Complete Build Guide • Wuthering Waves Version 2.8 • February 2026
A-Tier • Electro • Gauntlets • Main DPS • 5★ Limited Banner • Huaxu Academy Principal Investigator
Overview
Xiangli Yao is a 5-Star Electro Gauntlets Main DPS who was offered completely free during Wuthering Waves Version 1.2 via the “By Moon’s Grace” event. As Huaxu Academy’s Principal Investigator and youngest multi-disciplinary scientist, he specializes in Automata Mechanics research. His gentle yet rational personality contrasts with his devastating combat prowess, centered around manipulating time itself through his unique Intuition state.
His defining trait is his Intuition Liberation state — after casting Resonance Liberation, he gains 3 Hypercubes and enters an enhanced combat mode where his Resonance Skill transforms into powerful variants. During Intuition, both his Liberation and enhanced Resonance Skill create time-slowing zones that reduce enemy action speed, providing exceptional safety and extended damage windows. His kit revolves around two Forte Circuit systems: Capacity (100 max) for his normal state and Performance Capacity (5 max) during Intuition.
His Outro Skill calls down laser beams on enemies when the incoming Resonator uses Basic Attacks, dealing 237.63% of Xiangli Yao’s ATK as Electro DMG up to 3 times over 8 seconds — excellent for cycling damage through quick-swap teams. The majority of his abilities are classified as Resonance Liberation DMG, making him uniquely scalable with Liberation buffs. He is rated A-Tier and becomes significantly stronger with Lynae and Mornye in Version 3.0+ due to Tune Break synergies.
⚡ Capacity & Intuition System
Xiangli Yao’s unique dual-capacity mechanic allows him to switch between two powerful combat states with distinct damage patterns.
Capacity (Normal State)
- ⚡ Maximum: 100 Capacity points
- ⚡ Generated by: Basic Attacks (75 total per full combo) and Resonance Skill: Deduction (40 points, 5s CD)
- ⚡ Most efficient: Spam Resonance Skill: Deduction to build Capacity quickly
- ⚡ At 100 Capacity: Resonance Skill becomes Decipher — enhanced high-damage leap attack that counts as Liberation DMG
Intuition (Liberation State)
After casting Resonance Liberation, Xiangli Yao gains 3 Hypercubes and enters Intuition mode. While active:
- ● Forte Circuit changes to Performance Capacity (5 max)
- ● Resonance Skill becomes Divergence — grants 2 Performance Capacity per cast
- ● At 5 Performance Capacity: Resonance Skill becomes Law of Reigns — massive damage ultimate skill that consumes 1 Hypercube
- ● Basic Attacks become 3-stage enhanced combo: Pivot – Impale (grants 1+2+2 Performance Capacity)
- ● After Divergence or Decipher, can use Mid-air Attack: Revamp (3 Performance Capacity)
- ● Both Liberation cast and Law of Reigns create time-slowing zones for safer combat
Optimal Rotation Strategy
Goal: Cast Law of Reigns 3 times (consuming all 3 Hypercubes) before Intuition ends. Two methods to build Performance Capacity:
- 1. Divergence (2) → Mid-air Revamp (3) = 5 Performance Capacity
- 2. Enhanced Basic Attack 3-hit combo (1+2+2) = 5 Performance Capacity
Best Weapons
⭐ Verity’s Handle (5★ Limited – Best)
Xiangli Yao’s signature weapon. Provides +12% Elemental DMG and +96% Resonance Liberation DMG for 8s after Liberation, extendable by 5s per Resonance Skill cast (up to 3 times). Perfect synergy with his Liberation-focused kit.
⚡ Abyss Surges (5★ Standard)
Strong alternative with +12.8% Energy Regen. Resonance Skill increases Basic Attack DMG by 10% for 8s, and Basic Attacks increase Resonance Skill DMG by 10% for 8s — creating a mutual damage buff loop.
🥊 Stonard (5★ Standard)
Provides +12% Resonance Skill DMG and +25% Resonance Liberation DMG on Liberation cast. Good general option for Liberation-focused DPS characters.
💎 Gauntlets of Night (4★ F2P)
Best F2P option. Increases ATK by 12% when using Resonance Liberation, stacking up to 2 times for 22s. Easy to activate and maintain during rotations.
Best Echo Sets
🌟 Recommended: Void Thunder (5-PC)
2-PC Bonus: +10% Electro DMG
5-PC Bonus: +15% Electro DMG after releasing Heavy Attack or Resonance Skill (stacks 2 times, 15s duration each)
Perfect choice for Xiangli Yao. Easy to maintain 2 stacks during Intuition state due to constant Resonance Skill usage. Provides consistent Electro damage amplification throughout rotations.
⚡ Alternative: Sun-sinking Eclipse (5-PC)
2-PC Bonus: +10% Electro DMG
5-PC Bonus: +10% ATK when using Intro Skill. At 15 stacks, gain +30% Resonance Liberation DMG for 15s
Excellent for quick-swap teams where Xiangli Yao frequently enters via Intro. The Liberation DMG buff directly amplifies most of his kit abilities.
Main Echo Options
Tempest Mephis (Best)
6 rapid attacks ending with a powerful strike. If final hit lands, gain +12% Electro DMG and +12% Resonance Liberation DMG for 15s. Perfect synergy with Xiangli Yao’s kit.
Thundering Mephis (Alternative)
Simpler to use than Tempest Mephis. Provides reliable Electro damage on demand without needing to land the full animation.
Stat Priority
Main Stats:
- Cost 4: Crit Rate / Crit DMG
- Cost 3: Electro DMG% (both)
- Cost 1: ATK% (both)
Sub Stats:
- Crit Rate / Crit DMG (1:2 ratio)
- Energy Regen%
- Resonance Liberation DMG%
- ATK%
Best Teams
🌟 Premium Tune Break Team (V3.0+)
Team: Xiangli Yao / Lynae / Mornye
The absolute best team for Xiangli Yao in Version 3.0+. Lynae provides massive All DMG and Resonance Liberation DMG buffs while also enhancing Tune Break damage significantly. Mornye increases Off-Tune Buildup Rate, provides sustain, and amplifies team damage. This composition maximizes Xiangli Yao’s potential with the Tune Break mechanic.
⚡ Classic Electro Team
Team: Xiangli Yao / Yinlin / Shorekeeper (or Verina)
The traditional best-in-slot team pre-3.0. Yinlin provides +20% Electro DMG and +25% Resonance Liberation DMG through her Outro, with Punishment Mark coordinated attacks for additional damage. Shorekeeper offers Crit Rate/DMG buffs and healing, while Verina provides ATK buffs and coordinated attacks with sustained healing.
🔥 Mixed Element Team
Team: Xiangli Yao / Jianxin / Verina
Budget-friendly alternative using more accessible characters. Jianxin buffs Xiangli Yao’s Liberation DMG through her Outro Skill while providing shield and interruption resistance. Verina handles healing and ATK buffs. Great option for players lacking premium 5-star supports.
💎 F2P Friendly Team
Team: Xiangli Yao / Yuanwu / Baizhi
Completely F2P accessible team. Yuanwu provides Electro Resonance and weakens enemy Vibration Strength. Baizhi offers healing and Deepen buffs. While not as powerful as premium options, this team allows new players to utilize Xiangli Yao effectively.
Skill Priority
1. Resonance Liberation (Priority)
Enables Intuition state and provides massive damage boost. Core ability that unlocks his entire enhanced combat mode. Absolutely essential to max first.
2. Forte Circuit
Improves Decipher, Law of Reigns, and enhanced attacks during Intuition. Significant damage scaling that affects most of his rotation.
3. Resonance Skill
Increases damage of Deduction, Decipher, Divergence, and Law of Reigns. Important for both Capacity generation and Intuition damage phases.
4. Basic Attack
Used primarily for Capacity generation and building Performance Capacity during Intuition. Lower priority but still worth leveling for overall DPS optimization.
5. Intro Skill (Low Priority)
Only used when swapping in. Provides some damage but minimal compared to other abilities. Level last unless using Sun-sinking Eclipse set.
Playstyle & Rotation
Standard Rotation
- Pre-Liberation Phase: Use Resonance Skill: Deduction 2-3 times to build 100 Capacity and charge Concerto Energy
- Resonance Skill: Decipher → Enhanced leap attack (counts as Liberation DMG)
- Optional: Mid-air Attack Revamp → Additional damage after Decipher
- Resonance Liberation: Cogitation Model → Enter Intuition state, gain 3 Hypercubes, apply time-slowing zone
- First Law of Reigns: Divergence (2) → Mid-air Revamp (3) → Law of Reigns (consumes 1 Hypercube + 5 Performance Capacity)
- Second Law of Reigns: Enhanced Basic Attack 3-hit combo (1+2+2) → Law of Reigns (consumes 1 Hypercube)
- Third Law of Reigns: Divergence (2) → Mid-air Revamp (3) → Law of Reigns (consumes final Hypercube)
- Echo Skill → Additional damage and Energy restoration
- Swap Out → Trigger Outro Skill (laser beams on next character’s Basic Attacks)
⚡ Pro Tips
- ● NEVER Basic Attack during pre-Liberation phase — it’s much slower than spamming Deduction for Capacity
- ● Time-slowing zones from Liberation and Law of Reigns stack — creates extremely safe DPS windows
- ● If you switch out after Decipher, you CANNOT use Mid-air Revamp when switching back
- ● All 3 Hypercubes MUST be consumed during Intuition for optimal damage
- ● Alternate between Divergence→Revamp and Enhanced Basic combos to maintain combat variety
Resonance Chain (Sequences)
S1 – Medium Value
Law of Reigns launches 6 additional Convolution Matrices dealing 8% of skill’s DMG multiplier each as Liberation DMG. Direct damage increase to your strongest ability.
S2 – High Value ⭐
Casting Resonance Skill or Liberation increases Crit DMG by 30% for 8s. Significant and reliable damage boost that’s easy to maintain during rotations.
S4 – High Value ⭐
Liberation increases Decipher, Deduction, Divergence, and Law of Reigns damage by 63% for 24s (stacks 5 times). Massive multiplier increase for all Resonance Skills.
S6 – Very High Value ⭐⭐
TEAM-WIDE BUFF. Liberation grants +25% Resonance Liberation DMG Bonus to ALL team members for 30s. Transforms Xiangli Yao into a powerful support buffer while maintaining main DPS role.
Investment Recommendation: S0 is perfectly viable for F2P players. S2 is an excellent stopping point for moderate spenders. Whales should target S4 or S6 for maximum performance.
Should You Build Xiangli Yao?
✓ Build If…
- ✓ You claimed him for free during Version 1.2 — he’s an excellent 5-star DPS that requires no gacha investment
- ✓ You need a strong Electro Main DPS — he’s superior to Calcharo and competitive with premium options when properly supported
- ✓ You have Lynae and Mornye (V3.0+) — the Tune Break synergy elevates him to T0.5/T1 performance levels
- ✓ You enjoy time-manipulation gameplay — his slow-motion zones provide unique combat experiences
⊘ Skip/Lower Priority If…
- ✗ You already have well-invested Electro DPS characters and limited resources — prioritize new elements or roles first
- ✗ You lack premium supports (Yinlin, Lynae, Shorekeeper) — his performance drops significantly without proper team support
- ✗ You prefer simpler DPS rotations — Xiangli Yao requires precise management of dual Capacity systems and Hypercube consumption
- ✗ You’re saving for upcoming limited DPS — newer characters may offer stronger performance or unique mechanics
The Verdict
⚡ The Time-Bending Investigator
Xiangli Yao is an A-Tier Electro Main DPS with a deeply engaging dual-capacity combat system revolving around his transformative Intuition Liberation state. His ability to manipulate time through slow-motion zones creates uniquely safe damage windows while his Resonance Liberation-focused kit scales exceptionally well with proper buffing support. He is the best free 5-star character ever offered in Wuthering Waves and remains competitive with premium limited DPS characters when paired with optimal teams.
What makes him worth building? His completely free accessibility combined with high damage potential makes him invaluable for F2P players and budget accounts. The introduction of Lynae and Mornye in Version 3.0 significantly elevated his performance through Tune Break synergies, bringing him into T0.5/T1 territory. His time-slowing mechanics provide exceptional safety during DPS phases, allowing players to react to threats while maintaining damage output. At S6, his team-wide Liberation buff transforms him into a hybrid DPS/support character.
Final Recommendation: Absolutely worth building if you claimed him for free. Use Void Thunder (5-PC) with Tempest Mephis as main echo. Prioritize Crit Rate/DMG (1:2 ratio) → Electro DMG% → Liberation DMG% for stats. Pair with Lynae + Mornye for premium performance, or Yinlin + Shorekeeper/Verina for classic Electro teams. His signature Verity’s Handle provides massive power spikes but Gauntlets of Night works excellently for budget builds. One of the best investment-to-performance ratios in the game!
🔗 Related Character Guides
📋 View Complete Wuthering Waves Character Tier ListBend time to your will with Xiangli Yao’s Intuition and dominate the battlefield in Wuthering Waves!
