Xianyun FAQ

Leifa, June, NatC, Duckfero, snowy

Last updated on Oct 10, 2024


Credits:

  • Emiliabyss - Lead
  • Leifa - Consultation, Writing Verification, Author | Overview, Teambuilding, Constellations, Calcs | Artifacts, Weapons
  • June - Transcription, Author | Talents, ER Requirement
  • NatC - Author | Artifacts
  • Duckfero - Author & Calcs | Weapons
  • Snowy - Transcription, Author & Calcs | Constellations
  • Lilith - Calcs | Artifacts
  • Sigurd - Calc Verification
  • Athena - Calc Verification, Transcription
  • Vlad - Calc Verification
  • Sew - Writing Verification
  • Cara - Frames

For all Xianyun Calcs you can reference: Xianyun Mastersheet by Leifa, Snowy, Duckfero, Lilith

Pre-TC is volatile and, as always, perpetually subject to change until release (and sometimes later!). Please note that these are theoretical suggestions. Everything described in this FAQ is a good faith analysis based on the little information about the character’s kit that we know. Team calcs, additionally, are not established yet, and as with everything in TC, the content in this FAQ should be taken with a grain of salt.

Character Overview

Authored by Leifa

Xianyun is a 5-star Anemo Catalyst character who provides strong teamwide healing and buffs to Plunging Attacks. Her Elemental Skill causes her to enter the Cloud Transmogrification state and leap into the air. If Xianyun uses a Plunging Attack during this state, she will make a fast descent to the ground, homing in on a nearby opponent to deal AoE Anemo DMG. This Skill can be used up to 3 times before performing a Plunging Attack, increasing Xianyun’s height and the damage dealt by her Plunging Attack. Depending on the amount of enemies hit, Xianyun will slightly increase the CRIT Rate of Plunging Attacks for all nearby party members.

Her Elemental Burst heals all party members over time whilst increasing their jump height and providing Adeptal Assistance stacks. When the active character performs a Plunging Attack, Xianyun will deal a coordinated attack and consume an Adeptal Assistance stack. Whilst having Adeptal Assistance stacks, Xianyun will provide a Flat DMG Bonus to Plunging Attacks based on her ATK.

Xianyun will primarily be played as an off-field supportive teammate, providing large AoE healing to the party and greatly buffing the damage dealt by Plunging Attacks, whilst enabling all characters to perform Plunging Attacks due to the increased jump height.

Talents

Authored by June

  • Leveling Priority: Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill > Normal Attack

Analysis

The essential parts of Xianyun’s kit are her Burst and Passive Talents. Her kit revolves around enabling and greatly buffing Plunging Attacks while healing. Her buffs are tied only to Passive Talents, however her healing is tied to her Elemental Burst, making it a recommended Talent to prioritize.

Talent Overview

Normal Attack: Word of Wind and Flower

Xianyun performs a 4-hit Anemo attack string. This Talent is not essential to her kit, although with her being an Anemo Catalyst character, her Normal Attacks allow her to be a driver for various teams.

Elemental Skill: White Clouds at Dawn

Xianyun’s Skill causes her to enter the Cloud Transmogrification state. During this state, her Skill can be pressed three times, with each press making her leap higher into the air. She gains an enhanced Plunging Attack during this state called Driftcloud Wave, where she transforms into a crane, dealing more damage in a wider area depending on how many times her Skill is pressed. If her enhanced Plunging Attack isn’t cast during the Cloud Transmogrification state, the cooldown for the next Skill cast will be reduced by 3s. Her Skill can be used three times quickly to ascend higher, or after touching the ground to gain horizontal distance, helping with exploration.

Xianyun generates five Anemo Particles regardless of how many times her Skill is pressed, which means there is no actual need to do three presses for more Particles unless a higher damage output of her Skill is desired. The particles will only spawn when her enhanced Plunging Attack lands.

Elemental Burst: Stars Gather at Dusk

The main attraction of Xianyun’s kit. Xianyun heals the team and summons a Starwicker upon the initial cast of her Burst. Starwicker mainly does three things: heal, increase active characters’ jumping height, and deal damage. Its healing is Xianyun’s only source of healing pre-C4 but is completely teamwide and heals once every 2.5 seconds. The Healing provided by Xianyun’s Elemental Burst is strong enough to sustain a majority of teams for players, without the need for additional defensive characters, such as another healer or shielder.

A Starwicker has 8 stacks of Adeptal Assistance upon summoning. Adeptal Assistance allows the character to have an increased jumping height. Upon hitting an enemy with a Plunging Attack, Starwicker will unleash a coordinated attack, dealing Anemo DMG and consuming one stack of Adeptal Assistance. Adeptal Assistance stacks cannot be regained, hence only a maximum of 8 Starwicker hits can be triggered throughout Xianyun’s Burst duration.

Xianyun’s Burst allows basically everyone to spam Plunging Attacks, which opens up possibilities for new teams and combos. These will be discussed in the Teambuilding section of this FAQ.

A1 Passive: Galefeather Pursuit All party members will gain additional CRIT Rate to their Plunging Attacks for 20s based on how many enemies are hit by Xianyun’s Driftcloud Wave Plunging Attack. It increases the party’s Plunging Attack CRIT Rate by 4/6/8/10% depending on how many enemies are hit, which is a quite miniscule increase for single-target scenarios, while for multi-target scenarios it is an alright increase. Each stack of CRIT Rate is calculated independently, allowing Xianyun to gain additional stacks if her Skill is used multiple times per rotation.

A4 Passive: Consider, the Adeptus in Her Realm When Xianyun has Adeptal Assistance stacks from her Burst, she grants an Additive DMG Bonus of 200% of her ATK for Plunging Attacks. This Flat DMG Bonus caps at 9,000 and can only be applied once per Plunging Attack.

Utility Passive: Crane Form

Xianyun gives a 15% gliding SPD boost to aid in your exploration.

Constellations

Authored by snowy

Constellation 1 - Purifying Wind

White Clouds at Dawn gains 1 additional charge.

Xianyun gains an additional charge on her Elemental Skill, which allows her to perform two single leaps to gain Anemo Particles. However, this can only be performed every other rotation because of the Elemental Skill's CD. If paired with her signature weapon, it makes a dent in her ER Requirements since it allows Xianyun to perform two extra Plunging Attacks. Overall, this Constellation does not increase her personal damage or team DPS by any significant margin.

Healing% Increase vs. C0: 10.51%

Team DPS% Increase vs C0: 0.10%

Rating: 1/5

Constellation 2 - Aloof From the World

After using a Skyladder from White Clouds at Dawn, Xianyun's ATK will be increased by 20% for 15s. Additionally, the effects of the Passive Talent "Consider, the Adeptus in Her Realm" will be enhanced: When the Starwicker created by Stars Gather at Dusk has Adeptal Assistance stacks, nearby active characters' Plunging Attack shockwave DMG will be increased by 400% of Xianyun's ATK. The maximum DMG increase that can be achieved this way is 18,000. Each Plunging Attack shockwave DMG instance can only apply this increased DMG effect to a single opponent. Each character can trigger this effect once every 0.4s. You must first unlock the Passive Talent "Consider, the Adeptus in Her Realm."

By far Xianyun's best Constellation. Her C2 amplifies the effects of Xianyun's A4 Passive by doubling the Flat Plunge DMG Bonus cap and the Plunge DMG Bonus MV. Given how Flat DMG bonus scales with the active character's stats and reactions, stacking very high ATK on Xianyun may see good turnover on resin investment.

Healing% Increase vs. C1: 0%

Healing% Increase vs. C0: 10.51%

Team DPS% Increase vs C1: 11.06%

Team DPS% Increase vs C0: 11.15%

Rating: 4.5/5

Constellation 3 - Creations of Star and Moon

Increases the Level of Stars Gather at Dusk by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

Increases the Talent Level of Xianyun's Elemental Burst by 3, buffing both her healing and Starwicker DMG. Overall, this Constellation does not greatly increase her personal damage - and Xianyun is already a proficient healer at C0.

Healing% Increase vs. C2: 19.84%

Healing% Increase vs. C0: 32.44%

Team DPS% Increase vs C2: 0.15%

Team DPS% Increase vs C0: 11.31%

Rating: 2/5

Constellation 4 - "Mystery Millet Gourmet"

After using Skyladder 1/2/3 times during one White Clouds at Dawn Cloud Transmogrification state, when a Driftcloud Wave unleashed during that instance hits an opponent, it will heal all nearby party members for 50%/80%/150% of Xianyun's ATK. This effect can be triggered once every 5s.

Xianyun's 4th Constellation offers a significant boost to her healing capabilities, allowing her to heal all party members with her Elemental Skill’s enhanced Plunging Attack. But again, Xianyun's healing output is already quite high and C4 will make the majority of her healing count as overheals.

Healing% Increase vs. C3: 20.92%

Healing% Increase vs. C0: 60.15%

Team DPS% Increase vs C3: 0%

Team DPS% Increase vs C0: 11.31%

Rating: 1/5

Constellation 5 - Astride Rose-Colored Clouds

Increases the Level of White Clouds at Dawn by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

Increases the Talent Level of Xianyun’s Elemental Skill by 3. This Constellation is quite underwhelming due to only increasing the damage her Skill deals, which is already very minor. It should only be seen as a stepping stone towards getting her C6, at which this Constellation becomes relevant.

Healing% Increase vs. C4: 0%

Healing% Increase vs. C0: 60.15%

Team DPS% Increase vs C4: 0.10%

Team DPS% Increase vs C0: 11.43%

Rating: 1/5

Constellation 6 - They Call Her Cloud Retainer

After Xianyun uses 1/2/3 Skyladders within one Cloud Transmogrification caused by White Clouds at Dawn, the CRIT DMG of a Driftcloud Wave created in this instance of Cloud Transmogrification will be increased by 15%/35%/70%. Within 16s after Xianyun has used Stars Gather at Dusk, White Clouds at Dawn will not enter CD. This effect will be canceled once she has used White Clouds at Dawn 8 times.

Xianyun’s C6 transforms her from a support into a DPS by removing her Elemental Skill CD after casting her Elemental Burst, whilst greatly increasing the CRIT DMG of her enhanced Plunging Attack. Since she can only produce Elemental Particles outside of her Burst’s duration - she needs to utilize the first instance of her Skill before her Burst, and second one after its duration. It is advisable to run her with an Anemo character like Faruzan - who can also provide buffs to her Anemo DMG. Please note, this effect will end once Xianyun has used her Elemental Skill 8 times, meaning it can not be used infinitely for long distance travel in the overworld.

Healing% Increase vs. C5: 17.30%

Healing% Increase vs. C0: 87.85%

Rating: 3/5

ER Requirement

Authored by June

Xianyun wants to cast her Burst every rotation, and with a 70 Energy cost, it makes her ER Requirements quite high. She generates 5 Anemo Particles regardless of how many times her Skill is pressed. At C1, she gains 1 additional charge on her Skill. However, in a typical 20s rotation, those additional charges can only be triggered once every other rotation due to her Skill’s 12s CD. Regarding these, C1 reduces her ER Requirements by around 15%–50% depending on the team.

Her C6 however doesn’t really aid, and in some cases, hinders her Energy problems despite her Skill not entering CD for 16s after casting Burst due to it not generating Particles during those 16s. Since Xianyun’s ER Requirements can be very high, they may vary drastically when played as a solo Anemo, depending on how many Particles her teammates generate overall. For specific ER Requirements in some teams, please refer to the Teambuilding section of this FAQ.

Her signature weapon, Crane’s Echoing Call, gives her 2.5 Flat Energy per Plunging Attack at R1, reducing her ER Requirements by 5%–10% per Plunge depending on the team. One of her recommended F2P weapons, Oathsworn Eye, also aids in Xianyun’s ER Requirements, granting her 24% ER for 10s at R1. The ER increase doubles if players have managed to R5 the weapon during the Version 2.5 event where Oathsworn Eye was obtainable.

If these weapons aren’t available, Xianyun can also hold Favonius Codex to not only aid in her own Energy problems, but also the entire team’s. Refer to the table below to find out how much ER is saved per trigger of Favonius’ Passive.

Xianyun’s Energy requirements will vary based on your team and rotation. For a more accurate estimate, please use the Energy Recharge Calculator linked here. For more details on how Favonius weapons will affect your team, please use Ac1d’s Favonius Mastersheet linked here.

Artifacts

Authored by NatC

Artifact Stats

Sands of Eon: ER% / ATK%

Goblet of Eonothem: ATK%

Circlet of Logos: ATK% / HB%

As Xianyun’s Starwicker, Healing and A4 Passive scale with her Attack stat, the primary goal of Xianyun’s artifact stats will be to maximize her Attack stat while meeting the relevant ER Requirements to reliably Burst every rotation. If players find it challenging to survive on Xianyun’s healing alone though, a Healing Bonus Circlet can be used to supplement her healing.

Substats: ER until requirement > ATK% > CR (if using Fav) >= Flat ATK

As previously mentioned, players will want to focus on Bursting with Xianyun every rotation before throwing as many substats as possible into ATK%. CRIT Rate is a decent substat if Xianyun is holding Favonius Codex, as it increases her chances of proccing the weapon’s passive.

Artifact Sets

4pc Viridescent Venerer

The bread and butter of any Anemo support featuring in PECH reaction-centric teams, Viridescent Venerer synergizes perfectly with Xianyun, enabling her to reduce enemy Resistances by 40%, increasing her teammates’ damage. This should be her go-to set in most cases unless being run with characters who don’t need the RES Shred, such as Xiao.

4pc Noblesse Oblige

Should your primary DPS(s) not make good use of 4pc VV, 4pc Noblesse Oblige is another fantastic option for ATK-scaling DPS(s). One particularly notable scenario where this may work would be in Xiao teams, since Xiao appreciates the ATK buff from Noblesse quite a fair bit. 4pc Noblesse also increases the Flat DMG Buff provided by Xianyun’s A4, further increasing your on-fielders damage output.

4pc Ocean-Hued Clam

In teams where 4pc VV and / or NO is already being held by someone else or are just not needed entirely, Xianyun can also opt to hold 4pc OHC for more personal damage. With a rather sizable initial heal and several smaller but consistent sustained heals, Xianyun easily heals about 2/3s of the Sea-Dyed Foam with every tick, making her a very potent carrier of the set.

2pc 2pc ER / ATK / HB

In teams that do not require Xianyun to hold either 4pc VV or NO, she can run mixed sets for a much easier time in building her. With how popular a set Emblem is to farm, along with the plethora of ATK% sets out there, running mixed sets on her makes gearing her a piece of cake, allowing you to turn your attention to farming for your other characters.

Other Sets

4pc Maiden’s Beloved

A nice boost to Xianyun’s healing, but offers nothing else beside that.

4pc Song of Days Past

A direct downgrade to Ocean-Hued Clam, since its buff is weaker than the potential damage that OHC can output. Only use it if you have a decent set from farming for Navia.

4pc Emblem of Severed Fate

This set helps Xianyun reach her ER Requirements whilst buffing her Burst damage ever so slightly. That being said, Xianyun’s Burst doesn’t have a lot of damage contribution compared to the rest of her team, so this set is slightly lackluster.

Weapons

Authored by Duckfero

Xianyun mostly needs ER and ATK stats, so any weapon that gives a good amount of either is beneficial.

However, her ER requirement as a solo Anemo is usually very high , so you will likely not be able to use a weapon that doesn’t give ER or Flat Energy in those teams. The only teams where weapons that don't give ER or Flat Energy are viable is when there are 2 or 3 Anemo characters in the team, with the most obvious candidate being in a team with Xiao.

Crane’s Echoing Call

Crane’s Echoing Call is Xianyun’s Best-In-Slot weapon in any team where the main carry uses Plunging Attacks. Everything is perfect for Xianyun’s kit. It has a high Base ATK and gives ATK%, both important stats for her A4. It also gives a decent amount of Flat Energy which is really welcomed to help her reach her ER requirement, especially when she is solo Anemo. Moreover, it buffs Plunging Attack DMG for teammates, which helps her for her role as a Plunging Attack buffer. It increases your main carry’s DPS by about 10–12% compared to a F2P weapon like Oathsworn Eye, which is a great boost, but the damage gained to the carry can be compared to low priority signature weapons like Raiden’s signature or Navia’s signature, and it’s only useful on Xianyun.

Skyward Atlas / Memory of Dust / Cashflow Supervision

These weapons are great because they give a lot of attack through a high Base ATK and some ATK%. They are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th best options respectively in teams with multiple Anemo characters. However, these weapons don’t give any ER or Flat Energy, so they are not viable if your Xianyun is the only Anemo in the team due to her high ER requirement (unless you manage to get 70%–80% ER through substats).

Favonius Codex

Favonius Codex is a strong option, being the 2nd best option in teams where Xianyun is the only Anemo character (assuming you proc the passive once), but it falls behind other options in a team with Xiao. However, building CRIT Rate is necessary to use this weapon, which is not as easy as it seems since an ATK% Circlet is recommended. Xianyun only does 2 or 3 hits (with the 3rd hit being unreliable), and it’s not easy to have more than 40% CRIT Rate with only substats. By building only 40% CRIT Rate, you will have 64% chance to CRIT with 2 hits and 78% chance to CRIT with 3 hits, which make this weapon not extremely reliable. Don’t hesitate to use 1 or 2 Normal Attacks to have more chances to proc the passive.

Oathsworn Eye

Oathsworn is a great F2P weapon from an event in 2.5. The high Base ATK, ATK% secondary stat, and ER passive make it a strong and versatile option for Xianyun. The ER from the passive lasts for only 10 seconds, but it includes the moment where she receives 5 Particles from her Skill. This weapon is viable in any team, including when she is the only Anemo character or with multiple Anemo.

Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers

This weapon is a great F2P option because it can grant a teammate 48% ATK at R5. However, it is only really relevant if you play with Xiao, because there isn’t any other team that needs ATK% buff, where Xianyun can afford a weapon without any ER or Flat Energy, and where the rotation allows her to give the buff to the carry. Moreover, you need to make sure to only switch to Xianyun right before switching to your carry, otherwise you won’t give the buff to the right teammate. Furthermore, the low Base ATK will reduce the Plunging Attack buff from Xianyun’s A4 Passive significantly, making this weapon only on par with Oathsworn Eye or Flowing Purity with Xiao. Finally, having less attack means that her healing will be lower, which not only reduces survivability but also reduces Fanfare gain from Furina. If you play Xiao with 4pc Vermillion, the bonus from this weapon will have less value due to the high amount of ATK%.

Tulaytullah’s Remembrance / Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds / Kagura’s Verity

Good 5-star weapons with high Base ATK. However, the secondary stats and the passives only buff Xianyun’s own damage, which is not very relevant in the first place. Even then, these weapons are good enough to make them on par with Oathsworn Eye and TTDS. However, these weapons don’t give any ER or Flat Energy, so they are not viable if your Xianyun is the only Anemo in the team due to her high ER requirement (unless you manage to get 70%–80% ER through substats).

Flowing Purity / Frostbearer / Eye of Perception / Dodoco Tales

Great F2P weapons with ATK% secondary stat. Amongst them, Flowing Purity is slightly better thanks to its high Base ATK and not completely useless passive. However, these weapons don’t give any ER or Flat Energy, so they are not viable if your Xianyun is the only Anemo in the team due to her high ER requirement (unless you manage to get 70%–80% ER through substats).

Ballad of the Boundless Blue

Great F2P weapon from 4.1 which gives high Base ATK and ER secondary stat. It’s a weapon that can be used in any team but it’s not the greatest.

Prototype Amber

An interesting F2P weapon that gives some teamwide healing and Flat Energy, making it viable in teams where Xianyun is the only Anemo character. The extra healing can help to receive more Fanfare from Furina. However, it only gives about an extra 1% average DMG%, which is not enough to surpass other F2P options and compensate for the lack of high Base ATK or ATK%. This is due to the fact that Xianyun’s teamwide healing is large enough that your team’s HP will not go lower than 90–95%, and also because Prototype Amber healing ticks happen almost at the same time as the healing ticks from Xianyun’s Burst.

Team Building

Authored by Leifa

Xianyun’s ability to allow any team to utilize Plunging Attacks opens up a large number of possibilities for current and future teambuilding. Although not all characters will make use of Xianyun to her full effect, she can be slotted into almost any team, providing AoE damage through Plunging Attacks, alongside strong Healing over Time to all teammates, helping to keep characters healthy. Due to her universality, some standout teammates will be listed rather than set archetypes, whilst also providing a few sample teams instead of an exhaustive list. For more info on a specific character, please check out their respective FAQs or KQM Guides. Please keep in mind that the ER Requirements shown are for Xianyun with no additional support from weapons providing Energy, such as Favonius or Crane’s Echoing Call.

Plunging Weapon Type Differences

Not all Plunging Attacks are made equal, although they’re generally similar overall, there are some minor differences between each weapon type:

  • Sword - Standard Plunging Attack with the Collision hitbox positioned at the center of the attack. Can be dash-canceled immediately and flows into N1.

    • Alternative Sword - Considerably faster startup lag than the traditional Sword Plunging Attack. Only applicable to Albedo and Bennett.
  • Polearm - Very similar to Sword Plunging Attacks. They cannot be dash-canceled but have a slightly faster N1 cancellation.

  • Catalyst - Very similar to Sword Plunging Attacks. They will always deal Elemental DMG based on the character’s Element.

  • Claymore - Slightly faster startup lag with the Collision hitbox positioned in front of the character.

  • Bow - Slightly slower startup lag. Can be buffered into Aiming Mode with R and are unaffected by Elemental Infusion effects from other characters

Elemental Weapon Infusers

Currently, our Elemental Infusers consist of Bennett C6, Candace and Chongyun, each providing a Pyro, Hydro and Cryo Infusion respectively to Sword, Claymore and Polearm characters. Characters can make use of these Infusions alongside Xianyun in order to make use of both Elemental Goblets on their Plunging Attacks, as well as Amplifying reactions to heavily increase the damage dealt from Xianyun’s A4 Passive. However, unless using one of these three as your dedicated Plunging on-fielder, it may be hard to have enough team slots available. For consistent Vaporize or Melt, Xiangling is mandatory, but may struggle from harsh ER Requirements when using Candace or Chongyun, due to not having space to fit Bennett in the team alongside your preferred on-fielder. Bennett not only doubles as an Elemental Infuser but also provides a large ATK buff, allowing him to fit nicely into teams whilst still having space for a Hydro character, such as Furina or Xingqiu to trigger consistent Vaporize reactions on your on-fielder’s Plunging Attacks.

Plunge-Oriented Teammates

Although limited in number, characters already designed around Plunging Attacks can make use of Xianyun’s A1 and A4 Passives to boost their damage output. Since Xianyun’s A4 Passive is considered Additive Flat DMG, DMG Bonus and CRIT stats will be preferred, due to affecting both the character’s Base DMG and Xianyun’s Flat DMG Bonus. In Vaporize and Melt focused teams, Xianyun’s buff also benefits heavily from EM stats, due to being affected by Amplifying reactions.

Xiao

Xiao makes excellent use of Xianyun’s A4 due to the large amounts of DMG Bonus he gains after casting his Elemental Burst, granting him some extra help when dealing with single-target scenarios. The increased want for DMG Bonus stats alongside Xianyun’s high teamwide Healing over Time also allows Xiao to be played with Furina without being confined to the area of Bennett’s Elemental Burst, an issue Xiao has struggled with for a long time due to gaining too much DMG Bonus compared to other stats at the time. Not being confined to Bennett’s Burst frees up his movement, allowing him to chase after enemies being knocked away by his Plunging Attack’s high Poise damage. Although Bennett can still be used if players wish, Faruzan is a given for her potent Anemo-related buffs, providing DMG Bonus, Anemo RES Shred, as well as Anemo CRIT DMG and off-field Anemo Particles at C6. Despite Faruzans A4 Passive being a rather small Flat DMG buff, it still contributes to preferring DMG Bonus and CRIT compared to ATK stats. Finally, Xianyun’s 5 Anemo Particles can greatly help lower both Xiao and Faruzan’s egregious ER Requirements, helping non-C6 Faruzan to reliably Burst every rotation.

Depending on the content, Xiao can play both a shorter or a longer rotation, varying the amount of Plunging Attacks he uses without sacrificing on overall team damage. A longer rotation will help to lower the team’s overall ER Requirements, whereas a shorter rotation may be helpful for sustaining buff uptime across multiple waves of enemies or for granting Xiao more Plunging Attacks with Xianyuns A4 Passive to help with tankier single-target fights.

Xiao / Xianyun / Faruzan / Furina ER Reqs: 185–190% / 120–130% (C0 vs C6 Faruzan, ranging from 22s to 26s rotations)

Gaming

Gaming is a new 4-star Pyro Claymore character focused on Plunging Attacks, who will be obtainable for free from the Friends at the Doorstep event as part of the upcoming Lantern Rite Festival. Although Gaming doesn’t have access to the large amounts of DMG Bonus Xiao gets, he is able to trigger Vaporize and Melt on his Plunging Attacks, allowing him to greatly amplify his damage with EM stats when under the effects of Xianyun’s A4 Passive. Vaporize teams tend to make use of C6 Bennett’s Pyro Infusion, allowing Gaming to Vaporize more buffed Plunging Attacks, whereas Melt teams prefer to guarantee he triggers Melt on his Skill Plunging Attacks. For more details on Gaming’s teams, please check out the Gaming FAQ.

Gaming / Xianyun / Xingqiu / Bennett ER Reqs: 250%

Gaming / Xianyun / Rosaria / Layla ER Reqs: 265%

Gaming / Xianyun / Kaeya C6 / Furina ER Reqs: 265%

Non Plunge-Oriented Teammates

Despite not being designed around Plunging Attacks, some current characters can make use of Plunging Attacks for higher damage combos, granting their team AoE or for the buffs provided by Xianyun’s A4. Generally, these mainly consist of characters with access to Vaporize or Melt, due to the large damage boost provided to her A4. However, there are characters outside of Amplifying reactions that can also make use of Xianyun for the same benefits listed previously.

Hu Tao

Alongside Xianyun, Hu Tao gains access to a new combo, weaving in Plunging Attacks with her typical N2C combo. This new combo gives Hu Tao teams some AoE coverage, something her teams have lacked for a while. With Xianyun, Hu Tao is able to do up to 5(N2CJP) + N2C, although 5N2CJP may be preferred by most players due to being easier to execute, allowing for some leniency in how early you Plunge. Due to using less Charged Attacks than before, this cuts Hu Tao’s stamina usage in half, meaning C0 is punished less from dodging enemy attacks. Finally, Xianyun’s Healing over Time allows Hu Tao to stick with Furina as one of her two Hydro options, granting large amounts of DMG Bonus to the party. However, due to the long duration of Xianyun’s healing, teammates tend to have more HP than when played with Jean, leading to lower Fanfare averages throughout a rotation.

Xianyun is also playable in VV Vape setups, being able to shred the resistances of both Pyro and Hydro with 4pc Viridescent Venerer. However, compared to other Anemos such as Sucrose or Kazuha, she does not provide any extra Elemental application through an absorption, meaning players may struggle to consistently Vaporize off only Yelan, instead preferring to use Xingqiu. Although Bennett is preferred in this team for his large ATK buff and extra Pyro DMG Bonus from his C6, other Pyro alternatives include C6 Chevreuse for large DMG Bonus buffs and C4 Yanfei or Thoma for their defensive utility.

Hu Tao / Xianyun / Furina / Yelan ER Reqs: 235–255% (2E vs 1E from Yelan)

Hu Tao / Xianyun / Xingqiu / Bennett ER Reqs: 285%

Diluc

Even though his kit wasn’t designed around it, Diluc already utilized Plunging Attacks through the use of Dragonstriking, a technique involving using the hitlag from hitting an enemy to increase a character’s jump height. This was due to Diluc having an above average Plunging Attack Multiplier compared to the rest of his Multipliers, resulting in tight execution combos for a majority of players that utilized Plunging Attacks. With Xianyun’s release, this is no longer an issue, due to her granting an increased jump height to perform Plunging Attacks with ease. Additionally, Diluc gains a significant buff from Xianyun’s A4 Passive, which is further enhanced by triggering Amplifying reactions on his Plunging Attacks. Players can opt for slower Plunges, weaving in N1s to keep Diluc targeting the nearest enemy, whilst triggering off-fielders such as Xingqiu or Yelan. Alternatively, Sword, Claymore, and Catalyst characters are able to immediately dash and jump upon landing with a Plunging Attack, resulting in faster Plunging Attacks at the cost of Stamina. Additionally, Plunging Attacks do not auto target onto enemies, resulting in the possibility of missing Diluc’s Plunging Attacks if players are carelessly Dash Plunging. Diluc also greatly benefits from Bennett’s C6 in this team, granting a Pyro Infusion and large ATK buff. Bennett’s Pyro Infusion also allows Diluc to ignore his own Elemental Burst, meaning he has no need for Energy Recharge stats and can focus fully on damage.

Diluc / Xianyun / Furina / Yelan ER Reqs: 265%

Diluc / Xianyun / Xingqiu / Bennett ER Reqs: 275–300% (24.5s rot using Diluc EEEQ vs 21s rot without his E or Q)

Freminet

Despite also not being intended for Plunging Attacks, at C3, Freminet gains +3 levels to his Normal Attack Talent, increasing the damage dealt by his Plunging Attacks. Despite having significantly lower Base ATK than Diluc, the MVs are quite similar, making Freminet a viable option for Xianyun teams. Additionally, Freminet has several options for team archetypes, including Pyro, Cryo and Physical. For each archetype, the corresponding Elemental Goblet will be used based on Freminet’s Infusion.

On a team with C6 Bennett, Pyro Freminet can utilize the Pyro Infusion in order to Vaporize his Plunging Attacks while ignoring his Skill and Burst. Bennett also provides a strong Flat ATK buff from his Burst, helping to make up for Freminet's low Base ATK. The last teammate should be a Hydro off-fielder who can apply enough Hydro for Freminet to consistently trigger Vaporize.

Alongside his Level 0 Skill, Cryo Freminet utilizes Chongyun's Skill to infuse his Plunging Attacks with Cryo. There are a few choices for the fourth team slot: Bennett provides a large ATK buff, but cannot be used at C6; Furina brings solid off-field damage and a large DMG% buff; and Xiangling allows Freminet to Melt his Plunging Attacks, but has extremely high ER Requirements. For the duration of his Elemental Burst, Freminet will repeatedly use his Skill for Level 0 Shattering Pressure hits, followed up by a Plunging Attack during the short downtime between Skill activations.

With an Electro teammate like Fischl or Yae Miko, Physical Freminet can be played, using his Skill before performing Plunging Attacks in order to trigger Superconduct. The fourth team slot can be various units with off-field utility, including defensive options such as Zhongli or Layla, who provide comfort at the cost of damage; damage dealers such as Furina, Xingqiu, or Rosaria; or buffers such as pre-C6 Bennett or Mika, whose C6 is pivotal to him being useful in the team. Depending on your 4th teammate, Xianyun can optionally change her Artifact set from 4pc Viridescent Venerer to any of 4pc Noblesse Oblige, 4pc Ocean-Hued Clam or 4pc Song of Days Past. However, 4pc VV will generally be preferred if being paired with another off-field damage dealer.

Freminet / Xianyun / Xingqiu / Bennett C6 ER Reqs: 275%

Freminet / Xianyun / Chongyun / Furina ER Reqs: 250%

Freminet / Xianyun / Fischl / Mika C6 ER Reqs: 265%

Bennett

Whilst many characters utilizing Plunging Attacks use Bennett for his large ATK buff and Pyro Infusion, Bennett can make use of these himself, freeing up a team slot for another buffer or off-fielder. Bennett also has an unusually fast Plunging Attack animation, allowing him to perform more Plunging Attacks compared to other characters. When utilizing his Infusion, he will usually be played with Hydro characters, including Xingqiu, Yelan and Furina, in order to keep a consistent Hydro Aura to trigger Reverse Vaporize.

Because of his fast Plunges and large buffs, he can make use of other Elemental Infusions, in order to trigger other Amplifying reactions, such as Candace for Forward Vaporize and Chongyun for Reverse Melt. In these teams, Bennett will use the corresponding Elemental Goblet to match his Infusion, whilst generally being paired with Xiangling for both high off-field damage and Pyro Application. Please note that Chongyun’s Cryo Infusion will be overwritten by Bennett’s C6 Pyro Infusion due to Melting the Infusion. However, Candace does not have this issue, due to Vaporizing away Bennett’s Pyro Infusion.

Bennett / Xianyun / Furina / Yelan ER Reqs: 235%

Bennett / Xianyun / Candace / Xiangling ER Reqs: 265%

Raiden

Unfortunately, due to Raiden’s Burst stance being considered Burst DMG, she is unable to receive the Flat DMG buff provided by Xianyun’s A4. Despite this, she still has access to a new combo, being 4(N1CJP). Although this combo was previously possible via Dragonstriking, it was very hard to execute and only worked under specific scenarios. The execution can still be tight to get the 4th Plunging Attack in whilst getting both hits of her Charged Attack before jumping, however, Xianyun’s release makes this combo more accessible, whilst allowing the use of a wider variety of teammates. Characters such as Sara and Bennett can be used for a Hyper-style team, Nahida for an Aggravate team or teammates such as Xiangling for high off-field damage or Furina for both off-field damage and buffing. Raiden also helps to significantly lower Xianyun’s ER Requirements, granting ~20–25 Flat Energy to all teammates depending on her Energy Recharge.

Raiden / Xianyun / Sara / Bennett ER Reqs: 175%

Raiden / Xianyun / Furina / Yelan ER Reqs: 165%

Wriothesley

All Catalyst characters deal entirely Elemental DMG, meaning they can be played with Xianyun to apply large amounts of their respective element in AoE. Catalyst users such as Wriothesley can make great use of this to trigger consistent Reverse Melts with Xiangling. Although Wriothesley’s Plunging Attacks aren’t buffed by his Skill, this means he also won’t drain his HP as fast whilst doing Plunging Attack combos. To allow for both Particle generation and the use of 4pc Marechaussee Hunter, Wriothesley starts his combo with N3C, before transitioning into N1JP to keep up stacks on 4pc MH. If players manage to trigger his A1 Passive during gameplay, they can instead use N1CJP for an extra Melt, due to Wriothesley being able to jump cancel his Charged Attack very quickly. Alternatively, players can choose to spend some extra stamina on Dash Plunging for faster Plunging Attacks. Additionally, Catalyst users can’t be affected by other Elemental Infusions, meaning it does not matter if Bennett is C6 to utilize them.

Wriothesley / Xianyun / Xiangling / Bennett ER Reqs: 270%

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