When it comes to the art of the sword, speed and technique are vital to conquering one’s opponent. But with claymores, the bigger the better! For all you fans of wide swings and gigantic swords, this article is just for you.
Read along to find out the best claymore characters in the game so far (Patch 3.3). Take note that by “best” we mean to evaluate the character as a whole, not just for combat and utility but also when it comes to characterization, style, and impact in the game. Also keep in mind that these characters are judged at C0 to measure combat prowess fairly.
10. Xinyan
Admit it, you also gasped for air when they first revealed Xinyan with her hair down.
Designing the game’s’ one and only rock and roll character as a claymore user just makes a lot of sense. Sparks fly, and the heavy beats are paired with the equally heavy swings of her claymore.
Xinyan is a pyro unit from Liyue that specializes in shields, DoT, and physical damage. She can be used as an off-field support, or, for some, she can also work as a physical damage DPS.
Analysis
Xinyan, despite being one of the early 4-star characters, has a functional kit, but leaves us players wanting for more. Despite that, we can’t deny that she has her uses and teams that can help her shine.
She’s one of those units that scales off multiple stats, depending on what you’re building her as. Unfortunately, her scaling for each isn’t the best, and getting higher constellations for her won’t significantly improve her gameplay. That’s why she takes this spot on our list.
Why Xinyan Is Great For Claymore:
- Destructive playstyle pairs well with her weapon.
- Can attack and defend at the same time.
- Lots of options for her weapon, depending on what style you choose.
9. Noelle
Nobody knows how many people Noelle helps in a single day.
One of the hardest workers in the Knights of Favonius. She’s the prime example of a disciplined professional with the drive to keep improving every day. Yet for some reason, she’s still classified as a maid.
Noelle is one of the first characters that we get in the game. She’s a geo shielder that can also serve as a DPS with the right build.
Analysis
She can give you a pretty handy shield if you’re rolling with an F2P account. Stacking DEF on Noelle is the best way to go, but you’re going to want to get good CRIT ratios if you want to level her up as a DPS.
It’s a bonus that Noelle can also heal her teammates as she attacks. It takes a while though, as she needs to actually hit enemies for the heal to trigger, and it’s not that much anyway. Overall, Noelle is a decent unit that needs a bit of investment to shine among her fellow 4-stars.
Why Noelle Is Great For Claymore:
- Wide claymore attacks are enhanced by her burst.
- Has a great F2P option with the Whiteblind.
- A shielder, healer, and DPS all in one.
8. Dori
Haggle all you want, Dori is sure to make a profit anyway.
This hustler didn’t just buy her way onto our list, she actually earned it! Who knew that such a small figure would be bringing along a claymore when handling naughty customers.
Dori is an electro support that can heal, restore energy, and provide lots of electro application. She probably has the best normal attack animations in the game as she summons her Jinni to do all the claymore swinging for her while she relaxes on top of it.
Analysis
Her most interesting mechanic is that she restores energy to characters on the field directly. This means that you can pop her burst, then switch to your DPS and essentially give them energy as they’re fighting, along with a bit of healing.
Dori needs a good balance of ER and HP to maximize her burst. Luckily, the Sacrificial Greatsword is here to solve all your ER problems. Pair her with a DPS that has a high burst cost and watch your rotations improve drastically.
Why Dori Is Great For Claymore:
- Best claymore attack animations in the game.
- Can heal and restore energy for her team.
- Generally easy to build.
7. Sayu
One of the very few moments where Sayu isn't sleepy.
An actual ninja makes it to our list. She specializes in stealth and espionage, which is very useful in the times where she hides from her superiors to doze off.
Sayu is an anemo unit that has amazing mobility and decent healing. When it comes to ninja skills, Sayu has a nice passive that lets anyone in your team approach crystalflies or other easily startled animals undetected.
Analysis
Sayu is one of those characters that people use for pure fun and exploration rather than combat or meta team compositions.
You’re going to want her on your team when you’re out and about, as her skill will help you cover lots of ground.
Why Sayu Is Great For Claymore:
- Amazing exploration capabilities.
- She wields an adorable tiny claymore.
- Can offer off-field healing for the team.
6. Razor
Still has one of the best character concepts in the game.
Claymore users are known for slow, big hits, but this character defies this stereotype. With the power of electro, he can drastically increase his attack speed. You’d expect nothing less from someone trained by Grand Master Varka himself.
Razor is as primal as it gets. His entire kit revolves around slashing and punishing his enemies. The pack is safe as long as he’s around.
Analysis
He’s one of the few viable physical DPS characters. Rest assured that you’ll be swinging his claymore around all day long with him as your main damage dealer, as his normal attacks are the core of his being. He has lots of artifact sets that can be good for him, and multiple options when it comes to his weapon.
What limits Razor is that he can’t offer anything more than being a DPS. His kit needs him to be selfishly on the field at all times, not to mention the need for a cryo teammate to trigger superconduct.
Why Razor Is Great For Claymore:
- Fast paced claymore style.
- Summons a wolf spirit to fight alongside him.
- Fighting style was taught to him by Grand Master Varka himself.
5. Chongyun
Liyue is safe with this exorcist watching on.
Freeze or melt? This guy can do both. He takes the 5th spot on our list because of his utility and damage. This exorcist is cold as ice but is always ready to help a friend in need.
Chongyun is a cryo unit that can be played as a support or as a sub-DPS. However you play with him is totally up to you, just make sure that he has the appropriate build to maximize his role
Analysis
Chongyun provides weapon infusions for his entire team, this unique skill has given birth to wacky character builds such as cryo DPS Zhongli. When it comes to his burst, it deals a good amount of damage, which can only be multiplied by the melt reaction.
Chongyun also boasts the unique mechanic of increasing the attack speed of any unit inside his AoE skill. This is especially useful for units such as Eula or Razor, who have to make the most out of every attack.
Why Chongyun Is Great For Claymore:
- Can infuse any melee unit with cryo.
- Is generally easy to build, depending on what role you need for him.
- He can increase the attack speed of his team by 8%.
4. Beidou
It's not all fighting and sailing with Captain Beidou, she knows how to party too.
For someone who’s widely known for taking down sea monsters, it’s only fitting that this unit wields the largest weapon type possible to keep up with her gigantic foes.
Captain Beidou of the Alcor is no stranger to combat. Even before getting her vision, she was already a force to be reckoned with, her sheer strength and courage alone were worthy of praise. Now an electro vision wielder, she can choose to take the battle into her own hands, or support her team from off-field.
Analysis
Beidou is still one of the best 4-star units in the game right now, if not, the best 4-star claymore unit. This is thanks to her ability to counter nearly any attack with her skill, and her very useful chain lightning burst. She can fit into almost any team, including the newer dendro team compositions.
It also helps that she has tons of options when it comes to her artifact sets and weapons. If you want value that won’t depreciate anytime soon, I suggest that you start building Beidou in your account right now.
Why Beidou Is Great For Claymore:
- Rough brawler style complements her characterization well.
- Has a lot of weapon options available, depending on how you build her.
- With Beidou, you can get both good electro application and a shield with her burst.
3. Diluc
He might've been a candidate for Acting Grand Master had he not left the Knights of Favonius.
The first ever claymore user that we encounter in the story. He sets the bar for everyone early in the game and still holds a prominent spot on our list.
Diluc is a pyro DPS that mainly focuses on heavy pyro melee attacks. When all charged up, he unleashes a phoenix from his blade to sweep up anyone who’s left.
Analysis
He’s the quintessential claymore user, he has all the makings of an RPG fighter. Diluc was a must-have during the early versions of the game, and he made people actually want to lose the 50-50 pity.
The problem with him today is that he’s so straightforward that he can get old really quick. Don’t get me wrong, he can still take down enemies easily, but with new game mechanics coming every now and then, we can say that he’s not that much of a catch anymore.
Why Diluc Is Great For Claymore:
- You get clean and solid hits from his attack animations.
- All his attacks involve the use of his claymore. A true swordsman!
- He’s currently the only unit in the game to have a 5-star skin.
- You can get his best-in-slot weapon from the standard banner.
2. Eula
She will literally dance circles around her foes.
This character proves that you can still move with style and grace despite carrying a gigantic sword. As the unit with the most views for her character trailer, you can bet that a huge part of the community just loves her.
Eula moves like no other claymore user. She makes attacking feel so fluid and light that it’s like art in motion. She has the damage and kit to back it up too, as she’s currently the best physical damage DPS in the game right now.
Analysis
Eula still holds prominence when it comes to discussions of who has the most damaging burst. When set up correctly, she can clear entire waves of enemies, or even bosses, with just her burst. This is held back, however, by the requirement of hitting enemies with as many normal attacks as you can before her burst pops.
Her being a cryo character means that she only needs an electro character to help her with superconduct, which should be no issue as there are lots of great options.
Why Eula Is Great For Claymore:
- Beautiful attack animations never get old.
- Can reach more than 500k burst damage with the right build and setup.
- Has a lot of options when it comes to artifact sets.
- Benefits from cryo resonance to make achieving good CRIT ratios much easier.
1. Itto
Now that's what you call a devilish look.
He sucks at even the most simple children’s games, but he ranks top 1 here in our list. As the best geo DPS in the game so far, he doesn't disappoint when it comes to combat and sheer destruction.
Arataki Itto is truly one of a kind. He can buff himself with his burst, converting his DEF into ATK which can reach insanely high numbers. His special charged attack slams opponents continuously with his large weapon until he uses up all his stacks. Probably the best thing about him is that he summons an adorable bull named Ushi to fight alongside him.
Analysis
Itto is definitely the best claymore user in the game right now, and arguably one of the best units. His damage numbers are sky high, and he scales completely on DEF so you don’t have to worry about any other stats (aside from CRIT of course).
Similar to Razor, his one and only role is as a main DPS, he won’t do much good as a support. But believe me when I say that he does his job so well that it won’t even matter. What’s even more impressive is that as a geo unit, he doesn’t have access to reactions like vaporize or melt, he works on pure strength alone.
It may be some time before we see anyone dethroning our Oni King!
Why Itto Is Great For Claymore:
- Wild slasher play style is highly satisfying.
- He turns his claymore into a kanabo when using his burst.
- Can be played with even just the Whiteblind as a budget friendly option.
- He only needs geo characters with him to excel.
