Updated for Version 4.8
The Hydro Traveler or Hydro Main Character (HMC) is a 5-star Hydro Sword character who is available for free after unlocking a Statue of the Seven in Fontaine and resonating with the Hydro Element. They have unique methods of Hydro application and are a free-to-play option for exploiting the weaknesses of Ousia-aligned Fontaine enemies.
Learn about the Hydro Traveler’s best builds, best weapons, best artifacts, and best teams in this in-depth review.
Note that the information given may change if new discoveries are made. More extensive testing is in progress.
Join our Discord to participate in the theorycrafting process.
Table of Contents
Infographic
Credits to: euphorysm, nova_licious, and KQM Staff
Character Overview
Hydro Traveler introduces a fun playstyle — shooting bubbles!
However, despite wielding one of the most versatile Elements in the game (Hydro), they are held back by poor damage, insufficient Elemental application, lack of team utility, and gameplay issues that make them cumbersome to use. In many cases, Barbara is a superior free Hydro unit who also consolidates healing.
As of this guide’s writing, Hydro Traveler does not provide enough significant use cases to recommend using over other characters or even their alternate Elemental alignments. As such, if you decide to build Hydro Traveler for personal enjoyment, you should be aware of their drawbacks and the extra consideration you need to work around them.
Level and Talent Priority
If using Hydro Traveler as a Bloom trigger in Nilou teams, it is recommended to bring them to level 90 to maximize Transformative Reaction damage.
Skill > Burst
Hydro Traveler’s Normal Attacks are inconsequential and generally should not be leveled.
Talents
Normal Attack | Foreign Stream
Talent Description
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.
This Talent is identical to the corresponding Normal Attack Talents of the Traveler’s alternate Elements; its level is independent of the levels on the Traveler’s other Normal Attack Talents. Due to its poor damage and lack of synergy with the rest of their kit, it is not recommended to level this Talent.
Unlike Anemo or Geo Traveler, Hydro Traveler does not deal an additional Elemental attack upon completing their Normal Attack string.
Elemental Skill | Aquacrest Saber
Talent Description
Unleashes a torrent that can cleanse the world.
Press
Sends a Torrent Surge forward that will deal Hydro DMG to opponents it comes into contact with.
Hold
Enter Aiming Mode and constantly fire off Dewdrops in the direction in which you are aiming, dealing Hydro DMG to opponents they hit.
When the skill ends, it will send a Torrent Surge forward that will deal Hydro DMG to opponents it comes into contact with.
Suffusion: When using the Hold configuration of this skill, if the Traveler’s HP is higher than 50%, the DMG dealt by Dewdrops will increase based on the Traveler’s Max HP, and the Traveler will lose a fixed amount of HP every second.
Arkhe: Pneuma
At certain intervals, after using Torrent Surge, this skill will unleash a Spiritbreath Thorn that pierces opponents, dealing Pneuma-aligned Hydro DMG.
Tap Skill fires a Torrent Surge, dealing a single instance of Hydro damage.
Hold Skill can be used to apply Hydro at range for up to 6s, firing up to 22 Dewdrops. This is their primary way of dealing damage, when built for it. The Dewdrops fired do not generate particles and can only apply Hydro every 1.5s per enemy. HMC’s Hold Skill also continuously drains HP while above 50% Max HP, allowing them to use buffs that require HP changes, such as the Marechaussee Hunter artifact set and Splendor of Tranquil Waters. At the end of its duration (either after 6s or by releasing the Skill button), this Skill fires a Torrent Surge identical to that of the Tap version.
Throughout the Hold Skill duration, the Traveler cannot move. While the Traveler gains some interruption resistance for their Hold Skill duration, they are not immune to getting staggered. Getting staggered will cancel the remaining duration of the Hold Skill and begin its cooldown. The Hold Skill will neither fire a Torrent Surge nor generate any Hydro Particles if it is interrupted. These issues can be alleviated with a shield, such as the one obtained through their fourth Constellation.
Both the Tap and Hold versions have the same 10s cooldown, but the Skill does not go on cooldown while it is being held; this means that the Hold Skill effectively has a 16s interval between uses, and can only be used once per rotation unless using Sacrificial Sword.
The Torrent Surge (both Tap and Hold) generates 3–4 Hydro Particles and releases an Arkhe attack that deals Hydro damage but cannot trigger reactions. This damage is Pneuma-aligned, and can weaken certain Ousia-aligned enemies. The Arkhe attack has a cooldown of 9s, which is only relevant if using Sacrificial Sword or another source of cooldown reduction.
Elemental Burst | Rising Waters
Talent Description
Unleashes a slow-moving floating bubble that deals continuous Hydro DMG to nearby opponents.
It is very difficult (and in some cases impossible) for this Talent’s bubble to hit the same enemy more than 4 times. When built for personal damage, it is generally acceptable to only use Burst whenever it is available (typically every other rotation), rather than build enough ER% to use it every rotation.
Despite the description, the bubble actually moves very quickly and will pass through enemies without staggering them backwards. At the same time, it moves slow enough that some enemies are able to dodge if the bubble is released too far away. The bubble cannot be stopped by Geo constructs or walls such as the boundary of Spiral Abyss chambers.
The Bubble deals damage every 0.5s, and does not follow standard Internal Cooldown (ICD); instead, it only applies Hydro once every four hits. In combination with the Bubble’s continuous movement, this usually results in 1-2 Hydro applications per enemy hit. While generally unimpressive, using the Burst for its extra Hydro application can still be worthwhile especially in Hyperbloom or Nilou Bloom teams, where stacking enough ER% to use it every rotation is highly recommended.
Ascension 1 Passive | Spotless Waters
Talent Description
After the Dewdrop fired by the Hold Mode of the Aquacrest Saber hits an opponent, a Sourcewater Droplet will be generated near to the Traveler. If the Traveler picks it up, they will restore 7% HP.
1 Droplet can be created this way every second, and each use of Aquacrest Saber can create 4 Droplets at most.
It is generally not recommended to go out of your way to pick up the Sourcewater Droplets when it is inconvenient; picking them up when they are directly on the way is the best way to utilize them. Some Anemo abilities (such as Kazuha’s Skill) can group the Droplets together, making it easier to make use of this Passive. At C6, having the Traveler pick up a Droplet additionally restores the HP of one teammate.
Most teammates with the exception of Neuvillette and Sigewinne cannot pick up the Droplets; however, Neuvillette is self-sufficient and generates enough Droplets on his own, and even if he didn’t, charging up Neuvillette’s Charged Attack with no Droplets is faster than waiting on HMC to generate the Droplets. As for Sigewinne, while having more Bond of Life lowers her 50,000 Max HP requirement to gain the maximum of 5 Energy from clearing the said Bond, she typically reaches this threshold with her standard build.
In Co-Op Mode, players can only see/interact with the Droplets created by their own characters.
Ascension 4 Passive | Clear Waters
Talent Description
If HP has been consumed via Suffusion while using the Hold Mode Aquacrest Saber, the Torrent Surge at the skill’s end will deal Bonus DMG equal to 45% of the total HP the Traveler has consumed in this skill use via Suffusion.
The maximum DMG Bonus that can be gained this way is 5,000.
This incentivizes HMC to use the full Hold Skill when they are built for Talent damage, especially as the Torrent Surge is easily vaporized in the right compositions.
It should be noted that this Passive does not encourage HMC to be built with HP mainstats, as the gains are very miniscule compared to the other recommended stats.
Constellations
Constellation 1 | Swelling Lake
Picking up a Sourcewater Droplet will restore 2 Energy to the Traveler.
Requires the Passive Talent “Spotless Waters.”
While not always realistic, this Constellation has the potential to slightly reduce the Traveler’s high Energy Recharge requirements, further incentivizing them to pick up Droplets whenever it is convenient. However, it is generally recommended to estimate HMC’s ER requirements without this Constellation in mind due to how unreliable it is to do in practice.
It is worth noting that you can always pick up a Sourcewater Droplet whenever you find yourself needing just a bit more Energy.
Constellation 2 | Trickling Purity
The Movement SPD of Rising Waters’ bubble will be decreased by 30%, and its duration increased by 3s.
A much-appreciated adjustment to their Burst, increasing its potential damage and Hydro application. Even with this Constellation, it is very difficult to gain full value out of the Burst, as it still moves quite fast.
Constellation 3 | Turbulent Ripples
Increases the Level of Aquacrest Saber by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
A generic increase to Skill damage. This is the best Constellation for Hydro Traveler’s personal damage, as their Burst is too inconsistent to gain full value from.
Constellation 4 | Pouring Descent
When using Aquacrest Saber, an Aquacrest Aegis that can absorb 10% of the Traveler’s Max HP in DMG will be created and will absorb Hydro DMG with 250% effectiveness. It will persist until the Traveler finishes using the skill.
Once every 2s, after a Dewdrop hits an opponent, if the Traveler is being protected by Aquacrest Aegis, the DMG Absorption of the Aegis will be restored to 10% of the Traveler’s Max HP. If the Traveler is not presently being protected by an Aegis, one will be redeployed.
Generates a Hydro shield for the Traveler at certain intervals during their Hold Skill, improving survivability and resistance to interruption during its duration. New shields are generated every 2s, and restore the durability of the previous shield if it was not already destroyed.
This is a highly valuable Constellation whenever using the Hold Skill is relevant, especially in teams without pre-existing shielders or sources of resistance to interruption. However, it may not be enough against highly aggressive enemies with multiple attacks within a short period of time.
Constellation 5 | Churning Whirlpool
Increases the Level of Rising Waters by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
A simple increase to Hydro Traveler’s Burst damage. Less valuable than their C3, as their Burst does much much less damage in practice due to its fast movement.
Constellation 6 | Tides of Justice
When the Traveler picks up a Sourcewater Droplet, they will restore HP to a nearby party member with the lowest remaining HP percentage based on 6% of said member’s Max HP.
Allows the Hydro Traveler to provide a modest amount of healing to an off-field party member as well as to themselves when picking up Sourcewater Droplets. This amount of healing is generally not good enough to establish HMC as the sole defensive option in a team.
Note that the healing provided to the teammate is based on the teammate’s Max HP; in other words, building HP% on Hydro Traveler does not increase the healing received by the teammate.
Builds
ER Requirements
Hydro Traveler may sometimes want to Burst every rotation (e.g. in teams where they hold 4pc Noblesse Oblige). In these cases, Hydro Traveler’s ER requirements can vary but are generally very high; it is perfectly acceptable to gain as many ER% stats as possible and ignore personal damage. Use the Energy Recharge Calculator to determine exact requirements for your team and rotation.
If trying to maximize Hydro Traveler’s personal damage, it is recommended to forgo all ER and focus on their Hold Skill.
DPS
Artifact Stats
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| ATK% / Elemental Mastery* | Hydro DMG Bonus | CRIT |
Substat Priority: CRIT > ATK% ≈ EM* > HP% > ER
*in Vaporize teams
Due to the clunkiness of Hydro Traveler’s Burst, it is not worth sacrificing damage stats for ER. ATK% is more valuable than HP% for personal damage, though there is a small buff to Hydro Traveler’s Hold Skill based on their Max HP. EM is valuable in Vaporize teams since their biggest hit (Torrent Surge) is easily Vaporized. Plus, they’re generally run with Bennett, so ATK is less valuable for Traveler.
Artifact Sets
 4pc Marechaussee Hunter | One of Hydro Traveler’s best options for personal damage, even if the 2pc set effect is not very useful. The HP drain on their Skill can easily trigger this set effect’s 36% CRIT Rate increase. |
 4pc Golden Troupe | Although Hydro Traveler does not take full advantage of the 4pc effect due to staying on-field, Golden Troupe’s 45% Skill DMG Bonus is still very valuable. |
 4pc Nymph’s Dream | Without enough ER% to Burst, it may be difficult to gain three stacks on the 4pc effect. Nevertheless, the ATK% and Hydro DMG% this set provides is nice. |
 2pc Mixed Sets | • Hydro DMG% • Skill DMG% (Golden Troupe) • ATK% Versatile 2pc mixed sets may be used while farming for a 4pc set. |
  4pc Thundersoother, 4pc Lavawalker | Thundersoother or Lavawalker are very good options for personal damage, but only if the team allows enemies to have a consistent Electro or Pyro aura, respectively. |
 4pc Blizzard Strayer | In a Freeze team that allows enemies to have a consistent Cryo aura, this set provides up to 40% CRIT Rate. However, it is not recommended over Marchaussee Hunter which provides a similar amount of CRIT Rate with an easier and more consistent trigger condition. |
Weapons
 Splendor of Tranquil Waters | Hydro Traveler’s self HP drain can guarantee high uptime on 3 stacks of the Elemental Skill DMG% buff. Additionally, when paired with Furina, they can get an additional 28% HP that slightly increases their damage. |
 Uraku Misugiri | Provides an Elemental Skill DMG% increase that doubles if they’re run with a Geo teammate. |
 Primordial Jade Cutter | Provides a lot of CRIT Rate along with HP% and ATK%. Be careful of overcapping CRIT Rate if paired with a set like Marechaussee Hunter. |
 Other CRIT 5-Star Swords | Mistsplitter Reforged, Haran Geppaku Futsu, Light of Foliar Incision, Absolution Although Hydro Traveler has a hard time taking advantage of these weapons’ passives, they are still excellent stat sticks. |
 Wolf-Fang | A powerful Battle Pass option with a CRIT Rate secondary stat and buffs to Hydro Traveler’s Skill and Burst. |
 Sacrificial Sword | If emphasizing Hydro Traveler’s ability to enable reactions rather than their personal damage, Sacrificial Sword’s Skill cooldown reset is very valuable. Although Hydro Traveler’s Hold Skill hits multiple times, only the final Torrent Surge triggers the weapon passive, making refinements particularly valuable for consistency. |
 Amenoma Kageuchi | A good craftable option due to the ATK% and Flat Energy refund it provides. |
 Finale of the Deep | Another craftable option that provides a lot of ATK%, especially if you are able to consistently clear the Bond of Life. |
 Lion’s Roar | A strong option if the team can maintain a consistent Electro or Pyro aura on enemies. Lion’s Roar synergizes particularly well with the Thundersoother and Lavawalker artifact sets. |
  Fleuve Cendre Ferryman, Festering Desire | Provide buffs to Hydro Traveler’s Skill, although their ER% secondary stats may not be necessary if focusing solely on Hold Skill damage. |
Support
Artifact Stats
Sands | Goblet | Circlet |
| Energy Recharge or ATK% | Hydro DMG Bonus /Any | CRIT Rate (if Favonius) CRIT DMG / Healing Bonus |
Stat Priority: ER% (until requirement) > CRIT Rate (if Favonius) >> CRIT DMG > ATK% > HP%
Hydro Traveler’s support utility comes from their weapon and artifact set rather than their actual kit. ER% may be necessary to Burst every rotation if, for example, they are holding 4pc Noblesse Oblige or for more Hydro application in Hyperbloom teams (see the ER Requirements section). CRIT Rate is useful for triggering Favonius Sword’s passive. Stats that increase personal damage (ATK% and CRIT DMG) or healing (Healing Bonus, especially at C6) are of lower priority.
Note that building HP% is worse than building ATK% for damage, and that it only increases the Dewdrop healing received by Hydro Traveler themselves (and not the C6 teammate healing).
Artifact Sets
 4pc Instructor | Provides a large EM buff for reaction-based teams. Due to Hydro Traveler’s Skill having a 10s cooldown, they have some downtime on the 4pc set effect if they don’t use their Burst. If attempting to Burst consistently, a 5-star ER Sands is recommended due to the stat limitations of a 4-star set. |
 4pc Noblesse Oblige | Highly encourages Hydro Traveler to build ER and Burst every rotation. However, Hydro Traveler has a 20s Burst cooldown, leading to some downtime on the 4pc set’s ATK% buff. |
 4pc Deepwood Memories | Viable for Bloom-based teams if no other teammate is holding it. Due to Hydro Traveler’s Skill having a 10s cooldown, they have some downtime on the 4pc set effect if they don’t use their Burst. Note that it’s likely better to put your Deepwood set on another teammate who can more effectively proc its effects. |
 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith | Hydro Traveler does not have good uptime of the ATK% buff, but it is still an option if other teammates can snapshot the short window. |
Weapons
 Favonius Sword | A solid option to lower teammates’ ER requirements and help with Hydro Traveler’s own Energy. Hydro Traveler may need to build some CRIT Rate to consistently proc the weapon passive. |
 Freedom-Sworn | Provides a decent team buff if Traveler can trigger reactions to activate the passive. |
Fleuve Cendre Ferryman, Festering Desire | F2P options that provide plentiful ER if Hydro Traveler needs it. Festering Desire also slightly boosts their Skill damage. |
Amenoma Kageuchi | A decent craftable option due to the ATK% and Flat Energy refund it provides. |
Sacrificial Sword | An extra Skill usage may be nice for maintaining uptime on artifact set effects, but comes at the cost of more field time. Higher refinements may also be necessary to trigger the weapon passive more consistently. |
 Key of Khaj-Nisut | Provides a nice EM buff. It is recommended to use a Hold Skill long enough to gain 3 stacks and then release the Skill early. The HP% this weapon provides is marginally useful for increasing the EM buff and Hydro Traveler’s self-healing. |
Nilou Bloom
Artifact Stats
Sands | Goblet | Circlet |
| Energy Recharge or Elemental Mastery EM | Elemental Mastery | Elemental Mastery |
Stat Priority: ER% (until requirement) > EM > HP%
In Nilou Bloom, Hydro Traveler triggers a decent amount of Blooms; thus, EM and their character level should be a priority. Depending on whether their Burst is used for some Hydro application, ER may also be a useful stat. Some HP% is also nice for healing against Bloom self-damage.
Artifact Sets
 4pc Flower of Paradise Lost | Provides EM and a large buff to Bloom damage. The best option if Hydro Traveler triggers a lot of Blooms. |
 4pc Gilded Dreams | A decent option if Hydro Traveler triggers a lot of Blooms. It provides a good chunk of EM and some ATK% while being in a potentially Resin-efficient domain (where you can also farm Deepwood Memories). |
 2pc EM + 2pc EM | A viable option that’s only slightly behind the 4pc sets above. |
4pc Deepwood Memories | Due to Hydro Traveler’s Skill having a 10s cooldown, they have some downtime on Deepwood’s 4pc set effect if they don’t use their Burst. There are often other units on the team who have better uptime on the 4pc set effect, but Hydro Traveler remains viable if no other teammate holds it. |
Weapons
Freedom-Sworn | Provides the most EM out of any Sword, although the team buff is not particularly useful in Nilou Bloom. |
 Xiphos’ Moonlight | Hydro Traveler greatly appreciates Xiphos’s EM secondary stat and EM-to-ER passive. |
 Other EM Swords | Iron Sting, Toukabou Shigure, Dark Iron Sword Free and accessible weapon options with EM secondary stats. |
Sacrificial Sword | If emphasizing Hydro Traveler’s ability to enable reactions rather than their personal damage, Sacrificial Sword’s Skill cooldown reset is very valuable. Although Hydro Traveler’s Hold Skill hits multiple times, only the final Torrent Surge triggers the weapon passive, making refinements particularly valuable for consistency. |
Teams
Teambuilding
Hydro Traveler is versatile in the way that they are rarely necessary to a team, and the team composition is mainly determined by the other teammates. However, this means there is almost always a better unit to use instead of Hydro Traveler. If you still wish to play Hydro Traveler despite their lack of utility, some of the more viable teams are mentioned below.
Hydro Traveler’s main asset for damage is their Hold Skill. Because they are vulnerable to interruption during their Hold Skill, shielders, sources of interruption resistance, and crowd control units are valuable even if HMC is at C4+. Additionally, Hydro Traveler is unable to benefit from abilities that trigger on Normal Attacks (such as Xingqiu, Yelan, and Beidou’s Bursts).
In a more supportive role, it may be useful to use Hydro Traveler’s Hold Skill but release it early. This allows for more hits to proc weapon passives such as Favonius Sword or Key of Khaj-Nisut.
Although Hydro Traveler is not recommended as the sole healer, their C6 healing can be nice when paired with other sources of survivability (such as Xingqiu’s damage reduction or the Freeze reaction).
Note that Hydro Traveler’s Hydro application is suboptimal compared to those of alternative characters, both on-field and off-field.
Teammates
Because Hydro Traveler’s personal damage is rather subpar, they are rather reliant on strong teammates for the team to deal damage. It is often more important for the other three teammates to have strong synergy with each other than for them to have direct synergy with Hydro Traveler.
 Nilou | Nilou specializes in turning the ordinary Bloom reaction into Bountiful Blooms so long as her team is only composed of Hydro and Dendro units. While Hydro Traveler is not a particularly synergistic unit here, they still function well enough in Nilou teams as they can choose which enemy to apply Hydro to — a trait that helps them bypass the Bloom damage ICD. A strong healer is necessary against Bloom self-damage, since Hydro Traveler’s healing alone is not enough for the whole team. |
 Furina | Hydro Traveler’s self-HP drain and healing help in generating Fanfare for Furina’s buff. They can also add onto Furina’s Hydro application to enable some teams like Xiangling Reverse Vaporize. If not inconvenient, picking up HMC’s orbs can actually be worthwhile in Furina teams to generate additional Fanfare. |
  Kokomi, Sigewinne | These units help Hydro Traveler with Hydro Application as their field time is often minimal and their off-field abilities don’t require Normal Attacks to apply Hydro (unlike Xingqiu or Yelan). Kokomi and Sigewinne also provide healing for the team. |
| Interruption Resistance, Crowd Control | When playing Hydro Traveler on-field, they greatly appreciate interruption resistance (via shield units, Baizhu, Dehya, etc.) and crowd control (through Freeze, grouping, Taunts, etc.) to ensure their Hold Skill is not canceled. This issue is less of a problem with HMC’s C4 unlocked. |
Example Teams
This is not a comprehensive list of teams. The inclusion or exclusion of any given team does not necessarily reflect its power level.
Hydro Traveler and Furina work together to allow Xiangling to Vaporize her Pyronado. Furina’s Fanfare generation is accelerated by Hydro Traveler’s HP manipulation. Against some enemies with big hitboxes, Xiangling’s Pyronado can hit twice per swing, in which case this team turns into a Forward Vaporize team.
Nilou and Nahida’s Dendro application are a strong pairing for Nilou Bloom teams. Hydro Traveler’s role is to use their Hold Skill to shoot Dewdrops and drive Bloom reactions. Baizhu’s healing helps mitigate against Bloom self-damage, and his small shields provide interruption resistance for Hydro Traveler.
A team focused around Hyperbloom. Without Sacrificial Sword, Hydro Traveler has downtime on their Skill and their Hydro application. In this case, you can play Kokomi on-field to apply Hydro.
A good team for mobs and the overworld. Depending on whether Venti’s Burst absorbs Cryo or Hydro, this team can act as a Freeze or Mono Cryo team. Although this team does not have a dedicated healer, it has multiple forms of survivability through Venti’s crowd control, the Freeze reaction, and Hydro Traveler’s small C6 healing.
In this team, Xiangling enables Hydro Traveler to Vaporize their Elemental Skill while they get buffed by Kazuha and Bennett. Note that getting Kazuha to Swirl Hydro can be hard, so sometimes it’s better to skip it.
Credits
In loving memory of the sanity of the contributors to this quick guide.
chasing_haze, nikatosaurus, caramielle., polomo, eastonair, mocha_biscuit, staryy_, grankrathalos, clevernt, cuppacote, haafr, alehannita
Team images made with the KQM portrait generator.
