Wuthering Waves Cartethyia Speed-Run: Dual Form Guide ~ HaploGamingChef

Introduction - Cartethyia Speed-Run: Dual Form Guide

If you're diving into Wuthering Waves and wondering how to efficiently play Cartethyia and her second form, Fleurdelys, this guide is for you. In just a few minutes, you'll learn the essential combos, mechanics, and optimizations that turn this dual-form character into a serious DPS powerhouse. Whether you’re a beginner or just need a refresher, this walkthrough will break everything down clearly — from how arrow erosion works, to when and how to transform, to the best team comps.

We'll cover:

How to generate and use arrow erosion stacks
Key differences between Cartethyia and Fleurdelys
The best combos, gear, and builds
Optimal team setups and support characters

By the end of this quick guide, you'll have the knowledge to maximize Cartethyia's potential in any fight. Let’s get into the build, skill priority, and transformation mechanics that define her unique combat style.

Understanding Cartethyia’s Dual Forms

Cartethyia in Wuthering Waves is a dual-form character who shifts between her base form (Cartethyia) and an enhanced state (Fleurdelys). Each form has specific mechanics, and managing them efficiently is key to her damage output.

Cartethyia Form: Focuses on building arrow erosion stacks and gathering swords tied to her Forte gauge.
Fleurdelys Form: Activates through her ultimate, consuming stacks for big damage and triggering enhanced effects for 12 seconds in a mode called Manifest.

To fully utilize her toolkit, players must cycle between forms strategically, making the most out of both modes.

Cartethyia: Mechanics and Stack Management

In Cartethyia form, you’ll notice three swords above her HP bar. These swords represent different actions:

Middle Sword: Earned by completing her fourth basic attack; applies one arrow erosion stack.
Left Sword: Gained from heavy attacks or intro skill.
Right Sword: Earned via resonance skill and applies two arrow erosion stacks.

Her ultimate transforms her into Fleurdelys and consumes these swords to trigger special bonuses.

Basic Combo Patterns

Use these as your core:

Combo 1: Heavy Attack → Basic Attack (1-4) → Resonance Skill → Plunge Attack
Combo 2: Basic Attack (1-4) → Heavy Attack → Resonance Skill → Plunge Attack

Fleurdelys Form: Manifest Mode & Damage Mechanics

Once you activate Cartethyia’s ultimate, she enters Fleurdelys form. This transformation immediately reduces your current HP to 50% of your max (unless already below), and starts a 12-second phase called Manifest. During this time, Fluriss’s abilities receive major enhancements based on which swords were gathered in Cartethyia form.

Sword Effects in Manifest

Left Sword (Interrupt Resist): Increases her resistance to interruption; the final hit in her basic attack chain also generates a force field to immobilize enemies.
Middle Sword (Arrow Damage Boost): Boosts arrow erosion damage by 50% and speeds up the damage tick rate by 50%.
Right Sword (Mass Stack Application): Applies the highest arrow erosion stack to nearby enemies — very helpful in AoE scenarios like Whimpering Waste.

Arrow Erosion Consumption

In Fleurdelys form, specific moves consume arrow erosion stacks for amplified damage:

The final hit in her basic attack chain
Her mid-air second attack
Her resonance skill

Managing these stacks is crucial to maximizing burst damage during Manifest.

Second Ultimate, Forte Bar & Stance Swapping

Cartethyia/Fleurdelys has a secondary Forte bar tied to her second ultimate. You can charge this bar by:

Repeatedly using basic attacks (ground or air)
Using her resonance skill

While in the 12-second Manifest window, you're allowed to swap back to Cartethyia form, which pauses the Manifest timer. This lets you rebuild stacks and swords, then return to Fluriss for another high-damage cycle.

Intro & Outro Skills: Extra Value From Transitions

Cartethyia’s intro and outro skills provide important support mechanics, especially in coordinated team rotations:

Intro Skill: Applies two arrow erosion stacks instantly and summons the left sword.
Outro Skill: Increases arrow damage dealt by your other Resonators by 17.5% for 20 seconds, but only if they attack enemies with negative status effects like arrow erosion, Spectroof, or Frazzle.

These effects make her valuable not just as a carry, but also in supportive and combo-based team setups.

Skill Priority: What to Level First

Here’s a breakdown of what to focus on when upgrading Cartethyia/Fleurdelys:

Circuit (aka Manifest enhancements)
Resonance Liberation (ultimate for form switch)
Resonance Skill
Normal Attack Chain
Intro Skill

This order ensures that you’re maximizing her dual-form damage and transformation cycles.

Optimal Builds: Weapons, Stats & Sub-Stats

Weapon Priority

Best-in-Slot: Fire Storm (signature)
Alternatives:
- Red Spring (strong pick)
- Emerald of Genesis (standard but reliable)
- Blazing Rails (acceptable, not optimal)

Echoes & Stat Loadout

4-Cost Echoes: Focus on Crit Rate and Crit Damage
3/1-Cost Echoes: Go full HP%

Recommended Sub-Stats

Crit Rate > Crit Damage
HP% (important due to HP-scaling damage)
Basic Attack Bonus %
Energy Regen

Arrow Rover is a key echo due to its arrow damage amplification and compatibility with Cartethyia’s outro. Two free copies are available by exploring the new region, making it accessible and powerful.

Team Compositions: Best Pairings for Cartethyia

Building the right team around Cartethyia/Fleurdelys can dramatically boost your performance. Here's a list of synergistic teams that balance erosion stacking, damage buffs, and survivability:

Top Team Setups

Cartethyia / Shikona / Arrow Rover – Great synergy with constant erosion application and echo-based amplification.
Cartethyia / Shortkeeper / Shikona – Ideal for a balance of support and arrow-based damage chaining.
Cartethyia / Arrow Rover / Sana – High sustain with Sana and efficient erosion coverage.
Cartethyia / Shortkeeper / Arrow Rover – Reliable, easy to build, and fits F2P rosters well.
Cartethyia / Arrow Rover / Alto – Useful when needing AOE resonance coverage.
Cartethyia / Arrow Rover / Phoebe – More niche but provides debuff utility.

Premium Team Core

Shikona is considered premium for Cartethyia because of:
- Her ability to frequently apply arrow erosion via ultimate
- Passive and skill-based arrow damage buffs

Combos: With and Without Shikona

Without Shikona

Start: Intro → Basic Attacks (1-4) → Resonance Skill → Plunge Attack → Ultimate
Next Phase: Basic Attacks (1-4) → Switch to Cartethyia → Reapply Arrow Erosion → Switch to Fluriss → Basic Attacks (1-4) → Ultimate → Yao with Shortkeeper

With Shikona

Life is easier. Just spam Basic Attacks (1-4) and Ultimate.
Optional: Hold Ultimate until Shikona exits for optimized rotation.

These patterns ensure that you're always maximizing stack usage and cycling into high-damage periods when buffs align.

Conclusion

Cartethyia and Fluriss offer a powerful dual-form kit in Wuthering Waves, with deep mechanics around arrow erosion, sword collection, and form cycling. Learning how to optimize their transitions, stack management, and combo patterns is essential to unlocking their full potential. With the right timing, weapons, and team composition, Cartethyia becomes a versatile and high-damage character in both solo and team settings.

Mastering her mechanics comes down to understanding the rhythm between basic attacks, resonance skills, and ultimates. Whether you're running F2P setups or high-end builds with Shikona, Cartethyia remains one of the more dynamic characters in the game.

FAQs

Q1: What is the main playstyle of Cartethyia in Wuthering Waves?
Cartethyia builds arrow erosion stacks and swords in her base form, then transforms into Fluriss to consume those stacks for high burst damage.

Q2: How do you generate arrow erosion stacks?
Use her fourth basic attack, heavy attack, resonance skill, and intro skill to generate stacks. Each method contributes different swords.

Q3: What triggers the Fluriss transformation?
Cartethyia’s ultimate ability activates Fluriss form, initiating a 12-second Manifest phase with enhanced abilities and sword effects.

Q4: How do you pause the Manifest timer?
Switching back to Cartethyia during Manifest pauses the timer, allowing time to build stacks before reactivating Fluriss for max output.

Q5: What’s the best weapon for Cartethyia?
Her signature weapon, Fire Storm, is best-in-slot. Alternatives include Red Spring and Emerald of Genesis.

Q6: Which echo should I use?
Arrow Rover is highly recommended due to its synergy with arrow erosion mechanics and Cartethyia’s outro skill.

Q7: What stats should I focus on?
Prioritize Crit Rate, Crit Damage, and HP%, as her damage scales with HP. Energy Regen and Basic Attack Bonus % are also useful.

Q8: Is Shikona necessary for top performance?
Shikona greatly enhances Cartethyia’s damage and consistency by providing regular arrow erosion applications and damage buffs.

🎮 Meet Haplo Gaming Chef 🍳

Level 99 Kitchen Warrior here! I'm on a quest to transform your gaming sessions into epic culinary adventures. When I'm not farming rare ingredients in MMOs, I'm crafting real-world recipes inspired by your favorite video games.

Specializing in: • Game-inspired recipe creation • Cooking quest guides • Power-up snacks for gaming sessions • Achievement-worthy meal prep

Join my party as we explore the delicious intersection of pixels and plates. Whether you're a casual foodie or a hardcore gamer, there's always room at my crafting table! #Gaming #GamingGuides #GamingChef #HaploGamingChef For More Visit: https://haplogamingchef.blogspot.com/

Follow Me!

https://bsky.app/profile/haplogamingchef.bsky.social
https://www.threads.com/@haplogamingchef
https://www.twitch.tv/haplogamingchef
https://www.pinterest.com/haplogamingchef
https://www.youtube.com/@HaploGamingChef
https://www.tiktok.com/@haplogamingchef
https://flipboard.com/@HaploGamingChef
https://x.com/HaploGamingChef
https://www.instagram.com/haplogamingchef
https://www.facebook.com/HaploGamingChef
https://www.linkedin.com/in/haplogamingchef
https://haplogamingchef.blogspot.com
https://www.tumblr.com/haplogamingchef
https://medium.com/@haplogamingchef
Google Business Profile: https://g.co/kgs/SLVFpRa

Wuthering Waves Cartethyia Speed-Run: Dual Form Guide