Yunli
Flamewheel Octet · Xianzhou Zhuming · Sword Hunter
Counter · Parry · Physical Hypercarry DPS
Flashforge — The Art of the Perfect Parry
Yunli is a 5-star Physical Destruction hypercarry from the Xianzhou Zhuming, the granddaughter of General Huaiyan and one of the youngest prodigy swordmasters of the Flamewheel Octet. Introduced in Version 2.4, she reinvented the Counter playstyle pioneered by Clara — faster, harder-hitting, and far more deliberate. Where Clara reacts passively, Yunli actively commands when and how she retaliates. Her entire damage output revolves around a single moment: using her Ultimate immediately before an enemy attacks, then obliterating them with a massively amplified Intuit: Cull counter.
⚔️ Core Mechanic: Ultimate → Parry → Intuit: Cull
Yunli’s Ultimate (Earthbind, Etherbreak) costs 120 Energy and activates Parry — a taunt state that forces all enemies to target Yunli and grants her next Counter a massive +100% CRIT DMG boost. When any enemy attacks while Parry is active, Yunli immediately launches Intuit: Cull: a Physical DMG strike to the main target followed by 6 additional bouncing hits (each at 72% ATK) that distribute across all enemies. Every instance of Cull is classified as both Follow-Up ATK DMG and Ultimate DMG — so buffs to either category stack simultaneously on this single action.
Outside of Ultimate, her Talent (Flashforge) provides a passive counter every time she is attacked — dealing Physical DMG to the attacker and generating +15 Energy. This fuels her Energy economy and ensures consistent Cull opportunities. Her A2 Bonus Trace (Fiery Wheel) upgrades every other baseline counter from Intuit: Slash into Intuit: Cull automatically — meaning even without Ultimate active, Yunli still triggers the more powerful counter every two hits received.
⚠️ Timing Is Everything — Auto-Battle Reduces Yunli’s Output
Yunli’s value is entirely tied to manually timing her Ultimate before enemy attacks. In auto-battle, the AI often casts Ultimate mid-cycle rather than precisely before an enemy action — costing the empowered Intuit: Cull trigger. Always play Yunli manually in endgame content. Also avoid pairing her with crowd-control units (Welt, Freeze effects) that prevent enemies from attacking — no enemy attack means no counter, no Energy, and no damage.
Yunli also has a natural self-sustain mechanic via her Skill — it restores HP equal to 30% of her ATK plus 200, making her surprisingly tanky in extended fights. This allows some compositions to run her without a dedicated healer, particularly when paired with Robin or Aventurine. She excels in every endgame mode — single-target bosses in Memory of Chaos, multi-hit AoE in Pure Fiction via Cull’s bouncing hits, and Apocalyptic Shadow’s high-damage timed challenges.
Best Light Cones
Dance at Sunset
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Signature · Best-in-SlotYunli’s signature and by far her strongest option. Grants +36% CRIT DMG and a significant aggro increase — dramatically raising the chance enemies target Yunli rather than allies, generating more counter triggers and faster Energy accumulation. After using Ultimate, grants up to 2 stacks of Firedance, each increasing Follow-Up ATK DMG by 36% (total +72% at max stacks). Since Intuit: Cull is both FUA and Ultimate DMG, it benefits from the full 72% boost during the burst window. In single-target encounters, this LC pulls even further ahead due to superior Energy generation from frequent enemy attacks.
Brighter Than the Sun
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strong Alt (Dan Heng IL’s LC)Yunli’s second-best option in all scenarios. Provides high base ATK, ATK% bonuses, and Energy Regeneration Rate — helping Yunli cycle her 120-cost Ultimate faster. Requires using a Basic ATK at least once every two turns to maintain stacks, which slightly competes with Energy from counter-generation, but the raw stat advantage keeps it ~107–112% relative to other options. Best choice if you own it from DHIL’s banner and the signature isn’t available.
The Unreachable Side
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ High HP AltProvides 18% CRIT Rate and a 24% DMG increase on Counters — which since Counters are ~94% of Yunli’s damage, is effectively permanent uptime. The high base HP and HP% bonus add meaningful durability. Performs at approximately 107% relative to other alternatives and is particularly strong in scenarios where survivability matters. Use if you have this from standard pulls.
Something Irreplaceable
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Budget 5-Star AltProvides ATK% and a 24% DMG increase when defeating an enemy or receiving a hit. The “receive a hit” condition fires constantly for Yunli — she is literally built to be attacked. The bonus self-healing from this cone also patches her HP between Skill casts. Performs just behind The Unreachable Side but is a solid option for players who obtained it from standard warps or the Nameless Honor track.
On the Fall of an Aeon
⭐⭐⭐⭐ F2P · Herta StoreBest free-to-play option, farmable from Herta’s Exchange Store. Rapidly stacks up to 64% ATK bonus from attacks and provides a DMG% increase on Weakness Break. Yunli stacks it quickly via frequent counters. Performs at the baseline relative to other alternatives but still enables all endgame content comfortably. Recommended default for players saving Stellar Jade for a future limited pull.
💡 Should You Pull the Signature?
Yes — if Yunli is your primary physical DPS. Dance at Sunset’s aggro increase meaningfully impacts Energy generation (more hits = more counter Energy = more Ultimates per fight), and the 72% Follow-Up ATK DMG from Firedance stacks directly onto her most powerful ability. The gap between signature and the next-best option (~22–40% depending on single vs multi-target encounters) is one of the largest signature advantages in the game.
However, E0 Yunli with On the Fall of an Aeon clears all endgame content comfortably. The signature is a high-ceiling investment, not a necessity. Prioritize building her with good relics before pulling the LC.
Best Relics & Ornaments
🥇 4-Piece: The Wind-Soaring Valorous (BiS)
🥈 Alternative: The Ashblazing Grand Duke (4-Piece)
🌐 Planar Ornaments
📊 Main Stats & Target Values
| Slot | Best Stat | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Head | HP (fixed) | Focus CRIT Rate and ATK% substats |
| Hands | ATK (fixed) | CRIT DMG and CRIT Rate substats |
| Body | CRIT Rate % | Reach 90–100% total — Cull’s 6 hits must all CRIT |
| Boots | ATK % | SPD is low priority — Yunli takes few turns and Cull fires on enemy turns |
| Sphere | Physical DMG % | Physical DMG% directly boosts all of Yunli’s damage output |
| Rope | ATK% or ERR% | ATK% in MoC/AS with Tingyun/Huohuo. ERR% in Pure Fiction or if lacking Energy sources |
⚠️ Critical Stat Rules for Yunli
CRIT Rate is the most important stat to build. Intuit: Cull fires 6 additional bounce hits — each one must CRIT to maximize damage. A single non-crit on any bounce hit is a noticeable loss. Prioritize CRIT Rate on Body piece and substats until you’re at 90%+, then balance with CRIT DMG. Her Ultimate adds +100% CRIT DMG temporarily, so her base CRIT DMG investment needs less than a typical carry.
Never prioritize SPD on Yunli. Her damage comes entirely from Counters, which trigger on enemy turns — not her own. Extra SPD means more turns for herself, which are mostly Basic ATKs. It wastes substat budget that should go to CRIT or ATK.
Trace Priority
- Ultimate (Earthbind, Etherbreak) — Yunli’s Ultimate makes up 75–85% of her total damage output. It activates Parry, grants +100% CRIT DMG, forces enemy attacks, and triggers the devastating Intuit: Cull on the next hit. Max this first, before any other ability. Every level increases the CRIT DMG bonus and Cull’s multiplier directly.
- Talent (Flashforge) — Governs the power of Yunli’s passive counter. Higher Talent level increases the Counter DMG multiplier and is the primary source of her damage in Pure Fiction where enemies hit frequently. Max alongside Ultimate or immediately after.
- Skill (Bladeborne Quake) — Heals Yunli for 30% of her ATK + 200 and deals AoE Physical DMG. The healing value scales with Skill level and is genuinely important for survivability in difficult content — invest here after Talent is maxed.
- Basic ATK — Rarely cast in optimal play. Level last; it contributes minimally to overall damage and Yunli’s turns are better spent using Skill for healing or waiting to cast Ultimate at the right moment.
🔑 Key Bonus Traces
A2 — Fiery Wheel (Slash → Cull Upgrade): After each use of Intuit: Slash, the next Intuit: Slash is replaced by the more powerful Intuit: Cull. This means even without Ultimate active, every other passive counter becomes the full Cull with its 6 additional bounce hits. Unlock this immediately — it nearly doubles Yunli’s damage outside of Ultimate windows and is the highest-priority Bonus Trace unlock in her kit.
A4 — Demon Quell (Parry Protection): While in Parry state, Yunli resists Crowd Control debuffs and takes 20% reduced incoming DMG. This is crucial for hard content — during Parry, Yunli is intentionally taking enemy hits, and the 20% DMG reduction keeps her alive through high-damage enemy abilities. Unlock as your second priority.
A6 — True Sunder (ATK Boost on Counter): After using any Counter, increases Yunli’s ATK by 30% for 1 turn. This fires immediately before the bounce hits of Intuit: Cull resolve — providing a free 30% ATK amplifier on her most powerful attack every cycle. The ATK boost stacks with external buffs from Robin, Tingyun, and other supports for exceptional scaling.
Eidolons
Weathered Blade Does Not Sully
Increases DMG dealt by Intuit: Slash and Intuit: Cull by 20%, and increases the number of additional DMG instances for Intuit: Cull by 3 (from 6 to 9 hits). The extra 3 bounce hits add substantial raw damage to every Cull activation, and the 20% DMG increase compounds across all instances. A meaningful upgrade that improves Yunli’s ceiling in both single-target and AoE content.
First Luster Breaks Dawn
When dealing DMG via Counter, ignores 20% of the target’s DEF. DEF ignore is a multiplicative damage increase — unlike flat DMG% buffs, it scales more powerfully against high-DEF enemies found in late-game Memory of Chaos and Apocalyptic Shadow. This Eidolon represents the largest single damage spike per Eidolon investment and is the recommended stopping point for most players. E2 Yunli with good relics and supports is genuinely one of the strongest DPS configurations in HSR.
Mastlength Twirls Mountweight
Ultimate Lv. +2 (max 15) and Basic ATK Lv. +1 (max 10). A consistent damage increase from the higher Ultimate scaling, but lower impact per Eidolon than E1 or E2. Worth having if obtained naturally on the way to E4+.
Artisan’s Ironsong
After launching Intuit: Slash or Intuit: Cull, increases Yunli’s Effect RES by 50% for 1 turn. Primarily a defensive Eidolon — reduces chance of debuffs landing during the critical Parry window. Provides limited damage value but improves consistency in high-pressure endgame content where status effects could otherwise interrupt Yunli’s rotation.
Walk in Blade, Talk in Zither
While Parry is active, any enemy ability (even those targeting allies) triggers Intuit: Cull — no longer requiring the enemy to specifically attack Yunli. Additionally, when dealing DMG via Intuit: Slash or Intuit: Cull, CRIT Rate increases by +15% and Physical RES PEN increases by +20%. The E6 change to Parry’s trigger condition is enormous in multi-enemy scenarios — every enemy action on any target triggers Cull, massively increasing Yunli’s damage output in AoE content. The 20% Physical RES PEN is a permanent multiplicative damage amplifier on every Counter hit.
💰 Eidolon Investment Guide
E0 is fully functional for all endgame content. Base Yunli with the A2 Fiery Wheel trace, Wind-Soaring Valorous, and Inert Salsotto handles every mode comfortably. E2 is the recommended first investment if you’re pulling extra copies — the 20% DEF ignore is the highest per-Eidolon value available and costs one pull past E1.
E2 before signature LC. If choosing between Yunli E2 and her signature Light Cone, E2’s 20% DEF ignore provides more total DPS in most team compositions than the aggro + Firedance from the LC — particularly in Memory of Chaos boss fights with high DEF values.
Best Team Compositions
All Yunli teams follow the same core formula: two supports providing ATK/DMG/Energy buffs + one sustain. The sustain slot ideally provides bonus aggro or Energy to Yunli. Always place Yunli in one of the two middle positions so Blast attacks hit her more frequently.
⚔️ Hypercarry — Peak Performance
Robin is Yunli’s best buffer — she provides a flat ATK bonus, a massive team-wide DMG% increase during Concerto, and additional instances of Robin’s personal damage that trigger on every Counter Yunli performs. Every Cull bounce hit counts as an ally action, generating Concerto Energy for Robin and adding Robin’s own hit on top. The synergy is multiplicative and extraordinary.
Tingyun is Yunli’s most critical Energy provider — her Ultimate grants 50–60 Energy directly, reducing the number of enemy hits Yunli needs to cycle her 120-cost Ultimate. She also provides a DMG% buff and moderate ATK% increase. Huohuo provides AoE healing, an ATK% buff on Ultimate, and 48 Energy for Yunli — effectively acting as a second Energy battery. This team reliably lands Intuit: Cull every 1–2 enemy cycles.
✨ Hypercarry with Sparkle
Sparkle replaces Tingyun here, offering a larger CRIT DMG buff and SP generation that advances Yunli’s action — useful for reaching Ultimate faster in low-hit-frequency fights like pure boss encounters. Aventurine’s shields protect Yunli between Parry windows and his Follow-Up ATK from Blind Bet stacks generates additional Robin Concerto Energy. Aventurine gains Blind Bet stacks from every Yunli Counter — so both units supercharge each other’s outputs simultaneously.
🌀 Follow-Up Attack Synergy
Topaz provides a 50% Follow-Up Attack Vulnerability buff on a single enemy — Yunli’s Counters all have Blast targeting, meaning every hit on the marked target benefits from the vulnerability multiplier. Crucially, Yunli’s Counters always fire on enemy turns, meaning they advance Numby’s action every turn without fail — a unique advantage over most FUA characters whose Follow-Ups only trigger on their own turns. This team performs best in Memory of Chaos and Apocalyptic Shadow with single-target bosses. Swap Aventurine for Huohuo if more healing is needed.
🎯 F2P Budget Build
Yunli’s most reliable 4-star team. Tingyun generates Energy and ATK% buffs. Pela provides consistent SP-positive DEF reduction via Ultimate, directly amplifying all of Yunli’s Counter DMG on DEF-reduced enemies. Lynx heals Yunli and crucially increases the chance enemies target Yunli — a perfect substitute for Dance at Sunset’s aggro mechanic if Yunli doesn’t have the signature. Simple, effective, and requires zero limited 5-star investment outside of Yunli herself.
⚠️ Notable Anti-Synergies — Avoid These
Do not run Clara or Gepard alongside Yunli. Both characters increase their own aggro, stealing enemy attacks away from Yunli and gutting her Energy generation and Counter frequency. They are direct competitors for the aggro Yunli needs.
Avoid Freeze/CC supports (Misha, March 7th Ice, Welt). Frozen or delayed enemies cannot attack Yunli. No enemy attacks = no counters = no Energy = no Ultimate. CC effectively turns off Yunli’s entire damage model. Run debuffers like Pela instead, which reduce DEF without preventing enemy actions.