Alhaitham Guide: The Feeble Scholar

Rarity	(Limited)
Element	Dendro
Weapon	Sword
Role	On-Field Main DPS
Priority	CRIT > EM > ATK%
Tier	T0 (Top Tier DPS)

Alhaitham is the Scribe of the Akademiya. Often jokingly called "Dendro Keqing," he is a high-skill, high-reward DPS who manages "Chisel-Light Mirrors" to deal massive Spread and Dendro damage. He is currently one of the strongest on-field damage dealers in the game.

Pros

Exceptional damage ceiling in Spread & Quickbloom.
Flexible field time (can swap out if needed).
Very F2P friendly (Iron Sting / HoD are great).
Scales extremely well with Elemental Mastery.
Fun, rhythmic combo playstyle.

Cons

High skill floor; messing up rotation kills DPS.
Requires strict Energy Recharge management.
Prone to interruption (Shields recommended).
Long cooldowns if you mismanage mirrors.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

The Goal: Maintain 3 Mirrors for as long as possible to trigger the Sword Rain attacks.

Best Artifact: 4pc Gilded Dreams (Highest personal damage).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Deepwood Memories (Only if no teammate has it).
Best Weapon: Light of Foliar Incision (Signature).
Alt Weapon: Primordial Jade Cutter or Mistsplitter.
F2P Weapon: Harbinger of Dawn (R5, needs shield) or Iron Sting.
Main Stats: EM / Dendro DMG / CRIT.
Talent Priority: Elemental Skill > Normal Attack > Elemental Burst.

Pro Tip: The Burst Reset: Always start your rotation with his Burst (Q) while having 0 mirrors. This generates 3 mirrors immediately, giving you full infusion uptime. Never Q when you already have 3 mirrors unless finishing a fight.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Sand Grease Pupa	Desert of Hadramaveth
Boss Drop	Pseudo-Stamens	Setekh Wenut
Talents	Teachings of Ingenuity	Steeple of Ignorance (Tue/Fri)
Mob Drop	Red Satin	Eremites

Talent Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Universality: An Elaboration on Form

Rush Attack: Dashes forward dealing Dendro DMG.
Mirror Generation: Generates 1 Mirror. If you have 0 Mirrors, generates 2 instead.
Chisel-Light Mirrors: Converts attacks to Dendro (cannot be overridden). Trigger Projection Attacks every 1.6s based on number of mirrors (1, 2, or 3).
Goal: Always maintain 3 mirrors for the massive Sword Rain projection.

Elemental Burst: Particular Field: Fetters of Phenomena

Mechanic: Deals multiple instances of AoE Dendro DMG.
Refunding: If you consume 0 mirrors to cast Q, you get 3 mirrors back after 2s. This is his standard opener.
Finisher: If you consume 3 mirrors to cast Q, it deals max damage but gives 0 mirrors back. Only use this to end a rotation.

Important Passives

A1: Four-Causal Correction: Charged/Plunging attacks generate 1 Mirror (12s CD). Crucial for extending uptime.
A4: Mysteries Laid Bare: Increases Burst and Projection DMG by 0.1% for every point of EM. Caps at 1000 EM. This makes EM extremely valuable.

Constellation Value

Constellation	Value	Effect
C1: Intuition	Low	Reduces Skill CD when projection attacks hit. Helps with flexibility but doesn't change standard rotation much.
C2: Debate	Good	Generating mirrors boosts EM by 50 (max 4 stacks). A solid stat stick constellation (~200 EM).
C4: Elucidation	Okay	Buffs team EM or Alhaitham Dendro DMG based on mirrors consumed/generated by Burst.
C6: Structuration	Strong	Grants 10% CRIT Rate and 70% CRIT DMG if you generate mirrors while at max capacity. Massive burst potential.

Verdict: Alhaitham is a "Complete at C0" character. His constellations are steady increases but none are mechanically mandatory.

Stat Requirements

Stat	Goal
Elemental Mastery	300 - 500 (Base)
Energy Recharge	130-140% (Double Dendro) / 160%+ (Solo)
CRIT Rate	70%+ (Consistent hits for Spread)

Artifact Main Stats:

Sands: Elemental Mastery (Priority) / ATK%
Goblet: Dendro DMG Bonus
Circlet: CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG

Artifacts Comparison

Set	Use Case	Reasoning
4pc Gilded Dreams	Best in Slot	Provides massive EM and ATK buffs. Since Alhaitham wants EM for both damage and scaling, this is his highest ceiling set.
4pc Deepwood Memories	Solo Dendro	If Alhaitham is the only Dendro unit and no one else can hold this set, he MUST run it. The 30% RES shred is non-negotiable.
2pc EM / 2pc Deepwood	Reliable	Excellent transitional option. Often easier to get good substats than a full 4pc set.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Rank	Notes
Light of Foliar Incision	S+	Signature. Huge CRIT DMG and increases Skill/Normal attack damage based on EM.
Primordial Jade Cutter	S	Massive CRIT Rate stat stick. Makes building artifacts very easy.
Harbinger of Dawn (R5)	A+	The F2P Secret. If you have a shielder (Zhongli), this 3-star weapon rivals 5-stars due to free CRIT stats. Useless if you take damage (Furina/Bloom drain).
Iron Sting / Toukabou	A	Solid craftable/event options. EM main stat is exactly what he wants.

Teams

Quickbloom (Highest Ceiling)

Alhaitham (Main DPS)
Furina / Yelan (Hydro App & Buffs)
Kuki Shinobu / Raiden (Hyperbloom Trigger)
Nahida / Baizhu (Deepwood Holder & Battery)

Spread Carry

Alhaitham
Yae Miko / Fischl (Off-field Electro)
Nahida (EM Buff)
Zhongli (Shield/Shred)

Rotation & Combo

The Split-Uptime Combo:
Goal: Maintain 3 mirrors for ~12 seconds.

Start: Alhaitham Burst (Q). (Wait 2s for mirrors to form)
Attack: Normal Attacks for 4s (2 Rain Procs).
Refresh 1: Use Skill (E) or Hold E (Plunge) to refresh to 3 mirrors.
Attack: Normal Attacks for 4s.
Refresh 2: Use Charged Attack to refresh to 3 mirrors (A1 Passive).
Finish: Normal Attacks until mirrors expire.

Emergency Recovery: If you don't have Burst, Hold E -> Plunge gives you 3 mirrors instantly to start a shorter rotation.

FAQ

Can I play him without Nahida?
Yes. Yaoyao, Baizhu, or Dendro Traveler work as batteries. You just need more ER on Alhaitham (160%+).

ATK or EM Sands?
EM is almost always better. Only use ATK if the substats are significantly better (e.g., 40 CV vs garbage EM sands).

Why did my infusion end early?
You likely swapped off. Alhaitham loses all mirrors if he leaves the field. Commit to the rotation!

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025