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 and triggering effects like Frostbind. She even provides a team-wide Glacio damage buff when swapped out, which means she is not selfish. She is the rare main DPS who brings snacks for the whole party.

Teams: Lynae and Chisa Make Her Shine ✨

The teams I tested revolve around Hiyuki plus one support and one Sub-DPS buffer. Lynae and Chisa are the gold standard. Lynae is the best Sub-DPS for Hiyuki because her massive DMG buffs increase all DMG types and Resonance Liberation DMG. Chisa is the best healer support because she increases the max stack limit of Glacio Chafe by 3. Hiyuki’s Inherent Skill also has great synergy with Chisa’s Havoc Bane application, which pushed my damage into silly territory. If you do not have Lynae or Chisa, Mornye or Shorekeeper works well, especially alongside a Sub-DPS who buffs Glacio DMG bonus, ATK, Crit Rate, or Crit DMG.

I ran a few Tower of Adversity floors with Hiyuki, Lynae, and Chisa. The first attempt was messy because I treated her like a normal sword character. The second attempt, I waited for Dedication, transformed, built Whiteout Bitterfrost, and then charged Blade Liberation. The boss’s health bar did not just drop — it evaporated. My friend watched the clip and said, that is a truckload of damage. He was right.

Ascension and Final Thoughts ❄️

For ascension, I pre-farmed her materials for Forte, Inherent Skill, and stat bonuses. The full material list is long, but the routine is familiar: farm Glacio ascension mats, weekly boss drops, and enough credits to make your wallet cry. Do not rush the last few levels unless you enjoy being broke in every other upgrade system.

Hiyuki is one of my favorite 2026 Wuthering Waves characters. She is not a brainless unga-bunga DPS. She rewards timing, form management, and a team that understands her Glacio needs. If you are pulling for her, give her the Frostburn or a good Crit sword, farm Wishes of Quiet Snowfall, bring Lynae and Chisa if you can, and learn the Iai rhythm. Once you do, she will repay you with beautiful, freezing, screen-clearing numbers. And yes, I am still scared-cat-level excited every time she transforms.

If pre-farming her materials taught me anything, it's that the resource grind never really ends — and the same goes for supporting the characters you actually want. Between Wishes, ascension mats, and the occasional skin or bundle that catches your eye, the spending adds up faster than a fully charged Blade Liberation. So before you commit your pulls, it is worth seeing what is available outside the game itself.

I have started checking best game deals on DealNest before topping up or grabbing any new release, since the site rounds up discounted bundles and offers in one place instead of making me dig through a dozen storefronts. It will not fix my credit shortage, but it does make the Snowforged grind a little easier on the wallet.