useful on a wide variety of teams.

Xingqiu is also an off-field DPS. In addition to his ability to apply Hydro, he can deal significant off-field damage.

On top of the aforementioned roles, Xingqiu has access to healing, damage reduction, interruption resistance, and other utilities, further cementing his role as one of Genshin Impact's best, most versatile characters.

This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of Xingqiu’s weapons, artifacts, substats, combos, teams, and everything in between.

Why Play Xingqiu?

Pros

  • Provides the most consistent and convenient off-field Hydro application.
  • Deals high off-field single-target damage.
  • Provides comfort through damage reduction, interruption resistance and small healing.
  • Highly flexible and creates synergy with a variety of teams.
  • Great unit at C0 and only gets better with Constellations.
  • Viable for end-game content at low investment.
  • F2P friendly as a 4-star unit with decent and obtainable weapon options.
  • Easily obtainable from Paimon’s Bargains and Lantern Rite.
  • Best shorts in the game.

Cons

  • Energy-hungry (80 Energy Burst Cost).
  • Hard to use in the early game because of Energy needs.
  • Difficult to build optimally without Constellations.
  • Gated by long cooldowns that can desynchronize rotations.
  • Limited AoE abilities.

TL;DR

Xingqiu Infographic

Glossary

Show Glossary

General Terms

Area of Effect (AoE)An area in which certain attacks or passives take effect.
ADCIndicates the main stats of the last 3 artifact pieces equipped on a character (i.e., ATK% Sands, DMG Bonus Goblet and CRIT Circlet).
BatteryA character whose role is to help recharge another character’s Burst — usually another character of the same Element. A common technique used to battery a character is funneling.
BufferA character whose role is to increase one or more characters’ damage via buffs or enemy debuffs.
Damage per Second (DPS)Though traditionally referring to a way to measure how much damage a character deals, DPS can also be used synonymously to “damage” and “damage dealer” (e.g., Xingqiu provides off-field Hydro DPS; he is a Hydro DPS unit).
Elemental AuraThe presence of an Element onto a character or enemy that can be reacted with using another element (e.g., an enemy that has been applied with the Hydro Element now has a Hydro aura on them).
Elemental RES ShredIt is an effect applied on the enemy so that matching Elemental damage deals more damage to said enemy. Not to be confused with Elemental DMG Bonus (Elemental DMG%), which is a stat granted on the character rather than the enemy.
Energy / Energy ParticlesEnergy is the “currency” to use a character’s Burst. Energy particles are mainly dropped by enemies and created by characters’ Elemental Skills. How much the Burst recharges per particle caught is affected by the Element of the Energy particle, whether the character is on-field or off-field, and the character’s Energy Recharge (ER%) stat.
FunnelingGenerating Energy particles with one character but switching to another character. This allows the new character to catch the generated Energy particles and receive more Energy for their Burst.
GroupingRefers to being able to pull in enemies towards a single location. Allows for ease of play and saves time from moving towards scattered enemies. Due to the nature of some AoE attacks, it can be a damage increase to have enemies close together. Example: Venti’s Burst. 
Internal Cooldown (ICD)A game mechanism that limits how often an Element can be applied and reacted with. ICD is counted separately for each enemy and can have a hit rule, a time rule, or both. Standard ICD is every 3 hits or 2.5s.
Interruption ResistanceA character with interruption resistance is less likely to stop their attacks when hit by an opponent. Often a QoL and DPS improvement, especially for characters who would like to perform a full string of attacks.
Quality of Life (QoL)Usability or convenience improvements in relation to gameplay.
QuickswapA team archetype with generally flexible rotations.
RotationA recommended order — usually to maximize damage — in an ideal scenario that characters in a team should use their abilities.
SnapshotAn ability that snapshots is one that deals damage based on the stats of the character when it was cast. Example: Bennett’s Burst gives Xiangling a Flat ATK buff; Xiangling’s Burst snapshots the buff; even if Bennett’s Burst expires, Xiangling’s Burst will still deal damage as if the buff were active.
Thrilling Tales of Dragons Slayers (TTDS)A 3-star Catalyst that boosts the ATK of the character that swaps in after the holder by 24-48% depending on its refinement.
Viridescent Venerer (VV)An artifact set whose 4-piece set bonus decreases enemies’ Elemental RES by 40% to the Element Swirled by the wearer while on-field.

Combo Notation

EElemental Skill
QElemental Burst
NANormal Attack
N#Number of Normal Attacks
CCharged Attack
PPlunging Attack
hPHigh Plunge
DDash Cancel
#[Combo]Number of times to perform that combo

Talents

Talent Overview

Normal Attack
Normal Attack | Guhua Style

Normal Attack
Performs up to 5 rapid strikes.

Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash 2 rapid sword strikes.

Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.

Xingqiu's Normal Attacks are very mediocre; they aren't boosted by his kit, nor do they have notably high scalings. For the usual off-field DPS Xingqiu, Normal Attacks are seldom used. However, they can be used to trigger weapon passives such as Favonius Sword’s. They are also used when he is on-field and gaining buffs such as Bennett’s Elemental Burst buff, though they provide minimal damage.

Elemental Skill
Elemental Skill | Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen

Xingqiu performs twin strikes with his sword, dealing Hydro DMG. At the same time, this ability creates the maximum number of Rain Swords, which will orbit your active character.

The Rain Swords have the following properties:

  • When a character takes DMG, the Rain Sword will shatter, reducing the amount of DMG taken.
  • Increases the character’s resistance to interruption.
  • 20% of Xingqiu’s Hydro DMG Bonus will be converted to additional DMG Reduction for the Rain Swords.

The maximum amount of additional DMG Reduction that can be gained this way is 24%.

The initial maximum number of Rain Swords is 3.


Using this ability applies the Wet status onto the character.

Xingqiu's Skill makes up around a sixth of his overall damage. It's a 2-hit attack that generates 5 Hydro Particles as well as 3 orbital Rain Swords (4 with C1). The orbitals will always remain on the active character even after switching and have 4 functions.

First, Rain Sword orbitals reduce incoming damage by a percentage based on Xingqiu’s Talent level and Hydro DMG Bonus. As long as there is at least one Rain Sword, the on-field character benefits from the damage reduction.

Second, starting at Ascension 1, Rain Swords provide healing to the active character upon breaking or expiring after 15s. Each Rain Sword heals exactly 6% of Xingqiu’s Max HP, amounting to a total healing of 18% or 24% Max HP at C0 and C1 respectively. Third, they give the on-field character interruption resistance. This can help the on-field character to not get staggered when hit by attacks for a general QoL boost.

Lastly, they apply Hydro to Xingqiu upon cast and to enemies in melee range once every ~2s.

Elemental Burst
Elemental Burst | Guhua Sword: Raincutter

Initiate Rainbow Bladework and fight using an illusory sword rain, while creating the maximum number of Rain Swords.

Rainbow Bladework

  • Your active character’s Normal Attacks will trigger consecutive sword rain attacks, dealing Hydro DMG.
  • Rain Swords will remain at the maximum number throughout the ability’s duration.

The majority of Xingqiu’s damage and Hydro application comes from Raincutter. During the Burst’s duration, Xingqiu’s Rain Sword orbitals do not shatter and consequently do not offer any healing. However, they still provide the active character with damage reduction and interruption resistance.

Xingqiu's Burst launches sword rain attacks at an opponent when the active character triggers a Normal Attack animation. The Normal Attack does not have to deal damage or hit in order for a sword rain to be triggered. Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks only target one opponent at a time and are able to “home” onto enemies; they seldom miss unless the enemy is distant.

Note that Xingqiu's Elemental Burst does NOT snapshot buffs. This means that any buffs obtained after casting his Burst will be applied to subsequent sword rain attacks. Conversely, any buffs that expire during his Burst will not be applied to subsequent sword rain attacks. Xingqiu’s Burst can be complex and difficult to fully understand, so please read the Mechanics section if you want more info.

Ascension 1 Passive
Ascension 1 Passive | Hydropathic

When a Rain Sword is shattered or when its duration expires, it regenerates the current character’s HP based on 6% of Xingqiu’s Max HP.

This is an overall Quality-of-Life passive, since its healing is usually beneficial and can allow Xingqiu to act as the sole defensive option for skilled players. The healing from this Ascension Passive also increases with C1.

Ascension 4 Passive
Ascension 4 Passive | Blades Amidst Raindrops

Xingqiu gains a 20% Hydro DMG Bonus.

A simple but useful 20% increase to Xingqiu’s Hydro DMG Bonus. Also increases the damage reduction from Xingqiu’s Elemental Skill.

Utility Passive
Utility Passive | Flash of Genius

When Xingqiu crafts Character Talent Materials, he has a 25% chance to refund a portion of the crafting materials used.

A nifty Utility Passive that can give some Character Talent Materials back after crafting them to a higher rarity.

Talent Priority

> >>

Burst > Skill >> NA

Xingqiu’s Elemental Burst is what makes him such a powerful unit, so prioritize leveling it. After this comes his Elemental Skill, which does a good amount of damage and shouldn’t be neglected. His Normal Attack Talent can be ignored, as it represents a negligible portion of his overall damage even when Xingqiu is played on-field. 

Constellations

Xingqiu has some of the best Constellations for a 4-star character, so let's look at how useful they are. Constellation DPS increases are averaged between all weapons listed in the weapons section.

Constellation 1
Constellation 1 | The Scent Remained

Increases the maximum number of Rain Swords by 1.

This Constellation increases the total number of Rain Sword orbitals generated from Xingqiu’s Skill and Burst, which improves healing and damage reduction. However, it does not affect his Burst damage or Hydro application.

DPS Increase from Constellation 0DPS Increase from Previous Constellation
0%0%
Constellation 2
Constellation 2 | Rainbow Upon the Azure Sky

Extends the duration of Guhua Sword: Raincutter by 3s.
Decreases the Hydro RES of opponents hit by sword rain attacks by 15% for 4s.

This Constellation is pretty significant. It increases the time Xingqiu can keep up Hydro application with the 3s of additional uptime. These 3s allow him to fire up to a total of 45 sword rain attacks instead of 37 at C0. It also increases the team’s Hydro damage via its Hydro RES Shred, making Xingqiu a valuable support for teams with other Hydro DPS units.

DPS Increase from Constellation 0DPS Increase from Previous Constellation
28%28%
Constellation 3
Constellation 3 | Weaver of Verses

Increases the Level of Guhua Sword: Raincutter by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.

A fairly simple but large boost to Xingqiu’s damage, as his Burst is his highest-damaging Talent.

DPS Increase from Constellation 0DPS Increase from Previous Constellation
48%15%
Constellation 4
Constellation 4 | Evilsoother

Throughout the duration of Guhua Sword: Raincutter, the DMG dealt by Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen is increased by 50%.

This Constellation does not force Xingqiu to use his Elemental Skill after his Burst, since it can be impractical to catch his Elemental Skill particles in such a combo. That said, the damage increase is worthwhile when the rotation is practical, especially when further buffs to Xingqiu are at play. With this, it is recommended to catch Xingqiu’s Skill particles, otherwise his ER needs increase significantly.

DPS Increase from Constellation 0DPS Increase from Previous Constellation
48-57%0-6%
Constellation 5
Constellation 5 | Embrace of Rain

Increases the Level of Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.

Though this Constellation is still nice, only a small portion of Xingqiu’s overall damage comes from his Elemental Skill, making it less significant than his other Constellations.

DPS Increase from Constellation 0DPS Increase from Previous Constellation
51-61%2-3%
Constellation 6
Constellation 6 | Hence, Call Them My Own Verses

Activating 2 of Guhua Sword: Raincutter‘s sword rain attacks greatly enhances the third sword rain attack. On hit, the third sword rain attack also regenerates 3 Energy for Xingqiu.

Xingqiu’s final Constellation is by far his best. It changes his sword rain attack to a 2–3–5 pattern and allows for a maximum of 60 sword rain attacks instead of 45 previously. This substantially increases his damage and Hydro application due to the increased number of Hydro hits.

Additionally, due to the Energy refund, Xingqiu’s ER needs are significantly lowered, which allows increased investment in offensive stats or changing equipment to maximize his personal damage. This Constellation is an amazing capstone to Xingqiu and benefits him both as a support and DPS.

DPS Increase from Constellation 0DPS Increase from Previous Constellation
121-132%44-46%

Playstyles

Off-Field DPS

Notable Constellations
C2, C3, C6

Xingqiu’s standard build works to get his Burst up as frequently as possible for its Hydro application and damage. This allows his teammates to trigger reactions that are crucial for their DPS. His Hydro application by itself is sufficient for most teams, making additional Hydro units unnecessary in order to maintain an aura.

However, his Burst, which deals the majority of his damage, does not snapshot buffs, meaning Xingqiu’s damage potential is limited by being off-field. His ER needs are also higher since less Energy is collected while off-field. Additionally, his 21s rotation may not synchronize with your on-field DPS’s cooldowns, presenting issues with units like Yoimiya and Hu Tao.

On-Field DPS

Notable Constellations
C2, C3, C6

Xingqiu can be used as an on-field DPS to maximize his personal damage potential. In doing so, he benefits from buffs that are only applied to on-field characters, such as the Flat ATK buff from Bennett’s Burst. The downside is that using Xingqiu on-field may lead to lower team damage compared to a more conventional on-field unit like Yoimiya or Hu Tao. However, on-field Xingqiu can still be useful in teams where no clear-cut on-field DPS is present and Xingqiu is the best user of buffs.

Nuke

Notable Constellations
C2, C4, C5

The nuke playstyle revolves around dealing massive damage with Xingqiu’s Elemental Skill. Although impractical in the Abyss and other endgame content, it is still viable and may be fun in the overworld.

This guide will not cover the nuke playstyle in depth.

Gearing

Xingqiu Art by 天谷ゆな
Art by 天谷ゆな

Now onto the fun stuff: putting weapons and artifacts on Xingqiu. His builds aren't straightforward as Xingqiu builds aim to balance his ability to support the team with his ability to deal personal damage.

Weapons

Because Xingqiu’s C6 changes his build, his weapon recommendations change accordingly.

All values are calculated in accordance with KQM Calculation Standards, assuming an EQ rotation (EEQ for Sacrificial Sword) and ER requirements of 235% at C0–5 and 190% at C6 unless marked otherwise. Ranking is based on DPS%, which only takes Xingqiu’s personal damage into account. The DPS% is the relative damage that Xingqiu does with the equipped weapon compared to Favonius Sword.

C0-5
C6

Constellation 0-5 Weapons

Assumptions: Xingqiu 4.0 Weapon Calculations

DPS% are listed as a percentage comparison to Favonius Sword.

WeaponDPS%Notes
Primordial Jade Cutter R1
119%Jade Cutter is Xingqiu’s BiS weapon: it provides high CRIT Rate and an HP to Flat ATK conversion that helps with his lack of ATK when running an ER Sands.
Mistsplitter Reforged R1
112%Though only 1 stack of Mistplitter’s passive is consistently achieved, the CRIT DMG secondary stat makes the weapon a formidable option on Xingqiu.
Becomes moderately better if Xingqiu attacks on-field with an Elemental Infusion.
Haran Geppaku Futsu R1
109%Even though the second part of Haran’s passive is useless on an off-field Xingqiu, it is still a formidable stat stick.
Becomes moderately better if Xingqiu attacks on-field.
Light of Foliar Incision R1
107%Pretty much a CRIT stat stick. Foliar falls behind other stat sticks because of its low Base ATK.
Skyward Blade R1
106%Skyward is a very comfortable option due to the ER substat and some minor CRIT Rate from the passive.
Wolf-Fang R5
105%Wolf-Fang is a great option for Xingqiu available through the Battle Pass. Though Xingqiu will not achieve max stacks of the passive unless he stays on-field. This weapon performs extremely well even without full stacks.
Sacrificial Sword R3+
103%Calculated with an ER need of 180% Assumed to always trigger passive

Sacrificial is a solid choice on Xingqiu. It lets him cast his Burst with relatively low ER, and allows him to cast 2 Skills per rotation starting at R3. However, Sacrificial extends rotations if the passive triggers and leads to an Energy deficit if it doesn’t, both of which are a loss in team damage. Check the "Sacrificial vs. Favonius" section for more information.
Summit Shaper R1
104%Oftentimes, only 1–2 stacks of Summit’s passive can be achieved on Xingqiu, making it less useful.
Finale of the Deep R5
101%
(With Bond)

96%
(No Bond)
Finale of the Deep provides a large amount of ATK, with the condition that Xingqiu is healed a sizable amount. As such, the value of this weapon depends on the team's ability to clear the Bond of Life.
Fleuve Cendre Ferryman R5
100%Fleuve Cendre is a weapon obtainable for free from fishing that provides a huge amount of ER for Xingqiu. As such, Xingqiu can focus on building more offensive stats. It also provides Skill CRIT Rate, but that is less noteworthy outside of a nuke build.
Favonius Sword
100%Calculated with an ER need of 195%

Favonius Sword is essentially a more comfortable Sacrificial Sword at the cost of some minor personal damage. The generated Clear Particles also benefit team members and help with their ER needs. If Xingqiu doesn’t trigger its passive from his Skill, it is recommended to do a Normal Attack after his Burst. Check the "Sacrificial vs. Favonius" section for more information.
Wolf-Fang R1
98%Wolf-Fang is a great option for Xingqiu available through the Battle Pass. Though Xingqiu will not achieve max stacks of the passive unless he stays on-field. This weapon performs extremely well even without full stacks.
Amenoma Kageuchi R5
98%Calculated with an ER need of 200%

While only 1 stack of Amenoma’s passive is obtainable, Xingqiu’s ER requirements are still reduced.
Lion’s Roar R5
89% 
(Inactive)

96% 
(50% Uptime)

103% 
(100% Uptime)
The usefulness of Lion’s Roar heavily depends on the prevalence of an Electro or Pyro aura on opponents. Since Xingqiu’s Hydro application rate is very high, maintaining a Pyro aura is difficult. However, Electro-Charged and Hyperbloom/Quickbloom teams allow the passive to be active since Electro and Hydro auras can coexist. In these teams, Lion’s Roar can be a decent choice.
Finale of the Deep R1
96%
(With Bond)

92%
(No Bond)
Finale of the Deep provides a large amount of ATK, with the condition that Xingqiu is healed a sizable amount. As such, the value of this weapon depends on the team's ability to clear the Bond of Life.
Aquila Favonia R1
96%Despite the Physical DMG Bonus substat, Aquila is still potent for having high Base ATK and giving 20% ATK from its passive.
Becomes moderately better if Xingqiu attacks on-field without an Elemental Infusion.
Harbinger of Dawn R5
93% 
(Active)

75% (Inactive)
A good early-game weapon especially with high passive uptime. However, without the passive, Harbinger does poorly. It is recommended to run a healer or a shielder to maximize passive uptime.
Lion’s Roar R1
89% 
(Inactive)

93% 
(50% Uptime)

97% 
(100% Uptime)
The usefulness of Lion’s Roar heavily depends on the prevalence of an Electro or Pyro aura on opponents. Since Xingqiu’s Hydro application rate is very high, maintaining a Pyro aura is difficult.

However, Electro-Charged and Hyperbloom/Quickbloom teams allow the passive to be active since Electro and Hydro auras can coexist. In these teams, Lion’s Roar can be a decent choice.
Amenoma Kageuchi R1
92%Calculated with an ER need of 218%

Essentially the best non-gacha weapon. While only 1 stack of Amenoma's passive is obtainable, Xingqiu’s ER requirements are still reduced.
Festering Desire R5
92%A rounded option on Xingqiu. However, Festering Desire’s Skill DMG Bonus isn’t very useful on Xingqiu as most of his damage comes from his Burst.
Freedom-Sworn R1
90%
(Active)
Freedom-Sworn provides a decent buff to Normal/Charged/Plunging Attack DPS units, but Xingqiu sacrifices a lot of personal damage to use this weapon. Assuming he can reliably activate the passive — often when Xingqiu triggers Bloom or Electro-Charged — his teams appreciate the various buffs it provides.
Sapwood Blade
90%Only recommended over other options if a teammate heavily benefits from the EM gained from the Leaf of Consciousness. Since Sapwood’s passive can only trigger when Dendro is present, it is useless in many teams.
Sacrificial Sword R1 / R2
87%Calculated with an ER need of 225%

Before R3, Sacrificial Sword’s cooldown is longer than that of Xingqiu’s Skill, meaning that it only triggers every other rotation. This and the passive’s low triggering chance make the weapon a poor choice on Xingqiu until higher refinements. Check the "Sacrificial vs. Favonius" section for more information.

Constellation 6 Weapons

Assumptions: Xingqiu 4.0 Weapon Calculations

Non-ER weapons see an increase in ranking because Constellation 6 drastically decreases Xingqiu’s ER requirements.

DPS% are listed as a percentage comparison to Favonius Sword.

WeaponDPS%Notes
Primordial Jade Cutter R1
137%Jade Cutter is C6 Xingqiu’s BiS weapon. It provides high CRIT Rate and an HP to Flat ATK conversion that helps with his lack of ATK when running an ER Sands. At C6, this weapon becomes significantly better since Xingqiu can allot more stats into offensive stats.
Mistsplitter Reforged R1 
129%Though only 1 stack of Mistplitter’s passive is consistently achieved, the CRIT DMG secondary stat makes the weapon a formidable option on Xingqiu.

Becomes moderately better if Xingqiu attacks on-field with an Elemental Infusion.
Haran Geppaku Futsu R1 
124%Even though the second part of Haran’s passive is useless on an off-field Xingqiu, it is still a formidable stat stick.
Becomes moderately better if Xingqiu attacks on-field.
Light of Foliar Incision R1
121%Pretty much a CRIT stat stick. It falls behind the other stat sticks because of its low Base ATK.
Wolf-Fang R5
121%Wolf-Fang is a great option for Xingqiu available through the Battle Pass. Though Xingqiu will not achieve max stacks of the passive unless he stays on-field. This weapon performs extremely well even without full stacks.
Skyward Blade R1
120%Skyward is a very comfortable option due to the ER substat and some minor CRIT Rate from the passive.
Finale of the Deep R5
117%
(With Bond)

109%
(No Bond)
Finale of the Deep provides a large amount of ATK, with the condition that Xingqiu is healed a sizable amount. As such, the value of this weapon depends on the team's ability to clear the Bond of Life.
Summit Shaper R1
117%Oftentimes, only 1–2 stacks of its passive can be achieved on Xingqiu, making it less useful.
Wolf-Fang R1
112%Wolf-Fang is a great option for Xingqiu available through the Battle Pass. Though Xingqiu will not achieve max stacks of the passive unless he stays on-field. This weapon performs extremely well even without full stacks.
Lion’s Roar R5
100% 
(Inactive)

109% 
(50% Uptime)

117% 
(100% Uptime)
The usefulness of Lion’s Roar heavily depends on the prevalence of an Electro or Pyro aura on opponents. Since Xingqiu’s Hydro application rate is very high, maintaining a Pyro aura is difficult.

However, Electro-Charged and Hyperbloom/Quickbloom teams allow the passive to be active since Electro and Hydro auras can coexist. In these teams, Lion’s Roar can be quite potent depending on Electro aura uptime.
Finale of the Deep R1
109%
(With Bond)

105%
(No Bond)
Finale of the Deep provides a large amount of ATK, with the condition that Xingqiu is healed a sizable amount. As such, the value of this weapon depends on the team's ability to clear the Bond of Life.
Aquila Favonia R1
109%Despite the Physical DMG Bonus substat, Aquila is still potent for having high Base ATK and giving 20% ATK from its passive.
Becomes moderately better if Xingqiu attacks on-field without an Elemental Infusion.
Fleuve Cendre Ferryman R5
107%Fleuve Cendre is a weapon obtainable for free from fishing that provides a huge amount of ER for Xingqiu. As such, Xingqiu can focus on building more offensive stats. It also provides Skill CRIT Rate, but that is less noteworthy outside of a nuke build.
Lion’s Roar R1
100% 
(Inactive)

106% 
(50% Uptime)

110% 
(100% Uptime)
The usefulness of Lion’s Roar heavily depends on the prevalence of an Electro or Pyro aura on opponents. Since Xingqiu’s Hydro application rate is very high, maintaining a Pyro aura is difficult.

However, Electro-Charged and Hyperbloom/Quickbloom teams allow the passive to be active since Electro and Hydro auras can coexist. In these teams, Lion’s Roar can be quite potent depending on Electro aura uptime.
Amenoma Kageuchi R5
105%Calculated with an ER need of 156%

Essentially the best non-gacha weapon. While only 1 stack of Amenoma’s passive is obtainable, Xingqiu’s ER requirements are still reduced. At C6 this essentially reduces his Burst Cost to ~54.
Harbinger of Dawn R5
105% 
(Active)

82% (Inactive)
A good early-game weapon especially with high passive uptime. However, without the passive, Harbinger does poorly. It is recommended to run a healer and/or a shielder to maximize passive uptime.
Festering Desire R5 
103%A very rounded option on Xingqiu. However, Festering Desire’s Skill DMG Bonus isn’t very useful on Xingqiu as most of his damage comes from his Burst. C6 provides the substats needed for it to be viable over other options though.
Freedom-Sworn R1
103%
(Active)
Freedom-Sworn provides a decent buff to Normal/Charged/Plunging Attack DPS units, but Xingqiu sacrifices a lot of personal damage to use this weapon. Assuming he can reliably activate the passive — often when Xingqiu triggers Bloom or Electro-Charged — his teams appreciate the various buffs it provides.
Amenoma Kageuchi R1
100%Calculated with an ER need of 173%

Essentially the best non-gacha weapon. While only 1 stack of Amenoma’s passive is obtainable, Xingqiu’s ER requirements are still appreciably reduced. At C6, this essentially reduces his Burst Cost to ~60.
Favonius Sword
100%Calculated with an ER need of 162%

Similar to Sacrificial, Favonius becomes less useful at C6 due to Xingqiu not being as reliant on ER. However, the Clear Particles are useful in helping the team’s ER needs as well as his own. Check the "Sacrificial vs. Favonius" section for more information.
Sapwood Blade
100%Only recommended over other options if a teammate heavily benefits from the EM gained from the Leaf of Consciousness. Since Sapwood’s passive can only trigger when Dendro is present, it’s useless in many teams.
Sacrificial Sword R3+
100%Calculated with an ER need of 132%

At C6, Sacrificial becomes less useful due to Xingqiu not needing as much ER, while his Burst still contributes more to total damage than his Skill does. It is still a respectable option since it allows him to build strictly offensive stats. Nevertheless, Sacrificial extends rotations, which is usually a loss for team damage. Not recommended over Favonius unless in a Double Hydro team. Check the "Sacrificial vs. Favonius" section for more information.
Sacrificial Sword R1 / R2
97%Before R3, Sacrificial Sword’s cooldown is longer than that of Xingqiu’s Skill, meaning that it only triggers every other rotation. This and the passive’s low triggering chance make the weapon a poor choice on Xingqiu until higher refinements. Check the "Sacrificial vs. Favonius" section for more information.

Sacrificial vs. Favonius

Sacrificial Sword and Favonius Sword are both strong 4-star options for Xingqiu.

Field Time

While Sacrificial Sword increases Xingqiu’s personal damage and lowers his own ER requirements more than Favonius, it extends Xingqiu’s field time and therefore the team’s rotation. In most cases, being on-field for the additional Skill usage leads to a team DPS loss, as the field time could be used by other characters who provide more DPS.

Trigger Passives

Xingqiu may also struggle to get his Burst up if Sacrificial’s passive does not trigger. It should be noted that Sacrificial requires at least Refinement Rank 3 to be viable, while Favonius can be used at any refinement. Favonius is also more consistent with its Energy generation (can trigger with a quick Normal Attack if need be) and contributes more Energy to the team.

Constellation 6

At C6, Xingqiu’s ER needs are drastically lowered, meaning that both Sacrificial and Favonius lose value. However, Favonius still holds value in generating Energy for the team. Sacrificial can have value over Favonius in Double and Mono Hydro team compositions, since the additional Hydro Particles provide more Energy to Hydro characters. Nevertheless, Favonius is generally recommended over Sacrificial.

Conclusion

Overall, using Sacrificial means “sacrificing” team damage for Xingqiu’s own damage and comfort, whereas Favonius is a great weapon for Xingqiu’s Energy needs as well as the team’s. 

Artifacts

Artifact Set Comparison

Assumptions: Xingqiu Mastersheet

Calculated as an average of Xingqiu’s ER Needs ranging from 100% to 280%.

DPS% are listed as a percentage comparison to 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate.

Recommended Artifact Sets
4pc Emblem of Severed Fate
100%Xingqiu’s best set by far, and in a very Resin-efficient Domain. In almost all teams, this set is the end goal for Xingqiu.
4pc Noblesse Oblige
87%If Xingqiu is the only user of this set in a team, it does fairly well due to him benefitting from the 4pc buff along with any ATK scaling teammates.

However, because others can usually utilize this set better, it is not typically recommended. There are niche scenarios, such as iterations of Xiangling Xingqiu Bennett, where Xingqiu can use this set.
4pc Nymph’s Dream
89%
(Off-Field)

96%
(On-Field)
Not specifically better than any 2pc mixed sets for a standard Xingqiu unless he attacks on-field. Even if he does, it does not surpass 4pc Emblem. It is recommended to N1 Weave with this artifact set. It is not recommended to perform a Charged Attack with Xingqiu to stack the effect of this set.
2pc Combos
ER, ATK%, Hydro DMG%, Burst DMG%
88-89%Sets Include:
Emblem of Severed Fate, Noblesse Oblige, Heart of Depth, Nymph’s Dream, Gladiator’s FInale, Shimenawa’s Reminiscence, Echoes of an Offering, Vermillion Hereafter.

Great if you don't have a full 4pc Emblem set yet. These sets might be preferred if Xingqiu has low ER requirements (<120%) and the artifacts have good substats. Since the difference between them is small, pick the combination with the best substats.
Other/Early-Game Artifact Sets
2pc + 2pc
Exile + Scholar
Xingqiu’s best early-game set. As a 4-star set, it becomes much less useful when you reach mid/late-game.
4pc Gambler
Technically nets more Energy than The Exile (2) / Scholar (2) but requires an enemy kill, which makes it inconsistent. Also becomes less useful once you reach mid/late game due to it being a 4-star set.
4pc Blizzard Strayer
About 10% better than 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate in Freeze-based teams. However, because it is useless outside of those scenarios, it is not recommended to farm this artifact set for Xingqiu specifically.

Artifact Sets Overview

4pc Emblem of Severed Fate

In most scenarios, 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate is the go-to set. It is Resin-efficient since many characters use both the 4pc and 2pc set, and it shares the same Domain as Shimenawa’s Reminiscence, whose 2pc set bonus is useful on many characters (including Xingqiu himself). Additionally, in most teams, 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate is 13-19% better than the second-best option, which is a huge margin by Genshin standards.

2pc Combos

If you don't have access to 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate, then either 4pc Noblesse Oblige or 2pc Noblesse Oblige 2pc Heart of Depth is recommended. If you aren’t AR45 yet, 2pc The Exile 2pc Scholar is your best choice.

Raiden Teams

In teams with Raiden, or where Xingqiu needs less than 130% ER, he can use 2pc Noblesse Oblige 2pc Heart of Depth for higher damage. At low ER, 4pc Noblesse Oblige can also be used for higher team damage if the team benefits from its buff and no one else in the team can use it better. 

Freeze Teams

4pc Blizzard Strayer can be used in Freeze-oriented teams. However, it's not recommended to deliberately farm this set for Xingqiu since 4pc Emblem works as well and is more universal.

Artifact Stat Priorities


Sands

Goblet

Circlet
ER% or ATK%Hydro DMG%CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG

Substat Priority:
ER% (until requirement) > CRIT Rate = CRIT DMG > ATK%

If you can reach the desired ER without an ER Sands, use an ATK% Sands. Otherwise, use an ER Sands to easily recharge his Burst.

Xingqiu should always use a Hydro DMG Bonus Goblet for increased personal damage and increased damage reduction from his orbital Rain Swords.

Xingqiu’s Circlet is almost always CRIT Rate/DMG. ATK% can be a temporary substitute, but it does less damage.

Energy Recharge Requirements

Energy Recharge (ER) is one of the key factors in building Xingqiu. Since Xingqiu is so reliant on his Burst, it’s important to have enough ER on him to Burst every rotation. However, since he can be used in a variety of teams, his ER needs are subject to change. These tables provide an estimation of Xingqiu’s ER needs depending on his weapon and teammates. However, it is recommended to test and work out what ER works for you in various types of content. 

It’s important to recognize that building more ER on Xingqiu means that you’re taking away from his damage potential. Try to find the breakpoint where you can comfortably Burst, but don’t build so much ER that you have to sacrifice offensive stats. 

If Xingqiu’s ER needs are significantly lower than the ER substat value of a level 90 weapon (e.g., Sacrificial Sword provides 61.3% ER but C6 Xingqiu only needs 138% with Raiden), it is recommended to run a more offensive weapon instead.

Notes
  • Not catching Xingqiu’s Elemental Skill particles increases his ER needs by ~40%.
  • Adding a Favonius user to any of these scenarios decreases ER needs by ~10-15%.
  • Xingqiu holding Favonius Sword and attacking on-field decreases his ER needs by ~20-30%.
  • This ER chart assumes that Sacrificial Sword always triggers the Elemental Skill cooldown reset
  • Amenoma Kageuchi’s ER needs can be 10% higher or lower depending on its refinement in comparison to R3.
C0-5
C6

Constellation 0-5 ER Requirements

Assumptions: Xingqiu Mastersheet

Other WeaponsFavonius SwordAmenoma Kageuchi R3Sacrificial Sword R3+
Solo Hydro285–290%235–240%250–255%185–190%
+1 Favonius User250–255%210–215%225230%170–175%
+2 Favonius Users215–220%185-190%190–195%155–160%
+1 Hydro Character240–245%200–205%210–215%165–170%
+1 Hydro Character
+1 Favonius User
215–220%185–190%190–195%155–160%
+1 Hydro Character using Sacrificial200–205%175–180%180–185%145–150%
+ Raiden Shogun180–185%150–155%150–155%125–130%
+ Electro Resonance235–240%200–205%210–215%165–170%

Constellation 6 ER Requirements

Assumptions: Xingqiu Mastersheet

Other WeaponsFavonius SwordAmenoma Kageuchi R3Sacrificial Sword R3+
Solo Hydro235–240%195–200%205–210%155–160%
+1 Favonius User210–215%175–180%180–185%140–145%
+2 Favonius Users180–185%155–160%160–165%130–135%
+1 Hydro Character200–205%165–170%170–175%135–140%
+1 Hydro Character
+1 Favonius User
175–180%150–155%150–155%125–130%
+1 Hydro Character using Sacrificial170–175%145–150%145–150%120–125%
+ Raiden Shogun140–145%115–120%110–115%100–105%
+ Electro Resonance195–200%165–170%170–175%135–140%

Nuke Build

Nuke Xingqiu is focused on Vaporizing both of Xingqiu’s Skill hits for the highest damage possible (see Forward Vaping Xingqiu’s Skill in the Mechanics section). This guide will not cover Nuke Xingqiu in-depth since it is generally not advised for clearing endgame content such as the Spiral Abyss. However, it can be fun to see how much damage Xingqiu’s Skill can do.

All values are calculated in accordance with KQM Calculation Standards, assuming a double Vaporized CRIT hit Skill taking advantage of all available buffs, if possible.

Team consists of:
C0 Amber — 4pc Instructor, R1 Elegy for the End
C6 Bennett — 4pc Noblesse Oblige, R5 Sapwood Blade
C6 Sucrose — 4pc Viridescent Venerer, R5 Thrilling Tales of Dragons Slayers

You can check out the full calculations here.

Weapon DPS% is relative to R1 Mistsplitter Reforged.

Nuke Weapons

WeaponDPS%NotesSands
Mistsplitter Reforged
115% (R5)
100%
(R1)
Provides everything Xingqiu would ever want for a nuke: high Base ATK, CRIT DMG, and DMG Bonus.
ATK%
Light of Foliar Incision
99% (R5)
92%
(R1)
A good nuke weapon for Xingqiu with the highest CRIT DMG of any weapon in the game and an EM-based passive that increases Skill DMG.
EM
Freedom-Sworn R5
91%Though you have to trigger its passive beforehand, the buff it provides along with the base EM and DMG Bonus are significant.
ATK%
Blackcliff Longsword R5(3 Stacks)
88%This weapon, while good on paper, is inconsistent if facing enemies where it is difficult to get passive stacks (e.g., bosses).
EM
Freedom-Sworn R1
84%Though you have to trigger its passive beforehand, the buff it provides along with the base EM and DMG Bonus are significant.
ATK%
Summit Shaper R5 (4 Stacks)
82%Prestacking required for maximum potential.
EM
Blackcliff Longsword R1 (3 Stacks)
82%This weapon, while good on paper, is inconsistent if facing enemies where it is difficult to get passive stacks (e.g., bosses).
EM
Lion’s Roar (Passive Up)
81% (R5)
76% (R1)
Provides a simple DMG Bonus and ATK%.
EM
Toukabou Shigure R5
80%Provides a simple DMG Bonus and EM.
ATK%
Summit Shaper R1 (4 Stacks)
79%Prestacking required for maximum potential.
EM
Iron Sting R5 (2 Stacks)
77%Provides DMG Bonus and EM. Prestacking required for maximum potential.
ATK%
Blackcliff Longsword R1 (0 Stacks)
76%Blackcliff Longsword with 0 Stacks is much less desirable.
EM
Iron Sting R1 (2 Stacks)
73%Provides DMG Bonus and EM. Prestacking required for maximum potential.
ATK%

Nuke Artifact Sets

Artifact Set DPS% is relative to 4pc Lavawalker.

4pc Archaic Petra
102%For this set to function, Xingqiu has to be hit by a Geo attack to trigger Crystallize off of his Rain Sword orbitals.
4pc Lavawalker
100%The best unconditional set for Nuke Xingqiu.
2pc Heart of Depth + 2pc Nymph’s Dream
98%Unconditional, but 5% less DMG Bonus than 4pc Lavawalker.
4pc Gilded Dreams
97%Requires Xingqiu to trigger an Elemental Reaction before he uses his Skill.
4pc Nymph’s Dream
96%
(3 Stacks)

92%
(2 Stacks)
3 Stacks of Nymph’s Dream is only really feasible if you can do a Plunging Attack, which may not always be possible.
2pc 15% Hydro DMG Set + 2pc 80 EM Set
95%Unconditional, but Xingqiu is very saturated with EM, making this set less valuable.
2pc 15% Hydro DMG Set + 2pc 18% ATK Set
95%Unconditional, but Xingqiu is very saturated with ATK, making this set less valuable.
4pc Crimson Witch of Flame
91%Unconditional, but just use Lavawalker.
No Set Bonus84%Get a set bonus.

Nuke Artifact Stats


Sands

Goblet

Circlet
ER% or ATK%Hydro DMG%CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG

Nuke Substat Priority:
CRIT DMG > EM = ATK%

Mechanics

N1 Weaving

Triggering Xingqiu's Burst

Regardless of whether Xingqiu is played as an on-field or off-field DPS, a majority of his damage comes from his Burst. Thus, it is important to maximize the number of Burst triggers in a rotation. As a general rule of thumb, every Skill or Burst from a teammate should be accompanied by a quick Normal Attack. Luckily, most characters’ first Normal Attack has a fast animation, and Xingqiu’s Burst triggers on animation, not hit.

What Is N1 Weaving?

N1 weaving during Xingqiu’s Burst is key to getting all of its value. The term refers to adding N1’s before or after characters’ abilities to get a wave of Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks. Most of the time, Xingqiu’s Burst is cast near the beginning of the rotation, which allows you to swap through the rest of your party before going to the character that uses most of the field time.

It is important to know that you do not need to do a full N1 animation to trigger Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks.

Which Characters Should I Weave With?

Different characters have different normal attack timings, so the frequency of Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks varies. Generally speaking, Claymore characters have much slower N1 animations; the wave of sword rain attacks takes longer to come out and you have to do more of the N1 animation to trigger Xingqiu’s Burst. However, a character with quick Normal Attack animations can’t just spam sword rain attacks due to the ~1s cooldown per wave. For this reason, you want to space out your NA’s around 1s between each NA.

Canceling the Normal Attack Animation

One might argue that doing these N1’s takes field time away from the character you want to have on-field. However, most of the time when you add in a N1, you can cast a Burst, Skill or swap almost immediately after, which cuts down animation time. By not N1 weaving during Xingqiu’s Burst, you lose a significant amount of damage and Hydro application; it is strongly recommended to learn how to N1 weave.

C6 Xingqiu Energy with Weaving

On top of this, the more sword rain attacks you get out, the more you trigger Xingqiu’s C6 passive, which increases not only sword rain attack damage but also his personal Energy generation.

Example Team with N1 Weaving

Nahida — Xingqiu — Yelan — Thoma
Nahida — Xingqiu — Yelan — Thoma

In this team, where Xingqiu’s Hydro application is not only important for Dendro Core generation but also for DPS, effective N1 weaving is vital to gameplay. If we compare two rotations, one with N1 weaving and one without, we can see how many sword rain attacks the first rotation adds.

Comparison

N1 WeavingNo N1 Weaving
14 Burst Procs11 Burst Procs
Nahida E Q -> Yelan E -> Xingqiu Q N1 E N1 -> Yelan Q N1 -> Thoma N1 Q N1 E -> Nahida N3D -> Yelan N1 E -> Nahida 3 (N3D) N3CNahida E Q -> Yelan E -> Xingqiu Q E -> Yelan Q -> Thoma Q E -> Nahida N3D N2C -> Yelan E -> Nahida 3 (N3D) N3C

*N2C in Nahida field time needs to be added so Yelan E lines up properly. Normally the N1’s in the previous rotation fill in this time*

For every N1 in the first rotation that is not in the second rotation, that is one sword rain attack lost (excluding Thoma’s first N1). The difference between the two rotations is about 3 waves total, equating to anywhere between 7 and 10 sword rain attacks, which is a non-negligible amount of damage. This does not take into account the extra Hydro application, which aids in creating Dendro Cores.

Dedicated On-Fielder Difference

Something worth mentioning is that since Nahida is on-field for a relatively long time in both rotations, the sword rain attack wave output appears similar. In teams where there is not a main on-fielder (like Quickswap teams) the difference in sword rain attack waves can become much higher if you do not N1 weave. 

Combos

  • N# = Corresponding number of consecutive Normal Attacks
  • E = Skill*
  • Q = Burst

*It is important to dash cancel Xingqiu’s Skill to minimize unnecessary field time unless you need to save Stamina (e.g. Hu Tao teams).

(E) EQThe standard Skill into Burst for prefunneling particles. It is viable if your team doesn’t let you switch back to Xingqiu again later in the rotation (see When to Separate Burst and Skill).

The downside is that Xingqiu does not take advantage of his C4 and particles are wasted if Xingqiu is Frozen (see Xingqiu’s Self-Cleanse). Nevertheless, it takes up less field time than QE(E) due to N1 weaving being strongly encouraged with the latter.
EQE

With N1 Weaving:
EQ N1 E N1
EQE is not recommended since it lengthens the amount of time between Skill uses and therefore extends 21s rotations.
QE (E)

With N1 Weaving:
Q N1 E N1 (E)
Burst into Skill gives the extra 50% Skill damage from Xingqiu’s C4, but risks Burst uptime. If you swap to another character too quickly, Xingqiu does not catch his particles and struggles to get his Burst up in the next rotation. Staying on-field to catch the particles increases Xingqiu’s field time.

One workaround is the “book trick” — opening the Adventurer’s Handbook or some other menu to “pause” the game (particles will not be “paused,” so Xingqiu can catch all of his particles).

The N1 weaving version is a strong opening for many rotations. It’s especially useful if Xingqiu has Favonius Sword, as it greatly increases the chance of triggering the passive.
N5Although not Xingqiu’s best combo for raw Physical damage (that’s N2C for those wondering), a full N5 string is best at triggering his Burst. Since a majority of his damage comes from his Burst, N5 is recommended over all other combos for on-field Xingqiu.

Internal Cooldown

One part of Xingqiu’s kit that makes him such a valuable unit is his Hydro application. This is due to the way his Burst interacts with Internal Cooldown of Elemental Applications (ICD). To fully understand ICD, it is also important to grasp the fundamentals of Elemental Gauge Theory (EGT). It is highly recommended to read about ICD and EGT to comprehend the rest of this section. In-depth explanations of both concepts can be found in the KQM Theorycrafting Library and the hyperlinks above.

Xingqiu has two main sources of Hydro application, the sword rain attacks from his Elemental Burst and the Rain Sword orbitals from his Elemental Burst or Skill. While Xingqiu’s Burst makes up a majority of his Hydro application, his orbitals contribute a noteworthy amount as well. Xingqiu’s Hydro application from his orbitals have a ~2.25s ICD, and the Hydro from his Burst will be applied once every 3 hits.

C0-C5 Xingqiu Hydro Application

Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks hit in waves that alternate between 2 and 3; this is referred to as a 2-3-2 sequence.

*0s is the time the first wave of sword rain attacks from Xingqiu’s Burst hits the enemy and each wave after that is ~1s apart from one another.

Xingqiu gets an initial Hydro application upon casting his Burst from his Hydro orbitals.  This is followed up by the orbital Hydro being applied every ~2.25s, which can be viewed as applying Hydro from the orbitals on every other wave (it’s important to note that Xingqiu’s orbital Rain Swords will hit around ~0.6s before his sword rain attacks hit). The sword rain attacks apply Hydro every 3 hits and the ICD time rule resets the sword rain's ICD every 2.5s. Because of this, waves three and four provide 2 separate instances of Hydro application that can be triggered back to back.

C6 Xingqiu Hydro Application

Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks at C6 share the same ICD properties as C0-C5, with the main difference being the amount of sword rain attacks per wave. At C6, Xingqiu’s Burst alternates between 2, 3 and 5 sword rain attacks respectively; this is referred to as a 2-3-5 sequence.

*0s is the time the first wave of sword rain attacks from Xingqiu’s Burst hits the enemy and each wave after that is ~1s apart from one another.

Similar to the C0-C5 Hydro application, Xingqiu has initial Hydro application from his Burst’s Hydro orbitals. The orbitals then apply Hydro every ~2.25s, which can be viewed as applying Hydro on  every other wave (it’s important to note that Xingqiu’s orbital Rain Swords will hit around ~0.6s before his sword rain attacks hit). The sword rain attacks apply Hydro every 3 hits and the ICD time rule resets the sword rain's ICD every 2.5s. Because of this, waves three and four provide 2 separate instances of Hydro application that can be triggered back to back.

Importance of Orbital Hydro Application

The extra Hydro application from the orbitals helps a lot in teams where another Element is being constantly applied, commonly seen in Nahida's Hyperbloom teams and Hu Tao's Vaporize teams. In the case of Hu Tao teams, other Hydro appliers struggle to apply enough Hydro to let her consistently Vaporize her Charged Attacks. These scenarios potentialize the Hydro application provided by Xingqiu’s orbitals in maintaining the Hydro aura on opponents.

Due to the abundance of Xingqiu’s Hydro application, he is the premiere Hydro applier for most team compositions.

Rotation Crafting

Understanding rotation crafting allows players to get the most out of Xingqiu’s abilities. It helps solidify Xingqiu’s correspondence with the rest of the team, and create smooth flowing rotations. 

Utilization of N1 Weaving

As discussed in the N1 Weaving section, proper N1 weaving with Xingqiu’s Burst provides the most from his sword rain attacks. It is highly recommended to read the N1 Weaving section as it covers the essentials of understanding the concept.

If a character takes field time when Xingqiu’s Burst is active, do an N1 before or after your Elemental Skill/Burst to get in an extra wave. If you ended the previous character’s field time with an N1, open your next character’s field time with their Skill or Burst then N1 due to the 1s cooldown of Xingqiu’s Burst waves. Otherwise, put in an N1 between most inputs as long as they are at least 1s apart.

When to Separate Burst and Skill

A huge misconception is that you should always E Q to prefunnel the Energy into his Burst or Q E to get the buff from Xingqiu’s C4. While both of these combos are effective ways to use Xingqiu’s Skill, there is another way to use it in rotations: separating the usage of the Burst and Skill.

Since Xingqiu’s Skill has a high multiplier, you can use it in rotational downtime to keep DPS up. In many rotations, there is some downtime where using the high multiplier on Xingqiu’s E and the buff from his C4 can lead to a significant DPS increase. Doing so may also help control the Elemental aura on the enemy. In these teams, the rotation isn’t too strict and you can freely swap into Xingqiu without losing too much DPS on another character.

Examples of these teams include: Hyperbloom, Taser, Burgeon, and Bloom teams. Example teams and scenarios in which you are not able to separate your Skill from your Burst would include but are not limited to: Hu Tao VV Vape teams and Yoimiya teams. 

Example Team

Xingqiu — Nahida — Fischl — Thoma
Xingqiu — Nahida — Fischl — Thoma

Sample Rotation: 
Nahida E Q -> Xingqiu Q N2 -> Fischl E N1 -> Thoma E N1 Q -> Nahida NA spam Until Oz runs out -> Fischl N2 Q -> Nahida E N1 -> Xingqiu N1 E N2 -> Nahida NA Spam until Xingqiu’s Burst runs out

This team makes extremely good use of using Xingqiu’s Skill and Burst separately in a rotation. Not only does Xingqiu’s Skill give higher DPS by filling rotation downtime, but it also prevents a Burning aura and ensures constant Dendro Core generation.

Maximizing Off-Field Elemental Application

One of the most essential parts of rotation crafting is understanding the order in which you should use your off-field DPS/supports abilities. A general rule to follow is that you should open with the longest-lasting ability. The reason Xingqiu uses his Elemental Burst at the beginning of many rotations is because it lasts for 18s at C2+. In a team where there are a lot of off-field abilities, it is important to make sure your cooldowns and Elemental application uptime line up properly.

Xingqiu — Dendro Traveler — Fischl — Sucrose
Xingqiu — Dendro Traveler — Fischl — Sucrose

A team like Sucrose Hyperbloom (image above) requires that Fischl, Xingqiu, and Dendro Traveler all have their off-field application going at the same time. Part of rotation crafting is learning to get the most overlap in their uptime and Elemental application as possible. Maximizing the uptime overlap allows you to take advantage of whatever reaction, in this case Hyperbloom, for as long as possible.

Xingqiu Salad Rotation

*This graphic assumes Constellation 6 on Xingqiu, Dendro Traveler and Fischl.

Other Things to Consider

With all this being said, maximizing the overlap in their off-field Burst uptime isn’t the only important aspect of rotation crafting. Other reasons may influence your rotation in such a way that doesn’t fully maximize uptime. These include:

  • Making sure you have enough Energy to consistently use your Bursts.
  • Lining up the cooldowns of your Elemental application.
  • Triggering Elemental Reactions in a certain order.
  • Controlling the way some Bursts interact with enemies and Elements (e.g. Dendro Traveler’s Burst has different variations depending on the first Element it comes into contact with).

Even comfort can be a good reason for a certain rotation. Xingqiu’s interruption resistance makes gameplay much easier (by preventing you from getting canceled during your animations), so casting his Burst at the beginning is plausible. Just make sure that if you play a character that relies on Xingqiu’s Burst for Elemental application, his Burst doesn’t run out during their field time (i.e. Vaporize carries like Hu Tao or Yoimiya).

Forward Vaping Xingqiu’s Skill

Xingqiu’s Skill has no ICD, which makes it possible to Vape both hits for big damage. This can be done via the usage of Xiangling’s Guoba and Pyronado. However, the timing is difficult as it requires one hit to Vape with the former and the other hit with the latter. It also requires the enemy to be cleared of any preexisting Elemental auras (this includes any Hydro application from Xingqiu’s Burst or orbitals) so that they don’t interfere with the reaction setup. There are specific teams built around Forward Vaporizing Xingqiu’s Elemental Skill, notably including Amber, that can allow one to easily Vaporize both hits of his Elemental Skill.

This technique is niche, but allows Xingqiu to front-load damage in a rotation. The more investment your Xingqiu has, the more valuable this becomes. It’s worth noting that taking advantage of Xingqiu’s C4 is difficult without fast and well-timed Pyro application due to his orbitals’ Hydro application.

Xingqiu’s Self-Cleanse

Xingqiu’s Skill applies Hydro to himself for the length of his Skill’s animation (0.5s). This can work in favor of Xingqiu by cleansing auras such as the Smoldering Flames Ley Line Disorder. However, it can also stun him via Electro-Charged or immobilize him via Freeze if he is affected by an existing Electro or Cryo aura. If using Xingqiu’s Skill to prefunnel into his Burst, getting Frozen can result in wasted particles.

Character Synergies

There are a lot of characters that synergize with Xingqiu in Genshin Impact. This section overviews the general usage of characters that Xingqiu is often used with, along with gameplay tips for teams involving Xingqiu.

Pyro
Cryo
Anemo
Hydro
Electro
Dendro
Geo

Pyro Units


Hu Tao
Hu Tao’s single-target oriented Normal and Charged Attacks make Xingqiu a natural pairing. Xingqiu’s defensive utilities make it easier to perform Hu Tao’s combos, but more importantly, they keep Hu Tao alive, especially since a number of her teams do not contain a dedicated shielder or healer. As an added benefit, the increased Hydro application from Xingqiu’s C6 allows Hu Tao’s teams to run units that would otherwise interfere with reactions.

Note that when running with Xiangling or Nahida, it’s recommended to run another Hydro applier (e.g. Yelan or C6 Candace); otherwise, Xingqiu won’t apply enough Hydro for Hu Tao to Vaporize all of her Charged Attacks.

Yoimiya
Yoimiya’s teams are similar to Hu Tao’s. She is reliant on her Normal Attacks, so Xingqiu also pairs well with her.

Because of her usual Vaporize combo, getting interrupted during her Normal Attack chain is detrimental to damage. To combat this, a shielder is generally recommended. In this team, Xingqiu offers his usual defensive utilities, most notably interruption resistance. While interruption resistance is not a replacement for a shielder (as Yoimiya can still get staggered with Xingqiu), it can help in teams where there is not one available. It is still recommended to use a shielder with Xingqiu.

Xiangling
Xiangling’s Burst can be used off-field, similar to Xingqiu’s. Running Xiangling with Bennett is a near must to meet her high Energy requirements with the exception of a few niche teams, the most popular of which is Hu Tao - Xingqiu - Yelan - Xiangling. 

Due to Xiangling’s Pyronado having no ICD, she is able to Vaporize most, if not all of her Pyronado hits thanks to Xingqiu’s fast Hydro application. The core of Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Bennett form one of the strongest and most versatile teams in the game because of the high synergy between these units in Xiangling’s Vaporize team archetype.

Bennett
As Bennett is a staple for ATK buffing, he is often paired with on-field units to boost their ATK. Because Xingqiu’s Burst does not snapshot, Bennett doesn’t interact directly with him unless Xingqiu is used on-field. Xingqiu can be used on-field with Bennett to buff his sword rain attacks, which is viable in some Xiangling and DPS Xingqiu teams.

As a DPS, Bennett can use Xingqiu to Vaporize his Skill, Burst, and if C6, Normal Attacks. While this is not common, the synergy can be seen in C6 Bennett teams, where Chongyun is no longer viable as a Melt enabler. The typical core of Xiangling, Xingqiu and Bennett with Yelan allows Bennett to go on a DPS build (4pc Crimson Witch) and consistently Vaporize his Skill, while weaving Normal Attacks for Xiangling to Vaporize as well.

Diluc
Diluc also uses Xingqiu to Vaporize his damage. By weaving two/three Normal Attacks between each of Diluc’s Elemental Skill uses, the two make a very strong pairing.

Yanfei
Yanfei uses Xingqiu as a Hydro applier for Vaporize similar to other Pyro synergies here. 

Because Yanfei can fight at range, you may lose the extra Hydro application from Xingqiu’s orbitals, making her prefer safer combos such as N3C. The added Hydro application from C6 allows her to fight using more aggressive combos such as N2C.

At C4, Yanfei can make a shield that is also affected by Xingqiu’s damage reduction. This makes her shield, even when she is building for damage, much tankier.

Klee
Klee’s high amount of Pyro application makes it hard for her to Vaporize her attacks consistently; run Yelan with Xingqiu for more Hydro application to offset this. Otherwise, it is recommended to play Klee in a Mono Pyro team as all aspects of Klee’s kit contribute a relatively equal amount of Pyro application and DPS. This means that only a small portion of her damage actually gets Vaporized (in contrast to a character like Hu Tao, whose Charged Attacks almost always get Vaporized and are a majority of her overall DPS).

Thoma
Thoma is most often used with Xingqiu in Burgeon teams where Xingqiu triggers Bloom with another Dendro unit for Thoma to Burgeon. 

Other than that, Thoma is commonly used with Hu Tao/Yoimiya and Xingqiu, but his Pyro application can steal Vaporizes from Hu Tao unless Xingqiu is C6, when the issue becomes less prevalent. Thoma can also steal Vapes from Yoimiya if you are fighting at close range, though it is rarer.

Similar to Yanfei, Thoma’s shield also benefits from Xingqiu’s damage reduction; this helps make up for the rather squishy shield in a full EM build.

Other Pyro Units
Amber doesn’t synergize with Xingqiu because of her Charged Attack-heavy nature. It is possible to run the two together, but there are better Hydro options.

Lyney doesn’t synergize with Xingqiu due to his A4 heavily incentivizing the use of mono-Pyro teams, along with his Charged Attack-based playstyle.

Dehya’s kit lacks any synergy with Xingqiu due to her Burst being unable to trigger his Burst’s sword rain attacks. There can be teams where the two are played together, but it is not due to any particular synergy between the two units.

Xinyan doesn’t have any particular synergy with Xingqiu. This is because she is mostly a Physical damage dealer with negligible Pyro damage and application. Xingqiu would merely be extra off-field damage if paired with Xinyan.

Cryo Units


Freminet
Freminet’s A4 Passive takes advantage of Shatter to increase his own damage. Physical Freminet uses Normal Attacks frequently, which synergizes with Xingqiu’s Burst to apply Hydro for Freeze and Shatter.

On the other hand, Cryo Freminet weaves Normal Attacks into a Skill heavy combo. Freminet does not perform as many Normal Attacks in this playstyle, so he will trigger fewer instances of Xingqiu’s Burst compared to his Physical playstyle.

Chongyun
Chongyun and Xingqiu can sustain Freeze for a long duration if Xingqiu or another melee character benefits from Chongyun’s Elemental Skill Infusion.

It should be noted that Chongyun, or any other Claymore character, breaks the Freeze aura and triggers Shatter if they are used on-field. You can check out Shatter Chongyun here if you would like to use Chongyun on-field with Xingqiu.

Ayaka
Ayaka focuses on doing a lot of damage with her Normal Attacks and Burst while capitalizing on the Frozen reaction. As such, Xingqiu’s Hydro application is very helpful in maintaining the Freeze aura. However, Xingqiu’s Hydro application is mostly single-target, which may cause Ayaka teams to perform worse in AoE situations. This can be partially alleviated by running an Anemo unit to Swirl Hydro or a unit that can group enemies. 

Xingqiu’s damage reduction combined with high Freeze uptime can allow you to drop a healer/shielder from your team. This is notably useful if you intend to use Shenhe or Rosaria as your second Cryo slot.

Kaeya
Kaeya has respectable Cryo application and damage in an AoE around the active character, which can sustain a Freeze aura in tandem with Xingqiu’s Rain Sword orbitals and sword rain attacks. However, a grouper or Anemo unit is still recommended, as Xingqiu’s AoE capabilities are limited when fighting at a range outside his Rain Sword orbitals. 

Rosaria
Rosaria, like Kaeya, has respectable AoE Cryo application and damage. Her niche over Kaeya is that her Elemental Burst does not follow the active character and she provides a CRIT Rate share with her Ascension 4 Passive. In Freeze teams, she uses Xingqiu for his Hydro application for Freeze uptime. However, a grouper or Anemo unit is still recommended, as Xingqiu’s AoE capabilities are limited when fighting at a range outside his Rain Sword orbitals. 

Diona
Diona and Xingqiu are also mostly seen in teams where they support a Cryo DPS like Ayaka. Other than that, the two do not have much direct synergy. Xingqiu’s damage reduction increases the durability of Diona’s shield, however.

Eula
Eula only really uses Xingqiu for his off-field damage. She cannot benefit from the minimal Freeze he provides because she Shatters, and Electro units in her team trigger Superconduct, which also breaks Freeze.

Shenhe
Shenhe and Xingqiu are mostly seen in teams where they  support a Cryo DPS like Ayaka. Other than that, the two do not have much direct synergy.

Mika
Mika boosts the Attack SPD of the active character, which leads him to be used with Normal Attack heavy characters. Because both Xingqiu and Mika rely on Normal Attacks to trigger their Bursts, they are seen together in teams that benefit from both character’s utilities (e.g. Wanderer or Yoimiya). This being said, Mika’s Physical DMG Bonus buff often finds him used in Physical teams where Xingqiu is not used frequently. 

Other Cryo Units
Aloy has little synergy with Xingqiu since she is a Bow character that doesn’t focus on Normal Attacks. Although she can have Cryo Infusion on her Normal Attacks, it is rather inconsistent and difficult to make use of.

Ganyu really prefers to have AoE Hydro application in her Freeze teams, which is something that Xingqiu lacks. Ganyu also doesn’t want to spend field time doing Normal Attacks to trigger Xingqiu’s Burst, leading her to have little synergy with him overall.

Qiqi has little synergy with Xingqiu due to her lack of Cryo application.

Anemo Units


Sucrose
Sucrose is an Anemo support unit that provides grouping, 4VV, TTDS, and an EM buff to all team members. Her large EM buff makes her stand out from other Anemo units as Xingqiu teams tend to be reaction heavy.

On-field Sucrose is an excellent driver for Xingqiu, especially since her ability to trigger Hydro Swirls with her Normal Attacks allows AoE Hydro application. Her grouping is also appreciated.

Off-field Sucrose provides a plethora of buffs for an on-field unit to capitalize on, along with the much appreciated grouping.

Kazuha
Similar to Sucrose, Kazuha can hold 4VV and Swirl to set up chain reactions. What sets him apart is his greater personal damage, Elemental DMG Bonus from his A4 Passive, and stronger grouping at the cost of more field time and fewer Swirls.

In teams where Xingqiu’s damage is the most important, or where EM is not useful, Kazuha is recommended over Sucrose for his ability to provide Elemental DMG Bonus.

Heizou
Heizou has a similar role to the Wanderer and on-field Sucrose. His Normal Attacks can Swirl and trigger Xingqiu’s Burst; in quickswap teams, he can hold TTDS. Heizou tends to be a better holder of 4VV compared to the Wanderer, but he has a weaker EM buff than Sucrose for higher personal damage.

When used as an off-field Anemo support, he tends to be worse than Sucrose, Kazuha, and Venti due to his lack of grouping. Despite this, he still provides 4VV, small grouping, and an EM buff to the team.

Wanderer
Wanderer’s Normal Attack combos can trigger Xingqiu’s Burst, giving them good synergy. Xingqiu’s interruption resistance, while not a replacement for a shielder, can be helpful in teams where there is not one available. That being said, Wanderer tends to get staggered frequently, even with Xingqiu in the team.

Venti
Venti’s Burst has unparalleled grouping and can allow Xingqiu’s Burst to hit multiple enemies. He can refund Energy via his A4 Passive and also hold 4VV.

Venti is strong when used in scenarios where grouping is beneficial, but drastically drops in value against Bosses and ungroupable enemies. It’s best to look at the enemies you are facing when using Venti, for when played right, his damage and support potential is unparalleled.

It's also important that everyone else in the team can hit enemies in Venti’s Burst. You can check here to see which characters and enemies are affected by Venti’s Burst.

Lynette
Lynette has many utilities including 4VV, a minor ATK% buff, and a taunt for survival. At C6, she can use her Anemo-Infused Normal Attacks to trigger Xingqiu’s Burst.

Faruzan
Faruzan does not have any direct synergy with Xingqiu aside from rare instances where she holds 4VV. However, Xingqiu teams involving Heizou, the Wanderer, or Xiao (i.e., on-field Anemo DPS units) appreciate Faruzan’s powerful buffs to Anemo damage.

Jean
Jean works as a general Burst support who heals, Swirls, and holds 4VV for Xingqiu’s teams. She has some grouping potential with her Skill, but this can also push enemies out of melee range.

Sayu
Similar to Jean but without any grouping potential. Can heal, Swirl, hold 4VV, and deal non-negligible damage with Swirl. Note that Sayu does not trigger Xingqiu’s Burst while she is rolling in her Skill state.

Xiao
While Xiao’s default combos are simply Plunge spams — which do not trigger Xingqiu’s Burst — his N1JP combo (also known as the JET combo) is a viable option for players who choose to play Xiao with Xingqiu.

Hydro Units


Yelan
See the Xingqiu and Yelan section.

TLDR: Together, Xingqiu and Yelan provide excellent off-field Hydro application and damage.

Nilou
Standard Nilou teams are restricted to only Hydro and Dendro characters. Xingqiu works well in the Hydro slot due to his respectable personal damage, Hydro RES Shred at C2 (for Hydro teammates), and minor healing to help mitigate Bloom self-damage. A healer is still necessary in Nilou-Xingqiu Bloom teams. It should be noted that Xingqiu’s damage reduction does not affect Bloom self-damage.

Xingqiu has the potential to trigger a significant portion of the Bountiful Cores in Nilou teams, but he does apply Hydro to the point where your Dendro units may trigger Bloom instead. It is worth considering a partial or full EM build on Xingqiu depending on his share of Bountiful Cores.

Ayato
While Xingqiu’s Hydro application may not be necessary in Ayato teams, his baseline damage and Hydro RES Shred at C2 make him a viable off-field DPS. Xingiqiu’s Hydro application also helps in teams where Ayato by himself may not be enough.

Kokomi
As an off-field unit, Kokomi provides powerful healing for Xingqiu’s teams.

As an on-field unit, Kokomi appreciates Xingqiu’s off-field Burst damage, Hydro RES Shred (at C2), and extra Hydro Particles. She is a good driver for Xingqiu’s Burst.

Candace
Candace is the first and, at the time of writing, only character who gives a Hydro Infusion. She also buffs Normal Attacks dealt by the active character. This allows on-field DPS Xingqiu to gain more value from his Normal Attacks.

Tartaglia
Xingqiu performs a similar role in both Tartaglia and Ayato teams. However, he finds less value in the former teams due to Tartaglia excelling as a Hydro applier and reaction enabler.

Mona
Mona has variable ER requirements, but Xingqiu can be a decent battery for her when needed. They have no notable synergy otherwise. In a team where Hydro Resonance is valuable (e.g. Hu Tao teams), she can contribute to it while providing decent support via TTDS and her Omen debuff.

Barbara
Barbara can also fill the healer slot for Xingqiu’s teams. Her Hydro application is a bit redundant with Xingqiu’s Rain Sword orbitals, but it does allow the active character to apply a lot of Hydro when hugging enemies. It’s worth mentioning that without Sacrificial Fragments or C2 on Barbara, she does not have high uptime on her Skill.

Electro Units


Beidou
In multi-target scenarios, Beidou complements Xingqiu very well. Both of their Bursts trigger on Normal Attacks, and their combined defensive utility (damage reduction from both units, Beidou’s shield at C1, and Xingqiu’s healing from his A1) allows some teams to run without a healer.

It should be noted that Xingqiu and Beidou’s Bursts do not trigger in the same way. The former triggers on a Normal Attack animation while the latter triggers on Normal and Charged Attack damage. This can lead to a rare conflict where Beidou or Xingqiu cannot trigger their Burst in scenarios where the other is able to.

The most notable example is with the Raiden Shogun, whose Burst has Normal Attack animations but does not deal Normal Attack damage, meaning she will trigger Xingqiu’s Burst but not Beidou’s.

Cyno
Xingqiu provides valuable off-field Hydro application and defensive utility in Cyno Hyperbloom and Quickbloom teams. At C2, Xingqiu’s Burst duration is the same as Cyno’s maximum Burst duration (18s). However, because Cyno’s Burst can be extended with hitlag, Xingqiu’s Burst will end before Cyno’s.

Fischl
Both Fischl and Xingqiu are quite powerful, and there are many teams that take advantage of their consistent off-field Elemental application. Both Fischl’s C6 and Xingqiu’s Burst trigger on Normal Attack animations, and they both deal primarily single-target damage, so they are often paired together.

Raiden Shogun
As an on-field Burst DPS, Raiden is able to trigger Xingqiu’s Burst. He is often paired with Raiden Shogun because of her ability to refund Energy to the team, which is valuable for Xingqiu’s damage capabilities.

As an off-field Hyperbloom trigger, she is commonly paired with Xingqiu because of his high single-target Hydro application to create Dendro Cores.

Kuki Shinobu
Kuki Shinobu consolidates off-field Electro application and healing. She shines in Hyperbloom teams with Xingqiu. Kuki’s Skill often leaves her at low HP for extended periods of time, and Xingqiu’s damage reduction minimizes the risk of her getting one-shot when she is swapped in to use her Skill.

Yae Miko
Yae acts similarly to Fischl in many scenarios as an off-field DPS. Yae has greater AoE potential at the cost of more field time, less Electro application, and generating fewer Energy particles.

Razor
Razor’s Physical DPS teams usually do not take advantage of Xingqiu’s Hydro application. However, Razor takes advantage of the Dendro Element in Quickbloom and Hyperbloom teams when paired with Xingqiu and a Dendro unit. He can also be paired with C6 Bennett to create a Hyperbloom/Burgeon team.

Keqing
Keqing does not have any noteworthy Electro-Charged or Hyperbloom teams, so Xingqiu’s Hydro application finds less value. Regardless, Keqing does drive Xingqiu’s Burst exceptionally well.

Lisa
Lisa provides off-field Electro application and DEF Shred through her Burst, which is appreciated in many teams. She can be used to trigger Hyperbloom, but this is most recommended if Lisa is C4+.

Dori
As a Burst support, Dori tends to be a strict downgrade to Kuki Shinobu. Her Electro application is not particularly synergistic with Xingqiu, and her teamwide Energy generation is generally negligible. At C6, Dori can use her Electro-infused Normal Attacks to trigger Hyperbloom.

Kujou Sara
Sara excels at buffing, but many of her best teams do not use Xingqiu.

Dendro Units


Alhaitham
In Quickbloom or Hyperbloom teams, Alhaitham and Xingqiu make a powerful pairing. As an on-field melee unit, Alhaitham appreciates Xingqiu’s defensive utility and can get extra Hydro application from his Rain Sword orbitals. Alhaitham is also a good driver for Xingqiu’s Burst.

Nahida
Since Nahida applies large amounts of Dendro, especially when on-field, Xingqiu’s fast Hydro application synergizes extremely well with her. Slower Hydro appliers such as Kokomi have a harder time keeping up with Nahida’s Dendro application. Xingqiu’s damage reduction and interruption resistance are also very beneficial for Nahida when she is on-field; as a Catalyst user, she naturally has lower Base DEF and interruption resistance. 

Baizhu
Baizhu can comfortably slot into many of Xingqiu’s teams as a Dendro healer and shielder. While his shield may be relatively weak, it adds to Xingqiu’s interruption resistance. He is also able to act as an on-field driver by virtue of being a Dendro Catalyst user.

Dendro Traveler (DMC)
Dendro Traveler’s application is spread out over a longer period of time, which lines up quite well for Xingqiu’s rotations. DMC and Xingqiu together can make strong Dendro teams that are F2P-friendly as well. 

Yaoyao
Yaoyao slots in quite easily as a Dendro healer for a lot of teams (Hyperbloom/Burgeon/Nilou). Her off-field Dendro application can be a bit underwhelming in single-target scenarios due to her Elemental Skill’s relatively short duration compared to Xingqiu’s Burst.

Yaoyao’s strongest synergy with Xingqiu comes when they are used together in Nilou teams; by weaving in Normal Attacks during her Elemental Burst, Yaoyao can heal her entire team while also tanking Bloom damage and applying Dendro. 

Kaveh
Xingqiu synergizes well with Kaveh’s Bloom teams since Kaveh is often on-field driving with his Dendro-converted Normal Attacks. Xingqiu also gives damage reduction and small healing on top of Kaveh’s self-healing.

Collei
Collei’s Dendro application tends to have a longer downtime in rotations, leaving Xingqiu’s Hydro application with no Dendro to react with. Hyperbloom teams favor consistent Dendro application over a longer period of time since it synergizes with Xingqiu’s uptime.

With that being said, teams that want Hydro and Dendro (Hyperbloom, Nilou Bountiful Bloom, Burgeon etc.) together are so strong that you can get away with using Collei despite her lack of direct synergy with Xingqiu.

Kirara
Kirara as an off-field support is a general flex shielder with no particular synergy with Xingqiu. As an on-field driver, her Hold Skill is unable to trigger Xingqiu’s Burst, limiting their synergy (apart from the fact that Xingqiu’s orbitals are able to apply Hydro onto enemies she crashes into). This being said, Xingqiu’s damage reduction applies to shields, which can benefit Kirara’s.

Tighnari
Tighnari teams tend to be quickswap-heavy with not many units that want to do on-field Normal Attacks; this leads to a lack of sword rain attack triggers from Xingqiu. Due to how different their playstyles are, there is no synergy between the two despite both units being good on their own.

Geo Units


Noelle
Noelle works pretty well with Xingqiu due to her being an on-field unit who mainly does Normal Attacks. Noelle easily triggers Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks, and has flexible rotations due to her ability to maintain her Geo Infusion even when switching out. However, besides having Xingqiu as an off-field DPS, Noelle doesn’t have any other synergy with him.

Yun Jin
While Yun Jin may have little to no direct synergy with Xingqiu, many teams that use Yun Jin commonly want Xingqiu as well (Yoimiya, Hu Tao teams). Both Yun Jin and Xingqiu want Normal Attacks to trigger their Bursts, which is why it is common to see them used together.

Ningguang
Similarly to Noelle, Ningguang is commonly used in an on-field role that uses a lot of Normal Attacks, which makes her good at triggering Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks. Since Ningguang is a Catalyst user with naturally low DEF, she also greatly benefits from Xingqiu’s defensive utility when used on-field.

Albedo
Albedo and Xingqiu both provide off-field damage. Since Albedo typically does not interfere with reactions, he can be slotted into almost any team that has an extra team slot available.

Zhongli
Zhongli’s Universal RES Shred makes him an okay choice for increasing Xingqiu’s damage. However, a lot of his value comes from not needing to run a healer when Xingqiu and Zhongli are paired together. This allows for a good amount of flexibility when it comes to teambuilding.

Itto
Since Itto’s combos are composed mostly of Charged Attacks, Xingqiu does not trigger many sword rain attacks. Itto also benefits less from Xingqiu’s defensive utility as he naturally builds high DEF and is usually paired with Gorou, who provides interruption resistance.

Gorou
Gorou’s DEF buffing does next to nothing for Xingqiu. Aside from Noelle teams, he is seldom used in teams where Xingqiu is simultaneously useful.

Teambuilding

Xingqiu Art by lemontea
Art by lemontea

Xingqiu vs. Yelan

Xingqiu and Yelan fill essentially the same role — fast Hydro appliers whose application triggers on Normal Attacks — which makes them desirable for many, many teams.

Damage and Utility

While Yelan has a higher damage potential (though the two are similar if Xingqiu is C6) and provides powerful universal buffing through her A4 Passive, she lacks Xingqiu’s quality-of-life and survivability boosts (damage reduction, minor healing, interruption resistance, etc.).

Hydro Application

Additionally, while both characters’ Hydro application is primarily single-target, Xingqiu’s Rain Sword orbitals also apply Hydro to enemies who hug a little too close; in scenarios where there is a high rate of Pyro application, Xingqiu’s higher Hydro application becomes preferable over Yelan’s.

Scaling and Constellations

Xingqiu’s other benefits are locked behind Constellations (e.g., Hydro RES Shred and +3 sec Burst duration at C2, extra Hydro application at C6, etc.), but as a 4-star who is available in the Starglitter Shop, they are not too difficult to attain. On the flip side, Yelan’s full HP scaling may make her easier to farm for, even though she does not benefit from ATK buffs (even if neither Yelan’s nor Xingqiu’s Bursts snapshot these buffs). 

Flexibility

All in all, many of Xingqiu and Yelan’s differences are so minute that any team which works with Yelan will also work with Xingqiu (and vice versa). It’s less about which one is better and more about the fact that having both opens up your choices for making two Abyss teams or, even better, putting them together in the same team.

Xingqiu and Yelan (Double Hydro)

Xingqiu Double Hydro
Xingqiu — Yelan — On-Field Flex — Flex

Xingqiu paired with Yelan practically guarantees that a Hydro aura is always on the enemy. Since they are both Hydro characters, they can battery each other’s high cost Bursts while increasing Yelan’s HP through Hydro Resonance. Xingqiu’s C2 Hydro RES Shred benefits both of them as well. The last two slots in a Xingqiu-Yelan team are extremely flexible.


Xingqiu
Provides extra Energy for Yelan on top of Hydro RES Shred at C2. Both characters primarily function as off-field DPS and Hydro appliers.

Yelan
Provides extra Energy for Xingqiu and DMG Bonuses to whomever is on-field.

On-Field Flex
As neither Xingqiu nor Yelan has significant field time requirements, an on-field unit can be used to drive their Bursts and deal damage.

Flex
Provides personal damage, buffing, and/or survivability.
Example Teams
Xingqiu — Yelan — Hu Tao — Sucrose
Xingqiu — Yelan — Hu Tao — Sucrose

Sample Rotation: Double Hydro Hu Tao Rotation | Xingqiu Yelan Hu Tao Sucrose

Xingqiu — Yelan — Nahida — Kuki Shinobu
Xingqiu — Yelan — Nahida — Kuki Shinobu

Sample Rotation: Double Hydro Hyperbloom Rotation | Xingqiu Yelan Nahida Kuki

Vaporize

Xingqiu Vape
Xingqiu — Pyro DPS — Flex — Flex

A strong and reliable team archetype that has stood the test of time. These teams are generally single-target due to the nature of Xingqiu and the fact that many Pyro units thrive in single-target. Many on-field Pyro DPS units also appreciate Xingqiu’s damage reduction and interruption resistance. This team's slots are very flexible: they can facilitate other reactions along with Vaporize such as Melt / Overloaded or provide defensive utility / additional damage.


Xingqiu
Fast off-field Hydro applier who can enable consistent Vapes. Also provides high personal damage.

Pyro DPS
Takes advantage of 1.5x Vaporize damage multiplier.

Flex
Provides personal damage, buffing, and/or survivability.
Example Teams
Xingqiu — Yoimiya — Bennett — Kazuha
Xingqiu — Yoimiya — Bennett — Kazuha

Sample Rotation: VV Vape Yoimiya Rotation | Xingqiu Kazuha Bennett Yoimiya

Xingqiu — Hu Tao — Amber — Sucrose
Xingqiu — Hu Tao — Amber — Sucrose

Sample Rotation: VV Vape Hu Tao Rotation | Xingqiu Hu Tao Amber Sucrose

Freeze

Xingqiu Freeze
Xingqiu — Cryo DPS — Cryo Flex — Anemo Flex

Any time you can take advantage of the Freeze reaction, Freeze teams are always a potent option. For this reason, Xingqiu’s ability to be a core part of a Freeze team is a strong benefit. Xingqiu’s main downside is that his application is mostly single-target; he can be outperformed by other Hydro units that apply Hydro consistently within AoE.

The team should have a dedicated on-field unit to trigger Xingqiu’s sword rain attacks for consistent application; commonly, the Cryo DPS also adopts this role. Characters like Ganyu struggle to trigger Xingqiu’s Burst effectively.


Xingqiu
Fast off-field Hydro applier. Also provides high personal damage.

Cryo DPS
Cryo damage dealer that is able to apply Cryo and keep enemies Frozen.

Cryo Flex
Any Cryo battery, buffer, or damage dealer that works with the other Cryo unit to maintain Freeze uptime and contribute to Cryo Resonance for the extra CRIT Rate boost

Anemo Flex
The Anemo slot is relatively flexible; as long as they carry 4pc VV, your Cryo character's damage is immensely boosted. Xingqiu prefers characters with good grouping to make up for his lack of AoE (his orbitals and Skill can help maintain Hydro application in AoE).
Example Team
Xingqiu — Ayaka — Diona — Kazuha
Xingqiu — Ayaka — Diona — Kazuha

Sample Rotation: Ayaka Freeze Rotation | Xingqiu Kazuha Diona Ayaka

Electro-Charged (Taser)

Xingqiu Taser
Xingqiu — Electro DPS — Anemo Flex — Flex (Electro)

Taser teams maintain an Electro-Charged aura on the enemy via consistent Electro and Hydro application. An Electro-Charged aura allows both the Hydro and Electro aura to coexist; as a result, the Anemo character not only triggers Swirl to buff the Hydro and Electro characters in the team, but also Electro-Charged with a full EM build for impressive damage.

On-Field Driver

It is convenient to have the Anemo character such as Sucrose trigger Electro-Charged on-field; but an on-field Electro/Hydro unit and an off-field Anemo support can be used instead. Regardless of the on-field character’s Element, it is important that they are good at driving Xingqiu and the other off-field DPS units’ Bursts, since a lot of the damage in Taser teams tends to come from them.


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Also acts as your defensive option in the team via his damage reduction and small amount of healing.

Electro DPS
On/Off-field Electro DPS that can apply a good amount of Electro to take advantage of the Electro-Charged reaction.

Anemo Flex
On/Off-field Anemo support to reduce RES with 4pc VV and buff other DPS as well as triggering Swirls and additional Electro-Charged reactions.

Flex
Most commonly another Electro unit, but can also be another Hydro unit or a different unit that provides  utility / damage and doesn’t interfere with Elemental aura (e.g. Zhongli / Albedo).
Example Team
Xingqiu — Fischl — Sucrose — Beidou
Xingqiu — Fischl — Sucrose — Beidou

Sample Rotation: Sucrose Taser Rotation | Xingqiu Sucrose Fischl Beidou

Anemo Overvape (Soup)

Xingqiu Soup
Xingqiu — Pyro Flex — Electro Flex — Anemo Flex

Anemo Overvape (Soup) teams function similarly to Electro-Charged (Taser) teams but the flex slot goes to a Pyro unit.

Pyro Units

The two common Pyro units are Xiangling for her fast Pyro application and high damage and Thoma with his slower Pyro application and shield. Xiangling may be an obvious choice as she is a standout unit in many teams, but Thoma is actually quite good as well. Due to his slower Pyro application, he is able to consistently trigger Overloaded and do decent damage with a full EM build, as well as providing slight defensive utility when combined with Xingqiu.

Kazuha and Bennett

There are iterations of Soup that use Bennett as the Pyro unit and rely on the Anemo unit’s Absorption mechanics for Pyro application (the most useful and consistent one being Kazuha). Using Bennett can be useful if you want to buff either Xingqiu or the Electro unit as the on-field DPS. 


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Also acts as your defensive option in the team via his damage reduction and small healing.

Pyro Flex
Off-field Pyro applier that triggers Overloaded and Vaporize.

Electro Flex
On/Off-field Electro DPS that can apply a good amount of Electro to take advantage of the Electro-Charged reaction.

Anemo Flex
Anemo unit that generally absorbs or Swirls Pyro if possible (Sucrose, Kazuha, Venti, Jean [if the Pyro Flex is Bennett]) to trigger high damage Overloads as well as Swirling other Elements to buff teammates.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Xiangling — Fischl — Sucrose
Xingqiu — Xiangling — Fischl — Sucrose

Sample Rotation: Sucrose Soup Rotation | Xingqiu Xiangling Fischl Sucrose

Hyperbloom

Xingqiu Hyperbloom
Xingqiu — Dendro Flex — Electro Flex — Flex

This team's 3-person core is extremely strong, allowing the last slot in the team to be extremely flexible. If the Electro slot is a Hyperbloom trigger (e.g. Kuki or Raiden), the flex slot can be anybody who provides further utility or damage without interfering with the team’s Hyperblooms. If they are simply an Electro applier instead (e.g. Fischl or Beidou), you want the last slot to be a Hyperbloom trigger, whether that is an Anemo character (e.g. Sucrose or Heizou) or an on-field Electro unit (e.g. Cyno). The latter type of characters serves the purpose of driving off-field abilities while also triggering Hyperblooms.

Xingqiu’s ability to consolidate multiple roles becomes very noticeable when you have a team that requires a minimum of 3 different Elements to trigger one reaction. He becomes even more outstanding when you realize that he is generally the best Hydro applier for Hyperbloom teams without compromise, despite being able to fill so many different roles.


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Also acts as your defensive option in the team via his damage reduction and small amount of healing.

Dendro Flex
On/Off-field Dendro applier that works together with Xingqiu to create Dendro Cores.

Electro Flex
The Electro flex can either be Hyperbloom trigger or an Electro applier that doesn’t hit the Dendro Cores too much.

Flex
Very flexible last slot; can be Electro trigger for Hyperbloom if you do not already have one, an Anemo character for support and triggering Hyperblooms, or even another off-field DPS that doesn’t interfere with reactions too much.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Yelan — Nahida — Kuki Shinobu
Xingqiu — Yelan — Nahida — Kuki Shinobu

Sample Rotation: Double Hydro Hyperbloom Rotation | Xingqiu Yelan Nahida Kuki

Quickbloom

Xingqiu Quickbloom
Xingqiu — Dendro Flex — Electro Flex — Flex

Despite Quickbloom and Hyperbloom teams sharing the same core Elements, they are quite different in the way that they play. Quickbloom teams aim to maintain some Quicken uptime to trigger Aggravate or Spread reactions, while also creating a decent amount of Dendro Cores for Hyperbloom damage. These teams focus on both a character’s personal damage and reaction damage from Hyperbloom and Spread / Aggravate. It’s important to mention that the increased Hydro application from C6 Xingqiu may turn many Quickbloom teams into Hyperbloom-esque teams.


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Also acts as your defensive option in the team via his damage reduction and small amount of healing.

Dendro Flex
On/Off-field Dendro applier that works together with Xingqiu to create Dendro Cores while also maintaining Quicken uptime. If on-field, they will be a DPS that triggers both Spread and Bloom.

Electro Flex
On/Off-field Electro applier that is either used to maintain Quicken uptime or be the Aggravate and Hyperbloom trigger.

Flex
Very flexible last slot; can be another off-field DPS or a support.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Alhaitham — Raiden — Nahida
Xingqiu — Alhaitham — Raiden — Nahida

Sample Rotation: Alhaitham Quickbloom Rotation | Xingqiu Alhaitham Nahida Raiden

Bountiful Bloom (Nilou)

Xingqiu Nilou
Xingqiu — Nilou — Dendro Flex — Flex (Dendro or Hydro)

Despite Nilou being very niche in which teammates she can pick to take advantage of her Bountiful Cores, Xingqiu is definitely one of her best teammates. Though his damage reduction does not reduce Bloom self-damage, his fast Hydro application and single-target damage help a lot. Due to two slots being taken up by Xingqiu and Nilou, leftover slot options are limited; nevertheless, it is important to have consistent healing so you don’t die to your own Bountiful Cores.


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Damage reduction doesn’t work on Bloom self-damage. Depending on the other units you choose, Xingqiu may trigger a significant portion of Bountiful Cores. In these teams, it is recommended to run more EM on him than usual.

Nilou
Through her Ascension Passives, Nilou  greatly boosts the Bloom reaction.

Dendro Flex
Dendro applier who works together with other units to trigger Blooms.

Flex
Can either be another Hydro or Dendro unit, both of whom work quite well. Bloom self-damage will push you to want a healer somewhere in your team. Depending on the characters you use, the character(s) triggering the most Blooms may also change. Check out the Nilou Quick Guide for more information.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Nilou — Nahida — Yaoyao
Xingqiu — Nilou — Nahida — Yaoyao

Sample Rotation: Nilou Bloom Rotation | Xingqiu Nilou Nahida Yaoyao

Freeze Bloom (Fridge)

Xingqiu Fridge
Xingqiu — Dendro Flex — Cryo Flex — Flex

Fridge teams take advantage of a unique interaction that occurs when a Dendro and Cryo aura coexist on an enemy. When Hydro interacts with the aura, it will not only trigger Freeze but also Bloom. However, if your Dendro application is too fast, there will be no Hydro aura to Freeze with. Despite these teams not being very competitive, in scenarios where you can take advantage of Freeze as well as the extra Dendro Cores, they can have some value in the CC and Bloom DMG the team provides.


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Also acts as your defensive option in the team via his damage reduction and small healing.

Dendro Flex
Dendro applier that works together with other units to trigger Blooms.

Cryo Flex
Works with Xingqiu to eat away at his fast Hydro application to generate more Dendro Cores.

Flex
Very flexible last slot;  can be another off-field DPS, a support, or an Electro character that triggers Hyperbloom.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Nahida — Rosaria — Raiden Shogun
Xingqiu — Nahida — Rosaria — Raiden Shogun

Sample Rotation: HyperFridge Rotation | Xingqiu Nahida Rosaria Raiden

Mono Hydro

Xingqiu — Kazuha — Hydro Flex — Hydro Flex
Xingqiu — Kazuha — Hydro Flex — Hydro Flex

A surprisingly strong team that ignores reactions altogether to fully utilize Kazuha’s DMG Bonus buff. Many Hydro units are quite strong with Xingqiu as he can battery them while shredding Hydro RES (with C2); the Hydro Resonance can help as well. Kazuha is the best Anemo unit to use here because of his DMG Bonus buff, but other Anemo units work too as long as they are holding 4pc Viridescent Venerer.


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. Shreds Hydro RES with C2 and batteries other Hydro characters. Also acts as your defensive option in the team via his damage reduction and small healing. 

Kazuha
Kazuha gives a substantial Elemental DMG Bonus to the entire team while also shredding Elemental RES with 4pc VV. His grouping allows attacks to hit in AoE much more easily.

Hydro Flex
Can be any Hydro unit that takes advantage of Kazuha’s buff. Preferably one on-fielder and one off-fielder.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Kazuha — Yelan — Kokomi
Xingqiu — Kazuha — Yelan — Kokomi

Sample Rotation: On-Field Kokomi Mono-Hydro Rotation | Kazuha Xingqiu Yelan Kokomi

On-Field DPS Xingqiu

Xingqiu On-Field DPS
Xingqiu — Bennett — Flex — Flex

This team allows Xingqiu to be on-field, who takes advantage of Bennett’s huge Flat ATK buff to deal high single-target damage via his sword rain attacks. Combined with other buffers, his personal damage can really shine. 


Xingqiu
High single-target damage and fast Hydro application. By attacking on-field, Xingqiu can take full advantage of his high multipliers.

Bennett
Provides a large Flat ATK buff to Xingqiu, allowing his personal damage to shine.

Hydro Flex
Flex slot should generally be another buffer like Kazuha but can also be a comfort option like Zhongli.
Example Team
Xingqiu — Bennett — Yelan — Kazuha
Xingqiu — Bennett — Yelan — Kazuha

Sample Rotation: On-Field Xingqiu Rotation | Xingqiu Bennett Yelan Kazuha

Afterword

Official Xingqiu Art by HoYoverse
Official Xingqiu Art by HoYoverse

Thanks so much for reading this Xingqiu guide! We hope it provided you with some insightful information about our favorite waterboy. Xingqiu has made it a long way from his release, where he is now a well-enjoyed staple unit in the Genshin Impact community. We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has helped in immeasurable ways with this project through thick and thin.

If you would like to reach out with any questions or inquiries, feel free to find us at the KQM Discord

– Chase, Quincy, and Reimu

Credits

Writing: chasing_haze, quinslay, .reimu.

Calculations: quinslay, EduLis

Rotation Videos:, .reimu.

Readability Editing: rioau, idkanonymized

Theorycrafting Editing: Nikatosaurus, nociii

Transcription: irokei

Formatting: Latiwings, Casdela, chasing_haze

Consultation: Lettuce Hunt, Rare Possum, miannes, lactose., pweep, kay, Cuzimori, Potade

References

Changelog

  • 20 September 2021: Published for Version 2.1
  • 9 October 2023: Rewritten and Updated for Version 4.0

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