He is the "General" for a reason. Jiyan isn't just the first limited five-star we met; he’s a literal force of nature that hasn't really been power-crept out of the meta even in 2026. If you’ve got him, you’ve probably seen the massive teal dragons swirling around your screen. But here’s the thing: most players are actually gimping his damage because they misunderstand how his "Heavy Attack" scaling works during his ultimate.
Basically, when Jiyan enters his Qingloong Mode, his attacks stop being basic swings. They become Heavy Attacks. If you aren't building into that specific distinction, you’re leaving roughly 30% of your potential DPS on the table.
The Best Jiyan Build Wuthering Waves Setup for Peak DPS
Let’s get real about the gear. You want the Sierra Gale 5-piece set. Period. Some people try to mix and match with Lingering Tunes for the extra ATK, but honestly? The 30% Aero DMG bonus you get after using an Intro Skill is way too valuable. Since Jiyan is a hypercarry, you’re going to be swapping him in through Intro Skills anyway. It’s free damage.
Echo Priorities and Why Your Stats Might Be Bad
You need a 4-3-3-1-1 cost distribution. Don't mess this up. Your main Echo should be the Feilian Beringal. Not only does it hit like a truck, but it specifically buffs your Aero and Heavy Attack damage. It’s basically built for him.
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- 4-Cost: Crit Rate or Crit DMG. (Usually Crit Rate unless you have his signature weapon).
- 3-Cost: Aero DMG Bonus. You want two of these.
- 1-Cost: ATK%.
Substats are where people lose their minds. You need Energy Regeneration (ER). If you can't burst every rotation, Jiyan is useless. Aim for about 120% to 140% ER. After that, hunt for Crit, Heavy Attack DMG, and ATK%. If an Echo doesn't have at least two of these, it’s probably fodder.
Weapons: Is the Signature Required?
Verdant Summit is his best-in-slot by a mile. It gives 48.6% Crit DMG and a massive boost to Heavy Attack damage after using an Intro Skill or Ultimate. It feels like cheating.
But what if you're F2P? Autumntrace from the Battle Pass is the next best thing. It’s incredibly consistent because of the Crit Rate. If you’re truly broke, the Guardian Broadblade is a craftable 4-star that works, though you’ll feel the lack of Crit stats immediately. Honestly, even in the current 2026 meta, pulling his signature weapon is the single biggest upgrade you can give your account.
The Secret Sauce: Team Comps That Actually Work
You can’t just throw Jiyan in a random team. He needs batteries. He needs buffers.
The "Classic" Meta: Jiyan + Mortefi + Verina (or Shorekeeper).
Mortefi is non-negotiable for high-end play. His Outro Skill provides a 38% Heavy Attack DMG Deepen buff. Remember what I said earlier? Jiyan’s entire ultimate counts as Heavy Attack damage. When you swap from a fully charged Mortefi into Jiyan, he becomes a monster.
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The "New Wave" 2026 Team: Jiyan + Iuno + Shorekeeper.
If you have Iuno, she acts as a premium sidegrade to Mortefi. She provides similar Heavy Attack buffs but contributes significantly more personal damage to the team. Shorekeeper is the preferred healer here because her Stellarealm buffs are just more potent than Verina’s in long fights.
Skill Priority: Where to Spend Your Shell Credits
Don't level everything at once. Focus on his Resonance Liberation first. This is where the scaling for his Qingloong Mode lives. After that, max out his Forte Circuit. His basic attacks are actually your lowest priority because you should rarely be using them outside of his ultimate state.
- Resonance Liberation (The Dragon)
- Forte Circuit (Resolve Mechanics)
- Resonance Skill (The Dash)
- Intro Skill
- Basic Attack (Rarely used)
Mastering the Resolve Gauge
Keep an eye on that bar above his HP. That's Resolve. You get it from hitting things with basic attacks or your Intro Skill. If you have 30 Resolve when you cast your Skill or Ult, they get enhanced. Don't waste your Ult if that bar is empty. It’s like firing a gun with no gunpowder; it’ll make noise, but it won't kill anything.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Jiyan
- Check your ER: If it's below 120%, swap a 3-cost Echo to Energy Regen immediately. Smooth rotations beat big numbers every time.
- Farm Feilian Beringal: Spend your Waveplates on the monkey boss until you get a gold Echo with Crit Rate.
- Level Mortefi: Even if you don't like him, he is Jiyan’s best friend. Get his Concerto Energy high enough to proc that Outro Skill.
- Practice the "Heavy Swap": Ensure you are always swapping from Mortefi/Iuno into Jiyan with a full Concerto bar to trigger the Heavy Attack buffs.