It's a great time to be a Genshin Impact player, even if you are playing for free. Many of the four-star characters are being given away for free to include Xingqiu, the four-star hydro sword user. Xingqiu has already spent time on a banner and was one of the first Liyue characters to get a story event. Like most four-stars though, Xingqiue gets glossed over for the five-star characters like Mona and Keqing.
The truth is that it's much easier to get his constellation maxed out for most players, which can make him play even better than some C1 five-stars do.
He is a Main Dps
One of the biggest misconceptions most players have when it comes to Xingqiu is that he can't be a main DPS. This is actually pretty inaccurate as he is made to deal major hydro damage to enemies In fact, his second passive talent, Blades Amidst Drops, raises the power of all his elemental attacks by 20%. Getting his constellations also furthers the amount of damage Xingqiu can do:
- C1 - Adds an additional sword to when he uses his elemental skill and attack.
- C2 - Extends his elemental burst by three seconds and decreases hydro resistance of enemies by 15%.
- C3 -Increases the level cap of Guhua Sword: Raincutter by three.
- C4 - When Raincutter is activated, the damage of Rainscreen is increased by 50%.
- C5 - Increases the level cap of Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen by three.
- C6 - Every third use of Raincutter has a damage boost, and every time the move is used, Xingqiu gets three energy back.
Most players are rather surprised to find out that Xingqiu is a character that is actually made for combat. When set up with the correct artifact set and weapon, he can deal massive hydro damage to enemies. This is especially true when combined with other characters like Lisa, making Xingqiu a free to play powerhouse, even without the constellations to buff him further.
The most important thing to note is that he will need to be healed frequently. Xingqiu does do a bit of healing on his own, thanks to his first passive ability. Hydropathic makes it so when a rain sword shatters or expires, Xingqiu immediately gains back 6% of his health. While this may seem like an incredibly small amount, this ability has been known to help players out of tight situations with boss enemies. By learning when and how often the swords break, players can easily take advantage of this healing ability.
Mastering His Moves
Xingqiu is a character that can work well as both a support character or a main DPS. When on the field, he can unleash massive amounts of hydro damage by combining his burst and elemental skill together. Building him to deal elemental damage is a great way to take on enemies who are weak to hydro damage. Players should keep in mind that sword users do not hit as hard as a claymore user.
Using Xingqiu is more about timing your attacks in accordance with the elemental skills cooldown timer. A great strategy for better managing the battlefield is using a cryo support like Kaeya or Ganyu to help Xinqiu freeze opponents while fighting. Freezing over causing damage inflicting reactions is a personal choice, though as the effectiveness of the reaction will vary greatly on individual play styles.
On the flip side, Xingqiu can be a fabulous supporting character for those looking for elemental reactions. His elemental burst sends out three swords ( four with at C1) that attack alongside the onscreen player to deal hydro damage. When used with characters like Razor or Xiangling, who is another free character, the player can deal high levels of damage.
Picking The Perfect Partners
Picking the perfect team for Xingqiu varies a bit depending on whether you want to use him as a support character or your main DPS. In the case of him being a main DPS, the following characters are recommended to buff his damage:
- Xiangling - Summons rotating spears that deal pyro damage when her burst is used.
- Beidou - Summons rotating eels that feel electro damage when her burst is used.
- Ganyu - Both her elemental skill can lure enemies, while her burst rains icicles that deal cryo damage down in an oversized AoE.
- Fischl - Her elemental skill summons Oz who deals constant electro damage.
- Qiqi - Both her elemental burst and skill can be used to freeze enemies while providing healing to Xingqiu.
- Kaeya - His burst summons cryo swords that can help freeze enemies.
- Lisa - Lisa's burst summons a pattern that can deal electro damage.
If you are looking to support your current team using Xingqiu, then using his burst with the characters below will cause an elemental reaction:
- Diluc
- Razor
- Chongyun
- Xiangling
- Bennett
- Keqing
- Qiqi
- Xinyan
This wide range of characters is thanks to his elemental burst, which stays on the field even when Xingqiu leaves.
