Xiangling

Xiangling

4★PyroPolearmOff-field Damage

TL;DR

Xiangling's Burst is a ring of fire that stays with whoever is on the field for about 10 seconds, hitting everything nearby and coating it in Pyro. Her Skill drops a little bear that breathes fire and coughs up the energy she needs to do it again. She's a free 4-star, so most accounts already have her. The catch is that she is very hungry for energy.

Rotation

  1. Have your Pyro support buff first if you have one, so the buff gets caught by the burst.
  2. Burst (Q), then Skill (E) for the particles.
  3. Swap to your on-field character and fight. The fire follows them.
  4. Pop back for another Skill (E) when it's off cooldown, purely for energy.

Abilities

Skill (E) Puts a small fire-breathing bear on the ground for a few seconds. Some damage, but you are really casting it for the energy particles.
Burst (Q) Three spinning fire blades follow your active character around for roughly 10 seconds, hitting everything they pass through. This is where basically all of her damage lives.

The one mechanic to understand

The burst locks in your buffs at the moment you cast it.

Her burst takes a snapshot of her attack stat when it goes off and keeps that number for the full 10 seconds, even after she leaves the field. So any attack buff needs to already be running before you press Q, and a buff applied afterwards does nothing for the fire that's already out. In practice this just means one thing: if you have a Pyro support who buffs attack, use them first, then cast her burst while standing in it.

What actually matters

The two or three real decisions. Everything else is noise.

  • Energy Recharge, a lot of it. More than almost anyone else in the game. Somewhere between 200% and 250% is normal, and higher if she's your only Pyro. Below that her burst simply isn't ready when you need it, and a Xiangling without her burst does nothing at all.
  • Buff before you cast. The snapshot means the order of your rotation is worth more than a few artifact rolls.
  • Placing the bear. It sits still and breathes in one direction. Drop it facing the enemies or you get no particles back from it.

Gear

A build that works. KeqingMains lists every other option.

Weapon Energy Recharge, as much as you can get. The Catch is free from the Inazuma fishing association and adds burst damage and burst crit as well, which is everything she wants in one weapon. Refine it to R5.
Artifacts 4-piece Emblem of Severed Fate. It gives Energy Recharge on the 2-piece and turns that Energy Recharge into burst damage on the 4-piece, so it solves her one problem and rewards her for it.
Main stats Energy Recharge sands, Pyro goblet, Crit circlet. Swap the sands to Attack or Elemental Mastery only once she is comfortably casting her burst every rotation.

Works well with

HydroPyroAnemo

Pyro is on the list on purpose. A second Pyro character buffs her attack and doubles the energy particles she gets back, which fixes the one thing holding her together.

Don't bother

  • Her normal attacks. She has a perfectly nice polearm and no reason to ever swing it.
  • Building her for the bear. It's a particle battery with a damage number attached.
  • Physical damage builds. They existed years ago, they don't now.
  • Levelling her skill talent past the low teens. Burst talent first and by a wide margin.

Want the full theorycrafting version? Read Xiangling on KeqingMains.