Xingqiu, the Guhua Geek and Hydro Archon in spirit

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Hydro
Weapon	Sword
Best Role	Off-Field Sub-DPS / Enabler
Stat Priority	ER > CRIT > ATK%
Tier	SS+ (The 6-Star Character)

Xingqiu is the Feiyun Commerce Guild's second son and arguably the most valuable unit in the game. He offers damage reduction, interruption resistance, minor healing, and the best off-field Hydro application in Genshin Impact. He is the backbone of the "National Team" and "Hyperbloom" archetypes.

Pros

Unrivaled off-field Hydro application (Enables Vape/Bloom).
Provides Damage Reduction (up to ~48%) and Interrupt Resist.
High personal single-target damage.
Micro-heals active character upon sword expiry.
Synergizes perfectly with Yelan (Double Hydro).

Cons

High Energy Cost (80) requires specific weapons (Sac Sword).
Long Skill cooldown (21s).
Orbital swords apply Wet to active character (Risk of Freeze).
Single-target focus (Burst doesn't hit AoE well).

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

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

Best Artifact: 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate (BiS).
Alt Artifact: 4pc Noblesse Oblige (If no one else has it) or 2pc/2pc.
Best Weapon: Sacrificial Sword (R3+ is mandatory for smooth rotations).
Alt Weapon: Favonius Sword (Team Battery).
Damage Weapon: Primordial Jade Cutter or Mistsplitter (If C6 + High ER).
Main Stats: SANDS: ATK% or ER | GOBLET: Hydro DMG | CIRCLET: CRIT.
Talent Priority: Elemental Burst > Elemental Skill > Normal Attack (Ignore).
Top Team: Xingqiu + Xiangling + Bennett + Raiden (Rational).

Pro Tip: The Kick: Xingqiu's Skill (E) hits twice. If using Sacrificial Sword, wait for the first two hits to land before pressing E again to ensure the cooldown reset triggers. Also, hug the enemy while E is active to apply Hydro via the orbital swords ("Face-hugging").

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Silk Flower	Liyue Harbor / Wangshu Inn
Boss Drop	Cleansing Heart	Oceanid (Liyue)
Talent Books	Teachings of Gold	Taishan Mansion (Wed/Sat/Sun)
Common Mob	Masks	Hilichurls (Everywhere)

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen

Rain Swords (Orbital): Deals 2 hits of Hydro DMG and summons 3-4 Rain Swords that orbit the active character.
Defense: These swords increase the character's Resistance to Interruption and provide Damage Reduction (up to ~29% base + 20% from Hydro DMG bonus).
Healing: When a sword shatters or expires, it heals the active character by 6% of Xingqiu's Max HP.
Application: Applies Hydro to enemies on contact (Face-hugging).

Elemental Burst: Guhua Sword: Raincutter

Cost: 80 Energy | Cooldown: 20s | Duration: 15s
Sword Rain: Normal Attacks trigger coordinated Hydro sword attacks.
Application: Provides incredible off-field Hydro application. Standard ICD rules apply, but he fires so many swords it doesn't matter.
Uptime: Persists off-field. Does not snapshot stats.

Passive: Hydropathic

Healing: As mentioned, swords heal on expiration. This allows Xingqiu to be the sole "healer" in skilled teams (e.g., Hu Tao double hydro).

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Burst (Level 10) - Primary damage.
Elemental Skill (Level 9) - Strong nuke (especially with Vape).
Normal Attack (Level 1) - Ignore.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Xingqiu lives and dies by his ER. If he doesn't Burst, he is useless.

Constellation/Weapon	Team Context	ER Requirement
C6 + Sac Sword (R3+)	Standard	160% - 180%
C0-C5 + Sac Sword	Standard	200% - 220%
Damage Weapon (Jade Cutter)	With Battery (Raiden)	180% - 200%

Substat Priority:

Energy Recharge (Until requirements met)
CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (He does significant personal damage)
ATK%
Elemental Mastery (Nice bonus for vapes)

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Emblem of Severed Fate	BiS	Converts his massive ER needs into Burst DMG. Since Xingqiu always builds ER, this set is mathematically superior to everything else.
4pc Noblesse Oblige	Support	If no one else in the team (Bennett) has it, Xingqiu can run it. Lowers his personal damage but buffs the team.
2pc Hydro / 2pc ATK	Transition	Good placeholders if you don't have a full Emblem set yet.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
Sacrificial Sword (R3+)	ER%	S+	Allows E -> E combo. Generates double particles and double damage. At high refinement, it is better than most 5-stars due to energy comfort.
Primordial Jade Cutter	CRIT Rate	S (Damage)	Highest damage ceiling, but requires C6 + ER Sands + Raiden battery to maintain burst uptime without Sac Sword.
Favonius Sword	ER%	A (Battery)	Use if you don't have Sac Sword. Good for team energy, but less personal damage.
Skyward Blade	ER%	A	High Base ATK + ER. Solid option if available, but Sac Sword is often comfier.

Constellation Value

Xingqiu gets better with every constellation. C6 is a massive spike.

C2: Rainbow Upon the Azure Sky - (Core) Extends Burst duration by 3s (Total 18s). Decreases Hydro RES of enemies hit by swords by 15%. Essential for Hu Tao/Raiden teams.
C6: Hence, Call Them My Own Verses - (Energy/DMG) Sword Rain pattern changes to 2-3-5. The 5-sword attack deals massive damage and regenerates 3 Energy for Xingqiu. This drastically lowers ER requirements.

Verdict: Aim for C6 over time. Buy him from Paimon's shop whenever possible.

Top Team Compositions

1. National (Raiden/Sucrose)

Core: Xiangling + Bennett
Enabler: Xingqiu
Driver: Raiden Shogun (Rational) / Sucrose (Classic)

Why it works: Xingqiu allows Xiangling to Vaporize her Pyronado. Raiden provides energy for Xingqiu/Xiangling. Bennett buffs everyone. The most meta team in history.

2. Hu Tao Vaporize

Main DPS: Hu Tao
Hydro: Xingqiu
Hydro 2: Yelan (Double Hydro)
Shield: Zhongli

Why it works: Xingqiu provides Hydro application, damage reduction (stacks with Hu Tao's defense), and interrupt resist. Combined with Yelan, they deal massive off-field damage and ensure Hu Tao never misses a Vape.

Rotations & Combos

Sac Sword Rotation:
Xingqiu Q (Burst) > N1 (Normal Attack) > E (Skill) > E (Skill Reset) > Swap

Tip: Always Q before E. If you E then Q, you waste time absorbing particles during the Q animation (which doesn't let you swap early). Q first allows you to E, E, and swap immediately while particles travel to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Xingqiu vs. Yelan?
Xingqiu = Defense (Damage Reduction, Stagger Resist), Better Hydro App (C6). Yelan = Offense (Damage Buff, Mobility). Use Xingqiu if you die easily; use Yelan if you want speed.

Is R1 Sac Sword enough?
It's painful. At R1, the reset chance is low (40%) and cooldown is high. If it fails, your rotation breaks. Aim for R3+ for consistency.

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Xingqiu Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis