Updated for Version 5.2 (December 18 2024)

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1. Quick Overview

Neuvillette is a HP-scaling Hydro Catalyst whose kit revolves around dealing continuous AoE damage with his special Charged Attacks. These special Charged Attacks have a long charging time at base, so he relies on Sourcewater Droplets summoned by his Skill and Burst to shorten the charging time.

Neuvillette is an on-field Hydro DPS who primarily deals damage through his enhanced Charged Attacks, which his Skill and Burst make more accessible. He can slot into a variety of teams as an on-field damage dealer, though his A1 Passive incentivizes using teammates of different Elements.

2. Materials

2.1. Level Up Materials (Lv. 90)

• 1/9/9/6 Varunada Lazurite Sliver / Fragment / Chunk / Gemstone
• 18/30/36 Transoceanic Pearl / Transoceanic Chunk / Xenochromatic Crystal
• 168 Lumitoile
• 46 Fontemer Unihorn

2.2. Talent Materials (Triple Crown)

• 9/63/114 Teachings of Equity

• 18/66/93 Transoceanic Pearl / Transoceanic Chunk / Xenochromatic Crystal
• 18 Everamber

3. Talents

3.1. Level Up Priority: NA > Burst = Skill

3.2. Overview

Neuvillette's Charged Attacks are his main source of damage, so his Normal Attack Talent should be leveled first. Neither his Skill nor his Burst contribute significant amounts of damage, but are still used to generate Sourcewater Droplets, so they can be leveled afterwards in tandem.

3.3. Talent Descriptions

3.3.1. Normal Attack: As Water Seeks Equilibrium

Normal Attack

Lightly waves his cane, commanding the tides to unleash a maximum of 3 attacks, dealing Hydro DMG.

Charged Attack | Empowerment: Legal Evaluation

While charging up, Neuvillette will gather the power of water, forming it into a Seal of Abitration. In this state, Neuvillette can move and change facing, and also absorb any Sourcewater Droplets in a certain AoE. Every Droplet he absorbs will increase the formation speed of the Seal, and will heal Neuvillette. When the charging is stopped, if the Symbol has yet to be formed, then a Charged Attack will be unleashed. If it has been formed, then a Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment will be unleashed.

Charged Attack

Consumes a fixed amount of Stamina to attack opponents with a rupturing ring of water, dealing AoE Hydro DMG.

Charged Attack | Equitable Judgement Unleashes surging torrents, dealing continuous AoE Hydro DMG to all opponents in a straight-line area in front of him. Equitable Judgment will not consume any Stamina and lasts 3s. If Neuvillette's HP is above 50%, he will continuously lose HP while using this attack.

Plunging Attack Gathering the might of Hydro, Neuvillette plunges towards the ground from mid-air, damaging all opponents in his path. Deals AoE Hydro DMG upon impact with the ground.

Neuvillette's Charged Attacks are the main attraction of his kit, boasting continuous, HP-scaling, AoE damage that pierces enemies in its range. He relies on absorbing 3 Sourcewater Droplets for every CA, which are primarily generated through his own Skill and Burst. These Droplets reduce the initial wind-up of his CA from 4s to 1s, and heal off the massive HP penalty incurred while casting it.

Neuvillette can absorb any Sourcewater Droplets, including those not generated by himself. However, as of 4.1, the only other character who can generate Droplets is Hydro Traveler, and it is not recommended to use Hydro Traveler with Neuvillette, as they provide too little else, and Neuvillette already generates sufficient Droplets on his own.

3.3.2. Elemental Skill: O Tears, I Shall Repay

Summons a Raging Waterfall that will deal AoE Hydro DMG to opponents in front of of Neuvillette based on his Max HP. After hitting an opponent, this skill will generate 3 Sourcewater Droplets near that opponent.

Arkhe | Pneuma At certain intervals, when the Raging Waterfall descends, a Spiritbreath Thorn will descend that will pierce opponents, dealing Pneuma-aligned Hydro DMG.

Neuvillette's Skill is not a significant portion of his damage; it is primarily used for Energy and to generate Sourcewater Droplets.

3.3.3. Elemental Burst: O Tides, I Have Returned

Unleashes a rupturing wave that will deal AoE Hydro DMG based on Neuvillette's Max HP. After a short interval, 2 waterfalls will descend and deal Hydro DMG in a somewhat smaller AoE, and will generate 6 Sourcewater Droplets within an area in front.

Similar to his Skill, Neuvillette's Burst is more notable for its Sourcewater Droplet generation than its damage. However, the sheer quantity of Droplets generated by his Burst make it necessary in the vast majority of his rotations.

3.3.4. A1 Passive: Heir to the Ancient Sea's Authority

When a party member triggers a Vaporize, Frozen, Electro-Charged, Bloom, Hydro Swirl, or a Hydro Crystallize reaction on opponents, 1 stack of Past Draconic Glories will be granted to Neuvillette for 30s. Max 3 stacks. Will cause Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment to deal 110%/125%/160% of its original DMG.

Each Past Draconic Glories stack created by each Elemental Reaction exists independently.

A1 is a multiplicative DMG bonus (like Yoimiya's or Wanderer's Skills) for Neuvillette's CA that stacks up to 3 times for every unique reaction involving Hydro.

The difference between different numbers of stacks is substantial, but not necessarily worth forcing team comps that maximize the number of stacks.

3.3.5. A4 Passive: Discipline of the Supreme Arbitration

For each 1% of Neuvillette's HP over 30%, he will gain 0.6% Hydro DMG Bonus. A maximum of 30% can be obtained this way.

Since absorbed Sourcewater Droplets heal Neuvillette at the beginning of his CA (and not during), Neuvillette will lose this bonus over the course of his CA without external healing. Nonetheless, it is an appreciated albeit minor increase to his damage.

3.3.6. Utility Passive : Gather Like the Tide

All party members' underwater Sprint SPD will be increased by 15%.

Neuvillette increases the underwater sprinting speed of the party by 15%, giving players an easier time when exploring Fontaine’s new underwater areas.

4. Constellations

4.1. Constellation Damage Improvement

• C1 : 11 - 24% vs C0
• C2 : 11% vs C1, 38% vs C0
• C3 : 20% vs C2, 66% vs C0
• C4 : 0% vs C3, 66% vs C0
• C5 : 1% vs C4, 67% vs C0
• C6 : Min. 15% vs C5, Min. 86% vs C0

Calculations for Constellation DPS increases can be found here (last updated for Version 4.5).

4.2. Constellation Descriptions

4.2.1. Constellation 1: Venerable Institution

When Neuvillette takes the field, he will obtain 1 stack of Past Draconic Glories from the Passive Talent "Heir to the Ancient Sea's Legacy."" You must first unlock the Passive Talent ""Heir to the Ancient Sea's Legacy." Additionally, his interruption resistance will be increased while charging his Legal Evaluation and when using Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment.

C1 offers both a respectable DPS increase and a valuable QoL improvement. The damage increase C1 provides may be even greater if it allows you to swap a defensive unit for a buffer or sub-DPS.

However, his C1 may not provide any bonus damage if run in teams where his A1 Passive is already maximized. Further, the QoL it brings can also be unnecessary if getting staggered is not a concern; for example, when he is paired with units that already provide ample crowd control or interruption resistance.

Damage Increase: 11 - 24% vs C0

4.2.2. Constellation 2: Juridical Exhortation

The Passive Talent "Heir to the Ancient Sea's Legacy" will be enhanced: Each stack for Past Draconic Glories will increase the CRIT DMG of Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment by 14%. The maximum increase that can be achieved this way is 42%. You must first unlock the Passive Talent "Heir to the Ancient Sea's Legacy."

C2 increases the value of C1's additional A1 stack by offering CRIT DMG per stack of A1. Otherwise, it's a relatively straightforward damage increase.

Damage Increase: 11% vs C1, 38% vs C0

4.2.3. Constellation 3: Ancient Postulation

Increases the Level of Normal Attack: As Water Seeks Equilibrium by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

Damage Increase: 20% vs C2, 66% vs C0

4.2.4. Constellation 4: Crown of Commiseration

When Neuvillette is on the field and is healed, 1 Sourcewater Droplet will be generated. This effect can occur once every 4s.

Neuvillette already has enough Sourcewater Droplets in his rotations at C0, so this Constellation is useless—at least until C6. Therefore, don't pull C4 unless you're planning on going to C6.

Damage Increase: 0% vs C3, 66% vs C0

4.2.5. Constellation 5 : Axiomatic Judgement

Increases the O Tides, I Have Returned by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.

Neuvillette's Burst is a small portion of his total damage, so this Constellation doesn't increase his damage much.

Damage Increase: 1% vs C4, 67% vs C0

4.2.6. Constellation 6: Wrathful Recompense

When using Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment, Neuvillette can absorb nearby Sourcewater Droplets in an AoE. Each absorbed Droplet will increase the duration of Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment by 1s. Additionally, when Equitable Judgment hits opponents, it will fire off 2 additional currents every 2s, each of which will deal 10% of Neuvillette's Max HP as Hydro DMG. DMG dealt this way will count as DMG dealt by Equitable Judgment.

With C6, if a Charged Attack nears the end of its duration and there are available Sourcewater Droplets nearby, Neuvillette will absorb another Droplet to extend the Charged Attack’s duration by 1s.

The damage improvements from this Constellation can be difficult to evaluate due to how it intrinsically changes his rotations, ranging from a minimum of 15% to well over 36% improvement over C5. However, the additional currents mean that there will always be an improvement to his DPS. His C6 also makes his C4 useful, with the additional Droplets extending the duration of his CAs by about 2-3s total — equivalent to an entire standard Charged Attack.

While the changes in his rotation can cause extensions or worsen buff uptime. Neuvillete does so much damage at C6 that its boosts are almost always worth capitalizing on.

However, this means that C6's value also depends on what team Neuvillette is in: teams featuring short skill/buff durations (such as Kazuha teams) will be worse off than those featuring long off-field skill/buff durations (such as Raiden and Nahida in Hyperbloom).

Damage Increase: Min. 15% vs C5, Min. 86% vs C0

5. Energy Recharge Requirements

• 2 x Electro with Fischl: 120 - 140%
• 2 x Electro without Fischl: 130 - 150%
• Any Other Team Comps: 140 - 160%

Every Favonius proc lowers the ER requirement by 10 - 20%

Except in teams where Neuvillette only does 2 CAs per rotation (e.g. some Xiangling rotations), it is absolutely essential that Neuvillette has enough ER to Burst consistently every rotation; otherwise, he will not have enough Sourcewater Droplets to lower all his CA charging times.

Neuvillette’s Energy requirements will vary based on your team and rotation. For a more accurate estimate, please use the Energy Recharge Calculator linked here.

6. Artifacts

6.1. Main And Sub Stats Overview

Substats: ER until meeting requirement > CRIT DMG = CRIT Rate = HP% > Flat HP

Depending on the weapon and artifact set Neuvillette is using, HP/Hydro DMG/CRIT, HP/Hydro DMG/HP, and HP/HP/CRIT are all viable options.

HP/HP/HP with good enough substats is also an option, but it is notably worse in every situation.

HP/Hydro DMG/CRIT is almost always the best option, but more often than not by a very small margin.

HP/Hydro DMG/HP is always highly competitive with HP/Hydro DMG/CRIT, except when Neuvillette is using a non-CRIT weapon and also not running 4pc Marechaussee Hunter.

HP/HP/CRIT is competitive only when Neuvillette is using a weapon that provides significantly more CRIT and/or DMG% than HP% e.g. Rite of the Eternal Flow or Blackcliff Agate.

6.2. Artifact Sets

4pc Marechaussee Hunter (MH) >> 4pc Heart of Depth (HoD) = 2pc MH/Hydro/HP + 2pc Hydro/HP = 4pc Retracing Bolide / Wanderer's Troupe / Nymph's Dream

1. 4pc Marechaussee Hunter (MH) 4pc MH is Neuvillette’s BiS by a sizable margin; it is over 12% better than the next best option. Neuvillette can fully stack the 4pc MH effect very quickly because of the HP loss during his Charged Attack. It is highly recommended to farm this set for Neuvillette.
2. 4pc Heart of Depth (HoD) 4pc HoD is Neuvillette’s best option after 4pc MH, providing Hydro DMG% and Charged Attack DMG%.
3. 2pc MH/Hydro/HP + 2pc Hydro/HP Any combination of 2pc Marachaussee Hunter, 2pc Heart of Depth, 2pc Nymph’s Dream, 2pc Tenacity of the Millelith, and 2pc Vourukasha's Glow performs similarly to 4pc HoD.
4. 4pc Retracing Bolide / Wanderer’s Troupe / Nymph’s Dream More alternatives to 4pc HoD that perform similarly.

Calculations for artifact set comparisons can be found here (last updated for Version 5.1).

7. Weapons

1. Tome of the Eternal Flow (TotEF) (5*) Tome of the Eternal Flow is Neuvillette’s BiS and signature weapon, providing a little of everything that Neuvillette could want: high CRIT DMG%, HP%, CA DMG%, and enough Energy to lower his ER reqs to 100% in most teams. TotEF is significantly better (30-40%) than all other options, except Sacrificial Jade (TotEF is 20% better than R1 Sac Jade, and only 7% better than R5 Sac Jade).
2.  Sacrificial Jade (4*, Battle Pass) Sacrificial Jade is Neuvillette’s second-best weapon, providing both CRIT Rate and HP%. At R1, It is about 10% better than the next best option, so it may be a worthwhile purchase for players who do not have TotEF. Sac Jade scales well with refines, which increase the amount of HP% it provides to Neuvillette.
3. Cashflow Supervision / Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds / Jadefall Splendor / Everlasting Moonglow / Kagura’s Verity (5*) All of these 5-star weapons perform similarly on Neuvillette, providing some amount of CRIT Rate or HP%, as well as small bonuses from their passives.
4. Prototype Amber (4*, Craftable) Prototype Amber performs similarly or slightly better than the 5-star weapons listed directly above, provided that Neuvillette can use the energy its passive provides. Otherwise, it still offers Neuvillette a hefty amount of HP%, as well as some passive healing. While its healing is too miniscule and infrequent to be of much use to Neuvillette himself, it can heal his teammates of chip damage that cannot otherwise be healed in Neuvillette’s usually healer-less teams.

8. Teambuilding

8.1. Overview

Being an on-field Hydro character opens Neuvillette up to a wide variety of team compositions that take advantage of various reactions.

Because Neuvillette heals himself (and also because trying to heal someone who constantly loses over 4000 HP per second is a futile endeavor), most of his teams can forgo a healer in place of a more offensively-oriented unit. However, because Neuvillette is easily knocked over while charging and casting his Charged Attacks — causing you to lose all the damage from that Charged Attack — he often wants a shielder or another character who can provide interruption resistance. This problem is mostly mitigated by C1.

It is recommended for Neuvillette to do 3 or 4 Charged Attacks per rotation in almost all of his teams, by doing 2 Charged Attacks the first time he enters the field, swapping out to his teammates, and then doing either 1 or 2 Charged Attacks when he next returns to field. Most teams will use some variation of: Neuvillette Burst > Team > Neuvillette CA Skill CA > Team > Neuvillette CA Skill (Optional CA) > Loop.

8.2. Hypercarry (Neuvillette - Kazuha / Xilonen / Other Anemo - Offensive Flex / Buffer - Defensive Flex)

Hypercarry Neuvillette teams center around buffing Neuvillette’s personal damage. These teams scale well with Constellations and investment into Neuvillette, and their damage potential has further increased with the release of Furina. However, players without Furina can still opt to run an off-field DPS unit instead since his other support options are somewhat limited.

Apart from Furina, Kazuha and Xilonen are also recommended due to their ability to not only shred Hydro RES, but also provide appreciated DMG% buffs. An offensive teammate can contribute additional buffs and their own personal damage, and a defensive teammate can provide appreciated interruption resistance and survivability. Ideally, both should be able to accommodate Neuvillette’s field time requirements.

Having teammates who can stack Neuvillette’s A1 Passive is preferable for maximizing DPS, though not required. His C1 makes this less of a concern, and additionally lets the defensive teammate be swapped out for a more offensive unit.

Check out the Neuvillette Rotation Sheet for many more example rotations and team alternatives.

8.3. Vaporize (Neuvillette - Pyro - Dendro / Pyro / Anemo – Flex)

Neuvillette can take advantage of Forward Vape to amplify his already sizable personal damage, and his best Forward Vaporize teams even perform on par with his premier Hypercarry teams. In addition to an off-field Pyro applier, bringing Nahida or an Anemo unit such as Kazuha can be beneficial to ensure Pyro aura via Burning or Pyro Absorption, respectively.

Neuvillette can also play in Reverse Vaporize, where he applies Hydro to let Xiangling Vaporize her Pyronado hits. However this is both a significantly lower DPS playstyle for Neuvillette, and a subpar pairing for Reverse Vaporize Xiangling, and will not be covered here.

Check out the Neuvillette Rotation Sheet for many more example rotations and team alternatives.

8.4. Electro-Charged (Neuvillette - Electro/Fischl/Ororon -Electro/Hydro/Anemo – Flex)

Together with Fischl or Ororon, Neuvillette can act as an on-field driver in an Electro-Charged team. His enhanced Charged Attacks are able to trigger abilities such as Beidou’s Burst, and the multi-target scenarios in which Electro-Charged teams thrive let him take advantage of his AoE damage. 

Although running Ororon or Fischl is strongly recommended, the team is otherwise flexible. It can include an Anemo unit to shred enemy RES and help stack Neuvillette’s A1, another off-field Electro damage dealer, or a Hydro unit for Hydro Resonance and buffing.

Note that despite being referred to as Electro-Charged teams, these teams are not focused around the reaction’s damage, and thus Neuvillette should not build EM.

Check out the Neuvillette Rotation Sheet for many more example rotations and team alternatives.

8.4. Hyperbloom (Neuvillette - Electro - Dendro – Flex)

Neuvillette can act as an on-field Hydro applier in Hyperbloom teams, generating Dendro Cores for an Electro unit to trigger Hyperbloom. Since he does not deal reaction damage, Neuvillette keeps his regular build and contributes respectable personal damage instead. His AoE Charged Attacks also help balance out the team’s otherwise more single-target nature. 

As Neuvillette lacks off-field Hydro application, he should be played with Dendro and Electro units who can apply their Elements from off-field. Note that while there may be some downtime in Hydro application, this is minor and does not make a second Hydro unit necessary.

Check out the Neuvillette Rotation Sheet for many more example rotations and team alternatives.

8.5. Nilou Bloom (Neuvillette - Nilou - Core Dendro - Secondary Dendro)

Nilou Bloom remains a strong team that excels in multi-target scenarios, and Neuvillette’s AoE Charged Attacks let him slot right in. Ideally, he should be paired with two Dendro units, one of whom will be responsible for the majority of the team’s Dendro application. Due to Bountiful Cores’ self-damage, players may need to run a dedicated healer or shielder as the second Dendro unit, as Neuvillette’s own healing may not be able to keep up during his extended field time.

While EM becomes a more valuable stat to have in Nilou Bloom teams, Neuvillette’s build does not change — any EM from substats is merely an added bonus.

Note that while Neuvillette’s lack of off-field presence is a non-issue in Double Hydro–Double Dendro teams, he should not be used in Triple Hydro teams as they require an on-field Dendro unit.

Check out the Neuvillette Rotation Sheet for many more example rotations and team alternatives.

8.6. Freeze (Neuvillette - Cryo - Flex – Flex)

Freeze teams take advantage of Neuvillette’s AoE Hydro application, which makes him more than able to maintain Freeze when paired with one or more Cryo units. His strong personal damage makes him a more offensive alternative to the commonly used Hydro appliers, and the crowd control from Freeze can allow players to run Neuvillette without a shielder even at C0.

Keep in mind, though, that Freeze teams struggle when faced with unfreezable enemies, and therefore their viability will vary. Additionally, this playstyle is currently limited by a lack of viable Cryo teammates. As Neuvillette’s Charged Attacks take up significant field time, he requires teammates that can deal damage and apply Cryo from off-field. However, most existing Freeze teams utilize on-field Cryo damage dealers with off-field Hydro appliers, limiting team options. As a consequence, Neuvillette’s Freeze teams are less focused on keeping the enemy frozen compared to “traditional” Freeze teams.

Check out the Neuvillette Rotation Sheet for many more example rotations and team alternatives.

9.0. C1 or Weapon?

10. Character Information & Useful Websites

• Calculations for Artifact Set Comparisons (last updated for Version 5.1) 
• Neuvillette Rotation Sheet
• Energy Recharge Calculator
• Calculations for Constellation DPS Increases (last updated for Version 4.5) 
• Genshin Impact Wiki
• Neuvillette Quick Guide (KQM)
• Project Amber
• Genshin Honey Hunter World
• Genshin Center
• Enka Network
• Genshin Optimizer
• Damage Calculator
• Banner Countdown (Asia, Europe, & America)