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Keqing Guide: Driving Thunder

Written by: 3b00d_09#2235

Updated for Version 3.1

Artwork Source panosarts

Introduction

Welcome to KQM’s guide to Keqing! Keqing is an Electro 5 Star unit that offers a wide variety of playstyles, and overworld mechanics that add a flavor to exploration and combat. Moreover, Keqing is a unit that relies on her raw strength to output damage which further increases her flexibility.

Please note that although this guide endeavors to provide the most optimal ways to play Keqing, she is a perfectly useable and functional unit even without maximum optimization. If you can clear all the content you want perfectly fine, then don’t let the contents of this guide keep you from playing the way you want to!

With that in mind, lets dive right in!

If you are here for a TLDR on how to build Keqing, you can refer to the following infographics (click to expand)

TL;DR

Talents

Artwork Source 清心寡欲

Talent Priority

For Sustained Electro Keqing, level her Normals first followed by her Elemental Burst followed by her Elemental Skill. If you are playing Keqing in Aggravate teams you can level her Burst and Skill equally but her Normals should still be prioritized first.

It is heavily recommended to level Keqing to level 90 if you are playing Aggravate teams, as Keqing’s personal damage dramatically increases from level 80 to 90.

For Quickswap Electro Keqing, prioritize her Burst > Skill > Normals. You don’t need to heavily invest in her Normals.

For Physical Keqing, prioritize her Normals > Burst > Skill. Her Skill can also be left at level 6 until you are done leveling her Normals and Burst.

Talents Overview

Normal Attack

Normal attack: Yunlai Swordsmanship

Normal Attack
Keqing performs up to 5 consecutive strikes.

Charged Attack
Keqing consumes 25 Stamina to unleash 2 rapid sword strikes.

Keqing’s Charged Attack is her main source of damage for non-Quickswap playstyles. Her highest damaging string is 1 Normal Attack into a Charged Attack (N1C). However, her Charged Attack comes with two issues that need addressing:

  • 25 Stamina cost which is the highest out of any Sword user Mihoyo pls.
  • It knocks lightweight enemies away from you.

So how do we deal with these two issues? Addressing the Stamina problem first, you should look to weave in 4 Normal Attacks into a Charged Attack whenever your Stamina is running a little low. N4C is Keqing’s second best string as it gives Keqing breathing room and doesn’t drop your DPS too hard.

As for the knockback issue, you have two main ways of dealing with it. Either you jump or you dash towards your enemy if they fly too far back. Jumping conserves Stamina but is more annoying to consistently do, while Dashing is a lot easier and doesn’t feel bad to play with but eats your Stamina very fast.

Elemental Skill

Elemental Skill: Stellar Restoration

Press: Keqing throws a Lightning Stiletto towards an enemy that deals Electro DMG in a small AoE and leaves a Stiletto Mark on the field that lasts for 5 seconds.

Hold: Keqing adjusts the direction that the Lightning Stiletto will be thrown and leaves a Stiletto Mark on the field. Stiletto Marks can be left suspended in the air. 

Recast: When Keqing casts Stellar Restoration while the Stiletto Mark is on field, Keqing will blink to the location of the Mark and unleashes one slashing attack that deals AoE Electro DMG.

If Keqing uses a Charged Attack while the Stiletto Mark is on the field, she will do a Thunderclap Slash at the Mark’s location that deals AoE Electro DMG. 

Keqing’s Elemental Skill usage is key to her gameplay. Her Ascension 1 Talent infuses her Sword with Electro for 5 seconds after recasting Stellar Restoration which enables the Sustained Electro Keqing playstyle. However, if the player is more interested in playing Physical Keqing, recasting Stellar Restoration while Lightning Stiletto is active on the field MUST BE AVOIDED. Instead, you should look to cast a Charged Attack and proc the Thunderclap Slash damage.

Furthermore, the cooldown of the Elemental Skill starts ticking down from the moment you throw the Lightning Stiletto and not from the moment you recast or CA.

How does that work? When you cast Stellar Restoration, the Lightning Stilleto stays on-field for 5 seconds and the Skill’s 7.5s cooldown will be ticking simultaneously. Keep in mind Keqing’s Electro infusion will last for 5 seconds no matter when you recast Skill.

Why is this important? Let’s take a look at the following two scenarios:

Scenario 1: Cast Skill (cooldown starts ticking) > Recast instantly > 5 seconds of infusion > Infusion runs out with the skill being on a 1-2s cooldown depending on how far you blinked.

Scenario 2: Cast Skill (cooldown starts ticking) > Cast Burst (catch her A4 buff) > Recast Skill > 5 seconds of infusion > Infusion ends with the Skill being back up again.

Although most of the time you swap out of Keqing after 5 N1Cs, scenario two can guarantee you that you will have higher uptime for Electro infusion in case you stay on Keqing for longer than 5 seconds after recasting her skill.

Note: If you are using the 4-Piece Thundering Fury artifact set, or Mistsplitter Reforged, you have more freedom with your Elemental Skill usage, and won’t have to stick to scenario 2 all the time.

Elemental Burst

Elemental Burst: Starward Sword

Keqing deals an initial AoE Electro attack, then 8 consecutive strikes of AoE Electro DMG and finally does a large slash for massive AoE Electro DMG. 

Keqing’s main source of AoE damage. Her Elemental Burst hits multiple times, resulting in a high overall multiplier, and paired with her Ascension 4 Talent, her Elemental Burst becomes a highly valuable part of her kit. That being said, there are situations where you should avoid casting Keqing’s Elemental Burst, specifically in Driver Keqing teams. More information in the Teams & Synergies section.

Utility Passive

Passive Talent: Land’s Overseer

When dispatched on an expedition in Liyue, time consumed is reduced by 25%.

Keqing knows her way around Liyue so she’ll get you your fruits and Mora faster!

Ascension Passive 1

Ascension Talent 1: Thundering Penance

After recasting Stellar Restoration while a Lightning Stiletto is present, Keqing’s weapon gains an Electro Infusion for 5s. This infusion is overridden by all other infusion effects currently in the game. Examples would be Chongyun’s Elemental Skill Cryo infusion or Bennett’s C6 Pyro infusion. 

This Talent is the reason Sustained Electro Keqing exists. Infusion can simply be avoided by casting a Charged Attack while a Stiletto is present.

Ascension Passive 4

Ascension Talent 4: Aristocratic Dignity

When casting Starward Sword, Keqing’s Crit Rate and Energy Recharge are increased by 15% for 8 seconds. Keqing receives those buffs from the moment she casts Starward Sword. 

This Ascension Talent carries high stat value because of how much CRIT Rate it gives for free, on top of some Energy Recharge to help maintain casting Starward Sword off cooldown. It gives more breathing room when farming artifacts.

Wording clarity: Aristocratic Dignity has a duration of 8 seconds starting from the frame you cast the Elemental Burst. Therefore, the 15% CRIT Rate applies to your Elemental Burst and the buff duration remaining after the Elemental Burst is around 5 seconds.

Constellations

Artwork Source 朱緋 茜

Keqing’s Constellations are catered more towards Electro Keqing rather than Physical Keqing, offering damage increase while retaining the same playstyle.


Note: The following DPS increase percentages are all calculated for Electro Keqing only.

Constellation 1

C1: Thundering Might

Recasting Stellar Restoration while a Lightning Stiletto is present causes Keqing to deal 50% of her ATK as AoE Electro DMG at the start point and terminus of her Blink.

A small damage increase for Electro Keqing. Although it is possible to hit an enemy with both instances of the damage, the Skill cast > recast needs to be at point-blank range to get both instances of damage in which is unreliable and difficult to achieve.

Note: Keqing’s C1 shares an ICD with her Elemental Skill, making it not really relevant for Aggravate Keqing.

Damage increase over C0: 1.7%

Constellation 2

C2: Keen Extraction

When Keqing’s Normal and Charged Attacks hit opponents affected by Electro, they have a 50% chance of producing an Elemental Particle. This effect can only occur once every 5s.

This Constellation doesn’t do much for Keqing’s already low Energy needs. However, Energy hungry teammates like Sara and Beidou might appreciate the extra Electro particle.

Damage increase over C1: N/A

Damage increase over C0: 1.7%

Constellation 3

C3: Foreseen Reformation

Increases the Level of Starward Sword by 3.

A damage increase to your Elemental Burst. Nothing more to say as the A4 buffs aren’t affected by Burst levels.

Damage increase over C2: 4.6%

Damage increase over C0: 6.4%

Constellation 4

C4: Attunement

For 10s after Keqing triggers an Electro-related Elemental Reaction, her ATK is increased by 25%.

25% Attack is nothing to scoff at, especially if you are using a weapon with high Base ATK like Mistsplitter Reforged. To add onto that, some of Keqing’s best team comps utilize Electro-Charged, allowing for high uptime on her C4.

Damage increase over C3: 12.1%

Damage increase over C0: 19.3%

Constellation 5

C5: Beckoning Stars

Increases the Level of Stellar Restoration by 3

A simple damage increase to Keqing’s Elemental Skill.

Damage increase over C4: 2.08%

Damage increase over C0: 21.8%

Constellation 6

C6: Tenacious Star

When initiating a Normal Attack, a Charged Attack, Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst, Keqing gains a 6% Electro DMG Bonus for 8s. Effects triggered by Normal Attacks, Charged Attacks, Elemental Skills, and Elemental Bursts are considered independent entities.

Yet another constellation that grants additional damage to Keqing. Although the amount of Electro DMG you get is non-negligible, it is unfortunately a C6 for a 5 star unit, which makes it difficult to recommend.

Damage increase over C5: 8.4%

Damage increase over C0: 32%

Overall, it is not recommended to roll for Keqing’s Constellations, especially if you don’t play Electro Keqing. Don’t roll if you seek more damage – only roll if you love the character.

Playstyles and Builds

Artwork Source Saiivia_

Electro Keqing or Physical Keqing?

This is the first question that the majority of people ask after they get Keqing: “Should I build Keqing Physical or Electro?”

Generally, Physical Keqing is easier to build early on because you have access to a Prototype Rancour at Adventure Rank, 10 which should help you breeze through the early part of the game. As you progress, you should look to transition into Electro Keqing as soon as you have access to a Dendro character (God Bless Aggravate)

Unfortunately, Physical Keqing does not scale well into the later parts of the game. The lack of AoE damage, lack of access to consistent Electro-Charged and Aggravate reactions, and the fact that Superconduct only benefits your Normal Attacks unlike Viridescent Venerer, which benefits Electro Keqing’s entire kit, makes this playstyle fall behind quickly. Additionally, Kazuha can cause Electro Keqing’s damage to skyrocket by a whopping 50% with 4-Piece Viridescent Venerer and his Elemental DMG% buff. Do note that this does not mean Electro Keqing needs Kazuha to outperform Physical Keqing; Kazuha is just the icing on the cake.

Artwork Source 雨様

Sustained Electro Keqing

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Scales better than Physical Keqing.
  • Keqing’s Constellations buff this playstyle.
  • Grants access to a wide variety of strong off-field DPS characters.
  • Access to consistent Aggravate and Electro-Charged reactions.
  • Greater AoE potential than Physical Keqing.
  • You can teleport around with our Electro Queen.

Cons

  • Stamina-heavy playstyle.
  • In situations where Pyro is present, Overload can be problematic as it can knock enemies out of her range.
  • Keqing’s team DPS relies on having Sub-DPS units that are well invested.

Pre AR-45

Farming artifacts before you reach Adventure Rank 45 is not recommended because once you hit AR 45, every artifact domain run guarantees you at least one 5-Star artifact. It is also for this reason that we recommend saving your Fragile Resin until AR 45. What you should do instead is spend your Resin on farming Talent books, weapon ascension materials, character ascension materials, and leylines whenever you need them. Try to always be prepared for new World Levels and Character + Weapons ascension breakpoints.

Your Flower and Feather will always be Flat HP and Flat ATK respectively. For your Sands and Circlet, you should prioritize getting ATK% mainstats. Goblets can be ATK% until you find an Electro DMG% one. Don’t break these mainstats for the sake of set bonuses; it is not worth it. Once you secure your mainstats, the best set bonuses to look for are Martial Artist, Resolution of Sojourner, Brave Heart, or Berserker.

Fortunately the reward for reaching Adventure Rank 10 is the Prototype Rancour. Stick to this weapon until you pull Lion’s Roar or a better weapon.

Aggravate Keqing

Weapons

Calc’d with 4 TF. Combo is Skill > Burst > Skill Recast > N1C > N1 > Skill Cast > 2 N1C. 12 Aggravates total. Substats distributed according to KQMS. Buffed is +60 EM Buff & 20% ATK.

WeaponUnbuffed Relative to R1 Lion’s RoarBuffed Relative to R1 Lion’s RoarNotes

Mistsplitter Reforged
120.26%121.82%Similar to Non Aggravate Keqing, Mistsplitter is Aggravate Keqing’s BIS. Use Mistsplitter if you have it. 

Primordial Jade Cutter
117.83%117.80%The gap between Mistsplitter and Jade Cutter in Aggravate Keqing is much smaller due to the high CRIT RATE, boosting Aggravate’s damage.  

Haran Geppaku Futsu
115.34%116.77%Since Keqing Aggravates mostly from her first Normal Attack, Haran’s NA DMG% pushes Aggravate’s damage quite high. On top of that, Haran provides a large amount of CRIT RATE, making this weapon sit at a comfortable top 3 spot.

Light of Foliar Incision
(6 procs)
109.92%111.40%Good weapon for Aggravate Keqing but less versatile compared to her other 5* options. Not recommended to pull for her.

Freedom Sworn 
112.66%
(w/ passive)
110.96%Aggravate Keqing appreciates the EM provided by Freedom Sworn, alongside the ATK% buff and the NA / CA buff, pushing this weapon to a comfortable top spot.

Toukabou Shigure R5
108.13%107.12%Strong in single target scenarios but falls off against multiple enemies. Recommended to use over crafting Iron Sting for Keqing.

Summit Shaper (Shielded)
106.38%105.26%While Summit Shaper usually needs time to ramp up, Keqing’s Elemental Burst fully stacks this weapon by itself. This, paired with consistent shield uptime, makes Summit Shaper one of Keqing’s top weapons.

Harbinger of Dawn R5 
101.72%
(Full uptime)
102.85%
(Full uptime)
Wait HoD is this high up? It is! The amount of CRIT stats provided by this weapon push Aggravate’s damage quite well. However, maintaining the Passive is crucial. 

Summit Shaper (No Shield)
101.59%100.92%Unfortunately the weapon does lose a bit of value without shield uptime. 

Lion’s Roar 
(Full uptime)
R1
(100%)

R5
(108.81%)
R1
(100%)

R5
(108.81%)
Aggravate Keqing has nearly 100% uptime on Lion’s Roar’s passive, making it reliable unless you are facing enemies with innate Element.

The Black Sword 
R1
(99.42%)

R5
(104.09%)
R1
(100.58%)

R5
(105.29%)
The Black Sword remains a strong and consistent option for Keqing, and beats Lion’s Roar with EM / ATK buffs.

Iron Sting
(2 Stacks) 
R1
(96.9%)

R5
(103.6%)
R1
(96.1%)

R5
(102.7%)
Similar to other EM Weapons, Aggravate Keqing loves the EM provided by this weapon, and at refinement 5, it becomes a strong 4 Star option for her.

Aquila Favonia
96.10%96.78%An ATK stat-stick with not much else going for it.

The Alley Flash
(Passive On)
R1
(94.6%)

R5
(101.1%)
R1
(95%)

R5
(101.6%)
Similar to other EM Weapons, Aggravate Keqing appreciates the EM provided by this weapon and carries higher value for Aggravate Keqing compared to Non Aggravate Keqing.

Kagotsurube Isshin
94.1%
(1 passive proc, full passive uptime)
93.8%
(1 passive proc, full passive uptime)
Unfortunately, the lack of CRIT, EM, and DMG buffs weakens Aggravate damage,dropping this weapon’s value by quite a bit compared to Non Aggravate Keqing.

Blackcliff Longsword
91.8%
(0 Stacks)
93.1%
(0 Stacks)
An expensive weapon to obtain with an unreliable passive. Not recommended to buy off the Starglitter shop.

The Flute R1
90.2%
(1 proc)
90.3%
(1 proc)
A simple ATK% stat-stick with nothing else to provide. The Passive Proc is Physical DMG, not benefiting Electro Keqing.

Amenoma
Kageuchi
89%88.6%Unfortunately, Amenoma is outclassed by many weapon choices, and is not recommended to craft for Keqing.

WeaponUnbuffed Relative to R1 Lion’s RoarBuffed Relative to R1 Lion’s RoarNotes

Mistsplitter Reforged
117.75%119.5%Similar to Non Aggravate Keqing, Mistsplitter is Aggravate Keqing’s BIS. Use Mistsplitter if you have it 😀 

Primordial Jade Cutter
117.0%117.3%The gap between Mistsplitter and Jade Cutter in Aggravate Keqing is much smaller due to the high CRIT RATE, boosting Aggravate’s damage.  

Haran Geppaku Futsu
114.2%115.6%Since Keqing Aggravates mostly from her first Normal Attack, Haran’s NA DMG% pushes Aggravate’s damage quite high. On top of that, Haran provides a large amount of CRIT RATE, making this weapon sit at a comfortable top 3 spot.

Light of Foliar Incision
(6 procs)
111.01%112.37%Good weapon for Aggravate Keqing but less versatile compared to her other 5* options. Not recommended to pull for her.

Freedom Sworn 
108.2%
(w/ passive)
107.0%
(w/ passive)
Aggravate Keqing appreciates the EM provided by Freedom Sworn, alongside the ATK% buff and the NA / CA buff, pushing this weapon to a comfortable top spot. 

Summit Shaper (Shielded)
105.1%104.2%While Summit Shaper usually needs time to ramp up, Keqing’s Elemental Burst fully stacks this weapon by itself. This, paired with consistent shield uptime, makes Summit Shaper one of Keqing’s top weapons.

Toakube Shigure R5
105.64%105.00%Strong in single target scenarios but falls off against multiple enemies. Recommended to use over crafting Iron Sting for Keqing.

Harbinger of Dawn R5 
104%
(Full uptime)
104.5%
(Full uptime)
Wait HoD is this high up? It is! The amount of CRIT stats provided by this weapon push Aggravate’s damage quite well. However, maintaining the Passive is crucial. 

Summit Shaper (No Shield)
100.4%99.9%Unfortunately the weapon does lose a bit of value without shield uptime. 

Lion’s Roar 
(Full uptime)
R1
(100%)


R5
(109%)
R1
(100%)

R5
(109%)
Aggravate Keqing has nearly 100% uptime on Lion’s Roar’s passive, making it reliable unless you are facing enemies with innate Element.

The Black Sword 
R1
(99.4%)

R5
(104%)
R1
(100.5%)

R5
(105%)
The Black Sword remains a strong and consistent option for Keqing, and beats Lion’s Roar with EM / ATK buffs.

Kagotsurube Isshin 
94.7%
(1 passive proc, full passive uptime)
94.05%
(1 passive proc, full passive uptime)
Unfortunately, the lack of CRIT, EM, and DMG buffs weakens Aggravate damage,dropping this weapon’s value by quite a bit compared to Non Aggravate Keqing. Remains one of Keqing’s strongest F2P option though.

Iron Sting
(2 Stacks)
R1
(94.7%)
(2 Stacks)

R5
(101.3%)
R1
(94.1%)

R5
(100.7%)
Similar to other EM Weapons, Aggravate Keqing loves the EM provided by this weapon, and at refinement 5, it becomes a strong 4 Star option for her.

Aquila Favonia
93.6%94.4%An ATK stat-stick with not much else going for it.

The Alley Flash
(Passive On)
R1
(92.5%)


R5
(99%)
R1
(93.2%)

R5
(99.6%)
Similar to other EM Weapons, Aggravate Keqing appreciates the EM provided by this weapon and carries higher value for Aggravate Keqing compared to Non Aggravate Keqing.

Blackcliff Longsword
91.4%
(0 Stacks)
92.5%
(0 Stacks)
An expensive weapon to obtain with an unreliable passive. Not recommended to buy off the Starglitter shop.

The Flute R1
90%
(1 proc)
90.1%
(1 proc)
A simple ATK% stat-stick with nothing else to provide. The Passive Proc is Physical DMG, not benefiting Electro Keqing.

Amenoma
Kageuchi
89.6%89%Unfortunately, Amenoma is outclassed by many weapon choices, and is not recommended to craft for Keqing.

Artifacts

These are ordered by strength. 


4-Piece Thundering Fury
With the introduction of Aggravate, Keqing can make good use of the 4-Piece set effect, buffing up her Aggravate damage, as well as getting more Skill casts off. The extra skill casts can provide QOL improvements, such as reducing Stamina consumption throughout a rotation, more Energy Particles, and more teleporting.

4-Piece Thundersoother
In Aggravate teams, you’re going to generally have high Electro uptime, making the 4-Piece set effect reliable. Extremely competitive with 4-Piece Thundering Fury. 

4-Piece Gilded Dreams
Assuming one Electro character and two Non-Electro characters, the EM and ATK buffs are both buffs that Aggravate Keqing wants. Solid option but falls behind the two sets mentioned above by around 4% with ATK Sands, and ~7-9% with EM Sands.

2-Piece TF 2-Piece EM / 2-Piece TF 2-Piece ATK
The strongest 2-Piece mixed sets. Use 2-Piece EM with ATK Sands and 2-Piece ATK with EM Sands to maximize your damage.

2-Piece EM 2-Piece EM / 2-Piece EM 2-Piece ATK / 2-Piece ATK 2-Piece ATK
The difference between these set combinations is marginal. Use the combination with better substats. 

EM or ATK Sands?

Generally speaking, the difference between ATK Sands and EM Sands is negligible, and you should use the Sands with better substats. However, if you are using 4-Piece Gilded Dreams, look to use an ATK Sands over an EM Sands as the difference between the two Sands for 4-Piece GD is noticeable (~3%).

Artwork Source SWKL

Non-Aggravate Keqing

Weapons

These are sorted by order of strongest to weakest out of the list.

Calc’d with 2 SR 2 Gladiator’s artifact sets. Substats distributed according to KQMC. Expect rankings to change under Bennett Buff.

Weapons that are not mentioned are not strong enough to be worth considering.

WeaponBuffless relative to R1 Black SwordKazuha Buff relative to R1 Black SwordBennett Buff relative to R1 Black SwordNotes

Mistsplitter Reforged
(3 Stacks)
R1
(131%)

R5
(159%)
R1
(128%)

R5
(151%)
R1
(127%)

R5
(154%)
Best-in-slot option for Sustained Electro Keqing. Mistsplitter offers 44.1% CRIT DMG alongside a very high Base Attack and an extremely strong passive, which Keqing has an easy time maintaining.
Mistsplitter loses to Jade Cutter in teams that forgo Keqing’s Elemental Burst

Jade Cutter
R1
(119%)

R5
(136%)
R1
(121%)

R5
(138%)
R1
(115%)

R5
(128%)
Jade Cutter was previously Electro Keqing’s Best-in-slot up until Mistsplitter’s release. This sword offers 44% CRIT Rate for free without conditional passives which is immensely valuable.

Haran Geppaku Futsu
R1
(118%)

R5
(130%)
R1
(117%)

R5
(127%)
R1
(115%)

R5
(127%)
Although Haran only buffs Keqing’s Normal Attacks, it provides a non-negligible Elemental DMG buff, as well as high amounts of CRIT Rate, making it a strong weapon for Keqing.

Summit Shaper (Shielded)
R1
(116%)

R5
(130%)
R1
(117%)

R5
(132%)
R1
(107%)

R5
(118%)
While Summit Shaper usually needs time to ramp up, Keqing’s Elemental Burst fully stacks this weapon by itself. This, paired with consistent shield uptime, makes Summit Shaper one of Keqing’s top weapons.

Summit Shaper (No Shield)
R1
(109%)

R5
(116%)
R1
(110%)

R5
(117%)
R1
(101%)

R5
(107%)
Unfortunately the weapon does lose a bit of value without shield uptime. However, it still remains a top option for Keqing.

Aquila Favonia
R1
(103%)

R5
(115%)
R1
(103%)

R5
(114%)
R1
(98.4%)

R5
(108.3%)
Regardless of the Physical DMG% secondary stat, the Aquila Favonia comes equipped with the highest Base ATK a sword can offer, as well as a 20% ATK bonus for your character, making it viable on Electro Keqing.

Lion’s Roar
(Full uptime)
R1
(102%)

R5 (112%)
R1
(101%)

R5
(109%)
R1
(98.9%)

R5
(108.4%)
Keqing’s best 4 star weapon in Electro-focused teams or teams that utilize the Electro-Charged reaction. Maintaining the passive is a big part of this weapon’s strength, which should not be a problem for Electro Keqing.

The Black Sword
R1
(100%)

R5
(107%)
R1
(100%)

R5
(106%)
R1
(100%)

R5
(107.8%)
The premier 4 star weapon for Keqing. Although The Black Sword is slightly weaker than Lion’s Roar with its passive up, this weapon makes building Keqing more forgiving due to the CRIT Rate secondary stat and the lack of a condition on its passive.

Lion’s Roar (75% Uptime)
R1
(99%)

R5
(106%)
R1
(98%)

R5
(105%)
R1
(96.8%)

R5
(103%)
Facing enemies with innate Elements or running teams that can remove Electro from the enemy can harm this weapon’s uptime and damage.

Kagotsurube Isshin
R1
(98.5%)
R1
(99%)
R1
(94%)
Very strong 4 star option that really appreciates DMG% buffs, slightly pulling ahead of The Black Sword if you’re running 2 TF 2 ATK% artifacts.

Blackcliff Longsword
(1 Stack)
R1
(96%)

R5
(100%)
R1
(97%)

R5
(102%)
R1
(94%)

R5
(98%)
The Blackcliff Weapon series is the king of inconsistency. On paper, this is Keqing’s best 4 star option at 3 stacks. However, it is difficult to recommend due to the passive being completely useless vs bosses and inconsistent overall. Not recommended to buy off the Starglitter shop.

Harbinger of Dawn R5
Passive On
(94%)
Passive On
(95%)
Passive On
(96.8%)
On par with Blackcliff Longsword (1 Stack) as long as its passive is on. Difficult to maintain without reliable shielding or healing.

The Alley Flash
(Passive On)
R1
(92%)

R5
(99%)
R1
(92%)

R5
(98%)
R1
(90%)

R5
(97%)
Although this weapon provides the highest Base Attack out of any 4 star sword, the Elemental Mastery secondary stat holds it back. Can be strong with the passive effect being active but drops to being the lowest weapon on this table without it.

The Flute
R1
(92%)

R5
(94%)
R1
(92%)

R5
(94%)
R1
(89%)

R5
(91%)
Not much to say about this weapon as it is a simple stat stick. The passive proc is Physical Damage so it doesn’t do much for Electro Keqing.

Skyward Blade
R1
(90%)

R5
(97%)
R1
(91%)

R5
(97%)
R1
(89%)

R5
(95%)
Does not offer enough stats to Keqing for it to be considered an option. She has no Energy problems and does not benefit off the Energy Recharge this weapon offers.

Amenoma Kageuchi
88%90%86% Loads of ATK% and nothing else. If you are running DMG% buffs like Kazuha or 2 TF, this weapon gets stronger but nothing to write home about.

Prototype Rancour
R1
(86%)

R5
(91%)
R1
(87%)

R5
(93%)
R1
(84%)

R5
(88%)
Underwhelming for Electro Keqing. Not recommended to craft especially since Amenoma Kageuchi exists.

Artifacts

Note: Any mentions of 2-Piece Shimenawa’s or 2-Piece Gladiator’s can be replaced with any artifact set that gives 18% ATK (there are too many to mention them all by name).

Artifact Set NameNotes

2-Piece TF
+
2-Piece Atk%
2-Piece Thundering Fury combined with 2-Piece Atk% is one of sustained Electro Keqing’s most consistent sets.

2-Piece Atk%
+
2-Piece Atk%
Marginally better than 2-piece TF 2-piece ATK% for Mistsplitter users, as well as potentially being competitive with 2-piece TF 2-piece ATK% depending on substats.

Thundersoother
This set outputs high damage on paper, but practically speaking it’s not a versatile set as it is entirely dependent on the enemies having Electro Aura. Not recommended to use.

Shimenawa’s Reminiscence
Can be used in Driver Keqing teams, where Keqing can skip Burst in rotations.

Gladiator’s Finale
The 4-Piece set bonus only buffs Keqing’s Normal Attacks and not her Charged Attacks, which makes the set lackluster.

Art by 地主

Physical Keqing

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Easy to build considering everyone gets a free Prototype Rancour at Adventure Rank 10.
  • Ease of proccing Superconduct due to Keqing being Electro herself.
  • Rotations are easier than Electro Keqing.
  • Access to Freeze comps.

Cons

  • Loses out to Electro Keqing in damage due to Resistance Shred buffing Electro Keqing’s entire damage while SC only buffs Phys Keqing’s Normal Attacks.
  • Misses out on “free damage” from Elemental Reactions such as Electro-Charged and Aggravate.
  • Extremely Stamina-heavy playstyle.
  • Physical Damage does not scale well later into the game.
  • Physical is very limited as a damage type.

Pre AR-45

Farming artifacts before you reach Adventure Rank 45 is not recommended because once you hit AR 45, every artifact domain run guarantees you at least one 5-Star artifact. It is also for this reason that we recommend saving your Fragile Resin until AR 45. What you should do instead is spend your Resin on farming Talent books, weapon ascension materials, character ascension materials, and leylines whenever you need them. Try to always be prepared for new World Levels and Character + Weapons ascension breakpoints.

Your Flower and Feather will always be Flat HP and flat ATK respectively. For your Sands and Circlet, you should prioritize getting ATK% mainstats. Goblets can be ATK% until you find a Physical DMG% one. Don’t break these mainstats for the sake of set bonuses; it is not worth it. Once you secure your mainstats, the best set bonuses to look for are Martial Artist, Resolution of Sojourner, Brave Heart, or Berserker.

The Prototype Rancour is one of Keqing’s best 4-Star options for Sustained Physical. The weapon is given out as a reward for reaching Adventure Rank 10, which is extremely convenient. Stick with this weapon until you pull an Aquila Favonia.

Weapons

These are sorted by order of strongest to weakest out of the list.

Calc’d with 4-Piece Pale Flame. Substats distributed according to KQMC.

Weapons that are not mentioned are not strong enough to be worth considering.

WeaponRelative to Prototype RancourNotes

Aquila Favonia
R1
(125%)

R5
(143%)
Physical Keqing appreciates the Physical DMG secondary stat as well as the high amount of Attack this weapon offers.

Jade Cutter
R1
(124.5%)

R5
(141%)
Jade Cutter offers a ridiculous amount of Crit Rate as a secondary stat. Overall a consistent weapon and comfortably wins out over Aquila provided you are using Sara or Bennett.

Summit Shaper (Shielded)
R1
(120%)

R5
(133%)
While Summit Shaper usually needs time to ramp up, Keqing’s Elemental Burst fully stacks this weapon by itself. This, paired with consistent shield uptime, makes Summit Shaper one of Keqing’s top weapons.

Haran Geppaku Futsu
R1
(115%)

R5
(121%)
Packed with high CRIT Rate, this sword can be a strong option if you are lacking all of the 5 stars above it. The bonus to Keqing’s Normal Attacks is also appreciated but not enough to push this weapon further.

Summit Shaper (No Shield)
R1
(113%)

R5
(120%)
Unfortunately, the weapon does lose a bit of value without shield uptime yet remains a top option for Keqing.

Mistsplitter Reforged
R1
(112.5%)

R5
(118.5%)
Despite missing out on all the Elemental DMG% buffs this weapon offers, the high Base Attack as well as CRIT Damage secondary stat push it above the 4 star options. Keqing’s Burst also gets a little boost from the passive since we want to use it for the CRIT Rate anyways.

The Black Sword
R1
(103%)

R5
(110%)
It’s hard to recommend buying the Battle Pass for this weapon if your preferred playstyle is Physical Keqing, especially since it is not much stronger than Prototype Rancour, which is an F2P option that you can somewhat easily refine.

Prototype Rancour
R1
(100%)

R5
(105%)
The recommended 4 star weapon to use for Physical Keqing. The high Base Attack combined with a Physical DMG second stat puts this weapon at a comfortable top position amongst the 4 star options.

The Flute
R1
(97%)

R5
(100.3%)
A stat stick that is carried by the fact that the passive deals Physical DMG. Nothing too special about this weapon.

Blackcliff Longsword 1 Stack
R1
(100.3%)

R5
(105.3%)
The Blackcliff Weapon series is the king of inconsistency. On paper, this is Keqing’s best 4 star option at 3 stacks. However, it is difficult to recommend due to the passive being completely useless vs bosses and inconsistent overall. Not recommended to buy off the Starglitter shop.

Artifacts

Note: Any mentions of 2-Piece Shimenawa’s or 2-Piece Gladiator’s can be replaced with any artifact set that gives 18% ATK (there are too many to mention them all by name).

Artifact Set NameNotes


Pale Flame
Keqing’s most consistent set for this playstyle. Stellar Restoration’s initial cast damage and the Thunderclap Slash damage count as two separate stacks so Keqing can almost maintain full uptime on the 4-Piece set bonus.

2 PF 2 BSC
Can be stronger than 4-Piece Pale Flame but it depends on where you get better substats from. Remember the difference between running this combination and 4-Piece Pale Flame is 18% ATK and nothing else.

2 PF / 2 BSC
+
2 Shim / 2 Glad
2-Piece Pale Flame / Bloodstained Chivalry + 2-Piece Gladiator’s Finale / Shimenawa’s Reminiscence can be situationally viable – it just depends on your substats. Use the optimizer if you can, otherwise avoid this combination.

Blizzard Strayer
Only playable in Freeze Keqing teams. Read more

Gladiator’s Finale
Does not buff Keqing’s Charged Attacks. Not recommended.

Shimenawa’s Reminiscence
Can be used as an alternative to 4-piece Pale Flame.

Artwork Source SWKL

Quickswap Keqing

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Rotations are easier to execute.
  • Provides safety due to i-frame spam.
  • Beneficial for your account in the long-term because you’re building different characters.

Cons

  • Quickswap teams are expensive to get going.
  • Requires awareness of cooldowns.
  • Limits Keqing’s personal strength.
  • Quickswap as a playstyle only functions around certain units.

Weapons

These are sorted by order from strongest to weakest.

20 Substats distributed optimally. Solo Keqing without team buffs and if no refinement is mentioned the weapon is R1.

Weapons that are not mentioned are not strong enough to be worth considering.

WeaponRelative to R5 Harbinger of DawnNotes

Mistsplitter Reforged
3 Stacks
(130%)

2 Stacks
(116%)
Keqing’s BiS for Quickswap. Her Burst doesn’t snapshot, allowing it to benefit from all 3 stacks.

Note: For Quickswap players looking to utilize Mistsplitter, you should look to recast Stellar Restoration and then performing a Normal Attack before you Burst so you can get the 3 stacks. This only matters in Quickswap because all your damage is in your Burst and you’re not running extended rotations.

Jade Cutter
124%Very strong and consistent weapon that doesn’t require you to jump through hoops to get value out of it.

Summit Shaper
Shielded
(123%)

No Shield
(115%)
While it is convenient that Summit Shaper gets full stacks off of Keqing’s Burst alone, in Quickswap, her damage is in her burst itself. As a result, this weapon falls behind Mistsplitter and Jade Cutter.

Lion’s Roar
100% Uptime (106%)

50% Uptime (100.5%)

No Uptime
(95%)
Heavily dependent on enemies being inflicted with Electro, which can be difficult to maintain in Quickswap teams if Keqing is the sole Electro user.

Harbinger of Dawn R5
100%Quickswap playstyle tends to focus on constantly switching party members and casting their abilities and the less time Keqing spends on-field the less the risk of dropping this weapon’s passive is.

In content where maintaining the passive is difficult, like Corrosion, this weapon loses about 5% value if the uptime is 75% rather than 100%.

Recommended to use for easy and consistent results.

The Black Sword
99.5%The only reason this weapon is close with Harbinger of Dawn is because I factored in two N1Cs in a Quickswap rotation. If you are only casting your Skill and Burst this weapon falls further behind.

Amenoma Kageuchi
95%There is nothing special to this weapon and crafting it is not worth when Harbinger of Dawn outperforms it by 5%.

The Flute
95%A stat stick that provides nothing but raw ATK%.

Blackcliff Longsword
1 Stack
(99.3%)

0 Stacks
(94%)
The Blackcliff weapon series faces the same issues regardless of your playstyle. Very inconsistent and expensive weapon and it is not recommended to buy off the Starglitter Shop.

The Alley Flash
With passive
(93%)
Even though this weapon carries a high Base Attack and has a passive that theoretically should perform well in a Quickswap environment, it is held too far back by the Elemental Mastery substat.

Skyward Blade
91%At least the weapon looks pretty.

Artifacts

Note: Any mentions of 2-Piece Shimenawa’s or 2-Piece Gladiator’s can be replaced with any artifact set that gives 18% ATK (there is too many to mention them all by name).

Artifact Set NameNotes

2-Piece SR
+
2-Piece Gladiator’s
A solid set combination that is very competitive with 2-Piece Thundering Fury + 2-Piece Noblesse Oblige. Recommended to farm for.

2 TF 2 NO
You can use 2-Piece Thundering Fury with 2-Piece Noblesse Oblige if you already have existing pieces. Not recommended to farm for Thundering Fury and you should save your NO pieces for your supports.

Gear Comparison Calculator

The Gear Comparison Calculator can help you compare the damage of two different set of Artifacts / Weapons, and can help you figure out if you should use EM or ATK Sands given your stats. If you use GO, you should continue using it as it is the superior tool, and the Gear Comparison Calculator is only meant to help users who cannot use GO (Mobile / Console players).

You can find the calculator here.

Artwork Source SWKL

Team Comps and Character Synergies

Keqing is quite versatile when it comes to your options for team compositions. This section will try to cover some of her most popular comps as well as niche ones.

Sustained Electro

Aggravate Keqing

With the addition of Dendro, Aggravate Keqing teams have been seeing a lot of popularity, and for good reason. Aggravate in itself does high damage, and paired with Keqing’s Electro application rate and AoE, Aggravate teams have shown to be powerful both in single-target and AoE scenarios, albeit less in single-target.

The standard skeleton for an Aggravate Keqing team. You need a Dendro character to apply Aggravate, an Anemo (or Zhongli) character for Resistance Shred and team utility, and an Electro off-field DPS that can proc Aggravate alongside Keqing. You should have no problems maintaining Aggravate uptime with this team archetype.

Collei can perfectly sustain your Aggravate rotations, as well as provide a team-wide EM buff. She can fit into shorter rotations compared to Dendro MC, and doesn’t require as much Energy Recharge considering you can Burst on her every other rotation. She is also really cute.

Dendro MC is another Dendro option that offers plenty of Dendro application, as well as a team-wide EM buff. However, Dendro MC struggles with Energy problems, forcing you to throw as much Energy Recharge as possible on them, as well as a Favonius Weapon. Dendro MC rotations are also longer than Collei’s rotations. However, they are generally more flexible as short rotations tend to be strict.

Tighnari and Keqing both desire field time, which complicates things. If you attempt to reduce Tighnari’s field time by using him as a Burst / Skill bot and neglecting his Charged Attacks, there is little reason not to just run Collei or DMC—both of whom can do the job of applying Dendro but can additionally provide off-field damage and minor buffs. That being said, Tighnari is still a valid option for your Dendro Flex slot, just a suboptimal one compared to Collei or Dendro MC.

Fischl and Keqing have a powerful synergy in Aggravate teams thanks to Keqing’s Electro application rate enabling Fischl A4’s to proc consistently. One of the best off-field DPS options.

Kuki can slot in as your healer while also dealing AoE off-field damage with Aggravate, providing high value to your team.

Beidou offers high off-field damage in AoE scenarios and some defensive utility if you opt into using Kazuha. However, without Fischl, Beidou can run into Energy problems. 4TF Keqing can help mitigate Beidou’s Energy problems, but not by much.

Kazuha’s off-field damage is further amplified in Aggravate teams by proccing Aggravate with Electro Swirls. Not to mention his buffing capability to your Keqing and your other Electro unit with DMG%. As usual, Kazuha is the go-to unit for maximizing your team’s damage.

Sucrose provides Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers (TTDS) to your party, as well as grouping and off-field Swirls. Additionally, her C6 can easily provide Electro DMG to your Keqing and other Electro character. 

Sayu can serve as a healer while also dealing damage with off-field Swirls proccing Aggravate.

Jean can fill the roles of 4 VV and healer. However, the lack of off-field Electro Swirls can lower her value in Aggravate teams.

Zhongli offers defensive utility, as well as buffs up your team’s damage through Resistance Shred and 4-Piece Archaic Petra. Archaic Petra shouldn’t be difficult to maintain due to high uptime on Electro, making it easy to get crystallized Electro shields. You can try snipe Archaic Petra pieces through strongbox now 😀

Note: Keqing is using 4 TF in all of the rotations below. Although in the majority of rotations I’m detonating Keqing’s Stiletto with a Charged Attack, you can Recast the Skill instead if you would like more infusion time or you enjoy teleporting around. 4 TF is generally very flexible in how you can use it

Fischl Skill > Kazuha Skill > Kazuha Burst > Collei Skill > Collei Burst > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C N1 > Keqing Skill > Keqing N1C 3x > Loop

Fischl will be weaker first rotation because she will miss Kazuha buffs. You can recast Oz between Collei Burst and Keqing Skill if you’d like.

Zhongli Hold Skill > Collei Skill > Collei Burst > Fischl Skill > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C N1 > Keqing Skill > Keqing N1C 3x > Loop

If you are running Archaic Petra on Zhongli, you can start the rotation with Fischl CA then pick up the Crystallized Shield.

Kuki Skill > Collei Burst > Kuki Burst > Kazuha Skill > Kazuha Burst > Collei Skill > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C N1 > Keqing Skill > Keqing N1C 3x > Loop

Credits to Zarator#0241 for the rotation.

Fischl Burst > Dendro MC Skill > Kazuha Skill > Kazuha Burst > Dendro MC Burst > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C N1 > Keqing Skill > Keqing N1C 2x > Fischl Skill > Kazuha Skill > Dendro MC Skill > Keqing Skill > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1 > Keqing Burst > Keqing N1C > Keqing Skill > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C > loop

whew that was a lot

As mentioned previously, Dendro MC rotations are more flexible than Collei’s and you don’t have to stick to the rotation above. It is by no means the only way to play this team.

Zhongli Hold Skill > Fischl Burst > Dendro MC Skill > Dendro MC Burst > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C N1 > Keqing Skill > Keqing N1C 3x > Zhongli Hold Skill > Dendro MC Skill > Fischl Skill > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C N1 > Keqing Skill > Keqing N1C 3x > Loop

If you are running Archaic Petra on Zhongli, you can start the rotation with Fischl CA then pick up the Crystallized Shield.

Kuki Skill > Kuki Burst > Dendro MC Skill > Dendro MC Burst > Kazuha Skill > Kazuha Burst > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C 2x > Dendro MC Skill > Kazuha Skill > Keqing Skill > Keqing Skill Recast > Keqing N1C 3x > Loop

Kuki will need a lot of Energy Recharge (~180%) to consistently Burst.

Driver Keqing


One of the strongest and most popular Keqing teams. The core of a standard Keqing comp is off-field Hydro application from units like Xingqiu or Kokomi alongside Fischl or Beidou and an Anemo slot that’s preferably Kazuha. Please see “Flex Options” for more details.

Important note about rotations: You should look to weave in a Normal Attack on your supports before swapping off them so you don’t waste Beidou or Xingqiu Burst procs. Furthermore, bursting on Keqing with both Xingqiu and Beidou / Yelan on your team IS A DPS LOSS.

Xingqiu Variant

This composition utilizes the stagger from Electro-Charged as well as the raw damage from units like Xingqiu and Fischl. Your Anemo unit should ideally be Kazuha.

You may think that this comp is unplayable due to the lack of a healer but thanks to Xingqiu’s Skill providing some Damage Reduction, some healing, and the amount of stagger Electro-Charged provides, not having a healer is nowhere near as bad as it sounds.

Note: You can run both Fischl and Beidou as your 3rd and 4th unit instead of having an Anemo as your last slot. The comp remains one of the best Keqing comps you can play.

Fischl offers high off-field damage as well as consistent Electro application and strong Energy generation making her one of the most popular picks for this slot.

Beidou is another Electro character that offers strong off-field damage and Electro application as well as extremely potent AoE damage, covering Fischl and Xingqiu’s “weakness”. Her Damage Reduction is also an added bonus that further lowers your need of a healer.

Kuki Shinobu can fill the healer slot for you if you are finding it difficult to play an Electro-Charged team without a healer. However, keep in mind that your team damage will drop HEAVILY if you are slotting Kuki in Fischl or Beidou’s place.

Yelan is best paired with Xingqiu due to their powerful synergy that comes from being able to battery each other, reducing ER requirements, and the Hydro shred from Xingqiu’s C2. You can read more about their synergy in KQM’s Yelan guide!

Kazuha is the golden boy of almost every Keqing team. He can provide extremely high utility and damage buffs to this composition by swirling both Hydro and Electro, buffing the Elemental Damage of your entire team as well as shredding the enemy’s Elemental Resistance. Use Kazuha whenever you can.

 Sucrose can act as a budget Kazuha, providing strong Crowd Control and TTDS buff. She also applies large amounts of Anemo making it highly likely that you will Swirl both Hydro and Electro, increasing the damage of your entire party.

Not only is Jean gorgeous but she also provides healing if you find yourself struggling without a healer and she packs a punch with her Elemental Skill.

Wait is Bennett Anemo now? No but he can perfectly substitute any of the above Anemo choices mentioned and is especially strong with Beidou and Fischl due to their snapshot properties.

Sayu can fill a healer slot while offering off-field damage thanks to her swirls. Just try not to fall asleep while using her.

The idea is more or less the same throughout the different variants you could run. For Sucrose, try to Normal Attack on her before you cast your Elemental Burst in hopes of absorbing Hydro unless she is C6, in which case you should look to absorb Electro.

You should look to weave in a Normal Attack on your supports before swapping off them so you don’t waste Beidou or Xingqiu Burst procs.

Fischl Kokomi Variant

Although this comp needs at least two five star units, Kokomi can function on a budget build with TTDS and you are freeing your Xingqiu for your other team if you are doing abyss. Kokomi also brings healing and off-field Hydro albeit her Hydro application is not as good as Xingqiu’s.

Beidou can slot in as a fourth unit and add just as much value to your team as the Xingqiu variant. Ideally you should try to snapshot TTDS on Beidou by swapping into her after Kokomi and casting your Burst THEN swapping into Keqing.

As stated Kazuha is the golden boy of almost every Keqing team. In this specific variant you don’t need to worry about Swirling Hydro because Kokomi doesn’t utilize the shred so your rotations are a little easier. Use Kazuha whenever you can.

Sucrose grouping is quite strong for Kokomi because her Jellyfish only covers a certain area and staying within its range is important for the team to function. Avoid running TTDS on both Sucrose and Kokomi.

Fischl Skill > Swirl Electro > Kokomi Skill > Keqing Skill into Burst.

If you are playing Beidou you should look to weave in a Normal Attack on your supports before swapping off them so you don’t waste her Burst’s procs.

Mono Electro (Pure Electro)


Mono Electro teams utilize the high amount of Electro Particles being generated as well as full uptime on Lion’s Roar and / or Thundersoother provided the enemy does not have an innate element. These teams usually consist of 3 Electro characters as well as an Anemo slot that’s flexible between a few characters.

Important note about rotations: Look to weave in a Normal Attack on your supports before swapping out of them so as to avoid wasting Beidou Burst procs.

Beidou – Fischl / Sara Variant

This comp can either take advantage of Sara’s Attack buff to snapshot it onto Beidou and let Keqing take the steering wheel, or play an Energy economy game with Fischl for easier and more consistent rotations.

Sara’s rotations are clunkier and more complicated than Fischl’s. However, Beidou can snapshot Sara’s ATK buff onto her Burst and get funneled directly from Sara which can lower Beidou’s ER requirements provided you funnel Particles properly.

Oz generates Particles passively and does not require you to actively funnel into Beidou. Additionally, you don’t have to juggle any ATK buffs with this variant, making it easier to execute.

Kuki Shinobu can fill the healer slot for you if you are lacking any of the defensive options in the Anemo Flex slot. Use Favonius Sword on Kuki to alleviate Beidou’s Energy problems.

 Kazuha is capable of shredding Electro and providing Elemental Damage% bonus to your party making everyone benefit from his utility. Recommended to slot as the fourth member.

 Although Jean can’t buff your party’s Elemental Damage% like Kazuha, she provides healing and safety. Your best choice if you are in need of a healer.

 Zhongli can fill two roles at the same time with his shield providing protection and buffing your team’s damage all at once, making him offer a good middle ground between protection and party buffing.

 While Sucrose loses value from her Elemental Mastery sharing in a Mono team, her Crowd Control is still powerful and she can provide TTDS to your party.

 I know what you’re thinking… Bennett really isn’t Anemo. While that is true, he can still perfectly substitute any of the above Anemo choices mentioned and is still especially strong with Beidou Fischl due to their snapshot properties.

 Sayu is only recommended if you are struggling without a healer and Jean is not available to you.

The ideal rotation would be Sara Skill CA > Beidou Skill Burst > Swirl Electro > Sara Burst > Keqing Skill Burst > Repeat. Unfortunately there isn’t enough Energy to go around so Sara will miss her Burst every other rotation meaning you will miss buffing Beidou or Keqing.
Beidou is running 135% ER while Sara is running 200%. The less perfect counters you get on Beidou the more Energy you need for her. Visit our Beidou guide for more information.

The ideal rotation here is to Fischl Skill > Swirl Electro > Beidou Skill > Beidou Burst > Keqing Skill > Keqing Burst > Repeat. Cast Fischl Burst whenever her Skill is on cooldown.

Beidou is on 140% ER here. Perfect counters are important to maintain Burst uptime on Beidou. Visit our Beidou guide for more information.

Bennett Anemo

A comp with high potential thanks to Bennett’s Attack buff as well as the ability to shred Electro Resistance. Look to snapshotting Bennett’s buff onto Fischl while swirling Electro to gain the most out of this team.

 Yet another team comp that loves having Kazuha as the Anemo slot due to the amount of buffing he can offer to your team.

 A solid second option for Anemo providing grouping so the enemies stay inside Bennett field as well as TTDS.

You should look to start your rotation with Bennett Skill Burst > Fischl Skill > wait for Oz to apply Electro then Swirl (if you have Fischl C6 you can Normal attack instead of waiting) > Keqing Gaming.

Quickswap Electro

To be honest Keqing can fit into so many Quickswap teams that I’d have to spend the next week just talking about the different variations you could run. Instead of doing that I’ll give a few sample comps and you can try different teams and see what you like most.

Really though you can play Quickswap Keqing in a wide variety of teams because she doesn’t have high synergy with anyone except Kazuha but can take anyone. Here is a list of the characters you can make your Avengers squad out of:


Bennett
Massive party-wide Attack buff that is useful for your entire party as you’ll be swapping through everyone in a Quickswap environment.

Fischl
You can drop Oz and let him do work without having to worry about much. You should look to alternate between Fischl’s Skill and Burst to maximize Oz uptime.

Jean
Jean can bring a lot to the table being a Healer with a short cooldown Skill and access to 4-Piece Viridescent Venerer. You don’t need to cast her Burst every rotation allowing room for desync.

Kazuha
Another unit with access to Viridescent Venerer and a short cooldown Skill. Offers Elemental Damage bonus alongside grouping.

Sara
Strong Burst damage with buffing capabilities. C2 makes rotations smoother but she’s still playable without it.

Mona
Low uptime buff is more suited for Quickswap playstyles.

Venti
Similar to Kazuha, he has access to Viridescent Venerer and offers the best grouping you can ask for.

Sample Teams

Physical Keqing

Physical Keqing doesn’t need too much to function other than Cryo application every 10-12 seconds which is pretty much every Cryo character in the game. See “Flex Options” for more details.

Standard Physical

“Whatever you want” Variant

A fairly standard Physical comp that takes advantage of how easily Keqing can proc Superconduct, boosting her damage. You have a lot of flex options here so browse the “Flex Options” market and pick whatever you want.

 Rosaria is one of the best off field Cryo appliers in the game. Not only is she good at applying Cryo, she also offers a Crit Rate buff and her C6 shreds Physical Resistance.

 Male Rosaria (or maybe Rosaria is female Kaeya?). Has worse application than Rosaria especially if she is C2 but offers a QoL Stamina buff. Ultimately it doesn’t matter too much and you should pick based on your personal preference.

Diona and Qiqi are your two healer options for your Cryo slot. Diona is recommended because she can ease on your Stamina and generate more Energy.

 Fischl offers high single-target damage from off-field and is especially valuable when paired with Beidou if you decide to run the Keqing / Beidou / Fischl trio.

Physical Keqing can drive Beidou just like Electro Keqing can. Try to pair Beidou with Fischl for an easier time managing Beidou’s Burst.

 While Xingqiu is an amazing off-field DPS, he is better utilized in Freeze Physical Keqing which will be discussed in the next variant.

Barbara can serve as your healer while providing TTDS buff to Keqing and raise your team’s morale.

Fills the same slot that Barbara does but instead of providing morale support, she brings battle tactics with her.

Zhongli is Zhongli. He can substitute for a healer (as long as you aren’t under the effect of Corrosion) and provide Physical RES Shred at the same time. A solid and consistent option.

Fischl Skill > Rosaria Skill into Burst > Diona hold Skill into Burst > Keqing Skill into Burst into N1C spam.
Rosaria and Diona are both on a Favonius weapon.

Freeze Physical

Xingqiu – Double Cryo Variant

The name of the game is Freeze. You can run Xingqiu with 2 Cryo Characters and keep your opponents Frozen, providing comfort in the enemies not flying away after every CA. 4 BS is weaker than 4 PF in Freeze but if you have a Blizzard Strayer set lying around somewhere you can use it rather than farming for a new set.

A strong battery and very consistent Cryo application making Kaeya top tier for Freeze teams. Recommended to pair with Rosaria.

Similar to Kaeya, Rosaria is very strong in Freeze teams especially since her weakness of “limited range burst” is irrelevant in a Freeze comp where your enemy can’t move. Recommended to pair with Kaeya.

If you find yourself needing a healer in this comp then Diona is your best option despite her Cryo application being nowhere near as good as Kaeya or Rosaria.

Extremly weak Cryo application and Energy generation. Not recommended to use unless you don’t have access to Diona and need a healer.

 Does Ganyu “work” in a Keqing Freeze comp? Well, her Burst does work well enough as a Cryo applier for Freeze but it’s not the best utilization of Ganyu by any means.

Xingqiu Skill into Burst > Rosaria Skill into Burst > Kaeya Skill into Burst > Keqing Skill into N1C Spam. You do not need to Burst on Freeze Keqing if you are using Blizzard Strayer because you are getting plenty of Crit Rate from Blizzard Strayer and Cryo Resonance.

Closing Thoughts

Artwork Source 夜蓝星炫

If you’ve made it this far thank you for reading It has been a pleasure writing this guide and I hope you can take something away from it to aid you in your journey travelers!

KQM Links

Credits

A huge thank you goes to xf3#3123 for helping with SR and rotations testing. He played a big part in helping write the guide and I truly appreciate it.

Thank you to the following individuals:

  • jstern25#1399
  • Peekays#2722
  • Artesians#0002
  • jamberry#7142
  • Raf#7220
  • jamie#9248
  • taylor_series19#4689
  • Luno#1337
  • rockidayo#6969
  • Rathalos#2875
  • Cuzimori#1535
  • Casdela#5121

And the rest of
KQM staff who helped make this guide happen!

Calculation Repository

Artwork Source SWKL

Changelog

  • 20th November 2021: Guide Release
  • 9th December 2021: Updated HoD description for Quickswap.
  • 6th February 2022: Release Keqing Gear Comparison Calculator.
  • 3rd April 2022: Updated Weapons for Sustained Electro Keqing and Physical Keqing. Added Shenhe
  • 27th June 2022: Physical Weapons updated
  • 27th July 2022: Added Kagotsurube Isshin. Added Kuki Shinobu. Fixed Phys weapon calcs due to error in Pale Flame bonus.
  • 15th Oct 2022: Included Aggravate content. Removed some teams. Removed 4 SR section. Moved the Gear Comparison Calculator outside the guide. Added Double Hydro team.

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