Updated for Version 4.1

Razor is a 4-star Electro Claymore character who requires a large amount of field time to deal a mix of Physical and Electro damage.

Learn about Razor’s best buids, Talent priority, best weapons, best artifacts, and best teams in this quick guide.

Note that the information given is subject to change if and when new discoveries are made. More extensive testing is in progress. 

The full-length guide is available here. It is heavily outdated and currently being updated, please visit our Discord to learn more about Razor.

New Content

Baizhu	A 5-star Dendro Catalyst character who offers teamwide healing, small shields, and a buff for Dendro-reactions to on-field units. However, his off-field Dendro application is quite limited compared to other Dendro units.
Kirara	A 4-star Dendro Sword character who provides a strong shield. She is a decent option in Aggravate, but her near non-existent off-field Dendro application limits her synergy in Bloom-based Reaction teams.
Talking Stick	A Battle Pass-exclusive weapon that provides different buffs when the wielder is affected by certain Elements. While Razor can easily gain its buff due to his Burst mechanics, it generally does not surpass his other 4-star options if at all.  Serpent Spine is also a much stronger and more flexible alternative from the Battle Pass.
Tidal Shadow	A craftable weapon from Fontaine. Its passive can be an improvement over that of Prototype Archaic, but requires consistent healing to function.
Marechaussee Hunter	A new artifact set obtained in Fontaine. Its 2pc effect is serviceable for Razor’s mixed sets. While its 4pc effect is quite powerful, fulfilling its requirements is currently too impractical to recommend for most playstyles. Burgeon’s self-damage can maintain stacks on the 4pc effect. However, Razor much prefers sets that increase his reaction damage in such playstyles.
Lynette	A 4-star Anemo Sword character available after reaching AR25. She can carry 4pc Viridescent Venerer and provide a team ATK buff, while her Burst deals off-field damage and taunts enemies. She can notably deal Ousia-aligned damage to weaken Pneum-aligned enemies.
Portable Power Saw	Do not use this weapon.

Infographic

Design: angtahimik
Content: irokei

Playstyles

Physical DPS

The simplest way to play Razor, making full use of his high Normal Attack scalings and Physical DMG Bonus Ascension stat. This playstyle is a viable option in the early game, but it will suffer in the late game from relatively few sources of Physical DMG buffs compared to his Elemental playstyles.

Aggravate DPS

Quicken allows Razor to substantially increase his Electro damage through Aggravate, which he can trigger on his Skill, Burst, and C6. Notably for Razor, he can still deal good Physical DMG with his Normal Attacks on top of his Aggravated Electro damage, such that weapons, artifacts, and teammates associated with his Physical playstyles can still find use in this team archetype. He can also make good use of the Electro RES Shred from 4pc Viridescent Venerer as well as Elemental DMG% buffs such as Kazuha’s A4 Passive. Note that high Dendro application is not needed due to Quicken’s long uptime.

Transformative Reaction DPS

A niche but possibly potent build that utilizes Razor’s unique mechanics to deal numerous Transformative Reactions such as Electro-Charged, Hyperbloom, Burgeon and Overloaded. This build can experience numerous gameplay issues that makes it difficult to use in practice, such as Razor’s strict on-field requirement, Overloaded’s knockback, expensive team Energy costs, restrictive ability AoEs, or Bennett’s C6 base requirement to function.

Character Overview

Level and Talent Priority

Raising Razor to Level 90 is recommended when he is used as an Aggravate or Transformative Reaction DPS to maximize his reaction damage.

Talent Priority
Normal Attack > Burst > Skill

Razor’s Normal Attacks make up a substantial portion of his damage, especially in Physical builds. The next priority is his Burst for its damage and Attack SPD Bonus, followed by his Skill. This priority is also true for Razor’s Aggravate builds, as his reaction damage is not increased by Talent levels.

For Transformative Reaction-based builds, Razor’s Talents can be left unlevelled as they contribute negligible damage.

Talents

Constellations

Combos

N# = Corresponding number of consecutive Normal Attacks
P = Plunging Attack
tE = Tap Elemental Skill
hE = Hold Elemental Skill
Q = Elemental Burst
J = Jump
D = Dash

Burst Combos

tEQ tE D	Razor’s standard Burst combo, using his Tap Skill to pre-funnel Energy before Bursting, followed up by another Tap Skill thanks to his A1 Passive.
hEQ tE	A Hold Skill can be used to consume any active Sigils to fund Razor’s Burst if he is short on Energy, while also pre-funneling slightly more particles. Note that using Hold Skill outside of Burst will move Razor backwards, and may require him to dash forward to stay in melee range.
hEQ hE	A niche combo that can be handy for breaking shields or front-loading AoE Electro DMG.
tEQ hE  (C4+)	Similar to the above combo but uses a Tap Skill to first shred enemy DEF.

Normal Attack Combos

N3(tE)D	Razor’s best combo when not using his Burst, such as when finishing off enemies. It is also useful in teams where he triggers Transformative Reactions with his Normal Attack combos. The third attack should be canceled with either a dash or his Tap Skill when it is available, the latter of which should itself be canceled with a dash.
N4(tE)D	Razor’s preferred combo while his Burst is active, as its ATK SPD buff makes landing his last Normal Attack much more favorable for DPS. Do note that his last Normal Attack can knock back light enemies a significant distance. Similar to the N3 combo, the final hit should be canceled with either a dash or a Tap Skill and dash.
N1DJP | EDJP	Also known as ‘Dragonstriking’, this technique allows Razor to perform a Plunging Attack from ground level for substantial AoE damage. However, failure to execute it consistently is often a significant DPS loss.  While novel and stylish, Dragonstriking is not recommended except for players seeking gameplay variety or skill expression.

First Rotation Pre-stacking

tE > Swap out > Razor	At the start of an Abyss chamber, Razor may begin the first rotation using a Tap Skill to gain an extra Electro Sigil before swapping to his teammates. At C4, this also shreds enemy DEF before teammate Skills and Bursts are cast.
N1tE > Swap out > Razor (C6)	Similar to the above combo, but utilizes C6’s lightning attack to gain yet another Electro Sigil.

Artifacts

ER Requirements

Double Electro with Fischl	100%
Double Electro	100-130%
Solo Electro	140-180%

Razor is able to greatly mitigate his Energy requirements on account of his Ascension Passives and the additional Energy Recharge granted by his Electro Sigils. Rotations can also make use of his Hold Skill to further reduce ER requirements by consuming Electro Sigils for Flat Energy. 

Razor’s exact ER requirements depend heavily on your team composition, Skill usage, and enemy layout. Use the Energy Recharge Calculator to find your exact Energy requirements based on your team and rotation.

Artifact Stats

Physical

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
ATK%	Physical DMG Bonus / ATK%	CRIT

Substats: ER until requirement > CRIT > ATK%

Energy Recharge is a crucial stat for ensuring Razor can consistently use his Burst. An ATK% Goblet should only be considered if a Physical DMG Bonus Goblet is unavailable, or if running Serpent Spine.

Aggravate

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
ATK% / EM	Electro DMG Bonus / ATK%	CRIT

Substats: ER until requirement > CRIT > EM = ATK%

Energy Recharge is a crucial stat for ensuring Razor can consistently use his Burst. An ATK% Goblet should only be considered if an Electro DMG Bonus Goblet is unavailable, or if running Serpent Spine.

An ATK% Sands is recommended as it benefits both Razor’s Physical and Electro DMG; however, an EM Sands can still be considered especially if Razor is triggering Hyperblooms in a Quickbloom team.

Transformative Reaction

Sands	Goblet	Circlet
EM / ER%	EM	EM / CRIT Rate

Substats: ER until requirement > EM >> CRIT Rate (If using Favonius)

Energy Recharge is incredibly important, as much of Razor’s damage will rely on his Burst uptime. Once his ER requirements are met, focus on EM to maximize his Transformative Reaction damage. If running Favonius Greatsword, consider a CRIT Rate Circlet or CRIT Rate substats to consistently trigger its passive.

Artifact Sets

Aggravate and Physical

4pc Pale Flame	The best choice for maximizing Razor’s Physical damage, as he can easily maintain the passive effect with his Tap Skill. This set is still a viable option in Aggravate teams as his Normal Attacks can still contribute good damage.
4pc Thundering Fury (TF)	Razor’s preferred artifact set in Aggravate or Quickbloom teams due to its mix of relevant buffs and unique passive. Its cooldown reduction passive allows Razor to use his Tap Skill after every N4 combo, triggering more Aggravates.  It also indirectly lowers his ER requirements, as Razor can build up Electro Sigils much more quickly with repeated Tap Skills.
4pc Gilded Dreams	Provides a mix of ATK% and EM, two stats that are greatly appreciated in Aggravate builds. Its EM bonus is also significant in Quickbloom teams for increasing Razor’s Hyperbloom damage.
4pc Thundersoother	Can be a potent set for Razor in Physical or Aggravate teams, as its 4pc effect buffs both his Physical and Electro damage.  While it excels in scenarios where an Electro aura can be consistently maintained on enemies, the introduction of other reactions such as Hyperbloom can lower its performance.
4pc Gladiator’s Finale	A safe choice that provides an unconditional increase to Razor’s Normal Attacks; however, this artifact set does nothing for Razor’s Electro damage or his Plunging Attacks in Dragonstrike playstyles.
2pc Combinations of ATK%/Physical DMG%/TF/EM Marechaussee Hunter	Mixed artifact sets can still be viable options while farming for 4pc sets, and can even outperform 4pc sets with excellent substat quality. EM sets should only be used in Aggravate teams.

Transformative Reaction

4pc Gilded Dreams	This set provides a very large amount of EM with both its 2pc and 4pc set effect, allowing it to buff Razor’s reaction damage by a substantial amount.
2pc Combinations of EM/EM	Mixed sets can be a suitable replacement for 4pc Gilded Dreams, as it can be very difficult to farm for several EM mainstats of a specific set. This is especially true if the 2pc sets you have possess superior substats.
4pc Thundering Fury	Provides a decent DMG bonus for Transformative Reactions, but its passive is not as impactful in Hyperbloom or Burgeon teams. Not recommended to farm specifically for Razor.
4pc Flower of Paradise Lost	Grants the largest damage increase for Hyperbloom and Burgeon, beating out 4pc Gilded Dreams by a small margin. However, it does not benefit other reactions such as Electro-Charged or Overloaded. It is also generally less Resin-efficient to farm than 4pc Gilded Dreams.

Weapons

Aggravate and Physical

Beacon of the Reed Sea	Boasting a high Base ATK, CRIT Rate stat, and ATK% passive, this weapon ranks highly among all of Razor’s weapons. While Razor can easily proc the first part of the passive, it can be problematic trying to purposefully trigger the second.
Wolf’s Gravestone	This thematic weapon works incredibly well with Razor’s Physical or Aggravate builds due to its massive ATK stat. While the passive effect is teamwide, it can be difficult to proc at all, let alone utilize it on teammates whose abilities snapshot buffs.
Redhorn Stonethresher	While it is held back by its low Base ATK and fairly useless passive, its massive CRIT DMG stat still makes it a potent option, especially in conjunction with external ATK buffs.
Song of Broken Pines	When used as a Physical DPS, Razor makes great use of Eula’s signature weapon. Its passive is also a teamwide ATK% buff similar to Wolf’s Gravestone, but with a more reliable proc condition. This weapon can still perform admirably in Aggravate builds especially if its team buffs can be used to good effect.
The Unforged	An excellent choice when running shield supports, potentially outscaling Wolf’s Gravestone at full stacks.
Serpent Spine	Razor’s best 4-star option, especially with high refinements. Its passive may encourage using shielders to prevent the loss of stacks. Due to its relatively low Base ATK and its passive providing DMG% it may be preferable to equip an ATK% Goblet with this weapon.
Skyward Pride	Its Energy Recharge stat often covers Razor’s Energy needs, allowing for greater investment into offensive substats. The passive effect’s vacuum blades also scale well with CRIT and Physical DMG Bonus, stats that should be abundant in Razor’s Physical builds.
Tidal Shadow	This weapon provides even more ATK if Razor is healed, benefitting all of his damage sources. It can outperform Prototype Archaic if its passive is active; however, it requires a consistent healer like Diona or Baizhu to function.  This weapon has some anti-synergy with Bennett, as his healing does not trigger once Razor is above 70% HP.
Prototype Archaic	A good free-to-play weapon option, whose passive also scales with Physical DMG Bonus. Unlike Snow-tombed Starsilver, this weapon can also be used well by other ATK-scaling Claymore users should Razor be given a different weapon in the future.
Lithic Blade	It can reach similar performance to Serpent Spine, but is highly reliant on refinements and stacking Liyue teammates. Since Razor is not a Liyue character himself, he can never gain full stacks on its passive.
Rainslasher	A decent option in Aggravate or even Quickbloom teams, as long as either Electro or Hydro aura can be maintained. Its performance drops considerably without Dendro reactions, and it should not be used in Physical builds.
Mailed Flower	A free-to-play option for players who acquired it during its event. It provides the highest amount of EM of all Claymores, as Razor can easily maintain its passive. Its ATK% passive is also appreciated for Razor’s Talent damage.
Makhaira Aquamarine	Trades Rainslasher’s personal DMG% buff for a teamwide Flat ATK buff. Can be a good option in Dendro teams with ATK-scaling off-field DPS units like Fischl.
Talking Stick	Razor can easily activate the second part of its passive with his Burst. Bennett can trigger the first part of the passive, but his Burst’s ATK buff makes the added ATK% less valuable. This weapon does not perform much better (or in some cases performs worse) than Razor’s other 4-star weapons, making it a poor choice considering its cost. It is also greatly outperformed by the other Battle Pass-exclusive Claymore, Serpent Spine.
Akuoumaru	A surprisingly decent option in Aggravate teams, as its Burst DMG% buff gives a nice boost to his largest source of Electro DMG. However, most of Razor’s teams do not even surpass 280 total Energy, and its performance is highly dependent on refinements. Even in its best case scenario, it will be outperformed by an R5 Rainslasher.

Transformative Reaction

Mailed Flower	A free-to-play option for players who acquired it during its event. It provides the highest amount of EM of all Claymores, as Razor can easily maintain its passive.
Bloodtainted Greatsword	A cheap 3-star option that actually has more EM than Rainslasher.
Makhaira Aquamarine	Provides the same EM as Rainslasher while also providing a permanent ATK buff for the whole team. A powerful option when teamed up with ATK-scaling off-field units such as Xingqiu, especially with refinements. However, it can be difficult to acquire refinements as it can only be obtained from limited Event weapon banners.
Rainslasher	Has slightly less EM than Bloodtainted Greatsword, but can be used if it has already been leveled. However, its passive is of far less importance for Transformative Reactions.
Forest Regalia	Craftable option that provides a mix of ER and EM. However, the passive’s Leaf may be difficult or even impossible to pick up in actual combat, and its EM buff is dependent on refinements.
Favonius Greatsword	Its high Energy Recharge stat and passive allow Razor to commit heavily towards EM stats on his artifacts. Passive procs also help reduce team ER requirements, but require refinements or CRIT Rate investment for better consistency.

Teams

Teambuilding

• Razor’s aversion to swapping out of his Burst early warrants teammates with long-lasting off-field Skills or buffs to provide support during his uptime. 
• Cryo units enable Superconduct for a substantial boost in Physical DMG output while Dendro units allow Razor to exploit Quicken; both of these effects can be used simultaneously. 
• It can be difficult to use teammate Skills or Bursts that have limited stationary AoEs (“Circle Impact”) due to Razor’s short range. Abilities that either follow the active character or have generous AoEs are much more preferable.
• Razor’s fast Normal Attacks in his Burst synergize very well with abilities that proc on Normal Attack usage.

Notable Teammates

Physical DPS

Physical Razor teams should slot in at least one Cryo character to trigger Superconduct; the debuff’s 12s duration means that even slow off-field Cryo application can sustain full uptime for the entirety of Razor’s field time. While it is tempting to stack as many buff supports to increase Razor’s Physical damage, including off-field damage dealers who can synergize with his fast Normal Attacks often leads to better team damage. 

Example Teams

Aggravate DPS

There are several ways to fill out the flex slot. Anemo units can provide grouping and VV Shred. Cryo units can allow Superconduct to occur alongside Quicken for a sizable boost to Razor’s Physical damage. Hydro units may reduce Quicken uptime but allow Razor to trigger Hyperbloom, which is especially potent if Razor has high EM from his build and external buffs. 

Example Teams

Transformative Reaction DPS

This team can be difficult to use as most of Razor’s Electro application is locked behind his Burst, preventing teammates from swapping in and using Skills during its duration (such as applying Nahida’s Seed of Skandha against a new wave of enemies). Due to this, Razor is often not as effective a Hyperbloom trigger as other units who can act more flexibly. 

Razor’s Transformative Reaction build is most potent when paired with a C6 Bennett. This is because Bennett’s Pyro Infusion allows Razor to simultaneously apply Pyro and Electro with his Normal Attacks and Burst hits, respectively, allowing him to trigger Burgeon, Overloaded, and Hyperbloom for impressive AoE damage potential. Razor’s Electro application (notably the 2U application on his Skill) is useful for minimizing Burning, which would otherwise impede Bloom procs. However, this variant heavily restricts Razor to fighting within Bennett’s Burst AoE; this can be problematic if opponents move or are knocked out of range. It also strictly requires Bennett’s C6, which can be inaccessible or potentially undesirable depending on the other teams you play.  

Example Teams

Credits

nikatosaurus, chasing_haze, sew, seima, nocii, irokei, davjac123, sharaths21312, cuppacote, casdela, uhinf1999