Who is Qiuyuan and why should you pull him?
Qiuyuan is a 5-star Aero Sword user who functions as a sub-DPS and buffer, and he does exactly one thing better than anyone else in Wuthering Waves: amplify Echo Skill damage. Introduced in Version 2.7 and currently running a rerun banner in Version 3.2, he is the sole character in the game who can provide Echo Skill DMG Amplification through his Outro Skill, granting a flat 50% boost to the next Resonator on-field. His Resonance Liberation, Sundering Strike, adds up to 30% Crit DMG to the entire team, scaling off every 1% of his Crit Rate above the 50% baseline. That combination makes him non-negotiable in Echo Skill-centric teams built around Sigrika, Galbrena, Phrolova, and Cantarella.
The honest caveat: outside those specific archetypes, his value drops sharply. He is not a universal buffer like Shorekeeper or Verina. Pull him if you own or plan to build the characters above. Skip him otherwise.
How does Qiuyuan's kit actually work?
Everything in Qiuyuan's kit feeds into his Forte Circuit, Swordster's Soliloquy. He holds up to 600 points of this gauge, and each 200-point threshold unlocks a new effect:
- 200 points: Basic Attacks transform into Thus Spoke the Blade: Inkwash, a 4-stage sequence dealing Heavy Attack DMG
- 400 points: The Bamboo's Shade effect activates, giving all nearby active Resonators a 30% Echo Skill DMG Bonus for 30 seconds
- 600 points: Qiuyuan enters the Inksplash of Mind state for 8 seconds, replacing Heavy Attack with a 3-hit combo where each hit counts as an Echo Skill cast
Generating stacks is straightforward. His Intro Skill dumps 400 points immediately, which is why starting his rotation with an Intro is mandatory. Basic Attack Stage 3 and each stage of the Thus Spoke the Blade: Inkwash sequence each add 100 points, and Dodge Counter also generates 100 points.
His Resonance Liberation deals Aero DMG counted as Echo Skill DMG, and the Crit DMG team buff it provides lasts 30 seconds. For the full 30% bonus, you need at least 65% Crit Rate on Qiuyuan. His Outro Skill then passes 50% Echo Skill DMG Amplification to whoever enters next, lasting 14 seconds or until that Resonator swaps out.
One underrated mechanic: his Resonance Skill functions as a parry. Cast it just before taking a hit and Qiuyuan becomes immune to that instance of damage while staggering nearby enemies. Holding the Resonance Skill instead sends him dashing through the air, and landing near enemies deals Echo Skill DMG.
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Qiuyuan's Dodge Counter triggers automatically after a Basic or Heavy Attack whenever he takes a hit during that window. You do not need to manually time it — just keep attacking and let the counter proc naturally.
What are the best weapons for Qiuyuan?
Emerald Sentence is his signature weapon and the clear best-in-slot. Its passive grants 12% ATK, then adds up to 2 stacks of Bamboo Cleaver (each stack giving 30% Heavy Attack DMG Bonus) whenever he casts an Echo Skill after an Intro Skill or Basic Attack. The weapon also grants 20% Echo Skill DMG Bonus to the entire team when his Intro Skill fires, which stacks directly with his kit's own buffs.
For players without the signature, the options below hold up well:
Emerald of Genesis is the most practical 5-star alternative. Its Energy Regen secondary stat helps Qiuyuan hit the 130% ER threshold needed for consistent Liberation uptime without relying entirely on substats. Lumingloss is the strongest 4-star pick because its Heavy Attack DMG bonus directly feeds his Forte-based damage pattern.
warning
Red Spring's passive boosts Basic Attack DMG, which has minimal overlap with Qiuyuan's actual damage sources. Treat it as a stat stick only and do not prioritize it over Emerald of Genesis.
What are the best Echo sets for Qiuyuan?
Qiuyuan has three distinct build paths, each serving a different role. All use the 4-3-3-1-1 cost configuration.
Sub-DPS in multi-Echo-Skill teams: Law of Harmony (3pc) + Sierra Gale (2pc)
This is the default recommendation for teams like Phrolova and Cantarella, where multiple characters are generating Echo Skill damage. The 3-piece Law of Harmony bonus grants 30% Heavy Attack DMG Bonus to Qiuyuan on Echo Skill cast and stacks up to 4 times of 4% Echo Skill DMG Bonus for all team members. The 2-piece Sierra Gale adds 10% Aero DMG.
Best main Echo: Reminiscence: Fenrico. Grants 12% Aero DMG Bonus and 12% Heavy Attack DMG Bonus passively while equipped, and its active attack deals Aero DMG. Clean, reliable, no fiddly activation conditions.
Hypercarry support for Sigrika or Galbrena: Moonlit Clouds (5pc)
When funneling all buffs into a single dedicated DPS, the 5-piece Moonlit Clouds set outperforms Law of Harmony. Its Outro-triggered ATK boost (22.5% for 15 seconds to the next Resonator) stacks with Qiuyuan's own 30% Crit DMG Liberation buff and his 50% Echo Skill Amplification Outro, creating a massive burst window for the incoming DPS.
Best main Echo: Impermanence Heron. Requires activation before Outro to trigger its 12% damage boost to the next character, so time it correctly in the rotation.
Law of Harmony Echo set build
Main DPS build (S3+ only): Sierra Gale (5pc)
At Sequence Node 3, Qiuyuan gains a dramatically enhanced Liberation multiplier and a new Resonance Skill variant that deals 500% ATK as Aero Echo Skill DMG. Running 5-piece Sierra Gale lets him capitalize on the 30% Aero DMG Bonus triggered after his Intro Skill.
Best main Echo: Nightmare: Feilian Beringal. Grants 12% Aero DMG Bonus and 12% Heavy Attack DMG Bonus passively, with a summon-type active that deals Aero DMG.
danger
The DPS build requires S3 to function at a competitive level. At S0, Qiuyuan's personal damage is underwhelming regardless of build. Stick to the support builds unless you have the Sequence Nodes to back it up.
What stats should you prioritize on Qiuyuan?
For substats, the two hard thresholds to hit before anything else:
- 65% Crit Rate — this is the breakeven point where his Liberation delivers the full 30% Crit DMG team buff (2% per 1% Crit Rate over 50%, capped at 30%)
- 130% Energy Regen — ensures his Liberation is available every rotation given his short on-field time
After those two thresholds, prioritize Crit DMG, then Heavy Attack DMG Bonus, then ATK%.
What are the best teams for Qiuyuan?
Sigrika hypercarry team comp
Aero hypercarry: Sigrika + Qiuyuan + Shorekeeper
According to community testing documented across game8.co and fandomwire.com, this is Qiuyuan's strongest team in Version 3.2. Sigrika's damage output scales almost entirely off Echo Skill DMG, meaning she absorbs every buff Qiuyuan provides at maximum efficiency. Shorekeeper contributes Crit stat buffs and All-Type DMG Amplification through her Stellarealm. The rotation begins with Shorekeeper building her gauges and casting Liberation, then Qiuyuan enters via Intro to instantly gain 400 Swordster's Soliloquy points, runs his full combo, and exits via Outro into Sigrika.
An alternative third slot is Ciaccona for a Mono Aero composition that sacrifices healing for higher Aero DMG funneling toward Sigrika. Iuno is another option, providing Heavy Attack DMG buffs and healing simultaneously.
Fusion hypercarry: Galbrena + Qiuyuan + Shorekeeper
Qiuyuan is described by game8.co as the sole unit capable of buffing Echo Skill DMG, making him Galbrena's best sub-DPS partner by a significant margin. The rotation mirrors the Sigrika team structure. Galbrena's Demon Hypostasis state generates enormous damage during her on-field window, and Qiuyuan's Outro Skill feeds directly into that burst phase.
Lupa replaces Shorekeeper for a more damage-focused variant, though it removes all healing. Phrolova can slot in as an additional DPS who both benefits from and contributes to the Echo Skill chain.
Havoc chain: Phrolova + Cantarella + Qiuyuan
This team operates as a buff relay. Phrolova's Outro grants Heavy Attack DMG Amplification to Qiuyuan. Qiuyuan's Liberation and Forte provide Crit DMG and Echo Skill DMG buffs, and his Outro amplifies Cantarella's Echo Skill damage by 50%. Cantarella's Liberation then provides Havoc DMG and Resonance Skill DMG Amplification back toward Phrolova. Each member buffs the next in sequence, as confirmed by game8.co's team analysis.
General Crit DMG support: any DPS + Qiuyuan (Moonlit Clouds) + Shorekeeper
Running 5-piece Moonlit Clouds with Impermanence Heron turns Qiuyuan into a generic ATK and Crit DMG buffer. His Liberation's unconditional 30% Crit DMG boost applies regardless of team composition, though his Outro Skill goes to waste in non-Echo-Skill teams. This works as a stopgap if you have Qiuyuan but lack his ideal partners.
How to play Qiuyuan: standard rotation
His on-field time is short by design. The full combo:
- Enter via Intro Skill (generates 400 Swordster's Soliloquy instantly)
- Two Basic Attacks to top off the gauge to 600 points
- Cast Echo Skill (activates Bamboo's Shade and starts Inksplash of Mind window)
- Cast Resonance Liberation (applies Crit DMG team buff)
- Hold Heavy Attack to execute the 3-hit Thus Spoke the Blade combo, depleting Swordster's Soliloquy
- Cast Resonance Skill for additional damage
- Exit via Outro Skill to pass 50% Echo Skill DMG Amplification to the next Resonator
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The order of Echo Skill before Liberation matters. You want Bamboo's Shade active (400-point threshold) before casting Liberation so the team-wide Echo Skill DMG Bonus is already running when the burst window opens.
Forte upgrade priority
Ascension and Forte materials
To fully ascend Qiuyuan to level 90, you need 46x Truth in Lies (dropped by Fenrico in the Fabricatorium of the Deep), 60x Wintry Bell (found near the Gorges of Spirits in Huanglong), Whisperin Core materials across all tiers, and 170,000 Shell Credits.
Forte upgrades require Metallic Drip materials at all four tiers from Forgery Challenges, additional Whisperin Cores, 26x Curse of the Abyss from the Threnodian: Leviathan weekly boss at Three Heroes' Crest, and 2,030,000 Shell Credits total. The Huanglong Forgery Challenge is the most efficient farming route since it drops both Metallic Drip and Whisperin Cores simultaneously.
Is Qiuyuan worth pulling?
The answer depends entirely on your roster. He is the only character in Wuthering Waves who can buff Echo Skill DMG, and that exclusivity makes him mandatory in teams built around Sigrika, Galbrena, Phrolova, or Cantarella. Game8.co's analysis confirms that without Qiuyuan, those DPS characters perform significantly below their ceiling.
He is also particularly strong in Whimpering Wastes, the wave-based endgame mode where his fast rotations and consistent buff uptime shine.
For new players without any of those DPS characters, he is a lower priority than universal supports or a main DPS. But if you are building toward any Echo Skill team, pulling him now during the Version 3.2 rerun is the right call.
Sundering Strike Liberation cast
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