Xiangli Yao best build in Wuthering Waves 3.4 focuses on stacking Crit stats and Electro DMG to fuel his Resonance Liberation window. He is a 5-star Electro Gauntlet DPS who was gifted for free back in version 1.2. Even in patch 3.4, he is a solid on-field carry — especially if you already own him. This guide covers his best weapons, Echo sets, stats, team comps, and skill priority.
For the latest patch details, check out the Wuthering Waves 3.4 update page. You can also see the official 3.4 maintenance notice on the Wuthering Waves official site.
TL;DR – Xiangli Yao Quick Build Summary
- Best Weapon: Verity’s Handle (signature) — Abyss Surges or Stonard as free-to-play alternatives
- Best Echo Set: Full 5-piece Void Thunder
- Main Echo: Thundering Mephis
- Echo Stats: Crit Rate or Crit DMG (Cost 4) / Electro DMG (Cost 3 x2) / ATK% (Cost 1 x2)
- Best Team: Xiangli Yao + Lynae + Mornye
- Skill Priority: Resonance Liberation > Forte Circuit > Basic Attack > Outro > Resonance Skill
- Role: Main on-field Electro DPS
Xiangli Yao Overview
Xiangli Yao is the Principal Investigator of Huaxu Academy. He is an Electro Gauntlet resonator who deals the bulk of his damage during his Resonance Liberation state, called Intuition. During this window, his Basic Attacks and Heavy Attacks transform into enhanced Electro strikes that hit very hard.
His Forte Circuit builds up Capacity (max 100) through Basic Attacks and Resonance Skill. When it hits 100, his Resonance Skill gets enhanced. Once he pops his Resonance Liberation, the Forte Circuit shifts to Performance Capacity (max 5), which powers even stronger attacks.
He does have a rotation learning curve. But once you get the hang of it, he is a powerhouse that handles all content comfortably in 3.4.
Xiangli Yao Best Weapons in Wuthering Waves 3.4
1. Verity’s Handle (Best in Slot)
This is Xiangli Yao’s signature 5-star Gauntlet. It has a Crit Rate secondary stat. The passive gives a 12% Attribute DMG Bonus and a massive 48% Resonance Liberation DMG Bonus for 8 seconds after casting his Liberation. Using Resonance Skill extends this buff by 5 seconds, up to 3 times. This weapon is tailor-made for his kit and is the clear best-in-slot option.
2. Stonard (Strong F2P Option)
Stonard is a great 4-star alternative if you do not have Verity’s Handle. It provides Crit DMG on its secondary stat, which pairs very well with Xiangli Yao’s damage profile. If you are skipping his signature weapon banner, Stonard is the weapon to craft or farm.
3. Abyss Surges (Good 5-Star Substitute)
Abyss Surges is a solid alternative from the standard pool. It increases Energy Regen by 12.8% and boosts Basic ATK DMG by 10% after using Resonance Skill. It also raises Resonance Skill DMG Bonus by 10% when hitting with Basic Attacks. This helps smooth out his rotation and keeps his energy topped up.
4. Hollow Mirage (F2P Budget Pick)
Hollow Mirage is a 4-star Gauntlet that you can obtain from the standard weapon banner. It is not as strong as the options above but it is a perfectly usable weapon while you farm for better options, especially at higher refinements.
Xiangli Yao Best Echoes in Wuthering Waves 3.4
Best Echo Set: Void Thunder (5-Piece)
The full 5-piece Void Thunder set is the clear best choice for Xiangli Yao. The 2-piece bonus gives a constant 10% Electro DMG bonus. The 5-piece effect activates after you use a Heavy Attack or Resonance Skill, boosting Electro DMG by an additional 30% for 15 seconds. This lines up perfectly with his Liberation burst window and keeps his Electro damage high throughout the rotation.
Alternative: Void Thunder (2-Piece) + Lingering Tunes (2-Piece)
If you do not have a strong 5-piece Void Thunder set yet, mixing 2 pieces of Void Thunder with 2 pieces of Lingering Tunes is a decent stopgap. Lingering Tunes boosts ATK by up to 30% and increases Outro Skill DMG by 35%, which syncs well with how Xiangli Yao hands off to supports. This combo is solid while you continue farming for the ideal full set.
Best Main Echo: Thundering Mephis
Thundering Mephis is the best 4-cost main Echo for Xiangli Yao. When activated, it provides a 12% Electro DMG bonus and 12% Resonance Liberation DMG bonus to Xiangli Yao. Since a huge chunk of his damage comes from Liberation-enhanced attacks, this Echo directly amplifies his strongest window.
Xiangli Yao Echo Stats and Substats
Main Stats
- Cost 4 (Thundering Mephis): Crit Rate or Crit DMG — use Crit Rate if you have Verity’s Handle or Stonard equipped (they supply Crit themselves), otherwise Crit DMG is usually better
- Cost 3 (x2): Electro DMG Bonus on both
- Cost 1 (x2): ATK% on both
Substat Priority
- Crit Rate and Crit DMG (aim for a 1:2 ratio of CR to CDMG)
- Resonance Liberation DMG Bonus
- ATK%
- Energy Regeneration
Energy Regen matters for Xiangli Yao because his entire kit revolves around getting his Liberation up frequently. Aim for at least 120–130% Energy Regen if you can manage it without losing too much Crit.
Xiangli Yao Skill Priority
Level up his skills in this order:
- Resonance Liberation — his main damage dealer; always upgrade this first
- Forte Circuit — controls how fast he builds Capacity and how hard his enhanced skills hit
- Basic Attack — his Intuition-state attacks scale with this
- Outro Skill — provides buffs to the next resonator on field
- Resonance Skill — useful for building Capacity and triggering weapon passives but lowest priority
Xiangli Yao Best Teams in Wuthering Waves 3.4
Best Team: Xiangli Yao + Lynae + Mornye
This is Xiangli Yao’s strongest team in patch 3.4 thanks to the Tune Break system. Lynae is his best sub-DPS partner — she provides stacking All DMG and Resonance Liberation DMG buffs through her Liberation and Outro Skill, directly inflating his burst window damage. Mornye works perfectly alongside Lynae because Lynae applies Tune Rupture and Strain statuses, which Mornye can react to and unleash her full buff kit. This team covers healing, buffing, and sub-DPS all at once.
Strong Alternative: Xiangli Yao + Yinlin + Verina
Yinlin is still an excellent support for Xiangli Yao. She applies Electro coordinated attacks and boosts his damage through her Outro Skill. Pair her with Verina as the healer and you have a reliable, high-damage Electro team that works well across all endgame content.
Budget Team: Xiangli Yao + Yangyang + Baizhi
If you are running on a tighter roster, Yangyang is a surprisingly strong free-to-play-friendly support for Xiangli Yao. She has natural quickswap synergy with him and her Outro Skill gives him energy, removing any Energy Regen concerns. Baizhi fills the healer slot as a solid accessible option. This team is very budget-friendly and still clears hard content with good play.
Other Viable Supports
- Shorekeeper — close second to Mornye as a healer/buffer; her massive Crit buffs are very strong with Xiangli Yao
- Yuanwu — free 4-star Electro support who synergizes naturally with Xiangli Yao’s element and keeps Resonance Skill uptime smooth
- Jianxin — offers shielding and crowd control, decent in content where you need survivability over raw buffs
Xiangli Yao Rotation Guide
Here is a general rotation to get the most out of Xiangli Yao in 3.4:
- Start with your support (Lynae or Yinlin) — use their Resonance Skill and Liberation for buffs
- Swap to your healer, apply their buffs or heals
- Swap to Xiangli Yao and build Capacity with Basic Attacks and Resonance Skill
- Once Capacity hits 100, use the enhanced Resonance Skill, then immediately fire Resonance Liberation
- During his Intuition state, use Pivot – Impale Basic Attacks and Resonance Skill for maximum Performance Capacity generation
- Spend Performance Capacity with stronger attacks before his Liberation ends
- Hand off to supports with his Outro Skill and repeat
The key is entering his Liberation window with your support buffs already active. His burst window is long and forgiving, so you have room to dodge and recover without losing much damage.
Xiangli Yao Sequences (Constellations) – Are They Worth It?
Xiangli Yao’s sequences do add noticeable damage, but none of them are mandatory. His base kit at Sequence 0 is perfectly strong for all content in 3.4. If you happen to pull duplicates:
- S1 — adds an extra Electro DMG Bonus stack after using Resonance Skill; decent quality-of-life boost
- S3 and S6 — the most impactful for raw damage, but generally not worth chasing unless you have deep resources
In short, S0 Xiangli Yao is fully capable in 3.4. Do not pull duplicates just for sequences unless you are a dedicated main.
Is Xiangli Yao Worth Building in Patch 3.4?
Yes — especially if you already own him. Since Xiangli Yao was given for free in version 1.2, most players already have him unlocked. He hits hard during his Liberation window and benefits from the Tune Break meta through teams with Lynae and Mornye. He is not the absolute top-tier pick for newer players investing from scratch, but he is far from useless and clears all current content comfortably.
If you are deciding between pulling him fresh in 3.4 versus spending resources elsewhere, check the broader meta first. But if he is already on your roster — build him, invest in Void Thunder, and he will carry.
Want to explore more character builds? Check out our guides for Calcharo, Jiyan, Changli, and Encore. Also see what’s new in the Wuthering Waves 3.4 update.
