Keqing and the Sword: A Deep Dive into Liyue’s Yuheng

Yes, Keqing fights with a sword. This isn’t just a simple “yes,” though. Keqing, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, is a formidable Electro sword user in Genshin Impact. Her gameplay revolves around utilizing swift attacks, teleportation, and elemental infusions to deliver consistent damage. She’s not just any sword wielder; she’s a character deeply intertwined with her weapon of choice, both in gameplay and lore. Let’s explore the nuances of Keqing’s sword proficiency and answer some frequently asked questions about her combat style, best weapons, and overall viability.

Keqing’s Combat Prowess: A Swordswoman’s Art

Keqing’s combat style is characterized by its agility and elemental infusion. Her Elemental Skill, Stellar Restoration, allows her to hurl a Lightning Stiletto, marking an enemy or location. She can then either blink to the Stiletto’s location, unleashing an Electro-infused attack, or summon it to trigger an AoE Electro damage burst. This skill is the cornerstone of her gameplay, allowing for rapid repositioning and consistent Electro application.

Her Elemental Burst, Starward Sword, deals AoE Electro damage and infuses her weapon with Electro, enhancing her Normal and Charged Attacks. This infusion, combined with her high attack speed and mobility, makes her a potent DPS character. The key to mastering Keqing is understanding how to weave her Elemental Skill, Burst, and Normal/Charged Attacks together for maximum damage output. She rewards players who can maintain a fast-paced, aggressive playstyle.

While Keqing is often perceived as a “standard banner” character, her potential should not be underestimated. With the advent of Dendro reactions, particularly Aggravate, Keqing has seen a resurgence in popularity. Properly built and supported, she can dish out significant damage in various team compositions.

Decoding Keqing’s Best Weapon Choices

Choosing the right weapon for Keqing is crucial to maximizing her damage output. While her best-in-slot weapon is generally considered to be the Mistsplitter Reforged, there are several viable alternatives depending on your playstyle, team composition, and available resources.

The High-End Options

• Mistsplitter Reforged: This weapon offers high Base Attack and a Crit DMG substat, along with a passive that significantly boosts Elemental DMG Bonus. It’s the ultimate choice for maximizing Keqing’s overall damage.
• Primordial Jade Cutter: This sword provides a substantial Crit Rate boost and increases HP, while also granting an ATK bonus based on Max HP. It’s a great option for increasing Keqing’s survivability without sacrificing damage.

The F2P (Free-to-Play) & Accessible Options

• The Black Sword: Acquired through the Battle Pass, The Black Sword provides a Crit Rate substat and a passive that heals Keqing upon hitting enemies with Normal or Charged Attacks. It’s a reliable and accessible option for many players.
• Lion’s Roar: This weapon increases DMG against enemies affected by Pyro or Electro. It can be an effective choice for Electro-centric teams where Keqing can consistently trigger Electro-Charged or Overload reactions.
• Iron Sting: Craftable at the blacksmith, Iron Sting grants Elemental Mastery and increases damage after using an Elemental Skill. It can be a solid choice for Aggravate-focused builds, leveraging the power of Dendro reactions.

Understanding Weapon Synergies

The effectiveness of each weapon depends on Keqing’s build and team composition. For example, if you’re running an Aggravate team, weapons that provide Elemental Mastery (EM) or Attack (ATK) buffs will be particularly effective. On the other hand, if you’re focused on maximizing raw Electro damage, weapons with Crit Rate, Crit DMG, or Elemental DMG Bonus will be preferable.

Keqing’s Place in the Genshin Impact Meta

Keqing’s viability has fluctuated over time. Initially, she was considered by some to be one of the weaker 5-star characters due to the perceived limitations of the Electro element. However, the introduction of Dendro and the Aggravate reaction has significantly improved her performance.

While she might not be at the absolute top of the DPS rankings, Keqing is a solid and fun character to play. Her mobility, fast-paced combat style, and Electro damage make her a rewarding choice for players who enjoy an aggressive and engaging gameplay experience. Understanding team compositions, weapon choices, and artifact builds are key to unlocking her full potential.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Keqing

1. What are Keqing’s strengths as a character?

Keqing excels in mobility, electro application, and fast-paced combat. Her elemental skill allows her to teleport around the battlefield, making her difficult to hit and enabling quick repositioning. Her electro infusion enhances her damage output.

2. What are Keqing’s weaknesses as a character?

Historically, Keqing suffered from the limitations of the Electro element before Dendro. Her charged attacks consume stamina and can push enemies away, which might interrupt combos. She also requires specific team compositions and weapon builds to truly shine.

3. Is Keqing good for beginners?

Keqing is relatively easy to pick up and play, but mastering her optimal rotations and team compositions requires some understanding of game mechanics. She can be a good choice for beginners looking for a fast-paced DPS character.

4. What artifact sets are best for Keqing?

• Thundering Fury: This is generally considered her best set, boosting Electro DMG and reducing Elemental Skill cooldown after triggering Electro reactions.
• Gilded Dreams: Excellent for Aggravate teams, boosting Elemental Mastery significantly.
• 2-Piece Thundering Fury + 2-Piece Gladiator’s Finale/Shimenawa’s Reminiscence: A solid generalist build providing both Electro DMG and ATK bonuses.

5. What are the recommended main stats for Keqing’s artifacts?

• Sands: ATK% or Elemental Mastery (for Aggravate builds)
• Goblet: Electro DMG Bonus
• Circlet: Crit Rate or Crit DMG (prioritize whichever you need more to balance your Crit ratio)

6. What is Keqing’s ideal Crit Ratio?

Ideally, you should aim for a Crit Rate of at least 60% and a Crit DMG of at least 120%. The higher, the better, but balance is key.

7. What are the best team compositions for Keqing?

• Aggravate Team: Keqing, Dendro Main Character/Nahida, Fischl/Yae Miko, Kazuha/Sucrose
• Electro-Charged Team: Keqing, Xingqiu/Yelan, Fischl/Beidou, Sucrose/Kazuha

8. How important are Keqing’s constellations?

Keqing’s constellations provide incremental improvements to her damage output, but she is perfectly viable at C0 (constellation 0). C2 and C6 are generally considered the most impactful constellations.

9. Is Keqing better than other Electro DPS characters?

Keqing’s performance compared to other Electro DPS characters depends on the specific situation and team composition. Raiden Shogun excels in energy generation and burst damage, while Yae Miko offers consistent off-field damage. Keqing shines in fast-paced, sustained damage output.

10. Does Keqing scale off HP?

Keqing’s damage does not directly scale off HP. However, the Primordial Jade Cutter weapon provides an ATK bonus based on the user’s Max HP, making HP a valuable secondary stat when using this weapon.

11. What is Keqing’s favorite food?

Keqing’s favorite food is a deep-fried shrimp dish.

12. What boss material does Keqing need?

Keqing requires the Lightning Prism, which is obtained by defeating the Electro Hypostasis in Mondstadt.

13. How do you pronounce Keqing’s name correctly?

The closest English pronunciation is /kʊ tʃi:ŋ/, where /ʊ/ rhymes with the vowel in ‘look’, and the stress is on both syllables equally.

14. Why does Keqing hate her Vision?

Keqing doesn’t inherently hate her Vision. She initially saw it as an insult because she believed humans should rely on their own strength and innovation to protect Liyue, rather than depending on the Adepti or Visions granted by the gods.

15. Is Keqing still considered a “bad” 5-star character?

No, Keqing is no longer considered a “bad” 5-star character, especially with the introduction of Dendro and the Aggravate reaction. While she might not be at the very top of the meta, she is a viable and fun DPS option with the right build and team composition.