Xianyun Genshin Impact: Weapons, Best Builds & More

A new character is making its debut in Genshin Impact as Xianyun, formerly known as Cloud Retainer. Known for her popularity, Cloud Retainer will finally appear in Genshin Impact in her human form as Xianyun. For those familiar with Liyue’s Archon Quest, multiple adepti exist, and Cloud Retainer is associated with the Anemo element. Anticipated as a five-star Anemo character in the upcoming Genshin Impact 4.4 update, Xianyun is expected to join the game. For players planning to summon her, here are the optimal builds for Xianyun, a.k.a. Cloud Retainer, in Genshin Impact.

Xianyun Genshin Impact: Best Builds

The optimal build for Xianyun involves utilizing the “Viridescent Venerer” artifact set paired with her signature weapon, “Crane’s Echoing Call.” Xianyun adeptly serves as both a healer/support and a damage dealer, allowing for flexibility in her artifact set selection based on your preferred usage.

For enhancing general Anemo abilities and amplifying Swirl damage, the Viridescent Venerer artifact set, when equipped with suitable main and sub-stats, proves to be an excellent choice. We’ve also highlighted alternative options below for consideration.

Cloud Retainer relies heavily on Attack scaling and demands substantial energy recharge for her burst ability. Therefore, prioritizing maximum Attack while considering her energy needs is recommended. Optimal gear includes an Energy Recharge Goblet alongside an Attack% Sands artifact, complemented by a weapon featuring Attack% and/or Energy Recharge passives to significantly boost her performance.

These artifacts synergize well with her abilities:

• Viridescent Venerer (Ideal for Attack and Healer-oriented setups)
• Ocean-Hued Clam (Suited for healer builds)
• Song of Days Past (Alternative to Ocean-Hued Clam)
• Nobless Oblige (Optimal for pure damage-focused builds)

Viridescent Venerer shines in a support/damage dealer build, while Ocean-Hued Clam and Song of Days Past are excellent choices for a healer-focused setup. Alternatively, Nobless Oblige boosts Elemental Burst Damage and Attack for all party members, offering a significant enhancement.

Xianyun Main and Sub-Stats Priority

For most players, Xianyun’s role combines that of a Damage Dealer and Healer. In her kit, Attack and Energy Recharge take precedence as the two pivotal stats, closely followed by Crit Rate and Crit Damage. Hence, the recommended priority order is ATK% > Energy Recharge > Crit Rate ≡ Crit Damage.

The choice between Attack or Energy Recharge on the Goblet depends on your equipped weapon. If Xianyun’s role involves enhancing Xiao’s attack damage within your team, prioritizing more ATK% becomes crucial. However, if you won’t be using plunging attacks, opting for Energy Recharge on the Goblet is the preferred path.

Xianyun Talents

Xianyun’s Elemental Skill propels her into the air, enabling a plunging attack that inflicts damage and provides crowd control. Her Elemental Burst elevates the entire party’s jumping abilities, enhancing their respective elemental damage outputs. Here are further details regarding her talents:

• Normal Attack (Word of Wind and Flower): Xianyun executes four consecutive attacks, a charged attack consuming stamina, and a plunging attack, all inflicting Anemo damage.

• Elemental Skill (White Clouds at Dawn): Xianyun enters the “Cloud Transmogrification state,” using “Skyladder” to perform two mid-air jumps followed by a diving action, dealing bonus Anemo damage and pulling enemies. Skyladder can be executed mid-air and has a cooldown if not used promptly. The skill’s cooldown decreases by 3 seconds if the plunge attack “Driftcloud Wave” isn’t utilized.

• Elemental Burst (Stars Gather at Dusk): Xianyun unleashes AoE Anemo damage and summons a mechanism known as Starwicker. The burst provides healing to all characters based on Xianyun’s Attack stat. Starwicker accompanies characters, starting with 8 stacks of “Adeptal Assistance.” These stacks augment jump height for characters; when a character performs a plunging attack, Starwicker consumes one stack to deal AoE Anemo Damage.

Xianyun Passives

• Galefeather Pursuit: Xianyun’s final plunge at the end of her elemental skill generates a vortex, drawing in nearby enemies and objects.

• Consider, the Adeptus in Her Realm: The shockwave damage from an active character’s plunging attack receives a 170% boost from Xianyun’s attack if Starwicker is active. The maximum damage achievable this way caps at 8,500. This bonus damage is applicable to a single opponent, with each character only able to trigger this effect once every 0.4 seconds.

• Crane Form: Increases the gliding speed of all party members by 15%.

Xianyun: Best Weapons

Xianyun’s premier weapon, Crane’s Echoing Call, stands as the ideal choice for her in Genshin Impact. Sporting a high base attack, ATK% as a sub-stat, and enhancing both Xianyun’s damage output and energy regeneration, it aligns perfectly with her requirements.

Nevertheless, if obtaining her signature weapon isn’t your aim, we’ve compiled a list of alternative weapons that should perform admirably on her.

• Crane’s Echoing Call set (Best weapon for Xianyun)
• Oathsworn Eye (R5) set (Best free-to-play weapon for Xianyun)
• Favonius Codex (R5) set (Another excellent free weapon)
• Hakushin Ring (R5)

Xianyun Build: Constellations

C1: Purifying Wind: Elemental Skill gains an additional charge.

C2: Aloof From the World: After using Elemental Skill, Xianyun’s ATK increases by 20% for 15 seconds. Her passive, “Consider the Adeptus in Her Realm,” amplifies plunging attack shockwave damage from 170% to 306%, adding 15,300 additional damage instead of 8,500.

C3: Creations of Star and Moon: Boosts her Elemental Burst level by 3, reaching a maximum level of 15.

C4: Mystery Millet Gourmet: After executing Skyladder 1/2/3 times, the post-plunge wave heals all party members for 50%/80%/150% of Xianyun’s ATK. This effect can activate once every 5 seconds.

C5: Astride Rose-Colored Clouds: Elevates her Elemental Skill level by 3, with a maximum upgrade level of 15.

C6: Cloudkeeper’s Spirit: After Skyladder use 1/2/3 times, the plunge’s Crit Damage escalates by 15%/35%/70%. Additionally, upon Xianyun’s plunge, if her Starwick possesses Adeptal Resistance stacks, consuming one stack prevents her Elemental Skill from entering cooldown.

When the Cloud Transmogrification state triggers Starwicker’s attack using Driftcloud Wave, no Adeptal Assistance will be consumed within that instance. Upon the Driftcloud Wave (Plunge) striking an opponent, Starwicker gains one Adeptal Assistance Stack. This effect can activate once every 8 seconds.