Guide
How the kit works
Before a fight, Cloudfencer Art: Warcry attacks the enemy and deals Physical DMG equal to 80% of Sushang's ATK to all enemies upon entering battle. Her regular attacks focus on one target.
Use Cloudfencer Art: Mountainfall against a Weakness Broken enemy when you can. At the listed values, it deals Physical DMG equal to 210% of ATK, with a 33% chance to trigger Sword Stance for an extra 100% of ATK. Against a target with Weakness Break, Sword Stance is guaranteed.
Shape of Taixu: Dawn Herald deals 320% of ATK as Physical DMG and lets Sushang act immediately. It also grants 30% ATK and two extra Sword Stance trigger chances when she uses her Skill, lasting two turns. Sword Stance hits from those extra chances deal 50% of the original damage. Following the Ultimate with her Skill makes use of the immediate action and the added chances.
Dancing Blade increases her SPD by 20% for two turns when an enemy has their Weakness Broken on the field. After her Basic ATK or Skill, her action advances by 15% if any enemy on the field has Weakness Break. Each Sword Stance trigger also raises subsequent Sword Stance damage by 3%, up to 10 stacks.
Cloudfencer Art: Starshine deals Physical DMG equal to 100% of ATK to one enemy at the listed value. Use it when the team needs to save Skill Points.
Build and why
For a CRIT build, start with four pieces of Scholar Lost in Erudition. It gives 8% CRIT Rate and 20% Skill and Ultimate DMG; after the Ultimate, the next Skill gains another 25% DMG. That fits Sushang's immediate action after her Ultimate. Champion of Streetwise Boxing is another choice: it gives 10% Physical DMG and builds up to 25% ATK as she attacks or gets hit.
For a Break Effect build, consider Iron Cavalry Against the Scourge. At 150% Break Effect, its four-piece effect makes Break DMG ignore 10% DEF. At 250%, Super Break DMG ignores another 15% DEF. For planar ornaments, Rutilant Arena gives CRIT Rate and increases Skill DMG at 70% CRIT Rate. Talia: Kingdom of Banditry gives Break Effect, with more at 145 SPD; Firmament Frontline: Glamoth gives ATK and increases damage at 135 and 160 SPD.
Among weapons, start with In the Night for CRIT Rate and SPD-based bonuses to Skill DMG and Ultimate CRIT DMG. Sailing Towards a Second Life is the next choice for a Break build: it gives Break Effect, lets Break DMG ignore DEF and gives SPD at 150% Break Effect. Cruising in the Stellar Sea is another CRIT option. Swordplay is also useful against a target Sushang can keep hitting, though its stacks disappear when she changes targets.
Choose CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG on the body, SPD or ATK Percentage on the feet, Physical DMG Boost on the sphere, and ATK Percentage or Break Effect on the rope. For substats, the game lists CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, ATK Percentage, SPD and Break Effect in that order. Balance those choices with the thresholds on your sets and weapon.
Leveling priority
Follow the game's order: level Cloudfencer Art: Mountainfall first, then Shape of Taixu: Dawn Herald, Cloudfencer Art: Starshine and Dancing Blade. The Skill includes the initial hit and Sword Stance damage, while the Ultimate deals a large hit and sets up extra Sword Stance chances. The Basic improves its single-target hit; the Talent improves the SPD boost tied to Weakness Break.
For maximum ascension, gather 246,400 Credit, 50 Broken Teeth of Iron Wolf, 12 Artifex's Module, 13 Artifex's Cogwheel and 12 Artifex's Gyreheart.
For all skills to maximum, the listed total is 2,400,000 Credit, 5 Tracks of Destiny, 12 Arrow of the Beast Hunter, 54 Arrow of the Demon Slayer, 105 Arrow of the Starchaser, 12 Guardian's Lament, 28 Artifex's Module, 42 Artifex's Cogwheel and 42 Artifex's Gyreheart.
Eidolons worth it
Consider Cut With Ease first: using the Skill against a Weakness Broken enemy restores one Skill Point. It makes those Skill uses easier to fit into a team's point budget.
Dwell Like Water is a later option for speed. It lets the Talent's SPD boost stack twice and gives Sushang one stack as soon as battle starts. Cleave With Heart is worth considering for a Break build because it adds 40% Break Effect.
Refine in Toil reduces damage taken by 20% for one turn after Sword Stance triggers. Rise From Fame and Prevail via Taixu raise skill levels. You can stop at E1 if you don't want the later effects; E2, E3 and E5 are less compelling stopping points, though you must obtain them on the way to E6.
Teams
Sushang wants teammates who help her deal with enemy weaknesses, plus a sustain character to keep the team alive. Her own damage is Physical and mostly single-target, so check the enemies' weaknesses when choosing the other combat types. Her action advance and SPD boost care about a Weakness Broken enemy being on the field, even if it is not the target she attacks.
Ruan Mei is a Break-oriented buffer who fits this plan. Fugue and Trailblazer (Harmony) are options for a Break and Super Break team, particularly if Sushang uses Break Effect gear. Silver Wolf is a debuffer option, while Bronya can fill a buffer slot.
For sustain, consider Luocha or Huohuo. Sushang gives the team concentrated damage against one target; with E1, her Skill also refunds a point when used against a Weakness Broken enemy.
Common mistakes
Don't assume every Skill triggers Sword Stance against an unbroken target: the listed base chance is 33%. Aim at an enemy with Weakness Break when you want the guaranteed trigger, especially with E1.
Don't waste the action after your Ultimate without considering the two extra Skill trigger chances. Keep enough Skill Points available when you want to use that window.
Don't equip threshold-dependent gear and ignore its requirements. Rutilant Arena needs 70% CRIT Rate for its Basic ATK and Skill DMG bonus, while Iron Cavalry Against the Scourge needs 150% Break Effect for its first DEF-ignore effect. Check your in-battle stats when planning around conditional bonuses.
Don't expect Swordplay's stacks to follow you to a new target. If the fight forces frequent target changes, consider a weapon whose effect better suits that fight.
