Character Meta Tier List (patch 5.6)

This is a tier list of all the limited 5-star and 4-star characters (a.k.a. units) that are periodically featured on banners. The placement of each unit is based on their relative effectiveness and ease of use in typical endgame content – see the brief explanations of each tier and character below the tier list. 5-stars are assumed to be C0, while 4-stars are assumed to be C6.

These units are the foundation of most strong teams.

Bennett: staple buffer and healer for most ATK-based carries

Chevreuse: cornerstone support for Overload teams

Citlali: cornerstone Cryo support for Forward Melt teams – also a good option for Neuvillette

Escoffier: cornerstone Cryo unit for Freeze teams

Faruzan: cornerstone buffer for Anemo carries at C6

Furina: staple 5-star buffer and Hydro sub-dps

Mavuika: best carry to use with Bennett, best Pyro sub-dps

Nahida: cornerstone Dendro applier for teams that use Dendro cores, like Hyperbloom

Neuvillette: best carry to not rely on specific supports

Varesa: best carry to use with Chevreuse

Xilonen: staple generic support.

Yelan: staple Hydro dps.

These units are versatile and reasonably competitive in the current meta.

Arlecchino: risky but strong carry, weaker than Mavuika but less reliant on Natlan supports

Ayaka: excellent Cryo dps if you can get most of her burst damage to hit

Clorinde: versatile Electro carry

Emilie, Kinich: great Dendro dps units for teams with Pyro application

Fischl: excellent off-field Electro dps, especially for Aggravate teams

Gaming: best 4-star carry at C6 when given a Melt team

Iansan: Cinder City holder and ATK buffer for mobile carries

Ifa: best Anemo driver for Electrocharged teams

Kazuha: best grouper, excellent Anemo support

Lan Yan: excellent shielder, can also deal good damage in Faruzan teams

Lyney: high-damage but high-effort Pyro archer

Mualani: Hydro Vape carry who is difficult to play but has a high damage cieling

Navia: best Geo carry

Sucrose: excellent Anemo support.

Wanderer, Xiao: best Anemo-damage carries.

Wriothesly: excellent Cryo driver.

Xiangling: fastest off-field Pyro applier.

Xianyun: supports plunge teams well and enables plunge-attacking with most units.

Xingqiu: fastest off-field Hydro applier, provides defensive utility.

These units can be strong in the right team and situation.

Alhaitham: can replace the 2nd Hydro in Hyperbloom vs. multiple targets or Hydro-immune enemies.

Ayato: Hydro driver for Escoffier+Furina+Yelan

Beidou: good off-field Electro dps against pairs of enemies, provides defensive utility

Chasca: excellent multi-element carry for single-target situations

Kirara: Dendro shielder for Aggravate or Nilou teams.

Kujou Sara: Electro buffer for Clorinde (or C2 Raiden).

Kuki: off-field Electro healer for Quickbloom with Furina, or alternative to Raiden in Hyperbloom

Nilou, Collei, Kokomi: Nilou's traditional Bloom team with Nahida, strong in most AoE situations

Ororon: strong in teams with Electro and Hydro or Natlan units

Raiden: off-field Electro unit for Hyperbloom

Shenhe: specialist Cryo support

Venti: strongest off-field grouper

Yao Yao: good Dendro healer for Aggravate or Nilou Bloom

Zhongli: strong shielder, great counter to enemy Geo shields

These 4-star units are decent alternatives to premium units.

Barbara: free substitute for Kokomi

Candace: 4-star Hydro option for Nilou, Mualani*, and Arlecchino

Charlotte, Chongyun, Diona, Mika, Rosaria: 4-star Cryo options

Dori: decent Hyperbloom trigger and healer at C6, particularly in a Quickbloom team with Furina

Freminet: decent on-field Cryo dps

Heizou, C6 Lynette: 4-star alternatives to Xiao for Faruzan+Xianyun+Furina

Kachina: free Natlan Geo unit who can use the Cinder City artifact set

Ningguang: alternative to Navia with Xilonen+Furina+Bennett

Noelle: alternative to Navia with Xilonen+Furina+Yelan (see my guide for Noelle)

Sayu: decent driver/healer for Furina National (Furina+Bennett+Xiangling)

Sethos: best 4-star driver for Aggravate with Fischl

Thoma: decent defensive Pyro unit

Yun Jin: 4-star option for carries that use normal attacks

*only if Candace is below C6