With the upcoming release of Varesa inGenshin Impact5.5, players may be wondering if they should pull for the character in her banner if they already have Xiao, as both have similar playstyles and kits.Varesa is a new 5-star Electro unit that uses a catalyst in combat, arriving in Version 5.5. The character from the Collective of Plenty tribe in Natlan hasn’t been introduced as an NPC yet, though she has been mentioned during the regional story arc. Now, HoYoverse has confirmed Varesa as one of the twonew characters inGenshin Impact5.5, alongside the 4-star Iansan.
During the Version 5.5 livestream, HoYoverse showcased the characters’ kits, confirming most of what had already been leaked. In Varesa’s case, for example, it was confirmed that she will be a main DPS in team comps, excelling in carrying the brunt of the party’s damage output. With the character’s showcase,it was also confirmed that Varesa will use Plunging Attacks as the central aspect of her rotation, dealing damage through these somewhat niched attacks. Otherwise exclusive to Xiao, Plunging Attacks became more widespread with the arrival ofXianyun inGenshin Impactsince she can enable party members to jump higher.
Varesa’s Kit Creates Opportunities For Plunging Attacks In Genshin Impact
Her Plunging Attacks Also Fuel Stronger Abilities
While any DPS can arguably become a Plunging Attack DPS if the player has Xianyun in the party, characters with mechanics dedicated exclusively to Plunging Attacks are rarer and are currently limited to Xiao and Gaming. Now, Varesa will become a member of this group, as she not only excels at dealing damage through Plunging Attacks, but the majority of her kit revolves around enabling her to use them.Her Charged Attack, for example, launches her into the sky, which allows her to follow up with a Plunging Attack. This is the core ofVaresa’s gameplay kit inGenshin Impact.
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Additionally, Varesa’s Skill deals damage and allows her to execute a Charged Attack without consuming stamina. Varesa can also enter a special state called Fiery Passion after accumulating enough points – most of which come from Plunging Attacks. In this state, Varesa can then buff her Normal Attacks, Skill, and Burst. Furthermore,using her Burst in the Fiery Passion state enables her to use a Plunging Attack and follow up with a special version of her Burst. As such, not only does Varesa’s kit cater to Plunging Attacks, but her Plunging Attacks cater to her kit’s rotation inGenshin Impact.
Varesa May Feel Like An Updated Version Of Xiao In Genshin Impact
The Natlan Character Pairs Up Well With Newer Characters
As a Plunging Attack specialist and the fact that she is a 5-star unit, Varesa is inevitably compared to Xiao, who matches both her skills and rating. As such, it can be a bit confusing whether or not to pull for Varesa if you already have Xiao – is the investment in something so similar worth it? In terms of stats, it’s difficult to determine how much they differ because of varying builds and team comps, butit’s possible to compare their abilities and the current state of the game. Varesa’s kit is fine-tuned aroundPlunging Attacks inGenshin Impact.
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Her Plunging Attacks fuel her stronger attacks, which then allow her to deal more damage through Plunging Attacks, consolidating her core rotation.This is a well-thought-out kit that allows players to seamlessly play with her, rotate through the rest of the team comp, and then continue the onslaught of damage output. The fact that Varesa can essentially use Plunging Attacks after her Charged Attacks makes her somewhat better thanXiao inGenshin Impactin the sense that the Anemo character relies on his Burst or Xianyun’s presence to use his Plunging Attacks.
If Xiao doesn’t have enough Energy, he may fail to do his duty as a DPS – his Skill does a considerable amount of damage and helps recharge Energy, but it may not be enough, forcing you to go through your team comp’s rotation again.
While Varesa is not exclusively reliant on Xianyun to execute her Plunging Attacks, she benefits from the Adeptus’ presence, as Xianyun buffs Plunging Attacks. As such, players may see themselves compelled to also pull for Xianyun. If they already have her, they may take away Xiao’s best support unit, however, so players should be wary of this. Another crucial aspect of Varesa’s kit is that she is not only an Electro character, but she is also from Natlan.This means she has Nightsoul mechanics and can interact with several other Natlan characters, like Xilonen, Citlali, andMavuika inGenshin Impact.
A lot of these supporting and sub-DPS Natlan characters tend to have mechanics that benefit from Nightsoul point accumulation or Nightsoul Bursts, which makes Varesa a better companion to them than Xiao. As such,Varesa can feel like an up-to-date version of Xiao, who offers a better-structured kit, and one that attends to the current characters in the spotlight. Xiao is still a very powerful Plunging Attack DPS to use, but he seems a bit more dependent on optimized builds and team comps, while Varesa offers a lot of new versatility. Even so, they’re still very similar inGenshin Impact.
Is It Worth Pulling For Varesa In Genshin Impact 5.5?
If You Are Tired Of Xiao & His Reliance On Energy, Consider The New Character
Overall, choosing to pull for Varesa while having Xiao is up to whether or not you’re tired of the Anemo character but are still willing to use Plunging Attacks during your gameplay.Xiao is still very much usable and, alongside Xianyun, he can be one of the best DPS. He may also go through something of a minor overhaul soon with the release of anew Artifact set inGenshin Impactthat benefits Plunging Attacks. As such, if players already have Xiao and are satisfied with him as a Plunging DPS, players may be better off not pulling for Varesa.
If this is the case, I’d recommend saving Primogems for Xianyun, who could boost Xiao’s power, Xilonen, who is arguably one of the best support units due to her RES Shred, or even Skirk, expected to arrive within a few patches.
If you’re tired of Xiao and his reliance on Energy, but without enough patience to optimize his build and team comp for more consistent Energy Recharge, Varesa may be a good option. The Electro character is a promising Plunging Attack that doesn’t rely that much on Energy and, furthermore, she is great when paired with other Natlan characters, because of both the aforementioned Nightsoul mechanics and the possible Elemental Reactions she can trigger – whereas Xiao is limited to Swirl Reactions inGenshin Impact.
