Making a splash in the open-world gacha scene, Wuthering Waves stands out from the crowd by allowing players to pull from a beginner banner at release that guarantees one of the 5-star standard characters.
But with five enticing standard characters available – Calcharo, Jianxin, Verina, Lingyang, and Encore – who should players aim for? Each character has unique playstyles and specializations. Let's delve into their strengths to help you make an informed decision that complements your playstyle and preferences!
Calcharo
This ruthless Electro Broadblade wielder leads the notorious mercenary group, the Ghost Hounds. Calcharo’s true power lies in unleashing devastating combos with his Basic Attacks during his empowered state, Deathblade Gear, activated by his Ultimate. To maximize his damage output, focus on building his Forte gauge and unleashing a chain of Normal Attacks.
Calcharo excels as a fast-paced Electro DPS. His aggressive hack-and-slash style makes him an attractive choice for players who enjoy a more direct approach to combat. Building him as your main DPS in the early game is a solid strategy!
Jianxin
Jianxin excels at crowd control, gracefully dancing around the battlefield and grouping enemies with her Aero-based skills. Jianxin's core gameplay lies in her mastery of "Chi," a resource built up through attacks and skills. This Chi acts as a battery for her abilities, including creating protective shields that heal your active character while also dealing Aero damage to nearby enemies.
However, Jianxin's versatility comes at a cost. As a jack-of-all-trades, she isn't the best in any one area. While this might make her a less optimal choice for highly optimized team compositions in the future, her well-rounded skillset makes her incredibly valuable for early and mid-game content.
Verina
A talented botanist who shows remarkable tenacity for her age, Verina is an invaluable Support character for any team composition. Verina is not only a rare Spectro unit alongside Rover at launch but also uses a Rectifier. It offers a unique blend of healing, buffs, and surprising damage potential.
Unlike your typical early-game healers who fade into obscurity later, Verina thrives throughout your Wuthering Waves journey. Her "Liberation" skill perfectly exemplifies this. Verina unleashes an explosive attack that damages enemies and restores a large amount of health to your party. She marks enemies for follow-up attacks that heal on hit, essentially allowing your team to self-sustain after enduring heavy blows. Remarkably, Verina accomplishes all this with minimal on-field time.
Lingyang
A Glacio DPS, Lingyang embodies the spritzy spirit of a Liondancing prodigy. He is a close-combat DPS who specializes in launching enemies in the air with his Gauntlet attacks before pummeling them back down to earth. Lingyang's dynamic fighting style is a blast, offering a punchy, fast-paced playstyle.
If you enjoy hand-to-hand melee combat, then Lingyang is perfect for you. However, compared to other DPS units like Calcharo and Encore, his overall damage output might be slightly lower. On top of that, Lingyang's focus on aerial attacks can limit his movement options in certain situations.
Encore
Commanding a couple of loyal Woolies, Encore is a Fusion Sub-DPS that wields a Rectifier. With these Woolies by her side, Encore unleashes devastating ranged beam attacks. But her true power lies in her Ultimate. When she unleashes this ability, Encore transforms into a fearsome close-combat fighter, capable of shredding enemies with a flurry of Fusion attacks.
This allows Encore to excel at both single-target damage and close-range burst, making her ideal for melting bosses with ease. However, unlike Calcharo and Lingyang, Encore requires a bit more finesse to master, and her squishiness demands careful positioning in battles.
Which 5-star Standard Character Should Pick in Wuthering Waves?
When picking your free 5-star character, consider Jianxin or Verina for their long-term value. In many gacha games, new DPS characters tend to overshadow older ones over time, due to "power creep." Meanwhile, supportive characters like Jianxin and Verina offer more lasting value. They can buff your entire team and provide relevant utility even as the game introduces new DPS units.
Jianxin offers a mix of healing and DPS, while Verina focuses on powerful heals and buffs. Both will be valuable assets to your team as you progress in Wuthering Waves.
Ultimately, don't feel pressured to adhere to the meta, as it’s ever-shifting! Pick the character who most appeals to your playstyle and who you find most exciting to use. You can get a feel for these characters in Wuthering Waves’ Resonator trial mode to find out who you mesh with the most.
Looking for Tides to pull for your favorite characters? Redeem the latest Wuthering Waves codes to snag some precious Astrite or Lunite for free!
If you're interested in more Wuthering Waves-flavored content, dive into our Wuthering Waves 1.0 hub here, which details its release date, events, story quests, and more. Curious to know who's occupying the first couple of limited-time banners? Take a look at our Wuthering Waves' current and next banners here.
For a glimpse beyond the current and next banners, this 1.X cycle banner order leaks piece has got you covered, where we detail the hottest rumors about the upcoming Resonators in Versions 1.1 and beyond!