Genshin Impact: Xianyun build and materials guide
One’s strengths only become apparent with the best Genshin Impact Xianyun build. The sage and powerful Adeptus from Liyue, who is otherwise known as Cloud Retainer, is finally taking on a human form as a 5-Star character wielding the powers of the Anemo element. Her kit promises to open some interesting team compositions up for experimentation.
Xianyun’s Elemental Skill, White Clouds at Dawn, allows her to become immune to fall damage by entering the Cloud Transmogrification state. Under the effect of this state, Xianyun can use Skyladder mid-air, leaping forward and dealing Anemo Damage to targets on her path. Cloud Transmogrification will be canceled if she doesn’t use Skyladder, which she can do up to three times per Cloud Transmogrification state, in a short period of time. Cloud Transmogrification will also be ended when Xianyun uses a Plunging Attack, which gets converted into Driftcloud Weave in this state and deals Anemo Damage in an area-of-effect.
Xianyun is Cloud Retainer's alter ego.
HoYoverse
Her Elemental Burst, Stars Gather at Dusk, deals Anemo Damage in an area-of-effect and heals all nearby allies based on Xianyun’s Attack. In addition, it summons the Starwicker mechanism. This follows the active character around, continuously healing nearby allies based on Xianyun’s Attack and boosting their jump height. Starwicker has eight stacks of Adeptal Assistance, which it consumes to deal Anemo Damage whenever the active character makes a Plunging Attack.
Xianyun also has some Passive Skills that increase the effectiveness of Plunging Attacks.
Best Xianyun weapons – Genshin Impact
Xianyun wants more of one thing and that’s Attack. Luckily for her, her signature catalyst Crane’s Echoing Call provides an Attack % bonus as its secondary stat. It also reinforces Xianyun’s role as a buffer, boosting the damage of Plunging Attacks by all party members for some time after the catalyst’s wearer hits an enemy with such a move. In turn, the Plunging Attacks of allies will restore Energy to the wielder, creating a nice little feedback loop.
Here are Xianyun’s best weapons in Genshin Impact:
- Crane’s Echoing Call (5-Star catalyst)
- Skyward Atlas (5-Star catalyst)
- Oathsworn Eye (4-Star catalyst)
- Eye of Perception (4-Star catalyst)
- Flowing Purity (4-Star catalyst)
Xianyun's movements remain elegant and graceful even in battle.
HoYoverse
Best Xianyun artifacts – Genshin Impact
Your artifact choice will largely depend on the team composition you want to go for. In a party with a DPS centered around reaction damage, you’ll want to opt for the classic Viridescent Venerer, which allows Xianyun to shred the elemental resistance of enemies in addition to boosting her Anemo Damage.
If you’re using Xianyun as a support for a DPS that isn’t dependent on reactions, you’re better off with Song of Days Past, which increases her healing output and provides a damaging effect that makes use of the total healing provided.
You’ll largely want similar stats on your artifacts, though, grabbing as much Attack and Energy Recharge as you can to maximize your support abilities. Grabbing some Elemental Mastery on Viridescent Venerer wouldn’t hurt either.
Ideally, you’ll want the following stat distribution on your artifact set:
- Flower: HP (main stat), Attack %, Energy Recharge, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage (secondary stats)
- Plume: Attack (main stat), Attack %, Energy Recharge, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage (secondary stats)
- Sands: Energy Recharge (main stat), Attack %, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage, Attack (secondary stats)
- Goblet: Attack % (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage, Attack (secondary stats)
- Circlet: Attack % or Healing Bonus % (main stat), Energy Recharge, Critical Hit Rate, Critical Damage, Attack % or Attack (secondary stats)
This bird certainly has impeccable taste.
HoYoverse
Best Xianyun teams – Genshin Impact
Xianyun is an interesting support, filling a different kind of niche than other Anemo characters by focusing on Plunging Attack buffs. Obviously, this makes her a fantastic companion to Xiao and Gaming, two figures who deal most of their damage with this attack type. However, this opens a few surprising options as well thanks to the mysterious ways in which Plunge Attack damage is calculated for different characters. Freminet, Diluc, and Razor all have better damage multipliers than Xiao, followed by Itto, Kazuha, and Raiden Shogun, making them all potential prospects for Xianyun teams. Hu Tao is a great candidate as well, at least after using her Elemental Skill.
- Xiao (Main DPS), Faruzan (Sub DPS), Xianyun (Support), Furina (Support)
This is the most obvious use of Xianyun and a prime example of a team in which she would use Song of Days Past, as Xiao’s damage is not based on reactions. Xianyun will boost his already beefy Plunging Attacks, while Faruzan as a dedicated Sub DPS for Anemo characters provides additional damage buffs. Furina is great at rounding out the composition as she can provide off-field healing or damage as needed.
- Diluc (Main DPS), Furina (Sub DPS), Xianyun (Support), Bennett (Support)
This is an example for a reaction-based team, in which Xianyun would want to use the classic Viridescent Venerer set. She will enable Diluc to use Plunging Attacks in battle on top of buffing their damage. Bennett, naturally, is here as a healer and buffer, while Furina provides off-field Hydro application to enable Dilus to trigger Vaporize reactions. Xianyun’s Swirls lower foes’ elemental resistance, thus further increasing the team’s damage output.
Characters like Hu Tao and Gaming can replace Diluc in this composition and you can easily swap its focus from Vaporize to Melt by replacing Furina with an off-field Cryo provider.
Xianyun can soar high into the sky and plunge back down without danger to herself.
HoYoverse
Xianyun ascension materials – Genshin Impact
Xianyun’s upgrade to level 90 requires you to invest the following items:
- Vayuda Turquoise Sliver x1
- Vayuda Turquoise Fragment x9
- Vayuda Turquoise Chunk x9
- Vayuda Turquoise Gemstone x6
- Divining Scroll x18
- Sealed Scroll x30
- Forbidden Curse Scroll x36
- Clearwater Jade x168
- Cloudseam Scale x46
- Mora x2,092,530
You can farm Vayuda Turquoise by defeating any Anemo affiliated bosses such as the Anemo Hypostasis, Stormterror, or Setekh Wenut. They also drop from the new boss found in Chenyu Vale, Solitary Suanni, which you’ll need to challenge anyways to obtain Cloudseam Scales. Scroll materials are easy to find by beating up the Hilichurl casters you encounter everywhere in Teyvat. Clearwater Jade is found in Chenyu Vale around the Southern Mountain. Mora are best farmed in Golden Leyline Blossoms.
To upgrade Xianyun’s talents to their highest level, you’ll also need these items:
- Divining Scroll x18
- Sealed Scroll x66
- Forbidden Curse Scroll x93
- Teachings of Gold x9
- Guide to Gold x63
- Philosophies of Gold x114
- Lightless Eye of the Maelstrom x18
- Crown of Insight x3
- Mora x4,957,500
For the materials mentioned already, please check above. Scrolls of Gold are found in the Taishan Mansion domain on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Lightless Eye of the Maelstrom is a boss material that drops from the All-Devouring Narwhal in Fontaine. Finally, the Crown of Insight is a common reward during events and can also be obtained from regional reward mechanics like the Thunder Sakura in Inazuma, the Tree of Dreams in Sumeru, or the Fountain of Lucine in Fontaine.
