The first half of Genshin Impact’s Version 4.1 update features the debut run of Neuvillette’s “Decree of the Deeps” banner alongside the fourth rerun of Hu Tao’s “Moment of Bloom” banner.
Since both exclusive five-star characters will be running at the same time, you’re likely struggling to choose which one to pull for. There’s never one correct answer since it will always come down to your own preferences and playstyle, but you can make the choice between Neuvillette and Hu Tao much easier by comparing their abilities to determine whether you should pull for Neuvillette or Hu Tao.
Is Neuvillette worth pulling for in Genshin Impact?
Neuvillette is a Hydro DPS force who primarily deals heavy damage based on his health points through his charged attack, so he is worth pulling for if you are seeking a strong damage dealer to base your team around.
When built and used correctly, the Hydro character can deal extremely high damage. Since he is from Fontaine, Neuvillette also has Pneuma incorporated into his skillset from the overarching Pneuma and Ousia system.
If you don’t like characters who consume their own health points and require some management because of this, Neuvillette might not be the recruit for you. The Hydro Chief Justice regularly drains his own health to use his special “Equitable Judgment” charged attack, but he does also occasionally heal himself.
Even though Neuvillette’s health-draining skill might sound intimidating to manage, it is quite easy to deal with as long as you have a team that can help him. It’s best to have at least one healer or shielder at his side or even both if you would like extra assurance that your DPS will stay alive no matter what.
Overall, you should pull for Neuvillette if you are seeking a dedicated Hydro DPS force that you will need to carefully manage and should skip him if you don’t need a damage dealer or don’t want to deal with his health draining drawback.
Is Hu Tao worth pulling for in Genshin Impact?
Hu Tao is a brutal Pyro DPS unit and one of the strongest damage dealers in all of Teyvat, so she is absolutely worth pulling for if you are seeking a DPS for your roster.
Even though Hu Tao is one of Genshin’s best, she does have a uniquely complex playstyle that might not be desirable for every player. She regularly consumes her own health points to increase her damage output but can also heal herself fairly well.
Hu Tao is essentially a high-risk, high-reward character similar to Genshin’s five-star Anemo Polearm character Xiao or Honkai: Star Rail’s five-star Wind Destruction character Blade. These kinds of characters can deal some of the most impressive damage numbers of all, but they can also be tricky to maintain due to their risky health drains.
Everything about Hu Tao’s skillset is impressive from the very first moment you recruit her, which is great because this makes her an easy character to build. She comes with a high base critical rate, high health points, high defense, high charged attack damage, and high elemental burst damage. She can also supply a critical rate boost to the rest of her team.
You should pull for Hu Tao if you want a strong Pyro DPS who will make damage dealing exceptionally easy, but you may want to avoid pulling for her if you don’t enjoy playing with characters who need a decent amount of careful management.
Should you wish for Neuvillette or Hu Tao in Genshin Impact?
Whether you should pull for Neuvillette or Hu Tao entirely comes down to personal preference since they are both DPS units with extremely similar types of abilities. Both characters have health-draining abilities and excellent potential for strong damage dealing, so this is a very interesting banner matchup since the biggest difference between them is ultimately their elements.
I would ultimately choose Neuvillette over Hu Tao solely because there are quite a few other very powerful Pyro DPS units available while there aren’t really any amazing Hydro DPS forces that are currently playable. Yoimiya, Lyney, Diluc, and Klee are all solid five-star Pyro DPS units, although Hu Tao is certainly the best, while Tartaglia (Childe) and Kamisato Ayato are the only real five-star Hydro DPS forces and neither one is anywhere near as powerful as Neuvillette.
Neuvillette is also the first playable dragon character we’ve gotten, and he has Pneuma incorporated into his skillset thanks to Fontaine’s unique energy system, so he’s an extremely unique recruit with a very intriguing story to match his powerful skillset. The dragons are believed to be even more powerful than the Archons, so Neuvillette is a truly unmatched force.
You could also choose between Neuvillette and Hu Tao based on whether a Hydro unit or a Pyro unit will work better with the characters you have. Both recruits are extremely strong in elemental reaction-based teams, so consider what you want your ideal lineup to look like and which element will suit that lineup better.
As impressive as both of these characters are, I would also recommend considering skipping both banners to save for the arrival of Teyvat’s Hydro Archon Furina. She will debut in Version 4.2 and is expected to be one of Genshin’s best characters, as is the case with all of the currently playable Archons. These characters are the gods of Teyvat, and their abilities are truly unmatched because of it.
Furina is currently believed to be a versatile character who can play general support, healing, and buffing. Her skills aren’t suited for a DPS role, so you may want to choose to pull for Neuvillette or Hu Tao if you are seeking a DPS and like one of the two. But you should save for Furina otherwise.
