There are many ways to equip your characters with Echoes in Wuthering Waves, but there are only two viable ones you should consider using: ‘4,3,3,1,1’ or ‘4,4,1,1,1’. The question comes then: which of these Echo loadouts is better?
Which configuration is better for Echoes in Wuthering Waves: ‘4,3,3,1,1’ or ‘4,4,1,1,1’?
Regarding total stat gains, ‘4,3,3,1,1’ is completely superior to ‘4,4,1,1,1’ thanks to the inclusion of more high-ranked Echoes. Echoes with higher loadout costs come with a main stat that provides more overall of the main stat. Despite this, both setups are actually viable for current content in Wuthering Waves, but there are times when you might consider using ‘4,4,1,1,1’ over the superior one. There is nuance to this subject, and the best way to explain them is to break down each configuration for your reference.
Echo Configuration ‘4,3,3,1,1’ Breakdown
Since this setup yields higher total stats, your characters will always deal more damage with it. Specifically, the two ‘3’ Echoes should either be ATK% or Element DMG%, and both, when leveled to max rank, should give you 30% of whichever stat is on them. This is a big deal for damage and is the main reason why this config is superior.
However, this config is not without its faults. Despite the superior stat spread, the two ‘3’ Echoes that are a part of this setup are incredibly difficult to obtain on a set bonus. You see, ‘3’ Echoes are the only ones that can come with an Element main stat, but there is an Element main stat for every Element in Wuthering Waves. Every time you slay and capture an Elite enemy, you have a low chance of obtaining the Element you need for your character thanks to all of the differing variables.
Even if you do get the correct element, chances are, it’s on the wrong Echo set for said character. It is possible to get Spectro DMG on a ‘3’ Echo that has the Havoc set attached to it, which is very much useless. To make matters even worse, Elites are finite in the overworld, meaning you can farm and kill all of them on the entire map. If this happens, you must wait for the daily reset for them to respawn so you can continue farming them. All of these randomized variables make getting proper ‘3’ Echoes a rare occurrence, thus the difficulty in achieving this setup, despite its superiority.
Beyond this rarity limitation, ‘4,3,3,1,1’ has no other inherent negatives. It offers you a wider range of stat options to choose from and gives you more raw stats in general. For those looking the make their characters as powerful as possible, use this configuration.
Echo Configuration ‘4,4,1,1,1’ Breakdown
Due to the nature of ‘3’ Echoes, you may want to opt into using this configuration instead because of how easy is to get running at a viable level. You see, ‘1’ and ‘4’ Echoes are very easy to obtain with the correct stats you need. Although ‘1’ Echoes are finite, there are significantly more basic enemies on the map to farm, making it unlikely for you to run out before the daily reset. ‘4’ Echoes can be farmed infinitely because they come from the respawning bosses on the map. There is no limit to how many times you can farm these, so getting the correct main stat from them is a matter of your farming diligence.
This ease of build comes at the cost of a weaker character overall. The lack of ‘3’ Echoes means you have no Element DMG bonuses and fewer ATK% bonuses, resulting in a sizable loss of damage. However, because two ‘4’ Echoes are used in this setup, it is significantly easier to obtain both CRIT RATE and CRIT DMG. This is due to your ability to farm for these main stats as much as you want. Characters running this setup probably won’t have issues obtaining acceptable levels of CRIT value stats, resulting in them becoming mid-to-late game viable much earlier than the superior setup.
Another not-so-obvious caveat of this configuration is the resource drain using will have on you. In Wuthering Waves, you are constantly stretched thin for resources and must make continuous decisions of whether or not to invest in specific characters or weapons. Waveplates timegate the amount of resources you can obtain, making these decisions crucial to how effectively your account progresses.
Before using this configuration, ask yourself: is it worth wasting resources to build a stat inferior Echo setup? In my opinion, as someone who likes to min-max my character builds, I find my resources valuable, and if I’m just going to transition from this setup in the future, then I’d rather wait to get the correct pieces before investing in a character. If you’re not a min-max number cruncher like me, though, this setup is perfectly viable to use. For those who simply want to get their characters up and running effectively, ‘4,4,1,1,1’ will accommodate.
