Complete Build Guide • Wuthering Waves Version 3.1 • February 2026
A-Tier • Glacio • Sword • Premier 4-Star Sub-DPS • 4★ • Bodyguard of Jinzhou’s Magistrate
Overview
Sanhua is a 4-Star Glacio Sword Sub-DPS who has been a pillar of competitive team building in Wuthering Waves since Version 1.0. As of Version 3.1 in February 2026, she remains a firmly A-Tier powerhouse — an exceptional value pick whose performance rivals many 5-star characters. She is the bodyguard of Jinzhou’s Magistrate Jinhsi, known for her cold demeanor and lethal precision both in lore and in gameplay. Best of all, she is obtainable for free through the game’s newbie rewards and from every Convene banner pool, making her the most accessible high-value Sub-DPS in the entire roster.
Her defining strength is her Outro Skill, which grants the next character on-field a massive 38% Basic Attack DMG Deepen for 14 seconds. This makes her the premier Sub-DPS buffer for any Main DPS whose kit revolves around Basic Attacks — characters like Camellya, Encore, Jiyan, and Havoc Rover all benefit enormously from cycling through Sanhua before their damage windows. Her concise on-field time (she typically spends only 5–8 seconds per rotation executing her combo) means she taxes her Main DPS’s field time very little while contributing significant damage of her own.
Her personal damage comes from an elegant Ice Structure system: she places Ice Thorns, Ice Prisms, and Glaciers on the battlefield through her various skills, then detonates all of them simultaneously with Heavy Attack: Detonate for a large burst of Glacio and Resonance Skill DMG. The detonation requires hitting a moving cursor in the Frostbite zone on her Forte gauge — the only skill check in her kit, and one that becomes noticeably easier with Clarity stacks. She is one of the best investments any Rover can make, regardless of account age or budget.
❄️ Ice Structure System & Clarity Mechanic
Sanhua’s Forte Circuit revolves around two layered systems working together. First, she places Ice Structures on the battlefield: her Intro Skill creates an Ice Thorn, her Resonance Skill creates an Ice Prism, and her Resonance Liberation creates a Glacier. All three can exist simultaneously, and detonating all three in a single Heavy Attack: Detonate is the cornerstone of her rotation — it deals the majority of her personal damage in one explosive hit.
The detonation itself requires hitting the Frostbite zone on her Forte gauge — a moving cursor she must release at the right moment. This zone expands with each stack of Clarity (max 2 stacks), making timing significantly easier. Clarity is gained from: Basic Attack V (1 stack), Intro Skill (1 stack), Resonance Skill (1 stack), and Resonance Liberation (2 stacks). Using Liberation first is therefore the recommended approach in her main rotation, as it instantly grants max Clarity for the easiest possible detonate window.
Recommended Sub-DPS Rotation: Intro Skill → Resonance Liberation → Resonance Skill → Heavy Attack: Detonate → Echo Skill (Impermanence Heron swap-cancel) → Outro to Main DPS. This sequence places all three Ice Structures, reaches max Clarity for the Liberation, detonates everything in one hit, and delivers the 38% Basic Attack Deepen buff to the incoming DPS — all within roughly 6–8 seconds on-field.
⚔️ Weapons & Echoes
The go-to BiS weapon for Sanhua due to its high Energy Regen substat — critical for getting her Liberation up every rotation — and a passive that boosts ATK for the next character switched in, synergising perfectly with her Outro buffer role. Widely available and highly recommended.
A strong damage-focused sword that boosts Resonance Skill DMG — Sanhua’s second-largest damage source after Ice Burst. Best used when you already have enough Energy Regen from Echo substats and want to push her personal damage output higher.
The best free-to-play sword option for Sanhua. Its Energy Regen substat helps ensure Liberation uptime each rotation, and its ATK passive provides a workable damage boost. Fully usable for all endgame content without pulling on any weapon banner.
Best Echo Set — Sub-DPS Role: Moonlit Clouds (5-piece) is Sanhua’s definitive best-in-slot set when playing as a buffer Sub-DPS. The 5-piece bonus grants the next character switched in +22.5% ATK for 15 seconds after Sanhua uses her Echo Skill — stacking directly on top of her Outro’s 38% Basic Attack Deepen to deliver a devastating combined buff to the incoming Main DPS. Main Echo: Impermanence Heron (3-Cost) — always swap-cancel it immediately before Outro to trigger its team energy generation passive and lock in the Moonlit Clouds bonus simultaneously.
Damage-Focused Alternative: Freezing Frost (5-piece) for a full damage-oriented Sanhua build — provides 10% Glacio DMG from 2-piece and stacking Glacio and Resonance Skill DMG bonuses from the 5-piece as she lands repeated hits. Use this if your Main DPS already has strong personal buffers and you want Sanhua to contribute more personal damage.
Stat Priority: 4-Cost main stat: Energy Regen (until 120%+ is met) then Crit DMG → 3-Cost: Glacio DMG × 2 → 1-Cost: ATK%. Substats: Energy Regen (to 120%+) > Crit Rate / Crit DMG > ATK% > Basic ATK DMG Bonus. Hitting 120% Energy Regen is mandatory — missing Liberation even once per rotation severely reduces Sanhua’s value.
👥 Best Teams
The most widely played top-tier Sanhua composition as of February 2026. Camellya is the premier Basic Attack-scaling Main DPS, making her the perfect recipient for Sanhua’s 38% Basic Attack Deepen Outro. Shorekeeper buffs the entire team’s Crit Rate and damage through her Stellarealm Liberation and provides sustain — a near-perfect three-character synergy package.
Jiyan is one of the best hosts for Sanhua’s Outro due to his Basic Attack-heavy Qingloong Mode. Sanhua buffs his Heavy Attack-type Basics directly. Verina provides universal team ATK buffs and 15% All-Type DMG Deepen via her Outro, covering the healing slot while amplifying both DPS characters simultaneously.
A fully free-to-play viable composition built around standard banner characters. Encore’s Fusion damage benefits greatly from Sanhua’s Basic Attack Deepen Outro. Verina or Baizhi covers healing and team ATK buffs. This trio is one of the best F2P compositions in the game and can genuinely compete in all endgame modes.
📈 Skill Priority & Sequences
Max skills in this order: Resonance Liberation (top priority — scales Glacier and Ice Burst damage, grants max Clarity instantly) → Forte Circuit (scales Ice Burst and Detonate damage) → Resonance Skill → Basic Attack → Intro Skill. Energy Regen is more important than offensive stats if it prevents missing Liberation windows — always prioritise hitting 120%+ ER before focusing on Crit.
For Sequences (Resonance Chains): S1 boosts Resonance Skill DMG by 20% after Intro Skill — a small but immediate damage gain. S3 increases Forte Circuit Ice Burst Crit DMG by 100%, the largest personal damage spike. S4 boosts team ATK by 10% for 20 seconds after detonation, turning Sanhua into a light team buffer. S6 makes Ice Structures explode automatically even without detonation and removes the skill check entirely — game-changing for consistency, though a very late investment. Even at S0, Sanhua is already exceptional.
The Verdict
❄️ The Ice Queen of Competitive Value
Sanhua is arguably the best 4-star character in all of Wuthering Waves and one of the game’s most enduring A-Tier staples. Her combination of a potent 38% Basic Attack Deepen Outro, short rotation time, solid personal Ice Structure damage, and free accessibility through every banner makes her an almost mandatory pickup for any new player. She is especially invaluable for anyone running Basic Attack-centric Main DPS characters, and continues to appear in high-performing Tower of Adversity and Whimpering Wastes teams at every tier of play as of February 2026.
Final Recommendation: Use Emerald of Genesis as her sword. Run Moonlit Clouds (5-piece) with Impermanence Heron as main Echo for maximum team buffing. Pair with Camellya + Shorekeeper for peak performance, or use the fully F2P Encore + Verina composition. Always ensure 120%+ Energy Regen, always Liberation before Skill in rotation, and always swap-cancel your Impermanence Heron Echo just before Outro. Invest in Sequence Nodes whenever she reruns — every node adds meaningful value.
🔗 Related Character Guides
📋 View Complete Wuthering Waves Character Tier ListOther A-Tier Characters
Master the Frostbite timing and let Sanhua's glacial precision carve through every challenge in Wuthering Waves!
