Wuthering Waves does not really have a "best character." It has a best loop, the Concerto quick-swap that ties a carry, an amplifier, and a support into one rotation, and the teams that top the meta are the ones that run that loop cleanest. So this is a tier list of comps, not units. Each one is ranked on a single question: how reliably does it full-star the current Tower of Adversity and Whimpering Wastes on sane investment, not on a leaderboard whale's account.
If you want the mechanics under the rankings, the best team comps explainer lays out the Main DPS / Sub-DPS / Support shape every team here is built on. This page assumes you already get the shape and just want to know what is winning.
How to read the tiers
- S: the meta anchors. Full-clear current endgame regardless of the affix, want no excuses. If you own one, your account is set for the patch.
- A: excellent with a condition, a specific element window, a better Echo set, or a rerun support to hit their ceiling.
- B: the free-to-play and standard-banner boards that still clear, just with a tighter rotation and less margin.
One rule sits above the list: a team you can actually pilot beats a stronger team you fumble. Wuthering Waves rewards execution, so the S-tier comp you swap-cancel badly loses to the A-tier comp whose rotation is in your fingers. Pick for your hands, not just your roster.
S-tier: the meta anchors
Jinhsi hypercarry
Jinhsi + Yinlin + Shorekeeper.
Still the cleanest hypercarry in the game. Yinlin's Outro feeds Jinhsi's Incandescence stacks so her Resonance Liberation detonates for a single enormous number, and Shorekeeper stapled behind them buffs and heals in one slot so the rotation never has to choose. It asks for a precise swap order, but the ceiling is worth the drill. This is the board every other S-tier comp is measured against.
Carlotta Glacio burst
The premier single-target deleter. Zhezhi's off-field Glacio damage and Outro buff stack cleanly onto Carlotta's burst windows, and Verina holds the whole thing up. Against a single big health bar, this is arguably the fastest clear in the game, which is exactly what a boss-heavy Tower rotation asks for.
Camellya on-field sustain-DPS
Camellya + Sanhua + Shorekeeper.
Camellya wants to stay on field, and this board lets her. Sanhua's Basic Attack buff and fast Concerto generation keep the buffed window open longer, so Camellya's continuous-damage identity gets to actually breathe instead of being interrupted by swaps. The most "hold the button and win" of the S-tier comps once you learn her bloom timing.
A-tier: strong with a condition
Changli Fusion flex
Changli is one of the most flexible carries in the game, equally happy leading her own Fusion team or slotting as a premium sub-DPS in someone else's. Mortefi's coordinated attacks amplify her Fusion combos, Verina sustains. She sits in A only because her damage rewards tight execution more than the S-tier boards do, not because she lacks ceiling. Pilot her well and she plays like S.
Jiyan Aero burst (the value king)
The classic budget-friendly powerhouse. Mortefi amplifies Jiyan's burst window and Baizhi keeps the board cheap, so this is the comp that proves you do not need the newest limited support to clear. Wants a good Aero setup and clean rotation, but the investment-to-output ratio is among the best in the game.
The 3.6 arrivals
The current patch adds two limited Resonators, and here is where they are expected to land:
- Qingxiao, the marquee first-phase pull, reads in the 3.6 preview as an Aero sword main-DPS or hybrid carry. If that holds, she headlines a new Aero core alongside Jiyan-tier enablers and pushes toward S once her best support is out.
- Jingran, the second-phase Resonator, reads as a Fusion Broadblade DPS. A promising anchor for a fresh Fusion team, but male 5-stars in this game have historically lived or died on the comp built around them.
Both are leak-tier until the official broadcast, so treat these placements as provisional. Elements, weapons, and kits have moved between the first datamine and release before. Read the release-date breakdown and check the Convene pity math before you commit Astrite to either.
B-tier: the free-to-play boards that clear
You do not need a limited 5-star to full-star the current Tower. The genre's most quietly generous roster is sitting in your standard banner.
Budget board: a standard-banner carry (Calcharo or Encore) + a free amplifier + Verina or Baizhi.
Verina and Baizhi are two of the best supports in the game and cost nothing, and Calcharo and Encore carry through mid-game endgame just fine on a clean rotation. The gap between B and S here is smaller than in most gacha, because in Wuthering Waves so much of your damage comes from Echoes and execution rather than the carry's rarity. Farm the right Echo main stats, grab every active code for free Astrite, and a free-to-play board holds the line.
Turning the tiers into a plan
| If you have... | Build toward... |
|---|---|
| A hypercarry (Jinhsi, Carlotta, Camellya) | Their premium enabler + Shorekeeper or Verina; that is your S-tier board, done |
| A flex carry (Changli, Jiyan) | Mortefi + a healer; drill the rotation, this plays above its tier |
| Only standard 5-stars | Calcharo or Encore + Verina + Baizhi; farm Echoes, clear the same content slower |
| Pulling on 3.6 | Read the broadcast first; the leaked placements above are provisional |
The through-line: in Wuthering Waves, the Echo grind and your swap execution decide more of your damage than which tier your carry sits in. Get those two right and half this list opens up to you. For where each Resonator ranks on its own, keep the tier list handy, and check the codes page before you build, because free Astrite funds every team on it.
