I still remember the first time Hiyuki walked onto my screen in Wuthering Waves version 3.3. It was April 30, 2026, and I had saved Astrite like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. The limited banner finally opened, I pressed the wish button with sweaty thumbs, and when her sword shimmered into view, I did not just cheer — I scared my cat. That moment kicked off my favorite Glacio project of 2026: turning Hiyuki into a main DPS who hits like a freight train.

Hiyuki is a 5-star Glacio Sword Resonator. She is built for main DPS duty, scales on ATK and Crit, and specializes in Resonance Liberation DMG. Her base stats are ATK 462, DEF 1112, and HP 10300. Those numbers might look modest on paper, but her kit is where the magic happens. She switches between two forms, builds power, and then drops a Resonance Liberation that can delete entire health bars. I learned quickly that if I ignored her form-swapping rhythm, I was just playing a very pretty sword user. When I respected it, she became a monster.

My Build: Weapon, Echoes, and the Stuff That Matters ⚔️❄️

If you want to build Hiyuki in 2026, a good 5-star weapon and the right Echo set are non-negotiable. I grabbed her signature weapon, Frostburn, from the weapon banner after pulling her. Frostburn is the best-in-slot sword, and it makes her damage feel smooth like butter. If you do not have it, do not panic. Blazing Brilliance is the second-best option with high base ATK and 48.60% Crit DMG. Emerald of Genesis and Red Spring are also strong 5-star alternatives with similar stats and slightly different passives. For 4-star comfort, Feather Edge and Fable is Wisdom can hold the line until a better sword comes home.

For Echoes, Wishes of Quiet Snowfall is the sonata set I farmed first. The 5-piece bonus boosts Glacio DMG and grants the Snowfall effect, increasing Crit Rate by 25% when Resonance Liberation DMG is used. Hiyuki lives for Resonance Liberation damage, so this set fits her like a tailored glove. Freezing Frost 5-pc is a decent temporary alternative if your Wishes of Quiet Snowfall rolls are being rude. For the main Echo, Reminiscence: Threnodian – Voidborne Construct is the dream. It deals damage when summoned and provides an extra 12% Glacio and Resonance Liberation DMG bonus. Lampylumen Myriad is a fine fallback if the new Echo refuses to drop.

Stat priorities are simple: Crit Rate, Crit DMG, Glacio DMG bonus, and ATK%. I spent a whole weekend rerolling Echoes, and I am not proud of the number of times I whispered please to my monitor. But when Hiyuki finally hit a clean Crit, the grind felt worth it.

Kit and Rotation: Two Forms, One Big Sword 💥

Hiyuki’s kit is based on two forms. In Present Self, her normal state, she uses Normal Attacks and Resonance Skill to build Forte Gauge Dedication. When Dedication is full, enhanced Heavy Attack and Resonance Liberation become available. Using the enhanced Resonance Liberation transforms her into Forclaimed Self. That transformation is the signal to start cooking.

In Forclaimed Self, Normal Attacks or Resonance Skill hits restore Forte Gauge Frostheart. With enough stacks, dodging lets her enter Iai Stance. Pressing Normal Attack in Iai Stance deals Basic Attack Iai damage, quick slashes that can ignore incoming damage. Every Basic Attack – Iai builds a stack of Whiteout Bitterfrost. At three stacks, I use Heavy Attack – Bitterfrost in Forclaimed form to gain a Snowforged Blade stack. Those Snowforged Blade stacks can be spent by charging Resonance Liberation, also known as Blade Liberation, to increase its damage. The best part? If I do not spend them immediately, they are not wasted. They carry over and wait for a better window.

Hiyuki also applies Glacio Chafe and Glacio Bite to enemies, dealing bonus damage an
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