Is Qiqi the Best Healer in Genshin Impact? A Deep Dive
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The short answer? No, Qiqi is no longer considered the best healer in Genshin Impact, although she remains a potent and viable option. The landscape of healers in Genshin has evolved, and while Qiqi possesses incredible healing potential, other characters offer a more well-rounded kit with additional utility and better team synergy, making them the preferred choice for most players.
Qiqi: A Healing Powerhouse with Drawbacks
Qiqi, the tiny zombie herbalist from Liyue, has always been synonymous with raw healing power. Her healing scales incredibly well with her ATK stat, making her capable of restoring massive amounts of HP with both her Elemental Skill and Burst. This sheer healing output made her a top-tier choice in the early days of Genshin Impact.
However, the game has changed. As content became more demanding and team compositions more sophisticated, Qiqi’s limitations became more apparent. While her healing is exceptional, she lacks utility outside of it. She provides little in the way of damage, elemental application, or energy generation. Additionally, her reliance on applying the Fortune-Preserving Talisman to enemies to trigger healing during combat can feel clunky and inefficient compared to other healers.
Why Qiqi Isn’t #1 Anymore
Several factors contribute to Qiqi’s decline in popularity as the “best” healer:
- Opportunity Cost: In a game where team slots are limited, using Qiqi solely for healing means sacrificing a character that could provide damage buffs, crowd control, or consistent elemental application – all things that contribute to clearing content faster and more efficiently.
- Energy Recharge Issues: Qiqi struggles with energy recharge, meaning her powerful Elemental Burst isn’t always available when needed. This requires dedicated energy recharge stats and potentially a battery character on the team.
- Lack of Utility: As mentioned before, Qiqi’s kit is almost entirely focused on healing. She doesn’t offer crowd control, damage mitigation, or significant damage output, making her less versatile than other healers.
- Better Alternatives Exist: Characters like Sangonomiya Kokomi, Bennett, and Jean offer similar or even better healing capabilities alongside significant utility, making them more valuable overall.
Current Top-Tier Healers
While Qiqi remains a solid healer, several characters are now considered superior:
- Sangonomiya Kokomi: Kokomi excels in both healing and Hydro application, making her invaluable for teams that rely on Hydro reactions like Vaporize or Electro-Charged. Her healing is consistent and reliable, and she can even contribute a decent amount of damage during her Burst. She has risen to become arguably the best healer in Genshin Impact.
- Bennett: Bennett is a versatile support character who provides both healing and a significant ATK buff within his Burst’s AoE. This combination makes him a staple in many team compositions.
- Jean: Jean offers strong healing capabilities along with crowd control, swirl reactions, and the ability to cleanse status ailments with her Burst.
- Baizhu: Baizhu’s shields and healing scale with HP, making him a tanky and reliable support for Dendro teams. He also provides Dendro application.
When is Qiqi Still a Good Choice?
Despite her drawbacks, Qiqi can still be a valuable asset in certain situations:
- Early Game: Qiqi is an excellent choice for new players who need a reliable healer to keep their team alive during challenging content. Her healing is so potent that she can easily carry a team through early and mid-game content.
- Teams with Specific Needs: If a team requires extreme amounts of healing, Qiqi can be a viable option. This might be the case in certain Spiral Abyss floors or during challenging events.
- Physical Teams: While other options exist, Qiqi’s Cryo application can enable Superconduct, reducing Physical RES for Physical DPS characters like Razor or Eula.
- Players who Enjoy Her Playstyle: Ultimately, the most important factor is whether you enjoy playing Qiqi. If you find her healing satisfying and her playstyle engaging, then she can be a worthwhile addition to your team.
FAQs About Qiqi and Healing in Genshin Impact
1. Is Qiqi the worst 5-star character?
While Qiqi is often cited as one of the weaker 5-star characters, “worst” is a subjective term. Her pure healing output is undeniable, but her lack of utility compared to other 5-stars makes her less desirable for optimized team compositions. There are other 5-star characters, depending on the player’s needs and playstyle, that might not be considered as useful.
2. Is Qiqi better than Barbara?
Qiqi is generally considered better than Barbara due to her higher healing potential and the fact that she doesn’t apply the “Wet” status to your own characters, unlike Barbara. This prevents you from being frozen by Cryo enemies.
3. What weapon is best for Qiqi?
The Sacrificial Sword is often considered the best weapon for Qiqi because it allows her to reset the cooldown of her Elemental Skill, providing more consistent healing. Weapons with high ATK stats, such as the Aquila Favonia, are also good choices.
4. How does Qiqi heal so much?
Qiqi’s healing scales directly with her ATK stat. By building her with high ATK, you can significantly increase her healing output. The Ocean-Hued Clam artifact set also converts a portion of her overhealing into damage, providing some additional utility.
5. Can Qiqi freeze enemies?
Yes, Qiqi can apply Cryo to enemies with her Elemental Skill and Burst, potentially freezing them when combined with Hydro application.
6. What are Qiqi’s best team compositions?
Qiqi can work in various team compositions, but she often shines in teams where consistent healing is crucial. She can be paired with Physical DPS characters like Razor or Eula to enable Superconduct. She can also function as a survival support for hypercarry teams.
7. Who is Qiqi best with?
Qiqi works well with characters who benefit from consistent healing and Cryo application. Razor, Eula, and characters who trigger Superconduct benefit significantly.
8. Is Qiqi worth getting?
Whether Qiqi is “worth” getting depends on your individual needs and playstyle. If you need a reliable healer for early-game content or prefer a character with high healing output, Qiqi can be a good choice. However, if you prioritize utility and team synergy, other healers might be more suitable.
9. How does Qiqi’s Burst heal?
Qiqi’s Elemental Burst creates a Fortune-Preserving Talisman effect on nearby enemies. When a character damages an enemy affected by this talisman, they receive healing based on Qiqi’s ATK.
10. Is Qiqi good in the late game?
Qiqi can still be effective in the late game, but her lack of utility compared to other healers becomes more apparent. Her raw healing power can be helpful in certain situations, but other characters often provide more value to optimized team compositions.
11. What artifacts are best for Qiqi?
The Ocean-Hued Clam artifact set is generally considered the best for Qiqi. It converts a portion of her overhealing into damage, providing some additional utility. Tenacity of the Millelith is another option, buffing the team’s ATK.
12. Who is the rarest 5-star character in Genshin Impact?
Rarity is complex, but launch 5-stars that haven’t had many rate-up banners can be considered rare. Venti and Diluc are often cited as examples. Qiqi is a standard banner character and is always available to pull (at a very low rate), making her less “rare” than limited-time 5-stars who haven’t had reruns.
13. Who is the fastest healer in Genshin Impact?
This is subjective and depends on how “fast” is defined. Kokomi has very consistent healing through her Elemental Skill. Bennett also provides near-instantaneous healing within his Burst. Qiqi’s healing relies on attacking marked enemies, which can take time.
14. Is Qiqi better than Jean?
Jean offers similar levels of healing, but with vastly more team utility. Her damage potential is also much higher than Qiqi’s. Jean is considered the better all-around unit.
15. Who has the highest HP stat in Genshin Impact?
Dehya currently has the highest base HP in Genshin Impact. HP scaling can affect certain character builds. It’s wise to consider HP and how it relates to your team’s strategy.
In conclusion, while Qiqi may not be the undisputed best healer anymore, she’s far from useless. The optimal healer selection is an exercise in matching character strengths to team needs. Understanding each character’s synergies within the larger game mechanics is essential to mastering the Genshin Impact experience. Learning more about these dynamics is an ongoing exploration that can begin on educational websites like GamesLearningSociety.org.