Diluc Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis

Rarity	(5-Star Standard)
Element	Pyro
Weapon	Claymore
Best Role	Vaporize / Plunge DPS
CV Priority	CRIT > EM (Vape) > ATK% > ER
Tier	A (With Xianyun) / B (Classic)

Diluc, the uncrowned king of Mondstadt, has seen a massive resurgence thanks to Xianyun (Cloud Retainer). While his classic "weaving" playstyle is solid, his new "Plunge" playstyle boasts some of the highest scaling in the game, allowing him to compete with top-tier meta units.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

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

Best Artifact: 4pc Crimson Witch of Flames (Vaporize/Melt).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Marechaussee Hunter (Only if played with Furina).
Best Weapon: Redhorn Stonethresher (With Bennett) or Wolf's Gravestone (General).
F2P Weapon: Mailed Flower (Event) or Rainslasher (Vaporize).
Main Stats: SANDS: EM or ATK% | GOBLET: Pyro DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT Rate/DMG.
Talent Priority: Normal Attack (Plunge) = Skill > Elemental Burst.
Top Team: Diluc + Xianyun + Furina + Bennett (Plunge Vape).

Pro Tip: If using **Xianyun**, do not weave Normal Attacks between skills. Just spam Plunge Attacks. Diluc has the highest Plunge Multiplier of any Claymore user.

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Normal Attack: Tempered Sword

Usage: Primary source of damage when infused with Pyro.
Plunge: Diluc has exceptionally high Plunge scaling. With Xianyun (Cloud Retainer), spamming Plunge attacks becomes his highest DPS combo.

Elemental Skill: Searing Onslaught

Function: A three-part slash dealing Pyro DMG.
Weaving: In classic teams, you should "weave" normal attacks between the slashes (e.g., NA > Skill > NA > Skill) to maximize damage and cancel animations.
Note: You can wait a few seconds between casts without the cooldown resetting, allowing for flexibility.

Elemental Burst: Dawn

Cost: 40 Energy | Cooldown: 12s
Analysis: Launches a Phoenix that pushes enemies back.
The Core: Upon casting, Diluc's weapon becomes Infused with Pyro for 8s (extends to 12s with A4 passive). This infusion cannot be overridden by Bennett C6 (which is also Pyro) but enables him to be a Main DPS.

Talent Priority Order:

Normal Attack (Level 9+) - Priority for Plunge/Normal attacks.
Elemental Skill (Level 9) - Priority for weaving.
Elemental Burst (Level 8) - Lowest priority, mostly for infusion.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Diluc has a very cheap burst (40 cost), so he needs almost zero ER in most teams.

Role	EM Goal (Vape)	ER Requirement
Classic Vaporize	100 - 200	100% - 110%
Plunge (Xianyun)	150 - 300	100% (Base)

Substat Priority:

CRIT Rate / DMG (Target 70/160+)
Elemental Mastery (Crucial for amplifying reaction damage)
ATK% (Less valuable if using Bennett)
Energy Recharge

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Crimson Witch of Flames	Best in Slot	Designed for him. Diluc can trigger the 3-stack effect easily with his 3 Skill casts, maximizing Pyro DMG.
4pc Marechaussee Hunter	Furina Teams	Grants 36% CRIT Rate. Only works if Furina is on the team to drain HP.
4pc Gilded Dreams	Stat Stick	Good EM and ATK stats if you don't have a good Crimson Witch set.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Description
Redhorn Stonethresher	CRIT DMG	S+	Actually stronger than WGS in Bennett teams. Massive CRIT stick.
Wolf's Gravestone	ATK%	S	His signature. High ATK is great, but suffers from diminishing returns if Bennett/Noblesse are used.
Serpent Spine (R5)	CRIT Rate	S (BP)	At R5, this beats R1 Wolf's Gravestone. Requires a shielder or careful play to maintain stacks.
Rainslasher (R5)	EM	A+ (Vape)	Surprising powerhouse for Vaporize. Use this over Prototype Archaic always.

Constellation Value

Diluc's constellations are decent, but not game-breaking until C6.

C1: Conviction - (Ok) Deals 15% more DMG to enemies with >50% HP. Good for opening strikes.
C2: Searing Ember - (Strong) Taking DMG increases ATK and ATK SPD. Great if playing without a shield (or with Furina drain).
C6: Flaming Sword, Nemesis of Dark - (Combo Changer) Skill casting doesn't reset Normal Attack combo string. Increases ATK SPD and DMG of the next 2 attacks. Makes his "weave" gameplay extremely fluid.

Verdict: C0 is fine. He gets steady upgrades over time as you lose 50/50s.

Top Team Compositions

1. Plunge Diluc (The Meta)

Main DPS: Diluc
Enabler: Xianyun (Cloud Retainer)
Buffer: Furina
Support: Bennett (C6 preferred)

Why it works: Xianyun allows Diluc to jump high. Plunge attacks have no ICD (Internal Cooldown), meaning every single plunge triggers Vaporize. This is his highest damage ceiling.

2. Classic Vaporize

Main DPS: Diluc
Hydro: Xingqiu / Yelan
Buffer: Bennett
Swirl: Kazuha / Sucrose

Why it works: The standard rotation. Xingqiu applies Hydro, Diluc weaves NAs and Skills to vaporize hits. Reliable and easy to play.

Rotations & Combos

Plunge Rotation (Xianyun):
Furina E Q > Xianyun E Q > Bennett E Q > Diluc Q -> Plunge Spam

Classic Weave (C0):
Diluc Q > N2 E (Normal x2 -> Skill) > N2 E > N2 E

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Diluc still good?
Yes! While he was power-crept by Hu Tao for years, the release of Xianyun and Furina has brought him back to the top meta as a premier Plunge DPS.

Wolf's Gravestone or Serpent Spine?
If you run Bennett (which you should), R5 Serpent Spine generally deals more damage due to the CRIT and DMG% stats. WGS gives too much ATK which suffers diminishing returns.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Genshin Impact. Diluc Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis