Table of Contents

Can I Use Qiqi with Hu Tao? A Deep Dive into Team Compositions

The short answer is yes, you can use Qiqi with Hu Tao, but it’s a team composition choice that requires careful consideration. While Qiqi offers powerful healing that can keep Hu Tao alive, the pairing presents some anti-synergistic elements due to Hu Tao’s unique gameplay revolving around low HP. Let’s explore the nuances of this pairing and determine if it’s truly a viable strategy for your Genshin Impact team.

Understanding Hu Tao’s Kit and Needs

Hu Tao’s damage output is significantly boosted when her HP is below 50%. Her Elemental Skill, Guide to Afterlife, converts a portion of her Max HP into ATK, making her Normal Attacks infused with Pyro. This skill is the cornerstone of her damage, but it comes at the cost of HP, which is intentionally drained upon activation. Therefore, the ideal Hu Tao playstyle involves maintaining her at a low health threshold to maximize her offensive capabilities.

Analyzing Qiqi’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Qiqi is a Cryo healer whose healing scales off her ATK. Her Elemental Skill, Adeptus Art: Herald of Frost, summons a Herald that heals the active character periodically. Her Elemental Burst, Adeptus Art: Preserver of Fortune, marks enemies, allowing characters to heal when attacking them. While Qiqi’s healing is potent and reliable, it can inadvertently work against Hu Tao’s damage-maximizing strategy. She can consistently heal, which can cause Hu Tao to go over the 50% health mark, and lose a massive damage multiplier.

The Potential Conflicts

The core issue lies in the conflict between Hu Tao’s desire to stay at low HP and Qiqi’s ability to rapidly heal. If Qiqi heals Hu Tao too much, you’ll lose the damage bonus from Hu Tao’s passive talent, “Blood Blossom”. This talent increases her Pyro DMG Bonus by 33% when her HP is at or below 50%. Over-healing effectively negates a significant portion of Hu Tao’s potential damage output.

Making the Pairing Work: Mitigating the Drawbacks

Despite the potential drawbacks, you can make the Qiqi-Hu Tao pairing functional with careful planning and specific strategies:

Selective Healing: Be mindful of when and how you activate Qiqi’s healing abilities. Avoid using her Elemental Skill and Burst unnecessarily. Prioritize dodging and shielding to minimize damage taken by Hu Tao. The user must make a mindful decision on whether or not they want to use her heal.
Build Considerations: Focus on building Hu Tao with high Crit Rate and Crit Damage to maximize her DPS even when her HP is above 50%. This reduces the reliance on her low-HP bonus for consistent damage.
Team Composition: Surround Hu Tao and Qiqi with other supportive characters who can provide valuable buffs and utility without interfering with the HP threshold. Xingqiu is an exceptional partner for applying Hydro for Vaporize reactions, significantly boosting Hu Tao’s damage. An Anemo character like Sucrose or Kazuha can further enhance damage through Elemental Resistance shred and damage amplification.
Shields are Important: Shields are generally a good idea in this case. Zhongli is amazing to keep Hu Tao alive and keep the enemies away.

Alternative Healing Options

Consider that there are other healing options in Genshin Impact that may be better suited for Hu Tao. Diona, with her shield and healing over time, is a common option. Bennett also offers amazing healing and huge attack buffs. Zhongli can offer amazing shielding which can help Hu Tao stay alive at a low HP threshold.

Conclusion: Is Qiqi a Good Fit for Hu Tao?

Ultimately, the effectiveness of using Qiqi with Hu Tao depends on your playstyle and team composition. While Qiqi’s healing can be a safety net, it requires careful management to avoid hindering Hu Tao’s damage potential. If you prioritize consistent damage output and are comfortable with a more controlled playstyle, other healers might be more optimal. However, if you value survivability and are willing to adapt your strategy, Qiqi can be a viable, though not ideal, support option for Hu Tao. For deeper insights into gaming strategies and the learning potential within games, consider exploring the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who is Hu Tao best paired with?

Hu Tao’s best support is Xingqiu, despite the fact that he’s a Hydro character and Cryo characters can produce stronger Melt reactions with a Pyro user. Xingqiu works well with Hu Tao because his Hydro application is second to none, allowing Hu Tao to consistently trigger Vaporize reactions.

2. Is it necessary to keep Hu Tao at low HP?

Yes, it is generally ideal to keep Hu Tao at or below 50% HP to maximize her damage output due to her passive talent, “Blood Blossom,” which increases her Pyro DMG Bonus when her HP is at or below this threshold.

3. Does Qiqi’s healing scale with ATK or HP?

Qiqi’s healing capacity scales off of her ATK, meaning that equipping Qiqi with an ATK-oriented weapon can help heal your team.

4. What weapon is best for Qiqi in a support role?

The Sacrificial Sword is arguably one of the best weapons for Qiqi. It eliminates the long cooldown she has on her Elemental Skill by allowing players to cast it twice. Aside from that, high attack weapons can also be a good choice for her as her healing scales from her attack.

5. What are some alternative healers to Qiqi for Hu Tao?

Alternatives include Diona (for shielding and healing over time), Bennett (for healing and ATK buff), Zhongli (for strong shield), or Kokomi (for more controlled, sustained healing).

6. How do I keep Hu Tao alive without over-healing?

Shields are a great option. Using characters that provide strong shields, like Zhongli, can prevent damage and allow Hu Tao to maintain her low HP status.

7. Is Hu Tao C1 worth it?

Yes, C1 Hu Tao is highly valuable as it eliminates Stamina issues during her Charged Attacks, allowing for more fluid and consistent DPS.

8. Is Hu Tao a must-pull character?

Hu Tao is an excellent character to pull for due to her high damage potential. She can perform well even with 4-star weapons and teammates.

9. Is Qiqi the worst 5-star character?

While Qiqi’s healing is reliable, she is often considered one of the less desirable 5-star characters due to the availability of more versatile and practical healers.

10. Does Hu Tao need a shield?

A shield is extremely beneficial for Hu Tao as it protects her from damage while allowing her to maintain low HP, maximizing her damage output without risking death.

11. Why does Hu Tao want to bury Qiqi?

Hu Tao believes that Qiqi is trapped in a state of undeath and wants to bury her to free her from suffering and restore the natural order.

12. Why does Qiqi dislike Hu Tao?

Qiqi dislikes Hu Tao because she perceives her as warm and having a fake smile. In Qiqi’s voiceline about Hu Tao, she conveys her dislike due to these observations.

13. What artifacts should I use on Qiqi?

You can use Ocean-Hued Clam which will convert the amount Qiqi heals into damage to deal to surrounding enemies. If you want to maximize healing, use Tenacity of the Millelith for more HP.

14. What are the best team compositions for Hu Tao?

Ideal team compositions for Hu Tao typically include Xingqiu for Vaporize, an Anemo character for Elemental Resistance shred (like Sucrose or Kazuha), and a shield character for survivability (like Zhongli or Diona).

15. How can I improve my Genshin Impact gameplay knowledge?

Explore resources like the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ for research and insights into gaming strategies and educational aspects within games.

Can I use Qiqi with Hu Tao?