Wuthering Waves 1.2 will be released on Thursday, August 15th at 6am in the UK. As always, this update will bring a bunch of new content, but the most exciting thing is that we will soon be able to get a new free 5-Star character, Xiangli Yao.

I believe most of us players may be preparing for him. In this guide, we will talk about the necessary materials you should prepare for Xiangli Yao and how to create the best build for him. Without further ado, let’s get straight into it.

Required Materials

First, let’s take a look at the materials you should prepare for Xiangli Yao so that you can quickly upgrade him to level 90 when he is released. His Ascension requires a total of 46 Tempest Mephis and 60 Violet Corals.

Since he is primarily located in Norfall Barrens Map, he will also need 29 Green Whisperin Cores, 40 Blue Whispering Cores, 52 Purple Whispering Cores, and 61 Gold Whispering Cores.

Just like any other Gauntlet user, he will need Cadence Materials to upgrade his talents. He will need 25 Cadence Seed, 26 Cadence Bud, 55 Cadence Leaf, and 67 Cadence Blossom.

For Weekly Boss Materials, he will need 26 Scar Material. Of course, don’t forget Shell Credits.

Kit

Before we get into his guide, let’s go over the basics of his kit so you know how to build him.

Xiangli Yao is a 5-Star Electro DPS character who uses Gauntlets. He excels at dealing Resonance Liberation damage, as all damage from his Forte Circuit counts as Resonance Liberation damage.

Just like any other Electro DPS character, the best set for Xiangli Yao would be 5-Piece Void Thunder.

Echoes

For the main Echo skill, the buff from Thundering Mephis Echo skill is the best for him. But generally, for any DPS character, any Echoes that take up a lot of Field time are definitely not worth considering.

And Thundering Mephis has the longest Field time and cannot be swap-cancelled. Therefore, the best Echo skill is Tempest Mephis Echo skill, which has a relatively short Field time, and the second hit of this skill can be swap-cancelled.

Alternatively, you can use Flautist Echo Skill to get some nice damage and Concerto Energy. You can also use the 5-Piece Lingering Tunes with Mech Abomination Echo skill. This Echo skill is very easy to use because it does not have any animations. And if he is on the field for a long time, the effect is very close to Void Thunder Set.

At this time, we still don’t know if Xiangli Yao’s skills can be swap-cancelled. If his best play includes a swap-cancelled skill, then Lingering Tunes will not be a good choice. You can mix and match the 2-Piece Set effects of Lingering Tunes, Void Thunder, or Moonlit Clouds until you get a better choice.

Energy Regeneration

For Xiangli Yao’s Energy Regeneration, we still don’t know how much Energy he will generate. But his Energy cost is low at 125, and he will be on most of the time.

Therefore, we can safely assume that he may need about 125% Energy Regeneration. It is crucial to restore his Burst in time, as it is an important part of his equipment.

Weapons

Now, let’s talk about his weapons.

The best weapon for Xiangli Yao is his Signature Gauntlet. It has base attack damage of 588 and provides 24.3% of critical damage from its sub-stat.

In addition, its passive skill increases all attribute damage bonuses by 12%. When Resonance Liberation is activated, it increases Liberation damage by 48% for 8 seconds. Resonance skill can extend this duration by 5 seconds, and this effect can be triggered 3 times, which means a maximum extension of 15 seconds. So if you want to main him, I recommend you use his Signature Weapon.

Since Xiangli Yao is free, it becomes much easier to pull his weapons. His second best weapon would be the 5-Star Standard Banner Weapon, Abyss Surges, as it is able to provide a lot of attack stats and energy regeneration.

Another good choice is Stoner. It provides critical hit rate, making him easier to build, and further provides an 18% Liberation damage bonus.

These are the best options for him, however, these weapons are premium options. So if you don’t plan to make Xiangli Yao a main character in your Wuthering Waves Account, you don’t have to invest in more rare equipment on him.

Here is an alternative, which is to use Hollow Mirage. This is a gacha weapon option, which provides attack percentage from its secondary stats and passive stats. However, this weapon is conditional, as the stack of its passive stats will disappear if you get hit.

Team Combination

Moving on to his team combination. Xiangli Yao’s best teammate is obviously Yinlin, who can greatly amplify his damage with her extra buff. What’s more, she also deals a lot of off-field damage, greatly improving the damage output in the team.

If you don’t have Yinlin, there are some other good options. I think Zhezhi can form a good pair with Xiangli Yao, as she can also deal high off-field damage.

Changli can also form a good pair with him, as you can run a Dual DPS comp and Xiangli Yao can benefit from Liberation damage. But this team is only possible if his play style allows it.

In addition, Jianxin can provide Resonance Liberation damage buff and Crowd Control. Mortefi can provide some good off-field damage. Sanhua can be used as a Moonlit Set activator, and the basic attack damage buff is not completely wasted. Yuanwu can provide some off-field damage and can also deal Vibration damage, helping you break the enemy’s shield faster. The last position is usually used by Sustain Support such as Verina or Baizhi.

In conclusion, by understanding Xiangli Yao’s unique mechanics and preparing the required materials ahead of time, players can maximize his potential from his debut, making him a powerful addition to any team in Wuthering Waves.