Background of Xianyun

Rarity	(5-Star)
Element	Anemo
Weapon	Catalyst
Best Role	Plunge Enabler / Healer
Stat Priority	ATK% > ER > CRIT Rate (Favonius)
Tier	S (Meta Enabler)

Xianyun (Cloud Retainer) is an Anemo Catalyst user who revolutionizes gameplay by enabling Plunge Attacks for any character. She provides massive teamwide healing and a flat damage buff to plunges based on her ATK, making her the cornerstone of modern Xiao, Diluc, and Gaming teams.

Pros

Enables Plunge playstyle for everyone (Dragonstrike).
Massive continuous teamwide healing (Great for Furina).
Excellent overworld exploration (Triple mid-air jump).
Strong single-target Plunge buffs.

Cons

Plunge buff is single-target only (limited AoE scaling).
Can feel clunky without adequate Energy Recharge.
Grouping capability (CC) is weaker than Kazuha/Venti.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

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

Best Artifact: 4pc Viridescent Venerer (PECH Teams) or 4pc Song of Days Past (Anemo/Geo/Dendro Teams).
Alt Artifact: 2pc ATK / 2pc ER (Budget Build).
Best Weapon: Crane's Echoing Call (Signature).
F2P Weapon: Oathsworn Eye (Best 4* - Event) or Flowing Purity (Craftable).
Support Weapon: Favonius Codex (Team Battery - Highly Recommended).
Main Stats: SANDS: ATK% or ER | GOBLET: ATK% | CIRCLET: ATK% or Healing Bonus.
Talent Priority: Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill > Normal Attack.
Top Team: Xiao + Xianyun + Furina + Faruzan (FFXX).

Pro Tip: ATK Cap: Xianyun's plunge buff caps at 4,500 ATK. It is very hard to reach this cap without her signature weapon. Prioritize ER to burst every rotation (approx 160-180%) before stacking pure ATK.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Cloudseam Scale	Chenyu Vale (Liyue)
Boss Drop	Cloudseam Scale	Solitary Suanni (Chenyu Vale)
Talent Books	Teachings of Gold	Taishan Mansion (Wed/Sat/Sun)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: White Clouds at Dawn

Skyladder: Enters the "Cloud Transmogrification" state. Can leap up to 3 times in mid-air.
Driftcloud Wave: If you Plunge Attack during this state, it deals AoE Anemo DMG. This is her main exploration tool and particle generator.
CC: The plunge pulls enemies in slightly, but don't rely on it for massive grouping.

Elemental Burst: Stars Gather at Dusk

Cost: 70 Energy | Cooldown: 18s
Starwicker: Summons a mechanism that follows the active character.
Healing: Heals the entire party on cast, then heals the active character periodically.
Adeptal Assist: Grants the active character 8 boosted jumps, allowing anyone to perform Plunge Attacks. Deals Anemo damage when they plunge.

Passive: Consider, the Adeptus in Her Realm

The Buffer: When the Starwicker is active, Plunge Attack shockwave DMG is increased by 200% of Xianyun's ATK.
The Cap: The maximum DMG increase is 9,000 (Requires 4,500 ATK). This is a Flat DMG addition (like Shenhe/Yun Jin), meaning it scales with the carry's Crit and DMG%.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Burst (Level 10) - Healing and Jump mechanic.
Elemental Skill (Level 8) - Exploration and damage.
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Xianyun needs to burst every rotation. Prioritize ER until comfortable, then stack ATK.

Team Context	Weapon	ER Requirement
Double Anemo (Xiao)	Oathsworn / Favonius	160% - 180%
Solo Anemo (Diluc/Hu Tao)	Favonius Codex	200% - 220%
Triple Anemo (FFXX)	Any	130% - 150%

Substat Priority:

Energy Recharge (Until requirement met)
ATK% (To maximize buff and healing)
Flat ATK
CRIT Rate (Only if using Favonius Codex)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Viridescent Venerer (VV)	BiS Reaction	Mandatory for Pyro/Hydro/Electro carries (Diluc/Gaming). Shreds elemental RES. Useless for Xiao/Itto.
4pc Song of Days Past	Anemo/Geo Support	Best for Xiao or Navia. Records healing and provides a flat damage buff.
4pc Noblesse Oblige	General	Classic 20% ATK buff. Good if no one else has it.
2pc ATK / 2pc ER	Stat Stick	Easier to reach high ATK/ER thresholds if you don't need set bonuses.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Crane's Echoing Call	ATK%	S+	Signature. Highest Base ATK, Energy refund, and Plunge buff. Hard to beat.
Oathsworn Eye	ATK%	S (Event)	Best F2P option. Gives ATK and massive ER buff (48%) after using Skill. (Limited Event item).
Favonius Codex	ER%	S (Battery)	Ensures smooth rotations for the whole team. Low Base ATK reduces her buff slightly, but consistency is worth it.
Flowing Purity	ATK%	A (Craftable)	High ATK stat stick. Use if you have enough ER from artifacts.

Constellation Value

Xianyun is a complete unit at C0, but C2 is a massive buff.

C1: Purifying Winds - (Exploration) Adds 1 charge to Elemental Skill. Great for overworld and lowers ER requirements slightly.
C2: Aloof from the World - (Core Buff) Increases ATK by 20%. Doubles the flat damage buff cap (from 9,000 to 18,000). This is a huge damage increase for your carry.
C6: Spirit of the Cloud - (DPS Unlock) Elemental Skill Crit DMG increased by up to 70%. Using Skill no longer consumes cooldown during Burst. Turns her into a Main DPS.

Verdict: C0 is great. C2 makes her a god-tier buffer.

Top Team Compositions

1. FFXX (Xiao Premium)

Main DPS: Xiao
Support: Xianyun
Buffer: Faruzan (C6)
Buffer: Furina

Why it works: The highest ceiling team for Xiao. Xianyun heals Furina's drain, buffs Xiao's plunges, and generates particles. Faruzan shreds Anemo RES.

2. Dragonstrike Diluc / Gaming

Main DPS: Diluc / Gaming
Support: Xianyun (VV Set)
Hydro: Furina / Yelan
Buffer: Bennett

Why it works: Transforms Diluc into a Plunge monster (highest scaling in his kit). Gaming already plunges, so she just buffs him massively. VV set shreds Pyro RES.

Rotations & Combos

Standard Support Rotation:
Furina E Q > Xianyun E Plunge Q > Faruzan/Bennett Q > Main DPS Plunge Spam

Tip: You don't need to do the full triple jump on her Skill every time. One jump + Plunge is faster and generates the same particles/crowd control for rotation purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

VV or Song of Days Past?
If your DPS relies on reactions (Diluc Vape, Gaming), use VV to shred resistance. If your DPS is Anemo/Geo/Physical (Xiao, Navia) where VV doesn't help, use Song of Days Past or Noblesse.

Jean vs. Xianyun?
Xianyun is generally better because she offers the Plunge buff and continuous team healing. Jean provides a burst heal and can use VV, but lacks the offensive buffs unless C4.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Xianyun Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis