WuWa 3.4 Phase 2 Cartethyia — T0 Aero Hyper-Carry Build

Cartethyia returns to Wuthering Waves as the Phase 2 rerun banner of Version 3.4, opening on June 18, 2026 — and she's the T0 Aero hyper-carry many Rovers have been waiting for since her debut. With unique HP-scaling damage (not the typical ATK-scaling), dual-form combat between Cartethyia and Fleurdelys, and end-of-encounter burst exceeding 71,900 single-target DPS at maxed investment, Cartethyia stands as one of WuWa's defining Aero DPS picks. Here's the complete rerun build walkthrough for Rovers preparing to pull and build her.

🪽 Why Cartethyia's Rerun Matters

Cartethyia is a 5-star Aero Sword DPS who broke the WuWa meta on her debut. The community consensus at Prydwen, Game8, and Hakush.in places her at T0 tier for Aero teams — the highest possible tier. Her rerun on Phase 2 of Version 3.4 (June 18 - July 9, 2026) is the first chance Rovers have had to pull her since her debut window closed.

What makes Cartethyia genuinely unique is her HP-scaling damage. Unlike nearly every other DPS in WuWa, her abilities scale off Maximum HP rather than ATK. This single mechanic rewrites the entire gear philosophy around her — ATK% main stats become wasted, while HP% main stats become essential. Combined with her dual-form mechanic (Cartethyia + Fleurdelys), she creates a play pattern unlike any other Aero DPS in the roster.

⚔️ Cartethyia's Kit Breakdown

Element: Aero (Spectro counter)
Weapon Type: Sword
Role: Main DPS / Hyper-Carry
Damage Scaling: HP-based (unique!)

Her gameplay loop:

Basic Attack (4-slash): Standard sword combo to build Conviction resource
Heavy Attack — Heterodox Sword Phantom: Applies 2 Aero Erosion stacks per hit, key for boss damage pressure
Resonance Skill — Sword to Answer Waves' Call: Swift kick that applies 4 Aero Erosion stacks, fast cooldown
Resonance Liberation (Ultimate) — Manifest Mode: Transforms between Cartethyia and Fleurdelys form, unlocking aerial combat and damage burst
Fleurdelys (Transformation Form): Mid-air sword attacks, 5-hit Basic restores Conviction, enables vertical combat positioning

The Aero Erosion mechanic is core to her power — stacking Erosion debuffs on enemies creates compounding damage windows that her teammates can also exploit. Cartethyia builds Erosion faster than nearly any other Aero character in the roster.

⚙️ Best Weapon Setup

Signature Weapon: Defier's Thorn (5-Star Sword)

Defier's Thorn is Cartethyia's signature weapon and her clear BiS choice. The weapon's stat profile and passive are tuned specifically to her HP-scaling and Aero Erosion mechanics — substantially out-scaling generic 5-star alternatives. If you pull Cartethyia, prioritize her signature weapon on the same weapon banner.

Non-Signature 5-Star Alternatives:

Verdant Summit — Standard banner Sword option with strong general scaling
Other Aero-specific Swords — Verify current options via Prydwen banner tier list

4-Star Budget Options:

Dauntless Evernight — Battle pass option with solid all-around stats
Endless Collapse — Standard banner 4-star with HP scaling synergy potential

If you can't afford Defier's Thorn, you can still build Cartethyia competitively — just expect a noticeable damage ceiling reduction compared to her signature setup.

🔮 Best Echo Set — Windward Pilgrimage 4-piece

The undisputed BiS Echo set for Cartethyia is Windward Pilgrimage 4-piece, the Aero-themed Echo set that synergizes perfectly with her elemental identity. The 4-piece bonus amplifies her Aero damage directly while supporting Aero Erosion mechanics.

Echo Configuration: 44111 (Cost Distribution)

The 44111 cost distribution means:

One 4-cost Echo — Main Echo skill slot (typically Cartethyia's primary damage Echo)
One 4-cost Echo — Secondary high-cost slot
Three 1-cost Echoes — Stat-providing slots

Main Stat Priorities (CRITICAL — Different from typical builds!):

4-Cost Echo (Main Slot): Aero DMG% Bonus
4-Cost Echo (Secondary): HP% (NOT ATK%! Her damage scales off HP!)
3-Cost Echo (if used): HP% (always HP% for Cartethyia)
1-Cost Echoes: Mix of HP% and Crit DMG / Crit Rate

Why ATK% mainstats are WASTED on Cartethyia:

Most WuWa DPS characters scale off ATK, so ATK% main stat is default. Cartethyia breaks this rule entirely — her abilities calculate damage from Max HP. Slotting ATK% main stats on her gear is equivalent to leaving the stat slot empty. This is the most common build mistake for new Cartethyia players, and it dramatically reduces her damage ceiling.

📊 Substat Priorities

HP% — Core scaling stat
Crit Rate — Push toward 70%+ for consistent crits
Crit DMG — Aim for 200%+ multiplier
Flat HP — Secondary scaling contribution
Energy Regen — For Resonance Liberation uptime
ATK% — Last priority, only valuable if no other options

The Crit ratio for Cartethyia trends around 1:2 (Crit Rate to Crit DMG) — standard for high-end WuWa DPS builds.

👥 Best Team Compositions

Team #1: Cartethyia Hyper-Carry (BiS)

Cartethyia (Main DPS)
Ciaccona (Sub-DPS / Aero amplifier)
Chisa or Aero Rover (Aero support / debuffer)

This is the consensus best team for maximizing Cartethyia's solo damage ceiling. Ciaccona provides Aero damage amplification, while Chisa or Aero Rover layers debuffs that compound with Cartethyia's Aero Erosion stacks.

Team #2: Mono-Aero Variant

Cartethyia (Main DPS)
Ciaccona (Sub-DPS)
Aero Rover (Support, free character, easy to build)

Budget-friendly variant that performs nearly as well as the BiS team, using free Aero Rover instead of Chisa.

Team #3: Cartethyia + Off-Element Burst

Cartethyia (Main DPS)
Off-Element Sub-DPS (e.g., Carlotta for elemental variety)
Healer/Support (Verina, Shorekeeper)

Useful for content where elemental diversity matters more than pure Aero amplification.

📈 Damage Ceiling — Endgame Performance

Properly built Cartethyia setups achieve:

Single-Target DPS: Up to ~71,900 per second at maxed investment (per Game8 testing)
AoE Burst: Substantial multi-target damage during Resonance Liberation windows
Aero Erosion Application Rate: Fastest in the roster, enabling rapid stack buildup
Tower of Adversity Performance: Top-tier for Aero damage floors

The 71,900 DPS figure assumes:

Signature weapon Defier's Thorn at S0
Windward Pilgrimage 4-piece with optimal substats
Full Resonance Chain (S6) or near-max activation
Optimal team composition (Ciaccona + Chisa/Aero Rover)
Skilled rotation execution

Realistic mid-investment builds reach 35,000-50,000 DPS, which is still elite tier for WuWa endgame content.

🎯 Pull Strategy for Cartethyia's Rerun

Pull Cartethyia if:

Your roster lacks a strong Aero DPS
You want a HP-scaling character (different gear philosophy is rewarding)
You enjoyed her debut window and missed the original pull window
You have 80+ pulls saved and don't plan to chase Lucilla (June 13 banner) heavily
Your team building benefits from Aero Erosion application

Consider passing if:

You already have a strong Aero DPS built (Jinhsi, other Aero hyper-carries)
You're saving for Version 3.5's banners (verify upcoming character leaks)
You don't enjoy HP-scaling build optimization (it requires gear rework)
You have less than 50 Astrite/Convene reserves and need them for guaranteed pulls

For a complete pull strategy across all four Version 3.4 banners (Cartethyia + Lucilla + Lucy + Free Rebecca), see our WuWa 3.4 Pull Priority Guide for budget-tier recommendations. Rovers who haven't yet claimed their Free Rebecca should prioritize that login event before spending Astrite on Cartethyia — it's a guaranteed 5-star at zero cost.

📅 Cartethyia Phase 2 Banner Timeline

June 18, 2026 — Phase 2 banner opens, Cartethyia rerun + Defier's Thorn weapon banner
July 9, 2026 — Phase 2 banner closes, Version 3.5 launches with new characters

The 21-day banner window is the standard WuWa Phase 2 duration. Plan your pulls within this window — Cartethyia's next rerun is unlikely until late 2026 at earliest.

💡 Build Tips for Cartethyia

HP% mainstats are mandatory — never use ATK% on her gear; it's wasted scaling
Prioritize signature weapon Defier's Thorn — the gap to alternatives is large
Master her Resonance Skill rotation — Sword to Answer Waves' Call is her primary Aero Erosion application tool
Learn the Form Swap timing — Cartethyia → Fleurdelys → Cartethyia rotation maximizes damage windows
Pair with Ciaccona — the synergy is meaningfully better than non-Ciaccona variants
Don't skip Defier's Thorn weapon banner — her signature multiplier is substantial
Build to S0 first — focus on weapon and Echoes before chasing higher Resonance Chains

🛒 Build Cartethyia to T0 Ceiling

Cartethyia's rerun banner closes July 9, 2026 — and the gap until her next rerun could be many months. Rovers ready to pull her at full pity and push her to T0 performance can explore trusted Wuthering Waves Accounts with strong existing rosters and Astrite reserves ready for the dual-banner cycle, accelerate every Echo farm and material grind with expert Wuthering Waves Hourly Services, or clear every piece of 3.4 endgame content effortlessly through reliable Wuthering Waves Boosting.

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