I’ve been playing Genshin since launch. I’ve built Hu Tao, Raiden, Ganyu, Ayaka, all the heavy hitters. And I can say without much hesitation that Neuvillette at the right investment level does things that feel genuinely unfair. We’re talking consistent Charged Attack hits that regularly pass 100K, sometimes pushing 200K+ in reaction teams, all while being one of the easiest characters to actually play.
This guide is for players who just pulled him or who have him sitting at level 60 with mediocre artifacts wondering why he doesn’t feel as broken as people say. I’ll explain what makes him work, what artifacts and weapons to use, and how to build a team around him.
What Makes Neuvillette Different
Almost every DPS in Genshin scales primarily off ATK. Neuvillette throws that away. His Charged Attack scales with his Max HP. Specifically, the longer you hold the Charged Attack, the more it scales with HP. His A1 passive also permanently increases his Hydro DMG based on HP above 30,000, adding another layer of HP scaling.
This matters for building him because you completely ignore ATK% on artifacts. His Sands should always be HP%, no exceptions. Goblet is Hydro DMG Bonus, Circlet is Crit DMG (since the best artifact set for him provides a ton of Crit Rate).
He also generates Sourcewater Droplets from reactions and from his own skill and burst. Collecting these before using a Charged Attack boosts its damage further. In actual gameplay, you just see the little droplets floating around and walk through them — it becomes automatic.
Artifacts — Marechaussee Hunter Changed Everything
Before Marechaussee Hunter existed, people were running various combinations of Hydro sets on Neuvillette and he was good but not ridiculous. Then Marechaussee Hunter dropped with the Fontaine update and suddenly he became oppressive.
The 4-piece bonus gives 12% Crit Rate every time your HP increases or decreases, stacking up to three times for a total of 36% Crit Rate. Neuvillette naturally fluctuates HP during combat — his Skill and the Salon Member summons from Furina cause constant HP changes. In practice, you’re almost always at 3 stacks, meaning you’re walking around with 36% bonus Crit Rate on top of whatever your artifact substats give you.
What this means in practice is that you can invest almost all your substat priority into Crit DMG and HP%, and let the set bonus handle your Crit Rate. Aim for roughly 70-80% total Crit Rate with the set bonus active, and stack Crit DMG as high as possible — ideally above 200%.
Weapons
His signature weapon, Tome of the Eternal Flow, is his best option and provides a ridiculous amount of Crit DMG plus an HP-scaling damage bonus. If you pulled him, you probably considered pulling it too. Worth it if you’re planning to use him long-term.
But honestly, Neuvillette is one of those characters who performs well even without his signature. Sacrificial Jade is his best 4-star option, giving HP% and a passive that increases HP further when off-field. Prototype Amber is craftable and gives HP%, making it an accessible free option. Even the 3-star Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers is used in some support builds for the team ATK buff.
Team Compositions
His core team is Neuvillette, Furina, a Cryo or Electro character, and a healer. Let me explain why.
Furina is his best partner by a significant margin. Her Salon Members cause constant HP fluctuation which both charges Marechaussee Hunter stacks AND generates Fanfare for Furina’s Burst buff. The synergy is so strong that Neuvillette with Furina genuinely feels like a different character than Neuvillette without her.
The third slot is usually a Cryo character like Charlotte, Layla, or Freminet for Freeze reactions, or an Electro character for Electro-Charged. Freeze lets you hold enemies in place while you channel the Charged Attack. Electro-Charged keeps reapplying both elements and dealing reaction damage.
The fourth slot is a healer. Baizhu is ideal because he provides shields and healing while being a Dendro character, which pairs nicely for Bloom reactions if you want to go that route. Charlotte also works well and provides Cryo for the third slot at the same time. Kokomi is another popular choice.
Rotation and Playstyle
Neuvillette’s rotation is refreshingly simple compared to characters like Hu Tao or National team compositions. Swap in your support characters, use their skills and bursts to set up reactions and buffs, then swap to Neuvillette and hold Charged Attack. That’s basically it.
The one thing to pay attention to is collecting Sourcewater Droplets before your big Charged Attack. Use his Skill to generate them, walk through them, then hold the Charged Attack button. The fully charged version deals significantly more damage than a quick release.
His Burst is also worth using on cooldown — it deals good Hydro damage and summons droplets you can collect. Don’t skip it just because his Charged Attack feels more satisfying.
If you want to know exactly how much damage your Neuvillette is dealing with your current HP and Crit stats, use the Damage Calculator at the top of the page. HP builds can be counterintuitive to evaluate by eye, and the calculator makes it easy to compare options.