Ever since Candace dropped as a 4-Star Hydro Polearm support back on September 28, 2022, she's been that underrated pick for players who love shaking up their melee lineups. Her Elemental Burst slaps Hydro infusion onto Normal Attacks for Sword, Claymore, and Polearm wielders, turning those basic swings into Hydro damage dealers with a solid 20% damage boost—plus some sweet HP-scaling extras. It's a game-changer for Vaporize setups or Electro-Charged chaos with DPS like Cyno or Ayato, but don't get your hopes up if you're rocking bows or catalysts. Those just sit there, untouched. Aim for around 180% Energy Recharge and her C6 if you're eyeing her as a Sub-DPS; slap on some Emblem artifacts to push her HP past 40k, and you'll keep that infusion humming at over 80% uptime in Bloom teams. Trust me, once you nail this, your rotations feel smoother than a well-timed parry.
Understanding Candace's Elemental Infusion Mechanics
Picture this: You pop Candace's Burst, and suddenly your melee Normal Attacks are swimming in Hydro, swapping out Physical damage for something reactive and punchy. It ties right into the Normal Attack talent scaling, tossing in a 20% Normal Attack DMG Bonus on top. And those three AOE Hydro waves she sends out when you swap her in? Each one hits for 11.9% of her Max HP at Level 10—pretty decent for crowd control. The whole thing costs 60 energy and sits on a 15-second cooldown, so energy management is key.
In a Cyno squad, this infusion lets his Normals trigger Electro-Charged like clockwork, bumping DPS by 30-40% thanks to her A4 Passive (that's 0.5% extra damage per 1,000 Max HP—hit 40k HP, and you're looking at +20%). The infusion sticks around for 9 seconds base (or 12 at C1), with a 2.5-second or 3-hit Internal Cooldown that plunging attacks can dodge entirely. To keep her Burst firing often, shoot for 180-220% ER, especially with a couple of Hydro buddies in the mix for that 80%+ uptime.
A few quick tips to make it click: Fire off her Burst right after your team's warmed up—don't let it get overwritten early. Then swap to your DPS and let those Normal Attack chains rip. Keep cycling her Skill to squeeze out 2-3 particles per pop; it'll keep the energy flowing without much fuss.
Weapon Type Compatibility: The #1 Rule
Here's the deal with Candace's Burst—it's picky. It only infuses Hydro onto Normal Attacks from Sword, Claymore, and Polearm users, flipping Physical damage into something primed for reactions like Vaporize. Take Ayato: His infused Normals supercharge Kanten Senmyouku with a 20% DMG boost, and Hydro resonance tacks on another +25% HP. At Level 10, those hits scale nicely—1-Hit at 120.19%, 2-Hit at 120.87%, 4-Hit pushing 187.68%—which can mean 1.5-2x the damage in a Vaporize setup.
But bows? Forget it. Yoimiya keeps her Pyro Normals firing away. Catalysts like Nahida? No dice on the conversion; her Dendro stays pure.
The real winners: Cyno on Polearm for Electro-Charged vibes, Arlecchino with her Claymore for Vaporize explosions, Ayato on Sword riding that resonance wave.
When you're building teams, zero in on melee Normal Attack heavy-hitters: Swords like Ayato or Clorinde, Claymores such as Arlecchino or Beidou, Polearms including Cyno or Wriothesley. Quick test? Gear up the weapon, trigger the Burst, and peek at Elemental Sight for that Hydro aura glow. Steer clear of hybrids like Hu Tao, though—her Charged Attack focus just skips over Normals entirely.
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Infusion Priority System Explained
Candace's infusion might apply last in the chain, but it gets shoved aside by stuff like Raiden's Electro on Polearms or Ayato's own Skill, which can wipe it out for a full 7 seconds. For Cyno, that means losing 15-20% of your reaction uptime—ouch. It only tweaks Normals (Charged and Plunging need cycling to refresh), and there's a 0.5-second ICD on Polearm Charged Attacks for quicker stacks. Even Chongyun's Cryo infusion gets overwritten to Hydro, opening doors to Vaporize instead of Freeze if you toss in some Pyro—netting about 10% more DPS.
The priority pecking order? On-field Skills and Bursts trump everything, then off-field Bursts, with Candace bringing up the rear.
To keep things smooth: Slot her in after Anemo supports like Kazuha, but before any self-infusors. Her C4 drops the Skill cooldown to 6 seconds, perfect for reapplying on the fly. And always check Elemental Sight after a swap— that persistent Hydro aura is your green light.
DO: Characters Who Actually Benefit from Candace
If you're all about those melee Normal Attacks, Candace shines brightest here. Cyno on Polearm? Electro-Charged turns his kit into a beast, boosting Aggravate or Hyperbloom by 30-40% (20% from the base infusion plus that HP scaling), and it can shave 20% off your Abyss clear times at 40k HP. Ayato with his Sword gets a Vaporize amp on those Charged Attacks (scaling to 245.48%) courtesy of the +25% HP from resonance. Arlecchino's Claymore unlocks a 2x Vaporize multiplier; Wriothesley on Polearm fits Freeze or Melt hybrids nicely; even Nahida on Catalyst picks up indirect Bloom benefits.
Breaking it down by tiers—