Hey Genshin Impact enthusiasts! Today, let's dive deep into whether Skyward Spine is a viable weapon choice for our beloved chef from Liyue, Xiangling. We'll explore her kit, Skyward Spine's stats and passive abilities, and how they synergize (or don't!) to maximize her potential in various team compositions.

Understanding Xiangling's Kit

Before we assess Skyward Spine, it's crucial to understand what makes Xiangling tick. She's primarily an off-field Pyro DPS character, meaning her main job is to dish out damage while not being the active character on the field. Her kit revolves around two key elements:

• Guoba: Her Elemental Skill summons Guoba, a fiery panda who breathes fire at enemies a few times. Guoba's damage is decent, but its main value lies in applying Pyro consistently.
• Pyronado: Xiangling's Elemental Burst unleashes a spinning Pyronado that deals continuous Pyro damage to enemies. This is where the bulk of her damage comes from, making Energy Recharge a critical stat for her.

Xiangling's constellations further enhance her abilities. For example, C1 reduces enemies' Pyro Resistance, while C4 increases the duration of Pyronado. These constellations amplify her damage potential significantly.

Essentially, Xiangling excels at consistent Pyro application and substantial off-field damage through her Elemental Burst. Therefore, when choosing a weapon for her, we need to prioritize stats that boost her damage output and ensure she can consistently cast her Pyronado.

Skyward Spine: Stats and Abilities

Skyward Spine is a 5-star polearm that offers the following:

• Base ATK: High base attack, which is beneficial for overall damage.
• Energy Recharge: A substantial Energy Recharge substat, addressing Xiangling's energy needs.
• Passive Ability (Eagle's Plume): Increases CRIT Rate and Normal Attack Speed. Additionally, it grants a chance to trigger a small AoE damage effect upon hitting enemies.

At first glance, the Energy Recharge substat seems perfect for Xiangling. However, the passive ability, which focuses on Normal Attack damage and Attack Speed, is where the synergy starts to break down. Xiangling's damage primarily comes from her Elemental Burst, not her Normal Attacks. Therefore, the passive's benefits are largely wasted on her.

Skyward Spine on Xiangling: The Pros and Cons

Let's break down the advantages and disadvantages of equipping Xiangling with Skyward Spine:

Pros:

• Energy Recharge: This is the biggest advantage. Skyward Spine significantly alleviates Xiangling's energy problems, allowing her to cast Pyronado more frequently. This leads to higher overall damage output, especially in energy-hungry team compositions.
• High Base ATK: Contributes to her overall damage, albeit less significantly than other stats.

Cons:

• Wasted Passive: The passive ability is almost entirely useless for Xiangling. She doesn't rely on Normal Attacks for damage, making the CRIT Rate and Attack Speed buffs irrelevant. The small AoE damage effect is also negligible compared to her Pyronado's damage.
• Better Alternatives: There are other polearms that offer more impactful benefits for Xiangling, such as "The Catch" or even some 4-star options with better-suited passives.

In summary, while Skyward Spine's Energy Recharge is valuable, its passive ability is largely wasted on Xiangling. This makes it a suboptimal choice compared to other available options.

Analyzing the Alternatives

So, if Skyward Spine isn't the best choice, what are some better alternatives for Xiangling? Here are a few top contenders:

• "The Catch": This is arguably the best F2P (free-to-play) option for Xiangling. It provides Energy Recharge and significantly boosts Elemental Burst damage and CRIT Rate. It's specifically designed for characters who rely on their Bursts for damage, making it a perfect fit for Xiangling.
• Favonius Lance: Another excellent option for Energy Recharge. Its passive generates energy particles for the entire team, further alleviating energy issues and allowing for smoother rotations.
• Dragon's Bane: This weapon excels in Vaporize or Melt teams. Its passive increases damage against enemies affected by Hydro or Cryo, which synergizes perfectly with Xiangling's Pyro application in those team compositions.
• Staff of Homa: If you're a whale (a player who spends a significant amount of money on the game), Staff of Homa is arguably the best weapon for Xiangling. It provides a massive CRIT DMG boost and increases ATK based on HP, both of which contribute significantly to her damage output.

When choosing a weapon, consider your team composition and playstyle. If you're struggling with energy issues, prioritize Energy Recharge weapons like "The Catch" or Favonius Lance. If you're running a Vaporize or Melt team, Dragon's Bane can be a powerful option. And if you have the resources, Staff of Homa is the ultimate choice for maximizing her damage potential.

Team Compositions and Skyward Spine

Even though Skyward Spine isn't the optimal choice, there might be specific team compositions where its Energy Recharge can be particularly useful. For example, in teams with multiple energy-hungry characters or those that rely heavily on frequent Burst usage, the extra Energy Recharge from Skyward Spine can help smooth out rotations and ensure consistent Burst uptime.

However, even in these situations, it's important to weigh the benefits of the Energy Recharge against the wasted potential of the passive ability. In many cases, using a different weapon with a more relevant passive and adjusting your artifact stats to compensate for the lack of Energy Recharge might still be a better option.

Artifacts and Skyward Spine

When using Skyward Spine, it's crucial to optimize your artifact stats to compensate for its shortcomings. Since the weapon doesn't provide any offensive stats other than Base ATK, you'll need to focus on obtaining CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and ATK% on your artifacts.

The Emblem of Severed Fate artifact set is generally considered the best choice for Xiangling. It provides Energy Recharge and increases Elemental Burst damage based on Energy Recharge, synergizing perfectly with her kit and the Skyward Spine's substat.

Aim for the following main stats on your artifacts:

• Sands: Energy Recharge or ATK% (depending on your energy needs)
• Goblet: Pyro DMG Bonus
• Circlet: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG (depending on your CRIT ratio)

Substat priorities should be CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK%, and Energy Recharge. Strive for a CRIT Rate of at least 50-60% and a CRIT DMG of 120% or higher to maximize your damage output.

Final Verdict: Is Skyward Spine a Good Choice for Xiangling?

So, can Xiangling use Skyward Spine? The answer is yes, but it's not the best. While the Energy Recharge is beneficial, the wasted passive ability makes it a suboptimal choice compared to other available options, especially "The Catch", Dragon's Bane, and Staff of Homa.

If you happen to have Skyward Spine and no other suitable polearms, it can still be a decent option. However, I highly recommend exploring other alternatives to maximize Xiangling's damage potential. Farm for "The Catch", consider using Favonius Lance, or, if you're lucky, try to obtain Staff of Homa.

Ultimately, the best weapon for Xiangling depends on your team composition, playstyle, and available resources. Experiment with different options and see what works best for you. Good luck, and happy cooking!