Sayu vs Xianyun
The rolling ninja vs. the Adeptus of Cloud Retainer
TL;DR — Quick Pick
Pick Sayu if…
- When you need a healer and VV shredder on a budget
- When you enjoy horizontal travel and speed in the overworld
- When you need a Claymore for ores
Pick Xianyun if…
- When you want to enable Plunge Attack gameplay for any character
- When you need superior teamwide healing and VV shred
- When you have Furina (Xianyun is one of her best partners)
Xianyun is a direct upgrade in terms of combat utility, offering unique plunge mechanics and better healing. Sayu remains a fun overworld explorer but cannot compete with Xianyun's specialized combat buffs.
At a Glance
Strengths & Weaknesses
Sayu
- Strong Anemo damage
- Versatile team options
- Requires investment
- Best teams use limited 5-stars
Xianyun
- Strong Anemo damage
- Versatile team options
- Requires investment
- Best teams use limited 5-stars
Shared Team Members
With Sayu
Sayu's Burst provides periodic team-wide healing, but her slow application makes it difficult to fully maximize Furina's Fanfare stacks compared to dedicated healers. She can sustain the team, but the player must carefully time rotations to keep HP high enough for Furina's drain.
With Xianyun
Xianyun's high-volume team-wide healing instantly stacks Furina's Fanfare, providing a massive DMG buff to the entire team. Her Anemo element allows for VV shred while her Skill enables Furina to participate in high-damage Plunge Attack rotations.
With Sayu
Sayu acts as a budget Anemo battery and healer for Xiao, using her Burst to keep him healthy during his HP-draining Bane of All Evil state. While she provides basic utility, she lacks the specialized buffs that higher-tier Anemo supports offer for Xiao's specific playstyle.
With Xianyun
Xianyun is Xiao's best-in-slot support, providing massive Plunge DMG buffs that scale with her ATK and enabling his core mechanic without energy issues. Her team-wide healing effortlessly counters Xiao's self-drain and enables the use of Furina for even higher damage ceilings.
Best Builds (Signature)
Weapon
Favonius Greatsword
Artifacts
Viridescent Venerer
Sands
Energy Recharge / Elemental Mastery
Goblet
ATK % / Elemental Mastery
Circlet
Healing Bonus / Elemental Mastery
Substats
Energy Recharge > Elemental Mastery > ATK % > CRIT Rate (if Favonius)
Weapon
Crane's Echoing Call
Artifacts
Viridescent Venerer
Sands
ATK % / Energy Recharge
Goblet
ATK %
Circlet
ATK %
Substats
Energy Recharge to requirements > ATK % > ATK > CRIT Rate with Favonius Codex
Who Should You Pull?
- When you need a healer and VV shredder on a budget
- When you enjoy horizontal travel and speed in the overworld
- When you need a Claymore for ores
- When you want to enable Plunge Attack gameplay for any character
- When you need superior teamwide healing and VV shred
- When you have Furina (Xianyun is one of her best partners)