Genshin Impact – Xingqiu Best Build, Team, and more!

 Xingqiu is Genshin Impact's premiere 4-star Hydro character. In a game based around creating reactions for maximum damage output, the constant Hydro application that Xingqiu provides is incredibly important for any account to access. He also provides some valuable defensive utility via damage and interrupts resistance. Overall, Xingqiu is one of the most valuable characters in Genshin Impact. Here's how to optimally build and set your Xingqiu up for success.

Playstyle

Xingqiu's bread and butter is his Elemental Burst, Raincutter. This powerful ability causes Hydro Rain Swords to fly towards enemies your character attacks. In doing this, Xingqiu will constantly apply huge Hydro damage that can hit multiple enemies close together. Constellations make this effect even more potent, creating what is essentially a Hydro machine gun.

Xingqiu is known as a "quick swap" character. His role in most teams is to swap on field, cast his Elemental Skill and Burst, then swap off. Most of his damage comes from his off-field Burst, so it's best to just use it and let your on-field DPS take advantage of the additional damage and Hydro application.

Xingqiu's Skills

Guhua Style

• Normal Attack 
  • Perform up to five consecutive strikes.
• Charged Attack
  • Consumes Stamina to unleash two rapid sword strikes.
• Plunging Attack 
  • Plunges from mid-air, damaging enemies along the path and dealing area-of-effect DMG upon impact.

Elemental Skill - Fatal Rainscreen

• Xingqiu performs twin strikes with his sword, dealing Hydro DMG. Simultaneously, his ability creates the maximum number of Rain Swords, which will orbit your active character.
  • When a character takes DMG, the Rain Sword will shatter, reducing the amount of DMG taken.
  • Increases the character's resistance to interruption.
    • 20% of Xingqiu's Hydro DMG Bonus will be converted to additional DMG Reduction for the Rain Swords.
    • The maximum amount of additional DMG Reduction that can be gained this way is 24%.
  • The initial maximum number of Rain Swords is 3.
  • Using this ability applies the Wet status to the character.

Elemental Burst - Raincutter

• Initiate Rainbow Bladework and fight using an illusory sword rain while creating the maximum number of Rain Swords.
  • Normal Attacks will trigger consecutive sword rain attacks, dealing Hydro DMG.
  • Rain Swords will remain at the maximum number throughout the ability's duration.
    • These effects carry over to other characters.

Related: Best Yelan Genshin Impact build: Weapons, artifacts, & more!

Passives

• Hydropathic - Unlocked at Ascension 1
  • When a Rain Sword is shattered or when its duration expires, it regenerates the current character's HP based on 6% of Xingqiu's Max HP.
• Blades Amidst Raindrops - Unlocked at Ascension 4
  • Xingqiu gains a 20% Hydro DMG Bonus.
• Flash of Genius - Unlocked on acquiring the character.
  • When Xingqiu crafts Character Talent Materials, he has a 25% chance to refund a portion of the crafting materials used.

Constellations

• The Scent Remained - Constellation Level 1
  • Increases the maximum number of Rain Swords by 1.
• Rainbow Upon the Azure Sky - Constellation Level 2
  • Extends the duration of Guhua Sword - Raincutter by 3s.
  • Decreases the Hydro RES of enemies hit by sword rain attacks by 15% for 4s.
• Weaver of Verses - Constellation Level 3
  • Increases the Level of Guhua Sword - Raincutter by 3.
  • The maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Evilsoother - Constellation Level 4
  • Throughout the duration of Guhua Sword: Raincutter, the DMG dealt by Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen is increased by 50%.
• Embrace of Rain - Constellation Level 5
  • Increase the Level of Guhua Sword - Fatal Rainscreen by 3.
  • The maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Hence, Call Them My Own Verses - Constellation Level 6
  • Activating 2 of Guhua Sword - Raincutter's sword rain attacks greatly increases the DMG of the third.
  • Xingqiu regenerates 3 Energy when sword rain attacks hit enemies.

Best Build for Xingqiu

While Xingqiu is known primarily for his Hydro application and propensity for causing mass Elemental Reactions, he's no slouch on the damage side of things either. His build should be focused around providing enough Energy Recharge to always have his Elemental Burst available. After that, it's all about the damage.

Xingqiu Weapons

Xingqiu is a flexible character, allowing you to fit almost any sword you have on him. His best 5-star options are:

• Primordial Jade Cutter (542 ATK, 44.1% Crit Rate)
  • HP increased by 20%. Additionally, provides an ATK Bonus based on 1.2% of the wielder's Max HP.
• Mistsplitter Reforged (674 ATK, 44.1% Crit DMG)
  • Gain a 12% Elemental DMG Bonus for all elements and receive the might of the Mistsplitter's Emblem. At stack levels 1/2/3, Mistsplitter's Emblem provides a 8/16/28% Elemental DMG Bonus for the character's Elemental Type. The character will obtain 1 stack of Mistsplitter's Emblem in each of the following scenarios: Normal Attack deals Elemental DMG (stack lasts 5s), casting Elemental Burst (stack lasts 10s); Energy is less than 100% (stack disappears when Energy is full). Each stack's duration is calculated independently.
• Skyward Blade (608 ATK, 55.1% Energy Recharge)
  • CRIT Rate increased by 4%. Gains Skypiercing Might upon using an Elemental Burst: Increases Movement SPD by 10%, increases ATK SPD by 10%, and Normal and Charged hits deal additional DMG equal to 20% of ATK. Skypiercing Might lasts for 12s.

If you don't have these options available or open for Xingqiu, plenty of 4-star weapons can do the job. His best options are:

• Sacrificial Sword (454 ATK, 61.3% Energy Recharge)
  • After dealing damage to an opponent with an Elemental Skill, the skill has a 40% chance to end its own CD. Can only occur once every 30s.
• Favonius Sword (454 ATK, 61.3% Energy Recharge)
  • CRIT hits have a 60% chance of generating a small number of Elemental Particles, which will regenerate 6 Energy for the character. It can only occur once every 12s.
• Royal Longsword (510 ATK, 41.3% ATK)
  • Upon dealing damage to an opponent, increases CRIT Rate by 8%. Max 5 stacks. A CRIT hit removes all existing stacks.

Sacrificial Sword is seen as one of, if not Xingqiu's best option overall due to its passive. With two casts of his Elemental Skill available, Xingqiu can E > Q > E for maximum damage and Hydro Energy generation. At R5, the chance of a cooldown reset goes up to 80%. Since it hits twice, you're almost guaranteed to get this rotation every time.

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Xingqiu Artifacts

The best Artifact set for Xingqiu is Emblem of Severed Fate. This set provides 20% Energy Recharge on the two-piece and a huge Elemental Burst damage bonus based on total ER on the full set. This is perfect because you want to build a ton of Energy Recharge on Xingqiu. For reference, you'll want at least 180-200% ER on him, preferably more if you don't have C6. This requirement is also why Sacrificial Sword is so good.

• Emblem of Severed Fate
  • 2-Piece Bonus
    • Energy Recharge +20%
  • 4-Piece Bonus
    • Increases Elemental Burst DMG by 25% of Energy Recharge. A maximum of 75% bonus DMG can be obtained in this way.

For main stats, you want to have a Hydro Damage Bonus Goblet, a Crit Rate/DMG Circlet, and either an ATK% or an ER Sands. To determine which Circlet to use, try and make your Crit Rate to DMG ratio a 1:2 (ex. 50%:100%). For your Sands, use an ER one if your total ER is below the 180% minimum. If you have more than that, an ATK% Sands will increase your damage by a decent amount.

Ascension

For anything to do with Ascension Levels and how to acquire the materials for them, check out our farming guide for Xingqiu!

Best Teams for Xingqiu

National Variations

One of Xingqiu's most iconic teams is the National team. This team uses strong off-field DPS characters Xiangling and Xingqiu, as well as the powerhouse buffer Bennett, to create one of the highest DPS teams in Genshin Impact. The fourth character for this team can vary, with Raiden Shogun, Sucrose/Kazuha, and even Chongyun being great options.

Taser

Xingqiu's sheer volume of Hydro application opens him up to the Taser team. This composition focuses on the Electro-charged reaction to provide tons of area-of-effect damage that spreads among enemies like wildfire. Fischl is really the only required unit, with the second Electro slot being fill-able by Beidou, Yae Miko, and Raiden Shogun. The Anemo slot can be either Sucrose or Kazuha, depending on whether you need an on-fielder or not.

Vaporize Enabler

Xingqiu works wonderfully as a pure Vaporize enabler. Unlike the National team, this setup focuses on buffing a single Pyro carry to deal massive reaction damage. Different Pyro carries have different requirements for Hydro application, meaning that a pairing with Yelan can be ideal. Characters like Yoimiya who apply less Pyro don't need both, though, which opens up specialty support options like Yun Jin. The last spot can be any strong support, such as Bennett, Kazuha, or Zhongli.

For more Genshin Impact guides, check out Best Raiden Shogun / Ei build in Genshin Impact – Weapons, Artifacts, and more! here on Pro Game Guides!