Candace, the Guardian of Aaru Village

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Hydro
Weapon	Polearm
Best Role	Hydro Buffer / Infuser
Stat Priority	HP% > ER > CRIT Rate (Favonius)
Tier	B (Niche Support)

Candace is the guardian of Aaru Village and a unique Hydro support. She provides Hydro Infusion to melee characters and buffs Normal Attack Element DMG based on her Max HP. While niche, she enables creative teams like Hydro Zhongli or on-field Yaoyao Bloom.

Pros

Hydro Infusion: Unique utility for melee chars.
Buffs Normal Elemental DMG (great for Ayato/Yoimiya).
Skill has a fun Parry mechanic (Hold E).
C6 adds off-field Hydro application (vital for Bloom).
Low cooldowns make rotations smooth.

Cons

Buff is lower than Yelan/Yun Jin for pure damage.
Hydro application is poor pre-C6 (Single instance).
Buff only applies to Elemental Normal Attacks (not Physical).
Parry damage is negligible on HP builds.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

If you don't have time for the math, here is the cheat sheet.

Best Artifact: 4pc Noblesse Oblige (Team ATK Buff).
Alt Artifact: 2pc Tenacity / 2pc Vourukasha (Max HP for Buff).
Best Weapon: Favonius Lance (Team Battery - BiS).
F2P Weapon: Black Tassel (3⭐ HP Stat Stick).
DPS Weapon: Staff of Homa (Only for Main DPS Meme).
Main Stats: SANDS: HP% or ER | GOBLET: HP% | CIRCLET: HP% or CRIT Rate.
Talent Priority: Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill > Normal Attack (Ignore).
Top Team: Candace + Nilou + Yaoyao + Nahida (Bloom Driver).

Pro Tip: Instant Parry: Just like Beidou, if you use her Hold Skill exactly when an enemy hits you, it charges instantly to max level, dealing higher damage and generating particles without the wait time.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Redcrest	Sumeru Desert (Cactus Fruits)
Boss Drop	Light Guiding Tetrahedron	ASIMON (Sumeru Desert)
Talent Books	Teachings of Admonition	Steeple of Ignorance (Mon/Thu/Sun)
Common Mob	Red Satin	Eremites

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Sacred Rite: Heron's Sanctum

Tap: Dashes forward with shield. Dealing Hydro DMG.
Hold: Raises shield to block attacks (Hydro absorption +250%). Upon release (or if shield breaks/max time), performs a jumping strike.
Parry: Similar to Beidou, timing the block perfectly instantly charges the attack.

Elemental Burst: Sacred Rite: Wagtail's Tide

Cost: 60 Energy | Cooldown: 15s | Duration: 9s (12s at C1)
Prayer of the Crimson Crown:
- Hydro Infusion: Characters wielding Sword, Claymore, or Polearm gain Hydro Infusion.
- DMG Buff: Increases Normal Attack DMG for active character by 20% (Base) + extra based on Candace's Max HP.
- Hydro Impact: Switching characters triggers a ripple of Hydro DMG (Max 3 times).

Passive: Celestial Dome of Sand

The Buffer: Increases the Elemental DMG of Normal Attacks affected by her Burst by 0.5% for every 1,000 HP Candace has.
Example: At 40,000 HP, she provides ~20% additional DMG Bonus (Total ~40% with base buff). This applies to ANY element Normal Attack (e.g. Ayato, Yoimiya, Cyno).

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Burst (Level 9) - Increases buff percentage.
Elemental Skill (Level 8) - Damage.
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Candace needs to Burst every rotation to maintain the infusion/buff. ER is priority #1.

Team Context	Weapon	ER Requirement
Solo Hydro	Favonius Lance	200% - 220%
Double Hydro (Nilou)	Black Tassel	180% - 200%
Double Hydro (Nilou)	Favonius Lance	160% - 180%

Substat Priority:

Energy Recharge (Until requirement met)
HP% (Buff Scaling)
CRIT Rate (For Favonius trigger)
Flat HP

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Noblesse Oblige	BiS Support	Standard support set. Buffs team ATK by 20%. Combines well with her Normal Attack buffs.
2pc HP / 2pc HP	Max Buff	Mix Tenacity and Vourukasha for 40% HP. Maximizes her Passive buff if ATK isn't needed (e.g., Bloom teams).
4pc Emblem of Severed Fate	DPS/ER	If you are struggling with Energy or want her Burst to deal some damage.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Favonius Lance	ER%	S+	Solves her ER needs and batteries the team. Essential for ensuring 100% Burst uptime.
Black Tassel	HP%	S (Bloom)	3-Star stat stick. 46.9% HP. Best for maximizing her buff or for Bloom teams where ER is managed via artifacts.
The Catch	ER%	A	Good ER stick if Favonius is taken. Crit Rate passive helps Favonius procs if you lack artifacts.

Constellation Value

Candace works at C0, but C1 and C6 are game-changers for her viability.

C1: Returning Heiress - (Duration) Increases Burst duration by 3s (Total 12s). Improves uptime significantly. Highly recommended.
C6: The Overflow - (Application) When characters with her infusion perform Normal Attacks, Candace unleashes an AoE Hydro wave (every 2.3s). This adds off-field Hydro application which she lacks at C0, making her viable in Bloom/Freeze.

Verdict: C1 is the baseline for support. C6 makes her a meta option for Bloom.

Top Team Compositions

1. Nilou Bloom (Yaoyao Driver)

Core: Nilou
Infuser: Candace (C6 preferred)
Driver/Healer: Yaoyao
Dendro: Nahida / Dendro MC

Why it works: Candace infuses Yaoyao's polearm with Hydro. Yaoyao stays on-field, attacking to apply Hydro while her bunnies heal/apply Dendro. Candace's C6 adds more Hydro.

2. Ayato/Yoimiya Support

Main DPS: Ayato / Yoimiya
Buffer: Candace
Sub-DPS: Yelan / Xingqiu
Flex: Zhongli / Kazuha

Why it works: Candace provides Hydro Resonance (+25% HP) and buffs Normal Attack DMG. Works well if you don't have Yun Jin or want Hydro particles.

Rotations & Combos

Standard Support Rotation:
Candace E (Hold) Q > Swap to Driver

Tip: You don't need to hold E for the full duration. Just hold it long enough to block a hit (Parry) or for the circle to charge, then release. This generates max particles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Candace vs. Yun Jin?
Yun Jin usually provides higher damage buffs for Normal Attackers. Candace offers Hydro application (C6) and Infusion. Use Candace if you need the Hydro element or AoE waves.

Does she work with Ayato?
Yes. She gives him Hydro Resonance (+HP) and buffs his slashes. While Yelan deals more damage, Candace is a viable budget option.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Candace Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis