With Wuthering Waves’ version 1.4 soon to arrive, players are gearing up for three unique limited character and weapon banners: Camellya in the first phase, followed by Yinlin and Xiangli Yao in the second phase. Each character offers distinct abilities, team flexibility, and potential longevity, making the decision of who to pull complex yet crucial. Here, we’ll explore the strengths, utility, and overall value of each character to help guide your choices.
Phase 1: Camellya
Camellya is a highly anticipated Havoc five-star DPS with a dynamic playstyle and gorgeous animations, potentially placing her among the top DPS characters in Wuthering Waves. Here’s what makes her an exciting choice:
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Playstyle & Abilities: Camellya's fast-paced playstyle includes a massive AOE spinning attack that allows her to auto-parry incoming attacks, an ability shared with Gian. This auto-parry provides great utility, making her more resilient and valuable in tough scenarios.
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Team Flexibility: Camellya can be a hyper carry DPS or part of a dual DPS setup, providing flexibility in team-building. Unlike DPS characters who need rare five-star support, Camellya pairs effectively with Sona, a four-star partner, making her more accessible for players who prefer to conserve resources.
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Longevity: While Camellya’s damage output and flexibility make her a strong addition to most teams, she might be more affected by power creep over time compared to support characters. However, her ability to clear difficult content is likely to keep her relevant in the foreseeable future.
Conclusion: Camellya offers excellent team flexibility and impressive damage, making her a powerful, fun, and resource-friendly choice for players seeking a DPS character.
Phase 2: Yinlin and Xiangli Yao (Rerun)
Phase two banners feature Yinlin and Xiangli Yao, two characters who synergize well together. If you don’t already have Xiangli Yao (who was previously available as a free character), pulling both could be a significant investment. Here’s an overview of each character:
Yinlin
Yinlin, a four-star support character, stands out for her versatility and utility, especially for Electro DPS teams. Here’s why she might be worth your Ashes:
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Support Potential: Yinlin’s kit includes Electro coordinated attacks, burst damage, and compatibility with quick-swap teams. Her outro skill boosts Electro damage by 20% and resonance Liberation damage by 25%, making her a potent support choice for Electro DPS lineups.
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Longevity & Flexibility: Yinlin’s supportive abilities have become increasingly valuable as more Electro DPS characters are introduced. This makes her a sound, long-term investment likely to remain useful over multiple patches.
Conclusion: With her versatile support skills, Yinlin is arguably the most valuable character in version 1.4. For players seeking support with long-term usability, she’s an excellent choice.
Xiangli Yao
Xiangli Yao is a DPS character with strong burst damage and a sophisticated kit, though he may require more investment than Camellya or Yinlin.
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Playstyle & Strengths: Xiangli Yao’s DPS potential comes from his unique “Intuition” state, which provides a powerful shortened attack string, improved interruption resistance, and three uses of his “Rain of Blades” skill. His resonance skill allows him to close the gap between himself and enemies, adding to his agility and utility in combat.
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Team Compatibility: Xiangli Yao’s performance shines when paired with Yinlin. If you already own or plan to pull for her, this phase becomes especially appealing.
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Longevity: As a main DPS, Xiangli Yao could be more prone to power creep than a support like Yinlin. However, his ability to clear challenging content keeps him relevant until potentially tougher content arrives.
Conclusion: Xiangli Yao is an exceptional DPS with a well-designed kit. However, he’s at his best when paired with Yinlin, requiring significant resources to achieve optimal results.
Weapon Banners
Each character’s signature weapon enhances their effectiveness, but it’s essential to understand their individual value:
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Camellya’s Weapon: A one-handed sword with 24.3% crit rate and a 60% boost to basic attack damage, Camellya’s weapon provides an impressive damage increase. Though it amplifies her DPS, alternative weapons (like Emerald of Genesis) offer similar benefits, reducing the necessity of pulling this specific weapon.
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Yinlin’s Weapon: With broad attribute damage bonuses, Yinlin’s weapon is highly versatile, making it effective for multiple builds. This weapon offers excellent long-term value, making it a valuable investment.
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Xiangli Yao’s Weapon: While designed specifically for him with a crit rate, attribute damage bonuses, and a 48% Liberation damage boost, Xiangli Yao’s weapon is limited in its broader application. It’s ideal if you plan to main Xiangli Yao, but it may lose relevance if you decide to switch to other characters.
Conclusion: Yinlin’s weapon offers the best overall value due to its general applicability, while Camellya’s and Xiangli Yao’s weapons are more specialized. If maximizing Camellya or Xiangli Yao’s DPS is a priority, their weapons could be worth the investment; otherwise, it’s safe to skip.
Who Should You Pull For?
Here’s how each character stacks up in terms of utility, longevity, and flexibility:
- Best for Support & Versatility: Yinlin offers strong versatility and long-term value, making her the best choice for players seeking team support.
- Best for DPS Flexibility: Camellya provides free-to-play-friendly team options and high potential DPS.
- Best for Dedicated DPS Fans: Xiangli Yao is a potent DPS, especially when paired with Yinlin, but requires a significant investment for optimal performance.
Recommendation: If you’re looking to strengthen your support lineup, Yinlin is the ideal choice for her long-term utility. If you need a fun, powerful main DPS, Camellya may be more suitable. For those interested in building a powerful duo and willing to invest, Xiangli Yao paired with Yinlin offers a strong synergy but may require significant Ashes.
With 1.4’s highly competitive banners, focus on characters that fill gaps in your team, and consider power creep potential in future updates. Summon carefully, and be strategic with your resources as you plan your team for the coming patches.