Skirk came into Tartaglia’s life as he was falling into the Abyss, literally and metaphorically. She taught him how to fight, how to survive, and how to hate silence. After months, maybe years of training, she simply disappeared. She returned only years later, suddenly surfacing from the Hydro Region like a retired teacher fish. Or on a mission. Who knows?
In Genshin Impact, Skirk appeared as a playable character in version 5.7 on June 18, 2025. In this article, we will analyze all her abilities and put together an up-to-date guide.
Character Description
Source: CQ.ru / Image by Skirk
Skirk is a 5★ Cryo damage dealer with a one-handed sword and a “none of your business” attitude. A sinner’s apprentice, Tartaglia’s mentor, a swordswoman from the Abyss, and just a woman who doesn’t need a reason to turn on the meat grinder mode. Her fandom is divided into two camps: “she’s a mother” and “she’s meta.” And both are right.
How to get Skirk
Source: screenshot CQ.ru / Banner with Skirk
The character appeared in the banner of update 5.7 – “Advent of the Void Star”. You can get Skirk only in the event banner. If you missed it, then wait for the rerun and save up the spins.
Strengths and weaknesses of the character
Source: CQ.ru screenshot / Still from the character trailer
She is a Cryo DD who prefers to cut enemies with normal attacks under the influence of a special stance, without needing energy. It would seem that she is an ideal candidate for the role of the main striker, but not everything is so clear.
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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The build is almost a dream: you don’t have to bother with energy recovery, track a bunch of cooldowns and build the entire rotation through the explosion of the elements. It is enough to invest in attack and crits.
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Skirk is heavily dependent on Cryo and Hydro companions. Putting her in a party through Melt, Overload, or something similar is possible, but you won’t see a formidable swordswoman from the Abyss, but something closer to the chill of peppermint candies. Without the right elements in the party, Skirk’s passive does not work as it should, which means all her damage drops.
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Skirk is easy to master. All of her power is revealed through basic attacks under the boost. If you are not a fan of mechanics at the level of “four switches in 3 seconds”, then Skirk will suit you. And she can glide above the ground. Convenient for exploration, beautiful – for screenshots.
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The only ideal support for her is Escoffier. And if you haven’t knocked her out, get ready to pick surrogates.
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And most importantly, her damage is really high, especially if you assemble the right team.
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Her signature weapon is too good to be fair. Sure, you could go with something simpler, but then you’d have to grind out a bunch of missing stats from artifacts. And that’s a 100+ hour adventure, and even then there’s no guarantee of success.
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Talents and abilities of Skirk
Source: CQ.ru screenshot / Still from the character trailer
Skirk’s gameplay requires attention and understanding of her mechanics: the character is tied to the stance and constantly needs to accumulate stacks that increase damage. It is worth starting the fight by activating an elemental skill to enter the Seven-Phase Flash mode, in which normal attacks become the main source of damage. During the battle, Void Tears will appear from elemental reactions, and it is important to absorb them in time – either with charged attacks, which must be included in the rotation in advance, or with the help of the ult.
It’s important to remember that outside of Seven-Phase Flash, using Elemental Burst is almost pointless – it will simply eat up the accumulated Serpentine Cunning and will not bring any significant benefit.
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Name
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Attack type
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Description
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Chaos: Split
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Normal attack
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Performs up to five consecutive melee attacks.
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Charged attack
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Consumes stamina and launches a crystal spear that pierces enemies in its path.
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Attack in the fall
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Plunges at enemies from the air, dealing area damage upon landing.
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Chaos: Distortion
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Elemental Skill
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Deals damage based on attack power and activates the Seven-Phase Flash state for 12.5 seconds. Grants up to 100 stacks of Serpentine Cunning.
The skill can be used in two ways: Quick press – instantly activates the Seven-Phase Flash and charges the character with 45 units of Serpentine Cunning. Long press – also gives 45 stacks, but additionally speeds up the character’s movement, temporarily making him resistant to attack interruptions. The direction of movement can be controlled, but reactivating it ends this effect. |
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Chaos: Destruction
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Explosion of the elements
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Damage source – attack power. Cooldown – 15 seconds.
Instead of the standard energy consumption, this ultimate is activated by accumulating Serpentine Cunning. If 50 units or more are accumulated, the character releases a powerful Cryo slash, dealing damage to nearby enemies. The more stacks spent above 50, the stronger the attack (up to 12 additional units are taken into account). If Seven-Phase Flash is active, the explosion turns into a special form – Chaos: Devastation. In this form, Serpentine Cunning is not consumed. Instead, the Exhaustion effect is activated, which lasts until the end of the flash. While it is active, each normal attack is strengthened at intervals of 0.1 seconds. If you have the talent “Mind Beyond Reason”, you can collect special objects – Void Tears. By absorbing them, the heroine receives an additional attack boost. The effect works for a maximum of 10 hits. |
Passive Talents
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Name
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Activation
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Description
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Martial Arts Conjugation
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Available immediately
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If your entire party consists of only Cryo and Hydro characters (including Skirk), and there is at least one Cryo and one Hydro hero among them, all team members receive a bonus: their elemental skill is pumped up one level.
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Mind beyond mind
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1 elevation
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Every time your allies perform a Freeze, Superconductor, Cryo Dispersion, or Cryo Crystal reaction, a Void Fissure appears near the enemy. These fissures can appear once every 2.5 seconds, and there can be up to three of them on the battlefield at a time.
Skirk can absorb them. To do this, you need to: – Hit an enemy with a charged attack in Seven-Phase Flash mode; – Activate Chaos: Devastation (alternate ultimate); – Or fast travel by long-pressing an elemental skill. Each fissure swallowed adds +8 units of Serpentine Cunning, which means more damage and stable access to the ultimate. |
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Return to oblivion
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4th rise
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When Hydro heroes on your team hit enemies with their element, and Cryo heroes (except Skirk herself) deal Cryo damage, Skirk gains a special buff called Death’s Crossing. It can stack up to three times and lasts for 20 seconds.
This effect increases her normal attacks in Seven-Phase Flash mode and her ult: – Level 1 – +110% damage from the hand and +105% to the ult’s damage; – Level 2 – +120% and +115%; – Level 3 – +170% and +160%. In short, the more actively her allies hit, the stronger Skirk herself becomes. |
Materials for the elevation of Skirk
Source: CQ.ru screenshot / Still from the character trailer
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Elevation phase
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Maximum level
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Price
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Elemental Material 1
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Elemental Material 2
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Local curiosities
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Additional materials
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1
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20
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20,000
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x1 Shivada Jade Shard
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–
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x3 Cloudy Stoneleaf
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x3 Meshing gear
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2
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40
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40,000
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x3 Shivada Jade Fragment
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x2 Heavy Look
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x10 Cloudy Stoneleaf
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x15 Clutch Gear
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3
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50
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60,000
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x6 Shivada Jade Fragment
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x4 Heavy Look
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x20 Cloudy Stoneleaf
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x12 Gear mechanism
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4
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60
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80,000
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x3 Shivada Jade Piece
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x8 Heavy Look
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x30 Cloudy Stoneleaf
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x18 Gear mechanism
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5
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70
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100,000
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x6 Shivada Jade Piece
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x12 Heavy Look
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x45 Cloudy Stoneleaf
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x12 Sophisticated Dynamic Gear
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6
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80
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120,000
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x6 Shivada Precious Jade
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x20 Heavy Look
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x60 Cloudy Stoneleaf
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x24 Sophisticated Dynamic Gear
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Talent Elevation Materials
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Level
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Books
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Common materials
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Weekly Boss Materials
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Mora
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2
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x3 The Teaching of “Rivalry”
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x6 Meshing gear
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—
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12,500
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3
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x2 Instruction “On Rivalry”
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x3 Gear mechanism
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—
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17,500
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4
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x4 Instruction “On Rivalry”
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x4 Gear mechanism
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—
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25,000
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5
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x6 Instruction “On Rivalry”
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x4 Gear mechanism
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—
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30,000
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6
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x9 Instruction “On Rivalry”
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x9 Gear mechanism
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—
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37,500
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7
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x4 Philosophy “On Rivalry”
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x4 Sophisticated Dynamic Gear
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x1 Ascended Paragon: Steed
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120,000
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8
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x6 Philosophy “On Rivalry”
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x6 Sophisticated Dynamic Gear
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x1 Ascended Paragon: Steed
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260,000
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9
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x12 Philosophy “On Rivalry”
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x9 Sophisticated Dynamic Gear
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x2 Ascended Paragon: Steed
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450,000
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10
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x16 Philosophy “On Rivalry”
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x12 Sophisticated Dynamic Gear
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x2 Ascended Paragon: Steed
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700,000 + 1x Crown
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Once you have obtained Skirk, her base stats will look like this:
- HP —967;
- Attack – 27;
- Defense – 6.
Without artifacts and weapons, Skirk at level 90 will give the following numbers:
- HP – 12,417;
- Attack – 358;
- Defense – 806.
Constellation Skirk
Source: CQ.ru / Character constellation
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Name
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Effect
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Lost in the Ages
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Skirk no longer just absorbs Void Rifts, she turns them into an icy surprise. Each time she “eats” a Rift, a crystal blade appears that hits nearby enemies with Cryo damage equal to 500% of her attack power. This damage is considered part of the charged attack, so it works with all related buffs.
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Falling into the abyss
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Skirk’s E has become a bit fatter: it now immediately gives 57 units of Serpentine Cunning instead of 45. Plus, the ult is strengthened: damage now depends on the amount of Cunning above 50, and twice as many “extra” stacks are taken into account (maximum – 74). But that’s not all – in the Seven-Phase Flash mode, normal attacks deal 60% more damage.
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Accidental sin
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Increases the level of the Chaos: Destruction ult by 3. Maximum – 15.
It’s simple: more level – more damage. Or, as Skirk herself would say, “snake generosity”. |
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Fragmented Stream
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Now each level of Death’s Crossing not only provides damage, but also increases attack power by 10%, 20% and 50% – depending on the number of accumulated levels.
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End of prayers
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Increases elemental skill by 3 levels (maximum 15).
Ice dash has become even more deadly. And paves the way to eternal winter faster. |
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To the source
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Each Void Rift now provides not only fuel for the Ultimate, but also a stack of the special buff “Chaos: Severance” – up to 3 stacks, lasting 15 seconds. What this effect does:
– When you activate Chaos: Destruction, all stacks of Chaos: Severance perform a combined attack, dealing 600% of Skirk’s attack power per stack. This counts as Ultimate damage. – Every 3rd and 5th normal attack hit in Seven-Phase Blast consumes 1 stack of the buff and deals 150% Cryo damage three times as part of a normal attack. – If Skirk takes damage in Seven-Phase Blast, 1 stack of Severance is consumed, damage to her is reduced by 80%, and enemies take a triple Cryo hit for 150% of ATK, which counts as a charged attack. |
Best weapons and artifacts for Skirk
Source: CQ.ru screenshot / Still from the character trailer
These are the stats we are looking for in artifacts:
- Hours – Attack Power;
- Cup – Cryo Damage Bonus or Attack Power;
- Crown – Critical Damage or Critical Hit Chance.
Artifacts
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Name
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Which dungeon to look in?
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Effects (2 elements from the set and 4 elements)
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Finale of the Galleries of the Depths
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Abandoned pier
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2 parts: 15% buff to Cryo damage;
4 parts: A character with 0% energy increases the damage of auto attacks and Elemental Burst by 60%. After hitting with a normal attack, the buff for the ult disappears for six seconds and vice versa, the ult blocks the buff for damage with normal attacks. It occurs even from the pocket. |
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Lost in a Snowstorm
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Vindagnira Peak
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2 parts: Buffs Cryo attacks by 15%;
4 parts: Critical hits on enemies with Cryo damage are increased by 20%. If the enemy is under the Freeze status, an additional 20% critical hit chance is given. |
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Twilight Court Hunter
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The end of sin
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2 pieces: Normal and Charged Attack damage is increased by 15%;
4 pieces: Critical Hit Chance is increased by 12% for 5 seconds when the character loses or restores HP. The effect can stack up to 3 times. |
Weapon
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Name
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Rarity
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Top status
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Passive skill
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Azure Glow
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★★★★★
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Attack Power: 48–674
Critical Hit Chance: 4.8%–22.05% |
Grants 24‒48% attack power for 12 seconds after using an elemental skill. If the hero runs out of energy during this time, additionally increases attack power by 24‒48% and critical damage by 40‒80%.
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Haran geppaku futsu
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★★★★★
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Attack Power: 46-608
Critical Hit Chance: 7.2%-33.1% |
Increases damage from all elements by 12-24%. When allies activate skills, accumulate up to 2 stacks of Spike Wave. When using an elemental skill, the weapon owner spends stacks and gains an effect that increases normal attack damage by 20-40% per stack for 8 seconds.
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Black Sword
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★★★★
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Attack Power: 42-510
Critical Hit Chance: 6%-27.6% |
Increases normal and charged attacks by 20-40%. When critically hit by these attacks, restores HP equal to 60-100% of attack power (once every 5 seconds).
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Best Teammates for Skirk
An unusual but extremely effective composition, in which Mualani takes on several tasks at once: she activates Hydro Resonance (if there is already Furina or Ye Lan in the squad), increases the damage of both elements with the help of artifacts from the Scroll of the Hero of the Burned City set, and also buffs Skirk’s attack power thanks to the Epic of Dragonslayers catalyst. At the same time, the key element of success is Mualani’s build – without the right equipment, it will be extremely difficult to achieve a similar effect.
Source: CQ.ru / Team with Skirk as Cryo DD
There is also a team through reactions of Steam and Melt with a double Hydro or Cryo core. Characters such as Shilonen or Kazuha are excellent for the buffer position. They can further reduce the resistance of enemies to the corresponding elements and increase the overall damage of the party. Bennett provides a stable increase in attack power and reliable healing.
Source: CQ.ru / Team with Hydro and Cryo reaction
Source: CQ.ru / Team with Skirk as Cryo DD
A budget squad through Meltdown, in which Skirk can consistently gain two levels of Death’s Crossing – due to damage from Barbara and Kaeya. Despite the simplicity of the composition, it allows you to reveal the basic mechanics of the heroine. The only “capricious” hero in the team is Xiangling: she needs to seriously invest in energy recovery in order to consistently launch the ult on cooldown.
Source: CQ.ru / Team for the poor
Don’t get lost in the game Abyss, or in the real one. Now you know a little more about Skirk, so you can assemble a worthy squad for her. And let the snake’s cunning be only on the battlefield.
