Cantarella Build Guide – Wuthering Waves 2.2 & 2.8 Rerun – February 2026

🌊 Trance (Resource Gauge)

• ✓ Maximum capacity: 5 Trance
• ✓ Gained from: Intro Skill (+1), Basic Attack Stage 3 hitting enemy (+1), Resonance Skill Graceful Step (+1), Resonance Liberation Flowing Suffocation (+1)
• ✓ Required to enter and maintain Mirage State (minimum 1 Trance needed)
• ✓ Fast generation method: Intro Skill → BA3 → Resonance Skill → Liberation (5 Trance in ~3 seconds)

💫 Mirage State (Enhanced Combat Mode)

Activation: Hold Heavy Attack when you have at least 1 Trance. Cantarella enters Delusive Dive and hovers mid-air. Environment darkens with underwater visual effects.

While in Mirage:

• ✓ Basic Attack becomes Basic Attack Phantom Sting (3-stage combo, can be cast mid-air)
• ✓ Hitting enemies with Phantom Sting consumes 1 Trance → generates 1 Shiver → heals all nearby Resonators
• ✓ Phantom Sting Stage 3 triggers 3 Coordinated Attacks (massive damage multipliers)
• ✓ Resonance Skill becomes Flickering Reverie (considered Echo Skill) — inflicts Hazy Dream debuff
• ✓ Dodge Counter and Mid-air Attack also consume Trance → generate Shivers → heal team
• ✓ Mirage ends when all Trance is depleted or when switched off-field

💥 Perception Drain (Ultimate Skill Transformation)

• ★ Maximum Shivers: 3 (displayed between Circuit Energy bar and health bar)
• ★ When 3 Shivers accumulated, Resonance Skill icon turns purple → transforms into Perception Drain
• ★ Damage multiplier: 1300%+ (considered Basic Attack DMG and Echo Skill)
• ★ Inflicts Hazy Dream debuff + triggers Jolt damage + heals all team Resonators
• ★ Cooldown: 18 seconds

🌊 Abyssal Rebirth (Concerto Energy Synergy)

• ✓ After casting Intro Skill, Cantarella enters Abyssal Rebirth for 25 seconds (once every 25s)
• ✓ When any Resonator in the team casts Echo Skill → Cantarella recovers 6 Concerto Energy
• ✓ Can trigger up to 6 times per Abyssal Rebirth duration
• ✓ Echoes with same name only trigger once (prevents duplicate Echo Skill stacking)
• ✓ This is KEY for Phrolova teams — Roccia’s grouping, Cantarella’s Liberation, and teammate Echo Skills all contribute

Core Gameplay Loop: Build 5 Trance quickly (Intro → BA3 → Skill → Liberation) → Enter Mirage via Heavy Attack → Cast Phantom Sting combos to generate Shivers and heal team → When 3 Shivers accumulated, cast Perception Drain nuke → Switch to next character with full Concerto Energy

🗡️ Basic Attack: Siren’s Call

Performs up to 3 consecutive Rectifier attacks dealing Havoc DMG. Stage 3 is critical — hitting an enemy with Stage 3 recovers 1 Trance.

In Mirage: Becomes Basic Attack Phantom Sting (3-stage enhanced combo). Each hit consumes 1 Trance, generates 1 Shiver, heals team. Stage 3 triggers 3 powerful Coordinated Attacks.

Can be cast mid-air during Mirage. Combo does not reset when airborne.

🌊 Resonance Skill: Graceful Step / Flickering Reverie / Perception Drain

Graceful Step (Normal): Attacks the target dealing Havoc DMG. Recovers 1 Trance.

Flickering Reverie (In Mirage): Enhanced skill considered an Echo Skill. Deals Havoc DMG and sends targets into Hazy Dream (reduces movement speed for 6.5s). Attacks on Hazy Dream enemies trigger Jolt bonus damage. Can be cast mid-air. This is why she synergizes with Phrolova.

Perception Drain (3 Shivers): Ultimate transformation. Deals 1300%+ Havoc DMG (considered Basic Attack DMG and Echo Skill). Inflicts Hazy Dream, heals all team Resonators. 18s cooldown. Highest single-hit damage multiplier in her kit.

💥 Resonance Liberation: Flowing Suffocation

Consumes 100 Resonance Energy. Creates AoE attack with teleport effect to the target. Deals Havoc DMG and recovers 1 Trance. Triggers Coordinated Attacks — enemies take additional damage over 3 seconds (multiple hits).

Considered an Echo Skill — this triggers Phrolova’s Hecate Enhanced attacks and contributes to Abyssal Rebirth Concerto Energy recovery.

🌺 Intro Skill: Beneath the Sea

Deals Havoc DMG and recovers 1 Trance. Activates Abyssal Rebirth for 25 seconds — teammates’ Echo Skills recover 6 Concerto Energy for Cantarella (up to 6 times). This is critical for managing her rotations in Echo Skill teams.

🔄 Outro Skill: Diffusion

Deals 480% Havoc DMG to surrounding enemies (considered Outro Skill DMG). Grants the incoming Resonator +20% Havoc DMG Bonus and +25% Resonance Skill DMG Deepen for 15 seconds.

Perfect for Phrolova: Phrolova’s entire damage kit scales from Resonance Skill DMG (Ephemeral, Hecate attacks), and she deals pure Havoc damage. Cantarella’s Outro is tailor-made for her.

⭐ Whispers of Sirens (5-Star Signature)

Cantarella’s signature weapon and her absolute best-in-slot. Increases ATK by 24%. Casting Echo Skill within 10s after casting Intro Skill or Basic Attacks grants 1 stack of Gentle Dream. Echoes with the same name can only trigger this effect once, stacking up to 2 times, lasting for 10s. When reaching 2 stacks, casting Echo Skill no longer resets the duration. This effect activates once per 10s. Switching to another Resonator ends this effect early.

At 2 stacks: Grants +48% ATK, +24% Echo Skill DMG Bonus, +18% Crit Rate, and +36% Crit DMG.

Verdict: Massive stat increases that synergize perfectly with her Echo Skill-focused kit. Best weapon by significant margin for Echo Skill teams.

⭐ Alternative 5-Star Options

• ⚔️ Stringmaster: Provides Crit Rate and Energy Regen. Excellent for maintaining rotations and balancing Crit ratios.
• ⚔️ Rime-Draped Sprouts: Carlotta’s signature. Works if you have it from another banner.
• ⚔️ Cosmic Ripples: Standard 5-star with Basic Attack DMG bonus — decent for Perception Drain scaling.

⭐ Best F2P / 4-Star Options

• ✓ Augment (Battle Pass): Provides Crit Rate and ATK bonus. Best 4-star option for balanced stats.
• ✓ Fusion Accretion: ATK% buffs — solid F2P choice.
• ✓ Jinzhou Keeper: Alternative F2P option with ATK scaling.

Note: Significant performance gap between signature and 4-star options. Cantarella is one of the characters who benefits most from signature weapon in Echo Skill teams.

⭐ Midnight Veil (5-PC) — For Phrolova Teams

Best set for mono-Havoc Echo Skill teams with Phrolova. 2-PC: +10% Havoc DMG. 5-PC: +7.5% Echo Skill DMG after releasing Resonance Skill. Stacks up to 4 times, each stack lasts 15s.

Why it’s best: Both her Resonance Skill (Flickering Reverie) and Liberation (Flowing Suffocation) are Echo Skills. Easy to maintain 4 stacks (+30% Echo Skill DMG total). Synergizes with full team composition.

🎭 Alternative: Moonlit Clouds (5-PC) — For Universal Teams

2-PC: +10% Energy Regen. 5-PC: Casting Resonance Skill increases Energy Regen by +10%. Stacks up to 3 times, each stack lasts 20s.

Use when: Playing with Jinhsi, Carlotta, or non-Phrolova teams where Energy Regen is more valuable than Echo Skill DMG. Helps maintain Liberation uptime.

👻 Main Echo Options

• ✓ Dreamless (Recommended): 6 consecutive strikes with Havoc DMG. Can be swap-cancelled. Best damage option.
• ✓ Crownless: Alternative Havoc option with similar performance.
• ✓ Impermanence Heron (Utility): Use if you need the coordinated attack buff for Jinhsi teams. Can be swap-cancelled for buff application without damage/energy generation.

🎯 Target Stats

Lower Energy Regen (150%) with Midnight Veil in Phrolova+Roccia team. Higher Energy Regen (190%) with Moonlit Clouds in Carlotta+Shorekeeper team.

📈 Substat Priority

Energy Regen (to breakpoint) > Crit Rate / Crit DMG (1:2 ratio) > ATK% > Echo Skill DMG Bonus > Basic Attack DMG Bonus > Flat ATK

Echo Skill DMG Bonus is valuable in Phrolova teams. Basic Attack DMG Bonus scales Perception Drain and Phantom Sting. Both are worth considering over flat ATK.

⭐ Best Team: Phrolova Echo Skill Hypercarry

• ✓ Cantarella casts multiple Echo Skills per rotation → triggers Phrolova’s Hecate Enhanced attacks (3 extra per rotation)
• ✓ Cantarella’s Outro: +20% Havoc DMG, +25% Resonance Skill DMG — perfect for Phrolova’s kit
• ✓ Qiuyuan provides Echo Skill DMG buffs (+30% total) and +50% Crit DMG via Liberation and Forte
• ✓ Cantarella’s healing removes need for dedicated healer → maximizes damage potential
• ✓ This is Cantarella’s absolute best team — she reaches S-Tier performance here

✓ Alternative: Phrolova Mono-Havoc Quick-Swap

• ✓ Roccia provides crowd control (tornado grouping), +20% Havoc DMG, +25% Basic Attack DMG via Outro
• ✓ Three-character quick-swap rotation with each character buffing the next via Outro cycling
• ✓ All three deal Havoc damage → full mono-element synergy
• ✓ High skill ceiling — requires swap-cancel mastery and precise timing

⚔️ Alternative Teams & Options

• • Jinhsi + Cantarella + Shorekeeper: Cantarella’s Coordinated Attacks help Jinhsi build Incandescence stacks faster. Outro provides +25% Resonance Skill DMG (Jinhsi’s main damage source). Substitute for Zhezhi if needed.
• • Camellya + Cantarella + Roccia: Works in mono-Havoc teams. Cantarella provides Havoc DMG amp and sustain, though Sanhua is generally better for Camellya’s Basic Attack focus.
• • Carlotta + Cantarella + Shorekeeper: Cantarella can act as Resonance Skill DMG buffer for Carlotta. Requires higher Energy Regen (190%+) and Moonlit Clouds set.

Important: Cantarella’s performance drops significantly outside Phrolova teams. She is rated S-Tier specifically as Phrolova’s partner — without Phrolova, she functions more like a T1.5-T2 character.

S1 — Hypercarry Unlock ⭐

When Outro Skill is triggered, deal additional 480% Havoc DMG to surrounding enemies (considered Outro Skill DMG). Grant the incoming Resonator +15% Havoc DMG Bonus for 15s.

Game-changing: This allows Cantarella to function as an on-field DPS carry with proper investment. Significantly increases her personal damage contribution. Opens up hypercarry team compositions. Worth considering if you plan to main Cantarella.

S2 — Phantom Sting Multiplier Boost

Increase the DMG Multiplier of Basic Attack Phantom Sting by +80%. Solid damage increase for her enhanced Basic Attacks during Mirage. Not essential.

S3 — Trance & Coordinated Attack Extension

Max Trance increased from 5 to 7. Coordinated Attacks triggered by Flowing Suffocation last for +2 additional seconds. Quality of life improvement. Extends Mirage uptime.

S4 — Energy Regen & Liberation Multiplier

After casting Resonance Liberation Flowing Suffocation, increase Energy Regen by +25% for 10s. Increase Resonance Liberation DMG Multiplier by +120%. Helps rotation consistency and Liberation damage.

S5 — Flickering Reverie & Perception Drain Cooldown

Increase Flickering Reverie DMG Multiplier by +175%. Reduce Perception Drain cooldown by -3s (18s → 15s). More frequent nukes and higher skill damage.

S6 — DEF Ignore & Ultimate Buff ⭐

Casting Resonance Liberation Flowing Suffocation makes Cantarella’s DMG ignore 30% of the target’s DEF for 10 seconds.

Whale tier: Significant damage amplification against high-DEF enemies. Combined with S4 Liberation buffs creates massive burst windows. Only for dedicated spenders.

⚡ Standard Sub-DPS Rotation (Phrolova Team)

💡 Rotation Tips & Optimizations

• ✓ Fast Trance gen: Intro → BA3 → Skill → Liberation takes ~3 seconds and gives 4 Trance
• ✓ Always cast Liberation before entering Mirage — it’s considered Echo Skill and triggers Phrolova’s Hecate
• ✓ In Mirage, prioritize getting to 3 Shivers for Perception Drain — it’s your highest damage ability
• ✓ Flickering Reverie (Mirage Resonance Skill) is an Echo Skill — use it to trigger Phrolova’s Hecate
• ✓ Phantom Sting can be cast mid-air — use this for mobility during Mirage
• ✓ Hazy Dream debuff slows enemies and enables Jolt damage — prioritize on high-value targets
• ✓ Swap-cancel Echo Skill (Dreamless) at end of rotation — no need to watch full animation

🌊 The Illusory Dream Weaver

Cantarella is an S-Tier Havoc Sub-DPS/Healer with a uniquely complex Mirage State system built around Trance, Shivers, and Echo Skill synergy. She is Phrolova’s perfect and irreplaceable partner — the only character whose kit is specifically designed to trigger Phrolova’s Hecate Enhanced attacks while providing both damage and sustain. Her multiple Echo Skill casts per rotation (Flickering Reverie + Flowing Suffocation + team Echo Skills) unlock Phrolova’s full potential in a way no other character can replicate.

What makes her worth pulling? She fills a hybrid Sub-DPS/Healer role that eliminates the need for dedicated healers in Phrolova teams, allowing three-character rotations with maximum damage output. Her Perception Drain (1300%+ multiplier) and Coordinated Attacks provide substantial personal damage while her Outro Skill (+20% Havoc, +25% Resonance Skill) is tailor-made for Phrolova’s entire kit. Her S1 sequence unlocks hypercarry potential for players who want to main her.

Final Recommendation: Pull with Whispers of Sirens (signature weapon strongly recommended for S-Tier performance) or Stringmaster/Augment as alternatives. Use Midnight Veil (5-PC) with Dreamless for Phrolova teams, or Moonlit Clouds (5-PC) for universal compatibility. Absolutely mandatory if pulling Phrolova — they are inseparable partners. Outside Phrolova teams, consider her only if you need a hybrid healer/Sub-DPS for Jinhsi or Havoc compositions, but expect T1.5-T2 performance rather than S-Tier.