Arlecchino vs Hu Tao
Self-sufficient carry vs. the highest Vaporize ceiling in Pyro.
TL;DR — Quick Pick
Pick Arlecchino if…
- You want a Pyro carry that doesn't need a shielder or dedicated healer.
- You prefer straightforward rotations with consistent output.
- Your roster lacks Zhongli or Layla for survivability support.
Pick Hu Tao if…
- You already own Staff of Homa and want to maximize its value.
- You have Zhongli, Layla, or another shielder to cover her survivability gap.
- You enjoy HP-management gameplay and find it engaging rather than stressful.
Both are excellent Pyro carries, but they solve different problems. Arlecchino is the safer, more flexible pick — she builds her own sustain, welcomes a wide range of supports, and performs consistently across all content. Hu Tao trades that comfort for a higher damage ceiling, particularly in Vaporize teams, but demands a dedicated shielder and careful HP management. If you're unsure, Arlecchino is the easier recommend. Pull Hu Tao if you specifically want to push her ceiling.
At a Glance
Strengths & Weaknesses
Arlecchino
- High personal damage that isn’t reliant on specific combos
- Flexible teambuilding and rotations
- Not reliant on her Burst to deal damage
- Cannot rely on healers for survivability; personal healing is tied to a fairly high-cost Burst
- Vulnerable to interruption at C0
- Noticeable performance gap between her signature weapon and other weapons, particularly free ones
Hu Tao
- Strong Pyro damage
- Versatile team options
- Requires investment
- Best teams use limited 5-stars
Shared Team Members
With Arlecchino
Core pick. Unmatched flat ATK buff, Pyro resonance, and emergency healing that keeps Bond of Life HP management comfortable.
With Hu Tao
Essential. His ATK buff amplifies every Charged Attack and his healing means Hu Tao doesn't need to manage survivability through Zhongli alone.
With Arlecchino
Solid Vaporize enabler. Consistent off-field Hydro and a stacking DMG Bonus. Slightly weaker than Furina for Arlecchino specifically.
With Hu Tao
Strong single-target Vaporize partner. Her DMG Bonus ramp is valuable in longer rotations where Hu Tao can sustain Charged Attacks.
With Arlecchino
Excellent pairing. Arlecchino's Bond of Life HP movement triggers Furina's passive constantly, giving near-permanent stacks of her DMG Bonus.
With Hu Tao
Strong but requires careful HP management. Furina's healing drain combined with Hu Tao's low-HP requirement can be tricky without a shielder.
With Arlecchino
Essentially mandatory in Vaporize comps. His Pyro shred and EM-scaling DMG Bonus make him one of Arlecchino's most consistent support picks.
With Hu Tao
Excellent in Vaporize. VV shred amplifies Hu Tao's Pyro damage and his DMG Bonus scales with his own EM — a clean pairing in reaction teams.
Best Builds (Signature)
Weapon
Crimson Moon's Semblance
Artifacts
Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy
Sands
HP%
Goblet
Pyro DMG%
Circlet
CRIT DMG
Substats
CRIT DMG ≥ CRIT Rate > HP% > ATK%
Weapon
Staff of Homa
Artifacts
Crimson Witch of Flames
Sands
ATK%
Goblet
DMG%
Circlet
CRIT Rate
Substats
CRIT Rate/DMG > ATK% > ER%
Who Should You Pull?
- You want a Pyro carry that doesn't need a shielder or dedicated healer.
- You prefer straightforward rotations with consistent output.
- Your roster lacks Zhongli or Layla for survivability support.
- You play a lot of Overworld where survivability matters more than peak DPS.
- You want strong F2P weapon options (Deathmatch performs well).
- You already own Staff of Homa and want to maximize its value.
- You have Zhongli, Layla, or another shielder to cover her survivability gap.
- You enjoy HP-management gameplay and find it engaging rather than stressful.
- You want the highest single-target Vaporize ceiling in the Pyro roster.
- You prefer Charged Attack playstyles over Normal Attack combos.