The Wuthering Waves Cartethyia best build turns her into one of the strongest and most future-proof Aero DPS characters in the game. She is a 5-star Aero Sword Main DPS whose damage multipliers scale off HP instead of ATK — a mechanic unique to her — and she is the only character who can simultaneously maximize both Aero DMG and Aero Erosion DMG bonuses. This guide is fully updated for Wuthering Waves version 3.4, where Cartethyia is currently running her Phase 2 rerun banner alongside her signature weapon.
Cartethyia TL;DR — Quick Build Summary
- Cartethyia is a 5-star Aero Sword Main DPS who scales off HP — not ATK.
- She is the only DPS who can maximize Aero DMG and Aero Erosion DMG buffs at the same time.
- Her kit revolves around three Sword Shadows (Divinity, Discord, Virtue) and a transformation into Fleurdelys after her Liberation.
- Her Liberation consumes Aero Erosion stacks — always have 5 stacks on the enemy before casting it.
- Use the 4-4-1-1-1 Echo configuration, not the standard 4-3-3-1-1.
- Best weapon: Defier’s Thorn (signature) — currently available via her 3.4 weapon convene.
- Best Echo set: Windward Pilgrimage (5-piece). Best main Echo: Reminiscence: Fleurdelys.
- Stat targets: 50,000 HP, 70% CRIT Rate / 270% CRIT DMG, 115–120% Energy Regen.
- Best team: Cartethyia + Ciaccona + Chisa.
- Skill priority: Forte Circuit > Normal Attack > Resonance Liberation > Resonance Skill > Intro Skill.
Cartethyia 3.4 Banner Note
Cartethyia returns as the Phase 2 rerun in Wuthering Waves 3.4, opening June 18, 2026 and running until the patch ends on July 9, 2026. Her signature sword, Defier’s Thorn, is also available through a separate weapon convene during this window. If you’ve been waiting to build her properly, this is the best opportunity to grab both her copy and her weapon together. Her kit and build remain unchanged from previous patches, and she remains a top-tier Aero hyper-carry heading into the back half of 3.4.
Who Is Cartethyia in Wuthering Waves?
Cartethyia is a 5-star Aero Sword Main DPS, formerly known as the Blessed Maiden and Queen of Gale and Tide, who now serves as a Consultant of the Black Shores. She stands apart from every other DPS in the game in several ways:
- She is the first DPS in Wuthering Waves whose damage multipliers scale with HP, not ATK.
- She is the only character who can simultaneously access Aero DMG and Aero Erosion DMG bonuses from her Echo set, making her the natural centerpiece of any Aero Erosion team.
- She has a dual-form system — playing as base Cartethyia before transforming into the far more powerful Fleurdelys after her Liberation.
- She uses a Sword Shadow system — three distinct Shadows summoned by different actions, recalled together through a Plunging Attack for a massive burst hit.
Her playstyle is more complex than most DPS characters, with a strict setup requirement before Liberation and a rotation that rewards practice. Once the mechanics click, she becomes one of the hardest-hitting Aero carries in the game.
Cartethyia’s Core Mechanics Explained
The Three Sword Shadows
Cartethyia’s Forte bar shows three sword icons representing the Sword of Divinity, Sword of Discord, and Sword of Virtue. Each is summoned differently:
- Sword of Divinity: Summoned by the 4th hit of her Normal Attack. Increases Aero Erosion DMG by 50% and shortens its tick interval by 50%.
- Sword of Discord: Summoned by Heavy Attack or Intro Skill. Raises all Aero Erosion stacks on nearby enemies to the highest level present on any enemy.
- Sword of Virtue: Summoned by Resonance Skill. Stagnates nearby enemies and boosts Cartethyia’s interruption resistance.
When Cartethyia performs a Mid-Air Plunging Attack, it recalls all active Sword Shadows at once, converting them into their corresponding effects simultaneously. The Plunging Attack deals Aero Erosion Effect DMG that scales with the number of stacks on the target — and with all three Shadows active, this becomes one of the highest multiplier moments in her rotation. Always aim to summon all three Shadows (4th Normal Attack → Heavy Attack → Resonance Skill) before diving into a Plunging Attack.
Fleurdelys Form and Resonance Liberation
Casting her Resonance Liberation transforms Cartethyia into Fleurdelys for 12 seconds. In this form, her HP drops to 50% of its original value — a kit feature, not a flaw, since her high HP scaling preserves strong survivability. She gains a different 5-hit Basic Attack chain where the 5th hit deals nearly as much damage as the first four combined — never cancel out of the 4th or 5th hit early. All attacks in this form deal Aero Erosion damage and build Conviction stacks, where every 30 Conviction grants 25% CRIT DMG. Switching back to base Cartethyia pauses the Fleurdelys timer, letting you extend her effective field time.
Most importantly, her Resonance Liberation — Blade of Howling Squall — removes all Aero Erosion stacks from the enemy on impact and deals increased damage for each stack consumed, up to a 100% DMG bonus at 5 stacks (20% per stack). This is the single most important rule in her kit: always have 5 Aero Erosion stacks on the target before casting Liberation, never before.
Cartethyia Best Weapons in Wuthering Waves 3.4
1. Defier’s Thorn (5-Star Signature) — Best in Slot
Cartethyia’s signature Sword is built specifically for her kit and outperforms every alternative by a wide margin. It increases Max HP by 12% — a direct damage multiplier since she scales with HP. After Intro Skill or Basic Attacks, it ignores 8% of the target’s DEF, and if the target has any Aero Erosion stacks, their DMG Taken is further amplified by 20%. Since Aero Erosion is almost always present during her rotation, both effects are nearly always live. It’s currently available via a dedicated weapon convene during her 3.4 rerun.
2. Blazing Brilliance (5-Star)
Increases CRIT Rate and amplifies Resonance Skill damage. A solid secondary choice if you already own it, though it lacks HP and falls noticeably behind Defier’s Thorn in overall output.
3. Red Spring / Unflickering Valor (5-Star)
Both function as CRIT Rate stat sticks since Cartethyia doesn’t benefit from ATK-based passives. Use whichever you already have.
4. Guardian Sword (4-Star) — Best F2P Option
Provides CRIT Rate as a secondary stat. The gap between this and Defier’s Thorn is substantial — Cartethyia’s weapon pool is one of the least F2P-friendly among top-tier DPS, making her signature a much bigger relative upgrade than most characters.
Cartethyia Best Echo Sets in Wuthering Waves 3.4
1. Windward Pilgrimage (5-Piece) — Best Set
Cartethyia’s dedicated best-in-slot set. The 2-piece gives 10% Aero DMG Bonus. The 5-piece grants 10% CRIT Rate and 30% Aero DMG Bonus for 10 seconds upon hitting an Aero Erosion target, plus 15% Aero DMG for the whole team and an extra 15% for Cartethyia herself, for 20 seconds. Since she applies Aero Erosion constantly, these bonuses are nearly always active — stacking up to 60% Aero DMG Bonus for her personally.
2. Gusts of Welkin (5-Piece) — Alternative
A reasonable placeholder if you haven’t farmed Windward Pilgrimage yet. Switch over once you have three or more well-rolled pieces of the dedicated set.
Cartethyia Echo Configuration and Main Stats
Use the 4-4-1-1-1 configuration — not the standard 4-3-3-1-1. Since Cartethyia doesn’t scale with ATK and her Echo set already provides massive Aero DMG, the usual 3-cost Aero DMG slots are largely redundant. The 1-cost Echoes matter far more for her because they’re the only tier offering flat HP alongside HP%.
- Cost-4 Echo 1: CRIT Rate
- Cost-4 Echo 2: CRIT DMG
- Cost-1 Echo x3: HP% on all three
Best Main Echo: Reminiscence: Fleurdelys
Cartethyia’s exclusive main echo and the correct pick for the first 4-cost slot. It passively grants 10% Aero DMG Bonus, plus an extra 10% specifically when equipped by Cartethyia or an Aero Resonator — 20% Aero DMG Bonus total from the passive alone. For the second 4-cost slot, Nightmare: Kelpie is a strong secondary option.
Stat Targets
- 50,000 HP — her primary damage scaling stat
- 70% CRIT Rate / 270% CRIT DMG — the optimal ratio
- 115–120% Energy Regen — low compared to support characters
Substat priority: HP% / CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (balanced) > Flat HP > Aero DMG Bonus. Skip ATK% entirely — it does nothing for her.
Aero Erosion Mechanics and Why They Matter
Aero Erosion stacks accumulate on enemies up to a base maximum of 5. Cartethyia’s Liberation consumes all stacks on impact, gaining 20% bonus damage per stack consumed — 100% at full 5 stacks. Cartethyia cannot reliably self-stack to maximum alone, which is why Ciaccona is effectively required at S0 — she applies and maintains Aero Erosion off-field so 5 stacks are always present before Liberation. Characters like Chisa and Aero Rover can push the stack cap beyond 5, dealing extra tick damage when paired with Ciaccona’s stacking support.
Cartethyia Best Teams in Wuthering Waves 3.4
Team 1: Cartethyia + Ciaccona + Chisa (Best Team)
Ciaccona applies and maintains Aero Erosion stacks, provides 24% Aero DMG Bonus, and her Outro grants the next character a massive 100% Aero Erosion DMG Amplification. Chisa extends the Aero Erosion stack cap beyond 5, adds DEF shred, and contributes solid sub-DPS damage. Together this trio forms the tightest Aero Erosion loop in the game.
Team 2: Cartethyia + Ciaccona + Aero Rover (Most Accessible)
Aero Rover fills the third slot as a free healer who applies Aero Erosion and raises the stack cap, especially valuable at Cartethyia’s S2. A strong, fully accessible team for any player with Cartethyia and Ciaccona.
Team 3: Cartethyia + Ciaccona + Shorekeeper
Shorekeeper trades the stack-extender role for universal CRIT buffs, healing, and KO protection — raising Cartethyia’s personal damage ceiling at the cost of extended Aero Erosion stacking.
Team 4: Cartethyia + Aalto + Verina (Budget Team)
For players without Ciaccona yet, Aalto can contribute Aero Erosion stacks off-field, with Verina rounding out healing and ATK buffs. This team can’t reliably hit 5-stack Liberation windows, but it’s functional for progression while you save for Ciaccona.
Cartethyia Rotation Guide
- Ciaccona enters first → applies and maximizes Aero Erosion stacks, then Outros into Cartethyia with 100% Aero Erosion DMG Amplification.
- Cartethyia Intro Skill → summons Sword of Discord automatically.
- Resonance Skill → summons Sword of Virtue.
- Normal Attacks 1–4 → 4th hit summons Sword of Divinity. All three Shadows are now active.
- Plunging Attack → recalls all three Shadows for the highest-multiplier hit in her kit.
- Resonance Liberation → consumes 5 Aero Erosion stacks for a 100% damage bonus and transforms into Fleurdelys.
- Fleurdelys 5-hit Basic Attack chain → never cancel the 4th or 5th hit. Build Conviction throughout.
- Swap out when Concerto Energy is full to restart the support cycle.
Critical reminder: never cast Liberation without 5 Aero Erosion stacks on the target — doing so wastes the entire 100% damage bonus component.
Cartethyia Skill Priority
- Forte Circuit — Governs the Sword Shadow system and Plunging Attack mechanics. Upgrade first.
- Normal Attack — Summons Sword of Divinity and powers the devastating Fleurdelys 5th hit.
- Resonance Liberation — Her main burst window and Aero Erosion consumption skill.
- Resonance Skill — Summons Sword of Virtue and applies Aero Erosion.
- Intro Skill — Summons Sword of Discord on entry. Lowest priority.
Cartethyia Sequence Nodes (Resonance Chain)
- S1: Copies Aero Erosion stacks to the next enemy on kill, preventing stack loss in multi-target fights. Roughly 12–16% DPS increase.
- S2: With Aero Rover in the team, raises the max stack cap from 6 to 9.
- S3: Lets Fleurdelys apply Aero Erosion stacks on her own — the priority node if you don’t have Ciaccona.
- S6: Grants Fleurdelys a unique 40% damage bonus and auto-maximizes Aero Erosion stacks without consuming them on certain triggers. The single most impactful node in her chain.
S0 with Ciaccona handles all current content comfortably. If investing further, S1R1 → S6R1 is the ideal path with Ciaccona; S3R1 is the priority without her.
Should You Pull Cartethyia in 3.4?
Yes, especially now. Cartethyia remains one of the most future-proof DPS characters in the game, being the only carry who benefits from both Aero DMG and Aero Erosion DMG bonuses simultaneously. Her Phase 2 rerun in 3.4 — running alongside her signature weapon convene — is the best opportunity in months to lock in both her copy and Defier’s Thorn together. The main investment consideration is that Ciaccona is effectively required at S0 for peak performance, so factor that into your pull planning if you don’t already have her.
For related builds that pair well with Cartethyia, see Ciaccona, Aero Rover, Shorekeeper, and Verina.
Cartethyia Build Summary
- Role: Main DPS (HP-scaling, Aero Erosion)
- Element: Aero | Weapon: Sword
- Scaling Stat: HP — unique to Cartethyia
- Best Weapon: Defier’s Thorn (signature)
- Best Echo Set: Windward Pilgrimage 5pc
- Main Echo: Reminiscence: Fleurdelys + Nightmare: Kelpie
- Echo Config: 4-4-1-1-1 (CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG / HP% / HP% / HP%)
- Stat Targets: 50,000 HP / 70% CRIT Rate / 270% CRIT DMG / 115–120% ER
- Critical Rule: Always have 5 Aero Erosion stacks before casting Liberation
- Best Team: Ciaccona + Chisa
- 3.4 Status: Phase 2 rerun, June 18 – July 9, 2026, with signature weapon convene
