Who Is Hu Tao?
Hu Tao is the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue — a 5-star Pyro Polearm character known for her eccentric personality, dark humor, and exceptional single-target DPS output. She converts her HP into raw attack power through her Elemental Skill, making her a high-risk, high-reward character that rewards attentive play.
Hu Tao's Kit at a Glance
- Normal Attack — Secret Spear of Wangsheng: A 6-hit combo with a charged attack that deals massive Pyro damage during her Skill state.
- Elemental Skill — Guide to Afterlife: Converts a portion of Hu Tao's HP into ATK (capped at 400% of her base ATK). Infuses her attacks with Pyro and applies Blood Blossom to enemies hit by charged attacks.
- Elemental Burst — Spirit Soother: Deals AoE Pyro damage and heals Hu Tao based on enemies hit — especially powerful when her HP is below 50%.
- Passive — Flutter By: Increases Hu Tao's CRIT Rate by 12% when her HP is at or below 50%. This is a key threshold to manage during combat.
Best Artifacts for Hu Tao
| Set | Bonus | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson Witch of Flames (4-piece) | Pyro DMG +15%, Vaporize/Melt bonus, stacking Pyro DMG | Primary recommendation |
| Shimenawa's Reminiscence (4-piece) | After using Skill, +50% Normal/Charged ATK DMG for 10s | High-damage alternative |
| 2pc Crimson Witch + 2pc Noblesse | Pyro DMG +15%, ATK +20% | While farming optimal sets |
Artifact Main Stats to Target
- Sands: HP% (scales her ATK through her Skill)
- Goblet: Pyro DMG Bonus%
- Circlet: CRIT Rate% or CRIT DMG% (aim for a 1:2 ratio)
Best Weapons for Hu Tao
- Staff of Homa (5-star): Her best-in-slot weapon. Scales with HP, increases DMG when below 50% HP — perfectly aligned with her kit.
- Dragon's Bane (4-star): Excellent free-to-play option, especially in Vaporize teams due to its passive.
- Deathmatch (4-star, Battle Pass): Good CRIT Rate stat, solid passive for single-target fights.
- White Tassel (3-star): A surprisingly effective budget option that boosts Normal Attack DMG.
Best Team Compositions
Vaporize Team (Recommended)
Pair Hu Tao with a Hydro applicator like Xingqiu or Yelan. Vaporizing her charged attacks (Pyro on Wet enemy = 1.5× multiplier) is her most consistent source of massive damage.
- Hu Tao | Xingqiu | Zhongli | Albedo
- Hu Tao | Yelan | Xingqiu | Zhongli
Budget-Friendly Team
- Hu Tao | Xingqiu | Sucrose | Bennett
Note: Bennett's healing may push Hu Tao's HP above 50%, disabling her CRIT Rate passive. Manage this by timing his burst carefully or replacing him with a shield character like Zhongli.
Key Gameplay Tips
- Stay below 50% HP whenever possible to maintain her CRIT Rate passive and Spirit Soother bonus damage.
- Master charged attack canceling — after a charged attack animation, immediately dash or jump to cancel the recovery frames and increase her DPS.
- Use Zhongli's shield to play comfortably at low HP without fear of dying.
- Don't panic-heal — resist the urge to bring her back to full health mid-fight; low HP is her power state.
Constellation Priority
Hu Tao is strong at C0. If you can reach C1 (removes the charge-stamina cost), it dramatically improves her playability. C4 and C6 are powerful but not necessary for most content.
With the right build and good HP management, Hu Tao is capable of some of the highest per-hit damage numbers in the game. She's one of Genshin's most rewarding characters to master.