Alright, fellow Travelers, buckle up! It's 2025, and the waters of Teyvat have gotten a whole lot more... gnarly. HoYoverse has finally dropped the first wave of Natlan characters, and leading the charge is none other than Mualani, the 5-star Hydro catalyst user who decided that walking is for chumps and surfing on a shark-shaped board is the only way to travel. Seriously, her mount isn't just for style points—it's her main weapon. She's basically the cool kid who showed up to the elemental party with a tricked-out ride and immediately made everyone else's DPS look like they're pedaling a tricycle. While Kinich is chilling in the Phase 2 waiting room, Mualani and Kachina are here to make a splash in Phase 1, and rumor has it Mualani might just be the big fish in the Natlan pond.
Her whole deal revolves around summoning that radical surfboard, ramming into enemies to mark them for extra hurt, and transforming her Normal Attacks into a Hydro-powered wave of pain. The kicker? Almost all her damage scales off her Max HP. Yeah, you heard that right. She's like Neuvillette's more adventurous cousin who skipped the whole "losing HP to gain power" drama and just went straight for the big health pool to pack a punch. Off the battlefield, she can still cruise around on her shark-board, making overworld exploration a total breeze. Talk about a versatile queen!
Best Weapons For Mualani: Catch the Perfect Wave! ♀️
Once you've farmed all her ascension mushrooms (or whatever Natlan's local specialty is) and got her to a cool level 90, it's time to gear her up. The weapon choice is where the magic—or should we say, the hydro-kinetics—happens.
The undisputed GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) for Mualani is her signature catalyst, Surf's Up. This thing was literally made for her. It gives her a sweet 20% Max HP boost, which is music to her HP-scaling ears. But wait, there's more! Every 15 seconds, after using her Skill, she gets four stacks of "Scorching Summer." Each stack boosts her Normal Attack DMG by 12%. She loses a stack every 1.5 seconds when her Normal Attacks hit, but guess what? She gains one back every 1.5 seconds when she triggers a Vaporize reaction. This weapon is basically screaming, "Build for Vape teams!" And oh, did we mention the massive 88.2% CRIT DMG sub-stat at level 90? This bad boy lets you focus all your artifact farming energy on CRIT Rate. It's a game-changer.
But let's be real, not everyone has a bottomless wallet of Primogems. If Surf's Up is playing hard to get, here are your next best bets:
| Weapon Name | Rarity | Key Sub-Stat & Effect | Why It's Good for Mualani |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tome of the Eternal Flow | 5-star | 88.2% CRIT DMG, 16% HP | The CRIT DMG is identical to Surf's Up! The Charged Attack buff is meh for her, but the Energy restore is nice. A solid plan B. |
| Sacrificial Jade | 4-star (BP) | 36.8% CRIT Rate, 32% HP & 40 EM when off-field | Perfect for rotation-based teams. She gets buffed while your supports do their thing, then enters the field like a boss. |
| The Widsith | 4-star (Gacha) | 55.1% CRIT DMG, random buff | The classic DPS catalyst. The RNG buff can be insane (ATK%, Elemental DMG%, or EM). High risk, high reward! |
| Prototype Amber | 4-star (F2P Craftable) | 41.3% HP, Energy & Healing | The ultimate budget-friendly option. The HP% is great, and the energy/healing adds comfort. Easy to get to R5. |
| Ring of Yaxche | 4-star (New in 5.0?) | 41.3% HP, boosts Normal Attack DMG based on HP | A leaked weapon tailor-made for HP-scalers. At R5, it can give a whopping 32% Normal Attack DMG bonus. Keep an eye out! |
The bottom line? Prioritize CRIT stats on her weapon. She can stack HP through artifacts more easily than she can stack CRIT DMG or Rate. Weapons with HP%, Elemental Mastery (for those sweet Vaporize numbers), or Energy Recharge are also fantastic choices.
Best Artifacts & Stats For Mualani: Dress for Success (And Massive Damage) 👗
Now for the fashion endgame—the Artifacts. And honey, Natlan brought the heat with a new set that seems made for her.
The absolute best-in-slot is the brand-new Obsidian Codex set from Version 5.0. This set is her soulmate. The 2-piece bonus gives a straight 20% DMG boost when she's on-field and in the "Nightsoul's Blessing" state (which is basically her whole thing). The 4-piece effect is even wilder: after she consumes 10 Nightsoul points on-field, her CRIT Rate skyrockets by 40% for 6 seconds. Given how integral the Nightsoul mechanic is to her kit, she'll have this buff up almost constantly. It's absolutely bonkers.
If you're still farming that perfect Obsidian Codex set and your Resin is crying, a good temporary substitute is Marechaussee Hunter. The 2-piece gives a nice 15% boost to Normal and Charged Attack DMG. The 4-piece gives CRIT Rate when her HP fluctuates. However, this requires her to lose HP, either by taking damage or by having a certain fan-favorite Archon on the team... cough Furina cough. Obsidian Codex is generally better and more consistent for her pure playstyle.
When farming those artifacts, here's your stat priority, no cap:
-
CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG: Get that 1:2 ratio going. If your weapon gives a ton of CRIT DMG (like Surf's Up), focus on CRIT Rate in artifacts, and vice-versa.
-
HP%: This is her damage bread and butter. Sands of Eon should almost always be HP%. Goblet should be Hydro DMG%, and Circlet should be CRIT Rate/DMG.
-
Useful Subs: Energy Recharge (to get her Burst back), Elemental Mastery (for reaction damage).
Best Team Comps For Mualani: Squad Goals 💯
Mualani is, like, super versatile. She's not a diva who needs one specific team; she's the main DPS around whom you build your party.
-
The Vaporize Virtuoso: This is her prime setup, especially with Surf's Up. Pair her with a strong, persistent Pyro applicator like Xiangling or the new Emilie. Add Kazuha or Sucrose for crowd control and Resistance shred, and a shielder/healer like Zhongli or Bennett (for ATK buff and healing). Boom, massive blue numbers everywhere.
-
The Furina Synergy Squad: If you're using Tome of the Eternal Flow or Marechaussee Hunter, Furina is her bestie. Furina's HP-drain triggers those weapon/artifact effects perfectly. Add a team-wide healer like Jean or Charlotte to keep everyone topped up and maximize Furina's buff.
-
The Flexible Fighter: Don't wanna play Vape? No problemo! She can slide into a Hyperbloom team as the Hydro driver. Or, get creative with a hybrid Vaporize/Burn team using Emilie and an Electro character for some chaotic, beautiful damage.
Skill Priority For Mualani: What to Crown First 👑
Talent materials are precious, so spend them wisely!
-
Normal Attack & Elemental Skill (Tied for #1): Level these up together, side-by-side. Her Skill enhances her Normal Attacks, and that's her primary source of damage. They're a package deal.
-
Elemental Burst (#2): It hits hard and looks awesome, but it's not the core of her rotation. Get her NA and Skill to a high level first before dumping resources here.
So there you have it! Mualani's build is surprisingly straightforward: stack HP, CRIT, and let her ride that shark to victory. Her unique kit and flexibility make her a powerhouse that can fit into many teams, and some even say she might give Neuvillette a run for his Mora in single-target scenarios. Now go forth, farm those artifacts, and get ready to make some waves!