Mualani, the "Meztli Guide" and premier Hydro DPS from Natlan

Rarity	(5-Star)
Element	Hydro
Weapon	Catalyst
Best Role	Vaporize DPS (Nuke)
Stat Priority	HP% > CRIT > EM
Tier	S (Top Tier Vape)

Mualani is a Meztli guide from Natlan who introduces a fresh "Surfing" playstyle. As a Hydro Catalyst, she deals massive bursts of damage by stacking "Wave Momentum" through her Skill. Her slow but heavy hits make her the undisputed queen of Forward Vaporize.

Pros

Insane single-target nuke damage (Vaporize).
Best overworld mobility (Water Surfing).
Extremely easy to build (Obsidian Codex gives 40% Crit Rate).
Not Burst reliant (All damage is on Skill).
F2P Friendly (Craftable weapon is great).

Cons

Attack animation can be clunky/miss small enemies.
Requires consistent Pyro application (Xiangling/Dehya/Mavuika).
Weak in AoE situations without grouping.
Vulnerable to interruption while surfing (needs shield/Xilonen).

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

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

Best Artifact: 4pc Obsidian Codex (Uncontested BiS).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Heart of Depth (If you haven't farmed Natlan yet).
Best Weapon: Surf's Up (Signature).
Alt Weapon: Sacrificial Jade (BP) or Tome of the Eternal Flow.
F2P Weapon: Ring of Yaxche (Natlan Craftable - Amazing).
Main Stats: SANDS: HP% | GOBLET: Hydro DMG or HP% | CIRCLET: CRIT DMG.
Talent Priority: Elemental Skill > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack.
Top Team: Mualani + Xiangling + Xilonen + Zhongli/Kazuha.

Pro Tip: The 3-Stack Rule: While surfing (E), simply touching enemies grants 1 stack of "Wave Momentum." You need 3 stacks to unleash "Sharky's Surging Bite" (the big chomp). Always ensure you have 3 stacks before pressing Normal Attack.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Sprayfeather Gill	Natlan (People of the Springs)
Boss Drop	Mark of the Binding Blessing	Holoway of the Goldflame (Natlan)
Talent Books	Teachings of Contention	Blazing Ruins (Mon/Thu/Sun)
Common Mob	Saurian Whistles	Saurian Warriors

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Surfshark Wavebreaker

Nightsoul's Blessing: Enters surfing state (60 points). Mualani rides her Sharky Surfboard.
Marking: Touching enemies applies "Marked as Prey".
Wave Momentum: You start with 0 stacks. Touching a marked enemy gives 1 stack. Max 3 stacks.
Sharky's Bite: Pressing Normal Attack consumes stacks to bite.
- 0-2 Stacks: Weak bite.
- 3 Stacks: Sharky's Surging Bite. Massive damage. This is what you want to Vaporize.
Nightsoul Points: Surfing consumes points over time. Hitting enemies restores points (via passive), extending your surf time.

Elemental Burst: Boomsharka-laka

Cost: 60 Energy | Cooldown: 15s
The Nuke: Fires a massive Super-Shark Missile that tracks enemies and deals AoE Hydro DMG based on Max HP.
Usage: Use this to start a rotation or finish off a wave. It doesn't contribute to the Skill's stacking mechanic directly but hits extremely hard on Vaporize.

Passive: Heat-Resistant Freshwater Floater

Burst Synergy: When a nearby party member triggers a "Nightsoul Burst" (Natlan mechanic), Mualani gains 1 stack of Wave Momentum (Max 3). This lets her start her rotation with a fully charged bite immediately if timed right.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Skill (Level 10) - The source of her Surging Bite damage.
Elemental Burst (Level 9) - Nuke damage.
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore (Skill uses its own scaling).

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Mualani does not need much ER as her damage comes from her Skill. Focus entirely on HP and Crit.

Team Context	Weapon	ER Requirement
Solo Hydro (Vape)	Any	120% - 130% (If bursting)
Double Hydro (w/ Xilonen)	Any	100% - 110%

Substat Priority:

CRIT DMG (Set gives 40% Rate, Ascension gives 24% Rate. You barely need Rate rolls).
HP% (Everything scales on this)
Elemental Mastery (Aim for 100-200 for big Vapes)
CRIT Rate (Cap at 64% on stat screen to avoid overcap)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Obsidian Codex	BiS	Gives 15% DMG Bonus and 40% CRIT Rate when consuming Nightsoul points (which she does constantly). Unbeatable.
4pc Heart of Depth	Legacy	Gives Hydro DMG and Normal Attack DMG. Good placeholder, but Obsidian Codex is ~15% better.
4pc Marechaussee Hunter	Furina Team	Works if you run Furina, but Obsidian Codex is still better because it doesn't require HP drain/heal cycles to stack.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Surf's Up	CRIT DMG	S+	Signature. 88% Crit DMG + HP + Massive Normal Attack DMG Bonus. Perfect synergy.
Ring of Yaxche	HP%	S (F2P God)	Natlan Craftable. Gives HP and buffs Normal Attack DMG based on Max HP. R5 Rivals many 5-star weapons. Use this!
Sacrificial Jade	CRIT Rate	S (BP)	Battle Pass. Huge Crit Rate and HP/EM buffs. Very strong, but be careful of overcapping Crit Rate with Obsidian set.
Tome of the Eternal Flow	CRIT DMG	A	Neuvillette's weapon. Good stat stick, but Mualani can't stack the passive fully (Charge Attack vs Normal Attack).

Constellation Value

Mualani is very strong at C0. C1 and C2 are massive damage multipliers.

C1: The Leisurely "Meztli"... - (Damage) The first Surging Bite (3-stack hit) deals damage equal to 66% of Max HP. This is a huge frontloaded nuke. Reduces exploration stamina cost.
C2: Mualani, Going All Out! - (QoL/Damage) Obtaining 1 stack of Wave Momentum grants another stack automatically. Allows you to reach 3 stacks instantly for faster attacks.
C6: Spirit of the People's Springs - (Hypercarry) Removes the limit on the C1 damage buff (applies to all bites). Turns her into a C6 Neuvillette/Yelan tier carry.

Verdict: C1 is the best stopping point for value. C2 makes her gameplay faster.

Top Team Compositions

1. Natlan Vaporize (Premium)

Main DPS: Mualani
Pyro App: Xiangling / Mavuika
Support: Xilonen (Shred/Heal)
Flex: Zhongli / Kachina (Scroll)

Why it works: Mualani hits slow enough that Xiangling can maintain Pyro aura for every bite to Vaporize. Xilonen provides massive RES shred and healing.

2. Burning Vape (Emilie)

Main DPS: Mualani
Dendro: Emilie / Nahida
Pyro: Dehya / Thoma
Support: Xilonen / Bennett

Why it works: Burning maintains a Pyro aura on enemies (Dendro + Pyro). Mualani Vapes off the Burning aura. Emilie deals massive off-field damage while Burning is active.

Rotations & Combos

Standard Vape Rotation:
Xilonen E N2 Q > Xiangling Q E > Mualani E -> (Touch -> Touch -> Touch -> Attack) x3 -> Q

Tip: You don't need to spam click attack. Just surf through enemies. When you see the 3 shark icons light up above her, press Attack once to unleash the nuke.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not Marechaussee Hunter?
While she can use it with Furina, Obsidian Codex gives 40% Crit Rate unconditionally just for using her Skill (Nightsoul consumption). It is much easier to use and frees you from Furina reliance.

Can I use Bennett?
Bennett buffs ATK. Mualani scales on HP. Bennett is useless for her personal damage, but he is still used in her teams to buff Xiangling (who does a lot of damage).

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Mualani Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis