Hu Tao Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis

Rarity	(5-Star)
Element	Pyro
Weapon	Polearm
Best Role	On-Field Vaporize DPS
CV Priority	CRIT > EM > HP% > ATK%
Tier	S+ (Single Target Queen)

Hu Tao is the premier single-target DPS in Genshin Impact. She dominates the meta with her unique HP-to-ATK conversion mechanic and ability to vaporize her Charged Attacks continuously. She rewards skilled play (animation canceling) with some of the highest damage ceilings in the game.

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 (Reaction) or 4pc Shimenawa's Reminiscence (Raw CA Dmg).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Marechaussee Hunter (Only with Furina).
Best Weapon: Staff of Homa (Signature) or Staff of the Scarlet Sands.
F2P Weapon: Dragon's Bane (High Refinement) or Ballad of the Fjords (BP).
Main Stats: SANDS: HP% or EM | GOBLET: Pyro DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT Rate/DMG.
Talent Priority: Normal Attack = Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst.
Top Team: Hu Tao + Yelan + Xingqiu + Zhongli (Double Hydro).

Pro Tip: Animation Canceling is mandatory. At C0, use Jump Cancels (N1CJ) to save stamina. At C1, use Dash Cancels (N1CD) for faster attacks and i-frames.

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Guide to Afterlife

Paramita Papilio State: Consumes 30% of current HP to infuse attacks with Pyro.
ATK Conversion: Converts Max HP into ATK. This cap is based on 400% of Base ATK, so you want high HP stats but a weapon with decent Base ATK.
Blood Blossom: Charged attacks apply a DoT flower. It deals tiny damage but applies Pyro every 4s.

Normal Attack: Secret Spear of Wangsheng

Charged Attack (CA): The bread and butter. Hu Tao's CA has no Internal Cooldown (ICD), meaning every single CA can trigger Vaporize.
Animation Cancel: The CA animation sends her flying forward. To maximize DPS, you must jump (C0) or dash (C1) immediately after the damage number appears to stop the forward momentum and start the next attack instantly.

Passive: Sanguine Rouge

Low HP Boost: When Hu Tao's HP is 50% or lower, she gains a 33% Pyro DMG Bonus.
Management: This is why you generally run shielders (Zhongli) instead of healers (Bennett/Kokomi) with her. You want to stay at low HP safely.

Talent Priority Order:

Normal Attack (Level 10) - Increases CA multiplier.
Elemental Skill (Level 9+) - Increases HP-to-ATK ratio.
Elemental Burst (Level 6-8) - Good nuke, but less critical.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Hu Tao creates very few energy particles. However, her burst is optional in many rotations (especially Shimenawa builds).

Build Type	EM Goal	ER Requirement
Burst Every Rotation (CW)	100 - 200+	110% - 130%
No Burst (Shimenawa)	100 - 200+	0% (Base)

Substat Priority:

Elemental Mastery (Until ~200-300 EM, often better than Crit initially)
CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (Target 70/200+)
HP% (Always better than ATK%)
ATK% (Least valuable)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Playstyle	Reasoning
4pc Crimson Witch of Flames	Balanced	Classic BiS. Boosts Vaporize damage and Burst damage. Flexible and consistent.
4pc Shimenawa's Reminiscence	Charged Attack	Offers highest CA damage numbers but consumes energy, preventing Burst usage (and self-healing). Risky but high DPS.
4pc Marechaussee Hunter	Furina Teams	Best if running with Furina. The 36% Crit Rate is massive, allowing you to stack absurd Crit DMG.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Description
Staff of Homa	CRIT DMG	S+	Signature. HP Passive and massive Crit DMG. The perfect weapon for her.
Staff of Scarlet Sands	CRIT Rate	S	Cyno's weapon. Very strong if you build high EM (EM Sands).
Dragon's Bane (R5)	EM	A+ (4-Star King)	At R5, this beats many 5-star weapons (like Jade Spear). The passive DMG bonus and EM stat are perfect for Vape.
Ballad of the Fjords	CRIT Rate	A (BP)	Battle Pass weapon. Solid stats and easy passive in varied teams.

Constellation Value

Hu Tao has one of the most impactful C1s in the game.

C1: Crimson Bouquet - (Game Changer) Charged Attacks consume no Stamina. This allows you to Dash Cancel (faster than Jump Cancel) and perform ~10-12 CAs per rotation instead of 8-9. Massive DPS and QoL increase.
C3: Lingering Carmine - (Damage) +3 Levels to Skill. Since her ATK conversion comes from Skill, this is a significant damage boost.
C6: Butterfly's Embrace - (Speedrun/Meme) When dropping below 25% HP, triggers 100% Crit Rate and 200% RES. Allows for "Crit Fish" builds with 300%+ Crit DMG.

Verdict: C1 is highly recommended. Stopping there is efficient.

Top Team Compositions

1. Double Hydro (The Standard)

Main DPS: Hu Tao
Sub-DPS: Yelan
Sub-DPS: Xingqiu
Shield: Zhongli / Layla / Thoma

Why it works: Hydro Resonance gives +25% HP (buffing Hu Tao, Yelan, and Zhongli). Yelan and Xingqiu apply so much Hydro that Hu Tao never fails to Vaporize.

2. Funerational (VV Vape)

Main DPS: Hu Tao
Sub-DPS: Yelan / Xingqiu
Swirl/Buff: Kazuha / Sucrose
Pyro App: Bennett / Amber / Thoma

Why it works: Higher ceiling but harder to play. You must apply Pyro with a second character first, Swirl it with Kazuha, then switch to Hu Tao. If you mess up the rotation, you lose damage.

3. Plunge Tao (Xianyun)

Main DPS: Hu Tao
Support: Xianyun
Hydro: Furina
Hydro: Yelan

Why it works: Hu Tao has decent plunge multipliers. Xianyun heals the team (for Furina stacks) and enables plunge. This solves Hu Tao's stamina issues at C0.

Rotations & Combos

Standard C0 Combo (N2CJ):
Normal Attack x2 > Charged Attack > Jump > Repeat.

Standard C1 Combo (N2CD):
Normal Attack x2 > Charged Attack > Dash > Repeat.

Macro Rotation (Double Hydro):
Xingqiu Q E E > Yelan E Q > Zhongli Hold E > Hu Tao E -> Combos -> Q (Optional)

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I pull C1 or Homa?
Generally, C1 provides a bigger gameplay improvement and fun factor. Homa is a bigger number increase but you can clear content fine with Dragon's Bane. C1 changes how you play.

Can I use Bennett with Hu Tao?
Yes, but it's tricky. Bennett heals past 50%, removing her Pyro DMG bonus. However, Bennett's ATK buff is usually larger than the loss of her passive, so it's still a net gain—just less comfortable.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Genshin Impact. Hu Tao Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis